DIETER SAY:
"All the new modules (Morphing Filter A-107, Sequencer
Controller A-154, SSM-Filter A-105) were very
successfull at the NAMM. Without doubt the A-107 was
the module the visitors asked most for as there is no
comparable filter on the market. Some people mentioned
an important feature that is still missing: a reset
input so that the filter sequence could be set to the
first filter with a gate/trigger signal (useful for
the clock-triggered stepping through the filters).
Others recommended to add a second CV input for each
function without attenuator (as for the A-109).
But even many visitors were very interested in the
A-105 (b.t.w. the designer of the SSM2044 visited our
booth and he was very proud that there still a lot of
demand for his "baby"). The visitors checking the
A-154 especially loved the voltage controlled
addressing of the step and they suggested that we
should add this feature in every case to the touch
keyboard too (so we probably will ...). Generally
people asked to introduce all the features of the
A-154 into the touch keyboard. So there is the
question if we should manufacture the A-154 or only
introduce it's features to the touch keyboard (once
more: a lot of new questions). Many people also aked
for a "normal" CV/Gate keyboard with 4 or 5 octaves
with the same features as the touch keyboard. As we
discovered ourselves many visitores mentioned that it
is very difficult to play with the touch keyboard in
the normal way as one has no mechanical references as
for the normal keyboard (e.g. the black keys and the
pressed key). One always has to look at the keyboard
and carefully position the finger not to trigger 2
keys at the same time. So once again the discussion
came up if it would not be better to use normal
rectangle touch plates instead of the keyboard layout
of the touch plates. Anyway - we will start a poll for
the touch keyboard very soon with all these questions
to find out which version of the keyboard we will
manufacture. We finally have to come to an end with
the touch keyboard discussion. In every case we will
also develop a "normal" CV/Gate keyboard as the
inquiries for such a keyboard are more than we
expected. We also think about a digital sequencer that
could record CV and gate signals as many customers
asked for such a device. Also a small version of the
Schaltwerk features (trigger sequencer with 16 steps/8
tracks with buttons and LEDs, but only one track is
visible at a time - this will keep the price low, the
desired track could be selected with additional
buttons or an encoder, several LED displays to show
the track/sequence and so on). As you see a lot of new
ideas came up that will keep us busy for the next
months or even years.

Hans Zimmer visited us for a long time and he was very
impressed of the Morphing Filter A-107 and mentioned
that the A-105 is a very important "bread and butter
module" too as it has a typical sound (of course he
knows all the instruments that use the SSM2044) that
differs from the other A-100 filter sounds.

These are the plans for the near future:
- publishing the poll for the touch keyboard on our
web site to decide the final version that will go into
production (the poll will be active for about 4 weeks
and we think about to combine it with a small prize
competition so that all participants could win one or
more A-100 modules (or even a touch keyboard - we
don't know).
- finishing the A-107 development (adding a reset
input, possible adding CV inputs without attenuators)
- finishing the A-105
- starting the A-100 DIY page on our web site
(contributions are welcome), it first the basics
(principles of power supply, operational amplifiers
with basic circuits, simple modifications of modules,
simple DIY modules e.g. power adapters for AS modules,
CV expander, changing the sensibility of CV and audio
inputs, increasing the output levels e.g. of VCAs to
obtain amplifications > 1, AC/DC coupling principles
and changing AC coupling into DC coupling and vice
versa ....)
- finishing the touch keyboard (as soon as the poll is
closed)
- decision if A-154 will go into production (connected
with the touch keyboard features)
- carry on with "module of uncertainty" replica
- carry on with chaos generator researches
- developing a "normal" CV/Gate keyboard
- modules under discussion: PLL module, digital
sequencer, trigger sequencer ("mini Schaltwerk"),
voltage controlled delay with several taps (separate
CV for the time shift of each tap) and many more ...."

COMMENTS,PLEASE





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synthfreak(parallel worlds)
athens-greece
1 group owner-moderator

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