Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

On Thu, Oct 07, 2004 at 03:07:53AM -0700, graeme wrote:
> I still use the EVO a lot but for me it is nowhere near worth 2 Nord Micro
> mods, verdict:
> 
> blue corner 0 red corner 9 (Scandinavian efficiency beats stateside
> complacency hands down I'm afraid) note to DSI marketing - if you're only
> intending to appeal to die hard analog synthesists and not encourage
> newcomers and s/w advocates then you will be dead in the water before you
> can say - nice product, top concept, shame about the customer care.......

I love clavia's products, but it's utterly silly to compare them in this way.

The NM _needs_ (good) software, because you can't do a damn thing without it,
and _needs_ a comprehensive manual because it's an extremely complicated
machine.

The Evolver needs neither.  It has a wonderful usable user interface, so you
don't need software _at all_, and frankly doesn't need a huge manual because
despite all the parameters, it's really a pretty traditional synth with a few
twists.  Anyone with any synth experience should be up and running just by
looking at the voice flow diagram and the list of modulation destinations.

I found it completely intuitive from the get-go, and was consing up patches
right out the box; the manual serves mainly as a reference.  In fact, I've
found that's written rather well; who the fuck cares if it's stapled rather
than bound!

The Evolver is not really a synth for complete beginners, sure.  Neither is a
NM.  Buy a triton.

And what's this claim that DSI is somehow shoddy on "customer care"?  Got a
question, a problem, whatever?  _Instant_ replies fromm DSI to email, usually
going out of their way to help you.  Clavia, for all their great products, is
pretty hard to get a reply out of unless your synth is spewing fire or
something.

-Miles
-- 
Fast, small, soon; pick any 2.