[sdiy] Taking a Step towards - - --((FUTURE-PREDICTIONS))-- - -

[Paul Maddox]

Tony,

> Maybe 99% have built something analogue, but I very much doubt that 99%
> or anywhere near it don't like digital, or wouldn't like to try it.

maybe, but there are a LOT of people writing VST/VSTi's out there now,
people who've never touched analogue.

> Besides, I see this falling into three divisions:
> Digital (bespoke hardware), software (VSTi and so on), and analogue.

I say 6

1) Digital (bespoke hardware) - Virus/Q/etc
2) Software (VSTi) - reason/etc
3) DigitalSoftware - Things like TDM plugins, Powercore plugins, things that
have a software UI, but depend on Digital hardware
4) Analogue (pure analogue) - Minimoog/Modulars/etc
5) Digilog (Digital with analogue) - PPG Wave/Prophet VS
6) Hybrid (Digital/analogue/DSP) - things like the evolver, Digital oscs,
with analogue oscs, analogue filter and DSP thrown in aswell.

My point here is that the lines are blurring more and more...

> Out of the three, I would guess that more software synths are being
> developed than analogue or digital ones.

in the commercial world, I would agree with you 100%
in the homebuild world, I would say its 50/50 (hardware Vs Software), take a
look at the amount of VST/AU plugins now available.

> Most of my customers have a midi-CV convertor and I bet many of them use
> a digital reverb, effects etc. Many have built Colin's P3 Sequencer.
> What folk don't want is a module that quantises inputs and outputs to
> ugly glitching.

Agreed, people are willing to allow 'some' aspects of digital technology
into their modulars. But when I suggested the digital EG, I got a shed load
of emails from people saying no, and citing it was digital and they wanted
an analogue modular. Even though I stated it would be 16 bit DAC/ADC
the number of people who contacted me about the monowave and once they
discovered the oscs were digital (despite me saying this) said they didn't
want want one was also amazing...

> I would love to do more digital modules... but I don't have the
> experience to do it myself.

I would love to aswell, but when you get a deluge of mails saying point
blank, "no", why should anyone bother putting money into something that they
won't get anything back from?

Sadly I fear that unless peoples attitudes start changing some people will
get left behind.
Interesting times ahead for all sides of the coin

Paul