Your dream synth ?

[kulten]

Little game.

Imagine you are famous, and you can choose a manufacturer and create a synth?

These are mine :

the SYB-6 "BASS SYNTHESIZER" takes the best from the SYB-3 and SYB-5 and go beyond :

- 8 knobs !
- the deep SYB-3 "SAW" waveform (mode 1) with lower octave and LFO modes (modes 2 and 3).
- the fat SYB-5 "SQUARE" waveform (mode 4) with lower octave and LFO modes (modes 5 and 6).
- vocal sound from the SYB-5 : the genuine PULSE-2 (mode 7) waveform.
- two more sounds : DOUBLE PULSE ( mode 8 ) and SINE (mode 9).
- mode 10 and 11 : WAVE SHAPE normal/reverse.
- LFO RATE effect.
- the SYB-3 NOISE effect with a "noise level" knob.
- WAH input (with the optionnal Roland EV-5 expression pedal).





The SYB-7 is not like the SYB-3 and the SYB-5, not even like the powerfull SYB-6. The SYB-7 is devoted to the synthetic sounds : if it has no stereo outputs, or EXP input, or filters like other SYB, the graphic controls make it a complete synthesizer : Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release, Frequency, Resonnance, Rate (for LFO effect), and you can choose between the deep and oldschool SYB-3 "SAW" waveform or the punchy and sharp SYB-5 "SQUARE" waveform. No LEVEL knob ? Of course : the SYB-7 follows the input source level, you can control it simply with your instrument.




the SYB-8 "BASS SYNTHESIZER" is another way to play synth bass. The attack level and the decay time depends on your input sound, you just have to adjust Frequency and Resonnance knobs. You'll find also the LFO rate (mode "3" for saw,"6" for square and "9" for pulse), the EV-5 Expression input, and this time the Wave Shape is not a filter for external sound : now you can modulate the SYB synth sound with the Wave Shape (modes 1/2, 4/5, 7/8). And modes 2, 5, 8 are one octav. lower.




For the musicians who love the SYB sound but want to play "free hands" :

- THE 11 SOUND MODES FROM THE BOSS SYB-3

- THE LFO FROM THE SYB-5 WITH 3 WAVEFORMS THAT CAN BE USED AS A SECOND SYNCHRONISED VCO

- THE 16 STEP SEQUENCER FROM THE ROLAND EF-303

- A REVERB EFFECT

THIS IS........ THE BOSS SYB-16 !

You can program a pattern with the graphic sequencer or use it like a standard SYB with an external sound source to trig the synth sound. And if you use the sequencer, you can plug a tempo footswitch into the "Input", or synchronise the BPM with another machine.

[StepLogik]

I'd buy that SYB-16

[Johnny Lenin]

I've been saying that I would love someone to come out with a new combo organ with vintage vibe and sounds, but digital reliability and portability. [If you've ever gigged with a Vox or Farfisa, you'll understand.] The Korg mock-Vox at last summer's Namm was a teaser, but it's just gas. I've played a lot of Roland gear, once had an Ace-Tone that I quite liked, and I always liked the VK-8... so I imagined Roland resurrecting the Ace-Tone marque

- A basic soundset, based on Farfisa and Vox Connie sounds, with multiple footages controllable with real drawbars or tabs.
- Expansion options, either with a card or download.
- 61-key waterfall keyboard. (One manual... don't give me no stinkin' two manual organ.)
- Switchable bass section on the keyboard [with a user-selectable split point].
- Stereo out.
- A wicked vibrato switchable from a hardware switch on the front panel or pedal.
- Basic onboard effects: reverb, chorus, delay, Leslie sim.
- Good amp modeling for output direct to PA.
- User patch memory with direct-access buttons on the front panel.
- MIDI.
- Enough real estate on the top to accommodate a stacked keyboard.
- Street price less than $1000.

The Nord Electro 3 looks like it will come close, though it has "virtual" drawbars, no room on top for a synth, and it'll probably sell street for >$1,500. And I'll probably get one... But a boy can wish, can't he?

[gd]

I would luv a modern CS-80 with the same balls without the weight and reliability issues.

[nvbrkr]

I'll have a replica of Tonto, and someone to pay for the electricity bill for that one too.

[edit - build it into a SYB enclosure for optimal portability]

[Maskin]

There was a similar topic on the Moog forum about what sort of Frankensynth you would make if you had the opportunity.

My answer:

My Frankensynth would be an eight voice Little Phatty with the same internal modulations as the Prophet '08 (three envelopes, four LFO's, etcetera), all real analog of course. More CV's (both in and out) and white LED's like a TI Polar.
I would call it the "Big Phatty".

This would definitely be my dreamsynth!

[CS_TBL]

A physical FM8.

- Every feature (including each fm-matrix element) with a led-surrounded knob or motorized fader + value display.
- 512 voices
- DSP routing
- 16 operators
- operator shapes according to loaded .wav files
- A keyboard with enough keys to support each of the 128 midi notes. A very wide keyboard so to say
- keyswitch support to select preprogrammed envelopes, FM settings, DSP settings etc.
- special unison editor with:
--- random delays per voice, to simulate an ensemble of humans/errors
--- various one-shot random values, to be applied to any parameter inside FM8, think of slightly random envelope attacks, filterdepths, FM levels, FM ratios, LFO rates etc.
--- various continuous slewed RND LFO, also to be applied to any parameter inside FM8

[rhino]

i'd order a 64-voice Poly Evolver. keep the original control panel, but have a giant touch=screen to 'draw' patch cords

[nathanscribe]

Something poly and wonderfully analogue, with no horrible menus, and a very distinctly knob-per-function interface.

Second, a sampler with analogue filters, and a dead easy interface. No weird buried functions, no frantic manual-diving to find out what the h**l's going on...

They're not exactly dreams though, just desires. I don't have a dream synth. I like the ones I've got.

[zmd]

a dream synth huh? first off, a set of drawbars please for the organ section which will do combo organs(based on the yamaha yc series) and B3 of course. second up, a VA similar to the ion, but with 4 oscillators, 6 EG's, and 4 LFO's, and at least 2 slew limiters. drool. i would stick to a filter section like the ions i think. third, i'd want a great set of pianos, ep's grands etc.

the physical layout tho would be a bit different.

one manual of 61 waterfall keys for the main use, just below that, a pull out second identical manual...nothing on it but keys, so you can assign organ to one, synth to the other sorta thing. velocity, release velocity and poly aftertouch on all the boards.

i'd also build in legs...i like old school legs like on the nord stage and old combo organs...some sort of built in fold down/flip up design.

oh, and, i'd really like a mono synth in there too, layed out like the top keyboard in a GX1, and the mono synth would be similar to an evolver.

oh oh oh, and a groove box section, with drums, synths and sampling.

and, effects on board of course, like a dual kaoss pad plus a "normal" section of verbs etc.

everything could be under sequencer control similar to an RM1X.

all this would have to weigh in around 30 pounds too.

and, sell for 800 bux. and it would have a tuck and roll built in road case like a kustom amp.

[memedesigner]

A U-series Yamaha piano with each string replaced with a hammer action sensor + Oberheim SEM module + amp + loudspeaker + pickup mic. Of course the pickup mics are for providing a feedback loop between the sounding board and the SEM modules that should resonate at a given time ... some FFT math needed here but not much.

And then if it could also vacuum and mix the perfect martini coctail that would be great.

[23]

I really have no idea....
Roland has just blown away so much with their damn V-GT ....

I think for starters everything from the GT would be kept in place, but poly would be raised significantly. To a base level of 64 voice at the least.

I have no idea what causes the weird sample memory limitations when it comes to Variphrase, but I'd shoot for expanding this to at least 128 Megs.

Allowance for user defined multi-sampling would be implemented.

Panning would be allowed on a per Osc basis rather than a per tone basis.

True multi-timbrality would be put to 16 (and unlike on the original V's, the additional patches wouldn't require a secondary controller for access). Each of the 16 parts would have their own individual appregiation system. Mute buttons and volume access for each one of the 16 different parts would be added.

I'd take a lead from the Camel audio folks and implement Additive synthesis into the mix that utilized 600+ sines.

The amount of LFOs and Envelopes would be maintained, but the modulation matrix would be expanded to allow the user to define their routing.

Envelopes would be moved to a AADDRR nature with both positive and negative values possible per segment (always thought this was a ingenious system on EMUs behalf). The slope between each segment could be user defined.

AP-Synthesis would be expanded to allowing for user created samples to be utilized.

As with the Nord Wave, the option would be put to the user to have a single Osc act as a complete operator in regards to FM.

Granted the size of damn V was alerady pretty damn big, it'd be expanded some so that an additional 8 user definable manual control knobs would be added.

Finally, the assignments of all user definable knobs would be maintained on a per patch basis.

[zmd]

what are AADDRR envelopes?

[DontGoToCollege]

A Jupiter 8 - been wanting one since the 80s.

[Clavier]

The Yamaha GX-1 is already pretty much everything I have ever wanted in a synth. I'll just take one of those.