Just what kinds of instruments do people really want?

[saulc12]

oh is super spook thing still on the cards?

Yes, super spook keys is still on the cards and is currently in development, shoudl be coming in the next month or two

[saulc12]

I think a lot of people want top quality real sounding instruments with a program that makes it easy to get realistic results without heavy programming. My guess is it would include a mixture of sampling and modelling technology.

jeffn1

Sax lab type of thing or maybe something like electro acoustic, where samples have been used in some form but some physical modelling is also used? I guess there are very few of these, especially ones that rely on a very small sample set

[McLilith]

Release velocity and poly aftertouch are pretty rare on the controller side, too, though. It's a chicken/egg problem.

I used to want to find a used Ensoniq keyboard, just to get a poly aftertouch controller--that is, until I started looking for synths that would be able to receive the information. It's darn hard to find any synth that supports both release velocity and poly aftertouch.

I can understand why some synth companies might have cut corners in the very early days. The first MIDI synths had microprocessors that were straining just provide basic note on/off, pitchbend, and modulation without screwing something up. With all the technological advances that have been made, why don't most synths support both release velocity and poly aftertouch? My Kawai K4 has release velocity and I love it. I really don't know why this isn't a standard feature on all new synths. I don't have a synth with poly aftertouch, but I wish I did. I wish all synths had poly aftertouch. We currently have more than enough technology available to make these features practical, commonplace items.

I say, build some really cool VST synths that support these items, and there will later be controllers built to drive them with. "Build it, and they will come."

In the meantime, you would at least make my K4 happy with release velocity support, and many Ensoniq owners would be happy with the poly aftertouch support.


take care,
McLilith

[jens]

I voted for 'new digital synth' - COFX springs to mind - people start to notice how fantastic Kubik is which really takes a different route (like all of Jon's synths )

[JackDark]

Anything strange, the weirder the better!

[saulc12]

Anything strange, the weirder the better!

Just announced today the new "duck-f***er" vsti, uses a combination of divining rods, physical modelling and samples of authentic peking crispy ducky being rolled in pancakes and dipped in plum sauce...

This wierd enough hihi

[Krakatau]

i voted for some specialised emulation because i 'm interesting in some early electroacoustics instruments

like Klavioline

or the Martenot waves
( in frensh " Ondes Martenot " directly inspired by the theremin, but including a keyboard and a dedicated, amplified diffusion system that deserves to be emulated just for itself as well. In fact, it is the only electronic instruments introduced into classic music orchestral compositions actually )

They have their very specific characters ...


trust me...

[jeffn1]

I think a lot of people want top quality real sounding instruments with a program that makes it easy to get realistic results without heavy programming. My guess is it would include a mixture of sampling and modelling technology.

jeffn1

Sax lab type of thing or maybe something like electro acoustic, where samples have been used in some form but some physical modelling is also used? I guess there are very few of these, especially ones that rely on a very small sample set

I don't know much about the technology. But I think there continues to be a market for improved software for producing music with realistic sounding instruments (even though I like synthesized sounds too).

jeffn1

[Warmonger]

z3ta+ supports velocity, release velocity, channel and poly aftertouch. But other than that, I can't think of any other synths that do.

I'm not really sure what good release velocity is though, aside from triggering release samples.

[McLilith]

I'm not really sure what good release velocity is though, aside from triggering release samples.

That alone would be enough reason to include support for it, but I like being able to alter various parameters of a synth depending on how quickly I release the keys on my controller. The most obvious use, should be the control of an envelope generator's release time. This can easily provide for selectively muted decays. Let's say you want to damp a cymbal from the keyboard, then just release the key extra fast, for example.

There's a lot more creative uses for it, but most people apparently never had a controller that made use of the feature. My little Kawai K4 doesn't get much respect as a synth, but at least it supports release velocity. Until recently, I thought almost all good synths supported the feature.

By the way, you have me wanting z3ta+ now.

take care,
McLilith

[Galleoneer]

We have all kinds of cool softsynths these days, so that's already covered. What we really need now are instruments that are as easy to use and small in size as a typical VST, but have the sound quality of highend sample libraries. The sizes of sample libraries keep getting bigger and bigger, and I think it's gotten way out of hand. Developers need to go back to the drawing board and come up with innovative physical modelling and programming that can realistically emulate hard to sample instruments. Recording gigabytes of samples per instrument isn't the answer. Yes, hard drives are cheap these days, but counting on hard drive space is about as elegant a solution as using brute force when folding origami. I think the future will be represented by stuff like Synful and Edirol HQ Orchestra--small in size (relatively speaking), but have great sound and playability.

Bingo, exactly my point, too. Plus the fact that you can not browse instantly through the patches (long loading times) to find a particular one makes me sick and less productive. Maybe we shall learn from the hardware people they have small RAM but still manage to make their romplers very good sounding.

- salute

[Moritz Morpheus MkIII]

I didn´t vote because for me it all depends on the character and quality of an instrument, which attracts me...sound and new possibilities that are blowing my mind..

something you read about, or check a demo or try a hw-synth at the store and go WOW!, what a cool feature/sound/whatever..

[saulc12]

This is proving to be an interesting survey I hope those votes keep coming in and the comments to. It is very interesting to see how many people want something that still falls outside the list from the poll.

[Warmonger]

I'm still waiting for something like Reason's Malstrom in VST form, preferably with a mod matrix like z3ta's, a better filter section, and control over the graintable loop points.

Every poll like this really needs an "other" option to be fair though.

[Forever Sun]

... But is analogue sound and sample/synthesis all we want or are there other avenues to explore?

There are other avenus still left to explore, which are going to be fullfilled once Sculpture becomes available for PC. Do you get my drift ?

I think the developers here on KvR have covered pretty much all synthesis areas, as BONES said. However, I'm interested in a fully featured Physical Modelling VSTi, that's what I voted for. So it's basically a race between a developer here and my money saving ability, since Tassman 4 is calling me.

How can you be so sure that sculpture will become available for PC and have you listened closely to the demos, they are certainly impressive but the acoustic sounds do seem to have a slightly plastic quality to them - I suspect that although this is a great synth, it is still not the perfect solution for acoustic instruments.

No, you didn't understand. My reference to Sculpture being released for PC was said with toungue-in-cheek, that's why the "do you get my drift".
What I was also trying to suggest, was that it would be nice ( to say the least) for a developer on the PC platform to release something similar.

I'm not really after acoustic emulation, but sounds that have the 'organic' and expressive quality OF acoustic sounds/instruments.

A lot of people have said here that they are more interested in new ways of controlling the sounds rather than having new VSTIs, but wouldn't a well designed Physical Modelling synth offer that ?

Connect a PM VSTi to a good controller and bobs your 1st symphony ! ( or something like that ).