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Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby OscBombs » 12 Apr 2012, 18:43

I'm thinking of getting some more gear to add to my set-up. Of course, I want to add as much value to my set-up as possible, so I'd like to add functionality that I don't yet have, and will get some good use out of.

Presently, I've got the Nord Wave which I use for ALL of my synth needs, and a Korg SV-1, which I use for playing piano, and for all of the "core" keyboard sounds (piano, EPs, etc). I'm mainly into creating indie synth pop/rock (when not playing classical or jazz). I'm not looking to reproduce any musician's sound--I'm just looking for new tools to help come up with new musical ideas. I'm also looking to save on space, so modules and tiny keyboards work better for my needs.

What I DON'T have (but which I think could be valuable) are:
-sequencer
-arpeggiator
-fully analog circuitry synth
-split functionality
-LFO waveforms triggered by MIDI clock
-vocoder (lowest priority)

The 2 pieces of equipment I have my eyes on are the DSI Prophet '08 Module (damn you, Polyevolver, not being available in desktop module!), as well as the DSI Tempest.

Obviously, that's a huge investment, and not necessarily the wisest... So I was just looking to see what you guys like having to play with in addition to the Nord Wave.

Thanks!
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Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave


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Re: Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby mjbrands » 13 Apr 2012, 03:29

OscBombs wrote:What I DON'T have (but which I think could be valuable) are:
-sequencer
-arpeggiator
-fully analog circuitry synth
-split functionality
-LFO waveforms triggered by MIDI clock
-vocoder (lowest priority)

An Apple iPad with a decent MIDI interface (such as the IK Media iRig MIDI) might be interesting. There are several interesting (commercial) sequencers, weird and wonderful controllers (including an iPad version of the Jazz Mutant Lemur controller), a software version of the Yamaha Tenori-On, lots of mediocre but also some very good softsynths (I like Sunrizer, a Roland JP8000 emulation, and Animoog, Moog's softsynth and Waldorf is appearently coming with a new synth for the iPad). Most of the stuff is not that expensive (everything is relative ofcourse) especially if you wait for special occasions when prizes are lowered (like black Friday).

OscBombs wrote:The 2 pieces of equipment I have my eyes on are the DSI Prophet '08 Module (damn you, Polyevolver, not being available in desktop module!), as well as the DSI Tempest.

I wanted to buy a Prophet '08 but the store I went to also had a Mono Evolver. I thought the Prophet '08 sounded a bit tame and once I tried the Evolver, I knew I had to get me one of those. I bought a new (ex-showroom but with full warrenty) Poly Evolver Rack (http://www.vintagesynth.com/dsi/pekr.php) which is the rackmount version. It turned out to be broken (and spare parts are no longer available), so after 5 months of complaining I got my money back (it still hadn't been repaired). Communication with Dave Smith Instr. was good, and I blame the store for this. I now have a Poly Evolver keyboard and it sounds awesome. It can sound analog like a Prophet, but also very grungy and digital.

However, if I had to choose between a Poly Evolver and a Tempest right now, I think I might get the Tempest instead. It's like a 6-voice Prophet (with less knobs, but same voice architecture) but with an awesome drum machine interface (if you're into that kind of thing).

Arturia's Spark is supposedly pretty good (needs a PC/Mac/Laptop though). A Walforf Blofeld module might be interesting too, since it can make a lot of sounds the Wave can't (though there is quite a bit of overlap) and it sits very nicely on the right side of the Wave, so it doesn't take up any room. Both the DSI instruments and the Blofeld are fairly complex, allowing you to create all kinds of weird/complex modulations, potentially using the built-in sequencer (fairly basic 16-step one).

I also like U-he's Diva synthesizer (VST/AU) plugin - when I heard that I immediately sold my Roland MKS-50 (rackmount version of the Alpha Juno). I don't really have the patience/tollerance for 'vintage' hardware (the battery was soldered on and needed to be replaced, one voice sounded different than the rest, the delay was starting to get worse and caused quite a bit of noise) and Diva was able to sound just like it.

Mike Leghorn used Diva for his versions of Holst's The Planets.

Last edited by mjbrands on 31 Jul 2012, 12:31, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby OscBombs » 16 Apr 2012, 18:06

Thanks for the recommendations. Definitely a lot of food for thought, and I love the idea of getting some of the soft synths for iPad. That might be the NEXT purchase, many moons from now.

I know, it just kills me that I can't get a polyevolver module. The digital osc's and the tuned feedback give it such an edge. But, then, I'm really happy with the nasty sounds I can get out of the Wave... esp through FM synthesis.

The Blofeld is a great idea, too (and setting it up on top of the Wave would be so tidy!) but do feel like I'd like a fully analog synth as the next purchase (I checked out the Prophet at a local shop and did feel the difference...maybe not the "analog-ness" that I'm hearing, but definitely a sweetness to the sound maybe created by the Curtis filter.

I'm kind of wondering if I can get away with just using the Tempest, so I think I'll start there.
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Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby jamoo » 07 May 2012, 15:34

I'm actually in a very similar situation right now. I've got a nord stage 2 and I'm looking to buy either the prophet 08 or the tempest. Im currently leaning towards the tempest. What did you end up doing?
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Re: Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby thom0720 » 17 May 2012, 13:30

get a Novation Ultranova... small, light, great interface, all arpeggiating, time clocked lfo's, different sound from wave, more mellow, good together.
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Re: Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby OscBombs » 19 May 2012, 03:49

jamoo wrote:I'm actually in a very similar situation right now. I've got a nord stage 2 and I'm looking to buy either the prophet 08 or the tempest. Im currently leaning towards the tempest. What did you end up doing?


Hey, Jamoo. I got the Tempest, and love it. Still learning it. It's very intuitive, and the sounds are great and--I find--an interesting compliment to the Wave. On my first day with it I started playing the sawtooth synth sound from the "Little Red Corvette" preset project along with a nasty FM-based clav sound from the Wave, heavy on overdrive, and it was quite, quite :thumbup:

I've seen your threads on the DSI forum. Couldn't really advise you on the Tempest over the Prophet08... Tempest still needs some updates to the OS to have all of it's functionality as a polysynth fleshed-out (would love for it to have MIDI aftertouch as mod source, etc etc), and it doesn't have an arpeggiator yet. Of course the Prophet can get 8 voices of polyphony versus the Tempest's 6, and the Prophet's obviously all-analog oscillators (neither good nor bad, up to you). What I can tell you is that I bought the Tempest because I was looking primarily for a synth and then figured "hey, why not also have a drum machine...". Well, having the Tempest as a drum machine is (1) a TON of fun and (2) a TON of work (though all very intuitive... but it's an art that doesn't come immediately). So, if your playing is more keyboard-performance based, you might not want to invite that kind of distraction. If you're up for that distraction, then go for it.

Got to mess with the Wave again after doing nothing but Tempest for a few weeks, and I still love this machine. :keyboard:
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Re: Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby jamoo » 21 May 2012, 03:42

OscBombs wrote:
jamoo wrote:I'm actually in a very similar situation right now. I've got a nord stage 2 and I'm looking to buy either the prophet 08 or the tempest. Im currently leaning towards the tempest. What did you end up doing?


Hey, Jamoo. I got the Tempest, and love it. Still learning it. It's very intuitive, and the sounds are great and--I find--an interesting compliment to the Wave. On my first day with it I started playing the sawtooth synth sound from the "Little Red Corvette" preset project along with a nasty FM-based clav sound from the Wave, heavy on overdrive, and it was quite, quite :thumbup:

I've seen your threads on the DSI forum. Couldn't really advise you on the Tempest over the Prophet08... Tempest still needs some updates to the OS to have all of it's functionality as a polysynth fleshed-out (would love for it to have MIDI aftertouch as mod source, etc etc), and it doesn't have an arpeggiator yet. Of course the Prophet can get 8 voices of polyphony versus the Tempest's 6, and the Prophet's obviously all-analog oscillators (neither good nor bad, up to you). What I can tell you is that I bought the Tempest because I was looking primarily for a synth and then figured "hey, why not also have a drum machine...". Well, having the Tempest as a drum machine is (1) a TON of fun and (2) a TON of work (though all very intuitive... but it's an art that doesn't come immediately). So, if your playing is more keyboard-performance based, you might not want to invite that kind of distraction. If you're up for that distraction, then go for it.

Got to mess with the Wave again after doing nothing but Tempest for a few weeks, and I still love this machine. :keyboard:


Thanks for the reply :) Yeah, I've been pretty post-crazy recently... I just havnt decided which way to go yet... but its a nice 'problem' to have :)

I appreciate your insight - I actually approached this purchase with the identical mentality... I was primarily looking for a analog poly synth to compliment my Nord Stage 2, and then realised that the 6 analog voices + the complex sequencer does just that. I suppose we differ in that while the Stage 2's synth section, which is modelled from the wave, is a significant improvement on the older Stage (I sold my Stage EX for a Stage 2), its still not a 'full synth'. I guess thats why I'm putting so much emphasis into understanding the Tempests capabilities and limitations as a poly synth.

Regarding the 08 v the Tempest: To me, they seem very similar (minus the 2 voices but plus the feedback, distortion, compressor and sub-oscollator)... Can you bypass the 2 digital oscillators? Do you know if they intend to implement the aftertouch/arpeggiator? Have you had any experience with other DSI synths, specifically the 08? Since you bought your Tempest "primarily for a synth", how does it perform? What are you happy/disappointed with?

To be honest, I was originally in the market for a prophet 08 (after seeing james blake in concert). But, when my local music store offered me a Stage EX at a very cheap price (because they were clearing stock for the Stage 2), I decided to buy it so that i could have access to the wonderful piano/rhodes sounds, to help improve my piano skills, and for a solid master keyboard. I then sold my Stage at a profit and bought the Stage 2 (Im very very happy with my decision, but it took a full year for me to fully appreciate my choice... I feel like you really need to live with the gear to understand it... and a 'leap of faith' is always required when buying new gear). A years worth of savings later, and here we are... to be honest I'm leaning towards the Tempest, I'm just looking to make a very informed investment.

Thanks for your input, truly appreciated :D

Looking forward to hearing back from you
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Re: Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby mjbrands » 21 May 2012, 22:11

jamoo wrote:Regarding the 08 v the Tempest: To me, they seem very similar (minus the 2 voices but plus the feedback, distortion, compressor and sub-oscollator)...

I tried to find a diagram showing the voice architecture for the Prophet '08, but wasn't able to find one. However, as far as I know it is identical to the newer Tetra (which is a small, 4-voice module) except that it does not have the sub-oscillators and the feedback circuit.

Tetra
Image

Tempest
Image

Evolver
Image


Notice how similar the Tetra and the Tempest are. The Tempest seems to lose the sub-oscillator for oscillator 2, but gains a high-pass filter and the two digital oscillators, which are used for playing small samples (since it is primarily a drum machine, of course). Also notice how much more complex the Evolver is when compared to both the Prophet '08 (Mopho/Tetra) and the Tempest.

jamoo wrote:Can you bypass the 2 digital oscillators?

Yes, you can simply set the volume for those to 0.

jamoo wrote:Do you know if they intend to implement the aftertouch/arpeggiator?

It might be a good idea to shoot DSI an email about this; they're generally very responsive to email. If you think the Tempest would become a kick-ass product if they would add certain features, letting them know might increase the chance of it actually happening. :D

jamoo wrote:A years worth of savings later, and here we are... to be honest I'm leaning towards the Tempest, I'm just looking to make a very informed investment.

You might also want to look at the Mopho (either the keyboard or the module) or the Tetra. The Mopho is monophonic and the Tetra has 4 voices. You can probably pick up the module version of the Mopho on the 2nd hand market for $200-300. It might give you a fairly low-cost option of trying out the sound and if you really don't like it, you can always sell it again. If you do, you have have a nice and small monophonic synth you can put in your pocket and play from the Stage using the external section.
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Re: Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby jamoo » 22 May 2012, 04:19

Thanks for all that info/tips! The diagrams too! Very helpful... and very cool :D

mjbrands wrote: You might also want to look at the Mopho (either the keyboard or the module) or the Tetra. The Mopho is monophonic and the Tetra has 4 voices. You can probably pick up the module version of the Mopho on the 2nd hand market for $200-300. It might give you a fairly low-cost option of trying out the sound and if you really don't like it, you can always sell it again. If you do, you have have a nice and small monophonic synth you can put in your pocket and play from the Stage using the external section.


I appreciate your suggestions. Truthfully, I have looked into both these options... but I never really considered taking the plunge in that direction due to the limited polyphony and less knobby interface... I know there is a Mopho keyboard (which was very fun to play)... but id rather get a 2nd hand prophet 08 module for the extra $...

Sorry to re-ask the question.. but, "since you bought your Tempest primarily for an analog synth... how does it perform? What are you happy/disappointed with?"
Im just interested to see if it has filled your needs... or if there are elements that are lacking in this area. After what youve shown me... does it feel like a 6 voice Tetra?

Thanks for the advice :)
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Re: Complementary Synths/Equip for the Wave

Postby mjbrands » 24 May 2012, 18:25

jamoo wrote:Sorry to re-ask the question.. but, "since you bought your Tempest primarily for an analog synth... how does it perform? What are you happy/disappointed with?"
Im just interested to see if it has filled your needs... or if there are elements that are lacking in this area. After what youve shown me... does it feel like a 6 voice Tetra?

Just making sure: I'm not the one with a Tempest, I have a Poly Evolver. :thumbup:
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