The most powerful synth ever? What would it do?

[whyterabbyt]

kevvvvv" quoth

I would take a leaf out of Rene Ceballos' book and go for pure quality ... use all the power of a high spec PC to deliver the finest quality ever.

When Rene designed Pentagon, Zeta and sfz he didn't do anything that radical. He just made synths that sounded better.


See thats what I was wondering about; would people be more interested in using the horsepower to nail that 'quality' thing (massive oversampling, ultra-detailed modelling, yada yada) or would it be the ultra-flexible modular approach that people would expect?

[Scot Solida]

kevvvvv" quoth

I would take a leaf out of Rene Ceballos' book and go for pure quality ... use all the power of a high spec PC to deliver the finest quality ever.

When Rene designed Pentagon, Zeta and sfz he didn't do anything that radical. He just made synths that sounded better.


See thats what I was wondering about; would people be more interested in using the horsepower to nail that 'quality' thing (massive oversampling, ultra-detailed modelling, yada yada) or would it be the ultra-flexible modular approach that people would expect?

All of the above. But in an intuitive package that feels comfortable to use and invited exploration. Maybe it's a bit goofy, but I also like a good visual reference. So, if I could get the power and experimental sensibilites of Kyma underneath, but with an easily configurable and nice looking GUI that made sense to the musician in me...that would be a great synth.

I think this could happen. Native systems, if dedicated totally to the task, could soon get near to what a Kyma could do, I imagine (of course, by then, Kyma will be doing something new... ), but someone out there would have to go to the effort to design the thing and then make it palatable to the average musician. That's one downside to Kyma: it aint pretty. Even though I can make a synth with all the same functions and knobs as any other softsynth (and a whole lot more), the musicians that come into my studio usually find the front-end interface to be too "academic" (i.e. "drab" and sometimes confusing). I'm not talking about the interface for patching together modules and functions, but rather the interface for the finished doodad. They don't appreciate the power at their disposal, because they can't identify with it in a musical way. Doesn't have a Minimoog graphic on the front.

And that has always been the trouble, hasn't it? One person's idea of a super synth is a Minimoog. A classic, powerful, yet simple and intuitive performance instrument. Yet another person is going to feel more at home with Max/MSP or Kyma. They want the power and screw the pretty pictures. Both are valid approaches(and both represent dream synths to me...), but they rarely succesfully meet in the middle.

[vista]

counterquestion:

what's the most powerful music ever ?

[Wopelka]

counterquestion:

what's the most powerful music ever ?

i know this one:


tarnce, of course

[Shamanix]

counterquestion:

what's the most powerful music ever ?

i know this one:


tarnce, of course

How cute, BUT ITS WRONG

Speedcore, Terror, etc
Ok just joking

[Shamanix]

You did mean RMS power right ?

[xoxos]

depends. if it was a good synth it might use it's abilities to improve conditions for itself and others around it, but if it was an evil synth it would subjugate less powerful synths to it's will like nostra cosa.

we can't take that chance. this most powerful synth must be destroyed before it's too late for us all.

[clueless]

depends. if it was a good synth it might use it's abilities to improve conditions for itself and others around it, but if it was an evil synth it would subjugate less powerful synths to it's will like nostra cosa.

we can't take that chance. this most powerful synth must be destroyed before it's too late for us all.

and if you don't believe him, watch Terminator. It's all there!

[[ Lex ]]

counterquestion:
what's the most powerful music ever ?

White noise ? it got alot of power in all freqs...

Btw, with all these specialized linux distributions why not make a knoppix/debian super synth... a special kernel just for one synth (or even just install it in a predefined case with a audio card, sorry Muse).

[Dingo865]

I don't think we would need an übersynth to be built.

The way software has developed, an integrated host (from Orion/FLoops/Traction up to Sonar/Logic/whatever) with a bunch of effects, samplers, and superVSTi's like Pentagon/z3ta/Crystal/Absynth (pick you favourite) can do the same (OK: nearly the same) tricks. Most of us visitng this hole already work in a modular environment, it's just that we treat the various plugins as independent entities instead of looking at them as intergrated parts of a single system.

Personally, what I think is sorely missing is the controller hardware side. All the controllers available now fall into one of two traps: they are either trying to 'dumb down' a hardware synth to turn it into a controller that can still churn out sounds without a computer (a total waste of time and resources, IMHO), or are primitive boxes of knobs and sliders that are designed more for hobbyists, at least as far as production quality is concerned, than for any sort of professional work. AND they are a pain to integrate with all those plugins. AND they provide access only to one or two VSTi's simultaneously.

Personally, I am sorry to say, but what we would need is a Windows-like uniform standard that goes beyond VST, that would allow tighter integration between the various elements, and that would allow simultaneous control of a user-selectable number of functions/synths, from an expandable hardware interface that is MUCH more open to customization than what is presently available.

Imagine a controller keyboard with 2 rows of 76 keys each (aftertouch and all the trimmings included), modular sheets of faders and endless rotary knobs and joysticks and touch-pads that can slide into the box above, below, and beside the keys, led-based feedback (a'la NordLead) and 2-line LCD screens above each knob/fader/etc. that can be programmed/typed via a small keypad to show the appropriate labels, and push-button simplicity in assigning VST's or their functions to these keys - and (if I can really dream) drawing tablets for graphical user envelopes...

[kevvvvv]

Interesting vision, dingo

Uber Kontroller

[DavenH]

Haven't read the entire thread, so don't know if someone's said this - but what about an AI synth that messes around with randomizations until it comes up with something it likes?

[aMUSEd]

I suppose when I think "most powerful" at the moment I'd be thinking of something like Kyma - which basically enables you to create almost any sound you can imagine and for extra voices you just add more DSP cards.

A more "normal" type of synth though but that also has a very wide range of possibilities is Zarg's Solaris 3:



this one on the Scope platform so again if you want extra voices you add more DSP. Solaris basically sums up the history of synthesis (and of John Bowen's role in synth design going back to Sequential Circuits) in one interface. It has 10 oscillator slots but in each of these slots you can put almost any sound source - it could be a wavetable osc, a sample, FM, analogue modelling (very accurate models too), and it can also host any of the modules from the Creamware Modular, Flexor or John Bowen's RD series, and you can do the same with the filters - it really gives you a huge pallete to draw from. It also has a built in sequencer and can host any effect from the Creamware range too - all with extensive modulation possibilities.

Ah well - can't afford Kyma but I just bought the Solaris 3 (together with Zarg's Ambient synth which is modelled on the Waldorf Q, with real Waldorf oscillators).

And I thought Kaleidon was the smoothest sounding and yet most multifaceted synth I'd played - this is like Kaleidon (even more complex) +++++ with elements of the Prophet 5, Moog, PPG, Wavestation, DX7 and much more all rolled into one - and all run on DSP

[moonlite]

counterquestion:

what's the most powerful music ever ?

;)

of course, this has everything to do with how we translate the word into things we feel when we think about music, but in a way, IMHO it would have to be full-on psychedelic trance.

It has the deepest, most articulating basses. fm and physical modelling synths are popular

it has the most difficult bassdrums, I had to create my own bassdrum machine in reaktor, because none of the ready ones came even close. no useful samples could be found either. anywhere.

and the way the leads and other noises are created by growling mad scientists etc.. of course you can use samples, too, but for Real Power[tm] granulators and all kinds of weird stuff.

the thing that for me makes it so powerful is that there's some of the wierdest stuff going on in these songs, but still the songs don't suffer one bit from the strangeness. in fact the weirdness just makes everything tick even better. IMHO that's not the case in other experimental music. IMHO.

then again, some orchestral classical music can be pretty powerfull too, of obvious reasons.

so that's my translation of power in music.

hum, when I'm at it, I'll discuss the topic, too.

I don't see any reason why a synth that pays my rent and makes me food couldn't be considered the most powerful synth of all time ,) .. or then, it could be just one that makes _everything_ I try to do sound just great ..

well, that's my two cents ,)

[arguru]

I disagree all.

Available current technology is lightyears ahead of the average musician talent.

Powerful synth ever?

Excuses.