Newbie: I need more cool sounds, 128 patches aint cutting it, can only use 128 patches from synth..... Options

[ash]

imac 500 Blue CD-RW, 256mb, Cubase, OMS, Technics Workstation WSA-1, Roland UM-1, Behringer MX1602a

First problem: I can only use 128 patches from my Technics Workstation synth, and it's got a lot, lot more than that; clearly this is very limiting on my creative output.
Secondly when I attempt to customise a sound: for example the B3 sound needs a soft attack and more decay, could also use a tad of phase-shift; whatever I do to the least of the instruments gets done to all of them; it applies the changes to the Synth SYSTEM output. Again, quite annoying. Neither of these problems occur when I sequence directly on the keyboard (seperate from Cubse) using it's GUI: I can tweak the sounds, add more layers to a sound, tweak those layers, adjust modelling, resonators - it's awesome.
last problem is that i want to create and edit sounds and then use them for recording; don't care whether they're audio files or whatever. On Cakewalk on PC I used to talk into the mic, sample it (as per setting alert sounds in MacOS) and then play the sound all up and down the keyboard, apply fx to it and record a song. Is this possible with Cubase?
One other thing, is the only way to burn a CD to wire the audio out from the mixer to the audio in on the mac.....cos that's pretty dodgy in my case.....it's gonna end up sounding like my old fostex 4 Track from the 80's.
So to wrap up: I want to make any sound I want, do it without buying more stuff, and use lots of these original sounds to create really cool music. Piano and drums is ok, but as Curtis said; 'Let's move on up!'

Cheers,

Ash

[macmax]

Hi Ash
First issue.
I'm not familiar with the workings of the technics, but working on a theoretical (first principals) basis, heres a possible solution.
Most synths with more than 128 patches, have them stored in banks, that can be accessed by sending a bank select command along with the patch select command.
If youre lucky, someone will already have built up a patch/bank script for it and posted it on a cubase forum.
If not, then you need to write one yourself.
The basic principal on a mac with cubase and OMS is to select Midi setup from the options menu (top menu bar)
Then select OMS then OMS patch names.
You will (if you have identified your setup correctly to OMS) then be presented with a list of your devices.
Select the empty space right next to the technics, and then pull down the names menu (top right of menu bar) and select new patch document.
this will then come up with your first bank of voice / patch selections.
you will have to enter each patch name in the appropriate box related to number.
this will take care of bank 1, which you can probably cheat with since i'm betting its the general midi bank, so you can select GM names.
Then you need to do more banks......
You will need to tell cubase/OMS the bank select command format for your synth.
this arcane bit of knowledge will be buried in the midi data definitions in the back of your manual.
If you are really lucky then there may even be a small section regarding it in the manual itself, but if (like most technics i've encountered) it is aimed at the home entertainer and a self contained system then there probably wont be!
This should get you started, there is also information about this buried in the Cubase PDF files, look up OMS and patch names......
If you get horribly stuck , email me a scan of the relevant technics manual pages, and i'll mail you back a translation.
I dont promise to do it instantly mind, i'm fairly busy at the mo.
All These issues are covered in crooked and devious detail in the manuals (PDF) but it does take a little digging, and a degree in tech talk to work it all out.
Good luck./
max
mail me in extreme emergency at
max.hodges@ntlworld.com

[macmax]

ps i'll address the other issues later, got to go.........
let me kno how you get on.
Midi control messages should be sent to individual channels to edit voices in real time.
the control change messages you require will also be documented in the midi spec for the synth.
editing voices in real dpth will require something like sounddiver from emagic to make it easy, or a shed load of work learning the stsex and midi control abilities of the technics the hard way.
(you may find an editor at www.synthzone.com)
max