Hi all!
Has anyone ever floated the idea of a Phatty Old School?
I like the sounds that my LP spits out but find the interface not as good as it could have been. I find the “one function per knob” of older synths easier to ger my head around. I sometimes fall back to my other synths to get a sound that I know the Phatty could do better but it is not so easy to “visually see the sound”
The performance memory is of little use to me as well as I prefer to build the sound there and then. (Midi is nice though)
So: Phatty without operating system but with more switches and knobs = easier access to those tones. Worth the bother?
The other day I bought a MIDI controller for the purpose of having a single function per knob, it’s called a nanoKONTROL I believe? If you look up the LPs MIDI map it should be relatively easy for you to implement this yourself. I switch between using it as a controller for Ableton and as extended knob interface for my LP
One of the issues in Moog offering this is that they would need to completely redesign the LP.
Unlike the Voyager which began with an Analog analog board and bolted on the CPU, scanners, interfaces, etc.; the LP was intended to be low cost and CPU controlled and in fact, leverges an embedded controller (with integrated processor, flash memory, analog I/O control and digital control. I have one of the development boards in my home office).
SP was designed on a different platform as far as I know but with the same concept.
So in order to develop something like an Old School Phatty, it would actually ADD expense to the platform, not remove cost.
BUT I’m with you, that would be awesome. I have a VOS and love it; Just like Minitaur, it’s knob per function but there is ONLY 1 hidden function on the VOS (unlike Minitaur). And that is the Legato or Retrigger mode which is setup by depressing a particular key upon powerup.
Minitaur has a wealth of features ‘under the hood’, not the least of which is the fact that it is extensible since it runs firmware.
But I think your post was more about the piece that you touch (knobs) and not the underlying architecture.
Would like to hear from others on their view/opinion; for sure, I miss having the overdrive on my Voyager, although I could wire one up I suppose : o
I too would love a LPOS but Mr White is correct in saying it would cost more. Marketing also needs to be looked at. Even if Moog could put a LPOS out for the same price as an LP they might not want to. They don’t want to hurt the sales of the LP. So they would need to sell the new model for more then an LP but much less then a Voyager. Would anyone buy a $2000.00 LP with no memory. I thought about the possibility of a full featured Minitaur my guess is that it would bring the cost up a couple hundred dollars and that brings the price up to that of the SP. So does one product cannibalize the other? Maybe the all knob and no preset crowd is a completely different market segment then the preset crowd?? I’m not sold on presets I own a new SEM patch panel, Minitaur and just pre ordered a Boomstar 4075.
I do love the sound of my LP but I love the lay out of the VOS so I feel your pain. So would/could Moog sell a Prodigy 2012 for 2k ish? I’d buy it. I also guarantee you Moog is watching all the new analogue bits with no memory come out and are planning the next move. I don’t think we are done looking at the Minitaur’s form factor. Maybe the Minitaur was also a bit of marketing trial with that particular form factor. But what the phuc do I know.
Yes. Any USB MIDI Controller requires a computer to process the data. I can see why more companies are using USB MIDI because of form factor, but I really wish someone, on smaller controllers like the nano series, would devise a mini MIDI DIN connector that would have an adapter to standard MIDI DIN. I’d prefer not to have to rely on a computer just for control.
I have been waiting for such a device to come out. As midi ports become less and less common on new gear, such a device will be in demand. Like midi-CV interfaces presently.
If your looking for a MIDI controller that has dedicated MIDI so you won’t need a computer, check out the Behringer BCR2000. Generally, I would advise against buying anything Behringer, but since this is just a controller, it’s probably ok. This should have enough pots and buttons to be able to access all of the LP parameters. Eventually I plan on getting on for myself.
ok, 3 minutes worth of nanoseconds. Everything is divisible.
I use a BCF2000 with my LP stage. Once it is programmed, it is very useful. I wanted a BCR, but found the BCF for a cheap price before I had a chance to buy it. I am very glad I have the BCF over the BCR. I love using the faders as an easy to throw switch for live performance applications.
If you don’t mind a touch surface, then Lemur on the iPad with connection to your Phatty via the standard USB camera connection kit works a treat. I run several screen’s-worth of controls that are logically grouped. The beauty of this is that it is infinitely adaptable - and you can arrange functions together in groups that are logical to you. I tend to have functions that are normally hidden (without resorting to a shift button/knob) displayed on the iPad, so that both what I consider primary is right there on the Phatty and then it’s a small reach to the iPad for the rest. You also have Lemur “physics” available to you, so you can get ping-pong effects with LFOs and filters happening. Just a thought. I like playing with hardware knobs and dials too - they’re intimately tactile - but with this setup you don’t lose that. You’re just adding those less-avaialble functions already on your Phatty to another surface.
H’mm, makes sense to me. An LPOS will never happen, however I’ll look into one of those control thingamies.
Perhaps Moog could make one just for the Phattys to give them extra control?
