New Product from Dave Smith

[Bryan T]

I think you mean "than the rest of us"

That's probably true. There are some folks on this site that might pay $500 for a Moog coffee cup.

[CTRLSHFT]

I think you mean "than the rest of us"

That's probably true. There are some folks on this site that might pay $500 for a Moog coffee cup.

::FORKS OUT WAD OF CASH:: ZOMGOMGOMG

[Voltor07]

Personally, I'd probably pay $2K for an 8-voice analog synth. Something like a Little Phatty, but polyphonic.

Folks who are talking about $5K or $8K are in a different world than I am.

I think you mean "than the rest of us"

Let's look at this realistically, though. If a Voyager is one voice, and costs over $3,000 a polyphonic Moog will cost at least $1,000 per voice. Actually, 8k would be a bargain for such a beast. The Polymoog was over 7k in 1975, which would have bought a new Cadillac at that time.

[Carey M]

Personally, I'd probably pay $2K for an 8-voice analog synth. Something like a Little Phatty, but polyphonic.

Folks who are talking about $5K or $8K are in a different world than I am.

If you want an eight-voice discrete polysynth, $2K will get you nowhere. The benefit of DSI polys is their use of synth-on-chip (waveshapers for DCOs, filter and VCA on one chip) Curtis chips. You can't realistically expect to pay $2K for an eight-voice Poly-Phatty.

- CM

[Bryan T]

If you want an eight-voice discrete polysynth, $2K will get you nowhere. The benefit of DSI polys is their use of synth-on-chip (waveshapers for DCOs, filter and VCA on one chip) Curtis chips. You can't realistically expect to pay $2K for an eight-voice Poly-Phatty.

- CM

I don't know much about polysynths, but wasn't the Juno 106 a six voice polysynth? That cost $1095 (retail) in 1984, which is about $2230 today. I'd hope technology has progressed enough that we can do 8 voices and sell it for $2K today.

[Voltor07]

If you want an eight-voice discrete polysynth, $2K will get you nowhere. The benefit of DSI polys is their use of synth-on-chip (waveshapers for DCOs, filter and VCA on one chip) Curtis chips. You can't realistically expect to pay $2K for an eight-voice Poly-Phatty.

- CM

I don't know much about polysynths, but wasn't the Juno 106 a six voice polysynth? That cost $1095 (retail) in 1984, which is about $2230 today. I'd hope technology has progressed enough that we can do 8 voices and sell it for $2K today.

The Juno 106 used technology similar to DSI. We're talking DISCRETE technology, not chips that are the oscillators, filters, etc. We're talking about seperate transistors hooked together to create oscillators and filters. If you want to do a cost comparison, try comparing Moog products to Moog products, or at the very least, check out other discrete polysynths, like the Studio Electronics stuff.

The MemoryMoog didn't even have all discrete components. The oscillators were Curtis chips, and it had a lot of naysayers because of that. So, really, the Polymoog would be the only Moog polysynth that was 100% discrete...which is what everyone wants and no one wants to pay for.

[CTRLSHFT]

I think the real meat of this issue is whether or not they'd be able to put out a salable product in the price range most comparable to moog's competition.

4 voice DSI Tetra: $800
8 voice DSI prophet 08 kb: $2000
16 voice alesis andromeda a6: $3000
4 voice SE Omega 4: $3200
8 voice SE Omega 8: $4700

We know off the bat that comparing chip vs discrete prices is no good, but a necessary comparison anyway.

Most feasibly I would think a new polyphonic moog would need to be in the 2-3k range, and provide at least 6 voices to be considered useful as a polyphonic synthesizer.

I don't know that it would be possible, but maybe if they simplified the layout like on the phatty to save costs on pots.

[phlegm]

I don't get why people are obsessed with a polyphonic Moog. If you're going to stack several notes on top of each other, you need a relatively plain sounding patch. Otherwise it just sounds noisy. Any of the DSI polysynths do plain sounding analog patches just fine and for much less than a discrete component analog synth would cost to make. Whereas, I have a Voyager because of the uniquely rich sounds I can get out of it, and such rich sounds sound best one note at a time.

[CTRLSHFT]

I don't get why people are obsessed with a polyphonic Moog. If you're going to stack several notes on top of each other, you need a relatively plain sounding patch. Otherwise it just sounds noisy. Any of the DSI polysynths do plain sounding analog patches just fine and for much less than a discrete component analog synth would cost to make. Whereas, I have a Voyager because of the uniquely rich sounds I can get out of it, and such rich sounds sound best one note at a time.

Hence the suggestion to put it in the vein of the LP with 2 oscs. I think it'd sound heavenly. It sure does when you multitrack an LP in a DAW.

edit:

another thing to remember is that polyphony also means multitimbreality and the possibility for stuff like unison modes. Not that I think I really need a 12 osc LP patch, but ya know, it'd be cool. You could make analog drum kits!

[djghostdogg]

For $899 MSRP i would rather buy this from Tom Oberheim:


Tom Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Module with MIDI to CV Panel

Tom Oberheim is proud to reissue the classic SEM monophonic analog synthesizer expander module. The return of huge, juicy analog synth tone at an affordable price!

[CTRLSHFT]

For $899 MSRP i would rather buy this from Tom Oberheim:


Tom Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Module with MIDI to CV Panel

Tom Oberheim is proud to reissue the classic SEM monophonic analog synthesizer expander module. The return of huge, juicy analog synth tone at an affordable price!

This new SEM version is even better, and cheaper: http://www.audiomidi.com/Synthesizer-Ex ... 12455.aspx WANTWANTWANT

[Voltor07]

For $899 MSRP i would rather buy this from Tom Oberheim:


Tom Oberheim Synthesizer Expander Module with MIDI to CV Panel

Tom Oberheim is proud to reissue the classic SEM monophonic analog synthesizer expander module. The return of huge, juicy analog synth tone at an affordable price!

This new SEM version is even better, and cheaper: http://www.audiomidi.com/Synthesizer-Ex ... 12455.aspx WANTWANTWANT

Ok, so add costs for CV in's and outs. Would that be worth a grand? Multiplied by 8 would be 8 grand. I personally would buy eight of these awesome modules, even 12 or 16, hook them all together and add a keyboard, and be quite content to have such a rig act as a polysynth. The only thing stopping me is cost, and the fact I'd need to build a suitable enclosure, as well as add a decent keyboard.

[latigid on]

And think of the tuning. Oh, God, won't somebody think of the tuning!

*Vague Simpsons reference

[Voltor07]

And think of the tuning. Oh, God, won't somebody think of the tuning!

*Vague Simpsons reference

Yes. Tuning gets more and more difficult as you add voices. Of course, an auto tune feature would be an absolute must. 8 SEM's wouldn't be so bad, because they are separate boxes. But put the circuitry in one really big box, and the tuning gets out of control. That among other things was what killed the Memorymoog.

[Subtronik]

An autotune like what? I'm not up on my autotune features, so would it autotune to the nearest note, semi note?