Convince me I should upgrade my MEK to a PEK

Well, after upgrading my desktop Evolver to the MEK, I'm really happy I did it. I was going to a year ago and I was right, it suits me perfectly. The demos on youtube of the PEK actually make me think I shouldn't upgrade, being that the pads I've heard from it aren't that great. But that's just the youtubers. I know it can do far more unique and useable sound than that. Can you stack the 4 note poly in unison on the PEK? I know you can make some dang swirly pads on it since I know how the MEK works (haven't heard any good ones though). What are the PEK's strengths... creamy pads?, swirly pads, stabs...

I'm not sure how much this is going to benefit my music. I already have the Sunsyn as my main machine, with other analogs including the MEK do support it and offer variety. I know the PEK will offer some variety, but I'm just wondering if it's worth it to dump the extra money down. I don't have the money to burn and couldn't do it now, but I'd like to hear some thoughts on this, since it took me a year to realize the MEK suits me more than the desktop.

Yup you can do a unison stack on the PEK. I personally love it for pads. I would describe its character as gritty, weird, otherworldly for pads. It doesn't really do creamy pads so well.

I also like it a lot for drones.

Why don't you try and get a PER and chain it to the MEK? Then you'll get the same features (just about) for a bit less $?

dump 'em and get a real man's synth, the ob12.

Real and OB12 in the same sentence

Man and synth in the same sentance.

If you're doing this for macheese-mo points may I think you've chosen the wrong instrument.

May I suggest a nice Gibson SG and a Mesa Tripple?

Anyway if you already have an Evolver why not just save up for something different? You can always Multi-track a once voice synth.

But if you really want to sell your MEK talk to me I may want to snatch it.

Back to topic for a second...

I wouldn't call the PEK's pads "creamy," but it does some nice stuff and the digital aspects of it can be quite fun. The pads are somewhat smoother than the Prophet '08's, which sound a bit more "buzzy" too me. I was one of those people who traded in their PEK for a Prophet '08, but am now reconsidering. What I would really want is a knobby rack Poly Evolver, similar to the Prophet Rack, but I understand it is just not feasible.

As far as upgrading, you can get some pretty decent deals on used PEKs as people have been trading them in for Prophet '08's. The PolyEvolver Rack has been discontinued by DSI and seems to be a little bit more hard to find. And another thing to consider, from the DSI FAQ page:

The monophonic Evolvers (desktop and keyboard) have hotter outputs than the polyphonic Evolvers (rack and keyboard), so if you use the Mix Input on the Poly Evolver Rack, the one voice contributed by the monophonic Evolver may be noticeably louder. We recommend using a mixer to combine and balance the outputs of the instruments.

Which kinda sucks, because I was thinking of getting a MEK to go with my PER and have a knobby 5-voice.

Real and OB12 in the same sentence

Actually, the post was meant as a joke, but I am VERY fond of the ob12.

Well I'm found of my wang, but it doesn't make me a man.

We're all glad you found it. It may not make you a man, but at least it prepares you for the test.

It's not too bad really. You'll need two (stereo) mixer inputs instead of just one. Once the mixer levels are set so the rack and keyboard are the same volume, you can leave them alone and just control volume from the keyboard - the rack will follow proportionately. Also, once poly chain is set up, you'll never have to touch the rack again...the keyboard will control everything.

Um, biologically and technically it does make you a man.You see, your fond of your wang and your wang...oh never mind....

Poly Evolver - Should have been 5 voices not 4. That way you can play a 3 note chords with the right hand and octives with the left or vice versa.

It's completely feasible and wanted and asked for since the Poly Evovler Rack came out...

He could do it and sell it no problem. They discontinued the Poly Evolver Rack because of sales, well, I personally don't think that would have been the case if

they had added knobs to it.

But it's just not something that Dave's going to do. Sounds like he's done with the

Evolver itself last thing I heard from him or any of his staff.

I'm sure the reason the Prophet 08 Knobby Rack came out, is because a Knobby PolyEvolver rack requests that kept coming in and in.

When I have the cash and see a PER for sale, i'll probably pick it and then just trade up my Desktop for a MEK like you did. But that would be gone in a second if he came out with a PEKR (Poly Evolver Knob Rack)

Dave-

I meant to say fond not found.

Of course I haven't found it.

If you like your MEK, I can't see how you would like the PEK. It's just more of what you already like.

Like. Like like like like like... see, now it doesn't sound right anymore. Like like like like like like......

Easy. Use a split in combo mode, with two versions of the same program...one of which using one or more of the four oscs to do the octave below. That'd work....or, add a fifth voice.

Re: the fifth voice - any of a variety of ways to make that happen pretty easily.

Re: the mono units having a 6dB hotter output than the poly units thing - if you're using the combination and don't have (or don't want to use) four inputs on a mixer, simply turn the hardware volume knob of the slave unit until it balances with the master unit. You shouldn't have to adjust them again unless you actually physically turn the volume knob of the master unit, even if you change programs. Of course, if it's an MEK and PER, the four mixer inputs aren't necessary because the PER has an extra set of inputs for cascading the audio of the master unit though it.

dB

In principle, that's similar to the mechanics of a sub-osc. However, in the case of the Poly Evolver, you still would only be able to play 4 physical notes at a time, not 5. You could certain play a mono bass line over a 3 note chord though.

Why is 5 the magic number? Because if you were to play octives with your left hand over a 3 note chord with your right hand and the instrument is only capable of 4 notes, sometimes the lowest note will trigger, sometimes the higher note of the octive will (depending on which finger lands first). Worse, the note may get stolen from the right hand chord.

The results would be undesirable and not what is intended. With 5 notes this wouldn't happen playing octaves to emphasize the root of a progression say for a pad part or splits.

Besides, who doesn

If it were me, I wouldn't spend the money for a PEK.

1. You've got the Evolver sound convered already.

2. You've got other nice analogs already.

And, as subjective as this reason is, I simply don't think the PEK sounds as good as the MEK. At least, not as easily good.

I'd just multitrack the MEK if I needed more Evo, and spend my sheckles elsewhere.

A little off topic but here's the latest DSI news:

http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/news/index.php#08_end

Veering even further off-topic, I really want Dave to do something really new next.

At the risk of blasphemy, I want him to move away from mining past successes, ( I'm not saying the P'08/MoPho don't have modern touches), and push the current envelope a bit more.

I don't know exactly what that would be, but something really different. Like "neuronium" different; "harvestman" different, circuit-bent different. Dunno, I'm not edge-y enough to know, but, you hopefully get point.

Something risky.

:poke:

Re: the mono units having a 6dB hotter output than the poly units thing - if you're using the combination and don't have (or don't want to use) four inputs on a mixer, simply turn the hardware volume knob of the slave unit until it balances with the master unit. You shouldn't have to adjust them again unless you actually physically turn the volume knob of the master unit, even if you change programs. Of course, if it's an MEK and PER, the four mixer inputs aren't necessary because the PER has an extra set of inputs for cascading the audio of the master unit though it.

Ah....for some reason I though that turning down the MEK 6 dB didn't work well in practice, and I didn't want to use extra mixer inputs because I am using an Ensemble and did have any to spare.

As far as the feasibility of a knobby PER, the impression I got from Dave Smith was that there wasn't enough room in a rack unit for all the knobs....

Not if you do it the way I suggested. If it's a combo split, the "octaved" left hand, although only requiring one finger to play, will still be an octave, and will not steal from the right hand at all....

Hmm, maybe I'll wait to get a PER. Multi-tracking is a good idea, but also it's not as fun. I love the size of the MEK, but maybe I need to get over it. Good to know about the outputs.

BTW, my MEK's keyboard has three keys (the highest 3 black keys) that hit the back on the black metal. Not that bad, but it is kind of annoying when playing through headphones, it just sounds clunky. I can also see little marks on the black metal when I depress the keys to see. Does anyone else's clang against the metal?

Not if you do it the way I suggested. If it's a combo split, the "octaved" left hand, although only requiring one finger to play, will still be an octave, and will not steal from the right hand at all.... Once again - the scenario I described would give you the octaves you want...unless you really feel a need to actually play two physical notes with your left hand to get the octave. if that's the case, then yes...you are correct. You cannot press five keys on a PEK and have five notes play....oh, wait - unless you poly-chain an Evo - then you could do it perfectly.

Yes, I mean actually phyically playing the octives over a 3 note chord which is a fairly common practice and natural performing form.

As you mention, there are workable alternatives, but again, having 5 notes would have been very ideal and more elegant than having to add a mono evolver or use other programing acrobat tricks.

There was I point where I seriously looked at picking up a PE rack but didnt for the very reason I layed out. I would have jumped at 5 notes.

I still may grab an Evolver though down the road. I always liked its sound and have always been drawn to hybrid digital/analog synths like the Evolver, DSS-1, Prophet VS, PPG, etc.

Why do you seek to strengthen your argument with an arbitrary statistic you have no hope of supporting? Why don't you try just speaking for yourself? I have no problem playing an octaved single note to save polyphony.

Hey, what happens if the patch you're playing five voices at a time with on the five voice synth you seek has any sustain/release? Playing new notes will cut the old ones off, won't it?

Hel-looooo....

Not for those who don't need the fifth voice, and didn't want to have to pay for it.

There's nothing acrobatic about using two DSI synths in poly chain mode. It takes a few seconds to set up, then you never have to touch it again.

Dave Smith was trying to hit a certain price point with the PEK, and he felt he provided an easy way for anyone who wanted more voices to add more voices - something most boutique synth manufacturers don't address at all. For some reason, you've chosen to dismiss this, even though it gets you exactly what you want.

In a poly-chained setup, the PER/Evo/polychained unit is basically invisible. I have such a setup, and I never see or even touch the PER.

dB

Didn't someone say the Evolver is 6+ hotter that a rack? So now, you have deal with that as well. Nope, no issues to deal with.

Sure you could do it! The point wasn't you cant. Assuming you have all the room and money to spare. Oh, hell, why not just buy a six-pack of DSI Evolvers! I have plenty of room to lay them around all over the place. It's not ideal not to mention redundant and the cost factor.

There are other factors than just wanting more voices. I dont want a PEK, I want rack. I dont want a rack + a rack or a rack + Evolver. Again, it not ideal for some. If it was I would have done what you did right? Thats kind of why as I said, I don't have one yet.

You do realize also what you did also cost a good chunk of coin right? Last time I checked a PEK cost $2400 + PER $1400 new. That's grand total of $3800 for a 8 voice set up combined by 2 different pieces of hardware.

This is why I am leaning toward just a mono-evolver. I cant effectively play chords with just 4 notes so why try (maybe you and others can). You still can play arpeggios, step sequences, leads, bass lines and FX fills with an Evolver though and save the extra cost.

All I'm saying is it would have been great if it had 5 notes instead of 4. I would have gotten one and explained why. Jeeze man!