John Bowen Synth Design

just thought I'd chime in here, and say that a desktop could work really well with a minimal layout if this is what you mean by minimal:

1 display, 1/2 row(2) of knobs.

Then a signal flow diagram with buttons on each section to select that "block". Kinda like the ESQ-1, but with a knob for each ...

I wouldn't bother putting convolution reverb in a hardware synth... That's more of a production tool than something you'd use live... A simple algorithmic reverb for live use would be great though, or even a modulated reverb so its more of an "effect" then just polish.

holy crap. too bad the folding in half is a useless gimmick that would add to the price.

Zoning just the osc section would be a poor compromise IMO... Multitimbrality isn't even really needed... Just the ability to make half the keyboard do one sound (say, a nice portamento wavetable lead) and the other half do another sound (say, a nice ripping rotor bass)

... And can we use midi in/out for the solaris over USB?

Congrats on your new accomplishment Mr. Bowen!! now if only i can figure out a way to freeze myself in time till October i think i'll be okay. :lol:

I'd do the same thing... But then I couldn't work my ass off between now and then in order to afford it! :lol:

Definitely will be worth the asking ...

I personally would wish/hope for at least 16mb of sample memory, just enough for some nice digital voices, sampled strings to mutilate, ect... No need for massive piano multisamples or anything of course...

Will the sample memory use standard RAM? Couldn't it be expandable so those users who do ...

polardark wrote:Blue with wood ends makes it look too much like an Evolver.

A good point... A day later, the lighter one with wood sides seems like the better choice...

"I see. Perhaps there could be a COPY function so say you could copy osc 1&2 of one patch and apply it to osc 3&4 of the current patch?"

My personal recommendation would be to add the copy and paste functions for various sections in the software editor... Not on the hardware itself ...

I think polyphonic aftertouch is a lost cause... The only cheap way to do this was patented by ensoniq, and they were bought out my creative. It was a really crappy feeling and unreliable way of doing it too...

EDIT: Are we going to be able to make/load custom single cycle waves into the prophet VS ...

I personally like the idea of the dark colored solaris with the wooden sides from the silver one...

I for one hope you stick with the original plan of 4 separate mixers and 4 separate filters. When you take into account the fact that some of the filters aren't of the traditional style and instead are like "per voice" effects that can be envelope controlled as well as LFO'd (or being static) it ...