KVR Hardware ThinkTank, because the industry is always to late !

Anything about hardware musical instruments.
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Are you guys also full of inspiration and ideas how your ideal instrument should be?
Sure you must have come (daily?) in situations where you think: Why don't they make it like this or so or so?

Maybe we should let the industry know what our whishlists are for Santa?
What do you dream of?
Last edited by godly on Sun May 11, 2014 10:42 am, edited 2 times in total.
My sounddesign: Synth1/Ex5/D-50 patches https://goo.gl/zE3pkk
My stuff: W10x64i7 15" laptop, Reaper/Cantabile3+Synth1+Avenger on stage+NordStage2+Samson Graphite 49
Loving new VPS Avenger! Check my skins! https://goo.gl/MBNJHj

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As for me, this is my wish.
A former post from me: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 0&t=382808
It would be very intresting to have a low budget Neko.
A good computer, with a touchscreen and good soundcard
Image
My sounddesign: Synth1/Ex5/D-50 patches https://goo.gl/zE3pkk
My stuff: W10x64i7 15" laptop, Reaper/Cantabile3+Synth1+Avenger on stage+NordStage2+Samson Graphite 49
Loving new VPS Avenger! Check my skins! https://goo.gl/MBNJHj

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See, these guys have seen the need !
http://www.musiccomputing.com/studioblade
Image
My sounddesign: Synth1/Ex5/D-50 patches https://goo.gl/zE3pkk
My stuff: W10x64i7 15" laptop, Reaper/Cantabile3+Synth1+Avenger on stage+NordStage2+Samson Graphite 49
Loving new VPS Avenger! Check my skins! https://goo.gl/MBNJHj

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godly wrote:See, these guys have seen the need !
http://www.musiccomputing.com/studioblade
The company formed by the guy who designed the Neko have seen the need to make a cheap Neko?

They've only got one 'cheap' option, btw, which is $1400 with a touchscreen, and offers a dual celeron processor, which is about as powerful as a $300 desktop.

Plus the system on the page you link to, the Musicblade4, cant actually be configured on their store with their spec they say (16-core Xeon), but they starts at $4500 for a 4-core system with 8Gb of RAM, and rises rapidly to over $15,000 for the closest you can actually get to that spec (2x 6-core Xeon, 192Gb RAM etc).
NOT a cheap Neko.
my other modular synth is a bugbrand

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Hm, correct, I just saw the idea, not the specifications.
But I think this setup would be very succesfull:
- a decent midi controller
- with build in low latency audiocard (4ch at least, so you can connect a second synth to it on stage)
- decent PC in it (or mac)
- touchscreen built in or easy attachement or laptop stand on it.
- all very good stage quality, not home studio plastic
- Good quality of connectors (I'm still having a chill from my M-Audio experience, very toyish quality audio connectors)

This would be very welcome.
If they make a good product at a nice price, I'm the first to buy.

I now have this setup:
- Samson Graphite 49
- Terrasonic x64 audio card
- Nord Stage 2
- Nice Laptop

It's very handy that the Samson and terrasonic are both USB powered, and I can connect my Nord on the audio card, so, only 2 lines out and not much wirering on stage :)

After all we live in 2014, computers make the music, hard synth (with computers in it) or to much a closed environment. I need to be able to take my creations and sounds to any PC. So that I'm not attached to a brand or specific hard ware.
My sounddesign: Synth1/Ex5/D-50 patches https://goo.gl/zE3pkk
My stuff: W10x64i7 15" laptop, Reaper/Cantabile3+Synth1+Avenger on stage+NordStage2+Samson Graphite 49
Loving new VPS Avenger! Check my skins! https://goo.gl/MBNJHj

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Given the churn in PC mainboards etc, and the fact that the low unit sales versus cost of tooling up for any custom enclosure and fitting the parts adds massively to the cost of these things compared to a generic PC/separate keyboard, I wonder if the solution might just be to produce a relatively generic keyboard controller which will work standalone, but also includes space and port extenders to fit any off-the shelf, cased, Intel NUC unit into it.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ ... rview.html

Although before that, I'd like to see modular keyboard controllers; something you could plug your own configuration of knobs, sliders, pads, touchstrips, buttons, XY controllers into.
my other modular synth is a bugbrand

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You already started a thread about this a while back. As I stated then. One big reason that its not economically viable for consumer production is type approval for interference from FCC/CE. You have to get this to sell any device that has PC/Microcontroller inside. To get this costs tens of 1000s. You need the whole system certified, PC, cabling, anything connected to it internally. FCC apporoval for a unit inside dosnt count. This will add considerably to the cost of the unit making it seem overly expensive as companies that tried this already found to their cost. Why start a thread and ignore information?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_Declar ... Conformity

Theres nothings anyone making their own for home use. Selling them and trying to make a profit is another matter. Its been tried many times and mostly fails due to being too expensive.
Last edited by UltraJv on Sun May 11, 2014 12:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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UltraJv wrote:You already started a thread about this a while back.
This thread here is about all instruments.
My sounddesign: Synth1/Ex5/D-50 patches https://goo.gl/zE3pkk
My stuff: W10x64i7 15" laptop, Reaper/Cantabile3+Synth1+Avenger on stage+NordStage2+Samson Graphite 49
Loving new VPS Avenger! Check my skins! https://goo.gl/MBNJHj

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godly wrote:
UltraJv wrote:You already started a thread about this a while back.
This thread here is about all instruments.

Its the same as the one you started a year ago :

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 5#p5366555

It dosnt matter what you call the device. If it has a CPU - It HAS to have FCC/CE approval. Your title suggests the industry havnt done it. Many tried and failed due to cost. Arturia have one of their own. All their synths in one box Look at the price - USD 3200 :

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/pro ... intro.html

Theres a similar thread here :

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5744212

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Perhaps if the keyboard was configured to accept rack computers, it would on one hand slightly avoid the problem of premature obsolescence, while also easing fcc licensing requirements. Even if mobo form factors and power supply configs completely change, perhaps the spec least likely to change is the 19" rack mount spec?

Unless things have changed, the FCC thang is onerous. Long ago when partnered in a company making little midi interfaces, it cost $5000 to $10,000 for certification on each new model. And the silly interfaces barely had any parts in them at all.

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I've often thought that starr labs should slot out laptop space to the left of it's 24x24 board.

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I'm sure Harvey Starr would do it if enough money was involved.
Synapse Audio Dune 3 I'm in love

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godly wrote:As for me, this is my wish.
A former post from me: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 0&t=382808
It would be very intresting to have a low budget Neko.
A good computer, with a touchscreen and good soundcard
Image
It exists. It's called the Korg Kronos. It runs Linux. But it only has an Atom because that's how you make money on what is a very low-volume computer.

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Gamma-UT wrote:
godly wrote:As for me, this is my wish.
A former post from me: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 0&t=382808
It would be very intresting to have a low budget Neko.
A good computer, with a touchscreen and good soundcard
Image
It exists. It's called the Korg Kronos. It runs Linux. But it only has an Atom because that's how you make money on what is a very low-volume computer.
Exactly. $4500 for an equivalent setup with maybe quad core fast intel cpu, 16gb memory and a 500 gb SSD would be a no-brainer steal, especially if built roadworthy. Especially if korg engineers would install their kronos software and soundware on it. :)

Am guessing that if running off the shelf winders OS and off the shelf music software, it would need every bit of all that extra horsepower to be "about the same performance" as that kronos atom microboard running the kronos software.

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MIDI controller keyboard with solid, consistent, reliable key action and aftertouch.

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bvc wrote:MIDI controller keyboard with solid, consistent, reliable key action and aftertouch.
Yes this but with the whole Arturia beatstep goodness going on as well, the onboard step sequencer (up to 64 steps this time) and the whole CV in/out setup with hmmm at least 2 seperate MIDI outs plus In and Thru. It should also have nice chunky pitch and mod wheels with the pitch range being able to have different values for both the up and down movements. 9 faders would be obligatory and then last but not least (something quite unheard of)a built in DMX512 interface.
Just make the music that you enjoy (failing that go for a walk, watch some porn, have a fight with a random bloke until something else happens).

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