From tande.adamson@btinternet.com Fri Oct 10 14:09:22 2003
Subject:Re: Controlling Nord Electro with Roland VK-8M drawbars

--- In CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com, Doug B wrote:
> Okay, I really can't answer your specific question... but I do know
that the VK-7 has drawbars that send out MIDI CC's, and they are
programmable. ]

I can't be 100% certain, but I am pretty certain the VK8-M doesn't
transmit drawbar midi ccs. You could email/phone Roland to check to
be sure.
At present I think that there are only two clone modules suitable to
use to control the Electro's drawbars.
1. The Voce V5
2. Viscount's fairly recent DB3. ( The Oberheim module doesn't have
this feature )

I use the Viscount, which apart from it's poor Leslie simulation and
not too good vib/chorus is a decent modelled tonewheel clone with
simulated spring reverb and strong percussion, editable key click,
tone generator noise, leakage etc, user presets and is multi-timbral
with lower manual prests and a pedal bass preset.

Apart from this controller you would also need a Midi-Solutions Midi
Mapper gizmo to alter the cc #s, available from the CWSG's founder
member, Bruce Wahler on www.ashbysolutions.com.

For a simpler approach, just to get hands-on to something physical,
you could use a Doepfer Pocket Controller with 16 assignable faders
which is small in size but solidly built and dead easy to program,
from www.doepfer.de which I find superb for the job although it
entails push faders rather than pull drawbars. There is also a gadget
from www.evolution.com which has nine faders which can be configured
to pull ( volume up )
This feature was included for B-4 users.

( P.S. If you are also a list member on the Yahoo Electro group, I
have a picture in the files section, of the Doepfer fader customised
for use with the Electro. I use it for the lower drawbars.)
Regards, Thomas.