Creamware goes hardware?

[Shroomz~>]

On 2005-09-17 21:35, astroman wrote:
well, leaving aside the 'big graphic LCD representation' that's pretty similiar to the original EMU Proteus 2-dial menu system

Because it's a box with some knobs ?

when I wrote complete re-design I actually meant 'complete', not a slight modification of the paradigm.

we're obviously talking at slight cross-purposes Tom, because i gave an example of a move to a more generic interface design, which would enable a complete re-design... in software
Not only that, but with a more generic interface concept someone could design 2 or 3 synths (or more) to run on it loading them from CF or similar.

a (point- and useless) example: those six axis controllers from 3-D CAD ('space-mouse') could give you a bunch of parameters to be controlled by one movement - yet it wouldn't help much as long as there's no feedback provided...
big LCDs don't count due to budget limits

CAD spaceballs are great, but there's not much difference in $$$ between them & a big LCD. I mean if someone were having 1000 desktop synth pcbs made in the far east, (fully populated) the cost wouldn't be more than 20-30 dollars per screen. decent 3D Spaceballs however, are not cheap at all, as they're designed less for general purpose & more for industrial app's. (like CAD design)
Still, the 3D ball idea isn't out of reach as Alesis have proven with their 'Proton' designs.

[darkrezin]

What's so bad about it? I'm talking about Vaz Modular 3 by the way... I actually find the drop-down menus for connections to be really great... once you get your head around it, it's way easier than looking at cable spaghetti.

It's also one of the only native synths I've tried that can sound convincing and fat.

[Shroomz~>]

It's probably not so much that Vaz is 'bad', so much as how far up your list of most used synths is it. Some people might use it a fair bit, but to be honest, there are nicer synths to play with, be they software or hardware. I'd take a Nord M Kb before Vaz any day of the week, spagetti or not.

[darkrezin]

Fair enough I guess.. I'd have a Nord Mod too, or a Buchla or Serge system ideally I usually use Scope Mod3/Flexor but I work on a variety of machines and there isn't always a Scope card around It's nice to have a decent sounding synth on all possible working environments.

Shroomz - I'd be interested to know which software synths you rate more highly than Vaz Mod3.. I haven't found any so far on my travels but I haven't tried everything. (please note, don't compare this version to older ones or other synths in the Vaz range).

Stardust - Z3ta: fair enough... the GUI is nice, and the synth is okay for some things but for me its sound is nowhere near the class of Vaz Mod3. It's also not a modular so it's not really a valid comparison surely?

[astroman]

On 2005-09-18 04:00, Shroomz wrote:

On 2005-09-17 21:35, astroman wrote:
...similiar to the original EMU Proteus 2-dial menu system

Because it's a box with some knobs ?

actually it's one dial, 3 buttons and a 2 line LCD - and it's amazing how effectively these few elements control a fairly complex synth with mod matrix etc.
The Proteus is > 15 years old, and to me the Electron operation just read very similiar
...

...CAD spaceballs are great, but there's not much difference in $$$ between them & a big LCD. ...

I labeled the example 'point- and useless' - it was the next best thing that entered my mind to illustrate a different mode of operation - in fact I even find them pretty un-operational at all for the purpose we're talking about.

cheers, Tom

[astroman]

On 2005-09-18 07:15, darkrezin wrote:
What's so bad about it? I'm talking about Vaz Modular 3 by the way...

it's just what I remember (not shure if it was a version 3 demo, tho), but it had tons of popup menus - and I hate those things...
but it has recently been topped by the (now reduced) Korg package (with the tiny MS20 look-alike).
They use real-world cables to define virtual connections...

cheers, Tom