This was my idea. Feel free to laugh.
I would DEFINITELY take this as a virtual synth, though, if any developer who happens to read this is interested in the idea. Happy to give more feedback, even!
To avoid burying the lede: what makes this idea unique is that wavetables are used everywhere it's possible, and the especially cool trick here is applying them to make a kind of "convolution filter."
There's a strange balance between flexibility and character that needs to be struck. For this synth, though, I want that character to come through in the nature of the oscs and filter, NOT through the (lack of) modulation.
Overall, the structure is a 5-octave, 12-voice, 2-osc (plus sub and noise), 1 filter, four-envelope, four-lfo synth. There are six (!) dedicated FX slots: two before the filter, four at the end of the chain, plus a dedicated EQ and limiter at the very end. There are 59 (!!!) knobs on this synth, so it's a bit of a beast. (For comparison, that's about the same as the Waldorf Iridium).
7-knob oscillator section: you can control one at a time with a button to select which. The controls include a knob to select which table to use, a knob for position, a sensitive knob for tuning (+/- 8ve), a knob for panning, a dedicated knob for ENV depth applied to the table position (osc 1 from env 3, osc 2 from env 4) and another for LFO depth to the position (again, lfo3 → osc1, lfo4 → osc2). There's another knob for "skew," which shifts every wave in the table according to an algorithm selectable by another cycle button (pulse width/squish left/squish right/fold/highpass/lowpass). 1 button to select octave (cycles through 32' to 2').
There's no ringmod or sync on this synth, nor "proper" FM. I find these modes to be redudant with wavetables. Pick the right table!
9-knob mixer: gain knobs for osc1, osc2, transient, sub, and noise, plus a knob to select the wavetable position of the sub (you cannot select the table; it's a simple-shape table only), a knob to select the color of the noise (white at 12 o'clock, brighter clockwise and darker anti-), and a knob to select which transient sample to play.. Another knob controls the detune (of the two oscs, mixed, but not the sub or noise) with a button cycling between unison modes (1/2/4/6/8).
A 3-knob pre-filter FX section, with a DAC simulator (one knob with a button to select a mode, to control the bitrate, resolution, and jitter), and three buttons to select a drive type (none, saturation, drive, fuzz at least) and two knobs: depth and tone.
The 6-knob filter section would be--get this--CONVOLUTION-BASED. Kind of like wavetables, but instead of "waves", it's scanning through spectra. You would have control over the "offset" of the spectra (to affect the overall pitch, akin to a normal cutoff), the speed of the scan, and, of course, which "table" of spectra it's scanning. A "resolution" knob here would make the transitions smoother or more steppy, for some old-school digital goodness. The available spectrum tables would, of course, include "models" of classical filter sweeps of all sorts with specific resonances--these would be easy enough to produce--but also some interesting models of physical resonators. There are dedicated knobs for ENV2 depth and LFO2 depth.
Four slider, two-knob envelope section. I'm fine with a single set of sliders (or knobs, but I prefer sliders) and a switch between which I'm controlling. I'd rather have four envelopes than two with dedicated controls. ADSR is fine, but I would add two knobs, to control velocity and curvature. ENV1 is hard-wired to 100% depth of mixer amplitude (which is not a knob), but can be mapped to other destinations in the matrix.
Six-knob LFO section, controlling four total LFOS in two selectable groups. Three knobs each: fade in, shape, and rate. The "shape" would be a single dedicated scannable wavetable that includes the classic shapes, then some complex variations, then a few rhythmic patterns, then much "noisier" chaotic shapes.
Four big, different-colored "performance" knobs.
HIGH quality 14-knob (!!) FX section. I don't think manufacturers realize how much the FX make the unit! Since this is my dream product, I would want four FX: another versatile drive (sat/drive/fuzz/crush) with depth and tone knobs; a versatile modulator (chorus/phaser/flanger/trem) with three knobs: rate, depth, and tone; a REALLY nice delay with 4 knobs: time, mix, feedback, and mod; and a REALLY nice plate reverb (make Strymon blush, man!), with 5 knobs: mix, decay, size, mod, and tone. Yes, 14 knobs is a TON to dedicate to FX, but that's part of the character of this unit: it is as much about the effects as anything else. And, yes, you cannot control the reverb type: you get a plate, period. The other effects would have some controls that you can edit on-screen (like width or mod rate), but these cannot be mod destinations. Again: character.
A 6-knob post-processing section. Four knobs control EQ (lo/hi shelf and two parametric--you can control the frequency and Q on-screen, the knobs only control the levels of some canned defaults). One knob controls a limiter (you can affect the release time and pre-gain on-screen). One knob controls the overall output gain.
There is no sequencer, no arpeggiator on this synth. It's part of its character, and this is meant for studio use. Also, no inputs and just a single pair of outputs plus a headphone jack, and, yes, they share the same overall gain knob.
5-octave keyboard, mod/pitch, poly aftertouch. Nothing fancy, but it really needs to feel quality. I like the IDEA of touch strips and X/Y pads and the like, but I never USE them.
A nice, half-a-cellphone-quality screen, because this synth will involve looking at lots of wavetables and spectra. Four buttons each on the top and bottom of it, plus a clickable jog wheel or rocker to the right (I don't have a preference, really), to navigate within it.
For modulation: anything that is a knob can be a destination and nothing without a knob can be; no exceptions. Sources are "limited" to the env, lfos, wheels, knobs, keyrange, velocity, aftertouch, and a dedicated "random" function.
A big "mod matrix" button with a big "depth" knob to the right of it. When you hold it and wiggle a knob, the screen shows you what sources are available (and at what depth, if active) for modulating that destination. Push one of the buttons around the screen (env 1-4 at top, lfo1-4 at bottom) or wiggle one of the performance knobs or wheels to select a source, then use the depth knob to select the amount (pos/neg). The screen's jog wheel also lets you select keyboard range, velocity, aftertouch, and random as additional sources.
Sorry, software developers, but: I would suggest you do your best to allow a vast number of mappings. 16 at least, 32 would be more acceptable, but "unlimited" would be best. :-\
An SD card reader, where all of the wavetables, transients, and convolution tables would live, as simple files (I'm not sure what the simplest format is for each of these, but stick to the most common!) in three simple directories.
I would imagine this costing somewhere in the US$2000 range, plus or minus 20%.
