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SEQUENTIAL/DSI => Tempest => Topic started by: willehallem on November 20, 2017, 05:43:22 AM

Title: Use Tempest with Linnstrument
Post by: willehallem on November 20, 2017, 05:43:22 AM
Hello everyone,

i’m thinking about getting a tempest to use with my linnstrument, but am unsure about tempest’s capability to use the pitchbend and channel per note/mpe data coming from the linnstrument.
On DSI tetra one can set up the same sound for each of it’s four voices and make use of mpe that way, is that also an option for tempest? Also, could tempest make use of linnstrument‘s pitchbend data per channel?

I’m thankful for any and all advice, cheers!

Will
Title: Re: Use Tempest with Linnstrument
Post by: John the Savage on November 20, 2017, 06:20:46 PM
Hello everyone,

i’m thinking about getting a tempest to use with my linnstrument, but am unsure about tempest’s capability to use the pitchbend and channel per note/mpe data coming from the linnstrument.
On DSI tetra one can set up the same sound for each of it’s four voices and make use of mpe that way, is that also an option for tempest? Also, could tempest make use of linnstrument‘s pitchbend data per channel?

I’m thankful for any and all advice, cheers!

Will

I have both a Tempest and a Linnstrument, and I have to say, if you're hoping to take full advantage of the LinnStrument's MPE capabilities, then no, the Tempest would not be the most cost-effective choice.

Although the Tempest is multi-timbral by design, unfortunately only one sound at a time can be played polyphonically, and that sound can only be addressed over a single MIDI channel, so it wouldn't offer any advantages over, say, your typical mono-timbral synth.  And the rest of the pads share a separate, single MIDI channel, and only respond to gate triggers via assignable MIDI note numbers, so they cannot be played melodically or addressed from the same playing surface.  It's also worth noting that the Tempest's sequencer does not record polyphonic note information, nor would it record the expressive MIDI data coming from the LinnStrument.

That said, for anyone else reading this, the LinnStrument is nevertheless an excellent, tactile, highly configurable MIDI controller that can be used to control any synth: MPE, multitimbral, or otherwise.  In that respect, the Tempest is certainly a capable poly-synth, and the LinnStrument is a particularly welcoming and immediate playing surface for anyone coming from a stringed instrument.  I'm a guitarist primarily, but I get hired to do a lot of synth work as well, so for me it's ideal.  Regardless, it's well-built, intuitive, very responsive, and a pleasure to play in general.

At any rate, if you're specifically looking for a multi-timbral synth with an advanced sequencer like the Tempest, I would recommend looking at the Analog Four from Elektron: each of its voices can be addressed on separate MIDI channels for a pseudo-MPE experience, it has built-in effects, and a much more robust MIDI implementation overall.

Anyway, just my two cents worth...

Cheers!
Title: Re: Use Tempest with Linnstrument
Post by: willehallem on November 24, 2017, 07:02:44 AM
Hey John, thanks for the info, I had feared as much. I just got an analog four off the bay, looking forward to that a lot, although the tempest seems even cooler for beat building with it's samples. You can't have it all I guess, although I might get one just for that at some point if I win the lottery or something :D

Cheers from Germany,

Will