Ebay Craziness: $310 for an Oberheim Strummer?!
I'm addicted to ebay. That's just a fact of life, but when I see something like this I know I'm not the one with the problem.
I was involved in an auction for an Oberheim Strummer, a simple piece of kit that performs various functions on midi data to make your incoming data sound more guitar like. It's something that could easily be created in Logic's environment or Ableton's midi racks... Regardless, I'm a big proponent of trying everything old again, if for no other reason than to discover a sound/technique you may not have experienced. It's also interesting to recontextualize retro gear in today's thinking.
Here's a description of said device:
So I've got my snipe in at a whooping $76, a fairly high price for something so outdated....
Well, how ridiculous is it that a bidding war ensues and it goes for $310!
In the course of 6 minutes they walk it up from $55 to $310. Unbelievable! I'll be watching this seller to see if he relists, as no one in their right mind would pay that... oh, free-darnell, do you know something I don't?
I was involved in an auction for an Oberheim Strummer, a simple piece of kit that performs various functions on midi data to make your incoming data sound more guitar like. It's something that could easily be created in Logic's environment or Ableton's midi racks... Regardless, I'm a big proponent of trying everything old again, if for no other reason than to discover a sound/technique you may not have experienced. It's also interesting to recontextualize retro gear in today's thinking.
Here's a description of said device:
Your keyboard may have a great guitar sound, but can you play a great guitar part?
Yes. The Oberheim Strummer will transform your keyboard playing into a stunning and convincing performance featuring realistic guitar articulation. By looking at such factors as the range of the guitar. the number of notes being played. chord position, and the velocity of the performance. Strummer can transform the incoming MIDI data out into performance data emulating that of a real guitarist. Performance data may be delayed, echoed, harmonized, transposed and sent back out on multiple MIDI channels. In addition to control over strum direction and speed, the Strummer also features Chord Capture for real time single finger chords. Individual picking patterns and riffs may be assigned to a single key. for real time performance playback. You can even control the number of "strings" being strummed via keyboard velocity. Strummer Keyboard players now can emulate guitar techniques on their synthesizers and samplers to create incredibly authentic guitar sounds. The Strummer listens to chords played on a MIDI keyboard and plays them back through a MIDI sound source (synthesizer or sampler) just as they would be played from a guitar. Chord voicings will now be correct to accurately reproduce guitar sounds and the chords can actually be "strummed".
The Strummer can change the speed and direction of the "strums" just by changing the way the keyboard is played. Also, the Strummer has the ability to distinguish between chords and single notes, allowing chords to be sent over one MIDI channel, while single notes are sent out over a different channel (like a solo lead guitarsound).
In addition, the Strummer includes many other important features:
· MIDI Delay (Echo)
· Adjustable delay and decay rates
· Multiple MIDI channel output
· Velocity switching
· Keyboard splitting
· Chord voicing variations
· Arpeggiation
· Chord Capture (adjustable single finger chords)
· Transposition of MIDI delay (great for MIDI harmonizing)
· Synchronizes to MIDI timing clocks (External Sync)
· MIDI program changes
· Supports MIDI Sysex for storage transfer of user defined patches
So I've got my snipe in at a whooping $76, a fairly high price for something so outdated....
Well, how ridiculous is it that a bidding war ensues and it goes for $310!
In the course of 6 minutes they walk it up from $55 to $310. Unbelievable! I'll be watching this seller to see if he relists, as no one in their right mind would pay that... oh, free-darnell, do you know something I don't?
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