Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

Hi James.

I can use menus to a degree but what I find troublesome in most new gear is 
that they are rolllover menus that don't have a zero point.  So when you go 
into a menu on the evolver for instance and come out of it, does it remember 
where you were the next time you enter that same page or does it go back to 
a default place?  And when you say the encoders are endless, wouldn't I be 
able to tell where it begins and ends based on the character of the sound 
I'm changing?  For instance, and I don't know a whole lot about this so I 
hope my example is accurate.  If I apply ring modulation to a sound and keep 
turning the knob for that parameter, eventually wouldn't it get to a point 
where you couldn't physically have that effect going, like you can only have 
so much ring modulation and at some point, with an endless encoder, it will 
cycle back to the point in the parameter adjustment where the effect would 
no longer be present?

By the way, what's the potentiometer option?  I've seen that but don't know 
what it means.

I'm very new to all this analog stuff in terms of applying it and knowing 
the technical terms for it all.  My first keyboard was an ensoniq sq1 and I 
used that for a good many years before I took a break from composing for a 
while.  That was a digital board as you'll probably remember.   So is the 
destination chain you're talking about something like the following?

I have a sound and I want to apply some effects to it like an echo delay and 
chorus.  Is the destination the same thing as the order in which the effects 
are applied to the dry sound source or is it simpler than that?

My wife and kid says that I have a propensity to complicate everything and 
professors used to tell me the same thing as well so there's probably some 
truth to that.

Thanks for the further help.

I emailed those dudes so hopefully I'll hear something soon.

Scott

----- Original Message ----- 
From: James Elliott
To: DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 10:14 AM
Subject: Re: [DSI Synths] introduction



Scott, unfortunately, I don't know of any new synths that would fit that 
criteria. The only think I could recommend are classic analogs. I think the 
most flexible analog polysynths with no menus would be the prophet 5, 
jupiter 6 & 8, and the oberheims i.e. ob8.

Stay far far away from the alesis andromeda even though it has at least 
150,000 real time controls it probably has as much if not more menu diving 
than the most complex Kurzweils.

I know a couple other fellows from other synth mailing lists who have lost 
their eyesight that might be able to give you some better advice than I.

Rick Massey: seafox@...
Veli-Pekka T�til�: vtatila@...

I don't know either of them personally, however, I'm sure neither would mind 
helping you out.

-Jim







From: Scott Lawlor <sklawlor@...>
To: DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Mon, July 19, 2010 9:39:38 AM
Subject: Re: [DSI Synths] introduction


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Hi James.

Thanks for the info.

I was also considering the possibility of a different setup like using a 
midi controler like the CakeWalk a-800 with a dedicated pc for recording and 
the omnisphere softsynth.  I'm told though that realtime control with 
softsynths via midi controlers isn't as standard or as integrated as it 
could be because different manufacturers have different standards for a lot 
of this stuff.

I wonder if there's a keyboard like the poly evolver that doesn't have menus 
at all?  I was going to look into the arturia origin as well but I don't 
know a whole lot about that one.

Scott

----- Original Message ----- 
From: James Elliott
To: DSI_Evolver@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 9:01 AM
Subject: Re: [DSI Synths] introduction



Scott,

I do not have any direct experience with the new polyevolvers with the 
potentiometer option, however I would imagine it would be much more user 
friendly for you than your kurzweil - to some degree. There is not a lot of 
menu diving on the polyevolver however there is some. For example, all of 
the main envelope, filter, oscillator, and vca controls would have fixed 
range pots. However, you would still need to be familiar with the ordering 
of the "destination list" for the third envelope (this has a free mod slot 
associated with it). I think the LFO controls are still endless encoders 
though, so you could be spinning those forever. The thing that would make 
the LFO section a little difficult, and this also applies for the delay's 
time parameters, is that the frequencey selection is in ascending order 
followed by clock divisions. So not only would you have to have the 
"destination list" memorized, you would also have to have the 
frequency/time/ clock divisions memorized as well. Things would become a 
little tricky with the general modulation section (the modulation routings), 
the parameter section (where you set things like envelope shape, oscillator 
slop, and trigger modes), the sequencer section, and of course the global, 
program, and combo setting menus. Not only will those sections all have 
endless encoders, you will also need to memorize menu sequences for each of 
them.

With that said, I want to state that none of the menus are all that deep 
though, most are only one page. The only real exceptions would be the 
global, program, & combo menus. There is almost a one knob or button control 
for each parameter. For example, there is a knob for each envelope, lfo, 
filter, vca, oscillator, delay, feedback, and sequencer function. Also, 
there is a dedicated control for modulation destination for the third 
envelope and each of the lfo's. There is also a source, destination, and 
value knob for each parameter in the general modulation section - you just 
have to be familiar with the ordering of each list for each of the 
modulation source and destination functions (this also includes the envelope 
& lfo as mentioned above).

Overall I don't think the polyevolver will provide as much of a challenge as 
the kurzweil, however, it won't necessarily be a cakewalk either.

As far as the polyevolver and ambient music production goes. Well, they go 
hand in hand. If you could manage to wrap your head around some of the 
endless encoders, some of the weird parameter listings (like lfo & delay 
frequency, glide controls, pre-post high pass filter modes, and the pre-post 
external input volume level) I think you would be rewarded with beautiful 
evolving soundscapes.

I hope I've managed to help you along in your journey....

Take care,
Jim





From: Scott Lawlor <sklawlor@mac. com>
To: DSI_Evolver@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Wed, June 30, 2010 8:46:56 AM
Subject: [DSI Synths] introduction


Hello.

I'm thinking about getting one of these poly evolver keyboards.

I currently have a kurzweil pc3 but since I'm blind, the menus are a bit 
much for me to memorize and since they roll over and there's no actual zero 
point, I figured that the evolver might be a good fit.

I like to feel the control as I work and with all these knobs and switches, 
I'm hoping this synth will be much more accessible for me.

I'd like to play more ambient electronic music and the people at sweetwater 
feel that this might be a good fit for me.

My inspirations for space and ambient music include people like Tangerine 
Dream, Steve Roach, Robert Rich, Free System Projekt, Jonn Serrie, Radio 
Massacre International and others.

I was using the sound tower software with the pc3 and I could go through the 
default sounds and presets but that was about it.  I don't know how useable 
this software is for someone who is blind.

There isn't anywhere locally for me to get my hands on this thing to check 
it out but I've heard some of the sounds listening to various YouTube videos 
and it sounds impressive.

I just wanted to write to say hi and I hope to learn a lot about this unit 
and gain some tips and tricks along the way.

Thanks for reading.

Scott