| Author | Topic: Are white synths cooler than black ones | |||
| Concretefx | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:26 | |||
Hi there
Interesting article I saw at boing boing via MusicThing , Are white synths cooler than black ones What do people think ? All my ones are quite pastel at the moment, should I go monochrome Cheers Jon : COFX | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:29 | |||
white synths cant jump! | ||||
| Concretefx | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:33 | |||
They can bounce though , if you drop them from high enough building , like a dead cat
Cheers Jon : COFX | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:35 | |||
Jon, compared to you I'm hardly in a position to play synth expert. My hypothesis is that the white synth is cooler. Here's an experiment I designed to test this hypothesis. 1) Obtain one white and one black synth. Other than case color, they should be as similar as possible. 2) Attach a thermometer to each. 3) Place them both in the sun. 4) Take thermometer readings over time, until both units' temperatures stabilize. 5) Inspect the results to see whether they support or refute the hypothesis. I predict that you'll find that the white synth will be decidedly cooler, while black synth will be really hot stuff. Of course, all sophisitcated esthetes agree that black synths with white stripes are the best of all! But that wasn't the question. Meffy | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:36 | |||
ok then seeing as your being all dead cat wavin
i like your synths the way they are.i have a problem with my vision and the laid back look to your synths against the grey back ground of orion is cool if they become harshly contrasting i get a headache and cant work as long on a track | ||||
| wrench45us | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:37 | |||
i think that should settle it. if it wasn't for the black keys on my controller i'd never notice how dusty it can get in just a few days. i think the same would apply to white or black synths. but white are so hard to keep clean. and they may not age well Dell and others have switched their computer cases from that warm grey cause it didn't age well (turned yellow and the yellower it got the more you knew your system was obsolete) Now the new boxes are all black -- and show the dust. | ||||
| jones-y | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:39 | |||
White synths have smaller pitch bend sticks | ||||
| plastique | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:40 | |||
white looks more 'classy' and black has often a more 'dark/mean touch' , which both has it's attractiveness .
i'd rather go with a user definable choice . with hardware it's not so easy but if it would work like with mobiles and their exchangeable front this could be nice as well . with software that's already quite common to be able to change the gui/skin . | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:41 | |||
Tell me about it! I love my white M-Tron, but you should see the coffee stains and cigarette burns... Seriously, for a change: I don't particularly care what color a synth is, as long as it sounds great. If it happens to look magNIFicent too, well, that's icing on the cake. Chocolate, lemon, cherry icing? All good. Vurt's comments about contrast and eye fatigue make a lot of sense. I don't suffer from this, but have other vision troubles (ones that can't be fixed with a color scheme adjustment, worse luck!). Meffy | ||||
| nuffink | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:44 | |||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:48 | |||
| wrench45us | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:50 | |||
there is something that's just so cool about a highly lacquered white guitar, but I guess that's a very different story | ||||
| nuffink | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:51 | |||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:52 | |||
"Strong enough for a man... but made for a woman." Sorry, Jon, I'll stop now. | ||||
| mystahr | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:53 | |||
I have a purple one that is cooler then any | ||||
| M'Snah | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:54 | |||
... | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 8th December 2004 11:55 | |||
| Concretefx | Posted: 8th December 2004 12:03 | |||
Maybe I should go for the Disaster Areas look
'Every time I press one of these black controls, labelled in black on a black background, a little black light lights up black to let me know I've done it.' Sorry that was so geeky Cheers Jon : COFX | ||||
| ianweb123 | Posted: 8th December 2004 12:11 | |||
Why don't you try it in Black & White... perhaps you could start with the keyboard | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 12:30 | |||
Hey, anyone who quotes the HHGG is an allrightnik by me! BTW, my pitch bend stick isn't very big. Would I feel more manly if I drove mod wheels? Meffy | ||||
| Steven West | Posted: 8th December 2004 12:43 | |||
I go by the saying James Brown and Mums Mabley taught me...
"Once you go 'black', you never go back" "...Say it loud! I'm black and I'm proud!" | ||||
| mystahr | Posted: 8th December 2004 12:47 | |||
Now why is Curtis all of a sudden singing in my mind | ||||
| Peel | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:08 | |||
This is an excellent question, and I did some experiments to investigate.
I started with a black Odyssey: everybody knows they just don't have the sound of the white ones, but I wanted to see how much I could improve the sound by changing the colour. I started with some leftover white housepaint I had in the garage and gave it a quick coat. I let it dry & gave it a play. There was a definite effect on the clarity & brightness of the sound, but the treble was a little harsh and grating. Obviously I would need a better-quality paint, so I decided to try some artists' oil colours. This created an immediate improvement, giving a more refined sound that I think would be well-suited for baroque music or progressive rock. The sound was warm, but perhaps because of the oil content of the paint, it was slightly lacking in punch and crispness, and I would not recommend this type of paint for punk music. At this point, I was intrigued and decided to see just how much I could improve the sound of my synth by painting it. I placed an order for some audiophile-grade paint at my favourite online vendor. While some philistines might balk at the idea of spending $300 per ounce on paint, my opinion is that if you're not willing to make this modest investment, you should really ask yourself how much your music really means to you. As soon as the new paint dried, I tried it out. It was like a whole new instrument. The sound had a presence I had never felt before. The bass was warm and full without being muddy, while the highs were clear and pure without being too sharp. The stereo image was phenomenal, and I could hear each overtone and subharmonic distinctly. While I was blown away by the quantum leap in sound quality, I was sure that I could make further improvements over this simple out-of-the-box paint job. I noticed that the sound seemed balanced slightly to the left -- surely this was a problem with the original synth itself that had been unnoticed before the paint mod. I remedied it by putting a little more paint on the right side of the synth. I also decided that the filters were now a little TOO hi-fi and perfect-sounding for my liking, so I mixed some of the artists' paint in with the audiophile paint and some old paint shavings from an original Rembrandt, at a 5:7:3 ratio, and repainted the filter knobs. Finally my filter movements had the depth of character deserving of a vintage synth. I've only touched the surface of the sorts of audio enhancements possible with quality audio paint, but quite simply the difference is so staggering, with such a relatively low investment, that there's really no reason not to do this. If you put some audiophile paint on your instrument, and you can't hear the difference... well, maybe you don't want to. If you're still wanting more, here are some tips for further improvements: - for best results, the paint must set (dry) in an audio-friendly way at the low-structural/molecular level. The easiest way to do this is by setting the freshly-painted instrument next to your hi-fi speakers and playing an appropriate musical selection at medium volume while the paint dries. The vibrations of the sound waves and the instrument's body will create a musical resonance in the paint, properly aligning the pigment for optimal audio performance. A 24-hour exposure should be sufficient. - Give careful thought to the container or palette used to hold the paint. A margarine tub or low-quality tupperware container will obviously NOT yield audiophile-quality results. A pure crystal decanter (most experts recommend 19th century French crystal with medium lead content, but some report acceptable results with late-18th century crystal) is a good basic container. If sound quality is REALLY important to you, however, than you really need to hold your paint in a human skull. The paint's inner structure will align itself with the shape and texture of the skull, and of course since the skull -- and the sensory organs it holds -- is key in how we perceive sound, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that this will help a LOT. If possible, try to acquire the skull of an accomplished musician or composer, as their skull shapes are more attuned to sound. - this tip is for EXPERT AUDIOPHILES ONLY -- remember that audiophile-grade paint has been perfectly tuned by EXPERTS for best performance, and I recommend making any changes to the composition of the paint. That being said, certain materials obviously affect the sound of your paint. For example, one musician was unsatisfied with the sound of the "brass" patches on his DX7. I suggested a coat of soft-to-medium yellow cream audiophile paint, augmented with some metal filings. Copper is a good metal to start with, and convenient source of copper filings, is of course, that jar of pennies sitting on your dresser. For even better results, you could try a higher-quality coin, like dimes, or perhaps a quarter-nickel mixture. Of course, if you're serious about your music, you'll probably want to think about a baseline no lower than, say, a confederate-era silver dollar. If you can't hear the difference between high-quality and consumer-grade coins, I suggest you get your ears checked. I've had excellent results with 1642 and 1653 Spanish doubloons, but if the quality of your instrument merits it, I would seriously consider trying to acquire some ancient Greek or Mesopotamian coins. You really owe it to yourself to do this. Other substances that usually enhance the effect of audiophile paint: - diamond dust - certain high-quality hardwoods such as Micronesian bambertree - chrome shavings from a Rolex watch band - Action Comics #1 Hope this helps... Seriously, though, white synths ARE cooler. | ||||
| Midiworks | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:08 | |||
I don't know about synth,
but black girls are for sure hotter then white girls. | ||||
| Lady J | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:22 | |||
I'll be sure to remember that Steven As for the fruity vibrator collection, just add batteries and who needs a man!? | ||||
| Concretefx | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:29 | |||
A related question is
Can blue men sing the whites ? Cheers Jon : COFX | ||||
| jones-y | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:30 | |||
Well that makes white girls cooler then... | ||||
| farlukar | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:31 | |||
It's not just a vibrator, it's an iBratorŪ. Feel Different. | ||||
| Lady J | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:44 | |||
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| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:51 | |||
| clueless | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:52 | |||
aye love, but who's going to change the batteries for ya? | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 13:56 | |||
Watch out, clueless:
Nightstar flashlight -- no batteries -- shake it to charge! =@.@= Aieee, our days are numbered! Meffy in fact, I have a whole calendar full of numbered days | ||||
| cptgone | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:00 | |||
So... what does that mean for an emancipated man, who having discovered his g-spot, cherishes his Tarzan like it was a - excusez le mot - plug-in (no, I don't mean a butt plug)? You're saying he could replace himself with a vibrator? What use would his Tarzan be than? Will the demand for vibrators make them redundant in the end Maybe we need self-reproducing vibrators, like the dildo called gw bush. | ||||
| Steven West | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:02 | |||
| clueless | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:06 | |||
I suppose there's more to life than being shoved up someone's vag. There must be. isn't there?! [:panic:] | ||||
| cptgone | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:10 | |||
robots are! soon men will be extinct due to pollution. every girl will get the robohunk of her dreams! of course they will have to make the robot batteries big enough to last a lifetime. | ||||
| ianweb123 | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:16 | |||
Black cats are hotter... but perhaps thats just because I'm not turning the spit fast enough | ||||
| clueless | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:19 | |||
*beep*
I... AM... A... RO.. BOT... | ||||
| pHz | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:24 | |||
*BAA*
I ... AM ... A ... RO ... BOT ... SHEEP ... slainte | ||||
| ugo | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:24 | |||
thought the blue man group members do not speak during performance (they'll use pre-recorded speach and singers)...they are most definitely *not* what i would consider to be a mime act. their silence and lack of facial expressions during performance just makes them seem more quirky and robotic. but back on topic... white synths can be cool, but they tend to sound a bit nasal. and everyone knows white sequencers have bad timing and poor groove/swing control. -ugo | ||||
| clueless | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:36 | |||
rather you than me, mate! look out! a robot sheep-shagger approacheth! | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:40 | |||
Matter of definitions, which can legitimately vary among people. They certainly aren't Marcel Marceau-style "Bip"s! My idea of mime is fairly broad, and includes acts like Shields and Yarnell, for example -- I've never seen humans ape apes so well as they could! Or Harpo Marx, or certain silent film actors such as Charlie Chaplin. Likewise, Red Skelton did some impressive mime work... but I never particularly liked Red. To me, a rough definition of "mime" might be "a performing act depending on gesture, expression, and posture, rather than voice, to communicate; distinct from dance, as it's not generally rhythmically based." Rough, as I said. And lots of performances blur the lines among drama, mime, acrobatics, dance, and... erm, otherstuffs. Cirque du Soleil, anyone? But as I said, this isn't meant as a refuation of your statement. IMO, everyone's got their own ideas on this kind of thing. When it comes to the arts, I think it's perefectly all right for everyone to draw their own lines. Meffy | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:41 | |||
You've just made a phildickian android very happy. Meffy | ||||
| clueless | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:44 | |||
another literary question answered! | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 14:57 | |||
Pleased to have been of service. *bow* I'm guessing you've already filled in the blanks but for anyone mystified by the exchange, here's the goods. "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by the ever-incisive, always provocative Phil Dick is the book that became the movie "Blade Runner." Meffy | ||||
| foosnark | Posted: 8th December 2004 16:16 | |||
They can't be mimes because (A) they're fuckin' cool | ||||
| Karma_tba | Posted: 8th December 2004 16:28 | |||
Does anyone else miss the days when KVR's focus was on music production and served as a great resource site? I'm so sick of the hardware/software fanboys,childish pranks,and hoaxs,and especially stupid threads like this.This is KVR!!! not AOL!!! | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 16:28 | |||
Ah, but they're goooood mimes! Just like in Oz, where there are good witches and bad witches.
Concerning your item (B): you haven't seen their Centrino ads, then? Meffy | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 8th December 2004 16:30 | |||
Glad you added to it. Meffy hard/soft fanboy, depending P.S.: Read all four pages, didn't you? | ||||
| splattabreakz | Posted: 8th December 2004 17:59 | |||
dead cats lose their elasticity once mort. live cats on the other hand can bounce about 15% of the height they were dropped even from as high as 78 metres (any more and gravity denies them). please check your facts before posting such misinformation next time. | ||||
| McLilith | Posted: 8th December 2004 18:06 | |||
KvR is still a great resource site, focusing on music production using software and related technologies. There is definitely a variety of subjects being discussed here, not all of which fall into your preferred category, but that doesn't mean KvR no longer functions as a serious resource. Think of it this way: There's something here for almost everyone. I would hate to see KvR become a stale, uptight institution with a very narrow focus. We have Analog Heaven and Digital Hell for that. take care, McLilith | ||||
| McLilith | Posted: 8th December 2004 18:27 | |||
As for synth color, I think white is alright, but clear is the coolest.
Gleeman Pentaphonic Clear - Link 1 Gleeman Pentaphonic Clear - Link 2 Gleeman Pentaphonic Clear - Link 3 I used to work as a tech, for a dealer that sold some of the Gleeman Pentaphonics. It's been several years ago, and my memory's fuzzy, but I think the dealer sold a few of the clear ones. I definitely remember seeing the black models, including seeing the insides of one of the black ones. Unfortunately, I didn't get much chance to actually play with one. I only heard them briefly, but I definitely remember liking them at the time. take care, McLilith | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 8th December 2004 18:30 | |||
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| foosnark | Posted: 8th December 2004 18:34 | |||
Nope... would that require watching television? | ||||
| Lady J | Posted: 8th December 2004 23:06 | |||
Look, I like Albino as much as anyone. I even made that DnB demo for it some time ago but all this talk of white synths vs ones what were historically black is starting to concern me. I mean what happens when this new beauty standard starts to be broadcast at every moment to these poor black synths. Why they might just get out a jar of bleach having felt inferior to their whiter counterparts... sad but then even the black keys might turn white and that would just be confusing and jarring..
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43/152.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4032837.stm Lil Kim from http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com/archives/003769.html For the LOVE OF GOD STOP THE MADNESS!!!! Before After: | ||||
| saulc12 | Posted: 8th December 2004 23:47 | |||
As a founder member (in fact the only member) of the racial equality for synths commitee I must strongly protest at this kind of blatent colour prejudice. Al synths be they black, white, grey or amber should have their coolness measured entirely on their ability to go 'woop woop', to dance and to make a really tasty steak sandwich (or tofu sandwich for our vegitarian synth brethren - not to imply that all synths are male).
May synths of all shapes, sizes, genders, ages and colours hold hands around the world... | ||||
| saulc12 | Posted: 8th December 2004 23:50 | |||
If you have a purple one my advice is not to squeeze so hard - although at least the lack of blood flow would explain why it is so cool... hihi | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 9th December 2004 06:25 | |||
Oh? And why, if I may ask, do you discriminate against synths that go "parp?" >:-O Meffy | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 9th December 2004 06:28 | |||
Absolutely. I don't care to participate in the infinite number of T2 hoax threads; those got tired really quickly IMO. But that's the luck of the draw. Life's not nearly as much fun if you know just what will happen day after day. Give me some chaos along with the predictable! ... and give me one of those clear synths, while you're at it. Mmmm! Sound? Who cares? That's purrrrty. Meffy live skunk, non-droppable | ||||
| Marc JX8P | Posted: 9th December 2004 06:34 | |||
White synths may be cool - but have any of you ever noticed that black keys do tend to sound cooler than the white ones? | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 9th December 2004 06:40 | |||
Don't y'all make me start singing "Ebony and Ivory." Believe me, you wouldn't like it, even typed on a screen! Meffy | ||||
| wrench45us | Posted: 9th December 2004 06:41 | |||
i think way back in my garage band days there was version of the Farfisa or similar console organ that came with the black keys and white keys reversed
you know, for the shock value it was kind of startling | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 9th December 2004 06:44 | |||
yep
i put a photo up a while ago,people thought id photoshopped it | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 9th December 2004 06:45 | |||
| Meffy | Posted: 9th December 2004 07:58 | |||
Hammond B3's got black and white reversed on the left-most "octave" of keys on each rank. They're not note-playing keys, they bring up the vintage hardware equivalents of soft synth presets.
Meffy | ||||
| wrench45us | Posted: 9th December 2004 08:05 | |||
if i squint my eyes it almost look's like Vurt's picture is a dual console reversed keys whatzit. | ||||
| gcsmoney | Posted: 9th December 2004 08:05 | |||
The rumors are true, I tried a black synth, and I could never turn back!!!
Being dyslexic is as easy as 3-1-2!! | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 9th December 2004 08:06 | |||
youll have to give cluesless a nudge for the actual model,but i think it was a vox farsifa if i remember correctly? | ||||
| whyterabbyt | Posted: 9th December 2004 08:17 | |||
I thought it was the Vox Continental that had reversed keys; my mate bought one when he left school... (many years ago)
Anyway, I currently like purple synths: http://www.redsound.com/products/darkstar/indexxp2.htm | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 9th December 2004 08:40 | |||
yeah like i can remember exactly you saw the state of me the day that photo was took | ||||
| whyterabbyt | Posted: 9th December 2004 08:42 | |||
Shellshocked from wakin' up next to Donkey? | ||||
| vurt | Posted: 9th December 2004 08:44 | |||
ah you bastard id had therapy and forgotten about that | ||||
| whyterabbyt | Posted: 9th December 2004 08:52 | |||
| ianweb123 | Posted: 9th December 2004 09:39 | |||
| vurt | Posted: 9th December 2004 09:46 | |||
| wrench45us | Posted: 9th December 2004 09:58 | |||
http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/organ/contmkII.html
Vox Vontinental MK II amazing what google can find http://www.hollowsun.com/vintage/vox_conti/
that sound continues its appeal for 'surf' and 'beatnik' music | ||||
| clueless | Posted: 9th December 2004 10:03 | |||
it SAYS it's a Vox Continental 300 - but I've never seen another 300 like it. Mine has a row of preset tabs (like "Vox", "Mood", "Club", and even "Jaaath"!) plus percussion tabs. It's been rather heavily gigged though, and is currently being given a thorough overhaul - I want it back now! | ||||
| McLilith | Posted: 9th December 2004 10:25 | |||
Yes, the Vox Continental has reverse colored keys. However, I have a two-keyboard Super Continental organ that doesn't match any Vox pictures I've seen on the internet. The ones on the internet simply have reversed keys on both keyboards. Mine, has a reversed top keyboard like those have, but my lower keyboard is different. The left end of my lower keyboard is reverse colored in the area where you can play the bass notes, but the majority of my lower keyboard is all black. That's right, both sharps and naturals are black. I think the monochromatic look of that section is pretty cool looking. Here's a look at a typical Vox Super Continental: http://fr.audiofanzine.com/produits/index,idproduit,44895.html Here's a look at mine, opened up for tuning. You can see part of the "all-black" section of the lower keyboard in this photo: take care, McLilith | ||||
| wrench45us | Posted: 9th December 2004 10:32 | |||
my impressions from having played in bands during that era was the Farfisa was the most popular transistor organ in use
but I found a site that cites all sorts of interview and performance photo evidence that it was various models of the Vox Continental that was most used -- Animals, Doors, early Pink Floyd, etc etc. and th ererason, getting back to topic, it wasn't just the superior sound, it was those black keys | ||||
| saulc12 | Posted: 9th December 2004 10:33 | |||
No, parp is acceptible as are ping, splop and brrrr... in fact so long as the noises made are mot accompanied by unpleasent gaseous emissions then one and all are welcome at the glorious melting pot buffet... | ||||
| Meffy | Posted: 9th December 2004 10:43 | |||
Cool. Speaking of pot, melting and otherwise, I'm big on Jimmy Buffett myself. Meffy son of a son of a mephit | ||||
| clueless | Posted: 9th December 2004 12:52 | |||
The blame for my ownership of a Continental lies fairly and squarely with The Banana Splits | ||||
| whyterabbyt | Posted: 9th December 2004 13:11 | |||
clueless
The blame for my ownership of a Continental lies fairly and squarely with The Banana Splits Fucking A. Possibly the best reason anyone could ever give for owning anything.... | ||||
| clueless | Posted: 9th December 2004 13:19 | |||
1970's Saturday morning TV - I'm scarred forever! I still don't have an Argocat though... | ||||
| ianweb123 | Posted: 9th December 2004 13:22 | |||
I'd rather get on board with the double deckers | ||||
| wrench45us | Posted: 9th December 2004 13:22 | |||
banana splits
the Hanna Barbera cartoon ? http://12121.hostinguk.com/banana.htm interesting that google lists first a uk site for them must have made a deep and abiding influence in the uk | ||||
| clueless | Posted: 9th December 2004 13:28 | |||
ahh, but they didn't have a Vox Continental | ||||
| ianweb123 | Posted: 9th December 2004 13:29 | |||
Nope , but they had a Token American | ||||
| clueless | Posted: 9th December 2004 13:33 | |||
is that good? | ||||
| fishbowl.tucson.az | Posted: 9th December 2004 13:42 | |||
I was always jealous, because I got the impression from the show that they lived at Six Flags, a local amusement park between Dallas and Fort Worth Texas. Most of their skits were filmed there. All of the intro sequence was filmed there. Kind of pulls my heartstrings a bit to see this, since every one of the rides and all the scenery featured in the show is long gone. Guess there's Six Flags parks all over the place now, but that one is and always will be the original. | ||||
| tetraplan | Posted: 9th December 2004 16:28 | |||
Oh... ...no. Groet, Erik |



























