Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "stuzender" <stuzender@...> wrote:
>
> Hello!
> 
> I'm writing this because after reading a lot of reviews and forums, 
I needed the real 
> experts opinion! I need some information about which DSI synth to 
buy. ;)
> 
> But first you should know two things: I'm no keyboardist and I'm 
pretty newbie regarding 
> synthesizers. My first synth was the Moog LP, and after some months 
with it I tweaked it 
> the most I could, and came to the conclusion that I wasn't looking 
such kind of synth. I 
> don't really need a lead synth. And I need more sounding 
possibilities.
> 
> I'm looking for a synthesizer that's the most tweakable possible, 
and that is a good option 
> to create ambiences, allied to a analog sound that can be organic 
and full of soul, like my 
> favourite synthesizer ever, the Prophet 5. Like I said, I'm not a 
keyboardist, I used to be a 
> bassist, and now I'm just a synth addicted with an urge to create 
new sounds. Let just say 
> that I'm looking for something with sounds between Ryuichi 
Sakamoto, YMO, Jean Michel 
> Jarre, Squarepusher and Alva Noto.Yeah, a bunch of totally 
different things!!!!
> 
> Do you think the Evolver keyboard is a good choice? What about the 
Prophet 8? I really like 
> this last one, but the keyboard is just too big, and I need 
something that occupies little 
> space, yet that is fast/fun enough for me to tweak, so I think the 
Evolver desktop is out of 
> the run :(
> 
> 
> I'm sorry for this somewhat long e-mail, but ever since I sold my 
Moog and got to know 
> synths better, I can't wait to get my very own DSI synthesizer!
> 
> 
> Thank you very much!
> 
> 
> Cheers!
>
You also need to consider just what about the LP was limiting?  Was 
it the lack of polyphony or programming options?

If it's a polyphony and ease of programming issue, wait for the 
Prophet 08 desktop.  

If it was the lack of programming options then you may want to 
consider an Evolver over the Prophet.  I'm a little shocked that you 
found the LP limiting.  I personally think that you have a 
surprisingly large amount of control over the Little Phatty given its 
simplicity.  You have the classic Moog lead sounds but can get pretty 
weird with it in my opinion.  But if you are not hip to the sounds 
that it makes, the Prophet may be giving you eight voices of sounds 
that are in the same category (very different in character but in a 
similar vein).  I just tried out the full keyboard version and I 
think it's a perfect performance tool.  Just beautiful.

The Evolver, because of its digital side, I think is the far better 
sound designer's choice.  It can sound like a Prophet, it can get 
close enough to the Moog for government work but it can get very very 
strange.  Since you want something small, the PEK is out of the 
question but although the MEK has a bigger footprint than the LP, it 
is still very easy to pick up and put away.  And it has one of the 
best control surfaces that I've ever seen (all of the large DSI 
synths share this).

For me personally, the desktop Evolver is my current best choice.  I 
have enough full keyboard synths right now so if I pulled the trigger 
on an MEK, something would have to go.  But while the matrix on the 
desktop is a bit of a PITA at times, once you learn it you can do 
deep program without feeling too constrained.  Plus, I just got over 
a two week long flu bug.  Sitting up in bed with the spikey little 
blue box was sound design nirvana.

Good luck with your search.