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John Bowen Synth Design Solaris
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John Bowen Synth Design Solaris

Digital Synth from John Bowen Synth Design

Public price: $4,099 incl. VAT
kalaspace kalaspace

« Solaris, cardboard? »

Published on 10/22/14 at 11:20
The characteristics are published everywhere,
as usual I put a few good and bad surprises.
+ Button Assignment 1 and 2 to modulate, it allows additional controls
+ Fx bypass button
-no spread stereo unison!
-no stack for unison (like the Andromeda) :(
-no hard sync on minimoog waves, waldorf, prophet vs some mm1 whose jaws (supersaw), morphs, noise. :(
-etapes envelopes limited to 20 seconds or less (it seems long, but exp mode, it&#39;s very limited on dynamically evolving pad): /
~ Boot lasts 30 seconds


With the Andromeda A6, it is often referenced.

UTILIZATION

Good ergonomics is marred by bugs or delays that waste time
-désactivation legato when naming or renaming a preset (obligation to reboot to re-obtain the legato)
VCAS -volume of losing their proportion in some cases partially identified (vac boost and gain on several at the same time)
-coup of unexpected madness of CSOs that can emit random keys (1 shot preset save go back to another preset ok)
-boot can plant (a little after 1:10 loan)
-lenteur on scrolling presets or banks
-l&#39;atteinte frequency thousand hertz is the eq is super long (init to make a personal ca)
-not reboot envelopes release if too long (super sucks for pads)

Making quite a lead with legato or wishing to play often unexpectedly
I find myself in a "ban" name my patches, so that,
storage of 54 releases patches on the private forum after 1 month of use took me half a day.
Given the space available 127 * 127, it is quite easy to create a monumental mess.


SOUNDS

The ability to modulate anything by anything is not everything!
First must sound modules! Out, I find that this level, there is a catch.

I took the time to
.tester every single filters, in parallel, in series, etc.
.comparer the tilt and filters with Andromeda and diva
.Create simple presets, compared with Andromeda and diva
.Create advanced presets, compared with Andromeda and diva
.etc

The findings that emerge are
.the Solaris is the "digital" / surgical synthesizer I&#39;ve ever heard in my life, the sound is straight as an arrow and as a sterile laboratory.
.the Filters solaris sound drier than a barren desert, their resonance produces an engine noise compared to those of the Andromeda singing naturally
the harmonic excitation difference is so blatant that it is highly visible spectrum and without zoom (2 * 20 seconds of sound displayed on a 27 inch)!
.la Modeling allows the solaris obtaining a "heat", but with this sterile side is like comparing a microwave oven (solaris digital) in a stone oven (andromeda analog)
Aurally speaking, it was more like to get burned uncomfortably as being petted by the suns rays.
Unable to get a sound "vintage" at best I would speak of mindset / vintage approach, but the comparison on simple stabs, sound is ultra modern / right despite efforts / torture.
.sur Advanced sounds (piano, electric guitar), the Solaris has a capacity to produires but his honesty generates a lack of life, as for example a piano sound like a bomtempi beside a piano andromeda
the size of the modulation matrix gives more control to the sound, but this one is not good natively it does not help a lot.
.the Surgical side of solaris leaves entitled to any element of surprise coming brighten synthesis results
.the Arduous negotiations to make his living, style, etc. often lead to horrible compromise including the post eq becomes a binding ingredient,
This symptom is typical of digital synthesizers (or vsti va) and its non-living complex modulation matrix to "compensate" the solaris going as far in this "concept" the.
.The "Concept" coupled to certain previous figures limits (polyphony monotimbralité, number of routings possible modules and not so high!) Features and defects identified here and hereinafter above,
generate a barrier to versatility. For example manipulation available for a chorus effect / voice on the pads actually turn out very difficult, exploration often reveals aesthetic restrictions
For this example this is explained by the use of jaws almost mandatory to have a proper beginning of "mass" instant and filters that sound better (in short the combs because the vocals are super bad Confuse).
.the Tilt without filters have a sound muffled and lacks bass, most presets must be a + 6dB boost on bass and mimima + 3dB on acute> 6kHz
Is the anti aliasing algorithms that must currently have around with filters to round one pole?


These findings are supported by the fact that ergonomics solaris enables efficient exploration, so fast, for example, assign the cutoff and resonance scanner joystick and filters, router preconfigured mixers, etc.
eg sensitivity setting joystick to fly extensively or finely, etc.
Basically it&#39;s like to fly over planet with a satellite zoom centimeter ready to find valuable materials
(Here the problem is that the precious materials are rare, contrary to what could signal the landscape seen from afar)


Realism sounds
-acoustiques: organs, guitars, violins, timpani ok; choirs to see; non pianos;
-synthétiques: vintage model with static filters ok; with non-modulated filters;


OVERALL OPINION

I am (almost) the only one with this opinion, which seem to run abreast of everything that has been written on the Internet against.
Is the failure to be among those who waited to have it?
I shared these impressions with several owners over any communication channel confused (verbal, telephone, text message)
attempted to obtain advice as to whether I was not missing out on something, etc.
For now, no evidence was presented personally convincing me.

I expected to find an active community on the private forum,
obviously the 300 potential owners, I would say that the ladle 10 active participants.

After multiple extensive studies, the user presets unfortunately seem to correspond to the best compromise available on the machine,
and there is no point in reinventing the wheel ...

For the probabilities of evolution of Solaris, complete silence ...

Exploration continues, I remain open to any suggestion or attempted reasoning
because at the moment,
has not surprised by the results of synthesis,
joins an effect apprehension generated by the Chinese puzzle necessary to obtain low likelihood of a satisfactory outcome,
nihilise pleased that the simple rescue work fueled by a hope that one wonders whether it is from the high price of the beast or passion.