Technics SX-WSA1

It is not really hard to program if you know what you are doing.
But if you know nothing about phys. modeling it can be hard to program.
even do the wsa-1 is verry easy to use if you compare it to a yamaha phys. modeling synth. the drivers in this synth are samples.

The keyboard is ok, velocity and aftertouch is there so it can be your master keyboard. there are 4 outputs you can use and it has some desent effect processors, but then again i rather use my ensoniq or eventide or lexicon. It has a onboard sequencer wich is quit basic and i don't use it since i do my sequencing in digitalperformer. but it is oke.
it is 64 Voices poly and 32x Multitimbral. when you start programming patches you can use a lot of voices on a complex patch.... so beware ;)

Aftertouch is a bit so/so.
You can make rather realistic sounds with it and it uses GM samples wich is a shame, there not that good looped and there quit boring from scratch. weak, weak, weak... out of the box it sucks in my opinion.

But! if you are into making your own sounds it can be a real treasure.
great for weird and spacy pads, drones etc. it reasly has a sound of it's own. thats what i like about it. it is worth trying it out since there not that expensive (if you can find one)

I am not taking it on the road. it is big and plastic.
In the studio it has never let me down.

no idea. thechnics was taken over by panasonic, i believe.

I wil not sell it, for now.
i like that is has a sound of it's own an love it way more than a wavestation or a kawai k5000 for example.
I wisch it had more hands on control and most important, It would be haven if you could import your own samples or if technics putted some more exotic samples in it. overall i like this synth for what it is.
check it out and do't be misleaded by the factory presets because they suck and make sound like a home keyboard. start making your own patches and explore the parameters and bend your own sound.

It would have been FAR better to use if there had been a computer
based "Editor/Librarian" for it. It has a VERY deep architecture
with MANY parameters for the sounds. But the BIG screen and buttons
make it easier than most synths. I recent bought Cubase SX and have
created a "MIDI Device Manager" for the WSA. This has made it FAR
easier to access all the sounds.

I own the Rack-Mount version so I can not comment on the Keyboard.
WSA is 32 Part Multi-Timbral, a "Mini-Orchetra" all by itself!!!
The built-in effects are NOT worth your time. Better to go with
external hardware or Computer VST/DX. WSA is MOST hurt by the fact
that you can't add new waveforms. Technics offered an expansion
board at one time, but it was a joke. SAD, WSA COULD have been
another DX7 with better waveform expansion via Floopydisk or
MIDI sample-dump.

Sustaining Acoustic sounds (Oboe, Sax etc.) are rather weak. Strings
can be a little harsh without filters. PADs are GREAT! as are Synths
sounds, Pianos, Organs, Guitars.

Solid as a ROCK!!!

Once again, WSA is ONLY limited by lack of waveform expansion and
lack of 3rd Party computer Sequencer/Editor support. Emagic JUST added(Dec 2002)WSA support for it's "Soundiver" program. I am still
testing it out. Since switching from "Logic" to Cubase SX, I will be
trying to get Steinberg to offer a way to program synths from within
Cubase SX. For now, with Emagic's Big Box, I will TRY to create an
Editor for the WSA within Logic's "Environment". It is the only thing
that Cubase SX does not yet have.

GIVE WSA1 a TRY Keyboard or Rack-Mount, you WOULD'NT be sorry!!!

I'M NOT!!!!!!!!

editing patches is fairly straightforward & the patch editor does make a big difference. I haven't really taken much notice of the manual, but it's not all that straightforward.

The large screen is a definite plus when it comes to using the sequncer, but so far I haven't been able to locate any expansion boards etc & have given up trying. The polyphony is good, & the ability to create key layers & programme up to 8 sounds in one combi setting is a bonus when it comes to live perfomance.

I'm a bit frustrated with the organ sounds - they sound too digital to me & there's no warmth there. The string sounds & pad sounds are very good, however.

i can definitely depend on it - i've been using it for about 5 years & it's never let me down.

what customer support?

it's definitely worth what i paid - i got itfor less than a third of the price, new! I think they just had a complete sales disaster.

The large screen makes navigation a breeze, and editing becomes quite straightforward (if you can understand the 'acoustic modelling' concept of sound production. The ROM presets can be a bit dodgy (esp. pianos) but the patches supplied on disk for the two other banks are pretty good. Manual is *impossible* to use, but mostly unnecessary.

Plenty of expressive options - 3 wheels, Realtime Controller (sprung trackball for 2 parameters), Realtime Creator (trackball for another two, but not sprung). Keyboard has aftertouch. Apparantly there is an expansion board but no-one seems to know anything about it. The sequencer can be *very* frustrating, so I've stopped using it.

Sound use the 'Acoustic Modelling' principle. This means that only the acoustic properties (such as the resonator) get modelled, not the driver (which is sampled). I think this works well, as it gives plenty of power, with only a little trade off, unlike the Physical Modelling synths. There's plenty of expressive power so the orchestral sounds are pretty good, as are pads.

Still working!

Support?

Because of it's unusual sound creation it can be a bit of a challenge, but this is one of the reasons it attracted me. I wanted one when they were 2500 UKP, so when the price dropped to 850 UKP I couldn't resist. I think Technics have a great synth, but didn't really know what they were getting into - perhaps it'll be looked on as a classic in years to come?