Momentum, a DIY 12-voice virtual analogue polyphonic synthesizer based on TSynth | Hacker News Reader

Momentum, a DIY 12-voice virtual analogue polyphonic synthesizer based on TSynth

electrotechnique.cc

39 pointssquarefoot25 comments

Can we hear it? Usually when I purchase synthesizers I'm able to hear what they can do first. The "Buy" link was easy to find, but I didn't find a link that demoed the synth.

I expect it to sound digital, like a typical virtual analog. That's not necessarily bad. How well you can control it very much depends on the UI of the device. It has only a few knobs, so many tasks will require menus, if they are available at all. At that point, I wonder what advantage it has over a plugin with a cheap controller like the KORG Nano-Kontrol.

Here's link to something also based on TSynth, but with more knobs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCA2L7CeWSE

Not available yet, I guess that's the reason behind the lack of sound examples. However, it's based on the TSynth so it should have similar capabilities; just follow the TSynth link on the same page and you'll find some links to demo videos at YouTube.

No sound clip?

It uses similar hardware to the TSynth; I guess it would sound abut the same, which would be pretty good. My only concern is the small display; a bigger one shouldn't add much to the cost while the better readability would help a lot when editing sounds.

Surprisingly, this display is miles better than the ones we keep seeing in new synths from some of the major manufacturers, like Roland and Korg.

I agree, but one of the pictures shows a piano roll, which can be really tough on a small screen.

So what are the main differences between this and TSynth? Less knobs, bigger display, but but anything more substantial?

Seems to be paraphonic and not polyphonic? The filter section doesn't explain if we have filter per voice.

Looks powerful, hope it handles well without too much menu diving.

From what I can tell, the original TSynth is around $200 to $300 for a full kit that you need to assemble.

A Behringer Model D is $298 on Amazon.

Anyone know how they compare sonically?

I understand that one is analog and monophonic, the other is digital and 12-voice, etc etc. But if I'm a simple person who just wants to make some cool synth sounds, which should I prefer?

Should add that I have a midi/usb keyboard and a Modal Craftsynth 1, which is a digital monophonic synth, with possibility to spread out into 2x4 sub-oscillators. I think it can be pretty good-sounding, but the UI is pretty bad so I end up using the companion Android app frequently, at which point I could just as well be using a DAW.

I'd say, if you find joy in soldering and DIY electronics, something like this could be great. It's hard to say without hearing it...

I really think a first synth (I know you already have one, but it seems like you're unhappy with it...), should be a polyphonic one. I went a similar route as you, but with a Behringer Neutron, and it was fun, but I immediately wanted something more.

Anyway, If you've got the itch for a new instrument, get a Microfreak, or a Minifreak from Arturia instead of either of these. Microfreak is paraphonic, so not full polyphony, but you can play chords, and when I use mine I don't miss having 1 filter per voice.

Thanks, this is useful input.

I do have a Keystep 37 that I'm happy with, so I'd prefer a desktop synth. The new Behringer Pro 800 does look tempting.

I also have a TD-3 and a Pocket Operator Tonic, both of those are tons of fun to play with, and I can sync them.

I love my TD-3 and my KO pocket operator. The comment below suggests the minifreak, and I kind of agree with them.

Behringer Pro 800 looks pretty great too, same price, analog, but fewer sound options.

Also, I'd like to say, if you're looking for a nice community for this stuff, look up EZBOT on youtube, and join his discord. It's a great group of people and they'll talk all day about this stuff with you :). And say "hi" if you join.

Get the mini freak. I returned a micro due to the menu diving and minimal controls. Great sound engine on both. (Same)

Friends don’t let friends buy Behringer

Plus, if you are cost cutting: buy a teensy and use your Korg NanoKontrol and open the Arduino IDE and go to “VA synth demo” under teensyduino presets and boom, at least it’s not making Uli Behringer any money at the expense of some other companies R&D and the reputation of some components inappropriately used.

* well, there’s no VA synth preset, per se, but teensy audio library brings you the menu and you are a programmer or else why are you here?

**components misused: cheap electrolytics have their uses. Underspeccing everything everytime To just last until warranty is something else

> the original TSynth is around $200 to $300 for a full kit that you need to assemble. A Behringer Model D is $298 on Amazon.

They're completely different beasts. A monophonic synth cannot be used for chords; for some music genres where one needs nothing more than bass and fx this could not be a problem, but it's a limitation nonetheless. Synths were born monophonic not because mono is better but because back in the day for each voice added they had to essentially double the circuits complexity and cost, and being fully analog, either performers or roadies had also to tune every oscillator one by one, very often just before the performance because ambient temperature and humidity variations could actually set the instrument out of tune.

> Anyone know how they compare sonically?

There's a demo video linked at its Thomann product page.

https://www.thomann.de/intl/behringer_model_d.htm

can someone ELI5 what this can be used for? thanks!

Connect this to MIDI keyboard (or other controller) and sound comes out. Polyphonic means that it can play different notes simultaneously. Virtual analogue means that the device aims to emulate analogue synths while being actually fully digital.

It's a MIDI[1] synthesiser. You need to attach it to an external keyboard or sequencer to get any sound out of it. Think of it as analogous to network attached computer - on its own and disconnected, it's not going to do anything.

You'd typically attach it to a computer running some sort of DAW (digital audio workstation) software. Or a hardware keyboard or sequencencer.

It's "virtual analog" - which means it's trying to give the feel or controls associated with analog synthesisers which produce sound using oscillators and filters (extremely simplified description) rather than samples for example.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI

MPE?

> ...virtual analogue...

Fake truth, dry wetness, empty fullness.

Totally, but it’s an industry term since the Nord Lead, and honestly there’s no attempts at replication of analog stochastics, barring “oscillator drift” or some pseudorandom phenomena applied to pitch or phase if combining generators.

An analog synthesizer is something else. The microcontroller used to make this is fairly interesting, however, as it can easily be user-hacked to achieve other things

https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy41.html

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