Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...

[Razmo]

The Prophet REV2 editor I've been working on is more or less finished... I still have a few parameters in the SysEx structure I do not really know what is, and are waiting for info regarding just that... I decided not to include the poly sequencer since it's basically easier to edit it via recording on the REV2 itself, but I may include it later... it's just REALLY tedious to set up all those darn notes/velocities, so there is a bit of lazyness involved as well he he

This editor will make programing new sounds a breeze, since all parameters are visible at the same time on my screen, which I prefer... at the same time, the memory management is nice to have, as I can easily treat all 1024 program locations as RAM locations... via MIDI you can overwrite the factory programs easily, and with the SoundDiver memory management system it's a breeze... also creating huge libraries of sounds is nice, especially because the REV2 has no ways of categorizing programs, which makes it a nightmere to find what you want from the 1024 programs available.

I guess I'll never really be free from using SoundDiver... it has been such a great and essential part of my studio for tens of years now... I guess that the day the program does not work anymore, I'll have to stop upgrading the OS of my DAW, and just stick with it "as is", and get another PC just for the internet and other stuff that need the newest.

This is getting even more pressing now because the DAW that I've been using just as long (SONAR) has been discontinued, and I have NO intention to start using anything else... this is one of the reasons I've always wanted to get away from using a computer with my music, but I just have to realize, that it's not going to happen... ever...

[Razmo]

Finally sold my Dreadbox - Abyss, so now I have a voice upgrade for the REV2 coming my way one of the next days... will be cool to add those extra voices, especially in stacked mode... the REV2 just sounds so much fuller and more complex when you can use two layers, each with their own stereo FX per layer... 6-8 voices is usually my minimum for a polyphonic synth, and now this will be possible even with stacked programs

[Razmo]

http://razmo.ziphoid.com/REV2PAD.mp3

I made an ambient pad on the REV2 yesterday, and drenched it in Valhalla Shimmer reverb... quite impressive ambience. It's a straight out from the REV2, into my RME HDSPe AIO soundcard, and then recorded with the reverb plugin added... nothing else...

I've decided that my Lexicon PCM92 is going to be sold... it's simply overkill to have it, as the Lexicon plugins is litterally a one on one replica, and doing FX in the DAW is just so much more flexible, and gives me less hardware to clutter up my workspace... in addition, as I record in layers, every plugin on a track can be "freezed" when not working on it, and unfreezed when needed... this is a huge advantage for me.

So in the future, I'll have only ONE keyboard synth plugged into the soundcard... the soundcard has a single MIDI I/O as well, so it's perfect for my usage... when my 16voice upgrade hit my studio tomorrow, I'll be off to making some music

I've been thinking A LOT about how the studio should be ... I have to choose one solution of two... 1. 3 synths always connected and no more, or 2. only one keyboard synth connected, but being able to buy more keyboard synths in the future to swap between... I've chosen the last solution, mainly because I feel I will never be able to stop the GAS, and also because I like the simplistic ideer of plugging just ONE synth in at a time... it will be much easier to handle, more simple, less space needed, less cable clutter.

The first thing I'll be getting next is a studio table that will fit my working place... it's not cheap, but I don't really care... I want this setup to be perfect...

oh... and by the way, still very happy with my REV2, even in spite of the few quirks still present... I hope DSI will fix them though

[Shaw]

The first thing I'll be getting next is a studio table that will fit my working place... it's not cheap, but I don't really care... I want this setup to be perfect...

https://output.com/products/platform?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdHUqs3_1wIVVbnACh3XCQILEAAYASAAEgJAKvD_BwE


I had looked at getting one of these, but made one instead.

[Razmo]

The first thing I'll be getting next is a studio table that will fit my working place... it's not cheap, but I don't really care... I want this setup to be perfect...

https://output.com/products/platform?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdHUqs3_1wIVVbnACh3XCQILEAAYASAAEgJAKvD_BwE


I had looked at getting one of these, but made one instead.

Remind me of the ZAOR I have had for a lot of years (Miza88)... but I need something a bit smaller actually, and more compact... the one I'm after now is this one:

[Shaw]

The first thing I'll be getting next is a studio table that will fit my working place... it's not cheap, but I don't really care... I want this setup to be perfect...

https://output.com/products/platform?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdHUqs3_1wIVVbnACh3XCQILEAAYASAAEgJAKvD_BwE


I had looked at getting one of these, but made one instead.

Remind me of the ZAOR I have had for a lot of years (Miza88)... but I need something a bit smaller actually, and more compact... the one I'm after now is this one:

Don’t know how much that is, but it seems like you could make something like that fairly inexpensively... and customize it to your specifications (for example, instead of 3U rack spaces, 2U or 4U).

[Razmo]

The first thing I'll be getting next is a studio table that will fit my working place... it's not cheap, but I don't really care... I want this setup to be perfect...

https://output.com/products/platform?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsdHUqs3_1wIVVbnACh3XCQILEAAYASAAEgJAKvD_BwE


I had looked at getting one of these, but made one instead.

Remind me of the ZAOR I have had for a lot of years (Miza88)... but I need something a bit smaller actually, and more compact... the one I'm after now is this one:

Don’t know how much that is, but it seems like you could make something like that fairly inexpensively... and customize it to your specifications (for example, instead of 3U rack spaces, 2U or 4U).

Yes... if I had the skills, and the dedication... which I unfortunately do not... it is pricey (about half the price of a REV2 16voice module)... I know it's insane, but my design OCD simply crave that it's handy, compact, sturdy etc...

Actually the rack-spaces I will not need... I'm still thinking about just getting an I/O option for my soundcard, giving me 3 analog stereo I/O and keep it there with three synths... I really do not need more to make the music I want, and I'm burning like hell to end my GAS... so I'm seriously thinking about just placing the REV2 on the shelf (it will fit perfectly!), and then buy a PROPHET 12 MODULE as the second synth... the third synth is still unknown, but I'm 99% certain I'll wait with that until some company makes something with sampling/granular in it in a desktop version.

With that setup, the keyboard will be on the shelf, and the two modules in the back, right in front of the rack spaces, leaving the front area open for keyboard and mouse for the computer... I am planning on buying two 1U rack lights with multicolor LEDS for the top 1U space on each side... the ones below will most likely not be used, unless I find two analog FX processors that I'd like the two modules to run thru before entering the soundcard... having a stereo filter there could prove useful to smooth tracks in and out live... but I only know of one such rack filter... the Vermona Action Filter.

Otherwise, the lowest 1U will probably be given one of those "half 1U" blind panels, so that a bit of opening is available at the bottom for routing cables around to the back of the table.

I think that such a setup will most likely be what I'm ending up with because the P12 keys which I was planning on getting, is exactly 1cm too short to fit on the keyboard shelf... so I know that fitting 61key keyboards will be a problem for other machines as well... the REV2 is nicely compact because it has the wheels above the keys, not besides, and I really like the FATAR keybed in this synth, so why not use it with the P12 module as well.... I'll loose the sliders but I can live without those.

[Razmo]

I doubt that DSI will come up with a sampler-synth soon (if ever), so I had to find another solution to this now... besides, I hardly think DSI would include some of the sampling features I need, so I decided to go for a V-Synth again because I need the formant and timestretching features of the VariPhrase technology...

Yes, I've had the V-Synth XT before... I even had the V-Synth GT for a while... I need one with keyboard because I have decided to only have one synth connected at a time, so I had the choice between the first V-Synth keys and the GT version... The GT is overkill, and cost way too much more than I'm willing to give... so I managed to find a V-Synth keys in very good condition... I'll have it early next month.

The Prophet 12 will have to wait a bit, but it's still on the list of keyboard synths I'd want to have.

[dslsynth]

Never heard that in your link, but I like it...

Belief Defect as they are called sounds really nice! Here is a story about their setup:
http://cdm.link/2017/11/can-learn-belief-defects-modular-pc-live-rig/

Berlin Atonal sounds like an interesting festival. Here is a video from the year before:
https://youtu.be/J8tW-3qiXKY

Its always good to dream and reach higher.

[Razmo]

Do not know why I never thought of this, but I've always felt that with factory presets, I never had enough ambient pad sounds, and just a bunch of not so useable presets... felt I always had to create all that I need myself (being very cumbersome to be honest)...

Then, with the V-Synth I started to create template presets for pad sounds, thinking I could just change the sample used to get a lot of different ambient pads from only minor tweaks on the template... that worked really well actually...

The point is, that this is also possible with any other synthesizer... just tried it with the REV2's factory presets... and practically every single program can be quickly turned into a gorgeous pad sound for ambient... the only thing needed to do is change the VCF/VCA envelopes ADSR parameters... like a sustained sample on the V-Synth, an oscillator is also a "sustained sample" being modulated by the envelopes... same thing... and I'm still puzzled I did not think of this before...

This makes me realize that my V-Synth also has some built in template editor where you simply select a type of sound that you want, like pad, plucked, blown etc... and the envelopes are then set up to quickly assume the correct settings for such a sound... it's a smart way to get loads of quick new sounds from existing sounds... and where the samples have movement in themselves, a synth like the REV2 has all the modulations going on from the original program... making it possible to think of the programs as "samples" in a sense... and from the REV2 front panel, editing the envelopes is really fast and quick... the cutoff and env amount knobs are the only other parameters that needs a tweak sometimes in addition to the envelopes, to do this... in a few cases, the auxiliary envelope may be in use as well and need some tweaking, but in most cases it's just the cutoff, env amount and VCF/VCA envelopes that needs tweaking... put on some deep reverb from an external FX processor/plugin, and you have hundreds of gorgeous moving pad sounds at your fingertips any original sound will do... basses, FX, drums, leads... anything.

Somehow I could wish for a feature in the REV2 that could quickly set up these parameters for typical instrument configurations like PAD, LEAD, PLUCKED, BLOWN, ORGAN etc... some randomization feature would also be cool... the trick here is that it should be possible to "mix" this into already existing programs... I'm not talking about "INIT" programs for special types of sounds because the timbre and modulations of an existing program should be kept intact... it's only the envelope contour that needs to change...

just some thoughts...

[dslsynth]

Somehow I could wish for a feature in the REV2 that could quickly set up these parameters for typical instrument configurations like PAD, LEAD, PLUCKED, BLOWN, ORGAN etc... some randomization feature would also be cool... the trick here is that it should be possible to "mix" this into already existing programs...

That can be done just as well via an external program with the advantage of not having to wait for a firmware update in case something is not working or needing to be improved. It does require a fully working MIDI implementation though including access to and being able to update the current sound.

[Razmo]

Somehow I could wish for a feature in the REV2 that could quickly set up these parameters for typical instrument configurations like PAD, LEAD, PLUCKED, BLOWN, ORGAN etc... some randomization feature would also be cool... the trick here is that it should be possible to "mix" this into already existing programs...

That can be done just as well via an external program with the advantage of not having to wait for a firmware update in case something is not working or needing to be improved. It does require a fully working MIDI implementation though including access to and being able to update the current sound.

Yes... I thought about putting some "preset categories buttons" into my editor just for this... it's just a series of NRPNs with the right values, nothing else...

Still... it would be cool to see such features, if not in the REV2, then maybe in coming synths... but then again, it's no big deal just tweaking the EGs.... I won't die if it never happens, as I'd like to see bugs and other features implemented instead.... I was more or less dreaming... you get used to dreaming about features with DSI...

All in all, I'm just happy I can turn any sound into a gorgeous pad sound... still do not know why I've never thought about this before... it's so simple, but effective.

[dslsynth]

Basically its templates for a subset of the parameters. Interesting application concept!

[Shaw]

Another take... any sound through a Reverb set at 100% wet sounds paddish as well...

[Razmo]

Another take... any sound through a Reverb set at 100% wet sounds paddish as well...

Oh yes... definitely ... but it will not have long fade ins'n'outs unless the raw sound has it though... unless the reverb has some sort of freeze function, but then it will not stop

The fascinating thing about doing this (after I tried rather many randomly chosen programs) is that the sound does not resemble the original very much... you can't hear that it's taken from some other program, which makes the sound quite unique, which is a good thing if you are not fond of using too familiar sounds.

Also, sometimes I need a really dark pad for some Dark Ambient, and that is quite easy to get... you simply lower the filter cutoff and filter env amount as well... instant gloomy and dark timbres, and the more movement the original sound has, the more interesting it usually gets.

On my V-Synth all the movement is in the samples themselves, and as it plays the samples time stretched, the movement is the same in rate no matter where the sample is played... this should be possible on any synth more or less. How useful it would be on other types of sound categories I have yet to experiment with... but I think that basses may pose a problem if the original content is not filled with low frequency material though... but for pads it's really useful...

[Razmo]

Basically its templates for a subset of the parameters. Interesting application concept!

Yes... I think so too... one of the cool thing about samples is that it's easier to come up with sounds without having to know about mixing oscillators and tweaking them... using samples is faster because you just choose a sample, and then throw that thru some EG contours in the VCF/VCA... so if you could somehow move that "scheme" into a synthesizer, then it would be a lot easier to make presets fast... you'd just have to decide what parameters constitutes the "sample", and what constitutes the "contour".

I actually think that the Nord Lead A1 is made a bit like this... where the oscillators are basically "grouped" into different categories...

Would be fun to create a synth with this scheme in mind... one where the OSC section include all the parameters needed to create the sound, and the LFO's that will make up a sustained but moving and evolving timbre... and then the other part that is the contour part.... and then be able to save both of these two parts as separate "programs" that you could mix and match... an FX section could then be the third part...

that is:

Oscillator section programs.
Contour section programs.
FX section programs.

then from the front panel, being able to select any combination of these three types of programs together into a "Combi Program". It would allow for really fast programing of sounds, and it could even include randomizing programs used in a combi... you could probably think of other nice features as well... this was just a brainstorming

[dslsynth]

I am probably a bit conservative on this front as I would much prefer having expressive synthesizer voices and then let suggested sound composition tools be computer/tablet applications. Not at least for maintenance reasons.

[Razmo]

DAMN IT! ... I should not have sold my mobile recorder when I decided to go all analog earlier... now that I have the V-Synth keyboard coming tomorrow, I'll be in need of a recorder again to record all of the physical acoustic instrument stuff that I've accumulated (and want to accumulate more of in the future).

So I've had to buy a recorder again, and I cannot find anything that is more handy and perfect for my usage than the one I had before, so I've got a PCM-D100 on the way again... I know how to use this, so that's the advantage, and it is mobile so that I can record outdoors as well... also it will work standalone which is important because my computer is noisy, so if I would have to record things in my home, I'd be getting that noise into the mic if I used a normal microphone... with a mobile recorder, I can shut down the computer, then record what I need, and have full silence while doing it.

I'm really looking forward to get going with the recording and sample handling because the type of sounds I can get from samples and the V-Synth are so unique, that I cannot do most of it with anything else... it is more or less essential to use samples in ambient music, especially dark ambient that use down pitched weird real life samples for a lot of effects and mood.

But with this recorder home, I'm not going to be buying any synths for at least 6 months, and concentrate on making sounds and music instead... I really do not need more than the V-Synth and my recorder to make Ambient music... but the REV2 is really handy for the more dense synth pads, as the V-Synth easily run down to only 4 voices when using both of it's oscillators... REV2 will do most synthy and droney stuff... V-Synth will do strange mangled vocals, nature sounds and percussion/loops etc... the two complement each other well.

Next purchase will be a pair of very small monitors, just for listening when I do not want to sit with headphones on... so a pair of ADAM A3X will most likely be the solution... at a later date I may buy a pair of Sennheiser HD-800 for the composing and mixing phase... but my HD-650 works fine for now.

[Soundquest]

...But with this recorder home, I'm not going to be buying any synths for at least 6 months.....

I want to believe you Razmo, but what happens to your thread then 

[Razmo]

...But with this recorder home, I'm not going to be buying any synths for at least 6 months.....

I want to believe you Razmo, but what happens to your thread then 

It will contain rants about what wonders I discover using the REV2 and V-Synth