If you designed a hardware MPE synth it would....

[wakyct]

If you had a chance to design a hardware MPE synth, what would it be?

I'm coming up on six months with my Linnstrument and a year and a half of playing with synths, and given that short time I've been lucky to learn from all the experience in the forum here. On the flip side, after playing with what I have, I'm starting to get a feel for what I would like in a synth. This made me curious about what you all would like in a hardware synth for your Linnstrument.

Not to diss on software -- I just don't use a phone/tablet/laptop/desktop in my setup currently.

Here are my thoughts:
* It should be a small desktop unit with no keyboard.
* At least 8 voice polyphonic.
* Stereo signal path
* Digital/analog hybrid. Digital to pack features in a small box, analog in parts to, uh, make it sound 'analog'
* Lots of modulation options, anything can modulate anything
* L/R Audio in, L/R audio out, USB MIDI, MIDI out/in/thru

Now I realize this is not an exhaustive list and is probably naive and/or uneducated in parts, but that is why I'm asking for the collective thoughts of the forum. What would you do?

[Tj Shredder]

It would need to power the Linnstrument, have enough knobs to control the sounds, but in terms of synth engine, I would want my iPad mini…
If I had a roadie, I would reflect on an UDO desktop (for the real analog part).
But its big and heavy…

[John the Savage]

I don’t have many complaints about the Argon8M: i.e. the size, form factor, U.I., I.O., synth engine, 8-voice MPE support with onboard MIDI channel filtering, etc... It’s nearly the perfect companion for the LinnStrument. It just needs a host port.

Analog filters would be nice too.

To that end, I originally bought the Tempest because it's my idea of the ideal analog synth... If only it had a legato mode (Ahem!), a host port, and MPE support, I'd be using it with the LinnStrument without question.

Cheers!

[patternmusic]

The Hydrasynth Desktop hits all your checkmarks except "analog" and is a wonderful complement to the Linnstrument -- powerful, knobs with displays, mod matrix, stereo. But it's 8 lbs and requires power. (I've never looked into a battery bank solution. There is the Hydrasynth Explorer version, but you lose half the knobs and displays.) A portable setup with a Linnstrument 128 would weigh about 15 lbs.

As I mentioned elsewhere, I think it's impossible to beat what's possible with one of the recent iPads (like the M1-powered iPad Air/5 or the new Mini with its next gen A15 chip). You have your choice of at least 10 top quality MPE synths (including a few developed by the Linnstrument's co-inventor Geert Bevin) that can stand head-to-head against the Hydrasynth (at a cost of about 1 cent on the dollar). The software environment is modular via AUv3 and MIDI. Hosts like AUM and Loopy Pro (the world's best looper) allow interoperating your MPE synths of choice with dozens of effects and modulators. And it all fits in a small laptop bag and runs off battery. Total weight is about 5 lbs including a Linnstrument 128. You don't need to spend more than about $100 on the aforementioned software, but if you like to experiment a few hundred dollars will buy almost all the software.

[Dirk Diggler]

I'll +1 to John the Savage, in my studio the 2 are joined most all the time.
It sits right above my L200. Knobs that actually send midi, actual MPE by design not cobbled.

It is pretty much what I would design.

Alright one addition to the Argon8m would be ability to add user waveforms.

[MilesParker]

That's a sick combo, John! Would love one of those.

My wish list is short:
1. Real knobs
2. Cheap as it can be while being decent quality, especially knobs (see 1)
3. No screen

This is the main reason that the iPad doesn't scratch the itch for me. I stare at a screen all day, I'd love to have a solution that doesn't. I might even settle for a device that simply loads VSTs. As discussed some of the newer Roland devices have that, but they also have a lot of other stuff I don't want/need. But I'd prefer a bespoke virtual/analog.

[John the Savage]

As I mentioned elsewhere, I think it's impossible to beat what's possible with one of the recent iPads...

I toured for two years with an iPad at the heart of my LinnStrument rig...

While I still love the potential of the iOS environment, there are a lot of real-world problems to overcome; not the least of which is connectivity (i.e. interfacing with hardware peripherals), and finding U.I. solutions. Plus, there's the general instability of the software ecosystem, especially in the iOS domain, because of everchanging protocols. Too many cooks, as they say.

For interest sake, here's a peek under the hood of that rig...

[John the Savage]

And here's what my little corner of the stage looked like at that time.

Much has changed since, mind you... Hopefully for the better.

[John the Savage]

This is the touring rig today. Albeit not currently touring.
Looking forward to getting back out on the road...

[wakyct]

To that end, I originally bought the Tempest because it's my idea of the ideal analog synth... If only it had a legato mode (Ahem!), a host port, and MPE support, I'd be using it with the LinnStrument without question.

This is going full circle for me as I was reading this tonight, https://noisegate.com.au/hybrid-history ... tal-synth/,

The Tempest was seemingly an attempt to combine everything in one, analogue oscillators and filters plus digital oscillators that carried extensive waveforms plus a range of drum samples.

It also talks about the Evolver, which is my mono synth (and is actually great with the Linnstrument), but a Poly isn't really in my future unless I sell my Linnstrument

[John the Savage]

The Tempest persists as a source of disappointment for me. In theory, it’s the ideal tool for the work that I do and the aesthetic I aspire to. However, the remaining bugs in the firmware, combined with a few glaring design oversights on the hardware front, have had a seemingly tailored and ironic way of thwarting my every effort, regardless of the use case. It’s tragic.

That said, it’s an incredible groovebox, if you’re a program-and-press-play artist; but if you want to actually perform beats live, recording to the sequencer on the fly, while interfacing with a greater hardware setup, there’s a roadblock at every turn. And I dare say that is the exact opposite of what the Tempest was designed for.

Cheers!