PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

I do agree with you John.

I do not feel the SOLARIS as a scope based expander: all the others (NOAH, ASB, Plugiator, ...) are "just" repackaged CW technology (though some of the best from the Scope galaxy).

The Solaris does not come from CW but from John Bowen Synth Design. The DSP power is half the power available in an Xite-1 (more than any scope system except the Xite-1). The control surface and keyboard is something unknown in the Scope range of product. The ASB had pushed the system forward by offering real hardware control but the control surface offered by the SOLARIS looks far more flexible.
I would assume the SOLARIS is a kind of [Modular v3 + RD modules + ...] Hardware with a smart user interface.

Having some of the following, I can tell you my personnal feeling:
- The Noah Ex is (was) the most flexible of all these units (up 4 parts, multiple plug-ins) though not the most user friendly.
- The ASB are much more easy to use but lack flexibility by being single plug-in / single part (a multimode upgrade would be welcome). Programming patch with them is a real delight. Keeping 95% of the CC mapping common with the NOAH is good to me as it allows me to remote control the Minimax/Pro12/B3000 plug-in of the Noah from the ASB control elements (still have to buy me one Prodyssey ...). The same would obviously be possible to remote control a klangbox from an ASB.
- The Plugiator is more flexible but doesn't reach the level of the NOAH being multiple plug-in / single part (a multimode upgrade would also be welcome). The user interface is not the one of the ASB but slightly better than what the Klangboxes offered (nothing). Also the change of the CC mapping is an annoyance to me. A CW native mode would also be welcome.

Meanwhile, I am also working on modifying the Scope based Minimax/Pro12/B2003 to add them the right CC mapping for also remote controlling them from the ASB modules.

CheerZ

HUROLURA wrote:Or imagine a common controller for all the vintage emulation from the scope collection (Pro-One, Prodyssey, Pro12, Minimax) as they have some obvious common part (osc coarse/fine, filter cutoff/reso/env, ADSR enveloppes ...)

you can easily set up a Mackie C4 for that

That's what actually what I did with my cheaper BCR 2000 or with my X-station...

I was thinking about something keeping the vintage feel of the ASB but providing more flexibility (multitimbral setup is a must have). And also the possibility to host some synth variation using the same classic structure OSC>MIX>FILTER>AMP but with different type of Oscillators, Filter and a more flexible modulation matrix.
But I think I am just describing what the Solaris will provide.

CheerZ

PS: from the Figures of this Poll, The Xite-1 is the most used unit by PlanetZ members

Just received and installed my first SonicCore branded unit (all I had so far was still CreamWare or ... Use Audio).
As expected, the B4000 ASB is just great !!! I had already used the B-range on the Pulsar, Noah and Plugiator but adding the ASB user interface is far more attractive than what I could achieve with a BCR 2000 template.
Everything is just obvious (untill now).
Great sound, great user interface ...

CheerZ

The problem with the plugiator is it sends slider data on the polyphonic aftertouch control bandwith...meaning any polyat messages from any key will move sliders to 0 upon release....
So now I can not use a plugiator inline between CS80V and my SQ80....or it fu**s up..

The PolyAT "trick" is also used for the NOAH: the purpose was to expand the limited number of CC messages.
This was done I suppose because the PolyAT feature is not that broaden. It is used for the Lightwave, StepSequencer, Arpeggio and Effect control but you can select another MIDI channel for this.

Now I am wondering if you can disable this "feature" together with the CC sending (I think it is possible with the NOAH at least).

No such annoyance for me here by the way as I have no PolyAT sender or receiver device except for the CW ones...
The NRPN message would have been another solution.

CheerZ

HUROLURA wrote:PS: from the Figures of this Poll, The Xite-1 is the most used unit by PlanetZ members

Xite-1 being recently released, means voters are fresh owners, and maybe thus more active in this community, so short after getting the box?
On the otherhand, some optimism from time to time doesn't hurt =]

And I even do not ask for people having more than 1 Xite-1 ....