Idea for a DSI Evolver Emulation

[vertibration]

The closest VST all in one for me has been Zone. Their wavetable section needs work, but the routing is the best out there for sequencing similar to an evolver. I just think U-He has the sound quality to really pull an Evolver emulation off really well, and the UI would look clean too

There is just no reason to do it... you can do basically anything with existing synths as an Evolver... IMO, it would be a waste of development time.

The same could have been said about basically any other emulation...If people dont think its worth doing, then dont do it. If enough people want it, then I say do it. Thats why I created this thread, just to see if it would be of interest. I think you are absolutely right, you definitely can do the same things with other synths. People who never played an evolver, wont really understand why it could potentially be a great VST.

[Howard]

My 2c: I was quickly disappointed in the sound and behaviour of the polyevolver. Looks lovely, but...

[justin3am]

My 2c: I was quickly disappointed in the sound and behaviour of the polyevolver. Looks lovely, but...

Out of curiosity, how did you like the Waldorf Quatum when you were designing patches? Your patches are easily the most expressive in the factory library. It's definitely my favorite hardware poly-synth, at the moment.

[Howard]

Out of curiosity, how did you like the Waldorf Quantum when you were designing patches?

I like it a lot While making factory presets it was sometimes a bit of a pain overcoming certain shortcomings e.g. popping envelopes, but Rolf (Wöhrmann) has been improving the software ever since.

[Elektronisch]

The closest VST all in one for me has been Zone. Their wavetable section needs work, but the routing is the best out there for sequencing similar to an evolver. I just think U-He has the sound quality to really pull an Evolver emulation off really well, and the UI would look clean too

There is just no reason to do it... you can do basically anything with existing synths as an Evolver... IMO, it would be a waste of development time.

The same could have been said about basically any other emulation...If people dont think its worth doing, then dont do it. If enough people want it, then I say do it. Thats why I created this thread, just to see if it would be of interest. I think you are absolutely right, you definitely can do the same things with other synths. People who never played an evolver, wont really understand why it could potentially be a great VST.

Not really, Evolver just doesnt have outstanding sound. Its just nostalgia playing tricks here. There are ssynths famous of their sound and some for big user attatchment.

[whyterabbyt]

Not really, Evolver just doesnt have outstanding sound. Its just nostalgia playing tricks here.

what utter cock; the usual 'noone with a preference different from mine has it legitimately' shite.

[vertibration]

Again, "Unless you owned and played" an Evolver, any negative opinion of it is hogwash. I personally would never have an opinion of any hardware unless I actually played one extensively. Now if someone has played one, and did not like it, thats fine. Some wont like it. Some prefer specific timbers or architecture. Some prefer certain filters over others.

The Evolver was pretty special in that it offered 2 Analog Osc, and 2 Wavetable Osc, and a huge modulation matrix. Not many hardware synths even to this day, offer anything like that. In fact, besides Dave Smiths other synths, name a synth that has a modulation matrix, 4 osc, and 4 part 16 step sequencers........

[Elektronisch]

Again, "Unless you owned and played" an Evolver, any negative opinion of it is hogwash. I personally would never have an opinion of any hardware unless I actually played one extensively. Now if someone has played one, and did not like it, thats fine. Some wont like it. Some prefer specific timbers or architecture. Some prefer certain filters over others.

The Evolver was pretty special in that it offered 2 Analog Osc, and 2 Wavetable Osc, and a huge modulation matrix. Not many hardware synths even to this day, offer anything like that. In fact, besides Dave Smiths other synths, name a synth that has a modulation matrix, 4 osc, and 4 part 16 step sequencers........

"Unless you owned and played" that can be applied to any synth, hardware or software. Turn on the critical thinking.

But thats the thing, only the feature set is something significant but in digital world it wouldnt be because:

1. Analog oscillators have been mimiced quite well in VA form
2. Wavetables are digital

So take for example something like Hive, you already have a PolyEvolver by U-he In your hands (minus curtis filter and 2 LFOs).

Alot of stuff that has been made in past years was for the sake of Zebra 3, so im sure it will be an ultimate Evolver

To continue that comes on my mind Analog + Wavetables

Dune 3
Omnisphere 2
Spire
Zebra 2

Not only that you actually have sort of an emulation of Polyevolver in the form of Arturia Prophet V, because it includes Prophet VS module and Polyevolver has same wavetables.

Poly Evolver Specifications
5-octave, semi-weighted keyboard action with velocity and aftertouch.
Spring-loaded pitch wheel and assignable mod wheel.
512 fully editable Programs (4 banks of 128) and 384 Combos (3 banks of 128).
Numeric keypad for direct access of Programs and Combos.
Oscillators per voice: 2 digitally controlled analog oscillators (DCOs) with selectable sawtooth, triangle, saw/triangle mix, and pulse waves (with pulse-width modulation), and hard sync; 2 digital wavetable oscillators with Prophet VS waves and wave sequencing capability, FM and ring modulation.
White noise generator.
2 Low-pass filters per voice: 1 analog Curtis filter per channel, selectable 2- and 4-pole operation (self-resonating in 4-pole mode).
3 Envelope Generators per voice: filter, VCA, and assignable (four-stage ADSR).
4 LFOs per voice.
Glide (portamento): separate rates per oscillator.
Analog VCAs.
Digital high-pass filter.
Digital delays: 3 separate, syncable, stereo delay lines per voice.
Tuned feedback with “Grunge”: use feedback as a pitched sound source.
Distortion and “Output Hack.”
16 x 4 step sequencer per voice.
Dimensions: 14.00″ (35.56 cm) W x 38.5 ” (97.79 cm) L x 5.09″ (12.95 cm) H (2.84″ at front edge; the feet account for 0.625″ of the total height)
Weight: ~28 lbs. (12.7 kg)

[Elektronisch]

Not really, Evolver just doesnt have outstanding sound. Its just nostalgia playing tricks here.

what utter cock; the usual 'noone with a preference different from mine has it legitimately' shite.

I have no idea what you are saying but im sure its because you either from Scottland or Ireland.

[vertibration]

There is no disputing that Hive, or other synths can do lots of what Evolver can do. No disputing that. My whole point in this was that the specific architecture of the Evolver would be a good candidate for an emulation because no one emulated it yet. Software can improve on its faults, and it could be a great emulation.

URS did such a great job with Repro 5. Much better than the Arturia emulation. Im just sayin, I think expanding the repro line by doing an evolver with two additional wavetables, a mod matrix, and 4x16 step sequencers would be pretty cool

[whyterabbyt]

Not really, Evolver just doesnt have outstanding sound. Its just nostalgia playing tricks here.

what utter cock; the usual 'noone with a preference different from mine has it legitimately' shite.

I have no idea what you are saying but im sure its because you either from Scottland or Ireland.

So you're a racist as well. Good to know.

[whyterabbyt]

So take for example something like Hive, you already have a PolyEvolver by U-he In your hands (minus curtis filter and 2 LFOs).

... yes and also minus the stereo signal path, tuned delays, distortion hacks, feedback paths and all the other stuff which made the Evolver architecture pretty interesting and unique in the first place...

Not only that you actually have sort of an emulation of Polyevolver in the form of Arturia Prophet V, because it includes Prophet VS module and Polyevolver has same wavetables.

yes the sort of emulation that's missing the stereo signal path, tuned delays, distortion hacks, feedback paths and all the other stuff which made the Evolver architecture pretty interesting and unique in the first place...

[pdxindy]

There is no disputing that Hive, or other synths can do lots of what Evolver can do. No disputing that. My whole point in this was that the specific architecture of the Evolver would be a good candidate for an emulation because no one emulated it yet. Software can improve on its faults, and it could be a great emulation.

URS did such a great job with Repro 5. Much better than the Arturia emulation. Im just sayin, I think expanding the repro line by doing an evolver with two additional wavetables, a mod matrix, and 4x16 step sequencers would be pretty cool

Too much work to emulate something like the Evolver. Even a relatively simple synth like RePro takes a long time. I also doubt the news of an Evolver emulation would excite as many people as the Prophet-5.

Rather than an emulation, I think it more realistic to advocate for some of the interesting Evolver features be added to an existing synth.

[whyterabbyt]

Rather than an emulation, I think it more realistic to advocate for some of the interesting Evolver features be added to an existing synth.

I concur. Im not overly invested in proposing such-and-such synths get emulated, but the Evolver had some interesting architectural features that it would be nice to see used as inspiration (ie pretty much everything Elektropisch blithely ignored when he said there were already near-equivalents). Not a lot of stuff even capable of the (modulated) tuned delays or post-delays feedback loop, for example, and what there is is mostly modular.

[pdxindy]

Rather than an emulation, I think it more realistic to advocate for some of the interesting Evolver features be added to an existing synth.

I concur. Im not overly invested in proposing such-and-such synths get emulated, but the Evolver had some interesting architectural features that it would be nice to see used as inspiration (ie pretty much everything Elektropisch blithely ignored when he said there were already near-equivalents). Not a lot of stuff even capable of the (modulated) tuned delays or post-delays feedback loop, for example, and what there is is mostly modular.

I think that could be an interesting addition to Zebra... Zebra could use a few more specific feedback options.

and a per voice delay module would be a welcome addition to Bazille.