Ensoniq ASR-10 help, for ASRonians.

MGStudios wrote:Well I was thinking, since my ASR10 doesn't have SCSI, I am in a bit of a dilemma. But, if I grabbed say an MPC200xl that had SCSI that I could midi up with the ASR, would this work? I'm pretty sure it would, and seeing as how I cuold grab a 2000xl for the same price of just the SCSI kit for the ASR 10 this might be a better option. Can anybody confirm this?

Sorry, that won't do you any good for getting samples in and out of the ASR. You can transmit sample data via MIDI, but it is enormously slow, and it requires special MIDI commands to make it happen (which you won't be able to initiate from either the ASR panel or the MPC). There's just no work-around or substitutes: if you need to use SCSI on your ASR, you'll have to have the Ensoniq SP-3 SCSI interface installed.

Sam
Syntaur Productions

Can't you just sample directly into the ASR? Seems like a big hassle transferring sounds onto floppies.

Yes you can sample straight on to it. Without a SCSI expansion installed though the only option for saving those sounds and your arrangement would be on to floppies.

Well the only reason I would need SCSI is for my drum samples. And having a 2000xl with SCSi would go well with the ASR, so technically couldn't I just sample from a record into the ASR, but do my drums from the computer into the MPC and do the beat that way?

If you're happy with saving the sounds that you sample in to the ASR on to floppy, then yes, you could do that. Personally, I'd like to be able to work solely on the ASR if I chose to do so.

The other option there, which is pretty long winded but still a possible workaround, is to re-sample the drum sounds from your computer sound card outputs in to the ASR as you need them - which kinda destroys the point of having quick/ready to load drum libraries.. Just a thought though. It saves you spending out on an MPC2000xl that you might not really need. I guess that's what Coz was getting at.

Well for $300 I could get just the SCSI Sp-3 Kit for the ASR, then I have to install it and then actually buy the Card Reader or whatever. So I figured if I picked up an MPC2000xl, I could transfer the sounds from my computer to that and then just set the same tempo on both the ASR10 and the MPC and voila ! This sounds like a pretty good plan to me, because I'm not going to spend $500+ on just being able to work from the ASR 10 alone. Anybody disagree?

MGStudios wrote:Well for $300 I could get just the SCSI Sp-3 Kit for the ASR, then I have to install it and then actually buy the Card Reader or whatever. So I figured if I picked up an MPC2000xl, I could transfer the sounds from my computer to that and then just set the same tempo on both the ASR10 and the MPC and voila ! This sounds like a pretty good plan to me, because I'm not going to spend $500+ on just being able to work from the ASR 10 alone. Anybody disagree?

It's too bad that it is so expensive to get the ASR-10 SCSI set up... We looked into trying to redesign the SCSI interface so that we could build them ourselves and sell them cheaper, but the numbers just don't work. I cringe every time I have to tell someone the price of the SCSI.

Anyway, just thought I'd point out that to use the ASR with an MPC like you stated, you would NOT just set them both to the same tempo and assume they will keep in sync - they won't. Instead, choose one to be the master and the other will be the slave. The master's MIDI Out will go to the slave's MIDI In, and you will need to change the slave's MIDI clock from Internal to MIDI (or External - I don't know what the MPC calls this). If the ASR is the slave, you'll change the CLOCK SOURCE (Edit -> Seq) from INTERNAL to MIDI.

In this configuration, pressing Play on the slave won't play anything, because is it waiting for the external clocking. But pressing Play on the Master will run BOTH sequencers in perfect sync, Stop will stop them together, etc.

Sam
Syntaur Productions

So if I had an MPC2000xl, which I think I am gonna do, and it had SCSI, I could just transer the drum samples to the MPC, then make it the master and the ASR 10 the slave and I would be good? I'm kind of confused what "role" the slave plays, like am I able to sample into the ASR from my turntable then chop it on the ASR? Sorry if these are dumb im a beginner

MGStudios wrote:So if I had an MPC2000xl, which I think I am gonna do, and it had SCSI, I could just transer the drum samples to the MPC, then make it the master and the ASR 10 the slave and I would be good? I'm kind of confused what "role" the slave plays, like am I able to sample into the ASR from my turntable then chop it on the ASR? Sorry if these are dumb im a beginner

Dude, not knocking your game here, but you're struggling with the core basics. This thread seems to have been hijacked for your benefit, but I'm not going to bash you or anything.

If you understand scsi, it has nothing to do with syncing. It's just a means to allow you to access stored media. Midi handles the sync options & other types of data.

Just offering a helping hand. But check this article out...

http://www.tweakheadz.com/many_functions_of_midi.html

Hey, forget all this if I misread something.

Yeah I think you are misinterpreting me lol. I know MIDI is not sounds or data or anything its just notes, all I want to know is would be getting an MPC 2000xl with SCSI be the best option for what I'm trying to do? The ONLY reason I need SCSI is to get drum samples from my computer onto a CF CArd and then into the MPC, so I figured it would be more practical to just buy another piece that I could benefit with that has SCSI instead of just buying one piece to the puzzle in the ASR10 Sp-3 Kit. Follow me now?

MGStudios wrote:Yeah I think you are misinterpreting me lol. I know MIDI is not sounds or data or anything its just notes, all I want to know is would be getting an MPC 2000xl with SCSI be the best option for what I'm trying to do? The ONLY reason I need SCSI is to get drum samples from my computer onto a CF CArd and then into the MPC, so I figured it would be more practical to just buy another piece that I could benefit with that has SCSI instead of just buying one piece to the puzzle in the ASR10 Sp-3 Kit. Follow me now?

MIDI is actually data - which can be note data, sustain pedal data, program data, etc. It is most commonly used to transmit "notes", but this is actually data saying, "Play MIDI note 79 at a velocity of 118" for example.

I don't see where SCSI has anything to do with what you are after, unless you need it for the CF card. You can get a simple USB card reader/writer that you can use for your computer, and many MPC's have a CF card slot. So where does the SCSI come in?

Sam
Syntaur Productions

To get a card reader for the MPC you need to have SCSI installed. The card reader is like $125. Which MPC's have a CF slot pre-installed? And like I mentioned getting an MPC to compliment my ASR is way more efficient then if I bought all my SCSI needs for the ASR.

The MPC1000 and the MPC2500 (and maybe others) have CF slots, if I'm not mistaken.

Sam
Syntaur Productions

DUDE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irb335ThCdo


And yes, you are right, midi connecting the two is the most functional setup i have ever encountered.

Oh I've seen that Kanye vid many times I love him (no homo)


The 1000 doesn't have the sound I'm going for, and I could get a 2000xl with SCSI for cheaper probaly + keep that gritty ASR sound

EDIT: Yo grub mind sharing some info about the ASR10 as a slave?