New Keyboard from Generalmusic

Generalmusic proudly launches its new WK8 Megastation, the finest addition to its GEM World Keyboard Series.

In addition to the immense sample-based sound library of its predecessors, the 61-key WK8 Megastation offers eight additional megabytes of unique, new waveforms, expanding the database to more than 1,000 ROM presets. The WK8's Performances offer an endless combination of sounds to suit all types of music. The new Drawbar Performances provide those rich, true organ sounds of the past, easily controlled using the eight panel sliders, while the new Drumkits (16 in all) can add just the right kick to a song.

The WK8 Megastation Arranger offers 224 new Styles (192 ROM + 32 RAM) consisting of eight accompaniment tracks, each enriched with four Variations, offering more than 3,000 different patterns from which to choose. In order to provide the latest, most up-to-date sounds and samples, the WK8 Megastation features a flash memory area capable of retaining up to 32 Styles which may be downloaded for free at: www.generalmusic.com/upgrade.

The exciting Single Touch Play function has been further enhanced: each Style can store up to eight different Style Performances, allowing musicians to reconfigure the arrangements of the same Style by simply selecting a Performance.

The new Real Audio Synchro Style (RASS) feature integrates sample grooves (audio files) into the styles of the WK8 Megastation, greatly enhancing the musicality and feel of real-time playing. As the style speed is changed, the sample automatically adapts to the new beats-per-minute (bpm), not by changing the playback speed, but by actually going slower or faster like a real drummer or percussionist, maintaining the same feel as the original. With RASS, it is also possible to add guitar phrases, vocal backgrounds and other "tuned samples" which will follow the chord changes at any desired speed.

Thanks to a powerful Sequencer, the WK8 Megastation enables highly elaborate Songs to be recorded, as one might expect from a powerful computer sequencer. Featuring 32 Tracks, a capacity of 250,000 Events/16 Songs, a resolution of 1/192 ppq, microscope editing, Groove Quantize and background loading, the WK8 Megastation's QuickRecord function permits musicians to quickly and easily record songs using existing Styles for automatic accompaniment. Standard MIDI File compatibility is guaranteed (format 0, 1 and I +lyrics) and a vast and continually increasing library of Songs is available in a wide variety of formats, including SK/WK, SX/WX and GMX, as well as DOC/Disclavier/Piano Disk. With the internal Audio/Video Interface, Song scores and lyrics can be displayed in Karaoke format on an attached monitor or other video device fitted with a SCART connector. Furthermore, the Vocal Processor function can add up to four incredibly realistic harmonies to a single vocal input.

Generalmusic's new 3D Stereo Enhancer feature greatly enhances the general quality of the WK8's sounds. Inserted just prior to the master out, it "opens" the stereo panorama so that every sound speaks with greater definition and clarity. Even the reverbs seem to be more crisp and natural sounding.

The main control panel layout of this elegant instrument, with its large 320 x 240 pixel backlit display with an attractive simulated wood finish, is ergonomically designed to make every operation as simple as possible. Dynamic MIDI aftertouch on all 61 keys, 64-note polyphony and 32-part multi-timbrality add to the already impressive list of the WK8 Megastation's features.

The keyboard comes equipped with a 1.4 Gigabyte Hard Disk containing over 1,100 songs with text, over 190 new Styles and 60 MB of new samples. The capacity of the HD can be expanded up to 2 GB.

Eight megabytes of Sample RAM are on-hand for loading in AKAI®, Kurzweil®, Sound Designer®, Wave and AIFF samples. This memory can be increased to a maximum of 40 MB with the addition of up to 32 MBs of SIMMs. Thanks to a battery backup, these sounds will remain in the keyboard's memory even when turned off. An optional SCSI Interface can also connect the keyboard directly to a number of peripheral drives, including CD-ROM, ZIP®, JAZ® and external hard disk.

Rear-panel connections on the WK8 include two stereo outs, stereo in, computer host, two headphones, volume pedal, three programmable pedal, pedalboard and six MIDI ports.