I f#%^ng love my country! The guys of GSMusic are amazing. We have friends in common and i have followed all the building process of this wonderful machine. Glad to see the repercusions of their work internationally. It means a lot to the argentinians!
The keyboard tracking of the amplifier, going both ways, is SUPER useful. It's such an underrated feature. I do that on ALL my synths, when possible. Software or hardware. It is a great way to "filter" the sound, sort of. Basically it's like applying a shelf EQ post synthesizer.. but instead of controlling the volume of all harmonics of the output, it controls the overall tonality instead. Say you have a really screaming lead that sounds awesome but slightly weak in the lower range but is too loud and obnoxious at the high end.. that simple tweak can easily balance it all out, making it easier to fit the sound into a mix over a wide range.
I can’t believe how fantastic the raw sounds are on this. That hazy, tape-ish, dare i say “warm” (ugh) sound. Very surprised how incredible this sounds
Re: envelope keyboard tracking, don't remember seeing it on the panel like that since the Jupiter 6. Nice to see a small company making something like this!
@Aaron Foltz yep. for some reason I actually thought that might be an option on the Mirage but can't remember. Might be thinking of the VFX but also not sure lol
@Aaron Foltz then you must be a natural talent at Sanskrit :-D True, DX7 programming is not easy, not even on modern editors like DEXED. But envelope keyboard tracking / rate scaling is ONE SINGLE parameter per envelope on the DX7. I'm confident that you would easily learn to tweak that one parameter :-)
I've known about the products for a while and was curious but back then they only had options for shipping within Argentina (lovely country but I don't live there). Glad to see they're shipping internationally and that the synth sounds FAT. Will definitely consider.
Nice one. Here in Argentina, their Apollo series are really powerful and affordable options for a fat monosynth. I think a lot of synth people here are happy to see them finally offering their instruments to the rest of the world. And, I think, e7 is one of the clever analog polys without mod matrix I've ever seen.
For the price point, this is looking like one of the best analog poly synths you could hope for. There was a lot of well thought-out and creative design that went into this.
Congratulations, you're slowly but surely working your way into my synth CZcamsr favorites list. 1. Because you make very reflective and honest reviews 2. Because you're a sympathetic person.
I really like the UI on this thing. Logical design with some nice quality of life perks. The 7 voices is a bit odd but not a huge turn off. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, you are consistently putting out the best synth content by far.
I love the UI and overall look, however, as a designer (with a wee bit of OCD) the fact that none of the outlines are evenly spaced, and the misalignment of the little LCD with surrounding elements would drive me crazy. Especially on a $2000 instrument. When I'm paying that kind of money for a piece of equipment I want the build quality to be rock-solid and the graphics to be equally through and refined. but I'm just nit-picking. This is overall a very beautiful looking and sounding instrument.
Really well done review man. It’s so nice to see a gear review from a proper working space and not some Ideal Homes Exhibition display! You have my sub sir…
yep, there's not too many multi timbral analog poly synthss ... besides this new GS one, what comes to my mind would be Elektron Analog Four and Vermona PerFourmer (both of which only have four voices, but can be 4-part multitimbral); the mighty Moog One; the even mightier Yamaha CS-80, which is kinda dual-layer ...
for some reason the raw VCO sounds to me like an NES. especially the saw, when combined with a little delayed LFO vibrato, is eerily similar to the sound design on Mike Tyson's Punchout and I love it.
Got this when the second batch was available and you really cannot beat this price point. 7 voices, 2 envelopes, 3 LFO’s…there’s VERY little to complain about. Really good overview of it Jorb, thanks!
I truly don’t think I should have interacted with this review, the LAST thing I NEED is to spend “only $1,500” on yet another analog synth that I definitely HAVE to buy now!! Thank you for allowing me to justify the purchase to myself!! Fantastic instrument
Okay. This thing is fascinating in so many ways. Very much it's own identity, but can also reach back and pull some fairly unique tones from the late '70s (it's constantly reminding me of stuff Tomita did back in the day, and then suddenly popping out with a very CS-80 vibe). This is legitimately unique. I love it.
70s Tomita was using lots of Moog modular, so the resemblance at times makes sense Although the resonant highpass + resonant lowpass 6 dB/oct filters in series on the CS polys is nowhere near a Moog ladder sound(!)....the CS polys' filters are like no other filters implemented in _anything,_ imho Furthermore to how a CS-80 plays - the UI, voice structure and hardware are overall quite idiosyncratic. The 1st-gen polys ( before the prophet-5 ) are almost like they're from another planet. e.g. LFO is called "Sub-Oscillator". (CS-60 player for ~12 yrs) cheers :O)
@@shaft9000 Much agreed. I still consider Isao Tomita to be the best synth programmer of the era, and beyond. And the delirious array of gear he picked up over time! I still love the documentary comment that it was such a time consuming hassle to fire up all the Moog and studio gear everyday (they said it actually cost him money) that he started leasing the studio out at time windows when he wasn't air to be there. He apparently helped cement synthesizers as part of Japan's identity as a result. As for the CS 80... That thing is just insane. All the available tech of the decade, jammed into what anyone else would have only left as a proof of concept or prototype. Even Roland's Jupiter didn't commit as hard. But it definitely cost Yamaha, and they never gambled like that again. The engineers who made that thing a reality deserve as much gratitude and cultural credit as Bob Moog, Tom Oberheim, Peter Vogel, and Dave Smith.
The UI on this synth reminds me so much of the Viscount/Oberheim OB-12 I once owned long ago, but this is much more compact in size and it's real analog. It looks very nice and sounds much better than the OB-12 did. Then again, the OB-12 wasn't analog either so.....apples to oranges comparison. As far as lush pads go, this thing sounds beautiful with some nice reverb added as you have just demonstrated. Thanks for the thorough demonstration.
Great demo. Jorb! Never heard of this synthesizer or even the company. Looks and sounds awesome. Prices are very fair, too. If only they were available in Europe...
Thanks for this really nice tut Jorb. And thanks CZcams algo-rhythms for tellin' me i might like this. Hahah.. Love the small screen for a little visual gratification/assurance....
Hydrasynth gang reporting in, and yeah this thing seems like it would go great with that keybed. I agree about their choices for shift functions, lots of things that get used often in a mod matrix. Shame about the limited panning choices though, that would open it up to a bunch of extra use cases. Also, seems like it could use sine waves in addition to its existing wave options, but you can't have everything and who knows how much they'd have to change to implement that.
@@CaidicusProductions CS-50/60/80 always have a sine available, bypassing the filter and heading straight into the VCA's mixer. A6 Andromeda can do this, too. Its handy - if not a necessity, imho - on any synth w/ a high-pass filter and/or ones that can PWM the waveform into nothingness
Oof. Yeah, as some have mentioned: the scratchy/clicky noises coming through when some of the pots are turned is a deal-breaker for a new machine. Perhaps you just got a lemon, but it's super-noticeable when demonstrating the chorus. Surprised it wasn't mentioned... In any event: helped me decide not to get it, so thanks :-)
This synth sounds really good in your demo. There are a few things I would add like the mentioned PWM from zero to 100 percent, oscillator sync and FM, and filter FM. I suppose those would add levels of complexity to the circuit topology that would boost the price. I think its only competitors at the price range are hybrids like the Peak.
The lack of any apparent audio-rate FM, X-Mod or RingMod is indeed a bummer. I guess this is aimed more at the straight ahead bread n butter writing and playing , like a Prologue.
"If it's not fun or easy or intuitive or whatever, what's the point of hardware?" YES EXACTLY thank you. That's why I don't understand manufacturers that make synths so compact that it requires menu diving for almost every feature or some 'press button 1 and 4 + key C3 simultaneously to access basic shit'. Some synth are so tedious to edit that they end up making an editing software... I understand that it's usually to limit the costs and make them more affordable for everyone but the interface SHOULD be fun to use otherwise they should just make a plugin. Now THAT synth you're presenting does sound great, and my god the interface looks like a dream but it's way to expensive for me sadly.
Y E S !! I absolutely HATE multi-function, menu-diving, software-editor-required, ultra-compact synths that require tweezers and a magnifying glass to operate.
Dude using the soldering helping-hand magnifiers as in-camera subframes[?] to show oscillator etc is fucking genius i don't think i've ever seen that before. ghetto but scientific
Thanks for this video Jorb. I’d be super interested in hearing you thoughts on the desktop mono synth they make if you were ever able to get your hands on one. There aren’t many proper reviews of it on CZcams.
It looks like a decent synth, nothing too crazy, but solid. Then you throw in that price, for an ANALOG synth, and it looks like quite a fantastic value.
I got one based on your videos. I should note, I play on a linnstrument (MPE) and it sounds fantastic with it. Great review. While I love my Parva, my other analog MPE, this one is much more immediate. While the Parva, this one is much more immediate in terms of what it can do, even if it is more limited (the parva to note is very very deep).
@@JorbLovesGear Sounds great, I have to say, many channels about gear has a speed and hyped type of person doing the video, I like that you are calm and honest. It was almost weird watching your video because one get's used to the other type of content on youtube. I mean that as a compliment.
What a nice little beast! I was looking for a ladder filter poly, got teased by the Trigon-6, but the e7 sounds so much better, i.e. warmer, more organic, less harsh. Furthermore I like the 7 voices and the key-tracking features. Well, only 2 instead of 3 oscillators and no 2-pole filter, but there‘s also a certain difference in the price tag … 🤔
Not that I could afford it at this time, or need it, however, WOW! This synth looks like a sweet piece and I like that it has 7 voices. Glad you found out about it Jorb and took the time and effort to bring some light on this new analog poly synth.
WOW! this sounds incredible. great to see these projects that put many large manufacturers to shame. already on my cart. its great to see a company that is actually listening to what we've been saying.... "affordable" analog (great value), intuitive user interface, good feature set. Reminds me of MFB dominion in that it "hidden gem". an incredible instrument by a lesser known company.
Um.. I mean I think it sounds good..... But I think the extra grand my prophet 6 cost was well worth it as far as how they sound.. this is cool, it is not near as ear candy though.
@@wurlinnawurl I ordered one last week. (yet to arrive) I also have a Prophet 5 and a PolyEvolver. I´ll be comparing it very soon. I'll post how it fares against those 2 poly synth monsters.
The guy I get my gear from is the official importer, so I am closer to getting my hands on one or even playing with one. I'd like to play with one before blind buying.
My own synth collection is complete! This sounds and looks like my Polyvox P-800 ( which is a monosynth). Believe it or not, my Roland MC-505 has a great synth engine for Oberheim and P-5 sounds. Really.
Thanks 4 sharing :) Sounds rather nice, looks funky - the multis could make it a fairly potent live/jam box for certain tunes. Could use further design refinement and more flavors of modulation, though. 1st impression has me putting this somewhere around or beyond a Korg Prologue. Badly misses any audio-rate FM, x-mod or ring modulator, seq/arp (??) or much to with the LFOs and VCOs. A missed opportunity imho, very bread and butter design approach and the digital FX sound buggy, too. Hopefully an update can remedy some of that.
Looks and sounds very nice however I dont have the space to go past 3 or 4 synths and one of those is Novation Peak and it's got alot of sound capabilities.
@jorb the oberheim xpander can map their mod sources to pretty much every parameter. as the keyboard is a source you can map it to all of the envelope parameters.
Jorb, I am confused as to why every time a synth comes out, people feel the need to complain and compare. Each piece of gear has a name and character so logically, it stands on it's own. If I want A,I get A, not worry about B, C, and D complaining about what it 'should' do. This should be about learning and making our gear work FOR us. Limitations make sense because without them, there's no invention, change, improvement, or we' re stuck with too many options..I'm going to see if it moves me in person,as I do...In the meantime, My Tracker has my attention..Good review Jorb, as usual..
5:15 I saw that Mirror trick in thier Patreon video and i left a comment there saying i'mma take the mirror idea and do exactly what you just did right here 5:15 ; aknowledge and shout out to where i learned it from!
I'd do my shout out a little less cryptic though! I'm sure everybody gets the refference BUT some could think you just meant that it's coo coo, like crazy or quirky!
@@HOLLASOUNDS Allow me to explain, i suppose it's NOT that clear! He says in the video that the use of the mirror is "very Cuckoo"! Cuckoo is the CZcamsr from the Patreon video where i first seen this mirror trick! So i'm saying when i finally do the mirror trick in a video, i'm going to shout out Cuckoo and do it in a far less Cryptic way! This going over your head just proves how cryptic it was!
What a lovely synth in a handful of colours that sounds great. It's about $2200 CAD with tax, which puts it in Peak territory; intriguing. Classy as always Jorb.
Yeah, a hw polysynth is still a ways off in my future and the first thing I thought of was how this stacks up against a Peak, which is on my current shortlist (with Polybrute on the high end and Nymphes on the low end).
I have a Peak bought used decent condition cupple little tini dents and a missing silver cap on a small knob but apart from those small sighns of use it's great looks great, payed £800 or $1285 in local Pawn shop. I dont think I missed much by buying a used one and saved Me about $900.
I know you probably sold this unit, but a hack for panning e7 patches could be the use across two parts, of poly voice modes 1->7 and 7->1 combined with some fixed stereo spread? I'll test it out with mine.
This filter sounds similar to curtis filter...the bright sound reminds me the rev2. Look like there is no Fm or overdrive? The audio in is nice adition.
what I really miss here, besides more modulation flexibility (and more flexible stereo panning), is an additional high pass filter. Getting low end under control is extremely important on poly synths IMHO.
Wow I have to say this is the best analog polysynth I hadn't heard of.
Dang, it seems like i've had a successful choice of title
I f#%^ng love my country! The guys of GSMusic are amazing. We have friends in common and i have followed all the building process of this wonderful machine. Glad to see the repercusions of their work internationally. It means a lot to the argentinians!
The keyboard tracking of the amplifier, going both ways, is SUPER useful. It's such an underrated feature. I do that on ALL my synths, when possible. Software or hardware. It is a great way to "filter" the sound, sort of. Basically it's like applying a shelf EQ post synthesizer.. but instead of controlling the volume of all harmonics of the output, it controls the overall tonality instead. Say you have a really screaming lead that sounds awesome but slightly weak in the lower range but is too loud and obnoxious at the high end.. that simple tweak can easily balance it all out, making it easier to fit the sound into a mix over a wide range.
yes, i wish all keyboard tracking was bipolar. super useful.
It's under a minute and I'm already 100% signed up for this thing🤣💸💰
I can’t believe how fantastic the raw sounds are on this. That hazy, tape-ish, dare i say “warm” (ugh) sound. Very surprised how incredible this sounds
Re: envelope keyboard tracking, don't remember seeing it on the panel like that since the Jupiter 6. Nice to see a small company making something like this!
you can do it on the UDO Super 6
you can do it on a DX7 (called Rate Scaling there) ... but of course, like with any parameter, no dedicated control knob/fader for that
@Aaron Foltz yep. for some reason I actually thought that might be an option on the Mirage but can't remember. Might be thinking of the VFX but also not sure lol
@Aaron Foltz then you must be a natural talent at Sanskrit :-D
True, DX7 programming is not easy, not even on modern editors like DEXED. But envelope keyboard tracking / rate scaling is ONE SINGLE parameter per envelope on the DX7. I'm confident that you would easily learn to tweak that one parameter :-)
@@TheGuacamoleXplosion the DX27 has it as well
Finally, a good overview! You're killing it, dude.
🙏🙏Happy to be doing it
I've known about the products for a while and was curious but back then they only had options for shipping within Argentina (lovely country but I don't live there). Glad to see they're shipping internationally and that the synth sounds FAT. Will definitely consider.
Nice one. Here in Argentina, their Apollo series are really powerful and affordable options for a fat monosynth. I think a lot of synth people here are happy to see them finally offering their instruments to the rest of the world. And, I think, e7 is one of the clever analog polys without mod matrix I've ever seen.
Apperently they are on hold due to corona per the GS site
For the price point, this is looking like one of the best analog poly synths you could hope for. There was a lot of well thought-out and creative design that went into this.
How much are they charging for the unit?
@@maydaygoingdown5602In Europe €1,700 incl. shipping .
Jorb! You single-handedly sold me on this. Just placed my order : )
If you ever release your own patches I’m first in line
There aren’t a lot of analog polysynths that I haven’t heard of so yes I must say this would have to be the best one I haven’t heard of.
Congratulations, you're slowly but surely working your way into my synth CZcamsr favorites list.
1. Because you make very reflective and honest reviews
2. Because you're a sympathetic person.
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I really like the UI on this thing. Logical design with some nice quality of life perks. The 7 voices is a bit odd but not a huge turn off. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, you are consistently putting out the best synth content by far.
Unlike synthpunk john.
Tell Synthpunk to buy one lol
I love the UI and overall look, however, as a designer (with a wee bit of OCD) the fact that none of the outlines are evenly spaced, and the misalignment of the little LCD with surrounding elements would drive me crazy. Especially on a $2000 instrument. When I'm paying that kind of money for a piece of equipment I want the build quality to be rock-solid and the graphics to be equally through and refined. but I'm just nit-picking. This is overall a very beautiful looking and sounding instrument.
@@bangmateo7481 I'll likely bring it up next time I stream
@@bangmateo7481 having John's thoughts on Analog is just lol.
He did ask Mr Tuna if a JunoX sounds better than a VA.
Really well done review man. It’s so nice to see a gear review from a proper working space and not some Ideal Homes Exhibition display! You have my sub sir…
Hey Jorb, love the channel. Your conversational style is so cozy and relaxing. Thank you sir
🙏🙏🙏
This is an amazing synth. It's on my wishlist. :)
LOVE this. What a hidden gem. Love that gritty character mixed with the smooth filter.
And I love Poly multi timbral analogs. Back in the 90,s some of the polys that I owned, were multi timbral, but they weren’t analog.
yep, there's not too many multi timbral analog poly synthss ... besides this new GS one, what comes to my mind would be Elektron Analog Four and Vermona PerFourmer (both of which only have four voices, but can be 4-part multitimbral); the mighty Moog One; the even mightier Yamaha CS-80, which is kinda dual-layer ...
Ensoniq esq1 from 1986 has digital oscillators but more importantly analogue filters. It is upto 8 part multi-timbral and is very flexible.
@@johnsmall3084 you mean "more importantly analogue filters", right?
@@TheGuacamoleXplosion thank you for spotting my error. I have now made the correction. 🙂
@@TheGuacamoleXplosion dude you really like Guacamole? Mole de Aguacate 🥑
for some reason the raw VCO sounds to me like an NES. especially the saw, when combined with a little delayed LFO vibrato, is eerily similar to the sound design on Mike Tyson's Punchout and I love it.
Got this when the second batch was available and you really cannot beat this price point. 7 voices, 2 envelopes, 3 LFO’s…there’s VERY little to complain about.
Really good overview of it Jorb, thanks!
🙏🙏
really fantastic synth! and with love from argentina! gran trabajo GS MUSIC!
I truly don’t think I should have interacted with this review, the LAST thing I NEED is to spend “only $1,500” on yet another analog synth that I definitely HAVE to buy now!!
Thank you for allowing me to justify the purchase to myself!! Fantastic instrument
Sweet, I’d seen demos but nice to see a full review
Okay. This thing is fascinating in so many ways. Very much it's own identity, but can also reach back and pull some fairly unique tones from the late '70s (it's constantly reminding me of stuff Tomita did back in the day, and then suddenly popping out with a very CS-80 vibe). This is legitimately unique. I love it.
70s Tomita was using lots of Moog modular, so the resemblance at times makes sense
Although the resonant highpass + resonant lowpass 6 dB/oct filters in series on the CS polys is nowhere near a Moog ladder sound(!)....the CS polys' filters are like no other filters implemented in _anything,_ imho
Furthermore to how a CS-80 plays - the UI, voice structure and hardware are overall quite idiosyncratic. The 1st-gen polys ( before the prophet-5 ) are almost like they're from another planet. e.g. LFO is called "Sub-Oscillator".
(CS-60 player for ~12 yrs)
cheers :O)
@@shaft9000 Much agreed. I still consider Isao Tomita to be the best synth programmer of the era, and beyond. And the delirious array of gear he picked up over time! I still love the documentary comment that it was such a time consuming hassle to fire up all the Moog and studio gear everyday (they said it actually cost him money) that he started leasing the studio out at time windows when he wasn't air to be there. He apparently helped cement synthesizers as part of Japan's identity as a result.
As for the CS 80... That thing is just insane. All the available tech of the decade, jammed into what anyone else would have only left as a proof of concept or prototype. Even Roland's Jupiter didn't commit as hard. But it definitely cost Yamaha, and they never gambled like that again. The engineers who made that thing a reality deserve as much gratitude and cultural credit as Bob Moog, Tom Oberheim, Peter Vogel, and Dave Smith.
What a really cool polyphonic synth. I’d never heard of it. Thanks for doing this video.
Happy to do it!
The UI on this synth reminds me so much of the Viscount/Oberheim OB-12 I once owned long ago, but this is much more compact in size and it's real analog. It looks very nice and sounds much better than the OB-12 did. Then again, the OB-12 wasn't analog either so.....apples to oranges comparison.
As far as lush pads go, this thing sounds beautiful with some nice reverb added as you have just demonstrated.
Thanks for the thorough demonstration.
That majik mirror with the oscilloscope, siiiccckkk!
Thanks for making this video. I didn't know about this synth. Very cool.
Great demo. Jorb! Never heard of this synthesizer or even the company. Looks and sounds awesome. Prices are very fair, too. If only they were available in Europe...
That's a shame! Maybe some on reverb soon
really great demo. really lovely synth. thanks for turning the world on to it, jorb.
🙏🙏 Happy to do it
Great Review! Thank you. Good job bringing the awareness of this synth to more people.
Cheers, more than happy to do it
this is one good synth , I got one and it’s amazing , every sit down with it brings new sounds, got the blue one to
keep going. you're doing a great jorb.
🙏🙏 Thanks suit! Just got knobcon on my calendar 😁😁
WOW! Amazing synth, I´m ordering one pretty soon...
Support this Argentinian synth, we have much trouble at the moment, but very talented people live here.
Great sounding poly synth and great demo video too 😁
🙏🙏🙏
Sounds great! Thanks for the walkthrough!
The mirror reflecting the 'scope is a very clever idea.
oh! interesting about using velocity to shorten attack. i never thought of that, but that makes total sense!
Amazing synth! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It's SO beautiful
You are now , official, my new favorite synth tester ! THANX FOR THE WAY YOU ARE BEING YOU ,-
The keyboard tracking envelope is really musical, very pretty.
Greta review! love the colour !
Thanks for this really nice tut Jorb. And thanks CZcams algo-rhythms for tellin' me i might like this. Hahah..
Love the small screen for a little visual gratification/assurance....
very thorough, thanks
Very nice piece of hardware. I wish them great success😁
Best time for analog synthesizers indeed!
Sounds fantastic....some patch ins and outs would be really sweet.
Sold already, sorry to say
This thing looks awesome. It also sounds great.
🙏Nice to see you here! Yeah it's impressed me, happy to show it
Wow, very cool
Hydrasynth gang reporting in, and yeah this thing seems like it would go great with that keybed. I agree about their choices for shift functions, lots of things that get used often in a mod matrix. Shame about the limited panning choices though, that would open it up to a bunch of extra use cases. Also, seems like it could use sine waves in addition to its existing wave options, but you can't have everything and who knows how much they'd have to change to implement that.
Sine on analog is quite rare. (rare enough that I can't think of any examples from my, admittedly limited, experience at all)
@@CaidicusProductions Take 5 has sine waves! But yeah, pretty rare.
@@CaidicusProductions
CS-50/60/80 always have a sine available, bypassing the filter and heading straight into the VCA's mixer.
A6 Andromeda can do this, too.
Its handy - if not a necessity, imho - on any synth w/ a high-pass filter and/or ones that can PWM the waveform into nothingness
affordable polysynths are all I look for. Affordable analog poly synths? Amazing!
Oof. Yeah, as some have mentioned: the scratchy/clicky noises coming through when some of the pots are turned is a deal-breaker for a new machine. Perhaps you just got a lemon, but it's super-noticeable when demonstrating the chorus. Surprised it wasn't mentioned...
In any event: helped me decide not to get it, so thanks :-)
This synth sounds really good in your demo. There are a few things I would add like the mentioned PWM from zero to 100 percent, oscillator sync and FM, and filter FM. I suppose those would add levels of complexity to the circuit topology that would boost the price. I think its only competitors at the price range are hybrids like the Peak.
There is oscillator sync! I missed that, it's a shift function for osc 2.agree on the others
The lack of any apparent audio-rate FM, X-Mod or RingMod is indeed a bummer.
I guess this is aimed more at the straight ahead bread n butter writing and playing , like a Prologue.
Great video dude thank you
Glad you enjoyed it, cheers
That is pretty damn sweet.
"If it's not fun or easy or intuitive or whatever, what's the point of hardware?" YES EXACTLY thank you. That's why I don't understand manufacturers that make synths so compact that it requires menu diving for almost every feature or some 'press button 1 and 4 + key C3 simultaneously to access basic shit'. Some synth are so tedious to edit that they end up making an editing software... I understand that it's usually to limit the costs and make them more affordable for everyone but the interface SHOULD be fun to use otherwise they should just make a plugin. Now THAT synth you're presenting does sound great, and my god the interface looks like a dream but it's way to expensive for me sadly.
Yes is expensive for my pocket too. I will willing to pay $699.99 but not $1500.
Y E S !!
I absolutely HATE multi-function, menu-diving, software-editor-required, ultra-compact synths that require tweezers and a magnifying glass to operate.
Nice presentation…thanks! Have to say this one has my interest
Big facts.
This synth is awesome the form factor is brilliant . Sounds really rich too. I remember when this was first announced ish. Great demo too.
Nice presentation. Interesting synth.
Dude using the soldering helping-hand magnifiers as in-camera subframes[?] to show oscillator etc is fucking genius
i don't think i've ever seen that before. ghetto but scientific
And yeah i didn't get how the angle worked until you were like "yeah dummies there's a mirror"
😅🙏🙏Just trying to find more ways to always have the scope visible
Early on he mentioned Cuckoo... As in SynthTuber True Cuckoo.
Sounds like a proper synth!
never heard of this box. thanks for the education.
Nice review. Thanks
Only because you asked... The JD-800 has envelope key tracking. Nice to see it on an analogue synth 😀
Thanks for this video Jorb. I’d be super interested in hearing you thoughts on the desktop mono synth they make if you were ever able to get your hands on one. There aren’t many proper reviews of it on CZcams.
I love videos like this. I've been waiting for someone to make a show called Obscure Gear so I don't have to hah
It looks like a decent synth, nothing too crazy, but solid.
Then you throw in that price, for an ANALOG synth, and it looks like quite a fantastic value.
I got one based on your videos. I should note, I play on a linnstrument (MPE) and it sounds fantastic with it. Great review. While I love my Parva, my other analog MPE, this one is much more immediate. While the Parva, this one is much more immediate in terms of what it can do, even if it is more limited (the parva to note is very very deep).
Oh, whata wonderful pair with a linnstrument, very cool setup
Dude the Parva was for me a fascinating Synth, but I ended buying a Matrix 6 😊
Very accessible and capable synth.
ensoniq esq-1 has a similar keyboard tracking -> envelope speed feature!
Wow, this is amazing. Can you do a sound demo as well?
Plan on doing just some presets, yeah
@@JorbLovesGear Sounds great, I have to say, many channels about gear has a speed and hyped type of person doing the video, I like that you are calm and honest. It was almost weird watching your video because one get's used to the other type of content on youtube. I mean that as a compliment.
Wow, this seems like a dope synth! Makes me wonder if I should spring for this over a Korg Miniloguq XD. Thanks for the video.
Yeah I can see some Roland influence, but also Moog, Arturia, and Sequential's Prophet. Lots of good stuff here.
What a nice little beast! I was looking for a ladder filter poly, got teased by the Trigon-6, but the e7 sounds so much better, i.e. warmer, more organic, less harsh. Furthermore I like the 7 voices and the key-tracking features. Well, only 2 instead of 3 oscillators and no 2-pole filter, but there‘s also a certain difference in the price tag … 🤔
… and YES, now that I have it, it reminds me of the MEMORYMOOG!
Not that I could afford it at this time, or need it, however, WOW! This synth looks like a sweet piece and I like that it has 7 voices.
Glad you found out about it Jorb and took the time and effort to bring some light on this new analog poly synth.
Happy to share it, cheers
Ok 7 voices.
that thing sounds... sweet
Oh my!
It's poppin, can't lie
WOW! this sounds incredible. great to see these projects that put many large manufacturers to shame. already on my cart. its great to see a company that is actually listening to what we've been saying.... "affordable" analog (great value), intuitive user interface, good feature set. Reminds me of MFB dominion in that it "hidden gem". an incredible instrument by a lesser known company.
Um.. I mean I think it sounds good..... But I think the extra grand my prophet 6 cost was well worth it as far as how they sound.. this is cool, it is not near as ear candy though.
@@wurlinnawurl I ordered one last week. (yet to arrive) I also have a Prophet 5 and a PolyEvolver. I´ll be comparing it very soon. I'll post how it fares against those 2 poly synth monsters.
The guy I get my gear from is the official importer, so I am closer to getting my hands on one or even playing with one.
I'd like to play with one before blind buying.
Amazing synth !! I'm very curious where did you get this awesome oscilloscope ?
Hello jorby
Howdy Natey
My own synth collection is complete! This sounds and looks like my Polyvox P-800 ( which is a monosynth). Believe it or not, my Roland MC-505 has a great synth engine for Oberheim and P-5 sounds. Really.
To my tired old ears, this sounds good. I don't think the price is outrageous for what it is.
Thanks 4 sharing :)
Sounds rather nice, looks funky - the multis could make it a fairly potent live/jam box for certain tunes.
Could use further design refinement and more flavors of modulation, though. 1st impression has me putting this somewhere around or beyond a Korg Prologue.
Badly misses any audio-rate FM, x-mod or ring modulator, seq/arp (??) or much to with the LFOs and VCOs. A missed opportunity imho, very bread and butter design approach and the digital FX sound buggy, too. Hopefully an update can remedy some of that.
Looks and sounds very nice however I dont have the space to go past 3 or 4 synths and one of those is Novation Peak and it's got alot of sound capabilities.
Hardly anyone making multitimbral analogue these days it's one of my favourite features that would improve so many synths
@jorb the oberheim xpander can map their mod sources to pretty much every parameter. as the keyboard is a source you can map it to all of the envelope parameters.
Jorb, I am confused as to why every time a synth comes out, people feel the need to complain and compare. Each piece of gear has a name and character so logically, it stands on it's own. If I want A,I get A, not worry about B, C, and D complaining about what it 'should' do. This should be about learning and making our gear work FOR us. Limitations make sense because without them, there's no invention, change, improvement, or we' re stuck with too many options..I'm going to see if it moves me in person,as I do...In the meantime, My Tracker has my attention..Good review Jorb, as usual..
At 29: polyphonic portamento reminds me of Siouxsie and the Banshees
I always wondered what made that sound so good
the first sound they present us with....ummmmm.... "I'll take one!!!! :D"
5:15
I saw that Mirror trick in thier Patreon video and i left a comment there saying i'mma take the mirror idea and do exactly what you just did right here 5:15 ; aknowledge and shout out to where i learned it from!
I'd do my shout out a little less cryptic though! I'm sure everybody gets the refference BUT some could think you just meant that it's coo coo, like crazy or quirky!
I dont think Jorbs the first to do that.
@@HOLLASOUNDS
I don't think you know how to read OR comprehend...
@@HOLLASOUNDS
Allow me to explain, i suppose it's NOT that clear! He says in the video that the use of the mirror is "very Cuckoo"! Cuckoo is the CZcamsr from the Patreon video where i first seen this mirror trick! So i'm saying when i finally do the mirror trick in a video, i'm going to shout out Cuckoo and do it in a far less Cryptic way! This going over your head just proves how cryptic it was!
It's been hard to buy an analog poly.
Bc there are so many good options.
True, add another
What a lovely synth in a handful of colours that sounds great. It's about $2200 CAD with tax, which puts it in Peak territory; intriguing. Classy as always Jorb.
Yeah, a hw polysynth is still a ways off in my future and the first thing I thought of was how this stacks up against a Peak, which is on my current shortlist (with Polybrute on the high end and Nymphes on the low end).
@@sstrudeau I just splurged on a syntakt but would love this or a peak. Poly brute is really tempting too.
I have a Peak bought used decent condition cupple little tini dents and a missing silver cap on a small knob but apart from those small sighns of use it's great looks great, payed £800 or $1285 in local Pawn shop. I dont think I missed much by buying a used one and saved Me about $900.
@@sstrudeau Maby buy used Peak? I saved about $900 dollars off RRP of a new one. Some miner sighns of use, looks fine sounds great.
I know you probably sold this unit, but a hack for panning e7 patches could be the use across two parts, of poly voice modes 1->7 and 7->1 combined with some fixed stereo spread? I'll test it out with mine.
This filter sounds similar to curtis filter...the bright sound reminds me the rev2. Look like there is no Fm or overdrive? The audio in is nice adition.
No osc FM, but lfo's are audio rate. No overdrive!
Seems great! Hit me up when you sell.
what I really miss here, besides more modulation flexibility (and more flexible stereo panning), is an additional high pass filter. Getting low end under control is extremely important on poly synths IMHO.
Definitely fair, especially on stuff today sounds huuge