Sttrrrrrrrrretch! 88 keys, anyone?

[scope4live]

JB your being too much of a diplomat.

I bet you heard the TI first right?.......Then you went and built the Solaris after the fact...........

Thanks.

You partner bushwacked me at the show so I couldn't torture him w/ all the silly questions I wanted to ask like where are the drum kits located, and could I track the Karoke sub texts w/ the joystick like the old Pizza Hut bouncing ball thingy.

But I forgot the best one that would surely jerk you off......
Since Solaris has high quality chores done at 96k....could I dither it down to 44.1k and get more polyphony...?

Nobody said this couldn't be fun.

[RichardKC6]

I can't say regarding the Virus B - I only played with the TI - but I would say the Virus has more 'hardness' to it - I don't know how else to describe it in my mind.
-john b.

I moved to a Virus after a Supernova II; I'd been trying to work with a Roland JX10 (the synth that convinced me that really, I don't WANT to own the synths I lusted after as a kid; my old setup was more of a museum than a studio!) and reluctantly decided to give up my JV-50, JD800 and JX10 in favour of an XV3080 and Supernova II.

At first the Supernova seemed pretty impressive, but some big synth pads sounded like my speakers were breaking up. I tried the same sounds on a friend's Virus b desktop after repairing it, and... no breakup. I can only assume it's down to internal clipping/lower resolution DACs.

Some people like that sort of thing.

I can make the Indigo 2 do similar things, but I have to be being really harsh. It's definitely got a very distinctive sound though; I think of it as being a bit like the progression of computer video technology (or, you know, just video media), and the JP8000 was perhaps 256 colour graphics, but they'd figured out dithering well; the Supernova was that weird period of 32,000 colour, and the Virus is 262,000 - for most output situations it's good enough to be true colour.

That's oversimplification in a big way, but I have to keep reminding myself that 10 years ago I wanted a Nord Lead, really quite badly, and now they're cheap... I also have to remind myself that synthesizer technology HAS progressed, that newer is NOT necessarily "worse", despite the obsession with classic synthsizers that people display (myself included).

I even bought the Waldorf Edition (£20... how prices have fallen) for the Wave 2.v plugin to get my PPG fix. You wouldn't have caught me doing that 5 years ago.

[John Bowen]

Richard,
That's a pretty fair description, I think. Also, the output of the TI is really 'hot', making it sound very aggressive to me. Then there are the little tricks such as the transient sample they use to insert a 'pop' or 'punch' at the note-on event. It definitely makes for a certain type of sound approach that has become very appealing to the European music market.

-john b.

[ongoingtrend]

Restarting the main topic:

Is there no real interest for a 88 key weighted keyboard?[color=yellow][/color]

Anyone?

[marzzz]

I can see a 76 key semi-weighted synth keyboard that can double as a master controller (and maybe have some polyAT while we're at it?), but usually if you want an 88-key controller you are looking at a big, piano-weighted controller that is usually more suited for either stand alone or a workstation. To tell you the truth, I can't even think of an 88 key synth (as in pure synth, not ROMpler worksation) that has ever been manufactured. The Solaris is already somewhat of a niche product, no need to make it even more so.

I would just as soon have the Solaris be an Xpander-type module that would sit right on my MIDIBoard, but I think it is pretty well suited the way it is.

[scope4live]

I would love to see an XPander module of Solaris that fits at an angle to the 61 noter.......
I don't believe this, I don't even have the 61 noter yet and I am already dreaming of expansion possibilities....

Man's purest emotion is Greed..

[marzzz]

I would love to see an XPander module of Solaris that fits at an angle to the 61 noter.......

Well, in that case I would want a rackmount module that just adds DSP power, sort of like the PolyEvolver Rack. You just put it in the rack and forget about it, while enjoying all the extra power!

[RichardKC6]

Racks lack expressiveness IME. I want the controllers to hand.

I addressed that in a comment elsewhere suggesting I'd want a rackmount synth, but then a plug in controller with X-Y, ribbon and perhaps patch selection as a small desktop unit, as remapping controllers is a PITA.

[RichardKC6]

Restarting the main topic:

Is there no real interest for a 88 key weighted keyboard?

Anyone?

I think it looks like I'm out on a limb here, sadly, so I either have to DIY, pay a lot for a one-off, or find another solution.

If my house had sold now and I had the spare cash I'd have put down the deposit for a 61 key one, the more I read... well, I think I could find a way; and still consider the DIY approach once I have more technical info about the keyboard implementation. Ideally though, I'd like to stick with what I really want.

To reshuffle to stick with the same number of keys I'd need to get a Virus C rack to replace my Indigo 2, a Roland XV88 to replace my Trinity, and then a Solaris in place of the Indigo keys... but I like my Indigo 2 too much.

[ongoingtrend]

The easiest way to find out is by making a poll.

There are 50 + who have ordered the Solaris, suggesting people might find a 88 key weighted keyboard tempting.

Polyphonic AT on top of that would be any keyboardist dream come true.

[scope4live]

Since we will eventually get MultiMode having zones and extra notes sounds great....
And possibly PAT......

That Dog'll Hunt.

[ongoingtrend]

Moderator:

Would it be interesting enough with a poll


RichardKC6: What are your thoughts on a stacked version?

[seamonkey]

Moderator:
Would it be interesting enough with a poll

I'm not a moderator but you can start a poll by starting a new topic, the ability to create a poll is at the bottom of the page.

[stardust]

anyone who wants can buy a weighted 88 and connect it to Solaris .... cant he

[RichardKC6]

anyone who wants can buy a weighted 88 and connect it to Solaris .... cant he

And then you've got the space of a 61 key synth AND an 88-key controller which doesn't have the ribbon or joystick control directly connected... which is precisely what I wanted to avoid.

Just had an offer on the house, so I'll very soon be in a position to stick a deposit on one; but it looks like the 88 keys won't be possible so maybe I'll wait and see if a desktop model is produced with decent "playing" controls.