Survey: Performance Synthesizer Design

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:27 am

I'm designing a synthesizer for my final year project at uni, and have a few questions regarding opinions on the use of synths and keyboards in, and preferred visual and functional design aspects.

Please, I would really appreciate as many answers as possible, it would be a great help towards my project and for this I will thank you all in advance!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MQNQ2ZL

krazy78 · Post by **krazy78** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:13 am

done

dreamaiden · Post by **dreamaiden** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:59 pm

done !

candlewick · Post by **candlewick** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:28 am

done!

Synthoid · Post by **Synthoid** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:39 am

X-Trade wrote:I'm designing a synthesizer for my final year project at uni

Something that will be for sale someday?

Gargamel314 · Post by **Gargamel314** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:15 am

good luck! your new synth... joysticks > wheels.

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:32 am

done!

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 11:44 am

Gargamel314 wrote:good luck! your new synth... joysticks > wheels.

Actually for this version at least I was contemplating leaving out mod and pitch wheels, mainly because it'll cost me an extra £40+

I already have a vector joystick, and a number of other hands-on controls, and there's no monophonic mode which is where personally I'd mainly be using any pitch bend. if it did have wheels i'd have to have a pitch and two mod wheels

If anyone is interested, the synth engine is intended to be a cross between a Hammond organ and a sampler - simply, it is a simultaneous multi-track sample playback machine. so for example you could have samples of each drawbar (or just one sample transposed), or more interestingly, you could have a number of mic configuration recordings from a grand piano, and blend between them in real-time, or you could have a pad with the attack recording of something else.
I see it as a kind of blend between additive, linear, and vector synthesis. mainly focused on combining different components of a sound.
I am also thinking about the possibilities in creating a 'pseudo-arranger' track, where you have a multisample that only fills the bottom octave, with variations on a basic groove on each key. Now you could have one multisample for the bass, one for guitar, a snare, kick, overheads/other drums, some synth parts.... you get the idea. You can mix them in and out at realtime.

there are a number of other interesting features which I may mention at another time, but includes the potential to create some interesting input-filtering vocoder-like effects, but the synth is mainly aimed at traditional keyboard and pad sounds.

Synthoid wrote:
X-Trade wrote:I'm designing a synthesizer for my final year project at uni

Something that will be for sale someday?

well, after the uni project is over, I will have a nice hardware platform to play with, and I intend on completely rewriting the software to offer something more suited to general use. Hopefully i'll be able to offer the original synthesizer as a feature in the new OS. I'd also like to offer a mode that will host probably a number of simultaneous VST plugins, as well as a more modular synth architecture for the built in engine.

I would like to offer a service to build these with a certain level of customisation. For example, to save on cost, the uni project version will most likely not have a touch-screen, however the interface is already fairly touchscreen-friendly. it can be operated for performance without access to the screen as far as selecting patches etc. for editing, you plug in a keyboard and mouse. I do however think a touchscreen would be essential for a real product.

I would also definitely like to offer the option of 76 or 88 keys.

The actual hardware platform is somewhere between OASYS and OpenLabs, although not really inspired by either. It should be more attractive than OpenLabs, but not as 'closed' as the OASYS. It is essentially a fairly nice modern PC (4bg ram, 2.8ghz Core2Duo/Quad, Windows XP64) in a fancy looking box.

I've gone to great lengths to use a smaller (1U rack height style) power supply like those used in blade servers, so that the case doesn't have to be too bulky, however at the last minute I've had to change to using organ waterfall keys which take up more space. Originally I was intending on using 61-key synth action with aftertouch, whereas this new keybed has no aftertouch and adds an extra inch of unseen lever area. So this will make the chassis deeper - maybe I will have to add a pitch/mod wheel area to the left of the keyboard to compensate!

I would definitely like to pursue this as a product that I could sell but I really don't know where to start in a business like that. If anyone has any ideas or tips feel free to let me know

Obviously once I've got some more detailed plans after the project I will let you all know.

And thanks to everyone who has taken part in the survey so far!
I would like to say though that the most important pages to me are the last two, and i've had a number of incomplete entries that i've had to delete... It should only take three or four minutes at the most and it would be great to know what you guys think, so please don't give up halfway through!

krazy78 · Post by **krazy78** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:27 am

Do all survey participants get a free demo synth??

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Sat Feb 27, 2010 7:18 am

done and 4 way joystick like Korg uses > 2 mod wheels.

Ak5000 · Post by **Ak5000** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:52 pm

done

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:10 pm

done

i hope we can see a prototype on a youtube video.. or even better.. a software version xD

Regards
Alvaro.

axxim · Post by **axxim** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 10:22 pm

Done!

I would like to be a student again and have the time to restart my old Synth-Project which is more related to the sound synthesis but would also need a new type of controller that is capable of vary 32 or 64 parametars in a glimpse

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 4:48 pm

It is a bit of a painful subject for me to discuss because the project went a much different way than I would have liked, but here are the results of my many hours of work (public facebook photo album for now)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... f913b02f5c

I intend to write new software for it to host and play VSTs in a korg-like combi situation, and I will also use it as a platform for designing other new music software, as well as for performing live with plugins and processing in the studio!

The synth software itself is a nine part additive sample playback engine designed as an extension of the hammond organ concept.

dayuri · Post by **dayuri** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:18 am

Looks great man. Some pretty thick MDF its made out of, I'm imaging she'd be pretty heavy. I kind of like the idea of the angled sliders, though I just hope they don't bump into each other.

Talented guy!

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