RMI Harmonic Synthesizer vs. RMI Keyboard Computer

via Wavecomputer360 on the AH list:

"both machines are totally different beasts, and even the two different versions of the KCs differ considerably from each other. I can only speak for the KC-2 (which I hated to see go a couple of years ago but then again, it was worth a couple of months´ rent for my flat...). The KC-1 is a totally different cup of tea. I have never used, let alone owned one (I think I had one out of nine KC-2s ever sold to owners in Germany).

A common trait of both instruments -- the Harmonic as well as the KC -- is that they both tend to sound a little static and not really rich and animated, very digital. Their digital nature (oops, there´s that word again) keeps them a bit too much in tune so you´d need some external effects to make it sound a bit more animated. It´s great as a source of samplefodder and really unusual overtone spectrums. The Harmonic of course allows you to change overtones while playing it which is something you can´t perform on a KC (a trick commonly used by many Harmonic Synthesizer players... insert the wooden wedges into the keyboard in order to keep a set of keys pressed, let the arpeggiator noodle on and on, and change overtones as it goes). Also, the Harmonic has a built-in analogue VCF (here´s that word which makes the whole affair come back on topic again...) plus the arpeggiator which allows for rudimentary realtime sequencing. You can´t do that on a KC.

What the KC can do, though, is to sound a bit like a proto-PPG of sorts -- although a lot more polite and well-behaved than a PPG 360 --, or a Prophet VS, for that matter. Its "Bells" preset was absolutely striking (no pun intended), and so was the "Pipe Organ". It has a very interesting raw sound which is ideal for further processing. One feature of the KC I was particularly fond was holding down a chord while inserting punchcards and hear the sound transform from one into another. That was definitely proto-PPGish. You could also do that when setting up two completely different sounds in each channel and use the pedals to let them fade into each other seamlessly.

Being a bit blatant, I´d recommend listening to the ['ramp] album "ceasing to exist" which was recorded in collaboration with touch guitar player Markus Reuter. I used mainly the RMI KC-2 Keyboard Computer for the electronic sounds and drones, plus a couple of loop devices. You can find the album as legal download on www.musiczeit.com (check for the label "Extended Moment"), there should be some audio to try out. There´s also a download-only album out called "drones and shimmers" by the humble writer of these lines (click here). I used the KC, plus a Jamman, for the tracks "working the soil" and "cultivating the sky". On a different note, I used the Harmonic and its built-in arpeggiator a lot on a track called "Cosmic Caravan" off a limited-edition CDR album called "blasters of the universe". You might be able to find a copy somewhere...

Hope that helps,

Stephen."