[LAU] interview with Dave Smith -- OT about oscillators

Q lists at quirq.ukfsn.org
Sun Jan 16 17:12:06 UTC 2011


robert lazarski wrote:
> 
> LOL, he has a lot of the same reasons I prefer to do music with
> hardware than software. (I still use linux for music things of course,
> but not soft synths or DAW's - ymmv). Tempest and his Roger Linn
> partnership looks good, I'd consider it if I didn't already have a
> jomox 999. Not my style of analogue via DCO's instead of VCO's, but
> he's got the cheapest analogue poly on the market out of only like 3
> total, and that certainly has a following. Worth the read, thanks.
> 

I don't want to create a DCO vs VCO flamewar here -- after all, that's 
what the KVR and VintageSynth forums are for :-) -- but I don't see what 
the problem with DCOs is. Smith himself says they got a bad rap when 
they first came out, but these days are worlds apart with very high 
frequency control.

I find it easier to get lush, drifty sounds out of my Mopho than my 
Little Phatty, whose VCOs are too tightly controlled and too stable with 
no drift (but not to the point that it doesn't go out of tune when the 
temperature drops!). You can't detune them too far before you start 
getting very prominent, obnoxious beating.

On the Mopho the beating from detuning is much less pronounced so you 
can detune more, then there's the oscillator slop parameter, which I 
wish would go higher.

In a way I'm glad they've brought out a drum machine as it means I'm not 
interested and so don't have to resist temptation! I'm trying to ignore 
the fact that you can hook a keyboard up to it and use it as a six-voice 
synth, but I'm broke so couldn't afford one anyway.

Q

-- 
A musical collaborator: "Lethargy, hm really? Then it will be time for 
me to get over there and just accidental idea the $h!t out of you"


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