Already at Sequential there had been conversations about what would eventually become the Evolver.
Thanks for the history lesson, Paul Dither! Gotta get and read that book one day. Its nice to know one of my favorite voice architectures have such a long history.
Oh, it's just mentioned in a short paragraph. It would certainly be interesting to investigate a little further.
As for the typical subtractive synth architecture: I too would be ready for something different. I would even consider it to be inevitable, since I don't really see what could be added to the concepts of the Prophet-12, Pro 2, or Prophet-6 other than quantitative aspects.
Good question! As for heading in new directions I would as hinted to previously turn to experienced eurorack modular customers to look for new combinations. Would not be too surprised if new interesting voices happens initially by Mutable Instruments given all his digital signal processing knowledge and innovative character.
As for extending Pro 2 and Prophet 12 I would suggest analog and digital oscillators plus analog filter feedback on Prophet 12 for better analog tone shaping. That would have made them more similar to the Evolver but also improved their sonic substance noticeably.
What the Evolver did right was an interesting combination of analog and digital features. It was not be perfect and there are plenty of room for more features but it was a nice take on a complex modulation machine. These days we want more but the Evolver is a good starting point. In any case the eurorack world points in interesting new directions.
See, the problem is, if you would introduce something that is hybrid from the front end to the end of its signal path like the Evolver, you'd run the risk of cannibalizing the other instruments: For example, if you'd build something like a refined Evolver with the wavetables of the Prophet 12 and Pro 2, and the new VCOs that can be found in the Prophet-6.
My point is, I guess, if one likes the Evolver and how it sounds, why shouldn't one stick to it? Despite its quirks or remaining bugs it does have a unique sound that I would describe as a somehow bastardized sonic pallete from the 1980s to the early 2000s, which I mean in a totally positive sense.
On the other hand, if you wanna cover it all with the current DSI/Sequential palette, the best thing you could do is pairing a Prophet 12 with a Prophet-6. But I would never expect DSI to release a "can do it all" type of instrument that nobody could affort in the end. It's already quite cool that certain improvements of later instruments affected earlier releases, like the unison modes and the alternate tunings of the Prophet-6 that have been also implemented into the Prophet 12 right now.
What all of the current instruments still have in common though, is the classic signal path based on the subtractive synthesis model: oscillators, filter section, amp. The concept stood the test of time, it became popular because it's easy to use and most people can grasp what's going on. This has been enhanced quite successfully with the DSI-typical mod matrix and other neat ingredients (tuned feedback, distortion, character section, delays, etc.). At this moment, however, I have a hard time seeing this structure being further expanded without cannibalizing other instruments in the DSI catalog. That's basically, why I find it very hard to predict what DSI/Sequential might be up to at the coming NAMM.
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