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"The Breakaway 1000 is a voice controlled music synthesizer. You hum into a microphone and it comes out as any synth sound you choose. It has 28 voices to choose from.The best thing is that it is also an Analog-to-MIDI converter. You can plug a 1/4" jack into it (guitar, say) and use the MIDI OUT jack to trigger any other MIDI instrument from your guitar, voice, keyboard, or what-have-you!
The Breakaway also has 5-track digital recording capabilities with a memory of over 1000 notes, along with built-in drum machine and bass accompaniment.
Breakaway Vocalizer 1000 was released in 1988, (licensed to Breakaway by the Eltrex Corp.) and sold thru the Sharper Image Catalog, Montgomery Ward stores, and distributed by Tascam.
It's notoriety has climbed in recent years as emerging electronic musicians clamored for a means to generate MIDI sounds using only their voice. It was discovered these Breakaway "toys" were actually quite capable instruments - able to track and playback to the nearest 32nd of a semitone. The on-board tone generator was co-developed by Ensoniq, a leader in music technology back then. The unit could also track the pitch of just about any sound-producing object and generate corresponding MIDI triggers. Even today, it is sought after by harmonica players as one of the best MIDI input devices available.
Specifications:
Synthesis: Stereo, sampled waveforms.
Sound Tracks: 10 notes polyphonic and polytimbral.
Octaves: Over 7 octave range.
Instruments:
-28 preset lead instruments, built-in: piano, electric piano, piano strings, electric organ, electric guitar, fuzz guitar, electric bass guitar, slap bass guitar, flute, whistle, clarinet, harmonica, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, synthesizer brass, violin, cello, string bass, synthesizer strings, bells, marimba, steel drum, synthesizer drums, and four zany sounds; plus five drums: snare drum, bass drum, high hat, cymbal, tom.
Effects: Stereo chorus, stereo harmony, stereo echo, slide (continuous) control.
Voice Guide: Voice Guide, and Melody Guide (for song cartridges with known melodies).
SmartSongs Styles:
-12 Jam Pattern styles: rock 1, rock 2, rock 3, rock 4, soul 1, soul 2, latin 1, latin 2, jazz, blues, reggae, and country; each with different drum, bass and chord patterns.
SmartSongs Options:
-Variations: Each background has two "song" variations (verse and chorus), and two "rhythm" variations (bass or drum rhythm variations).
-levels of Accompaniment: 4 levels of accompaniment: Drums only / Drums and bass / Bass and chord / Full background SmartSong.
-Ending: Special pre-recorded finale to each SmartSong*
-Tempo: Tempo up and tempo down.
-Key: Transposes up 6 steps and down 6 steps.Multi-track Digital Recorder (MDR):
-5-track digital recording.
-Memory capacity over 1000 notes.
-Recording modes: Simple Lead Composing, Smart (assisted) Composing, Advanced (unassisted) Composing.
-Editing: pitch, tempo, key, instrument, rhythm, note insertion and deletion.
-Playback options: same as SmartSong options (tempo, key, etc.).
Demonstration Function:
-Interactive, "step-through" demonstration using easy-to-follow messages on the LCD display.
-Modes demonstrated: Basic instrument vocalization, changing instruments, changing SmartSongs, and simple lead recording.
Input Terminals: Handset controller, audio input (microphone, electric guitar or other instrument pickup). MIDI input.
Output Terminals: Audio Out/Headphones. MIDI Out (musical instrument digital interface). Jam Link (linking 2 or more Vocalizers).
Tuning: ± 1/2 semitone.
Speaker: 3-1/2" (output capacity: 2W).
Power Supply: 3-ways: 6 C-size 1.5 V batteries, household current (with AC adaptor), car battery (optional CA-1 car adaptor). Battery life: approximately 8-10 hours continuous use (measured using alkaline batteries).
Power Consumption: 6.2W, depending on speaker volume.
Dimensions: 164mm (W) x 45 mm (D) x 354mm (H), or 6.5"(W) x 1.77"(D) x 13.94"(H).
Weight: Approximately 1.4 kg (including batteries), or 3.1 lbs.
Accessories Included: AC adaptor, Free SmartSongs Cartridge.
Accessories Available Separately: SmartSongs Cartridges, Instrument Sounds Cartridges, telephone handset cable for Jam Link (available at local electronics or telephone store).
Package Dimensions: 15.9" (W) x 3.6" (D) x 12.8" (H)."
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