PLASMONIC - A new synth from Brian Clevinger

[c_voltage]

Here are few more strange things:

I'm had not dig in instrument enoughly since purchase yet, but in general judge by various audio examples \ vids (and partially by my initial experience) i could notice some predisposition to some dirty in timbres too, though i understand that it can be clean by disable all resp. modules, but as a fact that actually there is some slope in his engine to described character. It also confused me a little initially, although I decided not to write about it, because the advantages (and optionality) outweighed this nuance.
Well, I suppose this is part of the author's vision of what spice to dilute this structure with. I mean, probability that this is not by design is small.

[plexuss]

I really like Plasmonic in terms of features and sound. I have a Seaboard and it's a great fit for MPE. I can't stand the GUI - who on earth thinks that design is acceptible in this day and age (rhetorical, no need to comment back). Still worth the money even though looks awful and is not very easy to work with.

[TheHelioSequence]

Yes, horribly ugly gui and the mouse scaling is strange to me, but the sound was particularly nice/expressive when using my Roli. Before I tried it with my Roli I was on the fence, but after using it I was sold.

[c_voltage]

Really many tastes, for me UI is one of pros'es of this synth, frankly i already barely can imagine this with other look lol. It some kind of represent his sound character, in the end, just original (honestly there is fatigue from the same type of interfaces).

[aMUSEd]

I like the UI too on the whole, it just has a few inconsistent aspects but I like how it works like Absynth's does - guiding you to the flow of audio - in fact if only NI released Absynth 6 with a GUI like this.

[masterhiggins]

Really many tastes, for me UI is one of pros'es of this synth, frankly i already barely can imagine this with other look lol. It some kind of represent his sound character, in the end, just original (honestly there is fatigue from the same type of interfaces).

Do you by chance use Reaper?

[killmaster]

If anyone has Eventide Generate as well as Plasmonic, im curious how you’d say they compare. Both can do complex sounds with a lot of motion and generate seems a little grittier, plasmonic more crystalline for lack of better words. Both seem to benefit from MPE!

[Tj Shredder]

Both produce sound, both support MPE. Thats it, there are rarely two synths more different than those two. And both are different to the usual subtractive pack...
Its not apples vs. oranges, its submarine vs. elephant... both can move, thats it...

[killmaster]

Both produce sound, both support MPE. Thats it, there are rarely two synths more different than those two. And both are different to the usual subtractive pack...
Its not apples vs. oranges, its submarine vs. elephant... both can move, thats it...

Ha, yes it is true what you say.

[WasteLand]

Both produce sound, both support MPE. Thats it, there are rarely two synths more different than those two. And both are different to the usual subtractive pack...
Its not apples vs. oranges, its submarine vs. elephant... both can move, thats it...

Ha, yes it is true what you say. They are extremely unalike in many ways, but trying out the demos, the expressiveness and kind of aura they create for me is similar. I look at them like comrades. They go very well together for what I'm after. I have equal enthusiasm for each of them cause they provide a very tactile immersiveness with my fingers and feet pedals. You are right though and I take your point. Was hoping to get some enthusiasm for one or the other since I'm trying to decide which one to get, hopefully from someone who has used them for some time.

only owning generate, not plasmonic, but did demo plasmonic. didn't buy it, because; timing, it doesn't fit my workflow at this moment. at a later stage, i will buy it. and think, what have i missed! but still, i have some kind of alternatives for plasmonic, modular/semi-modular, also with MPE.
i can do what i what that way, that does not mean plasmonic, will add a lot. not at this moment.

quite different beasts; i never compared them or saw them as comrades, but i as experimental synths, soft-synths, they are a kind of comrades. and me like these kind of synths..

strangely, absynth 5 did get an update, this week... still a beast of a synth, it now works better for me than plasmonic.

go for both, i will.. i must admit i got generate for cheap, the pricing error, for some hours...

both are deep synths, made for MPE. and other controls..

perhaps; generate can be subtle, but tends to be more aggresive than plasmonic, but plasmonic can get aggresive. taming generate, can be done, not that a big deal, but plasmonic starts more subtle, i write it black/white. what for me the difference is.
plasmonic has more modulation options, and it is a physical modelling synth, but exceeds that domain.

generate is based on a double pendulum, and it's deritave oscillators. not a lot of modulation options, but still enough. and great for MPE. the expressiveness, you can even tame it with MPE, or get, with several playing styles, several 'timbres' from one preset (i created a patch, that can make a whole music score... with all the timbres it's possesses, with pressure/slide, connected to several parameters, that provide, because of the combination of settings of and double routing for modulation for pressure and slide, can make the basic patch, so dynamic.).

they are both capable of stretching sounds, a patch in so many diferent ways.

but my 2cents, and yes don't own plasmonic, yet, generate; for more rich and aggresive, west-coast experience, and plasmonic for more a subtle approach. but still you can program generate to produce subtle pathes, and make plasmonic scream like a beast.

so.. but they will sound quite diferent. demoing is me thinks the only way.

[pdxindy]

If anyone has Eventide Generate as well as Plasmonic, im curious how you’d say they compare. Both can do complex sounds with a lot of motion and generate seems a little grittier, plasmonic more crystalline for lack of better words. Both seem to benefit from MPE!

I haven't tried Generate myself... only listened to audio demos. I didn't find the sounds compelling. The sound quality just wasn't there for me.

[c_voltage]

Really many tastes, for me UI is one of pros'es of this synth, frankly i already barely can imagine this with other look lol. It some kind of represent his sound character, in the end, just original (honestly there is fatigue from the same type of interfaces).

Do you by chance use Reaper?

No, btw exactly because i do not like his UI lol (as for DAW). But, in extreme case i could appeal to Reaper, for using his routing abilities, which really extensive.

[killmaster]

Both produce sound, both support MPE. Thats it, there are rarely two synths more different than those two. And both are different to the usual subtractive pack...
Its not apples vs. oranges, its submarine vs. elephant... both can move, thats it...

Ha, yes it is true what you say. They are extremely unalike in many ways, but trying out the demos, the expressiveness and kind of aura they create for me is similar. I look at them like comrades. They go very well together for what I'm after. I have equal enthusiasm for each of them cause they provide a very tactile immersiveness with my fingers and feet pedals. You are right though and I take your point. Was hoping to get some enthusiasm for one or the other since I'm trying to decide which one to get, hopefully from someone who has used them for some time.

only owning generate, not plasmonic, but did demo plasmonic. didn't buy it, because; timing, it doesn't fit my workflow at this moment. at a later stage, i will buy it. and think, what have i missed! but still, i have some kind of alternatives for plasmonic, modular/semi-modular, also with MPE.
i can do what i what that way, that does not mean plasmonic, will add a lot. not at this moment.

quite different beasts; i never compared them or saw them as comrades, but i as experimental synths, soft-synths, they are a kind of comrades. and me like these kind of synths..

strangely, absynth 5 did get an update, this week... still a beast of a synth, it now works better for me than plasmonic.

go for both, i will.. i must admit i got generate for cheap, the pricing error, for some hours...

both are deep synths, made for MPE. and other controls..

perhaps; generate can be subtle, but tends to be more aggresive than plasmonic, but plasmonic can get aggresive. taming generate, can be done, not that a big deal, but plasmonic starts more subtle, i write it black/white. what for me the difference is.
plasmonic has more modulation options, and it is a physical modelling synth, but exceeds that domain.

generate is based on a double pendulum, and it's deritave oscillators. not a lot of modulation options, but still enough. and great for MPE. the expressiveness, you can even tame it with MPE, or get, with several playing styles, several 'timbres' from one preset (i created a patch, that can make a whole music score... with all the timbres it's possesses, with pressure/slide, connected to several parameters, that provide, because of the combination of settings of and double routing for modulation for pressure and slide, can make the basic patch, so dynamic.).

they are both capable of stretching sounds, a patch in so many diferent ways.

but my 2cents, and yes don't own plasmonic, yet, generate; for more rich and aggresive, west-coast experience, and plasmonic for more a subtle approach. but still you can program generate to produce subtle pathes, and make plasmonic scream like a beast.

so.. but they will sound quite diferent. demoing is me thinks the only way.

I would agree with what you say here by just spending time with the demos. You discern it in the same way I would. Thanks for your thoughts... It's a tough decision to make for me since I find myself splintered if I have too many options.

[killmaster]

I ended up getting Plasmonic and instead of having buyer's remorse, I have this fear thinking I almost didn't get it. It's beyond what I could have imagined. I haven't been able to record anything yet. just playing with it for hours and getting immersed in the sound and I've only gone through about 10% of the presets. I know Brian made this instrument with MPE being an integral aspect of it and it shows and it is by far the most successful expressive synth I own. I saw an interview with Brian and he mentioned that we wanted to make something where small motions could make surprising new resonances or sounds and this is very much the case. I can play quick notes 2 octaves down and it all of a sudden creates new surprising swells and resonances. And in the best imaginable way for what I like. Lot's of surprises and organic fluctuations with small changes in single parameters. Really the first time I've played my MPE controllers and thinking about what each finger is doing. I could go on... Just to say that I felt like a modern electronic version of Martin Denny today. The only thing that I would like is to have an option to change the color of the box that's drawn around the parameters that get marked to show what is modulating them. I can barely see it. Would like the option of making it red so it stands out more. Can't wait to save my own bank of presets to share. So much potential and so much variety in the sounds you can create. I don't remember ever feeling this way about a synth before. Really has done MPE a service! I know I've used a lot of superlatives but I really am trying to be accurate about my reaction to it.

This is the video I watched that tilted me towards Plasmonic. I can't wait to find out what ideas he has for his future projects now!

[muki]

The only thing that I would like is to have an option to change the color of the box that's drawn around the parameters that get marked to show what is modulating them. I can barely see it. Would like the option of making it red so it stands out more.

yes: +1 definitely
i also barely see it
i'd prefer some additional modmatrix view
if, for example, i want to see the MW routing,
which would go to an LFO which would go somewhere else
it's kind of hard if not impossible to follow the whole route...

LFO is obscured by the expression panel,
further targets are somewhere hidden in a mousyclicking hide&seek festival...

so, imho an additional modmatrix-panel would be cool

hmm: vital solves this problem really quite elegantly imho