One Man's Quest for the Perfect Mono Synth

[Paul Dither]

You can get the Pro-One for free on Monday. All you need is enough CPU power. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnHof-2bIfA

But, as you know....

Yes, I know. Me too. I still like what he's doing and it's cool that he and Dave met.

[Paul Dither]

I know of one guy who got hold of a Matrixbrute.  He said the build quality was excellent, but it was full of bugs.

Well, but that are excellent news, since you can fix bugs any time, but not really the overall build quality. I'd rather have them postpone the release until fall and fix the most serious stuff in advance.

[chysn]

Outside of the DSI domain, the architecture I want hardly even exists.

Indeed. The sooner you realize that the Mopho SE is your dream monosynth, the happier you'll be!

[Sacred Synthesis]

Outside of the DSI domain, the architecture I want hardly even exists.

Indeed. The sooner you realize that the Mopho SE is your dream monosynth, the happier you'll be!

Alas, how did you ever discover my deep dark secret?

What I really need is a cross between the Pro 2 and the Prophet 6.

[Paul Dither]

Outside of the DSI domain, the architecture I want hardly even exists.

Indeed. The sooner you realize that the Mopho SE is your dream monosynth, the happier you'll be!

Alas, how did you ever discover my deep dark secret?

What I really need is a cross between the Pro 2 and the Prophet 6.

Then only one thing can help: Getting both. 

[Sacred Synthesis]

But I need them squeezed into one instrument!

[Paul Dither]

But I need them squeezed into one instrument!

[Sacred Synthesis]

Hmmm, a little rough and imprecise, but I guess it will do the job.

[Paul Dither]

Hmmm, a little rough and imprecise, but I guess it will do the job.

Well, there's still a file and sand paper.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Seriously, if I could only find the architecture of the Pro 2 and the analog rawness of the Prophet-6 in one instrument, I'd be all set.  In my quest, I've come to appreciate the standard DSI design all the more.  Everyone else seems to offer bits and pieces - and with plenty of them missing - whereas DSI provides the full battery of sound and sound-shaping tools.  I don't think I can find better.  Perhaps when DSI has finally offered a complete set of modular components, especially oscillators, the Pro 2 will have found its missing analog complement, together with a means of adding a stereo depth.

[Paul Dither]

Seriously, if I could only find the architecture of the Pro 2 and the analog rawness of the Prophet-6 in one instrument, I'd be all set.  In my quest, I've come to appreciate the standard DSI design all the more.  Everyone else seems to offer bits and pieces, whereas DSI provides the full battery of sound and sound-shaping tools.  Perhaps when DSI has finally offered a complete set of modular components, the Pro 2 will finally have its missing analog portion and stereo depth.

You mean a collection of all the Pro 2 functions and more in modular form? That would still lack patch storage. I'm also not sure if we're going to see every aspect of the Pro 2's (or other DSI instuments') mod matrix in modular form at some point. It could be, but I would assume that this will take a couple of years, just for practical reasons alone.

Or do you mean that the Pro 2 might be expanded? - What you're asking for - stereo path and analog oscillators - is nothing you can add as a feature afterwards. You might as well wait for a completely new instrument, which will most likely not be a replica of the Pro 2 by any means.

[Sacred Synthesis]

What I mean is a small but complete self-contained modular mono synth with multiple analog oscillators and MIDI, so that it could be used independently, but also in tandem with the Pro 2 controlling the pitch, and nothing more.  I have no idea if DSI intends to go this far, but it would make a fabulous combination.  That way, we could add as many oscillators as we wanted.

Paul, I'm perusing your Pro 2 demos again.  They're perhaps the most helpful I've found.  I'm considering whether it might be the right place at least to start building.  My search led more or less to a dead end, so here I am again!

[Paul Dither]

What I mean is a small but complete self-contained modular mono synth with multiple analog oscillators and MIDI, so that it could be used independently, but also in tandem with the Pro 2.  I have no idea if DSI intends to go this far, but it would make a fabulous combination.  That way, we could add as many oscillators as we wanted.

The problem is that this would still not offer you a true stereo signal path. As for a small self-contained modular mono synth: Everything you need is already out there, except you want everything made by DSI. But like I said, I doubt that we're going to see a huge increase in their modular product range. On the side they are probably going to release some more stuff, but I can't see them dedicating all of their resources to just one modular system. In the end, the Pro 2 is already a self-contained modular system that only lacks analog oscillators.

[Paul Dither]

And let's face it: a complete self-contained modular system in the old school sense of the word would also be very expensive. Just search for the components it would take to recreate something like a Pro 2 with the available modules out there. You'll easily go beyond $3,000.

[Sacred Synthesis]

Stereo can be achieved by sending each instrument to separate channels.  And it's obviously not that I'm DSI obsessed.  I've been looking at other instruments for a few years now and haven't come up with anything nearly satisfactory.  But again, it's DSI's architecture that attracts me.

[Sacred Synthesis]

And let's face it: a complete self-contained modular system in the old school sense of the word would also be very expensive. Just search for the components it would take to recreate something like a Pro 2 with the available modules out there. You'll easily go beyond $3,000.

I'm not at all talking about recreating the Pro 2 in modular form.  I mean creating a very small and simple but complete system with multiple analog oscillators.

[Paul Dither]

Stereo can be achieved by sending each instrument to separate channels.

Sure, but that wouldn't be the Evolver way if that's what you're looking for. But maybe I assumed something wrong here.

[Paul Dither]

And let's face it: a complete self-contained modular system in the old school sense of the word would also be very expensive. Just search for the components it would take to recreate something like a Pro 2 with the available modules out there. You'll easily go beyond $3,000.

I'm not at all talking about recreating the Pro 2 in modular form.  I mean creating a very small and simple but complete system with multiple analog oscillators.

The question is, why wouldn't just external analog oscillators suffice?

[Sacred Synthesis]

Bi-timbrality.  I do prefer having independent instruments or at least layers.  The problem is, I would ideally like the choice to make the two layers either identical or different from each other.  That gives two variations on stereo.  It would have been ideal if DSI had produced a Pro 2 module.  Then one additional module could provide the analog, while the two Pro 2s could provide mirrored stereo patches.

You know, what I have in mind seems extremely simple to me.  I'm amazed it's become so complicated and has generated so much discussion.

[Paul Dither]

I'm not trying to be provocative, but most of the time it sounds as if you've already found what you're looking for.