The Official Sequential/Oberheim Forum
SEQUENTIAL/DSI => Evolver => Evolver Desktop => Topic started by: Manbird on November 12, 2016, 11:33:22 PM
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Uh, sorry about the wanky subject line... But after hanging out on this forum a little too long, I've suddenly become very curious about the Evolver. I'm seeing a few desktop models for sale and am intrigued, yet don't know why, given I know so little about this particular synth. Can anyone give me a good basic sales-pitch given I'm already inclined to pick one up? I've got a good handful of analog(ue) monos and polys - Pro One, Micromoog, DE, MS10 and MS20, Prophet 6, Juno 6, PolySix and access to a P5, so I'm well-covered. I'd been thinking of getting a BSII, just cos, but I'm betting the Evolver would bring a whole other slice of sounds to the pie. Anyway, I'm obviously speaking to the right people here, so if anyone is able to help with a quick summing up of what the Evolver is all about, I'm all ear! Cheers!
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Well, with the number of synths that you have, you obviously like variety. So an Evolver will be a relatively inexpensive way to increase the variety of sounds you have available. I don't know what a BSII is, but the strength of the Evolver is the large number of high-quality tools it brings to the table. Analog and digital oscillators, four LFOs, four sequencers, three envelope generators, FM, digital waveshapes similar to those of the Prophet VS, a delay line, tuned feedback, ring modulation.
That's a lot of stuff, but probably the Evolver's killer app is its stereo signal path. It's got two analog filters, configured in stereo, which gives it a unique sense of a living instrument.
For similar money, and seeing what else you have, it covers more additional ground than a Bass Station II would cover.
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Well, with the number of synths that you have, you obviously like variety. So an Evolver will be a relatively inexpensive way to increase the variety of sounds you have available. I don't know what a BSII is, but the strength of the Evolver is the large number of high-quality tools it brings to the table. Analog and digital oscillators, four LFOs, four sequencers, three envelope generators, FM, digital waveshapes similar to those of the Prophet VS, a delay line, tuned feedback, ring modulation.
That's a lot of stuff, but probably the Evolver's killer app is its stereo signal path. It's got two analog filters, configured in stereo, which gives it a unique sense of a living instrument.
For similar money, and seeing what else you have, it covers more additional ground than a Bass Station II would cover.
Thanks chysn - that's the kinda sales-pitch I'm wanting! The Evolver sounds like a fascinating instrument. And it looks like the stereo input is a primary feature as well, that the synth is designed as much to be a processing machine.
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I can highly recommend the Evolver too. It have its own sounds of analog oscillators and filters in stereo seasoned to taste with plenty of delicious digital dirt. Its tuned feedback path can do plenty of interesting sounds. Oh and the digital oscillators are nice too.
Things you should know before buying an Evolver desktop:
(1) Seriously consider getting one of the later models. Look at DSI's support page and you will be informed of the serial number of the first of the most recent model.
(2) There are a number of bugs in its OS such as not all program parameters being transferred correctly from an edit buffer message and single step sequences not starting at step 1.
(3) The digital oscillators tend to be rather noisy or trashy at higher notes.
(4) The Evolver does not have so much bass contents in its sound compared to the Prophet08/Mopho/Tetra family. So head to the Evolver for its own type of sounds and head in other directions for a massive bass sound.
Oh and be sure to wear your Spoiled By Evolver (TM) badge with pride! ;)
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Chysn said it all. I would only add that the Evolver offers the most massive and complex sound with precise designing that you could possibly get at so reasonable a price. There's an art to using four oscillators at once, and if you apply yourself to exploring the possible combinations of analog and digital waves, then you'll find yourself with an array of timbres that are quite unique. When you add the onboard delays, it's hard to believe it's all coming from such a little monophonic synthesizer. I have one and use it exclusively for bass, but I'd like to get a second one for solo playing; it's that good, in my opinion. Yes, it lacks the depth and girth of the infamous Moog sound, but don't be deterred by that. With four oscillators, you can use one as a sub and add a triangle for extra bass fullness.
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I would only add that the Evolver offers the most massive and complex sound with precise designing that you could possibly get at so reasonable a price.
Very true. Also if looking at the more recent products only Pro 2 have a competing level of voice complexity but it does not have a stereo signal path nor any analog oscillators though that could be added via eurorack interface. And its way more expensive than the Evolver was even when it was new.
Given that DSI products are much more expensive per voice these days I would personally much prefer having the option of using voices in pairs using layers whenever a stereo signal path is desired. Prophet 12 does that pretty elegantly.
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I would only add that the Evolver offers the most massive and complex sound with precise designing that you could possibly get at so reasonable a price.
Very true. Also if looking at the more recent products only Pro 2 have a competing level of voice complexity but it does not have a stereo signal path nor any analog oscillators though that could be added via eurorack interface. And its way more expensive than the Evolver was even when it was new.
The stereo omission from the Pro 2, plus the lack of a module version, mean that it really isn't a sufficient replacement for the Evolver. I would have been enthusiastic about a worthy replacement with a "new improved" aspect, but that just isn't the case with the Pro 2. Hence, many of us continue to look back to the Evolver as probably the most unique instrument DSI has yet produced.
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The stereo omission from the Pro 2, plus the lack of a module version, mean that it really isn't a sufficient replacement for the Evolver. I would have been enthusiastic about a worthy replacement with a "new improved" aspect, but that just isn't the case with the Pro 2. Hence, many of us continue to look back to the Evolver as probably the most unique instrument DSI has yet produced.
Agree! In fact I would say that the greatest problem with Pro 2 is that it got one and not two voices. If DSI had added analog oscillators and layers to such a two voice it would have been perfect. Still its a nice machine, just not one for me as its too large, too expensive and have no module version.
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Yes, I know you want the two-voice feature. Well, if DSI had made a module version of the Pro 2 with polychain, we'd both be happier.
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It's worth mentioning that it's a very cerebral synth. Learning all the abbreviations for the mod paths, memorizing what's where on the front panel, which row and column are selected, and keeping track of all the patch parameters while you're working can be pretty heady.
The grid-based layout is pretty brilliant though, and reading through the manual continues to reveal more and more functionality that makes me want to try utilizing it in ways I wasn't even considering when I picked it up.
On a personality level, it can be capable of blissful and clean tones but it really loves to bare it's teeth, squelch, buzz and snarl. Sometimes I'll be adding a bunch of modulation to a patch and need to stop and figure out how to defang it a bit.
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It's worth mentioning that it's a very cerebral synth. Learning all the abbreviations for the mod paths, memorizing what's where on the front panel, which row and column are selected, and keeping track of all the patch parameters while you're working can be pretty heady.
The grid-based layout is pretty brilliant though, and reading through the manual continues to reveal more and more functionality that makes me want to try utilizing it in ways I wasn't even considering when I picked it up.
On a personality level, it can be capable of blissful and clean tones but it really loves to bare it's teeth, squelch, buzz and snarl. Sometimes I'll be adding a bunch of modulation to a patch and need to stop and figure out how to defang it a bit.
I'm looking forward to the challenge... I'm likely well overdue for a bit of brain-work! I love my analog world and I work well in an intuitive way with it, but I'd say that my sudden interest in the Evolver is also an intuitive twerk for me. Must be time to add/create/discover new sounds, innit! Still, I appreciate the heads up - I didn't imagine the Evolver to be easy like the Prophet 6, but I'm also guessing it won't feel like the year I spent with a DX-7 conjuring a duck sound! (A lousy duck sound, have to say.) The Evolver's due in the post today or tomorrow. I'm sure I'll chime in here again in glee or confusion!
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If you know analog synthesis, the Evolver Desktop will be a cinch for you. The matrix takes some getting used to, but it's laid out very intuitively. The real challenge will be to your imagination, in putting to use the vast amount of sonic resources. But regarding the digital side, it's only more of the same.
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If you know analog synthesis, the Evolver Desktop will be a cinch for you. The matrix takes some getting used to, but it's laid out very intuitively. The real challenge will be to your imagination, in putting to use the vast amount of sonic resources. But regarding the digital side, it's only more of the same.
I'm looking forward! And ought to be a curious week - my girlfriend is getting a Minilogue to augment her ailing Prophet 5, so we'll be swimming in fresh ponds of synth water suddenly soon!
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I'm looking forward! And ought to be a curious week - my girlfriend is getting a Minilogue to augment her ailing Prophet 5, so we'll be swimming in fresh ponds of synth water suddenly soon!
Wow, a girlfriend with a Prophet 5! Sounds like a match made in heaven!
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I'm looking forward! And ought to be a curious week - my girlfriend is getting a Minilogue to augment her ailing Prophet 5, so we'll be swimming in fresh ponds of synth water suddenly soon!
Wow, a girlfriend with a Prophet 5! Sounds like a match made in heaven!
Aw! Yeah, she's great and she's got a great ear for music/sound. She's hinting at going modular. I'm scared!
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Hence, many of us continue to look back to the Evolver as probably the most unique instrument DSI has yet produced.
Fixed. ;D
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Uh, sorry about the wanky subject line... But after hanging out on this forum a little too long, I've suddenly become very curious about the Evolver. I'm seeing a few desktop models for sale and am intrigued, yet don't know why, given I know so little about this particular synth. Can anyone give me a good basic sales-pitch given I'm already inclined to pick one up? I've got a good handful of analog(ue) monos and polys - Pro One, Micromoog, DE, MS10 and MS20, Prophet 6, Juno 6, PolySix and access to a P5, so I'm well-covered. I'd been thinking of getting a BSII, just cos, but I'm betting the Evolver would bring a whole other slice of sounds to the pie. Anyway, I'm obviously speaking to the right people here, so if anyone is able to help with a quick summing up of what the Evolver is all about, I'm all ear! Cheers!
I just got a PolyEvolver, and I wouldn't trade it for all of your synths combined, except to sell most of them and buy another PolyEvolver. I'd probably keep the Pro One and Prophet 6 tho. :) What's a DE?
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Uh, sorry about the wanky subject line... But after hanging out on this forum a little too long, I've suddenly become very curious about the Evolver. I'm seeing a few desktop models for sale and am intrigued, yet don't know why, given I know so little about this particular synth. Can anyone give me a good basic sales-pitch given I'm already inclined to pick one up? I've got a good handful of analog(ue) monos and polys - Pro One, Micromoog, DE, MS10 and MS20, Prophet 6, Juno 6, PolySix and access to a P5, so I'm well-covered. I'd been thinking of getting a BSII, just cos, but I'm betting the Evolver would bring a whole other slice of sounds to the pie. Anyway, I'm obviously speaking to the right people here, so if anyone is able to help with a quick summing up of what the Evolver is all about, I'm all ear! Cheers!
I just got a PolyEvolver, and I wouldn't trade it for all of your synths combined, except to sell most of them and buy another PolyEvolver. I'd probably keep the Pro One and Prophet 6 tho. :) What's a DE?
The trick is to keep them all! I'm on my second Pro One, having traded the first for a Micromoog, which I then traded for the just-mentioned Pro One! Bought a second Micromoog couple years back, and vowed not to trade synths no more! I love all my gear. The Evolver ought to be arriving today or tomorrow, can't wait. But now you're worrying me - how long til I'm convinced I need to own the PolyEvolver?!
DE = Doepfer Dar Energy. Gorgeous little monosynth.
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But now you're worrying me - how long 'til I'm convinced I need to own the Poly Evolver?!
The realization should hit you shortly after you've recognized the potential of the Evolver Desktop.
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I just got a PolyEvolver, and I wouldn't trade it for all of your synths combined, except to sell most of them and buy another Poly Evolver.
Considering how incredibly flexible is the Poly Evolver, that would make perfect sense. Heck, why not a third as well?
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Yes, I know you want the two-voice feature.
The point is just that I find that being able to choose between having stereo panned sounds, layered sounds or having two voices are superior to having two hardware voices glued together. So its a matter of hardware resources versus expressiveness.
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Why don't you combine two Evolver Desktops?
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But now you're worrying me - how long til I'm convinced I need to own the PolyEvolver?!
Playing adventure games in the synthesizer world can be challenging: "Evolver got you!" ;-)
I would suggest taking your time unless you get a very good offer on a Poly Evolver. Plus we are not that far away from next NAMM and new stuff could show up that will be much more interesting.
And wear your Spoiled By Evolver (TM) badge with pride! ;)
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Why don't you combine two Evolver Desktops?
That is not the point. A two voice with layers have more freedom in deciding between Evolver style stereo panning and Prophet '08 mono single or layered sounds. Its simply more expressive than the Evolver way!
. o O ( same old rant )
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With two Evolver Desktops and a small mixer, you could create any configuration you wanted - mono or stereo, one layer or two layers. It seems ideal for your needs. And if this combination lacked a sufficiently strong analog voice, you could add something like a Mother 32 module later.
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With existing products you are definitely right.
However, I keep falling into this new voice architecture design pit all the time.
;)
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Believe me, I sympathize with you. I'm often the same. And that's the disadvantage of new products being constantly released - we're forever hoping and looking for that brand new gadget that will do it all. As a result, we're afraid to commit to something that already exists, even if it mostly meets our needs.
As much as I look forward to NAMM like everyone else, I won't let it own me. There are already so many excellent instruments from which to choose, including those that I already own! As for you, who knows if your dream machine will ever exist? You could always choose instead to put it together now with what already exists, and forget about that dream machine that may never be. I would think that one or two Evolver Desktops combined with something like a Moog Mother-32 or a Vermona Mono Lancet would keep you happy and busy just fine.
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Wise words! One alternative look at NAMM shows is as that time of year where we finally get to see what they got wrong this time around! ;)
As for my dream machines its always quite close. Just a few things omitted. There are several aspects of the perfect synthesizer. One is looking towards the more innovative synthesizer manufacturers such as Mutable Instruments and maybe plant a few seeds. Another is seriously considering making your own synthesizers. Which I unfortunately do not have the skills to do myself. But I think that is basically the only option currently. I don't consider going Eurorack as its expensive, bulky and have no MIDI control.
Finally one must not forget the commercial concept called Product Management. If synthesizer manufacturers make machines that cover a very broad range of potential sounds they are less likely to sell as many machines. An extreme example of this is the otherwise lovely Prophet-6 and OB-6. Choices are there and one have to get multiple instruments in order to cover a wide range of sounds. Companies love that!
Wonder how our Evolver newcomers are doing with their new machines? One advice I would suggest to the Evolver newcomers is trying out the MEK presets as some of them are very good. Another is having loads of nasty fun with the tuned feedback and modulated delays.
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As an aside, I don't spend much time on other synthesizer forums, but I do poke around a bit. I'm amazed at how frequently I see comments by present or former Evolver owners who dearly wish DSI would bring back at least the Poly Evolver. I haven't seen any such comments about the other retired Dave Smith instruments, but it's common enough to see several wistful remarks about the old blue machine.
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Yeah its a great machine with a unique sound and a wide sonic span. Imagine how good it would be if build with current DSI oscillator and filter ingredients. A few extra goodies would be lovely such as digital oscillators with phase modulation and the ability to interpolate across multiple waveshapes.
. o O ( same old rant )
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That's all true, but you know it isn't going to happen. DSI will produce one excellent synthesizer after another, but I'm 99% certain we'll never see the much desired Evolver Mk II. Woe....
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Which is exactly why another manufacturer should enter the market for complex synthesizer voices featuring analog impact and digital diversity. Another thing is that DSI almost got it right with Prophet 12 and Pro 2. They just forgot to put in a few essential features!
Back on topic: Looking forward to hear how it goes with the new Evolver owners. Hopefully they are not scared away from their studio by angry Evolver growls.
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Back on topic: Looking forward to hear how it goes with the new Evolver owners. Hopefully they are not scared away from their studio by angry Evolver growls.
I'm still waiting to meet my Evolver - I'm assuming it's been delivered to my dad's house by now. I'm up in the hills on my gf's farm, but we'll hit town tonight for my gig and I'll pick up my new Precious, I hope!
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Fascinating, fun and frustrating! First impressions of the Evolver. Frustrating only cos I'm suddenly trying to understand all it can do and get it to do all at once. A crazy time 'round here, I should add - My gf's Minilogue arrived today, 24 hours after we got stuck in with the Evolver. And, not sure how much detail anyone wants, but I also just got my, uh, "California card" yesterday, so last night's "learning the Evolver" session was all the groovier. At moment, the Evolver is MIDI'd up to the P5, so no aftertouch or mod wheel action, but we'll get there! Honestly, the thing that hooked me was a basic Pro One-esque sync patch - probably a factory preset. While I love the mind-jiggling possibilities of the sequencer and the ever-always range of sounds, I needed to find a few immediate pop-songable patches to try out. Anyway, I'm very pleased and impressed with the Evolver and thankful to those of you who've chimed in here in the last week.
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DSI almost got it right with Prophet 12 and Pro 2. They just forgot to put in a few essential features!
What did they forget to include?
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What did they forget to include?
If you ask me: Analog oscillators in both instruments and analog filter feedback in Prophet 12. Reason? Again this Spoiled By Evolver (TM) syndrome. One of the reasons the Evolver is so cool is the combination of a (fairly solid) analog foundation spiced up with a good portion digital diversity.
One key improvement over the Evolver already exists in both instruments: fully analog signal path whenever possible. If you compare the sounds of Evolver and Prophet'08/Mopho/Tetra you will notice a far better bass in the latter. The lack of post-filter converters does make a sonic difference.
Of cause its relevant to say that both instruments are very deliberate designs by DSI. Its not that they forgot the analog oscillators. Its simply that so was the design concept. Some love it. Some don't. Some of us would just have preferred both analog and digital oscillators due to increased sonic versatility compared to a fully digital oscillator section.
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Anyway, I'm very pleased and impressed with the Evolver and thankful to those of you who've chimed in here in the last week.
Congratulations and welcome in the Evolver camp! Hope you will have lots of noisy fun! ;)
Sync bass? Seen this Evolver video before? https://youtu.be/rctfwPVJdnM
Any plans to get a portable setup with your Evolver? If so and if you don't mind small keys I would just like to point you to these two KMI products:
https://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/qunexus/
https://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/k-board/
Their MIDI Expander is needed for standalone use:
https://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/accessories/
Its fairly solid controllers:
https://youtu.be/ubqkNu6lx5Y
Have to add that its indeed small keys so watch this video for a preview of that configuration:
https://youtu.be/39O-45l6lNU?t=1m2s
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Anyway, I'm very pleased and impressed with the Evolver and thankful to those of you who've chimed in here in the last week.
Congratulations and welcome in the Evolver camp! Hope you will have lots of noisy fun! ;)
Sync bass? Seen this Evolver video before? https://youtu.be/rctfwPVJdnM
Any plans to get a portable setup with your Evolver? If so and if you don't mind small keys I would just like to point you to these two KMI products:
https://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/qunexus/
https://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/k-board/
Their MIDI Expander is needed for standalone use:
https://www.keithmcmillen.com/products/accessories/
Its fairly solid controllers:
https://youtu.be/ubqkNu6lx5Y
Have to add that its indeed small keys so watch this video for a preview of that configuration:
https://youtu.be/39O-45l6lNU?t=1m2s
Thanks for all the suggestions. The KMI stuff looks brilliant. Honestly, my Evolver ( and most of my synths for that matter) never leave the house! My live gigs are usually either acoustic guitar and/or piano or with plain old rock band. My albums are swamped in synths, but I'm somehow quite gear-phobic at gigs. I mean, I've started bringing a loop pedal to use as drum track and I drag my Yamaha CP out sometimes, but for the most part I keep my electronic side hidden from the people!
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Thanks for all the suggestions. The KMI stuff looks brilliant.
You are welcome. Just wanted to make sure you are aware of them. There are a family of new controllers, Roger Linn LinnStrument, ROLI Seaboard, KMI QuNexus/K-Board/K-Board Pro 4 and many others that may be worth looking into if more expressive playing is of interest. Only caveat: most DSI polys does not support MPE nor multi-timbral modes but it works fine for monophonic instruments.
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Thanks for all the suggestions. The KMI stuff looks brilliant.
You are welcome. Just wanted to make sure you are aware of them. There are a family of new controllers, Roger Linn LinnStrument, ROLI Seaboard, KMI QuNexus/K-Board/K-Board Pro 4 and many others that may be worth looking into if more expressive playing is of interest. Only caveat: most DSI polys does not support MPE nor multi-timbral modes but it works fine for monophonic instruments.
I've had a couple chances to play the ROLI. Very impressive, that thing...
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As an aside, I don't spend much time on other synthesizer forums, but I do poke around a bit. I'm amazed at how frequently I see comments by present or former Evolver owners who dearly wish DSI would bring back at least the Poly Evolver. I haven't seen any such comments about the other retired Dave Smith instruments, but it's common enough to see several wistful remarks about the old blue machine.
In August 2016, the German magazine Amazona.de named the Poly Evolver DSI's best instrument and re-published their review: https://www.amazona.de/report-dave-smith-poly-evolver-analogsynthesizer/ (https://www.amazona.de/report-dave-smith-poly-evolver-analogsynthesizer/)
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What did they forget to include?
If you ask me: Analog oscillators in both instruments and analog filter feedback in Prophet 12. Reason? Again this Spoiled By Evolver (TM) syndrome. One of the reasons the Evolver is so cool is the combination of a (fairly solid) analog foundation spiced up with a good portion digital diversity.
One key improvement over the Evolver already exists in both instruments: fully analog signal path whenever possible. If you compare the sounds of Evolver and Prophet'08/Mopho/Tetra you will notice a far better bass in the latter. The lack of post-filter converters does make a sonic difference.
Of cause its relevant to say that both instruments are very deliberate designs by DSI. Its not that they forgot the analog oscillators. Its simply that so was the design concept. Some love it. Some don't. Some of us would just have preferred both analog and digital oscillators due to increased sonic versatility compared to a fully digital oscillator section.
I'm not sure. The Prophet 12 and the Pro 2 should really be taken for what they are. Whether one has to miss the Evolver's DCOs on them is basically a matter of taste and ultimately a conclusion one can only arrive at via a side by side comparison in person. One could also argue that the newer ones sound more hi-fi and that especially the Pro 2 has an easy to use and quite comprehensive sequencer on board that runs circles around the one of the Evolver. And there's certainly not a lack of options in the mod matrix that could make one feel less spoiled.
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As an aside, I don't spend much time on other synthesizer forums, but I do poke around a bit. I'm amazed at how frequently I see comments by present or former Evolver owners who dearly wish DSI would bring back at least the Poly Evolver. I haven't seen any such comments about the other retired Dave Smith instruments, but it's common enough to see several wistful remarks about the old blue machine.
In August 2016, the German magazine Amazona.de named the Poly Evolver DSI's best instrument and re-published their review: https://www.amazona.de/report-dave-smith-poly-evolver-analogsynthesizer/ (https://www.amazona.de/report-dave-smith-poly-evolver-analogsynthesizer/)
I salute their good taste!
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I'll just point out we didn't forget to include anything, it was a design choice to make a different instrument. We already made the Evolver, after all. That aside, including two analog oscillators per voice would significantly increase the cost of the instrument, especially on the Prophet 12.
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I do get the artistic statement and the designers vision. However, just like DSI/Sequential have made more than one synthesizer with two or more analog oscillators I am sure that a voice architecture with both analog and digital oscillators will one day make sense to you again.
Also, please don't make an Evolver again. Make something new with visionary integration of analog and digital. Implicit herein is that one type of oscillator does not do it alone.
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Also, please don't make an Evolver again. Make something new with visionary integration of analog and digital. Implicit herein is that one type of oscillator does not do it alone.
What? Tracy, you know Dslsynth. He's just a hilarious guy, full of good humor and great jokes. And here he is again, at it as usual, cracking the funnies and making us all laugh and forget our problems. Thanks, Dslsynth. It's because of guys like you that I can carry my burdens. Ha, ha, ha. I tell ya....
Please completely disregard the previous post. He was only joking. Please, make the Evolver again!
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On second thought, just run off one of each of the Evolvers and I'll be happy and quiet again.
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Greetings Everyone. Is there a way to sync the Clock Divide settings? For example I want to be able to go from say "4n" (quarter note) to "16n" (sixteenth note) without having to step between the two values while a sequence is playing?
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Greetings Everyone. Is there a way to sync the Clock Divide settings? For example I want to be able to go from say "4n" (quarter note) to "16n" (sixteenth note) without having to step between the two values while a sequence is playing?
This is off-topic and should probably be a separate topic. The Evolver does not support individual real-time NRPN parameter changes like later DSI instruments do. You could either switch the tempo from your DAW (or whatever your master clock is), or save a second copy of the program with a different clock divide setting, and switch to it with a program change message. I've never switched running-sequence programs on-the-fly like that, but it's worth a try.
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Greetings Everyone. Is there a way to sync the Clock Divide settings? For example I want to be able to go from say "4n" (quarter note) to "16n" (sixteenth note) without having to step between the two values while a sequence is playing?
This is off-topic and should probably be a separate topic. The Evolver does not support individual real-time NRPN parameter changes like later DSI instruments do. You could either switch the tempo from your DAW (or whatever your master clock is), or save a second copy of the program with a different clock divide setting, and switch to it with a program change message. I've never switched running-sequence programs on-the-fly like that, but it's worth a try.
Thanks..only the second post I've done on this forum..still learning the flow (subject etc).
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What did they forget to include?
If you ask me: Analog oscillators in both instruments and analog filter feedback in Prophet 12.
Never gonna argue with that. :D Maybe he can combine the 12 with the Mopho design? The Mophet 12, Dave? No? ;)
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I'll just point out we didn't forget to include anything, it was a design choice to make a different instrument. We already made the Evolver, after all. That aside, including two analog oscillators per voice would significantly increase the cost of the instrument, especially on the Prophet 12.
Yes but you didn't make an 8 or 12 voice Evolver. :D I'm loving my PEK, and spent good money on it, but at the same time I would love to see a SuperEvolver. :o ;) ;D
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Ditto. Poly Evolver Keyboard REV2.
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I love my Evolver for what it is; a very versatile monosynth that isn't a Moog clone. It's one of the more original synths I own. Mine is from the first batch released and I recently upgraded to the 3.x firmware chip. 14yrs later and I'm still finding new ways to make the thing shine. Of course there are ways that DSI have done things that I wish were more like Waldorf, but hey, can't have it all.
Juxtaposing the Evolver with my Tetra, they are two very different beast. Even as a mono, the Tetra is incredible traditional. Not a bad thing really, as it gives me that wonderful classic analogue polysynth sound, bringing a John Carpenter flavour into my mix, something I could never quite reach with the digital synths I own. It takes a little work to get an experimental type patch from it similar to what I can do with the Evolver, but at the same time refreshing to simply dial-up a preset and tweak a few envelope settings to suit what I want.
Another Evolver-like synth would certainly find a home in my studio, but something more on the additive side of things. Another mono wavetable, but with multiple tables and more like the Microwave/Micromonsta tables with one analogue osc. And perhaps a few FM ops. The revival of the analogue synth is great, but all the manufacturers are making trad subtractive synths with few tweaks from that. Give me a wavetable synth with multimode analogue filters!
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Another mono wavetable, but with multiple tables and more like the Microwave/Micromonsta tables with one analogue osc. And perhaps a few FM ops.
You are not the only one wanting to see a new synthesizer featuring morphing wavetables and phase modulation digital oscillators. In the phase modulation case it would be good if the modulators are part of the oscillator. Add P6/OB-6 style VCO's for extra Evolver style analog impact and I would be even happier.