NPD Huge disappointment and return. EHX Mono Synth

[40Hz]

My point is your dismissal of one style or approach to synthesis while preferring another has no basis other than your opinion, you stated it as a broad consensus which by information I provided it should not be.

Brad my friend, has anyone ever told you that you have a distinct talent for putting words in other people's mouths? Because if not, let me be the first.

I don't see where anything I said was being dismissive, unless you are interpreting a simple disagreement over terminology to be a dismissal. But if that's the case, then that's your interpretation and there's not much I can do about that.

As far as broad consensuses go, in any field or practice there are certain understandings, practices, and terminology generally shared among its practitioners that form the basis for rational discussion and information sharing within that given field. If this is what you mean by "broad consensus" (sometimes referred to as "standards" or a "common body of knowledge") then I'm sorry to have to inform you that such "broad consensuses" do exist in the electronic music world. And while you're free to disagree and have your disagreements be considered and debated (assuming you bothered to take the time to build a rational case for your position) it still doesn't change anything simply because you disagree with it. Standards and vocabularies exist because it's the best way to avoid misunderstandings and share knowledge. They're not there purely for fun or social positioning as your earlier post seemed to imply when you mentioned "Snobbish folk into EM" earlier.

Your continuing insistence that MIDI conversion and connection to what you consider a "true synth" is spurious. By your rules a Buchla is not a synthesizer, neither is a Theremin -

Again putting words! I did not even once "insist" that MIDI conversion or a connection is an essential element in a definition of synthesis. Where do you come up with these ideas? I offered a Roland MIDI based solution to the OP as the most efficient, flexible, and glitch free way of approaching synthesis using a guitar or bass as a controller using current and affordable technology.

And a Buchala is most definitely a synthesizer by any definition. A theremin...definitely an electronic instrument. But not a class complete synthesizer by itself. As a controller it can be a part of one however. But that usually means using MIDI, which Moog oddly enough never had an issue with. They were one of the earlier embracers of the MIDI standard. Both the Moog Theremin and the newer Claravox have CV and MIDI I/O. (Note: If you ever get a chance to try out a Claravox, by all means do so. It's pretty amazing. )

you are wrong.

OMG! Really! Good to know! Thanks for setting me straight on that.

I'm making this point because you failed to understand just exactly what a synthesizer really is despite the article I posted.

Uh...I'm afraid I do understand exactly what a synthesizer really is. And tossing an insult to hammer home the point you're attempting to make doesn't change that. I've been involved in synthesizer and electronic music technology since it came out of the laboratory. And I've met and talked to several of it's pioneers along with the people designing and building this stuff, plus a lot of people actually doing things with it - including the Source Audio C4 and probably a few gadgets you've never heard of. Being around and working with this technology since about 1970 might not make one an expert. But it does give you a broad perspective on what it's all about. And a detailed understanding of what's what and how it works.

Every synthesizer system ever made has limitations Moog, Arp, Korg, PPG, Yamaha and many others each had different approaches, technology and characteristic sounds that the others could not mimic just as every modular synth is unique because no two are configured the same. The fact that C4 or FI have those same limitations is endemic in every synthesizer design and not a flaw.

Putting words in again? This is getting tiring. I don't recall ever calling it a "flaw." But you're also basically talking about features and technologies whereas I'm talking about use cases and formal function in the systems sense. So it's an apples and oranges argument.

Embrace the change of technology. Don't deny it.

I strongly suspect I've embraced far many more changes in music technology than you may have. And having spent most of my life in a technical field I'm not one to "deny" technology as you choose to characterize it. I just mildly disagreed with you. Sorry if that caused such a trigger response on your part, because it wasn't intended to do that. But if it did, there was nothing I said that was condescending or presented as anything other than my own opinion. So if that's the way you choose to interpret it, there's not much I can say since you seem to be intent on disagreeing with me about things I didn't say. And while this has been interesting, it's running a little long even for a quiet Sunday afternoon, so that's about all I have to say on this tangent even if it is a fun topic.

Thanks for taking the time to respond back even if I still have to disagree with you. -40Hz

 

[AlexanderB]

From a more pragmatic point of view, I will join the crowd of people finding most of the EHX "synths" to be neither impressive in operation from a technical aspect, nor very inspiring in use. There are some organ sounds that are really nice in demos, using a guitar, though. For similar money, Panda FI and SA C4 will offer huge advantages for many bass players.

 

[RJ]

While a synth pedal may never sound like or function the same as an actual synth they can still be really, really fun.

I’ve always enjoyed creating synth like sounds with a convoluted series of filter, octave, fuzz, and modulation pedals rather than a stand alone unit. I can enjoy all of them individually then too.

There are no rules. Do what feels good.

 

[Ryan L.]

Meris Enzo works a treat, but is complicated.

My local store has a used one in stock. I got all excited when I saw it, grabbed it and took it to the back room to mess around with it, spent some time with it, and put it back on the counter.

I’ve seen demos of it and know it can do some cool stuff, but I couldn’t get it to do anything cool.

Basically a long-winded way of agreeing with you that it is complicated.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

My local store has a used one in stock. I got all excited when I saw it, grabbed it and took it to the back room to mess around with it, spent some time with it, and put it back on the counter.

I’ve seen demos of it and know it can do some cool stuff, but I couldn’t get it to do anything cool.

Basically a long-winded way of agreeing with you that it is complicated.

Yup, you need to understand the functionality first, to get what you want out of it. If ever a pedal would benefit from a USB and software companion, this would be it. You also need something external to access the 16 possible presets.