DSI Tempest's impressions?

[masstronaut]

Regarding polyphony, the Evolver can be a stand alone synth. But I would miss a sound with reverb from time to time.... it has no reverbs.

It's worth remembering that the Evolver is really a stereo synth. There are left and right signal paths with independent filters and VCAs, even stereo distortion. Can give it a lot of 'space' even if you're just using it for simple mono sounds. I even think they could make a bigger deal of this, it's quite an unusual and very cool arrangement.

[GuyaGuy]

Adding reverb would also take it out of the "all analog signal" category that they tried to maintain. Besides, reverbs are cheap enough. And you have 6 outs so you can route whichever voice you want to your reverb.

[balma]

I mentioned the missing reverb just thinking on a stand alone performance during a 1-2 hours live act, I do not complaint at all about it... Just sending one of the individual outputs to any of my synths and adding reverb...

I mean, if you want to create the get the best of analog and digital worlds together, and marry them under a interface using the best available controllers, and work hard to create the best user interface they could imagine, obviously the thing won't be cheap.

Is a huge effort with a great achievement. Is evident they tested and tested and tested the Tempest under several live performance conditions, and afte5r thinking on almost everything, they delivered an awesome tool for live performance.


Now, the pressure sensitive ribbon controllers are awesome. You can find the two ribbon controllers inside the mod matrix, and assign them multiple parameters at the same time. They response to how hard you press them, and the intensity of the blue lights increase/decrease depending how hard you press the fingers over them. Easy to latch on, and fantastic to create transitions between the patterns. You can program several functions per patch/track, and they change all the parameters at the same time for the whole pattern, or individual tracks. AWESOME!

Let's say you have a 12 tracks pattern. Store it on a pad location. Duplicate it to a second location, and modify any parameter you want, pitch, mod matrix, filters, creating a second version of the first pattern. The slightest change you made to the sounds, is being stored while you are programming. You don't need to save it before changing to a new pattern. Create another one, do the same. You can do this with 16 patterns. Program notes, tweaks, ribbon controllers, wathever comes to your imagination, and changing to another location to compose something new, won't erase the previous changes. When you're done with the 16 patterns, save it as a whole project.

On any previous drum machine I've used, you need to save the pattern before starting a new one, otherwise, the pattern you are editing will replace the previous one. This new concept, is really handy for composing dance music...

A year ago ( oct 1st, 2011):
It is easily the most complex musical instrument we have ever built, a monumental task for a very tiny company.

I just feel like a desesperation, anguish, to learn to use this thing as fast as I can. The only defect of the Tempest, is the owner.... it forces you to remake your mind. Almost all the obstacles I've found before for achieving spontaneous song composition, are gone with this beast. Thank you for making such an incredible instrument!!!!

[GuyaGuy]

So, balma, do you like the Tempest or not?

BTW, I find it strange that DSI go on about the "all analog" signal path when one of the advantages of the machine is that it has both digital and analog oscillators. "It is all analog--except for the digital bits!"

[masstronaut]

Let's say you have a 12 tracks pattern. Store it on a pad location. Duplicate it to a second location, and modify any parameter you want, pitch, mod matrix, filters, creating a second version of the first pattern. The slightest change you made to the sounds, is being stored while you are programming. You don't need to save it before changing to a new pattern. Create another one, do the same. You can do this with 16 patterns. Program notes, tweaks, ribbon controllers, wathever comes to your imagination, and changing to another location to compose something new, won't erase the previous changes. When you're done with the 16 patterns, save it as a whole project.

Yeah this is nice, very immediate. i think the Elektrons work in a similar way. As does the Korg / Nintendo DS-10 (and presumably the iMS-20), which really is an excellently designed bit of kit.

[balma]

Yeah this is nice, very immediate. i think the Elektrons work in a similar way. As does the Korg / Nintendo DS-10 (and presumably the iMS-20), which really is an excellently designed bit of kit.

There are several ways to do this on multiple synths. the function I loved the most from the roland grooveboxes (despite their cheesy sound) , is the pattern map feature. You can take a pattern, change the pitch of each track, sounds, effects used and their amount, delay, pan, etc, and store it on a location. Mute/unmute tracks, change volume, patch assigned to each track, and again, save this third version, and keep going, creating a a continuous mutation of a single pattern, without altering the original one. There are 30 pattern maps of 16 slots each one. This is very handy function for spontaneous song compositions.
But the Tempest allows you modulate every single parameter inside a pattern, without getting worried of saving every single sound you create. In some way it has a infinite amount of patch user locations. Each pattern has its own patch database. This can be done also with Korg Electribes...

I'm totally overwhelmed with it.... it's like having the best things of each live performance synth I've used and loved, and creating a single box with them. I think I'm hooked...

[masstronaut]

But the Tempest allows you modulate every single parameter inside a pattern, without getting worried of saving every single sound you create. In some way it has a infinite amount of patch user locations. Each pattern has its own patch database. This can be done also with Korg Electribes...

Yup. Same with the ones I mentioned, which was kind of why I mentioned them. But I think with the Electribes you need to explicitly save each pattern before changing to another one? Maybe even have to........ STOP THE SEQUENCER

[balma]

You don't have to stop the sequencer, just pressing save. But if you modify a pattern, no matter how, you must store that pattern in a new location in order to keep the changes. That also does not require to press stop, but you must browse for an empty location on the pattern banks.

The command station's main defect, is the relation between patterns and patches. You can't store any change to the patterns. Any change you make to the presets, requires creating a new preset on the User banks.

Bringing the Tempest here, was almost $2600. Luckily, I got an sponsor for such investment, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to afford it...