Guitar tunings, Vortex, MicroSynth

[Michael Hughes <pycraft@elec.gla.ac.uk>]

Tunings:

Anybody out there using unusual guitar tunings to cover up the lack of 
bass in
your loops?  I've been trying several variants of tuning in 5ths (eg 
FCGDAE,
DAFCGD or GCGDAE, low-high) which give very lush-sounding chords but can 
be a 
nightmare when it comes to playing single-note lines (hence the 4th in the 
bass 
on the G-E tuning, my current fave).  Anyone else have similar experiences?

Vortex:

OK, this has probably been discussed to death.  However, since there aren't
any Lex dealers (AFAIK) in Glasgow, I'm going to have to ask some pretty 
basic
 questions about the Vortex. Feel free to EMail me personally if it keeps 
traffic down.  Basically, what is it capable of?  I get the impression 
that 
it's a one delay-plus-mod-effect  at a time box (delay, rvb, chorus-ish 
stuff 
but no pitch-shift or EQ).  It has 2 external switch outputs - are these 
probrammable for all patches?  Does it accept MIDSI CC's, and if so will 
it 
alter the input rather than output signal (for swell FX that don't 
interfere with
RVB fades?)

Micro Synth:

Olivier said: "it's VCA can cut attack so can play violin like line 
without 
touching your volume pot, no matter the speed of play."
Is there anything else about that will do this?