Zyklus Midi Performance System For Sale

Zyklus MPS Midi Performance System. Includes memory cartridge, 1 midi In, 4 midi out, 3 foot-switch inputs, 1 trig in, 1 gate out, 1 metronome out, 99 sequences, 24 configurations, 12 songs, note capacity 9,000.

509x241x68mm, 6kg



SOLD!!

This model has been owned since November 1989 - the previous owner was a good friend. Its been well looked after. My friend hardly used it (it was just tucked away in a corner). I used it in early 1994 to programme in step-time the piano accompanyment to a guitar concerto. It's been in storage ever since.



Here's a few items I pulled off the internet about the Zyklus MPS:

ANIMATION — superimpose rhythmic/harmonic patterns on live playing or vice-versa.

AUTOMATION — comprehensivemanagement of MIDI synthesizers and outboard equipment.

IMPROVISATION — spectacular real-time control from MIDI keyboard or other source.

HARMONISATION — simultaneous multiple transpositions of recorded MIDI data.

EXPERIMENTATION — combine and manipulate rhythms, chords, phrases, ideas to explore all musical possibilities.

It cost £1995 inc VAT in 1988. Smile Vangelis owned one and used it during a concert in Athens in 1987, according to the article.

Reading the article, the MPS was a "sequencer of sequences", ie. you record sequences from a MIDI keyboard or in step time, then use the 12 blue selector buttons on the front panel to trigger the sequences you have saved in memories. It offered 1/96th-note resolution on sequences (not much by today's standards), time signatures of between 1/2 and 32/8. You could shift the start point of any sequences you record, transpose them, randomise them, and trigger them all in real-time while making tempo changes (if desired) with the built-in jog wheel. You could also lock an already running sequence (ie. loop it and fix its pitch) and free up one of the 12 blue control buttons to trigger another sequence memory... and the whole of your performance could be recorded into the MPS while playing it back and making real-time adjustments to its controls/buttons.

It sounds like it's similar to using Touch Tracks in Logic, or one of the Grooveboxes Roland, Korg and Yamaha make, but restricted to MIDI sound sources not samples.

There are some nice features like the ability to set any sequence you record to Repeat(Loop), Single-Shot (Play once) or Hold At End (play through sequence and hold the final note (or chord) indefinitely so that you can sequence over the backing.

1 MIDI In
4 MIDI Outs
3 footswitches
1 Trigger in
1 Gate out
1 Metronome out

99 sequences could be stored
24 configurations
12 performances
Note capacity 9,000 !!!!
Battery-backed memory with a data cartridge connector