The Official Sequential/Oberheim Forum
SEQUENTIAL/DSI => Evolver => Topic started by: proteus-ix on November 03, 2016, 10:55:45 PM
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I just received my PEK PE today! Haven't had a chance to plug it in yet because we were having lightning and thunderstorms here earlier, but can't wait to get home from work tomorrow and... get to work playing! :D
Seems like this forum is pretty quiet, are there other places that you guys chitchat about synths and DSI and PEKs?
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This forum was started shortly after the Evolvers were discontinued. So, the Evolver enthusiasm was past. It's sad, but true. If you don't know of this already, here is one defunct forum that is rich with information:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150316072322/http://www.ex5tech.com/ex5ubb_cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=23
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This forum was started shortly after the Evolvers were discontinued. So, the Evolver enthusiasm was past. It's sad, but true. If you don't know of this already, here is one defunct forum that is rich with information:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150316072322/http://www.ex5tech.com/ex5ubb_cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=23
No I did not know about that one already, thanks for the pointer! I personally believe that Evolver enthusiasm will come back again, when everyone comes to their senses. :D
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The person in whom I'd most like to see a revived Evolver enthusiasm is Dave Smith!
By the way, the unique value of the EX5Tech forum is that it was part of the Evolver birth. If you scroll back to the early pages, you can read about the first appearance of the Evolver and the initial thoughts and reactions to it. It makes for fascinating reading for us Evolver fans. With a little help from Chysn who found the forum again after I had lost it, I made sure we had here a link to it.
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The person in whom I'd most like to see a revived Evolver enthusiasm is Dave Smith!
Haha, somehow I bet in his heart of hearts he still loves the Evolvers. :) But he also has to make things people will buy, and I think with the countertrend back towards analog and away from all ITB production, he had a chance to revive his beloved Prophets and make them what they couldn't have been in the 80s. Of course, now that we're here... with nearly the best Prophets you could imagine and the Mophos holding down the "budget analog" side, it begs the question of what's next. And we're just about due for the Evolvers to be retro again. :D
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An evolved retro synth? Sounds like a plan!
Seriously, if you look at the Evolver voice architecture there are a couple of things to improve on: All analog signal path where possible, better analog and digital oscillators, mixed in digital effects instead of AD/DA step, larger sequencer with slew/tie, better discrete filters, more modulation routings. Both Prophet 12 and Pro 2 are a step in the right direction but lacks IMHO at least analog oscillators and analog filter feedback. Prophet 12 would benefit from a modulation sequencer as well.
Oh the other hand the Evolver have this lovely digital dirt to its sound.
Anyway, the usual voice architecture rant! . o O ( what else is new )
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Until the Prophet 12 appeared, I believe the Poly Evolver Keyboard was Dave's favorite instrument. Personally, I'd be thrilled to see it return exactly as it was, even though I agree with DslSynth that both its analog and digital oscillators could be improved. But with all the advancements DSI has made since its release, I just can't imagine it happening. Dave doesn't do the Mk II thing, nor even the Rev II thing any longer.
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If one takes a step back the essence of the Evolver design is an interesting integration of analog and digital featuring the sonic impact of analog combined with the sonic variety of digital. For me such a design would feature both analog and digital oscillators plus tuned and analog feedback. But Dave does what he wants!
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But Dave does what he wants!
Yes he does! And he seems to have little attachment to his former achievements. If he were a tad more nostalgic, I'd have a little hope that he might revisit one of his old instruments (i.e. the Poly Evolver Keyboard). But no. He likes a steady flow of new projects.
One of my favorite DSI wishes was something I know could never be - at the very least, due to its size. That is, a Poly Evolver Module. Not a Rack, but a Module mapped out as closely as possible to the keyboard version. This would have been a massive gorgeous piece and the handiest way to add that Evolver character to other instruments. I can see in my mind that distinctive blue panel, flashing red and blue lights, and rich reddish wood end cheeks. Ah, she would have been ravishing....
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You are not the only one who had that dream. Have to say that these days I prefer machines with a good tradeoff between user interface and voice contents. So maybe not a fully knobby four voice Evolver. Less could do it.
Anyway, let's flash our Spoiled By Evolver (TM) badges with utmost pride! ;)
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That's the spirit!
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Indeed it is. And there are so many options for taking the concept much further with current available ingredients.
. o O ( dreams on autorepeat )
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Anyway, let's flash our Spoiled By Evolver (TM) badges with utmost pride! ;)
I owe a lot to the Evolver, even though I don't have one any more. I think it taught me how to design a synthesizer more effectively than anything else I've ever had.
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I think it taught me how to design a synthesizer more effectively than anything else I've ever had.
Then imagine how talking a few hours with Richard Devine could transform ones view on synthesizers! ;)
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I think it taught me how to design a synthesizer more effectively than anything else I've ever had.
Then imagine how talking a few hours with Richard Devine could transform ones view on synthesizers! ;)
I dunno, I'll have to Google Richard Devine.
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I dunno, I'll have to Google Richard Devine.
Without "delaying" the discussion too much:
https://youtu.be/_wc9XlSm8Ys
Well worth viewing even though its entirely Evolver free:
https://youtu.be/lMjaGA9zo_o
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I dunno, I'll have to Google Richard Devine.
Without "delaying" the discussion too much:
https://youtu.be/_wc9XlSm8Ys
Well worth viewing even though its entirely Evolver free:
https://youtu.be/lMjaGA9zo_o
Cool thanks for the Moogfest lecture!
But frankly I don't like Richard Devine's stuff at all. I saw him at NMASS here in Austin a few years ago and it was the most obnoxious nonsense for what seemed like an eternity. And that's not because I don't like abstract modulary stuff - I love Morton Subotnick, Tod Dockstader et al. And it's definitely that I don't like noise - I've been listening to Merzbow and similar for almost 25 years. But Devine's work just seems all technique and no substance. Not really my cup of coffee.
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I really like Richard Devine's alien sides. Maybe its technical but I find that very inspiring!
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I really like Richard Devine's alien sides. Maybe its technical but I find that very inspiring!
I'm certainly open; I haven't heard much of his catalog, just what I saw in live performance which was practically torture, and a few other things I tracked down after. But if you have something you feel is particularly good, I would definitely appreciate checking it out.
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If you're looking for more musical examples, many of the short video clips he posts on his Instagram feed are quite pleasant:
https://www.instagram.com/richarddevine/?hl=en
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I'm only staying on the off-topic Richard Devine topic because the original poster engaged with it.
I was previously unfamiliar with his work, but I like Devine's experimental nature. There are times when he's clearly coming from more of a DJ tradition, with conventional tonalism and EDM beats, and I get a bit bored by that; but he's at his best when he's working with generative patches. I don't think he's got the mastery of timbre that Subotnick has. And I prefer to see music done with small systems rather than enormous systems. It's harder, but not impossible, to do generative patching with small systems. But overall, there's stuff I can enjoy and learn from.
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Speaking of generative patching, and nudging back to the Evolver, the Evolver does have some good potential for generative music, due to its many LFOs and sequencers. It won't be the Rube Goldberg machine of a modular synth, because the routings are eventually dead ends, but you can certainly point it in that direction if you're so inclined.
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One of the reasons why I linked to the Richard Devine video above was the idea of doing something similar with the Evolver. Guess its gotta be using the tuned feedback. And yeah, generative music can be fun!
Would have been so nice if the Evolver had left/right feedback frequency/level modulation destinations!
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If you're looking for more musical examples, many of the short video clips he posts on his Instagram feed are quite pleasant:
https://www.instagram.com/richarddevine/?hl=en
Been waiting for him to approve my Instagram follow request so I can actually listen to these...