Dave Smith Instruments SYNTHESIZERS

I mean don't they do the same thing?

or am I a dullard?

surely there is something better those two knobs could be doing? like
controling a random or reverse mode for the sequencer!!? or maybe soft sync?
or....(greedy aren't I?)

so many questions

Richard

On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 06:11:58PM +0100, Richard wrote:
>    I mean don't they do the same thing?

no, they don't. one controls the tempo, the other controls when to
step within that tempo. it should be obvious that there's a difference
between 8H, 8S and 8t, for example; and you can't (effectively) do the
latter two with just a tempo control.

a good question is probably: "but don't the 2, 4, 8 and 16 clock
divides just speed up the tempo?" they don't; they up the subdivision of
the tempo; there's a difference. this difference is most important when
the Evolver is slaved to external MIDI clock. if the clock is coming in
at 120BPM, the only way to change how to step within that tempo is with
the clock-divide control (since the BPM control will do nothing).

BTW, I think I've butchered the terminology here; but I hope you get the
idea anyway :-)

Joe

thanks  joe, but I didn't mean that

I mean that there are controls for BPM and clock divide on the "Main" knobs
and then they are replicated on row 2 of the matrix - these appear to do the
same thing. If they do that seems an exception in an almost perfect piece of
design!

Richard


----- Original Message -----

From: "Joe" <jmelnyk@...>
To: <DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2003 7:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Evolver] why are there two controls for clock divide and BPM?


> On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 06:11:58PM +0100, Richard wrote:
> >    I mean don't they do the same thing?
>
> no, they don't. one controls the tempo, the other controls when to
> step within that tempo. it should be obvious that there's a difference
> between 8H, 8S and 8t, for example; and you can't (effectively) do the
> latter two with just a tempo control.
>
> a good question is probably: "but don't the 2, 4, 8 and 16 clock
> divides just speed up the tempo?" they don't; they up the subdivision of
> the tempo; there's a difference. this difference is most important when
> the Evolver is slaved to external MIDI clock. if the clock is coming in
> at 120BPM, the only way to change how to step within that tempo is with
> the clock-divide control (since the BPM control will do nothing).
>
> BTW, I think I've butchered the terminology here; but I hope you get the
> idea anyway :-)
>
> Joe
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> DSI_Evolver-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

----- Original Message -----

On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 07:26:57PM +0100, Richard wrote:
>    thanks  joe, but I didn't mean that
>    I  mean that there are controls for BPM and clock divide on the "Main"
>    knobs
>    and  then they are replicated on row 2 of the matrix

ahhh! I see; sorry for the useless explanation then :-)

>    - these appear to
>    do the
>    same  thing.

they do, but they don't. it depends on what you're trying to do. it's
useful to have a global divide/BPM control but it's also useful to have
them for each sequence.

Joe

but the main bpm and clock divide settings get saved with the individual
patches anyway so I still don't get what is gained by having a separate
control - whether you keep "use preset tempo" on or not you can still do
everything with the main controls and never touch row2

can't you?

Richard
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe" <jmelnyk@...>
To: <DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2003 7:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Evolver] why are there two controls for clock divide and BPM?


> On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 07:26:57PM +0100, Richard wrote:
> >    thanks  joe, but I didn't mean that
> >    I  mean that there are controls for BPM and clock divide on the
"Main"

> >    knobs
> >    and  then they are replicated on row 2 of the matrix
>
> ahhh! I see; sorry for the useless explanation then :-)
>
> >    - these appear to
> >    do the
> >    same  thing.
>
> they do, but they don't. it depends on what you're trying to do. it's
> useful to have a global divide/BPM control but it's also useful to have
> them for each sequence.
>
> Joe
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> DSI_Evolver-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

----- Original Message -----

On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 07:59:08PM +0100, Richard wrote:
>    but  the  main  bpm  and  clock  divide  settings  get  saved with the
>    individual
>    patches  anyway  so  I  still  don't  get  what  is gained by having a
>    separate
>    control  - whether you keep "use preset tempo" on or not you can still
>    do
>    everything with the main controls and never touch row2
>    can't you?

I don't really use them, but I believe they would be useful in
conjunction with "lock sequence". you can lock a sequence, tempo and
clock divide and then scroll through patches for different sounds that
you like with your sequence.

Joe

if you take off "use preset tempo" the evolver will do that automatically.
So...

I reckon we have two knobs crying out for a funky purpose in life here..

you listening Dave? :)

Richard


----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe" <jmelnyk@...>
To: <DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2003 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: [Evolver] why are there two controls for clock divide and BPM?


> On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 07:59:08PM +0100, Richard wrote:
> >    but  the  main  bpm  and  clock  divide  settings  get  saved with
the
> >    individual
> >    patches  anyway  so  I  still  don't  get  what  is gained by having
a
> >    separate
> >    control  - whether you keep "use preset tempo" on or not you can
still

> >    do
> >    everything with the main controls and never touch row2
> >    can't you?
>
> I don't really use them, but I believe they would be useful in
> conjunction with "lock sequence". you can lock a sequence, tempo and
> clock divide and then scroll through patches for different sounds that
> you like with your sequence.
>
> Joe
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> DSI_Evolver-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 08:26:32PM +0100, Richard wrote:
>    if  you  take  off  "use  preset  tempo"  the  evolver  will  do  that
>    automatically.

good point.

as far as I can tell, here's the only use:
if you lock the sequence and turn off "use prgm tempo", you have
convenient control over the BPM and clock-divide settings as you
scroll through different patches with that sequence. that is, the
main-menu controls are the convenient ones. if you leave "use prgm
tempo" on, you can still do this; BUT you have to change to the matrix
menu and press shift while you do it.

you're proposing (I believe) that the matrix controls be changed (not the
main menu ones);  so this convenience would still be there.

if these controls were changed in the matrix, the only change in
functionality that would occur is that you'd have to access the main menu
to control the BPM and clock-divide. this would require a button press.
BUT you have to do that anyway (PLUS either hold the button or press it
twice) to access the BPM/clock-divide in the matrix menu.

so if there is a viable use for these controls, I'm all ears. otherwise,
I think you're right; it would be nice to change them to something more
useful. for example, a "shape seq" for OSC1 and OSC2.

Joe

how would a shape seq for osc1 and 2 work joe? Could it do anything
different from just modulating the PWM with a seq?

It'd be lovely to see a new feature but I  suspect for Dave its more a
matter of the limiatations of the dsp and other resources available - I
imagine if there was the potential to do something serious with those two
knobs he's have done it... but we can dream!

Richard

Richard

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe" <jmelnyk@...>
To: <DSI_Evolver@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2003 8:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Evolver] why are there two controls for clock divide and BPM?


> On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 08:26:32PM +0100, Richard wrote:
> >    if  you  take  off  "use  preset  tempo"  the  evolver  will  do
that

> >    automatically.
>
> good point.
>
> as far as I can tell, here's the only use:
> if you lock the sequence and turn off "use prgm tempo", you have
> convenient control over the BPM and clock-divide settings as you
> scroll through different patches with that sequence. that is, the
> main-menu controls are the convenient ones. if you leave "use prgm
> tempo" on, you can still do this; BUT you have to change to the matrix
> menu and press shift while you do it.
>
> you're proposing (I believe) that the matrix controls be changed (not the
> main menu ones);  so this convenience would still be there.
>
> if these controls were changed in the matrix, the only change in
> functionality that would occur is that you'd have to access the main menu
> to control the BPM and clock-divide. this would require a button press.
> BUT you have to do that anyway (PLUS either hold the button or press it
> twice) to access the BPM/clock-divide in the matrix menu.
>
> so if there is a viable use for these controls, I'm all ears. otherwise,
> I think you're right; it would be nice to change them to something more
> useful. for example, a "shape seq" for OSC1 and OSC2.
>
> Joe
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> DSI_Evolver-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

On Sat, Sep 20, 2003 at 09:34:31PM +0100, Richard wrote:
>    how would a shape seq for osc1 and 2 work joe? Could it do anything
>    different from just modulating the PWM with a seq?

yeah, that's right. it would be cool to be able to do that without
having to setup a modulation slot.

but now that I'm thinking about it, I'd rather have some sort of gate
control that would follow the sequence and turn the oscillators off when
their frequency (in the sequencer) is set to 0. or something like
that... to my knowledge (which is admittedly skewed), there's no way to
effectively do this in the Evolver.

>    It'd be lovely to see a new feature but I  suspect for Dave its more a
>    matter  of the limiatations of the dsp and other resources available -

well that and it might require a hardware retro-fit to all of the
existing Evolvers.

he can just save the idea for when he makes the polyphonic Evolver...:-)

mmmm.....polyphonic Evolver.....

Joe