Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

As mentioned, just got my evolver yesterday. Thought I would post 
some first impressions and a couple of suggestions for future 
software updates.

First ... my favourite preset patch is #12. Of course, most of these 
will disappear as I program my own, but I'll keep this one (at least 
until I learn what makes it tick). Nice woody sound, almost ethnic 
drums, with a spooky early kraftwerk/tdream feel. Particularly like 
the way the noisy crashes fade in and out in the background.

Hardware: feels solid, well-made. I can't believe the circuitry is 
really that heavy - did Dave put a chunk of metal inside to make it 
feel good? Pots very smooth, only occasional glitch is that some 
numbers get skipped between the detents.

Programmability: that matrix layout looks very similar to photos I 
have seen of the Sequential Multitrack. Incidentally, why is the 
Multitrack not in Dave's gallery of historical projects? I have never 
seen one for sale, although I like the sound of it and would buy one 
if it came up. Anyway, The Matrix works fine. Initial annoyance 
trying to find some parameters in what is a big list, but fast once 
you get to know where they are.

Sounds: the emphasis is on grunge, distortion and feedback. Not 
really what you would hear in my music, which is more ambient, even 
(gasp!) nu age. However, this little box is capable of a huge range 
of sounds. The delays and feedback options can make interesting 
sounds out of almost anything. Plus, it's fun to program.

At first, the range of options is almost overwhelming. I want to get 
to know this synth inside out. I plan to set up a simple analogue 
style patch with just one oscillator, and explore the waveforms and 
filters etc first, then branch out from there.

Suggestions for future upgrades: these come from Yamaha. I'd like 
a "fast" option for using the knobs - hold down a button while you 
turn a knob to get it to scroll in steps of 10. In sequencer mode, 
hold down a button and turn any knob to set every step to the same 
value. If there isn't a spare button, perhaps hold down two buttons 
to do this.

Last comment: including a sequencer was a brilliant idea, which turns 
this into a self-contained instrument rather than just another synth. 
However, I am puzzled by the "poly" option.

Think about it. For even 4-voice polyphony, you would have to buy 4 
evolvers. That's US$2,000, and you end up with 4 desktop synths, no 
keyboard, and presumably having to edit each one separately (can 
perhaps use MIDI to avoid this). Starts to look uncompetitive, 
compared to something like the new Novation keyboards.

What's more, I don't think the evolver's sound would suit use for a 
polysynth. The very things that make it good would make it unusable 
as a poly. What do you use a poly for? Playing chords, vamps, pads, 
right? You need cutting, clean, fairly simple sounds for this - too 
much grunge, fatness or noise just ends up sounding turgid.

What I'd like to see Dave do is a SEPARATE poly, in a simple little 
box like the evolver, with say 4 or 6 voices, but with the kinds of 
unique features appropriate to a poly - polymod, for example (like on 
the SC Prophet), perhaps an arpeggiator.

- Bill B

"wbuttler2002" <bill.buttler@...> writes:
> Suggestions for future upgrades: these come from Yamaha. I'd like 
> a "fast" option for using the knobs - hold down a button while you 
> turn a knob to get it to scroll in steps of 10.

I think this is unnecessary, because the evolver knobs are actually
`velocity sensitive' -- if you turn a knob quickly, you can cover the
entire range (e.g. 0-127) with less than a single turn of the knob
(whereas turning it slowly gets you the normal inc(dec)rement-per-click
behavior).

> In sequencer mode, hold down a button and turn any knob to set every
> step to the same value. If there isn't a spare button, perhaps hold
> down two buttons to do this.

Hmm, that sounds useful; using the row key seems natural to me (though I
guess you could also use the shift key, since it's otherwise unused in
the sequencer).

> What's more, I don't think the evolver's sound would suit use for a 
> polysynth. The very things that make it good would make it unusable 
> as a poly. What do you use a poly for? Playing chords, vamps, pads, 
> right? You need cutting, clean, fairly simple sounds for this - too 
> much grunge, fatness or noise just ends up sounding turgid.

Disagreen entirely about this -- I think the evolver's current voice
would make a _fantastic_ polysynth.  After all, the basic tone is fairly
clean, warm, and sweet (not really `thick,' unless you make it so), and
it excels at percussive sounds; these are properties that scream out
`polyphony' to me...

If Dave put out a poly that was just an evolver x 6 + some voice
allocation code, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

-Miles
-- 
Run away!  Run away!

> 
> I think this is unnecessary, because the evolver knobs are actually
> `velocity sensitive' -- if you turn a knob quickly, you can cover 

Yes, since discovered the acceleration feature. Still, I think 
controlled stepping at 10 times the speed would be a useful feature.

> Disagreen entirely about this -- I think the evolver's current voice
> would make a _fantastic_ polysynth.  After all, the basic tone is 
fairly
> clean, warm, and sweet (not really `thick,' unless you make it so), 

I guess my point was that the features which make it such a good mono 
would be a bit redundant in a poly. Bit like the midimoog - how often 
do you see "midimoog bass" as a patch on a modern synth or sampler? - 
you rarely see midimoog poly patch emulations.

> 
> If Dave put out a poly that was just an evolver x 6 + some voice
> allocation code, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
> 

Yeah, I might even buy it anyway!

- BillB