From lupotb@netcom.com Thu Jun 30 10:08:29 1994 Date: Wed, 29 Jun 1994 22:52:42 -0800 From: Marc Wilhite To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Studio Electronics SE-1 Well, I had planned on saving up for that Big Briar Memorymoog upgrade, but instead I found a great deal on a virtually new Studio Electronics SE-1 with filter input option. I must say this is NICE addition to my rack(it now proudly sits next to my MKS-80+Programmer). Its sound is so close to that of the Minimoog that I doubt if most(if anyone) could tell the difference. However, unlike the Mini it is capable of so much more. The SE-1 has three Oscillators with your basic Triangle, Sawtooth, and Pulse waves. The nice addition is that now the waves can be used individually or collectively. Also, oscillators 2 and 3 can be sync'd to Oscillator 1. Unlike the Mini, one need not waste oscillator 3 for use as an LFO. The SE-1 has three LFOs! Each LFO can modulate the frequency of all three oscillators individually or combined(LFO 1 only), the level of oscillators 2 and 3, ring modulator level, noise level, filter resonance, filter cutoff, the pulse width of each oscillator, as well as volume. Each LFO has Triangle, square, sawtooth up and down, noise, and sample&hold waves. The SE-1 has two filter modes. 24DB Minimoog or 12DB S.E.M. type filters. The Minimoog filter is right on the money. However, the SEM mode just doesn't catch my ear like my SEM rack does. Studio Electronics plans to release an update in a couple of weeks that will allow for switching between Lowpass, Bandpass, Highpass in 12DB mode. Maybe this will make the difference in creating those SEM type sounds. The SE-1 one has four envelopes. Env. 1 is set permanently to the filter and Env. 2 the amplifier. Envelopes 3 and 4 can modulate each of the oscillators pulsewidth, level and frequency of Oscillators 2 and 3, ring mod level, noise level, and resonance. Also, each envelopes can be set to respond to different velocity amounts. MIDI on the SE-1 is very flexible. Mod Wheel, Aftertouch, Continous controller 1, and Continous controller 2 can modulate just about anything. Pitch bend can control pitch(ofcourse), Cutoff, and resonance. System Exclusive is also supported. If you can find a good deal on an SE-1 2nd hand I highly recomend it. The $1400 mine would have cost new might be a bit high. But, it is an awesome synth none-the-less. The new software soon to be released adds even more cool features allowing Env. 1 and 3 to inverted and selection of Linear or Exponential curves for the envelopes. Well, Im going to have start over on saving for that Memorymoog upgrade but I think its definetely worth it. So ends my little SE-1 mini-review. -------------------------------------------------------------------- OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO O Marc Wilhite Productions O O Music & Audio Production O OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO -------------------------------------------------------------------- Email: lupotb@netcom.com From dt3d+@andrew.cmu.edu Wed Jan 25 10:12:00 1995 Date: Tue, 24 Jan 1995 20:01:33 -0500 (EST) From: David A Turner To: Doug Terrebonne Cc: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Subject: Re: SE-1 Hi Doug... Though I am probably going to deeply regret this (since I would love to buy the SE-1 for $700 B-)), here are a few specs that might help convince you: 1. The oscillators can produce waveforms (tri,sawt,variable pulse) individually or SIMULTANEOUSLY (imagine each of the 3 oscs generating a hybrid saw and pulse wave). Of course, since the oscs have been stabilize to prevent tuning drift, there maybe some variation from the class mini sound.32 2. Four, four-stage envelopes (as oppose to the mini two ASR). Three LFO (with tri,saw up/down,square,sample&hold,noise). All of which have reasonable mod routings (though not as extensive as an Ob Xpander/Matrix 6). 3. Completely programmable. User Interface is good (though not as easy as the mini). Extensive MIDI capability. 4. Classic MOOG filter ladder AND a classic OB SEM filter. 5. Ring modulator and oscillator sync though ALAS you cannot do audio rate modulator (read FM) like you can the mini. 6. There are regular software feature updates (in ROM format). What would these guys think of next? Hope this helped. Please let me know if you decide NOT to buy the SE-1. B-) turn