Comments on: Mopho, the $400 Dave Smith Analog Synth: Extra Details

By: Create Digital Music » Dave Smith Tetra4 Synth: Compact Size, Quadruple the Mopho Pleasure

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:43:37 +0000

[...] in the l33t speak on the case). The name says it all: the Tetra takes the popular Mopho synth and packs four of them into a single, compact case. The Mopho was featured in the CDM Winter Guide [...]

By: fatcat88

fatcat88 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:43:00 +0000

In 1995 I bought a all analog Basstation (syth version) and in 96 a Nord Lead (w/ 12voice and PCMCIA) the 1st ‘virtual analog’ to mass market. I still own both of them (11-2008). Guess which one is hooked up to my laptop now and which one is collecting dust?.
The Basstation analog is being used daily for recording. I use it now more than ever. A VERY minimal synth (two osc) that was touted as a TB303 emulator during its debut. It does the 303 all day if you like, but it really shines its analog heritage when rolling out the sub bass that literally shakes cement walls and its modern twist of the Cars classic mono ‘head turners’. Real analog leads all day with a modern drum and bass loop at 180bpm (most excellent!). I think the crew at Dave Smith deserve our votes in the magazines for coolest product, however minimal, who is making stuff that is completely usable, sounds fantastic and is under 500.00 in the syth department. I wanted a TI synth, now I KNOW what I am buying. I might be late with my post (just out of the hospital on a long stay) but I will have one in my hands, they are available, three ninety nine.n n . Perfect price and I love the canary yellow, reminds me of a exotic sports car.
Sam and his fatcat

By: Ras David

Ras David — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:34:18 +0000

YES! But another possible Missing element that no one’s covered-LFOs…Do the osc go into modulation ranges for that sort of thing? (aka minimoog etc)

By: Create Digital Music » Guest Blog: Software Programmer Dreams of New, Small Music Machines

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:35:23 +0000

[...] sound with just a button. A few pots and a â€œpush meâ€ button â€“ sound familiar? Ed.: See the Dave Smith Mopho, though generally people are hooking MIDI keyboards to it so they can easily input pitch. But then, [...]

By: andivax

andivax — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:14:38 +0000

sounds awesome!
because of that i decide to buy Prophet 08 – Morpho’s big brother :)

By: Evan

Evan — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:37:04 +0000

Evolver has a more sophisticated feedback system – itâ€™s stereo, and the feedback frequency and amount can be modulated independently. Mopho has a simple loopback to the input, the gain of which can be modulated. Evolverâ€™s feedback system means you can do Karplus-Strong synthesis. Mophoâ€™s is more like the old Minimoog trick of routing the output to the input.

To clarify even further, Mopho’s feedback is an analog loopback intended to allow some overloading of the filter.

Evolver’s feedback is really a tuned resonant delay line. It also has a separate standard delay feedback (regen) on its delay lines (although the two can have some effect on each other).

Ain’t it great when two different concepts get lumped under the same name?

Another big plus to both of these units is their external inputs. The Evolver especially excels at turning whatever is put through it into something bizarre and wacky. External inputs plus lfos and sequencers that sync to midi clock make both of these very useful and flexible.

By: velocipede

velocipede — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:34:21 +0000

Brian, if you are still reading, I had a Micron and actually really enjoyed it for a few months. I really liked its controllers and had fun with the built-in sequencer and multitimbral splits. It is possible to make and play live an entire tune with multiple voices in the Micron.

Why did I sell it? I got tired of the tedium of patch programming and remembered that sequencing on a computer was so much easier.

There is now an editor for the Micron (by the same folks who do the one for the Mopho’s editor, I believe) and I consider getting a used one as I occasionally miss it.

For now, though, I am just looking forward to my Mopho tomorrow!

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:06:17 +0000

Cool, Brian — to me the Micron and the Mopho seem made for each other. Get rolling with the Micron first and you’ll have some sweet set-ups ready for the Mopho to cut through with its mustardy sqwonk. Endless fun without being anywhere near a computer….

Also, the relative lack of knobs on the Micron is not always a bad thing. In fact, I’ve come to love its bare-bones, no-mess, econo-style. Forces me to limit myself to a few choice options, compared to the endlessness of a laptop setup, which improves how I set up my laptop setups too. Limits!

The Micron Yahoo Group has got a treasure chest full of goodies to get you going, including a BCR2000 sysex template you can use to add a knob-box to your Micron for the not-quite-on-the-fly deep tweak. :)

By: Filch

Filch — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:24:50 +0000

you can put me down as sold.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:02:03 +0000

Hey Chris â€” thanks for the note.
Yeah I’m seeing the possibility for the Micron from Santa, and the Mopho from the birthday fairy in March. I think running the Mopho through the Micron would be lovely. Of course, maybe they’ll all get got by the Credit Card demon before any of this, so stay tuned…

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