Peavey Synths

MrFrodo · Post by **MrFrodo** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:00 pm

Okay, I'm just a dummy anyway. So, I've got no issue discussing a topic I know next-to-nothing about.

I've seen adds for Peavey synths and MIDI controllers, but I don't know anything about them. As a guitarist, I know how well reputed Peavey is for their amps. But, I don't know anything about their synth/keyboard division. Do any of you?

I've seen pictures of digital synths. Have they made any analog instruments? Keyboard Mag has advertised their products, but the main VSE page hasn't got any models listed. Could some of you help me here?

Post by **braincandy** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:08 pm

If no one here responds, this may be a good place to start:

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/revi ... and/Peavey

Post by **wiss** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:18 pm

those black widows bass speakers were the s**t....

I did spend some time with peavey's analog spectrum filter and bass rack. (about 2 hours) I thought both were pretty bland and havent really ever thought of them since.

Box · Post by **Box** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 9:21 pm

I've played on a Peavey DPM2, it's a digital synth. I wasn't too overwhelmed by it, then again I'm not a fan of digital synths. The construction seemed sturdy being it's entire case was metal. Had few dead keys, guessing due to dirty contacts? For what it was it seemed like a nice synth.

Sealed · Post by **Sealed** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 2:46 am

I have a Peavey Spectrum Bass. It seems to be a hybrid synth of digital 16-bit waveforms and a resonant analog filter. I'm thinking of using it like a digital POLY-800.

Peavey Spectrum Synth II seems to be a PCM synth with OSC-Sync. If it's true, it's a unique combination.

And there is the rare analog synth, Peavey Paradox. I saw some information about it on the web.

Post by **space6oy** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:26 am

i have a peavey spectrum bass that i still haven't been able to power up and try out since i bought it w/o an adapter and it needs an incredibly odd 16.5v...any of you peavey users have an extra one of those laying around?

memo · Post by **memo** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 4:35 am

space6oy wrote:i have a peavey spectrum bass that i still haven't been able to power up and try out since i bought it w/o an adapter and it needs an incredibly odd 16.5v...any of you peavey users have an extra one of those laying around?

Peavey can still supply those. I got a Spectrum Synth a few months ago and had to order one from them directly. $20 or so.

It's not a bad sounding synth - surprisingly smooth sounding, considering when it was made. I don't think it holds up very well against modern VA synths, but it has its own unique sound.

There was also an incredibly rare Peavey synth in a red casing that looked very similar to the first generation Virus. Only a few hundred were made. I always wanted to know what they sounded like.

Dane_Xoth · Post by **Dane_Xoth** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:56 am

I've got the Spectrum Synth, the Spectrum Bass and the Analog Filter (but that's still in London).

They've been in storage (with most of my Canadian gear) for the Last three years.

I'd say their biggest drawback is the lack of knobs. The Synth, AFAIR, had a truck load of paramaters controlled by Sysex...(2OSC, LFO, Envelopes, filter) The manual covers all this.

Kind of juiced now to get into it again. I did like the sounds...they were surprisingly decent. Completely usuable, not over the top fanastic.

Good times.

crystalmsc · Post by **crystalmsc** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:40 am

you can listen here for the DPM 2, 3 and Spectrum samples. if you planned to get any of them, the PC1600/x would come in handy since it was designed (has factory presets) to work with those synth.

factual35 · Post by **factual35** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:07 pm

Sealed wrote:
And there is the rare analog synth, Peavey Paradox. I saw some information about it on the web.

Rare indeed, according to what I found on google, only 4 were made[prototypes I'm sure]. It looks really, really awesome however.

http://www.rolamtech.com/synths/paradox/pic1.jpg

polar69 · Post by **polar69** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 3:11 pm

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/ ... aveysp.jpg

Post by **space6oy** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:10 pm

memo wrote:Peavey can still supply those. I got a Spectrum Synth a few months ago and had to order one from them directly. $20 or so.

you know, i hadn't even looked on their website for it since the spectrums are discontinued. thanks! sucks though, the site's down right now...

Post by **space6oy** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:48 pm

edit: scratch that again! man, i'm out of it today...
you CAN buy them on the peavey site, it's just weird how they don't do it direct, it has to be shipped from them to a dealer then to you, or you can pick it up at the dealer's shop...weird.

solderguy · Post by **solderguy** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 9:51 pm

I had a DPM3 for a while. It has a nice Ensoniq ESQ-like operating system and user interface, with a very large data slider and data wheel which I liked. 16 voices unless you layer sounds. No PWM or sync or audio-rate modulation or portamento. Fairly extensive digital fx section for 1990.

Perhaps they had FM in mind for the future (and some info on-line pointed to this possibility, although it is labelled a Phase Modulation synth it is actually a digital subtractive engine with samples, pretty close to a knobless VA.

It sounds good and clean, but is very band-limited (more so than any other synth I've tried), not suitable at all for sounds with any brightness or edge to them. Great for mellow sounds. Digital filter does sound nice, but with the bandlimiting, there is no zip to the sound.

Reasonably well-built, but little plastic chiclet buttons with integral plastic springs break easily. Nice feeling keyboard with velo + aftertouch.

The envelopes behave in a very bad manner when you want fast attacks. If the attack time is set to 00 there is an instant-on sharp attack... like you want. BUT... set the attack time to 01, and the attack time is very sluggish, around 50-100 mS. No way of getting fast brass attacks for example, you would have to use sampled brass sounds.

The digital filter also responds VERY sluggishly to rapid changes in envelope... control it with an instant-on attack, and the filter opens very slowly... 200-300 mS. OK if you want sluggish mellow synth brass

wardshorsehead · Post by **wardshorsehead** » Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:29 pm

space6oy wrote:edit: scratch that again! man, i'm out of it today...
you CAN buy them on the peavey site, it's just weird how they don't do it direct, it has to be shipped from them to a dealer then to you, or you can pick it up at the dealer's shop...weird.

maybe online, but if you call them they will ship it to you (at least they did about six months ago or so.)