Two New Synths from Generalmusic

SK760

SK880

Generalmusic announces the introduction of its new SK760 and SK880 synth workstations, updates of the companys previous SK76 and SK88 models. Arguably the most powerful and professional workstations on the market, the two instruments unique feature sets make them ideal for live and recording applications alike.

In addition to the immense sample-based sound library of their predecessors, the 76-key SK760 and 88-key SK880 instruments offer an additional 8 MB of high-quality new waveforms, expanding the database to more than 1,200 ROM presets. The extremely wide variety of new performances offer an endless combination of sounds for any style of music, such as the new Drawbar performances which provide those rich, true organ sounds of the past, easily controlled via eight slider on the instrument's top panel.

The two workstations permit complete control of every sound's parameters. Both synths feature 64-note polyphony and a multi-timbrality of 32 parts. Keys all feature dynamic capabilities and aftertouch. The internal engine offers 128 digital filters with resonance, up to six oscillators per voice, three LFOs and up to 21 independent envelopes, each with a maximum resolution of 10 segments allowing highly complex sounds to be created quickly and easily.

Both of the SK Series instruments are equipped with 2 MB of battery-backed RAM (up to a maximum of 32 MB of SIMMs may be added) allowing musicians to load samples in AKAI®, Kurzweil®, WAVE, AIFF and Sound Designer® formats via an on-board disk drive. The SK760 and SK880 can also be fitted with an optional SCSI interface allowing direct connection to peripheral drives, including CD-ROM, ZIP, JAZ and external HD, to load and save sounds, samples, styles and performances.

The new SK Series Arranger offers 224 new styles (192 ROM + 32 RAM) consisting of eight accompaniment tracks, each offering four variations, creating more than 5,000 different patterns to choose from. There are also 32 flash memory style locations for new operating system upgrades which may be downloaded via floppy disk or for free at: http://www.generalmusic.com/upgrade/.

Thanks to the new Real Audio Synchro Style (RASS) feature, sample grooves (audio files) can be easily integrated into the styles of the new SK Series, 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.

The Single Touch Play feature has now been further enhanced. Each style can store up to eight different style performances, allowing musicians to reconfigure the arrangements of the same style simply by selecting a new performance.

The SK760 and SK880's powerful Sequencer is fully capable of recording complex songs like a separate 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 SK Series instruments enable songs to quickly and easily be recorded.

Standard MIDI file compatibility is also guaranteed (format 0, 1 and 1+lyrics) plus full access to a vast and continually-increasing library of songs in all formats, including SK76/88, WK4/6/8, SX/WX and GMX.

With Generalmusic's optional Audio/Video Interface, song scores and lyrics can be displayed in karaoke style on an external monitor or other video device. Furthermore, the Vocal Processor function can add up to four natural-sounding harmony vocals to a single vocal input.

Powerstation versions of the two synths come equipped with a hard disk pre-loaded with over 200 songs (some of which even contain lyrics and harmony tracks), 192 new styles and over 60 MB of new samples. The maximum capacity of the HD can be expanded up to 2 Gigabytes. Both instruments also feature 8 MB of battery-backed sample RAM, while additional 8 MB SIMMs are available to further increase sample memory.

Rear-panel connections on the SK760 and SK880 include two stereo outs, stereo in, computer host, two headphone jacks, volume pedal, three program pedals, pedalboard and six MIDI ports.

Generalmusic Corp., headquartered in Italy, is Europe's largest manufacturer of electronic musical equipment, with U.S. operations in Bensenville, Illinois.