From nwilson@morgan.com Wed Oct 12 15:33:05 1994 Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 14:42:51 -0400 From: Ab Wilson To: electronica Subject: discussion question Mike Perkowitz writes: > what do you think of the morpheus? i fiddled with one once for about ten > minutes, and the presets are set up to do things that didnt seem that > exciting. My thoughts exactly. I read all the pre-release blurb on the Morpheus and it really did seem like the most original synth released since the DX7. However when the machine was relased and I read the reviews I saw some short commings and when I actually went into a shop and played one my finally reaction was so what. > what can it really do? This is what I know about the machine. The idea behind the Morpheus is basically synthesis through vocoding. The guts of the machine is a filter bank consisting of eight 14 pole filters. These filters can be controlled to produce the complex response curves you'd get out of real instruments. I should mention here the first major limitation - you cannot program your own filter curves. Instead you have a number of preset filter cubes to choose from. A filter cube is a vector space where each point in the space corresponds to a particular response curve. For example you could represent the two parameters of a standard resonant low pass filter with cutoff along one dimension and resonance along another leaving you the third dimension for something else. The presets have more complicated cubes which represent the dynamic timbral characteristics of real instruments as well abstract effect type cubes. E-mu justifies the decision to only provide preset cubes by saying that it is actually quite difficult to define cubes which make sense. ie which don't result in unstable filters. By modulating the current point in the cube you can sweep between different responses and thus `morph' between different timbres. Now here's the second major limitation. One dimension of the cube is hardwired to keyboard note number, another to velocity, leaving only one for the user to play with. As a result even though the Morpheus is theoretically capable of some very interesting real time modulation, for reasons best know to themselves E-mu have placed fixed limits on what is actually posible. Now as a caveat I haven't sat down with a Morpheus for any length of time and actually tried programming the thing. It is possible that even with the above limitations you might be able to make some very interesting noises. Ab. -- Article 18233 of rec.music.makers.marketplace: Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.synth,rec.music.makers.marketplace,alt.emusic,rec.audio.pro, Subject: FS: E-Mu M O R P H E U S $775 Date: Mon, 6 Mar 95 03:47:40 GMT E-Mu Morpheus (Model No. 9063, Serial Number 119300 727) I am the original (and only owner). Morphing (i.e. continuoulsy changing & interpolating) between extremely sophisticated, and often radically different, synth filters provides complex, dynamic timbral changes you simply can't create on other instruments... Most people are familiar with the unit...the Morpheus introduces the Z-plane filter, which has the ability to smoothly change its function over time. The Z plane filter is composed of up to 8 complex filters for unprecedented control over subtle aspects of sound. The Morpheus contains 8 MB (internally expandable to 16 MB) of the highest quality 16 bit samples as the basis of its sounds. These sounds can be combined or spliced, modulated and then shaped through one of the 197 Z-plane filters. Sampled sounds can then be reshaped or expressively controlled. The 16 bit samples are arranged into 256 locations, 128 of which are user-programmable. 128 user-programmable "Hypersets" allow ultra-flexible keyboard mapping presets. There's an optional memory card slot where you can create an expandable library of your favorite presets and hypersets. The Morpheus has 2 studio-quality effects processors with 28 different effects to choose from. Hypersets allow you to have up to 32 different sounds on the keyboard at one time in any desired arrangement. Sounds can be placed side by side or layered with velocity control. The ability to respond multi-timbrally to all 16 MIDI channels makes the Morpheus ideally suited for multitrack sequencing and composing using a MIDI sequencer. Also, E-Mu has a series of 5 of 6 Sound Cards with additional sounds for the Morpheus.... The Morpheus has 3 stereo outputs for individually processing sounds (also configurable as 6 polyphonic submixes with fully programmable panning), integral sends and returns to allow the addition of external effects units without the need for a separate mixer, user definable alternate tuning, and of course, and extensive MIDI implementation. Audio Channels: 32 Audio Outputs: 6 (2 main, 2 effects, 2 submix) Submix Inputs: 4 Filter: (32) 14-pole Z-Plane Filters & (32) LP Tone Filters ============================================== I've had the Morph for about 10-11 months...and since its purchase, it's only been in my rack, in my private studio. (I am a composer/producer, not a commercial studio). The Morph is in perfect operational and cosmetic condition, no flaws what-so-ever. This Morpheus has always been in a smoke-free, liquid free environment....and has only received electricity that's under voltage regulator and harmonic neutralizer control. In other words....the unit's been very well taken care of in every respect. With it of course comes the manual ( a very comprehensive and thick manual I might ad..250 pages!). I also have the the training VHS video tape on the Morpheus that E-Mu made. <--So if you want to blow off the manual, here's your ticket:-)! I never thought I would sell my Morpheus.....but I just committed on a project (for 1 year) that's very analog based....very very vintage tube based....and on my shopping list is a Demeter VTCL-2 ($2,000 +), A Manley Tube EQ (ouch!...several grand)....and I don't see me using the Morph in the next year. The Morpheus is an amazing, innovative, and quite unique synth...very critically acclaimed....something that would be difficult to grow out of. I did several recordings with it...Dance, R&B, Pop, Hip Hop, Techno, HiNRG, Ambient, Ballads, (it's extremely versatile) and if you wanted to hear some stuff using the Morph, I can send you CDs of some recordings I did. Anyway....that's the deal....$775 + shipping. I'm in New York City...anyone in New York is welcome to come by and check it out if you are indeed looking for a Morpheus. Thanks....