----- Original Message -----From: graemeSent: Friday, October 08, 2004 7:26 AMSubject: [Evolver] Evo thoughts (reprise)well mebbe I didna phrase my first post too well, but I wasn't trying to knock DS or his creation, just comparing two modes of thought, and everything I said was meant in passion rather than bitterness - the Evo is (to me) so potentially rich in possibilities but so so hard to get a result even approximating to what you want/expect before hand, and that evokes strong emotions, sorry for any hurt feelings.....
As a musican rather than a synthesist I find the "just play with it until you get something you like" a risable response - do you apply that approach to your compositions and playing too ??
The EVO is undoubtedly a unique machine but most musicians just want "a box with a bit of individuality and character" to stick atop their rig for sonic variation.
Our band couldn't give too hoots whether it's real analog/hybrid/VA or another rompler as long as it works and sounds inspiring.
In England, the EVO was well hyped as "the answer to a musicians sonic dreams by synth maestro Dave Smith" but it does seem that the main type of EVO sounds are suited only to "musique concrete" or "the b*st*rd offspring of Prog Rock".
Every muso I know who tried the EVO (in uk) soon ditched it in favour of something more intuitive - mebbe that's our failing and not the EVO - but still, I would presume that DS is actually producing these things to make a buck or three and I was trying to point out that the somewhat parochial attitude of "it's not for noobs" is putting off one heck of a lot of potential buyers.
I've been playing synths of all types for 30+ years both in bands and solo so would not think of myself as noob, but in all that time nothing has sat gathering dust like the EVO, it's only the feeling that "there must be something I can do with it that doesn't take ages to sort" that makes me persist (plus the uk s/h value is so low!!) but, as the replies here indicate, it's a case of "if you're not a full on synth geek than tough, buy a Triton"
specifics then:
it's hard to use with an external MIDI sequencer as the internal sequence/s seem/s to start whether it's "engaged" or not with the little button
you can't real time tweak more than one knob at once due to the "first click is the value" system
no dedicated volume pot makes it a pain live
the knobs are ok but those little buttons are real kiddie stuff more suited to a toy than a pro instrument
As for monosynths not being for beginners - get with the program matey, when I started out you were lucky to get anything else on a home musos budget ;o)
If the Evo is only for die hards then the UK marketing should have said so, and, as I implied, if this is the case then it's alost economical suicide.
I would have liked something a bit more friendly (like a proper display, balanced outs and more rugged buttons) and pay a bit more but that's not the case and I still intend to dig deep into this wee beastie and tame it to my will....................
anyway have a cool weekend guys, and forgive an old'un his rantings ;o)
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Message
Re: [Evolver] Evo thoughts (reprise)
2004-10-08 by Ravi Ivan Sharma
If the Evolver doesn't turn you on emotionally and
sits in a corner, that is okay and simply means it isn't for you. I have had
plenty of apparently great synths that didn't do it for me either. Doesn't mean
they weren't great, just not great for me. I believe an emotional attachment to
your instrument is important.
your point for the most part are
correct:
Dedicated volume knob: granted
Midi Sequencer turning on at any start message:
granted (unless there is a workaround that I forgot about)
Knobs and small buttons making things hard: well in
context of basically non-knobbed boxes, the evolover is about the easiest to use
that I have dealt with. I am comparing of course to racks synths along the lines
of the EMus, yamaha, roland, and waldorf stuff that I have experience
with.
As far your being wagged off at the idea to get a
triton or play around until something sounds right comments, it is unfair to
place those statements out of the context in which they were offered. The play
around till you find things out (with a manual by your side), *is* in my opinion
the way to go for someone who is just learning synthesis. The get a triton
comment, is appropriate for folks, new or old, who want to dial up lots of
easily useable sounds without doing a lot, or any, programming.
I dispute that one has to do either of the above to
get what they want on the evolver within its limitations, it is after all not a
rompler or polyphonic. If you know how to program a simple synth and know what
everything does and what to do to get a sound, one can make it happen on the
evolver no problem. I and others who after years of doing it, and reading things
like the great set of synth secrets in SOS magazine become knowledgable enough
that if you asked me for a particular sound, I could probably speak out the
basic parameters and values on the spot without a synth in front of
me for a basic synth patch for a simple synth *which the Evolver is*
and it would sound pretty much in the ball park.
If one has a hard time coming up with 99 percent of
classic or very usable mono synth sounds on the Evolver,
they either need more time to learn synthesis, or are too lazy to learn. Maybe
it is a reasonable complaint that the Evolvers don't come with more meat and
potato patches in them out of the box. I would agree with that
sentiment.
If one can't help getting music concrete
sounds and the like, try and restrain yourself from using the feedback and
distortion settins that are there for flavor, not as requirments to every
patch.
And as far as newbies vs non-newbies synth
intstruments, I have never seen a non-sample based rack mount synth that
wouldn't be a bad choice for a beginner. Have you?
If you mean noob as someone who need to simply
scroll through a load of patches and find somethign good, then a roland or korg
rompler is for them in a rack. If they ever want to program the thing, they will
then have to delve into menus and sub menues to tweak all the parameters that
are basically printed on the front of the Evolver and easily accessible via the
matrix. For someone learning how synthesis works, absent a minimoog or another
older much larger fully knobbed synth, the Evolver is probably better than say a
triton rack any day.