Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

Sayer, I understand, because I went through a period where I did the 
same thing quite frequently, and accidentally adjust the wrong 
parameter and ruin an editing session.  I almost never have that 
problem anymore, and I attribute that to two things:

1. The position and placement of my Evo was previously such that my 
hand would block my vision from a big part of the front panel 
whenever I was grabbing a knob to edit.  In particular, the vertical 
strip of "active row indicator" LED's on the left was blocked.  I 
repositioned the unit to avoid that problem, and it helped a LOT.

2. Experience (read that "spending too much time") with programming 
the Evo yields much better familiarity with the front panel layout.  
It also made me develop a little more mental discipline while 
editing;  I now always give a quick visual check of the "row 
indicator" LED's prior to tweaking a knob, yet I don't feel like I'm 
being slowed down.

All that said... YES, a big knob/slider/switch studded panel would be 
wonderful.  Of course, as recently discussed in another thread, that 
would result in a significantly higher price, and a much larger box.  
You get some, you give some!  ;)

I wouldn't mind a dedicated software editor myself.  Maybe I'll 
program one someday, because I won't buy an emagic product due to 
problems I had with them even *before* they decided to cease 
development and support of their Windows products.  I've been meaning 
to try the MIDI Quest editor/librarian, though.  Maybe it would be a 
good alternative.  

Another possibility would be to get a hardware control surface (like 
a Phat Boy on steroids), but I don't think anything out there has 
enough knobs to cover most of Evo's functions.  Actually, I don't 
think TWO of anything out there has enough knobs!  ;)  Let's see... 
you have 8 editing rows times 8 knobs times 2 for the shift function, 
which gives you *128* parms.  Then you have the top row, which adds 
another *16* parms.  Then you have to add the sequencer mode, which 
is an 8x8 matrix for another *64* parms.  So that's 128 + 16 + 64 = 
208 knobs that you would need on a hardware controller in order to 
have a knob for every function.  Did I miss any?  Oh, yeah, and you'd 
need two buttons for the sequencer start/stop and reset functions.  ;)

Tell me THAT wouldn't be cool... a polyphonic "Evolver KB5" keyboard 
synth with 208 knobs on the front panel!  Ha!  Truth be told, I'd 
actually *like* to have *some* of the knobs serve muliple (but 
related) functions - such as having just 16 knobs for the sequencer, 
with a button or switch to select between editing tracks 1 through 4.


Ski
www.ex5tech.com
EX5Tech Evolver forum:
http://www.ex5tech.com/ex5ubb_cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=23



--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "Sayer" <Sayer@S...> wrote:
> I'm in the same boat as well.... Every time I plan to work with the 
> Evo I end up on the Virus b, XTk, NL2... or another knob laden 
> synth. 
> 
> Every time I work with the Evo at some point I grab and twist a 
knob 
> that is set to the wrong row. So then it becomes.... "ok, up the 
> filter cutoff, lets see, which row is selected, oops wrong one, ok 
> row selected, now find the knob.... ok cutoff is up." It really 
> hinders my creative flow. 
> 
> I don't own SoundDiver, hopefully someone creates a dedicated 
> editor. 
> 
> But..... If I had a new file to send to the Evo this weekend maybe 
I 
> would spend some time with it!!!!
> 
> Sayer



> --- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "ski_ex5tech" <ex5tech@e...> 
> wrote:
> > Wow, Craig, I'm hugely disappointed to hear that.  You did some 
> VERY 
> > nice work with your adaptation of "Sweet Child O' Mine" on the 
> Evo.  
> > That's one of my favorite sequences.
> > 
> > I'm not a SoundDiver (or anything emagic) fan at all - long 
story -
>  
> > but have you tried the SoundDiver editor for the Evo?  Maybe that 
> > would let you "see" the patches the way you like.
>