Sunlight
- Music Playkeys!
This instrument exists in 2 variants; the white- red one is technically
identical with My Music Center
(including the nasty keyboard bug). The white- blue one is different and
more interesting, although its hardware is still rather like My Music
Center than like Stereo Playkeys!
(despite similar name). Nasty is that this thing originally includes no
volume control and plays its harsh digital tones for a toy unbearable loud.
Interesting is the rhythm section with custom drummer and the "cluck" sound.
main features:
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32 mini keys
-
no power switch but an "On/ Off" standby button with auto power off which
plays a short jingle at start-up and power down.
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2 note polyphony (even with rhythm on). A keyboard bug cause random pitched
notes when accidentally more than 2 keys are pressed simultaneously; this
limits intuitive playability.
-
8 OBS instrument sounds {piano, vibe, oboe, trumpet, saxophone, banjo,
violin, guitar}
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8 OBS rhythms (PCM drums with switchable fixed- key accompaniment) {march,
swing, country, rock&roll, disco, rhumba, slow rock, waltz} The drums
sound better than in "My Music Center". The accompaniment always plays
the same instrument sound like the melody voice. Rhythms (except custom
drummer) always start with default tempo, which limits the use of the OBS
selection for live performances.
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4 drum pad + selection button to switch them between drum or animal samples
{Snare Drum/ Cluck, Hi hat close/ Duck, Kick/ Dog, Tom/ Pig} The "cluck"
(hen) sound is very impulsive, and in combination with the drumrolls of
the "march" rhythm this one sounds really great.
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monophonic sequencer for 32(?) note events exists (rather useless because
it is always recording and contents is erased as soon "stop" is pressed
(e. g. to stop a rhythm)).
-
custom drummer to program a 16 slot rhythm pattern. It can also be combined
with accompaniment by selecting a rhythm with accompaniment and than pressing
"Null/ Play" to start the custom drummer rhythm. Great is that the custom
drummer and even the sequencer data don't get erased by switching power
off (so far the CPU stays connected with batteries or other power supplies).
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no volume control and earbleeding loud default volume. :-6
-
The sound generator seems to be technically identical with My
Music Center (see there), but unlike there, here the melody voices
don't consist of 2 sub- oscillators. This makes the tones sound quite thin,
but it permits to play two voices even when rhythm is on. The instrument
sounds of this instrument are very basic waveform samples with a simple
envelope; they sound really harsh and rather boring. Only the banjo sounds
natural. Besides the 4 drum pad percussions, the rhumba rhythm contains
a 5th "bongo/ parrot"(?) sound.
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The CPU contains a 1 bit pulse width modulation D/ A converter which outputted
sequences of on/ off pulses get turned into analogue wave forms by a capacitor.
This sample output frequency intermodulates higher notes and gives them
an unusual glassy timbre.
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CPU "S13909, 1ARIN(?), HT3650" (26 pin COB module) with DC voltage controllable
clock oscillator
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8 demo melodies button (no great compositions, but at least rhythm varies)
eastereggs:
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chorus button to combine both voices to a richer sounding monophonic voice.
(In sequencer playback mode chorus is generally always on.) The chorus
can greatly simulate the timbre of a German police car siren ("Martinshorn").
-
individual OBS buttons for each demo melody addable.
modifications:
-
cinch sound output, speaker mute switch and AC adapter jack with regulator
added.
-
volume control and pitch pot added.
-
chorus button added.
Since there is no real power switch, the pitch pot must be used carefully
during battery operation, because an undiscovered crash by overclocking
can prevent the hardware from powering down properly, which may result
in excessive battery discharge and battery leaking. Although the hardware
resembles My Music Center (see
there), shitshooting the program by overclocking causes no really interesting
effects, but only continuous tones or no response. (Don't forget to reset
afterwards, because there is no power switch.)
The 8 demo melodies of this instrument are (according to the manual):
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Old McDonald Had a Farm
-
This Old Man
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The More We Get Together
-
Itis a Small World
-
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
-
Yankee Doodle
-
Do Your Ears Hang Low [That does the missing volume control... ;-)
]
-
Frere Jaque
This instrument may even have been the direct predecessor of the famous
and widespread My Music Center,
because despite many common features it has simpler sounds and lacks the
crucial volume control.
removal
of these screws voids warranty... |
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