IK MUltimedia UNO Synth

[Scotty]

The sounds of the UNO can be heard on the numerous videos and sound examples. There is no need to speculate.

Go to this page http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/unosynth/ and there are 51 sound clips that highlight how the synth sounds.

There is no need to infer the sound quality from the specs other than to know that the sequencer allows you store 20 parameters per step which is industry leading on a synth at or below this price point. Enrico shows this off in some of the sequences which he plays where the sounds morphs between each step.

The build quality is a fair question and that needs to be determined - there are lots of reasons to be encouraged based on recent IK products but it is reasonable to reserve judgement. My i- louds micromonitors are solid, reliable performers.

My guess is that this is going to be a hit. It has enough of the good stuff and ease of use features at a good price to be compelling for people who are new to hardware synths. The sequencer features are advanced enough for more sophisticated users (20 parameters per step). The live performance features (portability, constrain to scale, midi over USB) will appeal to live players or those who like to jam.

Products that fit into this low cost and small form factor range can transend their limitations if the features that are available can be accessed and exploited creatively. I think IK knows this and that is why they have embued the UNO a powerful sequencer with a lot of preset/sequencer slots not to mention a good all round range of mono synth features and clever live performance capabilities.

[Michael L]

I think you and Uno will make a lovely couple, Scotty

[Scotty]

We get hitched in July but she can't be the jealous type. I have many lovers.

I think you and Uno will make a lovely couple, Scotty

[WOK]

Monologue, cheaper, wider range of sounds, better build quality.

Interesting, how people know about the build quality before even seen the synth or touched it.
Also, comparing to another synth that had cost 35% more when it came on the market (now + 25%). (and the monologue has some features the Uno does not have, but therefore lacks others - so it's a matter of taste).
So much critism in this thread. Man, 10 years ago people would have been drooling to get a synth with these features for this price. Some people seem to have become fastidiously already.
What else is really available in this (THIS) price range?
Waldorf Rocket - no memory, one digital OSC, no real envelopes, no sequencer.....
Korg Volca - no memory, no independend OSCs, only one envelope, no arp.....
Moog Werkstatt - only 1 OSC, only LP filter, no sequ, no arp, no keyboard....
And that's it for analogue up to this price point. Of course you can get more features for more money. But this little machine has quite some things inside. It fit's as an entry synth, an add-on to a setup which uses low space and not much money, something to cary around....

The only real drawback (because it would not have changed the price): an audio input in a synth like this has to be routed thru the filter and the delay. Like it is now it's useless for 95% of the users.....
(maybe this is hackable )

[chk071]

So much critism in this thread. Man, 10 years ago people would have been drooling to get a synth with these features for this price. Some people seem to have become fastidiously already.

Wealth kills of any interest, motivation, and is the perfect hotbed for laziness, and the lack of necessity to even deal with something to form a judgment. And also leads to all kind of sectarianism. As perfectly shown in that other thread.

[Jace-BeOS]

So much critism in this thread. Man, 10 years ago people would have been drooling to get a synth with these features for this price. Some people seem to have become fastidiously already.

Wealth kills of any interest, motivation, and is the perfect hotbed for laziness, and the lack of necessity to even deal with something to form a judgment. And also leads to all kind of sectarianism. As perfectly shown in that other thread.

What does wealth have to do with it? I had more money 12 years ago than I have today.

I think the difference is familiarity with similar product and market maturity. Once people got used to $400-$500 synths, and when $400 synths were built offering more than $1000 synths offered two decades prior, expectations went up for all products in the same category.

[ghettosynth]

The sounds of the UNO can be heard on the numerous videos and sound examples. There is no need to speculate.

Absolutely, and for whoever was comparing it to the Rocket, GTFOH, I can't stand IK's marketing, AND, I think that they really missed the boat to not have at least OSC sync, but, for what it does do, the UNO sounds great.

[chk071]

So much critism in this thread. Man, 10 years ago people would have been drooling to get a synth with these features for this price. Some people seem to have become fastidiously already.

Wealth kills of any interest, motivation, and is the perfect hotbed for laziness, and the lack of necessity to even deal with something to form a judgment. And also leads to all kind of sectarianism. As perfectly shown in that other thread.

What does wealth have to do with it? I had more money 12 years ago than I have today.

I don't recall you being fastidious, so, i don't know why you feel addressed at all.

[vurt]

So much critism in this thread. Man, 10 years ago people would have been drooling to get a synth with these features for this price. Some people seem to have become fastidiously already.

Wealth kills of any interest, motivation, and is the perfect hotbed for laziness, and the lack of necessity to even deal with something to form a judgment. And also leads to all kind of sectarianism. As perfectly shown in that other thread.

and im doing fairly well, but all i said was it wasn't was i was after at the min, but it sounded good.
i even said i can see it winning me over with a hands on demo.


cant say i was particularly taken by the ad campaign, or indeed by the animosity in that thread or carried over here.
im no fan of ikm (by which i mean i don't own any of their stuff) but aside from being a little over enthusiastic in marketing i don't see any actual issues with them. but even if i did think peter was as bad as some make out, id see past that if the equipment did what i wanted.

for all i know the guy who made my minitaur was a right prick

[OneOfManyPauls]

The only real drawback (because it would not have changed the price): an audio input in a synth like this has to be routed thru the filter and the delay. Like it is now it's useless for 95% of the users.....

It does seem a bit odd that they didn't do that as it seems like an easy win.

I don't know if that's true about only being useful for 5% of users as is though - being able to combine audio does away with the need for a mixer of some kind, so Erik's "kid on the train doing EDM" can route beats from their phone/pocket operator/volca into the UNO and listen to the combined audio through their headphones.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

So much critism in this thread. Man, 10 years ago people would have been drooling to get a synth with these features for this price. Some people seem to have become fastidiously already.

Wealth kills of any interest, motivation, and is the perfect hotbed for laziness, and the lack of necessity to even deal with something to form a judgment. And also leads to all kind of sectarianism. As perfectly shown in that other thread.

and im doing fairly well, but all i said was it wasn't was i was after at the min, but it sounded good.
i even said i can see it winning me over with a hands on demo.


cant say i was particularly taken by the ad campaign, or indeed by the animosity in that thread or carried over here.
im no fan of ikm (by which i mean i don't own any of their stuff) but aside from being a little over enthusiastic in marketing i don't see any actual issues with them. but even if i did think peter was as bad as some make out, id see past that if the equipment did what i wanted.

for all i know the guy who made my minitaur was a right prick

I heard he was a left prick, but that's just a rumor.

I did appreciate your feedback, whether you were interested in buying it currently or not and even if it doesn't end up winning you over with a hands-on demo. Every thread could use a little vurt. Or a big vurt, whatever vurts yer burt.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Go to this page http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/unosynth/ and there are 51 sound clips that highlight how the synth sounds.

I know you make a lot of other good points and I thank you for the comments but I'll address this one since the others are points between you and other user comments and seem well-worn

Anyway, I just wanted to say that there definitely will be more audio demos (and videos) and definitely more variety when we have more (soon). We had an event to attend - Superbooth - and a lot to juggle what with getting such a piece of hardware ready to show at such an event, so the 51 we posted were what we had at that time. We never planned for those to be all of them, and there will be some more coming. Thank you.

[vurt]

thanks. was just pointing out i don't think wealth is a factor in ignoring/disliking lower priced gear.
eg, ive got £10 pedals on the board with £500 pedals.

or at least id hope it wouldn't be a factor. no point missing out on cool stuff because its "too cheap"

[OneOfManyPauls]

Anyway, I just wanted to say that there definitely will be more audio demos (and videos) and definitely more variety when we have more (soon). We had an event to attend - Superbooth - and a lot to juggle what with getting such a piece of hardware ready to show at such an event, so the 51 we posted were what we had at that time. We never planned for those to be all of them, and there will be some more coming. Thank you.

That'll be good - those superbooth videos ended up being a bit "samey" in both spiel and sound.

I had another run through those 51 sounds - 14 was the one that tipped me over the edge into ordering one. That said, after watching the superbooth videos, if I never hear "Uno Synth 5" again, it'll be too soon

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

thanks. was just pointing out i don't think wealth is a factor in ignoring/disliking lower priced gear.
eg, ive got £10 pedals on the board with £500 pedals.

or at least id hope it wouldn't be a factor. no point missing out on cool stuff because its "too cheap"

Same here (about the pedals). If it does the job, it gets the space. Don't care how much or how little it cost. Heck, there are plenty of things I'll get free by being in the "industry" but that doesn't mean they'll be on my pedalboard, in my effects/instruments plugin list, etc etc.