What happened to multi-timbrality?

[hardware]

The analog revival didn"t just bring predictable challenges for analog instruments, but also a renewed focus on simplicity across all instruments. Multi-timbrality appears to be one of the casualties, which is a crying shame. Being able to record tracks easily is still no substitute for tweaking multiple patches while a sequence plays to try to find a perfect balance, or bouncing back and forth without full recording passes.

 

Robust multi-timbral functionality is one of the reasons I"m a devoted Kurzweil fan, and also part of why I keep eyeing a CODE-8 for my analog needs. The good news is Osmose claims to support split and layered modes. Whether it"s just bi-timbral or more ambitious isn"t clear in anything I"ve seen.

 

I"ve been doing 2 way 4 voice MultiTimb on a Code 8 OD.

4 way 2 voice just doesn"t sound as big as I expected.

But splits or Layers, especially with the CS-80 Filter are really fat.

 

[Reezekeys]

The Technics WSA1 synth, from 1995, was 32-part multitimbral.

 

I remember trying to sell this keyboard when I was at Washington Music Center. Don't think I ever sold one

That doesn't surprise me, and I'm sure your experience wasn't unique because they pulled the plug on it pretty quickly. I believe this was Technic's first foray into the pro music market â in the 90s they were much better known for their home DPs, which were actually quite good for the time. I worked for them designing sounds & sequences. We had a press event to debut this. A few writers from MI mags came to the Technics HQ in New Jersey for lunch and a "performance" consisting of several of us pushing "play" on its sequencer . As I remember, they were mostly unimpressed. It's a shame because it had some cool features, but the sound quality of the samples was just not there imo. And, as has been pointed out a few times here & elsewhere, it wasn't true modeling from the ground up â they used samples for their "drivers."

[uhoh7]

The Technics WSA1 synth, from 1995, was 32-part multitimbral.

 

 

They are up to 800 bucks now

I hear them called "most under-rated synth ever"

 

Well maybe the GEM S3 turbo....

[Baggypants]

Roland VR-09/VR-730 has GM multitimbrality too

[uhoh7]

So in 2020......Waldorf Kyra seems to be the tip of the multitimbral spear....or?

 

Interface is not drawing me in, but functionality looks fantastic. This seems to be the modern Virus.

 

It can do 8 parts stereo, and you can get to them in various ways. It also sends 8 individual tracks to DAWS via USB, way ahead of Virus.

 

By this time, 2020, we should have a multitimbral beast with 16 audio outs, no? RD-808 had audio outs for each instrument in 1982 ish, as does the RD-8.

 

It's time to raise the bar on these clones. It's time for an Andromeda clone.

 

I'd much rather have one of them than a Kyra But I don't think it would be an easy clone.

[uhoh7]

Well...as usual the answer has been in front of my face and already mentioned here.

 

The desktop version of the Blofeld appears fanatstic. I think I just saved 1600 bucks or so......

[psionic11]

Well...as usual the answer has been in front of my face and already mentioned here.

 

The desktop version of the Blofeld appears fanatstic. I think I just saved 1600 bucks or so......

 

I got a white desktop Blofeld with the sampling features a few months ago. I'm just now starting to explore it.

 

It sounds great. The filters are excellent, and it has uncommon features like filter FM and multiple distortion types.

 

I haven't yet explored the multitimbral side, but don't get your hopes up too high... its polyphony is not very high, about 20(?) voices or so...

[uhoh7]

Well...as usual the answer has been in front of my face and already mentioned here.

 

The desktop version of the Blofeld appears fanatstic. I think I just saved 1600 bucks or so......

 

I got a white desktop Blofeld with the sampling features a few months ago. I'm just now starting to explore it.

 

It sounds great. The filters are excellent, and it has uncommon features like filter FM and multiple distortion types.

 

I haven't yet explored the multitimbral side, but don't get your hopes up too high... its polyphony is not very high, about 20(?) voices or so...

 

Thank you for the intel Fun ahead for you.

 

My impression, please anyone correct me, it's got the channels but you would need to really spread voices with care to use all of them. Four decent channels would meet my needs really. I was reading last night, the virus TI and Blofeld are very complimentary.

 

The Virus looks to be a tour de force for a home studio. Real swiss army knife. At first I was put off by seeing so many guys using laptops to run them, but now I've watched more videos with players running them from the panel. Looks doable. Better than Digitackt LOL. I don't care about the old software. If I need it I'll get older laptop out of the closet.

 

I just need to put the andromeda out of my mind. I've been putting my little JV1010 through it's multi-timbral paces with random MIDI files fired off from the MPC1000. That is pretty wild. I've got the Numa 2cx sliders working the cut/rez and a simple envelope live on the Roland, with the famous "Vintage" expansion card. The 2003 MPC1000 is a terror. I run up and down the tracklist, with loops, solos, and program change super easy. Each track unique, up to 64. No limit on bars. It's looking like a killer combo as main sampler/sequencer. The Virus TI at 1-1.5K is attracting me with idea of my own pads, bass etc taking over the parts from the more canned sounds of the 1010. Thinness can be good with many instruments....less mud. The Kyra sounds not quite done.

 

Update: TI 61 keys are around 1200, and TI2 61s are about 1800. So I pulled the trigger on a TI 61 for 1150 (includ shipping). I figure I will use that savings on a Blofeld....after I learn the Virus. I hope it gets here before the other virus LOL.