KVR Audio

Ex Machina · Post by **Ex Machina** » Wed Jul 05, 2023 8:52 pm

I love my Mono Evolver Keyboard despite its many weaknesses. I started out with a Poly Evolver Rack but then sold that for a huge profit and bought a desktop Evolver for more hands on control. But that interface was just too cryptic and so I finally ended up with my current Mono Evolver Keyboard.

I would love for Sequential to come out with a new 3U "Evolver 2.0" tabletop rack module. Upgrade the Prophet VS waves from 12 bit to 16 bit so they don't alias quite so much. Add VCOs and better filters for the analog side and include slightly less gnarly sounding digital FX.

Some people would say that what I am describing is the Sequential Pro 3. But as impressive as that synth is, it sounds too slick and polished for my taste. What so great about the original Evolver is that it sounds dirty as f*ck.

As nice as the Prophet 5/10 rev4 is, that's just an expensive trip down memory lane to me. I'm looking for something that sounds like it could have been used on Depeche Mode's seminal "Black Celebration" album. Or even their earlier sample-heavy "Some Great Reward" record.

I can't think of any plugin that quite sounds like the Evolver. Most synth plugins are too clean and hi-fi or on the flip side are imbued with nasty digital distortion that doesn't sound musical at all.

The sound of the following demo is what I have in mind. Believe it or not, this is actually one of the tamer Evolver demos.

https://soundcloud.com/sequential_llc/c ... al_sharing

Here's a Mono Evolver Keyboard demo that shows off its extremely aggressive side.

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Wed Jul 05, 2023 9:15 pm

Ex Machina wrote: Wed Jul 05, 2023 8:52 pm Some people would say that what I am describing is the Sequential Pro 3. But as impressive as that synth is, it sounds too slick and polished for my taste. What so great about the original Evolver is that it sounds dirty as f*ck.

How funny, when I saw the subject line, this was basically going to be my response. I also owned a PE rack and an MEK years ago and they were incredible synths that I should have never sold. I have a Pro 3 now and absolutely love it, but you're right that, while it has the feature set you'd expect to see in an Evolver 2023, it doesn't sound or even "feel" like the next generation of the Evolver. On the plus side, though, it doesn't have that annoyingly cartoonish logo.

Ex Machina · Post by **Ex Machina** » Thu Jul 06, 2023 12:44 am

I absolutely love the "Bad Gear" videos on YouTube. AudioPilz is hilarious. His pronounced accent just makes everything even funnier. I appreciate the fact that he always finds redeeming qualities in even the "worst" gear. Here's his video on the Evolver. Some of his demo tracks are really impressive.

Constructed Identity · Fri Jul 07, 2023 2:12 am

Probably right. I was going through Sequential's lineup of synthesizers and noticed that they keep going for a retro UI, the new Trigon, Take5 don't have the screen the Pro 3 has and I don't know why they don't use it more - on an Evolver 2.0 it would be perfect for an advanced mod matrix!

DrGonzo · Post by **DrGonzo** » Fri Jul 07, 2023 3:48 am

Ex Machina wrote: Thu Jul 06, 2023 12:44 am I absolutely love the "Bad Gear" videos on YouTube. AudioPilz is hilarious. His pronounced accent just makes everything even funnier. I appreciate the fact that he always finds redeeming qualities in even the "worst" gear. Here's his video on the Evolver. Some of his demo tracks are really impressive.

Florian is awesome and the Evolver episode was one of my favourites of late. He really managed to coax some really cool music out with it.

I wonder, if the Evolver would be reborn as a plugin, wouldn't that be kind of neat?

Ex Machina · Post by **Ex Machina** » Fri Jul 07, 2023 4:03 am

DrGonzo wrote: Fri Jul 07, 2023 3:48 am Florian is awesome and the Evolver episode was one of my favourites of late. He really managed to coax some really cool music out with it.

I wonder, if the Evolver would be reborn as a plugin, wouldn't that be kind of neat?

I would love it if Arturia (or some other company) made an authentic sounding Evolver emulation. However, it might be pretty challenging to pull off and I'm not sure how appealing it would be to modern producers who are accustomed to more polished sounding synth plugins. Plus, there is so much going on in the Evolver and it has such distinctive digital distortion effects and super harsh aliasing in the digital oscillators that It would most likely be harder to emulate than something as simple as a Minimoog, for instance.

GuyaGuy · Post by **GuyaGuy** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:10 am

Ex Machina wrote: Wed Jul 05, 2023 8:52 pm I love my Mono Evolver Keyboard despite its many weaknesses. I started out with a Poly Evolver Rack but then sold that for a huge profit and bought a desktop Evolver for more hands on control. But that interface was just too cryptic and so I finally ended up with my current Mono Evolver Keyboard.

I would love for Sequential to come out with a new 3U "Evolver 2.0" tabletop rack module. Upgrade the Prophet VS waves from 12 bit to 16 bit so they don't alias quite so much. Add VCOs and better filters for the analog side and include slightly less gnarly sounding digital FX.

Some people would say that what I am describing is the Sequential Pro 3. But as impressive as that synth is, it sounds too slick and polished for my taste. What so great about the original Evolver is that it sounds dirty as f*ck.

The Evolver was what got me deeper into synthesis than just the standard subtractive voicing. (Shout out to Anu Kirk's guide!) The sequencer is what got me thinking about getting into modular, especially using it as a modulation source rather than just a note sequencer.

For my needs, the Pro 3 actually is the MovoEvo 2.0. But everyone has their own expectations of what a 2.0 should have. Of course the aliasing is part of what makes the Evo so aggressive. So is the kind of cheap sound of the Curtis synth-on-a-chip. I'd say maybe the Prophet-12 is a kind of Evo successor with its Character section, Karplus-Strong, Curtis filters, etc., but of course no wavetables.

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:20 am

I’d love an Evolver 2, but it would have to be at least 8 note polyphonic. I’d like it to offer both 8 and 16 bit waveform modes and maybe the delay section from the Prophet 12. That would rule.

T-CM11 · Post by **T-CM11** » Sat Jul 22, 2023 3:48 pm

GuyaGuy wrote: Thu Jul 20, 2023 3:10 am I'd say maybe the Prophet-12 is a kind of Evo successor with its Character section, Karplus-Strong, Curtis filters, etc., but of course no wavetables.

I have a Pro 2, bought as a (desktop) Evolver replacement. While I love the Pro 2 - it didn't make me sell the Evolver - it just sounds too different (to me).
And I'm sure that the Prophet 12 sounds more like the Pro 2 than like the Evolver.

_leras · Post by **_leras** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 10:31 am

I would buy a poly evolver 2.0 for sure. I've saved a very decent polysynth fund, but nothing out there quite hits the mark.

I once decided against picking up a polyevolver and still regret it.

None of the hybrids like Peak/summit or udo super 6 seem to to have gnarly enough wavetables and filters..

Fashionista · Post by **Fashionista** » Sat Jul 29, 2023 3:42 pm

I figured there is probably a snowball's chance in hell of Sequential ever reissuing an Evolver v2 desktop or of Arturia creating a software emulation. So I went ahead and purchased the small Evolver desktop module through Reverb,com for $600. It's in absolutely mint condition so that's great.

Incidentally, I used to have a Mono Evolver Keyboard and loved it. But at the time I was thinking of getting a Sequential Pro 3. The Pro 3 can sound super aggressive but it doesn't seem to have nearly as much lo-fi digital grunge as the Evolver.

Korg Supporter · Post by **Korg Supporter** » Mon Jul 31, 2023 2:02 pm

What we really need is a Blofeld 2.0 with keys that actually send poly aftertouch to external synths and has MPE support, better DSP, stable polyphony, better FX, oscillator unison and panning, easier user wavetable installation, new filter types, and a slightly better interface!

GuyaGuy · Post by **GuyaGuy** » Tue Aug 01, 2023 2:18 am

Korg Supporter wrote: Mon Jul 31, 2023 2:02 pm What we really need is a Blofeld 2.0 with keys that actually send poly aftertouch to external synths and has MPE support, better DSP, stable polyphony, better FX, oscillator unison and panning, easier user wavetable installation, new filter types, and a slightly better interface!

I have good and bad news for you...
https://waldorfmusic.com/iridium-keyboard-en/

_leras · Post by **_leras** » Tue Aug 01, 2023 3:34 am

Fashionista wrote: Sat Jul 29, 2023 3:42 pm I figured there is probably a snowball's chance in hell of Sequential ever reissuing an Evolver v2 desktop or of Arturia creating a software emulation. So I went ahead and purchased the small Evolver desktop module through Reverb,com for $600. It's in absolutely mint condition so that's great.

Incidentally, I used to have a Mono Evolver Keyboard and loved it. But at the time I was thinking of getting a Sequential Pro 3. The Pro 3 can sound super aggressive but it doesn't seem to have nearly as much lo-fi digital grunge as the Evolver.

Well, haven't Novation bought Sequential. They have expanded the poly line up, and I can't see why they wouldn't want to revive the Evolver line.

The Evolver could be quite a good iteration of the Novation Peak/Summit combined with dsi/sequential if you ask me.

I also think the Evolver has a pretty good brand and would bring a lot of interest and free marketing.

Michael L · Post by **Michael L** » Tue Aug 01, 2023 6:39 am

So why not write Sequential and offer encouragement?
I have an Evolver, so I will do it too.

is it time for an Evolver 2.0?