Razmo's Gear Rant Thread...

[Paul Dither]

REV2 8-voice keys: 1.444 Euros
REV2 16-voice keys: 2.099 Euros
REV2 8-voice upgrade: 629 Euros

REV2 8-voice keys + 8-voice upgrade: 2.073 Euros

it's not much, 26 Euros but still a better deal.

With the desktop version it's even more... a difference of 172 Euros!

At Thomann Germany it's similar:

REV2 8-voice keys: 1,423 Euros
REV2 16-voice keys: 2,066 Euros
REV2 8-voice upgrade: 619 Euros

REV2 8-voice keys + 8-voice upgrade: 2,042 Euros => 24 Euros price difference. In the US, you save $99 if you buy the 16-voice version right away.

Also unusual compared to US retail prices: the 16-voice desktop version is only marginally cheaper than the 16-voice keyboard version: 77 Euros.

It's Thomann Denmark I'm refering to... strange that it differ even within the same company just different countries... maybe it's because we're not part of the Euro... don't know

Yes, that and probably different sales taxes. But in general, the price hierarchy of DSI products seems to be completely off over here.

[proteus-ix]

Not that I'm considering buying the second synth yet... I won't, but I'm thinking about what to get next, to accompany the REV2... I bet I'll want some digital oscillators providing some extra synthesis features to complement the REV2... Wavetables and FM in particular.

The Prophet 12 is an obvious candidate, but I've had this synth before, and must admit that I found it's digital character a bit flat and harsh, especially when using audio rate modulation. Not that you cannot create good sounds with it, but I'd like some better and faster processed oscillators, and as far as I recall, the P12 did audio rate modulation at about 11KHz.

I think I might go for the Novation PEAK instead... 24 megahertz in frequency regarding the oscillators running on it's FPGA processor... The wavetables sound more interesting having 5 waveforms per table, and the update speed of envelopes and LFO's goes up to 1.6Khz, plus audio rate modulations are in the speed of the FPGA... The oscillators just simply sound much better in my opinion, and the FM and other audio rate modulation does not have this same harshness... then it has got a state variable filter which I miss on the P12, and a lot more distortion options.

On top of that, the build in reverb is gorgeous, and the two other delays are cool as well... all in all it just seems like a sonically better choice right now.

There are a few negatives though... 4 voices less, but that's not so bad... but the dual timbrallity is probably the biggest negative... it does not have the ability to layer two sounds at once which would be nice for more complex pads/drones etc... but I could do these things with the REV2, and even layer the REV2 with the PEAK for this if needed.

So all in all, I think I'll end up with the PEAK when the time comes... it also places itself nicely behind the REV2 in a metal stand so it's easy to reach both...

After this, I'll only be missing sample oscillators... that will be the last and third synth I'll get...

Rev2
PX
PolyEvolver + 1 or 2 Racks

[Razmo]

Not that I'm considering buying the second synth yet... I won't, but I'm thinking about what to get next, to accompany the REV2... I bet I'll want some digital oscillators providing some extra synthesis features to complement the REV2... Wavetables and FM in particular.

The Prophet 12 is an obvious candidate, but I've had this synth before, and must admit that I found it's digital character a bit flat and harsh, especially when using audio rate modulation. Not that you cannot create good sounds with it, but I'd like some better and faster processed oscillators, and as far as I recall, the P12 did audio rate modulation at about 11KHz.

I think I might go for the Novation PEAK instead... 24 megahertz in frequency regarding the oscillators running on it's FPGA processor... The wavetables sound more interesting having 5 waveforms per table, and the update speed of envelopes and LFO's goes up to 1.6Khz, plus audio rate modulations are in the speed of the FPGA... The oscillators just simply sound much better in my opinion, and the FM and other audio rate modulation does not have this same harshness... then it has got a state variable filter which I miss on the P12, and a lot more distortion options.

On top of that, the build in reverb is gorgeous, and the two other delays are cool as well... all in all it just seems like a sonically better choice right now.

There are a few negatives though... 4 voices less, but that's not so bad... but the dual timbrallity is probably the biggest negative... it does not have the ability to layer two sounds at once which would be nice for more complex pads/drones etc... but I could do these things with the REV2, and even layer the REV2 with the PEAK for this if needed.

So all in all, I think I'll end up with the PEAK when the time comes... it also places itself nicely behind the REV2 in a metal stand so it's easy to reach both...

After this, I'll only be missing sample oscillators... that will be the last and third synth I'll get...

Rev2
PX
PolyEvolver + 1 or 2 Racks

Evolvers, no thanx because I rely on MIDI SysEx specs that actually work, and there are still unfixed bugs in those... really nice synths yes, but I'd take a P12 over it anytime these days ... it'll be a PEAK over P12 though I'm sure...

But I won't be thinking about anything else than the REV2 for 6 months, and who knows what has been made when that time comes? ... maybe there are something that will be more interresting than both P12 and PEAK...

[proteus-ix]

Not that I'm considering buying the second synth yet... I won't, but I'm thinking about what to get next, to accompany the REV2... I bet I'll want some digital oscillators providing some extra synthesis features to complement the REV2... Wavetables and FM in particular.

The Prophet 12 is an obvious candidate, but I've had this synth before, and must admit that I found it's digital character a bit flat and harsh, especially when using audio rate modulation. Not that you cannot create good sounds with it, but I'd like some better and faster processed oscillators, and as far as I recall, the P12 did audio rate modulation at about 11KHz.

I think I might go for the Novation PEAK instead... 24 megahertz in frequency regarding the oscillators running on it's FPGA processor... The wavetables sound more interesting having 5 waveforms per table, and the update speed of envelopes and LFO's goes up to 1.6Khz, plus audio rate modulations are in the speed of the FPGA... The oscillators just simply sound much better in my opinion, and the FM and other audio rate modulation does not have this same harshness... then it has got a state variable filter which I miss on the P12, and a lot more distortion options.

On top of that, the build in reverb is gorgeous, and the two other delays are cool as well... all in all it just seems like a sonically better choice right now.

There are a few negatives though... 4 voices less, but that's not so bad... but the dual timbrallity is probably the biggest negative... it does not have the ability to layer two sounds at once which would be nice for more complex pads/drones etc... but I could do these things with the REV2, and even layer the REV2 with the PEAK for this if needed.

So all in all, I think I'll end up with the PEAK when the time comes... it also places itself nicely behind the REV2 in a metal stand so it's easy to reach both...

After this, I'll only be missing sample oscillators... that will be the last and third synth I'll get...

Rev2
PX
PolyEvolver + 1 or 2 Racks

Evolvers, no thanx because I rely on MIDI SysEx specs that actually work, and there are still unfixed bugs in those...

Oh, what bugs should I be aware of on my PEK?  I haven't done a sysex dump on it yet.

[Razmo]

Not that I'm considering buying the second synth yet... I won't, but I'm thinking about what to get next, to accompany the REV2... I bet I'll want some digital oscillators providing some extra synthesis features to complement the REV2... Wavetables and FM in particular.

The Prophet 12 is an obvious candidate, but I've had this synth before, and must admit that I found it's digital character a bit flat and harsh, especially when using audio rate modulation. Not that you cannot create good sounds with it, but I'd like some better and faster processed oscillators, and as far as I recall, the P12 did audio rate modulation at about 11KHz.

I think I might go for the Novation PEAK instead... 24 megahertz in frequency regarding the oscillators running on it's FPGA processor... The wavetables sound more interesting having 5 waveforms per table, and the update speed of envelopes and LFO's goes up to 1.6Khz, plus audio rate modulations are in the speed of the FPGA... The oscillators just simply sound much better in my opinion, and the FM and other audio rate modulation does not have this same harshness... then it has got a state variable filter which I miss on the P12, and a lot more distortion options.

On top of that, the build in reverb is gorgeous, and the two other delays are cool as well... all in all it just seems like a sonically better choice right now.

There are a few negatives though... 4 voices less, but that's not so bad... but the dual timbrallity is probably the biggest negative... it does not have the ability to layer two sounds at once which would be nice for more complex pads/drones etc... but I could do these things with the REV2, and even layer the REV2 with the PEAK for this if needed.

So all in all, I think I'll end up with the PEAK when the time comes... it also places itself nicely behind the REV2 in a metal stand so it's easy to reach both...

After this, I'll only be missing sample oscillators... that will be the last and third synth I'll get...

Rev2
PX
PolyEvolver + 1 or 2 Racks

Evolvers, no thanx because I rely on MIDI SysEx specs that actually work, and there are still unfixed bugs in those...

Oh, what bugs should I be aware of on my PEK?  I haven't done a sysex dump on it yet.

None really, if you're just using it for dumping banks... it shows when you're using an editor... there are bugs in the way the Evolvers recieve a dump to the current edit buffer as some parameters are not updated (its mainly to do with BPM and other stuff in the sequencer part) ... so not everyone will notice it.

Another problem (not really a bug) is when you play a sound on a poly version... try playing a soft sound eight times on the highest note.... then play 8 notes on the lowest note in succession, and listen how the first four sound give louder "clicks" in the transients, and then suddenly stops... this is a hardware limitation of the Evolvers because it has to change CVs for pitch and cannot do it fast enough for each voice... you will hear a click for each new voice until all voices has been reset to the new pitch value... this gives some limitations if you want to play soft sounds since you'll hear clicks in the transients depending on how far apart each new note played is from the last time that particular voice was played.

Other than that, the Evolvers are quite cool... you just need to know about those quirks, and for me, doing ambient music with soft pads, those clicks are an annoyance

[dslsynth]

About 60km from copenhagen

South or south west? . o O ( housing prices )

[Razmo]

About 60km from copenhagen

South or south west? . o O ( housing prices )

Approx. in the middle of Zealand... city: Haslev

[dslsynth]

Approx. in the middle of Zealand... city: Haslev

Nice looking provincial town. Never been there. Hope its a good place to stay!

[Razmo]

Approx. in the middle of Zealand... city: Haslev

Nice looking provincial town. Never been there. Hope its a good place to stay!

It's a good compromise city, when you love nature and also some civilization I'd say... I lived in Gedser previously and also about 10km further up on Falster... loved the nature, but hated the lack of civilization... Most of my family lives near Haslev and Næstved, so it was natural for me to "return" to my hometown once again...

[dslsynth]

It's a good compromise city, when you love nature and also some civilization I'd say... I lived in Gedser previously and also about 10km further up on Falster... loved the nature, but hated the lack of civilization... Most of my family lives near Haslev and Næstved, so it was natural for me to "return" to my hometown once again...

Sounds like a "good move".

Was about to joke about being close to the civilization given its proximity to a railway station. Being close to nature is a good thing!

[Paul Dither]

About 60km from copenhagen

South or south west? . o O ( housing prices )

Approx. in the middle of Zealand... city: Haslev

Only a jump away from Superbooth!

[Razmo]

Just saw that the Valkyrie synth has been hijacked by Waldorf, and will be available in 2019 as both rackmount, module and keyboard version... this makes my next purchase even harder because what I really need is a digital oscillator synth, but preferably something with FPGA technology to avoid aliasing and other digital artifacts... It's competitor is the PEAK by Novation, and the Propjet 12 has also been in my consideration, but the more I think about it, I think I'll drop the Prophet 12... it's no FPGA, it has a digital harshness to it when audio rate modulating I'd rather avoid... so I guess the question is if I should go all digital with that machine since I allready will have the REV2 as my analog synth... 128 static voices is killer with this new KYRA synth, and all that FX and 2096 wavetables plus audio rate modulation, FM and all... it seems to be the best solution probably... luckily I'll have another 6 months or more to figure it out

Also... the third synth I'm thinking about getting is the Prophet X which has some of the Prophet 12 functionality, so I think that would make a great tripple synth setup: REV2, KYRA and Prophet X... I hardly think I'd be missing anything with these three.

[DavidDever]

Just saw that the Valkyrie synth has been hijacked by Waldorf, and will be available in 2019 as both rackmount, module and keyboard version... this makes my next purchase even harder because what I really need is a digital oscillator synth, but preferably something with FPGA technology to avoid aliasing and other digital artifacts... It's competitor is the PEAK by Novation, and the Propjet 12 has also been in my consideration, but the more I think about it, I think I'll drop the Prophet 12... it's no FPGA, it has a digital harshness to it when audio rate modulating I'd rather avoid... so I guess the question is if I should go all digital with that machine since I allready will have the REV2 as my analog synth... 128 static voices is killer with this new KYRA synth, and all that FX and 2096 wavetables plus audio rate modulation, FM and all... it seems to be the best solution probably... luckily I'll have another 6 months or more to figure it out

Also... the third synth I'm thinking about getting is the Prophet X which has some of the Prophet 12 functionality, so I think that would make a great tripple synth setup: REV2, KYRA and Prophet X... I hardly think I'd be missing anything with these three.

As a Prophet-12 desktop owner myself, the Prophet X looks like a suitable step forward–plus, you get stereo filters and Prophet VS wave samples, decent onboard effects, etc., long before you consider the built-in soundware!

Thing is, I really don't need another five-octave keyboard (even if I sold off two Emax SEs and a Kawai K3, I'm somewhat constrained for space at the moment), so I'd personally hold out for the module.

The KYRA would make a great Q / Virus successor, but is bound IMHO to create some confusion in the marketplace.

[Razmo]

I actually promised myself to not go 100% digital because i like the sound of analog filters, but the sheer power of that Valkyrie/Kyra and the versatility may be my gamechanger, also because i am not a fan of Waldorf digital sound... The Kyra was done by someone else, but of course I would need to hear it in depth before deciding.

I do believe though, that I may jump on a PEAK first because I really would like to try that one out as it seems to sit comfortably between all the features I'd like... Digital FPGA mixed with analog... I can allways send it back if i run into anything.

Prophet 12 is a good synth, and it has some features that the PEAK does not which does make it a hard choice, but for me, the quality of the audio rate modulation is probably the most important... Analog filters comes next, and then engine depth.

[Razmo]

But I most certainly also hope that the Prophet X will be made in a module format... I too have no space for more than one keyboard, and I chose this to be the REV2...

[LoboLives]

But I most certainly also hope that the Prophet X will be made in a module format... I too have no space for more than one keyboard, and I chose this to be the REV2...

Doubtful according to Dave.

[Razmo]

But I most certainly also hope that the Prophet X will be made in a module format... I too have no space for more than one keyboard, and I chose this to be the REV2...

Doubtful according to Dave.

Well... "doubtful" is not a "no" ... anyway... if not, in the future I'll just get the keys version, and then exchange my REV2 keys for a REV2 module... so I do have a solution ...

[Razmo]

After some hard thinking, I believe that I'll wait for my next synth to be the Waldorf - Kyra synth... I may as well go completely digital with this one, now that I want digital oscillators... From the few demos I've heard, this thing simply sounds amazing, and the featureset is just as amazing, and being a huge fan of ambient pads, a 128 voice synth like this with 10 oscillators plus audio rate modulation going on, it will kick both P12 and PEAK ass if it's relatively bug free, and have an overall nice sound without aliasing etc... analog filters or not... I've got plenty of anaog filters in my REV2 which will complement it nicely...

With the REV2 and Kyra, the only thing I would need is sampling... but I'm a little in doubt if I would want such a thing mainly because samples usualy become an extra element to give problems when it comes to editing via SysEx etc... I may just chose to create music exclusively with synthesis... not really a problem with ambient...

Also... the Kyra will have a full featured librarian and editor that can be used to create sounds and hold your presets... hell, if this thing sounds really well, and being 8 part multi timbral with all eight streamable to your DAW, this thing could potentially be your only synth needed...

Definitely looking forward to hearing more of this Kyra synth for the rest of this year before launch.

[Razmo]

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

I've started creating presets for my ambient compositions on the REV2... I've promised myself to do at least one sound a day, and this is the first... it's 100% REV2, no external FX, just the build in reverb. It's a preset using Audio Mod on a selfresonating filter so it's important that the REV2 is properly calibrated for it to be in tune.

I also found a use for the "VCA" parameter today that I had not thought about... normaly I found that parameter rather unuseful because it simply turn up the VCA on all voices meaning that in my case, all 16 voices can be heard "ringing" when you increase the VCA... and then it struck me; this is awesome for drones! ... play any harmonic structure you want with 16 keystrokes, and then assign the VCA to the ModWheel and turn it up... you get some really wonderful drones for ambient music, consisting of the frequencies from the last 16 notes you played (8 on an 8 voice REV2 of course)... this is something I'll be using A LOT, and probably assign the VCA to all presets I do to a foot controller... that way, any preset I play I can turn into a haunting drone at any time during the performance ... it's almost like you get a "free drone preset" with any preset you use this technique in.... also, the sound you get is actually more or less impossible to create any other way with the REV2... and the cool thing is that all modulations are running at the same time.

[Synthmaniac]

I really like that sound, very beautiful! Have to try it on my Prophet 08, until now my sounds with self oscillating filter + fm have much more annoying high frequency content.