analogholic Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Desktop with hardware envelopes! MSRP: $799.00 http://www.studioelectronics.com/media/galleria-img/se-boomstar-4075.jpg http://www.studioelectronics.com/products/synths/boomstar/#crumbs All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Not really understanding this one. It's basically a knobby desktop version of the ATC without all four filters onboard (you have to choose just one). The ATC is an extremely underrated and powerful little synth. I miss mine. Keep it greazy! B3tles - Soul Jazz THEO - Prog Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Love to have all those knobs! The ARP 2600 filter version is the most desirable in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogholic Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Yeah, the new "standard", knobs and no memory. From the man himself: "To address the "slow envelope" moniker which has amused and mildly irritated us over the years. First, people want presets. Second, the software envelope routines we use fire with the same initial timing as a hardware envelope. The difference is the added circuitry needed for programmability. Even when done well, it puts a subtle "veil" over the sound. The SE1/X having an actual Moog VCA is darker than the ATC1/X which uses a different VCA incorporating a 13600 transistor array. With the Omega we improved the fidelity of the supporting circuits and used a different, and more accurate exponential routine. The result was a more open and clean sound. A hardware envelope presents itself with more snap due to the natural discharge of the capacitors and the "realness" of the circuit. So even at the same speed software envelopes lack that element. We can get the software envelope to be instant, but we have to slow them down ever so little to eliminate unpleasant popping and ticking anomalies from the VCA. Prior to 2004, we played it too safe with the starting attack time. Now we are reckless, ha. This just scratches the surface of all the interacting elements, pcb layout, parts selection, signal level, power supply, etc., that affect the presentation of the analog sound. We are still having fun doing this, so for the grumpy ones out there that are offended by our over the top product hype, please remember that. We are very excited about the BoomStar, it's our first new synthesizer in a long time. There is nothing between the circuits and the output. The "veil" is lifted. Those discrete transistors will sing now." Greg St. Regis Studio Electronicss All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Schmieder Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Yeah, I almost posted this the other day, but wasn't confident it was new vs. newly discovered by me. :-) When I saw all the postings an Nova Musik, it looked like maybe it wasn't entirely new but a refactoring of something already on the market. It's nice to know that it truly is a new synth engine and design, as I probably would have bypassed it altogether otherwise. Even so, we'll have to go mostly by audio demos; though I think Analog Haven in SF might still have showings (as I recall, by invitation only via prior arrangement vs. being a traditional storefront). Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35, D'angelico SS Bari, EXL1, Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, LP 57, Eastman T486, T64, Ibanez PM2, Hammond XK4, Moog Voyager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Wow. Lots of knobs. SE sound. Digital LFOs are not as big a deal since it has filter and oscillator FM. If the envelopes are fast enough for percussion, it will draw a lot of the EDM crowd too. Moog and Macbeth have some good company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Put an ATC with a 49 key or 61 key keyboard and I'd buy it now. Keep it greazy! B3tles - Soul Jazz THEO - Prog Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Wow that's an amazing amount of synth for such a small package - and price! I think I'm in for the Moog version. With all the stuff on that front panel, I'm not seeing adjustable pulse width for VCO 2 though, which is an odd omission considering all the bells and whistles on this unit. Am I missing it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humannoyed Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Put an ATC with a 49 key or 61 key keyboard and I'd buy it now. SE has never made an actual keyboard synth have they? "It is a danger to create something and risk rejection. It is a greater danger to create nothing and allow mediocrity to rule." "You owe it to us all to get on with what you're good at." W.H. Auden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humannoyed Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Wow that's an amazing amount of synth for such a small package - and price! I think I'm in for the Moog version. With all the stuff on that front panel, I'm not seeing adjustable pulse width for VCO 2 though, which is an odd omission considering all the bells and whistles on this unit. Am I missing it? Don't know the answer to your question but...why this over a Little Phatty if you want the Moog sound? "It is a danger to create something and risk rejection. It is a greater danger to create nothing and allow mediocrity to rule." "You owe it to us all to get on with what you're good at." W.H. Auden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 This unit will have a much broader palette of sounds than a Phatty. It's just a more complete synthesizer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Alfredson Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 As much as I like the Phatty, the ATC-x, which this seems to be based around, sounds far superior. Better bass, better modulation, better timbre. But I would still go with the ATC-x quad, which gives you all four filters, patch recall, and ring mod. No, SE has never made a keyboard synth. Shame. The ATC-x with a keyboard could be a modern Moog Source (but better). Keep it greazy! B3tles - Soul Jazz THEO - Prog Rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Analogaddict Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Agreed on the LP/ATC. I traded my LP for an ATC-1 and never looked back... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Hey Jim, my sixth sense is telling me that you have an inclination for the ATCx... Jokes aside, I find the LP a bit disappointing too. Regarding SE, however, I have the SE-1, as I like its darker, fuller sound and the *knobs*. I have compared it to the Voyager too, and I think the Voyager sounds a bit better than the SE-1, but not enough to justify a change. The SE-1 has also four envelopes, three LFOs, summable waveforms, ring mod, etc, etc, etc. Also, I've modified my SE-1 to make the envelopes faster, and to accept filter feedback, Mini-style, which is tricky on the Voyager for a bunch of reasons. Plus, the SE-1 does it *internally*, which is much more convenient. With these two mods, the SE-1 sounds MUCH more like a Mini than before, and, dare I say it, better than a 'standard' Voyager. The filter feedback really adds life. Back to the Boomstars, I'd would wait to hear serious demos before comparing them to anything else. To me, they look promising. Hate to be forced to choose just one filter, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogholic Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 I have the ATC-Xi.My favorite filter is the ARP.However, the guys over at SE have decided to implement the original SEM filter design with sweepable bands due to customer demand: "Update. The BoomStar SEM filter will have the same features as the original. A LP to HP mix pot and a switch for the BP output. GregStudio Elelctronics" All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analogholic Posted April 6, 2012 Author Share Posted April 6, 2012 Also: "Release date is set for first part of May. Dynamics is for dynamics to Env1. Something we did on the MidiMoog and love to this day. Great way to get expressive filter control. Now I am going to please even more of you. We've added ring modulation. Along the bottom row we now have a mixer section which reads: Feedback, Noise, Osc1, Osc2 and Rmod. Took off the patch out for Env2, sorry patch point lovers. Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. Without the virtual pre announcement, we would have missed out on some cool features. Not something we've done before. I think we're maxed out now... Ringmod was cheap though, same one we use in the SE-1. Nice and smooth." Greg St. RegisStudio Electronics All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tusker Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Looks like there is actual hardware at this point. Pretty. They've moved the CV points to the back for ergonomics. Here's the link (I didn't know how embed it, without supersizing this thread) http://www.studioelectronics.com/media/product/synths/BoomStar/BoomStar-2-Fullsize_10-8-12.jpg SE did put up an audio demo, and then pulled it down. I had a chance to listen to it, and there was nothing wrong with it. It just wasn't anything like the beautiful analog synth demos we have been lucky to listen to from Stefan Trippler and others. Hoping for more demos soon ... Wow, I just saw the prefilter oscillator out. Boomstar => Phatty or Sem => Boomstar filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zahush76 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Yeah. I heard that demo as well. It seems like the guy kept the overdrive\feedback constantly on. It was mostly aggresive, so i couldn't get a clean impression of what the oscilators anf filter sound like in the bare bone. Vermona Perfourmer mkii, Nord Stage 3 76 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MojoGuyPan Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Is this thing real yet or still vaporware? The pic looks real CGI brother. I've been hearing about these Boomstars with the pick your filter color for over a year but have yet to see on in real life or youtube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Here's the link (I didn't know how embed it, without supersizing this thread) http://www.studioelectronics.com/media/product/synths/BoomStar/BoomStar-2-Fullsize_10-8-12.jpg Here... I'll give it a try: http://imageshack.us/a/img855/6024/boomstar2fullsize10812.jpg The link is better quality and has zoom though for those seriously interested in this box. Is this thing real yet or still vaporware? The pic looks real CGI brother. I've been hearing about these Boomstars with the pick your filter color for over a year but have yet to see on in real life or youtube. The prototype from last March did not look real, but this looks real to me. Look at the switches compared to the switches in the first image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobadohshe Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 That's a beautiful looking box. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mididude Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I figured that rather than starting a new thread I'd build off an old one. I read the other day on S.E.'s website that the Boomstar modules have a socket in the back called 'overflow'; the module recognizes if you are playing more than one note and passes the second (or third, fourth, etc) note on/off data to the next module you have connected. Kind of a polychain function. So, to cut to the chase you could connect a couple of the SEM ones for example and have duophony. I think I also read that you won't have round-robin alternate/random triggering of the voices though, it is always the first note triggers module #1, the second note triggers #2, and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardware Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Nice big pictures always ruin a thread. Having said that Studio Electronics make great hardware and their support is stellar. Even these recent little synths are impressive and do the job they were made to do really well. Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardware Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 FWIW one can use imagepost then resize/copy paste. Still get nice quality views. Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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