Title link takes you to a podcast on delamar.de. Scroll to get to the player when you get there. Midway John plays a few sounds followed by talking about the synthesis engine.Via fat eric in the comments of this post. fat eric babblefished the following off of delemar.de. Thanks fat eric! These are the first samples of the Solaris I'm aware of.
"One of the few highlights on the music fair 2007 for me is surely the Solaris, a Synthesizer, which was developed of nobody smaller than John Bowen. The Solaris began as semimodular software Synth for the Scope DSP maps of CreamWare, where it gained fast a good reputation as versatile applicable Synth. Marc and I had the large pleasure the symphatischen and still inspired Synth veterans to interviewen - the result can hear you as Podcast at the end of the article. With the Solaris it acts around a Synthesizer based on SHARC DSPs with 5 oktaven a keyboard, which with a 96kHz audio engine works. Under that about 40 buttons are 5 LCDs, which represent the button parameters. Additionally there is a graphic display, whose use us is not yet completely clear. The algorithms used in the Solaris are to be waited and improved occasionally over software updates. Also extensions are technically feasible and planned according to John Bowen. Perhaps it will also give at a later time some the Scope algorithms for the Solaris. However - John Bowen recommends to switch on and straight on play the equipment simply. The secrets reveal themselves then allegedly automatically. Who cannot allude the hippen Synth with a music shop, should absolutely clean-hear in the Podcast, because it enters or other hearing sample of the master there himself. An inspiring Synth, which by play joy and great sounds from the mass out-stings. The price will lie around the EUR3000. -. Thank you at John Bowen for the interview!"
Good moment:
ReplyDeleteJohn Bowen: "if you press this button it lights up"
Interviewer: "that's really clever!"
pfffft. man i hate these digital synths..
ReplyDeleteThe Rotator - That's Cool.
ReplyDeleteA Prophet type CEM? Now the question is, it is an original CEM3340 or one of the cheaper ones like in the Evolver?
This already sounds more fun than any other VA or hybrid synth.
I found an old solaris synth mp3.
ReplyDeleteIt sounded like an above average VA. Not in the top 25%, but maybe in the top 26%.
From my research, here's what I've concluded about the original solaris code:
- It does a lot, and covers a lot of ground.
- What it covers, it seems to cover reasonably well, and nothing really 'sucks', but I was only 'wowed' once.
- As a tool, it seems pretty good.
I encourage John Bowen to:
- Add a ribbon control
- Add an xy pad
- Make it so a laptop, or controller can sit on it and not slide off
- Give it an ethernet port and support for OSC
- Add some genetic/algorithmic patch generation/morphing
- Get a crisper display that updates fast that can do stuff like: Display FFT data in real time
I also think that any future digital synths would really do well by adding ANALOG INSERTS for various stages. That way, you could patch in a compressor, a reverb before the filters, a Metasonix, etc... at various points in the signal path.
Creating a hybrid digital/analog modular in this way would be fantastic -- even if it lacked CV control.
Adding analog inserts to digital synths is an area that could really open them up a lot, add grit and sound shaping that is in 'your' control, vs. waiting for an 'algorithmic' update.
I'm probably a bit overexcited about this, but one man coming out of nowhere with such an astonishing leap in the synth design mindset dropped my jaw indeed. Coming up with a working prototype overnight does make a good impression too.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty funny how the interviewer seemed overwhelmed with all the technical jargon, but I like what I heard :) Rotor is finally explained.
As for using insert patch points in between stages, that would inevitably make all processing after it paraphonic and involve da/ad conversions in every step, right? A good old set of analog modules seems more cut for the job, imo. Using external inputs as modulators at audio rate does sound promising, though.
If I recall correctly the original idea was to have an X-Y pad but they went for a joystick because of supplier problems. Let's see how the final product turns out.
Cheers.
dok, I'm not sure making all your suggestions right here makes any sense. That's weird and unlike your other comments and really freaking me out. Is it just your buttered up way of saying that the audio in that interview sounds about as good as a redsound darkstar? Granted, the recording medium wasn't optimal, but it's obvious that much work will be put into this yet. Like teaming up with Apogee and putting a big ben in there--he still has to do that.
ReplyDeleteI have much respect for this guy and his ideas but i HATE the sounds i just heard.
ReplyDeleteVK
A natural biologocal process occurred in my pants region when he described what the oscillators can do. I'll leave it at that. Needless to say, I can't wait to actually fiddle with the real item.
ReplyDeleteThanks to John Bowen !
ReplyDeleteI own Solaris as a creamware plugin for years now and always hoped it would get a HW.
Now my dreams came true.
The outstanding sound quality, the enormous flexibility and the elaborate modulation possibilities now in a tangible piece of HW.
There is no VA synth around that is comparable, hardly virus ti comes close. Why ? Accessibility (5 displays), Flexibility (modulation, plugins), Diversity (analog, wavetable, wav -Oscs, dozens of filter types) etc.
I am looking forward to John Bowen's master piece.
I can safely say, as a Solaris user (creamware version) - that the sound is indeed excellent. The presets was something obviously done in a hurry with a very basic prototype. You can't really judge this beast by listening to an mp3 demo. This synth is going to be an awsome instrument, of that I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Solaris on Scope is a mind - blowing machine.
ReplyDelete"I have much respect for this guy and his ideas but i HATE the sounds i just heard."
ReplyDeleteHi VK,
Wow, hate is a strong word!
It really is capable of much more - one can't judge this until we get it all functional and ready to play (I hope to have beta units for sound design in August).
-john bowen
I own the plug as well : it's a lifelong workhorse gathering an impressive set of synthesis and manipulations of them ( Rotors and Vectors ) + massive mindblowing modulations / interactions.
ReplyDeleteOne who doesn't love Solaris doesn't synths, period.
And the hardware will have much more add-ons and raw processing power than the plug so it'll be already quite a shock for those who already own the plug ! ;-)
John, don't let these fools get you down. I haven't obsessed over a digital synth this much since the Wavestation. No other synth has grabbed my interest and held it like this in years.
ReplyDeleteEveryone else, go to zargmusic.com for a taste of what this technology might do.