Re: [LAU] Hardware synths

I create electronic music since 1983 and while I use a lot software synths like Csound, PD, AMS and my own upcomming open source synth 'Minicomputer', I still love to use hardware based systems additionally and still buy them. Its less about sound but more the workflow. I do sometimes freelance jobs requiring me to stare at screens overtime and after that I feel more the urge to grap my rather recent analogue modular system, which is in my case a Doepfer. Its not a problem with Linux either, I used to work with Windows and Macs and workflow was not better. This year I am about to finish the above mentioned synth which was all about sound but 2008 I am thinking more about UI and workflow. Computermouses gave me serious health problems (which I solved by using graphic tablets) but it was never inspiring to create music with point and click interfaces anyway. I will take a look at Akais MPC which still bears the legacy of Roger Linn's Linndrum and his ideas of an ideal sequencer. There is something about it, one reason might be dedicated buttons for main functions, I dont know. But even in the hardware world there are more and less accessible machines. The samplers of EMU used to have an intuitive user interface while the Yamaha TX16W sampler was practically unusable until there was a third party OS. And DX7 was used mainly as preset machine because programming was tiresome on it. It was solved by an dedicated third party hardware controller (which was more expensive then the actual synth) and software editors. No coincidence, the founders of Ensoniq were the designers of the SID. About alternative controllers: The P5 glove is incredible jumpy, I use it for live but I am not convinced, maybe someone saw me at this years ICMC in Copenhagen. More hopes I have with WII controller but had no time yet. Cheers, Malte -- Malte Steiner media art + development -www.block4.com-