Dreadbox Abyss

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DREADBOX ABYSS
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_6ptEsjhKY
SonicState stops by the Dreadbox booth at NAMM '17

ABYSS:
4-Voice Analog Synthesizer

MODE:
* Multi Channel
* Unison
* Polyphonic
* Chords (Appear to be 7 different switch settings)

MOD WHEEL:
switch for (v rate, v depth, wave, w depth)

VCO:
Rate (amount)
Depth (amount)
Wave (appears to be a single blending [square, saw, pulse?] and non-blending [pulse?, square, saw, noise] waveform dial)
Sub (amount)
Glide (amount)
Detune (VCO)
Detune (LFO)
Vibrato (rate)
Vibrato (depth)

VCF:
Cutoff (amount; misspelled as two words)
Velocity (amount)
Reson (amount)
A D S R (envelope)
Level (envelope)
LFO A (amount, to cutoff?)
LFO B (amount; to cutoff?)

LFO:
Rate A (amount)
Rate B (amount)
2x waveform selectors (square, ramp, saw, triangle)

VCA
Drive (amount)
A D S R (vca)

REFLECTOR:
Time (amount)
Res (amount)
Mix (amount)
LFO A (amount; to time?)

DELAY:
Time (amount)
Feed (amount)
Mix (amount)
LFO B (amount; to time?)

PHASER:
Res (amount)
Bias (amount)
LFO B (amount; to ???)

No talk, just sound...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgqMMjxT-xI

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I'm not sure if i'd pay 1100 for that even though it's Dreadbox.
"People are stupid" Gegard Mousasi.

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Well the Nyx was said to be close to $700 and I was able to preorder it for $500 including shipping to the US. So I think it may be available for less than 1100, especially if you don't have to pay VAT.

I own the Erebus and Hades and absolutely love them. So I had to get the Nyx.

I wish they would make more of the Murmux V2 limited edition synth. Or something that combines it with the Abyss.

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I think the price is reasonable for what it is, considering the price of their other products.. it has a lot of unique functionality and the sound is just gorgeous. I'm highly considering picking one up if I can find one. I just wish there were patch points..

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious ; it is the
fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.
-- Albert Einstein

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I think you would have to really love the sound before considering the deepmind 12, rev2 or even A4 at that price.
X32 Desk, i9 PC, S49MK2, Studio One, BWS, Live 12. PUSH 3 SA, Osmose, Summit, Pro 3, Prophet8, Syntakt, Digitone, Drumlogue, OP1-F, Eurorack, TD27 Drums, Nord Drum3P, Guitars, Basses, Amps and of course lots of pedals!

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Well Dreadbox has amazing sound.
Hands down, one of my top analog synth companies.

There's Moog, then there's Dreadbox... THAT is how much I love their gear and their sound.

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The rev2 is a few hundred more, the a4 is around the same price, and the deepmind 12 so far doesn't sound exciting at all. It has a lot of features but the sound is kind of dull to me. Then again it's all in the programming and maybe I just haven't heard any good patches for it yet who knows. But this is a boutique synth, with an incredible sound and some really unique features and some cool analogue effects.. It's a very fair price I think, especially compared to what Moog charges for some of their monosynths..

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious ; it is the
fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science.
-- Albert Einstein

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3x Mother 32's is $1800 plus rack kit at $70. Yeah, this sounds fairly priced for a dreadbox. Erebus, Hades, Nyx, Original Murmox. Almost bought a couple of those. All have some great sound.

Yes, there is more bang for your buck in a few other synths, and less bang for your buck in a few others. So it seems a fair price. Compare them to the Boomstars or Nyborgs and it seems about right, but no patching. Compare to Eurorack modules and price seems rather friendly for all that.

I Buy old junk for nearly as much. Just picked up a Quasimidi Polymorph for $850. Nearly 20 year old VA synth. Damn my nostalgic nature. The one synth I missed dearly after selling.
"I am a meat popsicle"
Soundcloud Vondragonnoggin
Soundclick Wormhelmet

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Wormhelmet wrote:The one synth I missed dearly after selling.

same.

but, comparing the Abyss to eurorack modules and patchable synths - for the purposes of drawing conclusions on price - is apples & oranges. if the same point can't be made by comparing to more technically similar devices, there may not be much of a point to make.

at any rate, it does sound nice. but given Dreadbox product history, there's bound to be a several successive poly's to come. Personally, price concerns aside, I'd sit on the fence for a good while before jumping on their very first poly. lest you buy it only to realise their next one is what you'd really like.

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Daags wrote:
Wormhelmet wrote:The one synth I missed dearly after selling.

same.

but, comparing the Abyss to eurorack modules and patchable synths - for the purposes of drawing conclusions on price - is apples & oranges. if the same point can't be made by comparing to more technically similar devices, there may not be much of a point to make.

at any rate, it does sound nice. but given Dreadbox product history, there's bound to be a several successive poly's to come. Personally, price concerns aside, I'd sit on the fence for a good while before jumping on their very first poly. lest you buy it only to realise their next one is what you'd really like.
Well that's really the problem - name another known 4 voice poly with same sound quality and features that is out right now. Minilogue? I somehow don't think it will compare. I have a minilogue and it is fun, sounds great, but don't think its in the same class as dreadbox products in general.

Tetra? Not hardly. Analog 4 maybe

So nothing to compare to really. Saying its overpriced, people usually try to compare to something or at least reference something that would appear to set a standard, but we don't have that as of yet.

Rev2, Deepmind, or other synths with larger polyphony aren't really comparable either. This is going to fit a finite number of people's requirements in a market filled with many analog choices.

So a rough comparison could be done to analogs in the same price range (around the $1000 mark give or take a hundred) regardless of patchability or not. Some people don't even use patching on semi-modulars.

I see what you are saying and if we constrain to an unpatchable analog, then Elektron's analog 4 is about the closest. Roughly in the same ballpark for price.
"I am a meat popsicle"
Soundcloud Vondragonnoggin
Soundclick Wormhelmet

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Wormhelmet wrote:Rev2, Deepmind, or other synths with larger polyphony aren't really comparable either. This is going to fit a finite number of people's requirements in a market filled with many analog choices.

they're a hell of a lot more comparable than the comparisons made in your previous post (re: modulars etc), afaic.

it will boil down to sound quality, because the obvious Abyss caveats are price-per-voice, no patch saving, limited voice count, and arguably the comparitively limited breadth of sound design potential.

like it or not, Abyss is in the same category as Rev2 & Deepmind (particularly deepmind, given the price point). the only thing we can argue in Abyss's favour will be the sound quality, which can be very subjective, and whatever perceivable gains there are in this department will have to be weighed up against all the advantages of the alternatives in the same price bracket.

your mileage obviously varies. i'm as fond of boutique gear as the next guy, but not blindly so.

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I thought the $1150U.S. ($1499CDN) I paid was pretty good.
Compared to the Vermona '14 where I paid $3000CDN all-in for 2 oscillator mono synth it seems like a
deal.

This will give me 3 4 voice machines now
A Vermona perFOURMer
The Dreadbox Abyss
and 4 polyChained Monotribes via CV OCD.

I value the sound I have heard on the demos and it is a birthday present for myself.

I would die to have a 4 voice NYX!

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zaphod betamax wrote:I would die to have a 4 voice NYX!
A poly Nyx would be amazing! I own the Nyx and frigging love it.

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