Macbeth X Factor

Shanesaw · Post by **Shanesaw** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 6:11 pm

After reading the latest update on their website, I'm really excited to hear what this thing will sound like. It reads as if he's built the guts of the synth just as they were built "back in the day" and this got me thinking about Killinators "why don't synth manufacturers just make the old synth? " post. It looks like Macbeth is doing just that with the X Factor and maybe Moog with the Old School??? There's probably other manufacturers doing this (Fututre Retro with the XS?) too but I think they're sticking to todays modern manufacturing techniques right?
Anybody else excited about this or are you just tired of being excited about it?

pricklyrobot · Post by **pricklyrobot** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:05 pm

I had kind of forgotten all about it, then just randomly decided to look at the MacBeth website the other day and saw the update. It seems to have almost everything that you'd want in a (non-modular) monosynth. Although I'm sure some people will complain about the lack of ring mod, or something else that I haven't noticed. 90% percent of the panel layout looks like it was lifted straight off of a Minimoog, I wonder how similar the sound will be.

Anyone know a ballpark price on this thing?

kuroichi · Post by **kuroichi** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:14 pm

Im a bit worried as Ive realised this my last chance to get an M5N...

Shanesaw · Post by **Shanesaw** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:24 pm

I'm gonna take a guess at somewhere around $2500 US.

chamomileshark · Post by **chamomileshark** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:19 pm

I think the replies to the post about releasing old style synths was mainly in the context of the big manufacturers. Problem is that these aren't particularly easy things to make, the market is small, the costs are high and so the margins aren't that great. Hopefully there will be a variety of analogue or hybrids synths being designed by the smaller scale designers/manufacturers who themselves are enthusiasts. I've noticed that the biggest enemy to their products is down to changes in availability of key parts, so I suppose the runs will be small. So better buy now if there is something that catches your eye. But something different is probably on it's way.

calyx93 · Post by **calyx93** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:28 pm

I love the fact that this beauty will have a true CV/gate keyboard!

Post by **kayvon** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:41 am

calyx93 wrote:I love the fact that this beauty will have a true CV/gate keyboard!

That's the one thing I can't understand about this synth. Where does the advantage lie in having a synth that doesn't have last note priority and legato portamento? Maybe it's a cost factor, I don't know.

Synths are meant to be instruments and any more expressive features we as synth keyboardists (the X-Factor is a keyboard after all, crazy Buchla type interfaces are on a whole different level) can get in our synths should be encouraged.

I've been after an M3X for a while now and if Ken released an X-Factor rack it'd def be up for my consideration but in 2008 a synth that doesn't add functions like aftertouch (no velocity on synth actions for me thanks) last note priority etc is retro in the wrong way.

This is a very negative post for a synth that I'm actually really interested in. Well partly at least. Give me a rack with CV ins and i'll supply the Kenton Pro Solo that got left off. I really admire the work Ken is doing to imbue this synth with the characteristics that made vintage synths so great but I'm a little disappointed by the fact that this could have been an even better keyboard synth if certain features had been implemented. Is it cost factors? Serviceability factors? Anti-digital factors?

RobotHeroes · Post by **RobotHeroes** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:40 am

kuroichi wrote:Im a bit worried as Ive realised this my last chance to get an M5N...

I know.

I figured it would be as close as I could get to a working ARP 2600. At 6 grand it having no midi is kind of a bummer but I guess that would be against the design or something. A fine machine though no doubt.

xpander · Post by **xpander** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 8:11 am

i was excited about this but then the Voyager Old School came out of nowhere and really stole the thunder. hopefully it sounds great, i hope i get a chance to play one at some point.

Post by **wiss** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 8:40 am

Price..........

kuroichi · Post by **kuroichi** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 10:17 am

I think the moog voyager is a good price point for an estimate, as they are somewhat similar units. However I do personally consider Macbeth synths to be a bit more specialist in a sense so maybe that could affect the price, for example, the made to order approach from an even smaller company than moog will as mentioned affect the cost of parts, and the X factor has taken a different approach production wise than the Voyager OS.

Maybe we should contact Ken and see if he has any idea yet...

I'm currently out for a new piece of equipment, and although its most likely gonna be another MD (this time UW, although I would love an M5N), Im still gonna have to watch this one closely.

P.S. wiss, stop youtube teasing....

jaypodesta · Post by **jaypodesta** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:24 pm

kuroichi wrote:Im a bit worried as Ive realised this my last chance to get an M5N...

If only he could be convinced to keep doing them 'til the credit (card) crunch passes

stikygum · Post by **stikygum** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:51 am

jaypodesta wrote:
kuroichi wrote:Im a bit worried as Ive realised this my last chance to get an M5N...
If only he could be convinced to keep doing them 'til the credit (card) crunch passes

Yeah, I think this is the wrong time to finally...... release this thing. It's been in the works for quite some time. But, it's cool with me. Just hope it works out during this tight time.

I've owned a M3X and it has a great sound. I think the X factor will probably be more than a Voyager OS and I also think it will sound better, having heard for myself what Macbeth is all about. To me, Macbeth = Rawness. Something newer analogs lack. This looks like a great board. Just think he should use this time to add aftertouch for functionality.

hfinn · Post by **hfinn** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 2:37 pm

The only thing that bothers me is not being able to throw the oscillators into LFO mode and use them as a modulation source.

Carey M · Post by **Carey M** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:28 pm

hfinn wrote:The only thing that bothers me is not being able to throw the oscillators into LFO mode and use them as a modulation source.

On the M3X, the VCO frequency knobs were 10-turn knobs that went loooow, so you could use the VCOs as LFOs...

The X-Factor has octave selection swithches for each oscillator, with 32' being the lowest setting, but I wonder if the VCO frequency knobs enable you to tune the VCO even lower, like on the M3X...

- CM

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