Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

Hello,

I am really considering purchasing a tabletop evolver or an alesis 
micron for live use with a drum machine (ya I know they are very 
different) and I was wondering if anyone could share their 
experiences with using the mono-tabletop unit or the micron live.

Basically, I am hesitant to buy the evolver for only a couple 
reasons.  I like to write music with a lot of layers, so the 
polyphony issue comes to mind.  I cant afford a pek or rack.  I 
understand you can sequence out each oscillator to make chords and 
different lines though.  

CAN you have the sequencer control one oscillator while you are able 
to play another oscillator from a keyboard controller?  --That might 
be a stupid question, but this thing seems kind of mysterious to 
what it can do.

Also, would this synth be good for composers on the "less 
experimental" side of things?  I personally dont need every patch to 
be 100% original to make cool music for myself.

Any help would be great!

Hi, CAN you have the sequencer control one oscillator while you are able to play another oscillator from a keyboard controller?  --That might be a stupid

I own both a micron and an evo. I agree with the previous poster in that
the evo has a bigger, fuller sound than the micron. I've programmed up
semi-identical patches with both synths and the evo always comes out on
top in the "big sound" department. Plus, with its digital wavesforms and
sequencer, one can program up some pretty out there sounds.

Thats not to say that the micron doesn't sound good. It does a great
job as a traditional analog synth. Plus, it has lots of features that make
it something one could use live. While it falls short as a full hardware workstation,
it does allow for some fairly complex split keyboard setups. For $400 one
couldn't ask for much more (well maybe a few more knobs to program it with!).


--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <richardscott@...> wrote:
>
> if you need a polysynth then the  evo is not for you - but you can make very complex 
monosynth lines with it and sonically it takes up much more space than the micron - it has 
a bigger sound in every way. An evo bassline with a little resonance and modulation can 
be used as the basis for a whole tune - realistically the micron won't do that 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: jontu 
>   To: DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 7:58 PM
>   Subject: Re: [Evolver] tabletop evolver for live use vs. alesis micron
> 
> 
>   Hi, 
> 
>   "CAN you have the sequencer control one oscillator while you are able 
>   to play another oscillator from a keyboard controller?  --That might 
>   be a stupid question, but this thing seems kind of mysterious to 
>   what it can do."
> 
>   No, I'm sorry. It's monophonic, ie the envelope generator affects all oscillators. 
> 
>   sunny days, 
> 
>   .jon
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   2006/5/13, korsakc < korsakc@...>:
>     Hello,
> 
>     I am really considering purchasing a tabletop evolver or an alesis 
>     micron for live use with a drum machine (ya I know they are very 
>     different) and I was wondering if anyone could share their 
>     experiences with using the mono-tabletop unit or the micron live.
> 
>     Basically, I am hesitant to buy the evolver for only a couple 
>     reasons.  I like to write music with a lot of layers, so the 
>     polyphony issue comes to mind.  I cant afford a pek or rack.  I 
>     understand you can sequence out each oscillator to make chords and 
>     different lines though.  
> 
>     CAN you have the sequencer control one oscillator while you are able 
>     to play another oscillator from a keyboard controller?  --That might 
>     be a stupid question, but this thing seems kind of mysterious to 
>     what it can do.
> 
>     Also, would this synth be good for composers on the "less 
>     experimental" side of things?  I personally dont need every patch to 
>     be 100% original to make cool music for myself.
> 
>     Any help would be great!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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>   YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS 
> 
>     a..  Visit your group "DSI_Evolver" on the web.
>       
>     b..  To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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>       
>     c..  Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. 
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>

> "I am really considering purchasing a tabletop evolver or an 
alesis 
> micron for live use with a drum machine (ya I know they are very 
> different) and I was wondering if anyone could share their 
> experiences with using the mono-tabletop unit or the micron live.
> 
> Basically, I am hesitant to buy the evolver for only a couple 
> reasons.  I like to write music with a lot of layers, so the 
> polyphony issue comes to mind."

If you were just doing synth leads and/or basses in a band then I 
think the Evolver with a controller keyboard would be great.  
However, since you like layering and/or play chords (as I do!) then 
I know you'll agonize over the Evolver's monophony (if you make the 
Evolver your only synth); because of that, I'd go with the Micron in 
your situation.

I have both the desktop Evolver and the Micron (and Ion) and both 
the Evolver and Micron/Ion are a similar in the sense that, 
surprisingly, there's a large number of the factory patches that 
show the digital and unusual-sounding sides of the synths compared 
to showing typical/classic analog tones.  (The Micron has a lot of 
patches that show off its vocal format filters.)  If you don't want 
experimental sounds then you will probably have to do some 
programming on either the Micron or Evolver although by virtue of 
its huge number of presets the Micron would have more good starting 
points.  The Micron does have several good Moog-ish basses and leads 
included in its presets as well as "Movie Pad" a classic analogesque 
pad that you can play with a glorious 8 notes of polyphony if 
desired...something that just isn't an option with the desktop 
Evolver.