imho, the evolver is *not* good at improvising sequences. it
sends/receives midi clock and it seamlessly advances from one
sequence to another you choose (a la mc505, electribe and many
others). but it's not good at improvising x0x-style sequences.
if you want an x0x-style experience, i suggest the future-retro
revolver ($699 us). it's a jam-centric analog quasi-modular monosynth
with limited but good effects that can sound like an sh101, a tb303
and much more.
the evo's sequencer is spectacular at creating evolving sounds and
melodies (that's what it was made for and that's how i use it) but
awful for making x0x-style grooves. here's why:
-- you can't simply turn a step on/off. to turn off a step, you have
to spin the knob from, say, 40 to just past 100. to turn on a step,
you have to spin the knob from just past 100 to 40. not easy to do in
the heat of a jam session.
-- note values are not letters and numbers (e.g., C#) but numbers.
there are 24 numbers to an octave, so you have to know in your mind
that to change a step from a C to a G, you have to spin the knob from
24 to 38. not easy to do in the heat of a jam session (to help me
with this, i've drawn a one-octave keyboard with each key numbered.)
-- it's challenging to change note lengths on the fly. you have to
spin the knob from 40 to 80 while you alter another setting or two.
-- to truly jam with the evolver, you have to do ALL THREE OF THE
ABOVE THINGS ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: it can be done, but it takes a *lot* of practice,
a *lot* of frustation and you don't *feel* the music as you create
it. you can set up the evo sequencer to create funky, ever-changing
basslines, lead lines or chord progressions, but i think the evo
sequencer is best thought of as a musician you jam *with*, not
something you jam *on*, if that makes sense.
imho, you have two options: (1) get a future-retro revolver, as
stated above, or (2) get a desktop evolver and control it with a
future-retro mobius sequencer ($420 us for the desktop version).
that setup is more expensive than the future-retro revolution alone,
but sonically, you get WAY MORE bang for the buck. for instance, the
evo sequencer can be programmed to create chords and/or chord
progressions. that's beyond the revolver's capability. the evo also
has a controllable distortion circuit (the revolution's is merely
on/off), and many more cool features (user-created waves, wave
sequencing, tuneable delay feedback, 4 LFOs, etc., etc.)
sorry for the long-winded post. hope this helps...
--- In DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com, James Elliott <johans121@...>
wrote:
>
> To answer your first question, "is it easy to create a sequence
while a tune is going"
> Yes, however the display can be pretty cryptic sometimes. So, you
have to be pretty familiar with your instrument to understand what it
is exactly that you are changing, and to what value.
>
> As for your second question, "and start and stop in time with the
midi clock"
> Yes, I know it receives start and stop messages, and I think it
also sends them as well.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Bob <dayshift@...>
> To: DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 4:47:21 AM
> Subject: [Evolver] Jamming with the Evolver
>
> Hi
>
> I'm thinking of getting a desktop mono Evolver and wondered if
anyone
> had any opinions about how good it is for improvising? Currently I
use
> a synced sh101 but am thinking an Evolver might be able to take
it's
> place live to save taking the 101 out to gigs.
>
> So is it easy to create sequences while a tune is going and start
it in
> time with the midi-clock etc?
>
> Any thoughts appreciated
>
> Bob
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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