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musical instrument details
tempest dave smith, TEMPEST ANALOG DRUM MACHIN
Estimated price for orientation: 1 500 $
Category: Samplers and Sequencers
Class:
Description Condition: Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition
The fruit of the union between synth and drum machine legends Dave Smith and Roger Linn ought to be something very special indeed. Is the Tempest set to take the world by storm?Paul NagleOver the last four years, tales of a new drum machine from the industry dream-team of Roger Linn and Dave Smith have circulated wildly. Teasing images of prototypes bearing exotic names such as 'BoomChik' came and went. Now, finally, the long gestation period is almost over. I say "almost”, because the Tempest (a much better name!) is still a work in progress. Although its hardware is complete, much of this review was conducted using a beta version of the OS. It's quite an advanced beta, though, stable and functional in most areas and therefore sufficient for a preview of the Tempest's sound and interface — and a hint at the performances it could inspire. To anyone wary of becoming an early adopter, the following statement on Dave Smith's web site might offer reassurance: "Going forward we'll be releasing periodic free software updates that can be downloaded and installed over MIDI, and we'll be maintaining a list of what is remaining to implement. If you wish to wait until all features are done, we understand. If you wish to try it out first, then decide to wait, that's OK, too — we will maintain a liberal, no-questions-asked return policy while we're finishing up the remaining features.” Clearly, this has been a huge project for the two companies, and as it reaches fruition, now's our chance to take the first look at a drum machine hoping to take the world by storm...The production model Tempest is described simply as an 'Analog Drum Machine', but it's actually far more than that. Classic analogue drum boxes were based on dedicated circuits and, if you were lucky, a few choice controls to tweak the main drums. The Tempest's six voices are based on a multitimbral synthesizer architecture that's not a million miles from DSI's Evolver range of synths. Each voice has two analogue oscillators, a sub-oscillator and two digital oscillators eager to spit out percussion samples or other waveforms. These sources (plus an internal feedback loop from the main output) are processed by analogue low-pass and high-pass filters, aided and abetted by fast LFOs and snappy envelopes, and further honed by the modulation matrix. All of this adds up to an extraordinarily deep engine for a mere 'drum machine'! The challenge was to blend the skills and experience of both companies to produce a unique and well-balanced entity. It goes without saying that any drum machine bearing the name of Roger Linn is going to trigger high expectations — and they're expectations that won't be diminished when you glance at the bottom line! The Tempest's back panel includes an input for an external 15V power supply, a USB port, MIDI I/O, a pair of footswitch inputs, six individual voice outputs, a pair of stereo outputs and a headphone socket. Weighty and compact, at just 39cm x 22.5cm, the Tempest is a quantum leap in style past the earlier prototypes. Although well supplied with knobs, encoders and buttons, it's the small, clear OLED display that instantly catches the eye. Its resolution of 256 x 64 pixels permits graphics where necessary and text that is tiny but readable. It's a credit to the programmers that so much information is delivered squint-free from a rectangle measuring just 8cm by 2cm. Most of the buttons are small and slightly wobbly but with a positive click; only the three transport controls suggest non-Lilliputian manufacture. The panel text is printed onto an overlay with all functions and shifted functions clearly marked, but the overlay background is a bit darker than many of the online photos, and the buttons don't exactly stand out in low light. Fortunately, LEDs point the way to the various pad functions, screen buttons and other options. Ergonomically, it's a delight; a mixture of knobs and encoders is used for voice editing and these, especially the knobs, feel smoothly reassuring. Most of the main synthesis parameters have dedicated controls, with those of less immediate importance packed into menus. Above the display, four encoders adopt new roles as you navigate around, resulting in a user interface that's nippy enough whether you're programming from scratch or editing one of the factory sounds. Even if you've never touched one of Dave Smith's recent synths, it shouldn't be long before you feel at home. Turning to the drum pads, the Tempest's main performance area is divided into two rows of eight pads, plus two ribbons with adjacent LED runways. The pad configuration feels ideal — far better than the commonly-seen 4x4 grid for laying down 'finger and thumb' beats. Backlit in blue, the pads are velocity and pressure sensitive, while the ribbons also respond in two planes: position and pressure. The ribbons both offer alternate assignments, further boosting the ways to seriously mess with your beats. Before we start doing that, let's end the initial once-over with an I/O inventory. After all, the design concept specifies an entirely analogue signal path, ruling out such joys as onboard reverb or delay, so you're going to crave a few individual outputs. Fortunately, the rear panel is awash with o
Description
| Condition: | Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition |
The fruit of the union between synth and drum machine legends Dave Smith and Roger Linn ought to be something very special indeed. Is the Tempest set to take the world by storm?Paul NagleOver the last four years, tales of a new drum machine from the industry dream-team of Roger Linn and Dave Smith have circulated wildly. Teasing images of prototypes bearing exotic names such as 'BoomChik' came and went. Now, finally, the long gestation period is almost over. I say "almost”, because the Tempest (a much better name!) is still a work in progress. Although its hardware is complete, much of this review was conducted using a beta version of the OS. It's quite an advanced beta, though, stable and functional in most areas and therefore sufficient for a preview of the Tempest's sound and interface — and a hint at the performances it could inspire. To anyone wary of becoming an early adopter, the following statement on Dave Smith's web site might offer reassurance: "Going forward we'll be releasing periodic free software updates that can be downloaded and installed over MIDI, and we'll be maintaining a list of what is remaining to implement. If you wish to wait until all features are done, we understand. If you wish to try it out first, then decide to wait, that's OK, too — we will maintain a liberal, no-questions-asked return policy while we're finishing up the remaining features.” Clearly, this has been a huge project for the two companies, and as it reaches fruition, now's our chance to take the first look at a drum machine hoping to take the world by storm...The production model Tempest is described simply as an 'Analog Drum Machine', but it's actually far more than that. Classic analogue drum boxes were based on dedicated circuits and, if you were lucky, a few choice controls to tweak the main drums. The Tempest's six voices are based on a multitimbral synthesizer architecture that's not a million miles from DSI's Evolver range of synths. Each voice has two analogue oscillators, a sub-oscillator and two digital oscillators eager to spit out percussion samples or other waveforms. These sources (plus an internal feedback loop from the main output) are processed by analogue low-pass and high-pass filters, aided and abetted by fast LFOs and snappy envelopes, and further honed by the modulation matrix. All of this adds up to an extraordinarily deep engine for a mere 'drum machine'! The challenge was to blend the skills and experience of both companies to produce a unique and well-balanced entity. It goes without saying that any drum machine bearing the name of Roger Linn is going to trigger high expectations — and they're expectations that won't be diminished when you glance at the bottom line! The Tempest's back panel includes an input for an external 15V power supply, a USB port, MIDI I/O, a pair of footswitch inputs, six individual voice outputs, a pair of stereo outputs and a headphone socket. Weighty and compact, at just 39cm x 22.5cm, the Tempest is a quantum leap in style past the earlier prototypes. Although well supplied with knobs, encoders and buttons, it's the small, clear OLED display that instantly catches the eye. Its resolution of 256 x 64 pixels permits graphics where necessary and text that is tiny but readable. It's a credit to the programmers that so much information is delivered squint-free from a rectangle measuring just 8cm by 2cm. Most of the buttons are small and slightly wobbly but with a positive click; only the three transport controls suggest non-Lilliputian manufacture. The panel text is printed onto an overlay with all functions and shifted functions clearly marked, but the overlay background is a bit darker than many of the online photos, and the buttons don't exactly stand out in low light. Fortunately, LEDs point the way to the various pad functions, screen buttons and other options. Ergonomically, it's a delight; a mixture of knobs and encoders is used for voice editing and these, especially the knobs, feel smoothly reassuring. Most of the main synthesis parameters have dedicated controls, with those of less immediate importance packed into menus. Above the display, four encoders adopt new roles as you navigate around, resulting in a user interface that's nippy enough whether you're programming from scratch or editing one of the factory sounds. Even if you've never touched one of Dave Smith's recent synths, it shouldn't be long before you feel at home. Turning to the drum pads, the Tempest's main performance area is divided into two rows of eight pads, plus two ribbons with adjacent LED runways. The pad configuration feels ideal — far better than the commonly-seen 4x4 grid for laying down 'finger and thumb' beats. Backlit in blue, the pads are velocity and pressure sensitive, while the ribbons also respond in two planes: position and pressure. The ribbons both offer alternate assignments, further boosting the ways to seriously mess with your beats. Before we start doing that, let's end the initial once-over with an I/O inventory. After all, the design concept specifies an entirely analogue signal path, ruling out such joys as onboard reverb or delay, so you're going to crave a few individual outputs. Fortunately, the rear panel is awash with o