YouTube via DaveSmithInstruments | January 13, 2011
Boomchik arrives in a Tempest (click and scroll to see how it has evolved over time).
"Analog Drum Machine a First for Legendary Designers
January 13, 2011—Dave Smith Instruments today introduced Tempest, a new analog drum machine, at the 2011 NAMM Show. Tempest is a collaboration between Smith and longtime friend and fellow instrument designer Roger Linn. Though they've consulted with each other on past projects, Tempest marks the first time a product will carry both the Dave Smith Instruments and Roger Linn Design logos. 'If you're going to make a drum machine, who better to have in your corner than Roger Linn?' said Smith, referring to Linn's legacy as inventor of the digital drum machine.
Though Smith is also responsible for some fine drum machines—most notably Sequential's DrumTraks and Studio 440—Tempest is his first to utilize analog synthesis to generate the sounds. "We've designed a very flexible new synth voice for Tempest," said Smith. Linn added, "The design of Tempest reflects a rethinking of what a drum machine needs to be in the current era. It's not so much a drum machine as a new musical performance instrument for the creation, manipulation, and arrangement of beat-oriented music, with an intuitive and efficient use of human gestures."
Tempest's 16 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads are arranged in an 8 x 2 array to facilitate both real-time and step entry of beats. Two pressure- and position-sensitive Note FX slide controllers provide a unique new method of performance and control.
"We're very excited about Tempest," said Smith. "It's an instrument with a lot of personality and it's great fun to play. It has been a long time since there has been anything new in the drum machine world."
Tempest is expected to be available by June 2011 with a projected MAP of $1,999.00.
We now know what this was. The following is the official press release followed by key features. Be sure to click on the images to the left for the full size shots.
"New DJ Live-Performance Instrument Features Filters Adapted from Prophet-6 Synth
San Francisco, CA—April 5, 2016—Dave Smith Instruments today announced that it has collaborated with Pioneer DJ, the market leader in DJ equipment and software, to provide analog filters for the company’s TORAIZ SP-16 sampler/sequencer. Boasting a 16-step sequencer, 16-voice polyphony, and 2GB of pre-loaded samples and loops, the new instrument allows DJs to trigger loops, one-shots, and electronic percussion live with its 16 multi-colored performance pads and other real-time controls.
Said Dave Smith: 'When Pioneer DJ approached us about collaborating on one of their products, we were very excited. Given their expertise and deep knowledge of the DJ market, we knew that it was bound to be interesting.' Added Smith: 'And when they asked us to adapt our filters from the Prophet-6, we immediately saw that it was going to be a great fit.'
The TORAIZ SP-16 features two discrete voltage-controlled filters developed by Dave Smith Instruments: a four-pole, resonant, low-pass inspired by the original 1970’s-era Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 filter, and a two-pole high-pass filter. 'The Prophet filters add real analog warmth to the TORAIZ SP-16. They also allow a lot of creative sound manipulation when you use the live-performance controls of the instrument,' explained Smith. 'DJs will put them to good use, I’m sure.'
The TORAIZ SP-16 features a 7-inch color touch screen for accessing its factory sound library and viewing sound and performance parameters. The 16-step sequencer can store up to 256 patterns. Sixteen sequence step buttons allow color coding of sounds. Patterns can be saved as “scenes” for instant recall in the studio or on stage. When the instrument is connected to a Pioneer DJ CDJ or XDJ DJ Deck using Pioneer DJ’s Pro DJ Link, the system synchronizes its loops and one-shots to the beat of a master deck. (Users will need to update the TORAIZ SP-16 to the latest firmware to use this feature.) MIDI clock support allows users to connect and synchronize other devices.
The TORAIZ SP-16 is manufactured and sold by Pioneer DJ Corporation. It will be available in summer of 2016. Price and specifications subject to change.
About Dave Smith Instruments LLC
Launched in 2002, Dave Smith Instruments LLC is helmed by legendary musical instrument designer and Grammy® award winner Dave Smith. Dave’s many accomplishments include the creation of the Prophet-5—the world’s first fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer—and his legacy as the primary driving force behind MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). Dave Smith Instruments’ products are used by an ever-growing roster of well-known musicians and are available from music retailers worldwide. Instruments include the Prophet-6, Pro 2, Prophet 12, Prophet ‘08, Mopho x4, and the Tempest analog drum machine. Dave Smith Instruments is based in San Francisco, where the instruments are also manufactured. For more information, visit www.davesmithinstruments.com.
About Pioneer DJ
Pioneer DJ Corporation is a privately held company headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. Pioneer DJ Europe Ltd. and Pioneer DJ Americas, Inc. are subsidiaries responsible for sales and marketing in EMEA, the United States, Canada, and Latin America. For more than 20 years, Pioneer DJ has been a market leader in the design and production of innovative DJ equipment and software. The company works closely with DJs and clubs to deliver next generation products that inspire and shape the global dance music community. Its portfolio includes brands such as Pioneer Professional Audio and Pioneer DJ Radio as well as social platforms KUVO and DJsounds."
KEY FEATURES
1. Create up to 256 patterns using the 16-step sequencer
Drop sounds into the sequencer to create your own 16-step loops and use the six dials to modulate the sounds. The multicoloured buttons reflect the colours you’ve assigned each sound: for example, kick drums in red. You can save your patterns then play them back instantly in the booth or on stage.
2. 7-inch full-colour touch screen with detailed sample information
The large touch screen puts all the information you need in your line of sight. Quickly browse and load samples, and allocate colours to them for a visual guide. Or see real-time waveforms and full details of the sample’s characteristics, and use the dials underneath to manipulate a variety of parameters.
3. Multicoloured Performance Pads with Velocity Mode
The Performance Pads are taken from our DJ controllers to give you a truly tactile experience. Load up to 16 samples to the pads, then finger drum freely to layer sounds on-the-fly. The lights reflect the colours you’ve assigned to each sound, while Velocity Mode lets you control the volume of the sample with how hard you hit the pad.
4. 8GB of flash memory and real-time processing for non-stop music production
The TORAIZ SP-16 delivers 16-voice polyphony so you can play all 16 samples at once – even when you’re using time stretch or editing the sound using the touch screen amp envelope. The 8GB of flash memory means you’ve got plenty of space – and you can use it as a stand-alone unit, with no need for a laptop.
5. Analogue filters from Dave Smith Instruments' Prophet-6 synthesiser
We've collaborated with Dave Smith to add the analogue filters from his iconic Prophet-6 synthesiser to the TORAIZ SP-16. Use the dials to sculpt your sound – manipulating Drive, Cut Off and Resonance – and add true analogue warmth and presence.
6. Pro DJ Link and MIDI clock mean you’ll never miss a beat
Add the TORAIZ SP-16 to your CDJ or XDJ set-up using Pro DJ Link and the sampler will snap your one-shots and loops to the beat of the master deck. So you can layer multiple sounds over your tracks and they’ll always be in sync. It also has a MIDI clock so you can connect other devices via USB and stay in sync, and we’ll be adding connectivity with DAWs and synths at a later date.
7. Other features:
Use the touch strip to control various parameters
Comes with Loopmasters samples already on board
Input ports Phone x 2
Output ports Phone x 8, Headphones
Other ports USB, LAN, MIDI
Max external dimension 436.5 x 261.2 x 74.3 mm (W x D x H)
Weight 3.2 kg
Published on Jun 16, 2015 THE MUSICIAN NETWORK (TMNtv)
"At Sweetwater's GearFest 2015, we were extremely lucky to have attended & filmed a one-of-a-kind seminar & panel discussion with three (3) HUGE contributors (i.e. 'The Inventors') of = The Synthesizer: Mr. Roger Linn, Mr. Dave Smith and Mr. Tom Oberheim. If you are an Electronic Musician and a synth-lover, then you NEED to watch this video, in its' entirety. Great Thanks to Sweetwater for putting this seminar & panel on during GearFest! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)"
Update:
Tom Oberheim Interviewed by Sweetwater Sound
Published on Jun 29, 2015 SweetwaterSound
"Mitch Gallagher sits down with synthesizer legend Tom Oberheim for a special interview at Sweetwater's GearFest 2015. A pioneer of the synth and MIDI world, Tom Oberheim co-designed the Synthesizer Expansion Module (SEM), a device that allowed musicians to simultaneously combine live playing and sequenced playback - a concept that pre-dated the MIDI revolution. In 1981, he, along with Roland's Ikutaro Kakehashi and Sequential's Dave Smith, developed the MIDI spec, which changed the course of modern music. Tom recently re-released his famed Two Voice synth."
Dave Smith Interviewed by Sweetwater
Published on Jun 22, 2015 SweetwaterSound
"Mitch Gallagher sits down with synth pioneer Dave Smith here at Sweetwater Sound. Dave was visiting Sweetwater for GearFest '15, featuring a special panel discussion between Dave Smith, Roger Linn, and Tom Oberheim.
Legendary synth designer and Grammy-winner Dave Smith was the founder of Sequential Circuits in the mid-'70s. His Prophet-5, the world's first fully programmable polyphonic synth, was the first musical instrument with an embedded microprocessor. Dave is also known as the driving force behind the development of the MIDI specification. He has continued to innovate, and recently unveiled his latest synth creation, the Sequential Prophet-6."
The first soft synth ever, Seer Systems Reality, gets a mention.
Roger Linn Interviewed by Sweetwater
Published on Jul 10, 2015 SweetwaterSound
"At GearFest '15, synthesizer pioneer Roger Linn sat down with Mitch Gallagher to talk music and electronic instruments. Technical Grammy award-winner Roger Linn invented the LM-1 Drum Computer (the first sample-based drum machine) in 1979. He later designed the Akai MPC60, which combined a sampling drum machine with a real-time MIDI sequencer. His guitar effects unit, AdrenaLinn, has been used on hit recordings by John Mayer and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2014 he released the LinnStrument, an expressive MIDI performance controller.
"30 years ago, Dave Smith helped pioneer the MIDI protocol, forever changing the way musicians interface with their gear. In 2013, we caught up with Dave Smith at Winter NAMM 2013 to talk about his accomplishment. Dave will receive a technical Grammy this year for the innovation.
Enjoy the interview, then check out Dave Smith Instruments products right here: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/manufacturer/Dave_Smith_Instruments"
"http://ohdratdigital.com We got to check in with Dave Smith and have a play with Tempest at NAMM, but rather than give you shakycam footage of playing with a synth at a noisy trade show we decided it would be far more interesting to have an interview with the legendary synth creator himself..."
pics via Amazona.de where you'll find an interview in German with Dave Smith (Googlish translation here).
"Well, hold your horses, it is not available, not for a while that is. Dave Smith is only showing his protoyope at the moment. So all is still in development. Of course the technical underlyings are the same as the Prophet12 keyboard version. According to Dave Smith it will be ideal for the musician who doesn't want yet another keyboard in his studio..."
Funny intro by Dave Smith. :) Anyone that's been to NAMM knows how hectic it can be.
"Straight from NAMM 2020, we take a look at the Sequential Pro 3.
Dave Smith himself gives us an overview of Sequential's newest monosynth, quickly revealing that there is much more to this instrument than first meets the eye.
The Pro 3 is the newest in a long line of amazing monosynths from Sequential, following in the footsteps of the Pro-1 and Pro-2. Like its predecessors, the Pro 3 features a remarkably robust modulation section, enabling the creation of complex tapestries of sound. When combined with the internal effects, 16-track sequencer, arpeggiator, and the option for three-note paraphonic behavior, the Pro 3 can be basically whatever synth you want it to be.
Two VCOs, a wavetable oscillator, three classic filter types, CV/Gate I/O, and a world's worth of modulation make the Pro 3 one of the most exciting announcements at NAMM this year.
"This interview was recorded at NAMM2010. Dave Smith took some time out to talk with me about his new Mopho keyboard and how instruments can be, "Polychained" together in order to expand their voices." Be sure to take this poll on the color of the Mopho Keyboard.
"We sat down with electronic music technology pioneers Dave Smith and Roger Linn for a special in depth interview focused on analog hardware and its uses for making compelling electronic music.
This interview was shot in January - Dave Smith has since been awarded with a Grammy, and MIDI turned thirty! Read more here: http://www.djtechtools.com/2013/01/09..."
"In this tenth episode of 'Grid Kids with Nicholas Semrad', Nicholas interviews the inventor of polyphonic synthesis and midi Mr. Dave Smith and his cohort over at Sequential, Mr. Andrew McGowan. They chat about the early years over at Sequential, their favorite synth patches and synth tips, and their thoughts on the usage of synths within the music community.
"At Soundmit 2020, we had the honor and the pleasure of interviewing Dave Smith, the true Prophet of Silicon Valley who, interviewed by Felice Manzo, told us some curious anecdotes about the new prophet and his story.
"I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to talk to the legend Dave Smith during NAMM 2015. We were talking a little bit about his roots, how it all got started for him, and what it was like back then. And also about the latest product, the Prophet 6."
"My first encounter with Dave Rossum was over the telephone some nine years ago, when he prevented me from purchasing sight unseen thousands of dollars of E-mu equipment. Dave instead encouraged me to purchase a few submodules and test them out. I did and I was hooked. Dave is an original. His first E-mu modular system has set the standard by which all other modular systems will be judged. Brilliant and witty, Dave is a new breed of electronic music pioneer whose contribution to the design of equipment for other manufacturers may have shaped the nature of the synthesizer as much as did Robert Moog's original thinking...
JL: Your influence in the design of both the Prophet 5 and the equipment of Oberheim Electronics have been grossly overlooked. Would you care to comment on what you've done for both companies?
DR: Let me talk first about Tom Oberheim, whom I met at an AES convention in the spring of 1974. We both liked each other immediately and started talking about ideas. He was talking about his phase shifter, and said something to the effect that he knew it could be done with a 3080 transconductance amp, but didn't know exactly how to do it. So I scribbled out a circuit and said here's how you do it. He said "I bet that�s patentable", and I said "I'm sure it is". He asked how would I feel about patenting it and sharing the rights under the patent? I thought it was a great Idea, and that was the beginning of our association...
The involvement with the Prophet 5 was very similar. Dave Smith had come to us for design help with other projects, when he decided to get into a synthesizer, he came over and basically started picking our brains from the beginning, which was an intelligent thing to do. We did some specific circuit designs for the Prophet 5,reviewed virtually everything in it, and gave him access to lots of E-mu documentation. Again, we had a royalty arrangement, the product went over well, and we made a lot of money...but of course had the Prophet not gone over, we wouldn't have gotten anything for our time so essentially, we again invested in the company. Still, royalties are not a trouble-free way to conduct business. One reason why we have a bit of trouble right now in our relationship with Oberheim and Sequential Circuit* - I can't say I'm close friends with, or see a lot of, either company - is because of this arrangement where they're still paying us royalties for things we did a long time ago. Sometimes, people forget how much they appreciated you a long time ago. So we've learned that royalties aren't always best, not so much because they're not financially lucrative, but because they destroy friendships - and as far I'm concerned, friendships are probably more important than the money itself..."
Do check out the full interview. You'll find tons of interesting nuggets of synth history.
"Michael Wooten is a young multi-instrumentalist and composer and a recent Berklee graduate, where he studied under jazz greats such as Tia Fuller, Greg Hopkins, Hal Crook and Terence Blanchard. Originally from Philadelphia, Michael has shared the stage with artists such as Sheila E, Terri Lyne Carrington and Ledisi and has worked on upcoming records with trumpeter Darren Barret and drummer Lenny White. His main focus, however, is his own original music, which while rooted in Philly’s rich musical tradition, draws from a plethora of different influences and experiences.
We recently caught up with Michael between projects to talk with him about about how he’s using his Pro 2."
"It wasn't until 1972, when he saw and immediately bought a Minimoog, that Smith began to consolidate these two areas [music & engineering]. He began making tapes with his new synthesizer and a four-track tape deck, but before long he had grown dissatisfied with that setup. 'Granted, there are a million things you can do with the Minimoog that most people don't even get near touching, but still everything is pretty much pre-patched, and I wanted to start doing more,' he explains. Starting from scratch, Dave soon built his own analog sequencer, which also functioned as a waveform generator when interfaced with a keyboard.
'When I finished it,' he relates, 'I realized that maybe someone else would want one, and that I might try to sell one. I guess that's how Sequential Circuits officially got started.' In 1974 the company name was trademarked, and Dave, working literally out of a closet in his one-bedroom apartment, began marketing and improving his Model 600 sequencer in his spare time. By late 1975, with his lab spilling over into the extra bedroom of another apartment, he was building the digital Model 800 sequencers. After a while he was renting workspace in Sunnyvale, in the area known as Silicon Valley, the heart of California's computer country, plugging in a telephone answering machine to take orders, and hiring assemblers. But it wasn't until April 1977, just after designing his synthesizer programmer, that Smith quit his regular job and began devoting his full energies to Sequential Circuits."
"Recently nominated for a Grammy for his work on Terence Blanchard’s Breathless, pianist and composer Fabian Almazan found his musical roots as a child in his homeland of Havana where he first became involved in the classical piano tradition. When his parents could not afford to pay for private piano lessons and having migrated to Miami, Florida, pianist Conchita Betancourt was gracious enough to impart free lessons. Thanks to Mrs. Betancourt’s exceeding generosity, Fabian was able to audition for the New World School of the Arts High School in Miami where he studied from 1998 to 2002. In 2002 Fabian was selected for the piano chair in the National 2002 Grammy High School Jazz Combo. The following year, Almazan attended the newly up and running Brubeck Institute fellowship program based in northern California where he studied with Mark Levine and performed with Dave Brubeck and Christian McBride. In 2003, Fabian moved to New York City to study with Kenny Barron at the Manhattan School of Music..."
"Multiple award winning film composer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, Justin Melland primarily works in the demanding world of film and television, creating refreshingly inventive scores at his studio The Eleventh Laboratory, in Los Angeles, California. Recent projects Justin has scored are Dark Net (Showtime), Water and Power (Sundance, 2017), The Force (Sundance, 2017), Parched (Jigsaw and National Geographic, 2017), Extremis (Tribeca, 2016), Belief (Own/Discovery, 2015), In Football We Trust (Sundance, 2015), The Kill Team (Tribeca, 2014), The Redemption of General Butt Naked (Sundance, 2011), and Life 2.0 (Sundance, 2010).
"A resident of the San Francisco electronic and experimental music circuit for nearly two decades, Matia Simovich’s productions and sound design have questioned the line between forward-thinking, avant pop and the depths of the underground. He honed his craft at the now-infamous Asphodel Studios/Recombinant Media Labs where, as an in-house producer, engineer, and sound designer, he collaborated with the likes of M.I.A., Keith Hillebrandt (Nine Inch Nails), and many others responsible for pushing the boundaries of the pop context. Never one to shy from the dark or the unorthodox, his production style is equally inclusive: hardware-centric and exudes the decadence and lushness of the past while integrating the precision and speed of today’s studio process. As the founding and principle member of INHALT, German for “content,” he defined this production style via several records put out by cult power house Dark Entries Records as well as Cleopatra Records. Most recently, he has collaborated with Peter Baumann (Tangerine Dream) on the Machines of Desire LP and has started a series of Artist Patch Bank libraries for various synthesizers."
