Motor Synth

[JCJR]

It doesn't matter to me either way but if a person wanted real quirky glitchy oscillator sounds, then a person might have to rather badly mangle an ordinary VCO to get as glitchy as in that demo posted by Distorted Horizon. So for some folks maybe viewed as a labor-saving device. Max glitch with minimum effort!

[BONES]

You kinda miss the point

So enlighten us, oh wise one. Because you're right, I can't see any point to it at all.

[chaosWyrM]

i played with one for a while at the brooklyn synth expo last week.

heres my take if anyone cares:

its kinda cool. if you are into the sound it makes...its cool. unfortunately it really only makes the 1 kind of sound. of course you can manipulate it a bit...and kinda play around with it...but its still basically the same no matter what. if you watch the videos...any video...you have heard just about everything it can do already.

now...add in the expense (it isnt cheap) and the crazy amount of moving parts...i would be VERY concerned about it breaking down. dont get me wrong...it feels very solid, but still....that is a lot of spinny things that need to spin exactly right for the thing to work.

im usually pretty into weird synths that make weird sounds and have different approaches to things...this one though was a bit disappointing. not so much for the sound...it does sound good, but more for the price to usability ratio combined with my concern about the sturdiness of the moving parts.

especially since the kinds of sounds it makes arent really that unique.

if i was in the market for something expensive and different id probably look into erica synths instead. while admittedly a bit more expensive, something like the fusion drone system can make these kinds of sounds...make them better, and do a crapload more.

i will give props to the gamechanger audio guys for being decked out in full kraftwerk regalia though...that was a nice touch.

[jeffb01]

heres my take if anyone cares:

Thank you for giving your take. It is appreciated and illuminating.

[vurt]

the plus pedal, shown here, is my favourite sustain pedal, functionally and looks wise

https://youtu.be/Na5X45c7_Qc

[vurt]

they just have an out of the box ethos, the plasma filled distortion for example.

in a world of clones and copies its nice to have people trying new shit, even if it falls on its arse.
they could of course be boring and just do what everyone else is doing

[BONES]

Or they could do something worthwhile. Pigments, for example, does its modulation UI in a unique way that is both cool and useful, as does ArcSyn.

[yellowmix]

Not everyone has to cater to what you think is "worthwhile" especially when it isn't harming anyone or anything in particular but you are entitled to your opinion. I personally have no interest in this. Based on the videos and chaosWyrM's take, I'm 99% sure the motors/discs are a clock for the actual sound generator to mark the start of the cycle. If we can get a clean sample of an oscillator we can figure out the rest (what happens if the clock cycle is early or late), make a wavetable of it and we're done.

But there is value in showing things don't have to be done the same way, that you can succeed trying new things, that it will inspire others to perhaps make something worthwhile for you. There's a lot to disagree about—the marketing, and yes, the maintenance (seems you can access the motors to lube/repair them, if you're into hardware you should know how to solder and it's easy anyway). But I don't think they're bamboozling anyone, they discuss the mechanism and architecture at an appropriately technical level for the audience, and they've shown what it can do. I'm not sure what one would be affronted of.

[BONES]

The very concept is stupid. Not confronting, just stupid. As you say, the motors are only used to set a clock-rate, which can be done in any of a thousand more effective ways, with any amount of uncertainly factored in to give it whatever character you like.

Why should you know how to solder if you're into hardware? I've owned hardware synths for nearly 40 years and never felt the slightest inclination to take to 'em with a soldering iron. I've used it to fix appliances, though, but I wouldn't even know where my soldering stuff is any more.

[yellowmix]

I guess you've never had to service your synths or decided to mod anything? Consider yourself lucky then.

[foosnark]

I think this synth would be cool as a novelty, but they're asking serious synth prices. I'm a lot less interested in this as a serious synth.

[mrj1nx]

I feel like this idea would be perfect as a single oscillator for modular.

With replaceable discs/an app to print out your own discs.?

A cv output for note pitch derived from the rpm/rotation would be higly wanted in that case.

(Btw, i tried making a patch in spire that sounds similar, its not that complicated, partly its about mapping an env to the pitch to simulate the motor accelerating/decelerating from one rpm to another. I then mapped that to one of the macro knobs to quickly be able to tune how direct/sloppy you want the motor to be.)

[nix808]

I don't think the motors set a clock.

I thought of this 4 years ago,
the cost of speed controllers for the motors was AUD$20-
so $30 for each of 88 keys or so, with a little motor and a switch.
*edit- +pickups
The motors are electro-magnetic, so when u put a guitar pickup near them, the pickup is excited and oscillates

[chaosWyrM]

As you say, the motors are only used to set a clock-rate...

direct from the website:

Motor Synth produces sounds by accelerating and decelerating eight electromotors to precise rpm (revolutions per minute) that correspond with specific musical notes. The instrument’s eight-electromotor configuration makes it a four-note true polyphonic synth with two voices per key played.

Firstly, magnetic pickups are placed on each of its eight electromotors; the spinning coils result in a very industrial-sounding, over-the-top analogue tone. Think eight harmonious revving engines pumping out an intimidating noise!

Secondly, specially designed reflective optical disks have been attached to the shafts of each electromotor. Each disk contains a graphical representation of three standard audio wave-shapes. As the electromotors spin, the disks are set into circular motion, and each wave-shape is read by a dedicated set of infrared sensors, then converted into an audio signal. Thus, the wave-shapes on the reflective optical disks become precise musical notes, corresponding to the speed of the electromotors.

[Distorted Horizon]

You kinda miss the point

So enlighten us, oh wise one. Because you're right, I can't see any point to it at all.

Even though you occasionally have strong points and obviously lots of knowledge, history has taught that chat with you can be described with "pearls to the pigs"