Next New Sequential Instrument

[Soundquest]

I've decided it's going to be a SynDrum kit, with 4 track sequencing (except if you drum for Def Leopard).

Hope not

[LoboLives]

I've decided it's going to be a SynDrum kit, with 4 track sequencing (except if you drum for Def Leopard).

Hope not

You know the Nord Drum 3p is actually quite interesting and would make a nice addition to any synth arsenal.

[MPM]

You know the Nord Drum 3p

An octopad, hmmm. Well he did say it was on his bench where the Pro3 was sitting, but then again, he also said shipping in Aug.

[LPF83]

You know the Nord Drum 3p

An octopad, hmmm. Well he did say it was on his bench where the Pro3 was sitting, but then again, he also said shipping in Aug.

I don't think I've mentioned how I have my drums set up, but I have the Roland Octapad and SPD-SX special edition (red and looks like the Nord except it has three additional "hard hit" pads at the top that are great for things like crash symbols). I have a kit on each set up to easily switch between controlling NI Maschine, XO, Addictive Drums or Groove Agent.. then a Roland KT-10 for the kick trigger.  Even just limiting the sounds to Maschine, between kit samples and drum synth the possibilities are mind boggling.  Being a former drummer, I never could get the same results from tapping keys or finger pads that I can with sticks, the velocity expression just isn't the same... can be edited in the DAW after the fact, but that throws the workflow all off.  The Roland units have some great sounds built in... lots of variety on the Octapad, and plenty of RAM for custom samples on the SPD-SX, but unlike synths, it feels pretty limiting to edit sounds and FX on the units themselves versus the Maschine software, pitch things up and down, gate snares, etc.  Plus it uses a single USB cable to the PC leaving more preamps available.  If I were gigging live I would probably appreciate the onboard kits they have.

I really couldn't imagine needing more in the percussion department.  I hope this isn't what the new products are about.
I think what I'm jonesing for more than anything is a Prophet 12 successor.

[LoboLives]

You know the Nord Drum 3p

An octopad, hmmm. Well he did say it was on his bench where the Pro3 was sitting, but then again, he also said shipping in Aug.

I don't think I've mentioned how I have my drums set up, but I have the Roland Octapad and SPD-SX special edition (red and looks like the Nord except it has three additional "hard hit" pads at the top that are great for things like crash symbols). I have a kit on each set up to easily switch between controlling NI Maschine, XO, Addictive Drums or Groove Agent.. then a Roland KT-10 for the kick trigger.  Even just limiting the sounds to Maschine, between kit samples and drum synth the possibilities are mind boggling.  Being a former drummer, I never could get the same results from tapping keys or finger pads that I can with sticks, the velocity expression just isn't the same... can be edited in the DAW after the fact, but that throws the workflow all off.  The Roland units have some great sounds built in... lots of variety on the Octapad, and plenty of RAM for custom samples on the SPD-SX, but unlike synths, it feels pretty limiting to edit sounds and FX on the units themselves versus the Maschine software, pitch things up and down, gate snares, etc.  Plus it uses a single USB cable to the PC leaving more preamps available.  If I were gigging live I would probably appreciate the onboard kits they have.

I really couldn't imagine needing more in the percussion department.  I hope this isn't what the new products are about.
I think what I'm jonesing for more than anything is a Prophet 12 successor.

Still....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8HTu918ths

[LPF83]

Still....

As much as I would love to have more room in my studio (its a small spare bedroom) for gear with a larger footprint (larger drum setup), I couldn't justify giving up the space.  For fills such as that video, my default MIDI template assigns four of the pads on the SPDSX to four slots on Maschine.  SPDSX only provides 3 pads per row, so I have them pitched high to low going left to right and then down one (so that the fourth tom is on the second row, right below the third tom).  The remaining two large pads are for "miscellany" like claps, sticks sounds, etc. and the Octopad is reserved for hi-hat, snare and ride cymbal variations, so that when doing tom fills such as the one in the video I reach to the right for the SPDSX.   I like having four full toms, and when I want to change the sound it's very easy in Maschine to select the first tom (or create one from scratch if I want), then cut and paste it into the remaining 3 slots and pitch each of them down slightly from the one before it, or change FX for each pad if needed.

It's a great setup if physical space is an issue.  In some ways, the smaller pads + drumsticks give a speed advantage over something like a larger V-Drum setup because of the quicker rebound and their close proximity to each other, and its orders of magnitude better than finger tapping.  I do miss the overall physicality of playing a large acoustic set sometimes though, especially for rock oriented music.

[LoboLives]

Still....

As much as I would love to have more room in my studio (its a small spare bedroom) for gear with a larger footprint (larger drum setup), I couldn't justify giving up the space.  For fills such as that video, my default MIDI template assigns four of the pads on the SPDSX to four slots on Maschine.  SPDSX only provides 3 pads per row, so I have them pitched high to low going left to right and then down one (so that the fourth tom is on the second row, right below the third tom).  The remaining two large pads are for "miscellany" like claps, sticks sounds, etc. and the Octopad is reserved for hi-hat, snare and ride cymbal variations, so that when doing tom fills such as the one in the video I reach to the right for the SPDSX.   I like having four full toms, and when I want to change the sound it's very easy in Maschine to select the first tom (or create one from scratch if I want), then cut and paste it into the remaining 3 slots and pitch each of them down slightly from the one before it, or change FX for each pad if needed.

It's a great setup if physical space is an issue.  In some ways, the smaller pads + drumsticks give a speed advantage over something like a larger V-Drum setup because of the quicker rebound and their close proximity to each other, and its orders of magnitude better than finger tapping.  I do miss the overall physicality of playing a large acoustic set sometimes though, especially for rock oriented music.

I think I’m more intrigued with the idea of an analog synth as a drum brain rather than the pads.

[Shaw]

Still....

As much as I would love to have more room in my studio (its a small spare bedroom) for gear with a larger footprint (larger drum setup), I couldn't justify giving up the space.  For fills such as that video, my default MIDI template assigns four of the pads on the SPDSX to four slots on Maschine.  SPDSX only provides 3 pads per row, so I have them pitched high to low going left to right and then down one (so that the fourth tom is on the second row, right below the third tom).  The remaining two large pads are for "miscellany" like claps, sticks sounds, etc. and the Octopad is reserved for hi-hat, snare and ride cymbal variations, so that when doing tom fills such as the one in the video I reach to the right for the SPDSX.   I like having four full toms, and when I want to change the sound it's very easy in Maschine to select the first tom (or create one from scratch if I want), then cut and paste it into the remaining 3 slots and pitch each of them down slightly from the one before it, or change FX for each pad if needed.

It's a great setup if physical space is an issue.  In some ways, the smaller pads + drumsticks give a speed advantage over something like a larger V-Drum setup because of the quicker rebound and their close proximity to each other, and its orders of magnitude better than finger tapping.  I do miss the overall physicality of playing a large acoustic set sometimes though, especially for rock oriented music.

I think I’m more intrigued with the idea of an analog synth as a drum brain rather than the pads.

Drum pads connected to a tempest?

[LoboLives]

Still....

As much as I would love to have more room in my studio (its a small spare bedroom) for gear with a larger footprint (larger drum setup), I couldn't justify giving up the space.  For fills such as that video, my default MIDI template assigns four of the pads on the SPDSX to four slots on Maschine.  SPDSX only provides 3 pads per row, so I have them pitched high to low going left to right and then down one (so that the fourth tom is on the second row, right below the third tom).  The remaining two large pads are for "miscellany" like claps, sticks sounds, etc. and the Octopad is reserved for hi-hat, snare and ride cymbal variations, so that when doing tom fills such as the one in the video I reach to the right for the SPDSX.   I like having four full toms, and when I want to change the sound it's very easy in Maschine to select the first tom (or create one from scratch if I want), then cut and paste it into the remaining 3 slots and pitch each of them down slightly from the one before it, or change FX for each pad if needed.

It's a great setup if physical space is an issue.  In some ways, the smaller pads + drumsticks give a speed advantage over something like a larger V-Drum setup because of the quicker rebound and their close proximity to each other, and its orders of magnitude better than finger tapping.  I do miss the overall physicality of playing a large acoustic set sometimes though, especially for rock oriented music.

I think I’m more intrigued with the idea of an analog synth as a drum brain rather than the pads.

Drum pads connected to a tempest?

That could work as well. I'd just be worried about polyphony but you are right with maybe 4-5 pads it could essentially be the same effect via Midi to some drum pads.

[LPF83]

That could work as well. I'd just be worried about polyphony but you are right with maybe 4-5 pads it could essentially be the same effect via Midi to some drum pads.

This is one reason I'm content to use samples for drums.  The Tempest was great and I'd love to have one, but 6 analog voices is pretty much the brain of a Prophet in a box (and the associated price tag), which for my needs, for one-shot type sounds, I think is overkill.  When it comes to analog polys, samples can't replace them in my set up, because all of the real-time modulation options become unavailable with sample.. but with one shot drums I don't need a lot of real time control over a single voice, I just need to be able to assign multiple pads to slight variations on the sound (for example two snare pads with one slightly offset in timbre from the other gives a very realistic snare roll sound).  I guess perhaps that comes down to individual needs / perhaps also to what extent ones set up is DAW-based.  Maschine also does have a drum synth for analog drum sounds, although I use samples most of the time.

What I wouldn't mind to see is some sort of mega-sequencer / analog drum machine combination with killer workflow, that would really give me a reason to avoid the keyboard and mouse when making music.

[LoboLives]

That could work as well. I'd just be worried about polyphony but you are right with maybe 4-5 pads it could essentially be the same effect via Midi to some drum pads.

When it comes to analog polys, samples can't replace them in my set up, because all of the real-time modulation options become unavailable with sample.

I take it you haven't tried a Prophet X or XL.

[LPF83]

I take it you haven't tried a Prophet X or XL.

I have not, and I'm sure I would love it if I did (in my case physical space is the limiting factor).

When I say samples can't replace analog polys, I mean "cannot completely", in the analog purist sense, and for my own purposes ....  Not in the sense that a sampled analog poly can't sound just as great in most mixes and specific cases -- it's just that a sample cannot be manipulated in exactly the same ways, with the same results as a true analog signal, in real time.

If a sampler (or even virtual analog for that matter) could truly replace analog, there would be no demand for analog.  Vintage synths wouldn't be selling for crazy amounts.  All of the timbres of the original synths would have already been captured, and their original parameters perfectly emulated.  Yet the current state of technology is not even close to that, we still need real analog to sound analog, all these decades later (and I've been doing this since the mid 80s).

But yeah,  I wouldn't mind having a Prophet X, if Dave released a desktop version with full knobbery at about a $2k price point I'm probably in. 

[jg666]

I was contemplating a Prophet X when it came out but have held off due to seeing too many reports of frozen and unresponsive units (in my opinion). As well as people reporting it on these forums, I was following a YouTube series which had to end abruptly due to the synth having to be sent back.

I know that for every reported 'bricked' unit, there will be many that have worked perfectly but it still puts me off.

[LoboLives]

I was contemplating a Prophet X when it came out but have held off due to seeing too many reports of frozen and unresponsive units (in my opinion). As well as people reporting it on these forums, I was following a YouTube series which had to end abruptly due to the synth having to be sent back.

I know that for every reported 'bricked' unit, there will be many that have worked perfectly but it still puts me off.

Honestly, after I had to send my Prophet 6 in for repair for a faulty voice card I realized that synths are going to have issues eventually. Even Moog Ones had numerous issues. No synth is going to be perfect

Part of it is luck of the draw and part of it is how you treat the instrument. The Prophet X is a computer essentially and one needs to treat it as if they are treating their own personal computer. Don't hammer the keys or really go crazy on the thing as the architecture is not a typical approach to a synthesizer. Even the OS update is done completely different than any of their other synths.

I've played mine constantly, imported long LONG samples of film dialogue, sound effects, monster roars, etc ran midi in, out, through and I haven't had a single freeze or glitch. Maybe I'm just super delicate with it. I dunno.

[Shaw]

Good news everyone!   I just purchased a Matriarch which means Sequential will be announcing their new synth (making me regret my purchase) imminently!  (at least, that's how it usually goes)

[jg666]

Good news everyone!   I just purchased a Matriarch which means Sequential will be announcing their new synth (making me regret my purchase) imminently!  (at least, that's how it usually goes)

Lol - I know the feeling, I thought it was only me that happened to 

Enjoy your Matriarch:)

[LPF83]

Good news everyone!   I just purchased a Matriarch which means Sequential will be announcing their new synth (making me regret my purchase) imminently!  (at least, that's how it usually goes)

Ha!  Just enjoy your Matriarch and give the new Sequential synth, whatever it turns out to be, a year or two to get the bugs worked out.... I was in the same position that A LOT of folks are, waiting for the shoe to drop on the new DaveSynth(tm).  I was otherwise zeroing in on the Prophet 6 for a couple of months until I just eventually decided I wanted a P6 regardless.   If Dave releases the new synth next week, I will keep an eye on it and decide if it's right for me after watching LOTS of Youtube vids, letting the available sound libraries accumulate after those with more time on their hands than me have explored sound design, then make a call on whether it's right for the music I want to make today.
No regrets on the P6 purchase whatsoever...it stays put, regardless.

[LoboLives]

Good news everyone!   I just purchased a Matriarch which means Sequential will be announcing their new synth (making me regret my purchase) imminently!  (at least, that's how it usually goes)

The Matriarch sounds fantastic. Although personally I do wish Moog would do a paraphonic analog string machine/Vocoder in the Matriarch format with a built in analog flanger.

[CoffeePockets]

Good news everyone!   I just purchased a Matriarch which means Sequential will be announcing their new synth (making me regret my purchase) imminently!  (at least, that's how it usually goes)

Ha!  Just enjoy your Matriarch and give the new Sequential synth, whatever it turns out to be, a year or two to get the bugs worked out.... I was in the same position that A LOT of folks are, waiting for the shoe to drop on the new DaveSynth(tm).  I was otherwise zeroing in on the Prophet 6 for a couple of months until I just eventually decided I wanted a P6 regardless.   If Dave releases the new synth next week, I will keep an eye on it and decide if it's right for me after watching LOTS of Youtube vids, letting the available sound libraries accumulate after those with more time on their hands than me have explored sound design, then make a call on whether it's right for the music I want to make today.
No regrets on the P6 purchase whatsoever...it stays put, regardless.

I find this far too sensible/practical. So I will continue my pattern of buying sight unseen and sound unheard! I will conform and contort my tastes to fit whatever the heck this new device is! (oh god please please please dont let it be a groove box or DJ anything...)

[Quatschmacher]

I’ve just been offered a screaming deal on a brand new Summit which I’d be stupid to pass up on. Also, the Polybrute appears to be real.