Hypersynth Xenophone Analog Monosynth
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 8414 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
I just found this analog Mono synth while browsing the current 30% offers for their vsts. So far I am really liking the sound of the demos *Even if they are a bit on the EDM side*. Anyone else check it out?
So far it looks like you get a lot for $900.00 for a small analog synth but will it be enough to attract people from going for other competitively priced analog monosynths? I really like the VST integration they are offering with it.
*Update* I've had a listen to all the demos and so far I noticed it can do some pretty nice sounds. I would love to hear more SFX style demos though that show off ways to abuse the built in mod system.
Here is a quick run down from their site
"Xenophone is an advanced analog mono-synth with 100% analog signal path. It has three oscillators, two subs, three ring modulators, one multimode VCF and analog distortion, all based on discrete analog circuits followed by a high quality stereo digital delay and reverb. The extensive modulation capabilities of the sound engine plus the warm and unique character of Xen's filter enriched by built-in analog distortion make it the best choice for creating deep basses, aggressive leads, transparent and crisp synth lines, acid sequences, complex arpeggios, punchy percussive sounds, extreme SFXs and more. Besides the synthesis capabilities, it can be used as a powerful audio processor to colorize an external input signal by analog filter, distortion and DFX."
Audio demos
http://www.hypersynth.com/xenophone/audio_demo.html
So far it looks like you get a lot for $900.00 for a small analog synth but will it be enough to attract people from going for other competitively priced analog monosynths? I really like the VST integration they are offering with it.
*Update* I've had a listen to all the demos and so far I noticed it can do some pretty nice sounds. I would love to hear more SFX style demos though that show off ways to abuse the built in mod system.
Here is a quick run down from their site
"Xenophone is an advanced analog mono-synth with 100% analog signal path. It has three oscillators, two subs, three ring modulators, one multimode VCF and analog distortion, all based on discrete analog circuits followed by a high quality stereo digital delay and reverb. The extensive modulation capabilities of the sound engine plus the warm and unique character of Xen's filter enriched by built-in analog distortion make it the best choice for creating deep basses, aggressive leads, transparent and crisp synth lines, acid sequences, complex arpeggios, punchy percussive sounds, extreme SFXs and more. Besides the synthesis capabilities, it can be used as a powerful audio processor to colorize an external input signal by analog filter, distortion and DFX."
Audio demos
http://www.hypersynth.com/xenophone/audio_demo.html
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- KVRAF
- 15517 posts since 13 Oct, 2009
All "analog signal path" + "analog drift" = DCO based synth. Nothing wrong with that, per se, but you should know that when comparing. Still, some nice features for a DCO synth.
http://www.kvraudio.com/news/hypersynth ... ynth-23669
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/electron ... phone.html
The oscillators sound interesting, the filter varies from weird to over the top, but it's not giving me that wonderful feeling. Still, this is a somewhat different instrument with quite a few features and it's not all that expensive.
- first DCO based synth with “phase reset”, “phase adjustment” and “FM”! We didn’t make them bold because it would be mistaken with a “wave-table oscillator” or another terms like “digital-oscillators” … .
- DCO can be tuned precisely in microtonal range (0.001 cent) regarding the reference clock generator circuit that is based on FPGA not a microprocessor. Drift feature models VCO pitch unstability.
- Drift algorithm is different per oscillators for emulating components tolerance, temperature variation and power rail noise.
http://www.kvraudio.com/news/hypersynth ... ynth-23669
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/electron ... phone.html
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- KVRAF
- 7874 posts since 24 May, 2002 from Tutukaka, New Zealand
That sounds like it has quite a bit of potential. I listened to those 3 demos, and the first one nearly turned me off it - all the usual nothing-different-stock-analogue boring stuff. Then the 2nd one made me prick my ears up. Sounded like a decent oscillator sync going on (unless they were toning down some ringmod, but it sounded like osc sync to me. You can make the two sound very similar on some synths). You still don't see osc sync often enough on synths even today. Last one I had was a JX3p, and I absolutely loved the sync on that synth. Better than the JP6 even, although obviously more limited. And when they started to introduce some pitched weirdness and distortion, it started to shine.
I just might have to check it out properly (although have to say I don't like the actual look of the synth). But definite sonic potential. DCOs don't bother me, as it's the filter and mod features that give a synth its character anyway. I think DCOs got a bad name only because they were featured on quite a few synths that actually were quite dull and very limited (Junos etc). I've played plain DCOs through things like MS20s and they can really make you moist. Shit, you can even make a 106 sound good by putting it through an MS20 . And although the filters on this Xenophone thingy sound a little on the bland side to me, it has enough other quirks to make it sing I suspect. Distort anything and it makes filters sound better.
I just might have to check it out properly (although have to say I don't like the actual look of the synth). But definite sonic potential. DCOs don't bother me, as it's the filter and mod features that give a synth its character anyway. I think DCOs got a bad name only because they were featured on quite a few synths that actually were quite dull and very limited (Junos etc). I've played plain DCOs through things like MS20s and they can really make you moist. Shit, you can even make a 106 sound good by putting it through an MS20 . And although the filters on this Xenophone thingy sound a little on the bland side to me, it has enough other quirks to make it sing I suspect. Distort anything and it makes filters sound better.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 8414 posts since 4 Jul, 2012 from Alesia
Yah it is inaccurate since i looked up the specs on some of the listed synths, but at least it gives you a decent overview of what you get.Kriminal wrote:That chart is wrong, at least 2 of those have DCO's.
- KVRAF
- 2946 posts since 31 Jan, 2003 from Ghent, Belgium
And the Bass Station has a sine, for both OSCs and the sub.
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- KVRAF
- 15517 posts since 13 Oct, 2009
I don't know if you're being funny, but, four have DCOs. The Bass Station II, the Pulse 2, the Xenophone, and the Mopho are all DCO based synths. Only the Moog and the MFB are VCO based synths.Kriminal wrote:That chart is wrong, at least 2 of those have DCO's.
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- Banned
- 18651 posts since 2 Oct, 2001 from England
I was being funny in this sense: if they cannot get their facts right, the comparison table is pointlessghettosynth wrote:I don't know if you're being funny, but, four have DCOs. The Bass Station II, the Pulse 2, the Xenophone, and the Mopho are all DCO based synths. Only the Moog and the MFB are VCO based synths.Kriminal wrote:That chart is wrong, at least 2 of those have DCO's.
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- KVRAF
- 15517 posts since 13 Oct, 2009
Certainly, however, they like DSI, are trying to be coy with the "all analog signal path" and they aren't talking about DCOs. This is really a shame because they have, AFAIK, implemented a fairly decent DCO. No, it's still not a VCO, but it sounds pretty good and they have made an effort to overcome, somewhat, some of the limitations of DCOS.Kriminal wrote:I was being funny in this sense: if they cannot get their facts right, the comparison table is pointlessghettosynth wrote:I don't know if you're being funny, but, four have DCOs. The Bass Station II, the Pulse 2, the Xenophone, and the Mopho are all DCO based synths. Only the Moog and the MFB are VCO based synths.Kriminal wrote:That chart is wrong, at least 2 of those have DCO's.
But, they don't want to put that in the table because then they don't look as good as Moog and MFB. These tables are a marketing device and the goal is to put in the features that makes your product sound like the best choice. So, in that sense, I agree with you, the table is rather pointless. They're less so from a feature comparison point of view where the details are less important. But with a synth, it's not that much unlike digital filter technology, the details matter. When a hardware vendor is afraid to talk about the details because they're trying to hide the fact that it isn't all analog, they aren't going to be able to articulate why their digital is better than someone else's digital.
On edit: The vendor didn't make the chart, someone independent did.
Last edited by ghettosynth on Sat Mar 15, 2014 4:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRian
- 580 posts since 6 Jun, 2009
So they have a few more features, for twice the price...
(if you went used you could get three mophos for the price of one of these.. or two and a moogerfooger ring mod and eliminate one of their complaints)
(if you went used you could get three mophos for the price of one of these.. or two and a moogerfooger ring mod and eliminate one of their complaints)
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- KVRAF
- 15517 posts since 13 Oct, 2009
You see, you're falling into the synth=features trap. Details matter. Not all filters are equal not all oscillators are equal. The features of their DCOs are not really captured well by that table.Ashe37 wrote:So they have a few more features, for twice the price...
(if you went used you could get three mophos for the price of one of these.. or two and a moogerfooger ring mod and eliminate one of their complaints)
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- KVRAF
- 15517 posts since 13 Oct, 2009
I hear you, but that's really just another variant of the same argument. Not that I'm not right there with you, there aren't many monosynths that I'd pay $900 for, in fact, I don't think that I've ever spent that much on a monosynth.Ashe37 wrote:No, at this point i'm just not going to be that impressed by a $900 analog monosynth. Price is the exact reason I don't have a Pulse 2 already.
That said, I think that some $900 monosynths are worth far more than two DSI mophos. In fact, I'm not sure that any DCO monosynth currently in production is worth $900 to me and that's not just DCO snobbery. DCO based monosynths are just less flexible and that's why you buy a monosynth in the first place. Polysynths really complicate routing and switching and that drives down the flexibility.
I tell you, I think that a pair of minibrutes would kick ass over a lot of what's in that list. I've been seriously thinking about getting one just because I think that it's a fantastic instrument.
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- Banned
- 18651 posts since 2 Oct, 2001 from England
It isghettosynth wrote:
I tell you, I think that a pair of minibrutes would kick ass over a lot of what's in that list. I've been seriously thinking about getting one just because I think that it's a fantastic instrument.