John Bowen Synth Design

by **HUROLURA** » Wed Jun 05, 2013 11:40 am

Neutron wrote:i just want "guitar mode" which is not much different from poly aftertouch. Solaris is fantastic played from the continuum (mono only though) even the virus poops out when you send it continuum data, the Solaris is all like "no problemo, ill play that!"

in guitar mode, you are in the same preset, but each midi channel has different pitch bend, and the current note/voice only responds to its own pitch bend, touch, CC etc.

hopefully it can be done eventually with multi mode. but im quite happy anyways, Solaris is awesome now.

(its the same mode people with MIDI guitars or guitar to MIDI would use as well, not just continuum users)

Only issue I see with what you described as "guitar mode" is that the John already explained the multimode would only provide 4 parts.
But I guess you would already be happy with a 4 cords "continuum guitar" expression.

Meanwhile I would suggest you to give a try with Mutable Instruments Ambika (6 voices that can be mapped to 6 individual channels).
Not as powerful/high end as the Solaris but already providing quite nice and clever features.

by **scope4live** » Sat Jun 01, 2013 6:26 pm

Bloody, Lucky You..

by **Neutron** » Fri May 31, 2013 7:02 pm

i just want "guitar mode" which is not much different from poly aftertouch. Solaris is fantastic played from the continuum (mono only though) even the virus poops out when you send it continuum data, the Solaris is all like "no problemo, ill play that!"

in guitar mode, you are in the same preset, but each midi channel has different pitch bend, and the current note/voice only responds to its own pitch bend, touch, CC etc.

hopefully it can be done eventually with multi mode. but im quite happy anyways, Solaris is awesome now.

(its the same mode people with MIDI guitars or guitar to MIDI would use as well, not just continuum users)

by **Tak** » Sat May 04, 2013 10:45 am

V-Synth like sample mangler. I would prefer its synthiness to even multisample support, especially when the sample memory is limited.

by **galaxiesmerge** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:08 pm

darkshine75011 wrote:John: I also don’t know what you mean by ‘draft effect’; please explain.
Sorry " analog drift " , VCO random and living

I Wish much,
I am very happy to be its future owner.

Yes - I think that randomization of parameters in small amounts will give a very, very organic feel --- I have been experimenting with the single note randomization (it is manual) on the u-he DIVA and it makes a *huge* difference to the feel of the sounds. I am sure that in time this can be done ... we just need to get past the first SOLARIS production run and into the next with updates and/or paid upgrade feature sets along the way. And what I mean is that we need a large sale of SOLARIS ... that would spur things on past its first production run

by **darkshine75011** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:18 am

John: I also don’t know what you mean by ‘draft effect’; please explain.
Sorry " analog drift " , VCO random and living

I Wish much,
I am very happy to be its future owner.

by **scope4live** » Tue Mar 13, 2012 5:40 am

MultiMode for cash is cool, but I'd rather see performance features, bells and whistles, more sampling at this point just isnt necessary IMO.
Im using the Sample Oscillators now and they are quite useful, but I am happier with the sound quality firstmost, and so happy I am not tortured by having to use a Native synth for live work.
Ive demo'd and played the best, those DOGS wont hunt....

by **John Bowen** » Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:48 pm

darkshine75011 wrote:updating of my wish list :

1 - Multi-sample

2 - more polyphony, dual engine with capacity of Split / Layer

2 - draft effect

3 - new filter: roland Jupiter 8/TB303 (18db), Yamaha CS80, filter 48db, 96db filter
( i have on my motu 896 mk3 the filter 48db is incredible )

4 - New Oscillator :

- Digital oscilateur like C64 SID with ""punch""
- In 24bit /96 hz Samples of oscillators "short looped" keys by keys for grain of
ROLAND, ARP, MOOG, OSCAR, OBERHEIM .......

5 - new effect reverb, compressor, gate ...

6 - Direct sampling 8bit, 12bit, 16bit, 24bit , 96hz to any 1hz by the converter
fast and working the ribbon looped sample, just touch key assignment or auto-detection

7 - streaming compactflash memomy or external usb SSD Drive for more memory

8 - Pre amplifier after the oscillator module like Kempler profiling

9 - core scope dsp usb for more

10 - editor PC / MAC iPad iPhone

darkshine, I don’t have you listed as an owner. Please send me a private message if this is incorrect.

Many of your suggestions are not practical, and/or would make the Solaris MUCH more expensive than it already is! And streaming is not going to happen with the current board layout.

I also don’t know what you mean by ‘draft effect’; please explain.

I appreciate the enthusiasm and interest, but there are practical (meaning budgetary) limits to what the Solaris can become! Better to design a different product to incorporate such additions.
(Also, keep in mind that such a firmware ‘update’ will not be a free update; the cost of this kind of OS update will be a factor of how much it costs me to hire the coders to get it done!)

cheers,
john b.

by **Weston Underwood** » Mon Mar 12, 2012 3:11 pm

That should keep them busy for about a decade!

Oscillators and filters yes, more the merrier. Not so sure about extensive sampling, unless its going to go sum of sines / vsynth. Otherwise there's a million samplers out there already, including my emu synth 6400 ultra that's currently worth £60. Its just not worth the development time.

Still, each to their own!

Best wishes

Mike

by **darkshine75011** » Mon Mar 12, 2012 2:44 pm

updating of my wish list :

1 - Multi-sample

2 - more polyphony, dual engine with capacity of Split / Layer

2 - draft effect

3 - new filter: roland Jupiter 8/TB303 (18db), Yamaha CS80, filter 48db, 96db filter
( i have on my motu 896 mk3 the filter 48db is incredible )

4 - New Oscillator :

- Digital oscilateur like C64 SID with ""punch""
- In 24bit /96 hz Samples of oscillators "short looped" keys by keys for grain of
ROLAND, ARP, MOOG, OSCAR, OBERHEIM .......

5 - new effect reverb, compressor, gate ...

6 - Direct sampling 8bit, 12bit, 16bit, 24bit , 96hz to any 1hz by the converter
fast and working the ribbon looped sample, just touch key assignment or auto-detection

7 - streaming compactflash memomy or external usb SSD Drive for more memory

8 - Pre amplifier after the oscillator module like Kempler profiling

9 - core scope dsp usb for more

10 - editor PC / MAC iPad iPhone

by **John Bowen** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:19 pm

Jimmy,
I asked for this feature, and I think they were hoping to get it coded, but it didn’t get done. I think, when MultiMode gets done, this feature will also need to be in there.

by **scope4live** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:32 pm

I actually miss the way on Analog synths I could could change a preset and the old sound wouldn;t change until the next keys were pressed.
Even just being able to hold/sustain a chord and change presets without audio drop outs.
For example even my ancient SE-1 allows me to scroll through presets while sounds/presets change and I can hold the note down w/o breaks in the audio path.

Just a wish.

by **galaxiesmerge** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:49 am

Weston Underwood wrote:I've not even received the board yet but of course I already have a half baked opinion. So take with a pinch of salt!

I'm not so fussed about multi-sampling, there are a ton of synths hard and soft that major on that (although if its on the list far be it from me to get it taken off). Once you've got something like kyma, using sum of sines to move and morph samples its going to be hard for the solaris to compete, but if you're game John then I'm happy to benefit! Synthesis with sample and grain clouds, additive synthesis etc are interesting, particularly at 96k.

What would strike me as nice is a modulation summary page. Not to set up modulation. I think that the destination modulation concept is spot on, but in complex patches, particularly those created by the gifted it can be hard to work out exactly what's going on, and rather than searching through every option a summary on the main screen would be the dogs danglies, particularly if one could turn the modulation up and down.

OK. I'll pipe down again and wait patiently for my Solaris to arrive. May the day roll on!

Cheers

Mike

Well, since I own two KYMA systems, I think I may have some qualifications to comment. So here goes:
1) KYMA is an amazing system but I find myself being more of a code writing Smalltalk modules (which is what KYMA uses) than making music --- so it is great, but, you've got to roll your own
2) There are no libraries of good synths on KYMA --- the best out there is Harm Visser's physical modeling toolkit - not a synth but more programming modules
3) There is no market for KYMA except for folks like me that do love sound and work on various commercially rewarding projects that justify some unique "edge" to offer in sound design

My view is that with SOLARIS you get playability, the majority of the important sonic features, and, if you really want a KYMA system, add it or, for faster computers, get Max-6 or PD or JMAX and design instruments with that. I am at the age where I am more interested in playability, expression, articulation within the sound design / sound playing / instrument process than only with all the best modules, and modulars that money can buy. I do like my modular Modcan system and at 112 modules, I've got plenty.

SOLARIS is one of my few purchases this year --- I am actually selling off a bunch of gear to get rid of a rack and make space.

Cheers!

by **Weston Underwood** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:37 pm

I think I'd prefer subset.

The list might not be that long. Just because you have 90 mod paths doesn't mean you need to use them on 'every' patch!

I'm not even that fussed that they are editable on the main screen. Maybe clickable on the main scree to bring it up the mod on the relevant sub screen elsewhere on the synth. Although directly editable is of course best.

Mike

by **scope4live** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 12:16 pm

Subset would be my choice, as it would be a direct link from the choice one is currently viewing.
Just my Opinion.

John Bowen Synth Design

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