Interest for a SOLARIS desktop version ?

Discuss John Bowen Synths - Solaris

Would you be intersted in a desktop version of the Solaris for 60% of the keyboard price

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Fidgit
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Post by Fidgit »

there is room for an expansion board in the Solaris. Do you think it would be a good idea to allow users to install one, as you did with the G2 Engine?
YES! especially because the whole synth wouldn't have to be shipped around the world (e.g. from europe to US and back) just to install the expansion board. either the users could do it on their own "in the field" or let a local, experienced tech do it.
good idea.
B787
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Post by B787 »

Expansion board sounds great. More power to an already powerful synth. I live in Barbados and hence it would be great to have the user installable board. Shipping cost can be prohibitive. I relish the idea of a tactile instrument also. Forget the PC/Mac editor. Turn the knobs, watch(or listen to) your sounds evolve.
fizzydiodes
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Re: Interest for a SOLARIS desktop version ?

Post by fizzydiodes »

The problem for me a simple one and its the same for 10000's of others , i dont have room for 2 master keyboards but can accomodate racks.How many more like me i wonder ? I can list countless synths i would have bought if they had been rackable but havent been able to accomodate.User studio space is an issue that manufacturers seem unable to consider which is a shame as it means i simply cant buy that particular synth.
Housefly
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Post by Housefly »

installing the expansion in the G2 was easy.

if it's documented well (pictures etc.) things should be fine.

if any money can be made by cleverly engineering a tabletop/rack version, please do so. for me it would be easier to integrate computerwise, and also, i'm a fan of 'compact' ... i like my studio minimal. but that's just me.

all that said, i'm still using the µKorg as masterkeyboard :roll: ... bacause it's so small!! :lol: so, a nice masterkeyboard is welcome too :wink:
John Bowen
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Re: Interest for a SOLARIS desktop version ?

Post by John Bowen »

fizzydiodes wrote:The problem for me a simple one and its the same for 10000's of others , i dont have room for 2 master keyboards but can accomodate racks.How many more like me i wonder ? I can list countless synths i would have bought if they had been rackable but havent been able to accomodate. User studio space is an issue that manufacturers seem unable to consider which is a shame as it means i simply cant buy that particular synth.
It's not that we are unable to consider user studio space - the first idea was to make a desktop-sized box, or with a 3 octave keyboard, but as I worked with the front panel design, it became obvious that the multi-display approach wasn't going to work without arranging things in a more horizontal way. (The other problem is that we felt any desktop design needed to fit within a 19" rack width constraint, which would have made the Solaris desktop about 19" high as well.)

-john b.
lotus-eater
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Post by lotus-eater »

For me, the interface is one of the best features of this synth. Obviously I haven't used it yet, but the promise of modular-like flexibility that can be controlled entirely from a hardware keyboard is very attractive to me.

Honestly, how many people out there are builiding NM G2 patches without the aid of a computer? I still think the Nord's got a pretty useful interface, but only after the patch construction stage is complete. The Solaris interface is going to be pretty special, and is definitely going to set it apart from other synths.

In my opinion, a rack version with compromised interface would really take away from (what I perceive to be) the spirit of the instrument. And for people who want a smaller format, the Scope system is already out there, and isn't going to take up any room in your studio!

Eric S.
stardust
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Post by stardust »

desktop will be another and additional customer base. For me the keyboard is a must for this synth, but I know all that virus desktop kind of guys...
Tiitu
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Post by Tiitu »

I would personally prefer this (and other) synths without a keyboard, because of both saving space and money. Ideally I would like to have only one or two master keyboards in my (small) studio.

Korg M3-M module for example is very much cheaper than the complete M3 with keyboard.

But, in order to keep the good user interface of Solaris, there should be no difference in it with or without the keyboard. This is externally an Oberheim Xpander type of synth and that is PERFECT.

How much would you be able to save, if the keyboard would be left optionally out, 10%?
Tiitu
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Post by Tiitu »

PS. I pre-ordered Solaris.

Cheers :D
HUROLURA
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Post by HUROLURA »

An example of user interface reduction is coming up with the VIRUS TI SNOW versus the former VIRUS TI versions. I think this unit is much more like a preset player or mouse editing afficionados.

I agree that the user interface for a desktop model should be kept as close as possible to the one available on the Keyboard as this seems to be one of the key feature of the SOLARIS.

It is just something similar to Klangbox versus ASB from Creamware.
We will also see what happens with the PLUGIATOR.

One other idea: let us think about a SOLARIS engine (similar to clavia modular G2 engine) in the shape of the klangbox dedicated to PC/MAC host use or available as a further expansion for a SOLARIS Keyboard.

A combination of an ASB and one or more Klangbox was the only way to get the ASB multitimbral.
CheerZ
stardust
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Post by stardust »

Pretty much ok if John wants to invest in a VSTi like integration into hosts and or a PC based editor instead of a real haptic user interface.

It is another target group and that might contribute to the successs.
Tiitu
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Post by Tiitu »

Check this:
http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=5955

... so, maybe in the beginning of the year 2009, who knows. But, then it would be nice, if it would be a real Solaris Expander with some additional functionality when interfaced with an other Solaris, in addition to just being a space-saving unit. Think, for exampe, how multiple Matrix-1000s can be connected together adding the number of simultaneous voices or making them to play notes in turn, one after an other. Nowadays, you could do much more than that with firewire or usb, for example, finding out possibly something interesting that was not possible to do before.
Last edited by Tiitu on Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:25 am, edited 4 times in total.
Tiitu
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Post by Tiitu »

(copy removed)
Last edited by Tiitu on Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
cornutt
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Post by cornutt »

John Bowen wrote:I think he means that, if you have a good editor, you can sell a smaller tabletop or whatever unit that provides a minimum of necessary features,
I think I'd have in mind something like what Roland almost accomplished with the JD800/990 combo: the full-up keyboard (call it the SolI) capable of editing patches and controlling a set of rack/tabletop units (the SolII's). The idea being that you can edit patches on the SolII units using the SolI's controls and displays, or just dump patches en mass from the SolI to the SolII. For playing, the SolI would have voice overflow so that any notes that exceeds its polyphony get forwarded to a SolII via MIDI. And/or, you could use a bank of SolIIs to implement a multi-timbral setup; a multi-patch selects one patch on a SolI, sending differnet patch changes to the SolIIs, and allows the SolI's keyboard to be layered/split for the different parts. Any given note is played by the SolI and/or sent to a SolII via MIDI according to what part is assigned to that note.
ThreeFingersOfLove
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Post by ThreeFingersOfLove »

Rack version? Definitely no, unless it has 46 knobs and 70 buttons.
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