Knobby FM/VPM synths, Will they ever appear?

robinkle · Post by **robinkle** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:08 pm

Imagine MOD-7 or FS1r kind of synth as a knobby keyboard. Imagine a VA synth, with a DX7 as the Oscillator section.

If done right, would it be popular?
Who should make it?
Would you buy it?

I had something like this in mind:

See big picture for details:
http://www.23hq.com/robinkle/photo/15264577/original

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:23 pm

The thing about FM is that it usually involves a lot of oscillators and that doesn't lend itself to a knobby interface. Also complex routings are a bit difficult to represent in hardware.

Touchscreens are a good compromise.

Also consider on the Kronos you can map any number of controls to the front panel in Tone Adjust. In effect you can create templates that create a whole 'instrument' if you then pick that template program and use only the hardware controls to shape the rest of the sound.

robinkle · Post by **robinkle** » Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:29 pm

X-Trade wrote:The thing about FM is that it usually involves a lot of oscillators and that doesn't lend itself to a knobby interface. Also complex routings are a bit difficult to represent in hardware.

If you think about implementing a DX7 programer on the frontpanel yes. Look at the picture, it says something different in my opinion.
I do have a Kronos, I don't see much more there, have to switch pages for each VPM oscillator on a touch screen. It's not that intuitive compared to a dedicated button. assigning knobs and sliders for things just takes time. I want it simple.

Kontrol49 · Post by **Kontrol49** » Mon Jan 27, 2014 4:07 pm

I'm sure if you follow fashions in synthesis,it won't be long before we see a revival of the hardware FM DX series that goes beyond the original lame interface with some Knob laden panel,many of the sounds in the original DXs are iconic enough that they'll become sought after again,whether there's a market for a hardware synth or not depends on how its implemented,it's got to compete with a whole plethora of software and a few select hardware synths that have it as secondary sound sources.

Nord have included FM operator algorithms on some of there synths and stage pianos with some degree of knob control over parameters,but they still fall short of full FM control/editing,I see FM as a love it or hate it type of synthesis,we've all used it at some point but most of us never fully appreciate it or understand it enough to get the best out of it.

I can't see Yamaha being the first to lead a full scale revival they seemed to have lost the plot in the synth department, I think it's going to a niche hardware market for a dedicated hardware FM synth.