Evolver 2

[The Grump]

I rather like something like the original suggestion. An Evolver desktop, but with Oberheim analog oscillators, and sweepable analog 12/24 SVF/band-pass SEM style VCF's. Those, combined with the digital OSC's would make it a true successor (and a real monster)!! Also, the ability to use an envelope or LFO to sweep the wavetable would be a vast improvement, especially in the user wavetables. I'd even be satisfied if only the user wavetables were sweepable (having 16-bit bitrates as opposed to the stock ones having 12-bit). I don't know if the original DSP could handle such calculations, especially when combined with FM, but it would be amazing to see such a thing implemented in a new box.

Thoughts? Feasible?

[MisterHemi]

I rather like something like the original suggestion. An Evolver desktop, but with Oberheim analog oscillators, and sweepable analog 12/24 SVF/band-pass SEM style VCF's. Those, combined with the digital OSC's would make it a true successor (and a real monster)!! Also, the ability to use an envelope or LFO to sweep the wavetable would be a vast improvement, especially in the user wavetables. I'd even be satisfied if only the user wavetables were sweepable (having 16-bit bitrates as opposed to the stock ones having 12-bit). I don't know if the original DSP could handle such calculations, especially when combined with FM, but it would be amazing to see such a thing implemented in a new box.

Thoughts? Feasible?

I've never looked at the processors on the Evolver much but SHARC DSPs are commonly used in music and audio devices. There should be a version or family capable of handling the calculations. I remember it has a free realtime OS available for those using SHARC processors, so maybe it could.

[DavidDever]

I rather like something like the original suggestion. An Evolver desktop, but with Oberheim analog oscillators, and sweepable analog 12/24 SVF/band-pass SEM style VCF's. Those, combined with the digital OSC's would make it a true successor (and a real monster)!! Also, the ability to use an envelope or LFO to sweep the wavetable would be a vast improvement, especially in the user wavetables. I'd even be satisfied if only the user wavetables were sweepable (having 16-bit bitrates as opposed to the stock ones having 12-bit). I don't know if the original DSP could handle such calculations, especially when combined with FM, but it would be amazing to see such a thing implemented in a new box.

Thoughts? Feasible?

I can't speak to the actual design, but I wouldn't be surprised if the SHARC DSPs directly generated the clock pulses for the DCOs, which would then be fed into the two Curtis waveshapers. Upside of this arrangement is that the digital oscillators as well as the DCO clocks would track the same voice assignment synchronously, which would be easier to implement than, say, generating a (temperature-compensated) control voltage for analog VCOs–just my 2˘.

[megamarkd]

I'm sure I read somewhere that DSI's stance on the Evolver is "we've done than now, a few time, it's finished now, time to move forward"

I'd rather have an VS/FM based synth from DSI. No analog except for the filters with multitimbrality and 20 voice polyphony. Perhaps even have samples from the Prophet 2000 just to add a bit of different texture.

Keep the same blue design that the Evolver/Prophet VS had. Just to distinguish it.

Hear, hear!  Subtractive synthesis is what we are all used to the most as it's the most common form of sound synthesis, but it's everywhere.  Hybrid synths are the future, which brings me to this:

Well... looks like Waldorf has been thinking similarly...

This is not Waldorf's first 'hybrid' synth, there was the Q+ which was a virtual analogue with real analogue filters and the Microwave before that (wavetable synthesis with an analogue filter).  That said, it's possibly their most most advanced and best sounding synth since the Wave!

Then there is also the Peak.  Not multitimbral but still a great take on the 'hybrid' synth idea.

Virtual Analogue was an exciting idea when it arrived and I for one was looking forward to some more experimental ideas to come out of it, instead of endless copies of the synths that once were.  This renaissance analogue is starting to surpass the late 90's as far a new ideas based on traditional synthesis.  I'll more than likely buy a Quantum when the drop, but I'm really looking for a full-blown vector synth.  The Wavestation was the synth I really want when I got my M1 in 1991.  Dave was involved with the Wavestation, I wonder what he thinks about that beast these days?

[Sacred Synthesis]

DSI has stated that Dave Smith will not produce an all-digital synthesizer.  When anyone pines on the forum for a Prophet VS, Wavestation, or even another Poly Evolver type instrument, the general response is to suggest that we try the Prophet 12.  Perhaps the P12 is the closest DSI will come to a purely digital instrument.

[chysn]

DSI has stated that Dave Smith will not produce an all-digital synthesizer.  When anyone pines on the forum for a Prophet VS, Wavestation, or even another Poly Evolver type instrument, the general response is to suggest that we try the Prophet 12.  Perhaps the P12 is the closest DSI will come to a purely digital instrument.

Well, they'll always point you to the closest thing in production to what you're asking for. To do otherwise would risk running afoul of the Osborne Effect*. Dave Smith probably got his fill of all-digital instruments in the 90s when he made sound cards and Reality. When you own the company, "I don't feel like it" is probably as good an answer as any.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect

[Sacred Synthesis]

Yes, Dave apparently got more than he wanted of digital synthesis and software during the 90's, but he goes beyond that when he's asked about analog synthesizers.  If you watched the latest talk he gave a couple of weeks ago, he's quite critical of it all, to the point of literally mocking software that will inevitably be obsolete within only a few years.  By contrast, he likes to point out that many people are still buying and playing Prophet 5's.  Hence, his direction with DSI seems to be quite sincere and his real gut feeling about instrument design.  Personally, I quite like what he has to say on the subject.  He's the kind of guy I like building my musical instruments.

[LoboLives]

What I like about the Evolver mostly is that it looks different than the Prophets. I love the Blue look (reminds me of the VS).

I would like to see a Multi-Timbral synth from DSI, digital or analog or both I don't care. I also would love to see a multitrack sequencer (even if it's just 6 tracks). I find that too many synths that are multitimbral (such as the Blofield or some Nords) don't have an sequencer built in which makes things annoying...especially if the synth includes drum sounds.