TimewARP 2600 Thoughts (desired features)

[HunterKiller]

I am still trying to work this out. I want it to be completely patchable, yet still clean and easy to understand. I don't believe that TimewARP 2600 would be the same product if I were to remove the cables completely... At it's heart it needs to remain an ARP 2600.

Exactly Making a list of both pro/cons for each combination would probably narrow it down a lot.

BTW, with the sequencer are you doing an ARP style sequencer or something more esoteric?
In terms of using screen real estate, you could fit 2 ARP sequencers above each other.

I've always been a fan of matrix sequencers, for their ease of use as well as clear representation of the notes, not to mention the thousand blinking lights.

[JimHeintzFromSifuAudio]

I am still trying to work this out. I want it to be completely patchable, yet still clean and easy to understand. I don't believe that TimewARP 2600 would be the same product if I were to remove the cables completely... At it's heart it needs to remain an ARP 2600.

Exactly Making a list of both pro/cons for each combination would probably narrow it down a lot.

BTW, with the sequencer are you doing an ARP style sequencer or something more esoteric?
In terms of using screen real estate, you could fit 2 ARP sequencers above each other.

I've always been a fan of matrix sequencers, for their ease of use as well as clear representation of the notes, not to mention the thousand blinking lights.

I have actually been looking at the Jarre sequencer. It is a pretty powerful, and yet useable (as I understand it) design. It may not be out of the question to offer a couple of choices for sequencer. If I am going to invest the time, I might as well do it right!

[thumky]

So happy to see this thread. I know i'm a little late to the party, but here are my thoughts:

* I like the cables i'd just make 'em thinner

* Not sure why you'd spend your valuable time on fx. We all have great fx at our fingertips in our DAW. Also, IMHO, these patches sound the best raw and unprocessed. Adding a phaser, for example, takes some of the uniqueness out of the sound. We all know what a phaser sounds like... Again, my opinion.

* I love your patch comments field. Can you make the field viewable in the Patch Manager? ( the first 40 chars or whatever ) Would help to quickly identify patches.

* Don't see much value in a standalone iPad app. However if you had an iPad app that communicated with a DAW via USB or whatever that would be amazing. It would be the ultimate MIDI controller. If all my virtual synths did this i would buy an iPad tomorrow. ( i'm talking about having the UI on the iPad as a midi controller but not the sound engine.. )

* I learned alot about sounds synthesis by playing with TimeWARP and reading Jim's chapter... how about a followup section/chapter?

* Small detail: The LFO Speed and Vibrato Depth are hard to tweak with a MIDI controller. They don't move smoothly, they jump around. Maybe b/c of the logarithmic number scale? Not sure.

Thanks for an awesome product!

[Echoes in the Attic]

I am still trying to work this out. I want it to be completely patchable, yet still clean and easy to understand. I don't believe that TimewARP 2600 would be the same product if I were to remove the cables completely... At it's heart it needs to remain an ARP 2600.

Keep the cables, but here's a suggestion for you to make the routing really slick:

Take a look at U-He ACE. The mod sources are automatable. So you can actually assign mod source for any destination to a hardware knob (for example with Kore or Novation automap) and turn the dial and have the cable move to all the different sources. It's an amazing way around the need to drag cables all over the gui when you're experimenting.

[teknobryan]

just make it not alias and I'll be happy. When you start doing some high pitch stuff you can hear the aliasing...

[rexlapin]

Echoes in the Attic,
Thanks for the ACE tip, I didn't know I could do that.
BTW, I also found that it works with u-he Bazille.
Very cool!8) And with Automap it also indicates the
sources in the LCD.
Cheers,
Scott

[dhalfen]

I've always been a fan of matrix sequencers, for their ease of use as well as clear representation of the notes, not to mention the thousand blinking lights.

+100 to that point - matrix modulation ROCKS. So why don't we quit "wasting" our time and go straight to an ARP 2500 emulation?

(You'd corner the market on THAT for sure!)

Seriously, I've been demoing a bunch of synths lately, and my favourite (hands-down) is the "D-CAM: Synth Squad" set from FXpansion. It's easy to use and incredibly deep - and the sound, when oversampled, is fantastic. D-CAM and TimewARP 2600 are the same price, unfortunately, and I get MUCH more "bang for the buck" with D-CAM, - no matter how much I think TimewARP 2600 makes for a nice stroll down Memory Lane at the Synth Museum.

Naturally, I've also demoed the TimewARP 2600, but working with it is like trying to draw a fair copy of the Mona Lisa with crayons - sure, you'll sorta get there eventually, but it won't be easy, and it won't be much fun. (Which means, actually, that you did a great job copying the original ARP 2600 interface - warts and all. )

The "interface" of the "real thing" was a necessity dictated by the hardware of the time - but it's about as relevant today as a second-generation VCR in the knotty-pine basement. I feel like I'm being punished by trying to program the TimewARP 2600.

For me, the main issue is taking the sound (the most important element!) of the various components and putting them in a more modern context - sure, the synth can look like the original, but is anyone really "served" by copying every darned detail? Time has moved on, and so has hardware/software - shouldn't these great "beasts from the past" evolve, rather than sink into the tarpit to become fossil fuels?

Just some food for thought!

[thumky]

I wanted to throw a few more feature requests on the pile:

1/ It would be great to have a Key Range filter like Kontakt and others. Would greatly help for live use ( so it only responded to C4 - G8 for example )

2/ It would be nice if TimeWARP sent an internal All Notes Off when you change patches. Unfortunately a lot of host programs suppress these messages. So it would be helpful to be able to get to a "clean slate" by changing presets when keys get stuck ( instead of unloading/reloading the plugin which is what i do now )

3/ When running 1.4.1 in PT 8, the On/Off Power Switch is flipped

[fanfarecircuit]

$99

[penguinfromdeep]

Better sound (more authentic also) with less aliasing

[Ingonator]

I just started reprogramming some TimewARP 2600 patches with my Waldorf Blofeld which works nice for the "easier" ones (with some help from the PPG filter model, filter drive and the mod matrix). The patches which use the full feature set of the ARP2600 including lots of cables are almost impossible to recreate. Looks like the ARP2600 was and is really unique and the sound of the plugin is amazing, no matter if it's 100% authentic.
BTW there were several different versions of the hardware synth including different filters so a comparison is difficult anyway.

When i got TimewARP2600 it was bundled with KikAxxe (for the same price) which has it's own step sequencer and drum computer. Really nice combination.

If you want to use an analog style step sequencer with TimewARP2600 and are using Windows (it's a SE plugin) you could try WOK Clockwork:

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/4177.html

[sfp]

resaizable gui like zebra does, i like touch all parameter on my 22" touch ecreen monitot !

[Integratron]

Big sound - funky UI.

[states]

drop the iLok please (i have no problem with any other scheme and i tend to like the eLicenser usb). add a 1601 emu (or even the exact same that you've already put on the KikAxxe emu), increase the oversampling and do something about the levels/oversrive. ... err.. if that's not too much to ask.. other than that i wouldnt want you to touch anything on your 2600. 'tis a near-perfect emu imho !

[breakmixer]

Quite simple to answer this,

after installation on my Windows XP Dual Core 32bit into my Cubase Sx3(Now on 5.5 btw),

well the Dll file was installed to Cubase/Vstplugins/Demo Software/Timewarp2600.dll

and not moved the dll manually, but it never showed in my VST Instruments list...

So, I uninstalled the demo as I couldn't even test it in my host(cubase)!

Maybe when you update it I'll try again in 5.5...

So a working demo .dll file would be great!

also a dev who responds to issues like this, lol! That's why PolyKB got my money and you never...