JoMox discontinuing the SunSyn

[cornutt]

Tying back into the ongoing "why don't they make the old synths again" thread, JoMox is now saying that the SunSyn is about to be discontinued, and apparently the culprit is that some IC that it uses is no longer available. I don't know what's inside a SunSyn so I'm not sure what that would be. But it further illustrates the problem... if you can't even get parts for relatively recent designs, then old designs don't have much hope.

[GeneralBigbag]

The sunsyn has been unavailable for some time now, and being only a few years old, I don't think it counts as an old synth. I read a post by Jurgen on the Jomox forum about this a few months ago in which he noted that when he designed the SS, he basically did a hack job on the circuit layout, since at the time he didn't know what he was doing, and he was uninterested in revisiting the design.
I really hope he gets interested in synth design again, as the RN and the SS are very cool designs.

[xpander]

i thought it was discontinued last year. a SunSyn 2 i would like to see as well.

[0000]

like all jomox stuff

great sounding some what buggy gear

[syncretism]

Tying back into the ongoing "why don't they make the old synths again" thread, JoMox is now saying that the SunSyn is about to be discontinued, and apparently the culprit is that some IC that it uses is no longer available. I don't know what's inside a SunSyn so I'm not sure what that would be.

Here's what Michaelis had to say...

1. a very essential part ( the vcas used - there are 20 on each voice card plus 20 on the main board -180 per SunSyn) is obsolete and not produced any further. There is no direct replacement, so I would have to redesign the whole circuitry. The sunsyn voice board layout which I made 10 years ago was the worst thing I ever did...it's dense like a persian carpet. sometimes I say to myself it's a wonder that it works;)

2. The processors that were used are f**k old and too small in power and many more little issues. a COMPLETE redesign is necessary. Also a complete new OS programming.

3. The whole market for these bolide synths is fairly overestimated...it's a big rush now because none has one to sell. But if I go down and make it, it will take me years though and once it's finished, the market is elsewhere.

4. It's a damned f**k job to BUILD sunsyns. Every build is a repair because this monster is just way too complex and there are millions of possible errors. And these errors OCCUR according to murphys law. It took me (and I'm fast, trust me) about 2 days to build one SunSyn from scratch if I count all the time of failure search, modifications, repairings and more. I have had only 1 guy in 10 years that was able to make them (almost) alone
without my help. I forgot to say...SunSyns don't grow on trees;)

5. discussions about OS bugs. There were times when many people were yelling at me about SunSyn bugs and noises, tuning instabilities, VCO mod offsets and more....and I have to say, yes, they were right up to a certain point. But I'm not masochistic, too and it didn't make fun, honestly. I would do it better now...but that would require to make a redesign.

6. it's not that easy to really make money on such a thing...I could tell you some stories if we were sitting in a bar and having a drink;)

7. My life time is just too precious to make another one. Why should I do this? I have made it once, and it would not be better if I did it another time. There are easier ways to make your living than to build and sell sunsyns. It's made with blood, sweat and tears...

8. SunSyn was always a bit backward oriented...it's an analog poly synth with some features and a great sound. But it's like refurbishing oldtimers. I want to go forward with new ideas, admittedly.

Guess why the Wave hadn't been produced any more? same issues...time, money, human resources, market. To expensive, too sensitive, too much risk. It took me years, but I think I've learned my lessons and almost went bankrupt.

Hope this was an honest and exhausting explanation:-))

JM

PS....and I didn't say I would never make another synth...but not likely a SunSyn;)

[cornutt]

syncretism, thanks for the update. Just out of curiousity, I wonder what the VCA is.

[syncretism]

syncretism, thanks for the update. Just out of curiousity, I wonder what the VCA is.

Yeah, I worry that it gives lie to his claim that, as a discrete synth, replacement parts should be available for many years to come. Roll on Sunsyn V 2.

[3vcos]

there a lots of vca chips out there. Its probably a that corp. vca.
Also, the problem isn't getting replacements for dead chips its getting them in the large quantity needed for new sunsyns. If 4-5 are needed to fix a broken sunsysn its probably no big deal. But, if you need 1000 to build 5 sunsyns that quantity won't be available.

[syncretism]

Yeah, I see your point.

[nadafarms]

I REALLY think jomox should make a mono synth, but in a xbase sequencer style! With parameter locks but still just mono.

I think that would truly be a new instrument for music and many would sell, it might even be cheaper to produce that an 888 if it's is just a single monosynth.

Something like a mopho with with hella knobs and a easy to use parameter locking sequencer... dreams...

[Stab Frenzy]

I REALLY think jomox should make a mono synth, but in a xbase sequencer style! With parameter locks but still just mono.

I think that would truly be a new instrument for music and many would sell, it might even be cheaper to produce that an 888 if it's is just a single monosynth.

Something like a mopho with with hella knobs and a easy to use parameter locking sequencer... dreams...

Yeah that would be awesome!

[GeneralBigbag]

That would be fantastic, it would be great to get an analogue/hybrid version of the Monomachine...I guess the spectralis is supposed to be close, but isn't it still in the throes of OS woe?

[syncretism]

That would be fantastic, it would be great to get an analogue/hybrid version of the Monomachine...I guess the spectralis is supposed to be close, but isn't it still in the throes of OS woe?

Those throes seem to be overstated, even with 1.0 approaching.

[nadafarms]

yeah an analog monomachine... droolz

[syncretism]

Thanks to the Monomachine's fairly extensive MIDI implementation {compared to the MD's} and I/O, there's little to stop one from using, say, a JoMoX Sunsyn [edit, keepin' it on topic] as an analogue voice expansion and signal processor {and processing that voice further with the Monomachine}.