John Bowen Solaris owners ?

[ryankraft]

Just curious who has picked one of these up yet ? I know that the Solaris should be viewed and listened to for it's own character but i'm also curious on how the oscillator and filter types sound....can you actually get in the same 'ball park' as a waldorf microwave or prophet VS and could i get close to a prophet, OBX or Xa....does it carry that type of sonic weight ? I know that the Solaris should be view on it's own merits but with the prices of vintage gear going through the roof maybe this is the answer. I'm not a purist and have owned many analogues down the years. I always wanted an OB 8 voice, OBX, Xa. These at the time of new were far too expensive for me and i'm not interested in 30 year plus gear with all the problems and cost. The Solaris seems to bring together most of the big old analogue and digital stuff into one package plus more. I've heard some youtube clips and soundcloud demos but would like to here off actual owners on their thoughts?

[polybonk]

I will let you know in a few months. Just put down for the next production run.

[SEED78]

BUMP

any Solaris owners have anything to sat about them - on paper they look like a good buy, would be interested to see what cross over they have with A6/OB/etc

[Marzzz]

You may want to check it out over at the Solaris Forum.

[golden beers]

here's a namm interview

the modulation sources available on this board are insane.

[Marzzz]

New Bowen Solaris Sound files

(click around a bit on the page to find all 18 examples)

[tobyemerson]

all the demos I have heard sound fantastic - I would still like to hear more though as I wont likely have a chance to play one anytime soon. some bass examples would be appreciated.

[dlmorley]

I'd love one. It is a bit pricey though (for me right now!)
But it sounds wonderful in the demos above

[auricle74]

Well, I've ordered one. I'll hopefully get it in May. I'm going to sell my PolyEvolver PE keyboard to pay for it.

I can't wait

[SEED78]

I want to know the same obvious questions others do - does it cover the sounds of older major player poly synths with a high quality sound that can be compared to the Prophet 08 or Andromeda or better?

[Marzzz]

Originally Posted by SEED78

I want to know the same obvious questions others do - does it cover the sounds of older major player poly synths with a high quality sound that can be compared to the Prophet 08 or Andromeda or better?

As a former owner of both synths, and having had direct hands on experience with the Solaris at NAMM, I would give it an unequivocal yes. Caveat- I am on the preorder list.

[SEED78]

certainly looks like a heavyweight, amount of options is hardcore, hope its not too much of a PITA to program - be curious to seek out some demos that showcase depth of sound - will dig.

[SEED78]

wow - how many features??

watched quite a few demos, waiting for the one that blows me away - am I the only one hearing quite a bit of too digital sounding distortion when most of the more extreme mod options are used? I know these options are meant for more time consuming moderate sound design depth rather than instant pleasure, but still.

has to be taken seriously, looks like one of those synths that could eliminate anything else in your collection if you spent the time to learn it.

can't help help but wonder if something simpler and more oldschool might suit me better personally, but gonna check every demo I can I AM impressed, really impressed, need to know if its for me though when its priced near some of the best synths ever made - a synth at price is a once in a lifetime investment for me. but this DOES look like one synth you'll get getting new sounds out of forever!

a lot of the current owner demos are far from exciting have to say, but guess people are still learning them, know I would be!!

what happens if something goes wrong, do you have to ship to germany out of your own pocket, looks so complex I can't see your local tech knowing whats wrong with it!!

[Fidgit]

Originally Posted by SEED78

am I the only one hearing quite a bit of too digital sounding distortion

remember, you're watching and listening to youtube movies...
you can't expect analog, undistorted, lossless and uncompressed sound that way, no matter how good or bad the synth is.

it is good, btw.

[GeorgeHayduke]

These clips are fine, not Youtube quality:
John Bowen Solaris – a life’s work | GreatSynthesizers

Originally Posted by SEED78

..am I the only one hearing quite a bit of too digital sounding distortion when most of the more extreme mod options are used?..

It does seem to have a digital, somewhat hard character. The pad sounds are nice and airy, not 'hard'.

It seems to have it's own sound.

[muziekschuur]

What's technically different between a Solaris and a new Roland Jupiter 80. Or a Korg Cronos for that matter. All three are digital synths? Using sharks, dsp's. I understand that John Bowden is a great engineer/programmer. Just trying to visualize what the difference is. I understand that the Cronos and Jupiter use VA. (Virtual Analog=sample based & some filters added). Now that is out of the way. Both use filters and the John Bowden uses some oscillators to produce sound and that sound is combined and processed with filters and effects.... So again what would set the sound quality/the way the sound is created, apart from the Cronos and Jupiter 80?

[GeorgeHayduke]

Better/more creative programming

[Yoozer]

Originally Posted by muziekschuur

What's technically different between a Solaris and a new Roland Jupiter 80.

The amount of R&D you spend on modeling detail.

In the simplest case, consider an amplifier. It increases volume. So, a naive approach would simply model this as a multiplication factor for a digitally generated waveform. However - that's naive, because an amplifier can be overdriven, and it can distort.

A JP80 would implement it simply as a multiplication factor, because for sample playback there's no need to add this distortion. In fact, you don't want it.

However, with a Minimoog, the difference would be comparable to that of a Model D vs a Voyager. Yes, the parts are there, yes, they work as advertised, but that doesn't mean they sound the same. This goes on and on for each and every part of a synthesizer; you could generate a saw wave with a very simple formula, but it'd sound completely different than what you get with most analogs. That's not because the analogs are analogs, it's because the structure that generates the saw wave doesn't spit out a 100% straight saw wave.

With the Solaris there's a desire to model these kinds of details instead of just doing a naive implementation and calling it a day.

Just like circuitry there's a boatload of formulas/models that you can use, depending on how much computational horsepower you have available. You can cut corners with a naive or crude implementation, or you can tone down the specification - if you want the algorithms to be as detailed as possible, forget 100-voice polyphony and built-in effects per part.

[auricle74]

Also, the internal signals all run at 96kHz - even the control signals for incredibly smooth, detailed sound. I don't think ANY other modern synth offers this at all. Also, the Solaris' modulation options approach a modular synth - almost anything can be routed anywhere else.

Have a look at the signal flow diagram to see what's possible:

[stoltz]

for the win

Originally Posted by auricle74

Also, the internal signals all run at 96kHz - even the control signals for incredibly smooth, detailed sound. I don't think ANY other modern synth offers this at all. Also, the Solaris' modulation options approach a modular synth - almost anything can be routed anywhere else.

Have a look at the signal flow diagram to see what's possible:

[Marzzz]

Originally Posted by auricle74

Also, the internal signals all run at 96kHz - even the control signals for incredibly smooth, detailed sound. I don't think ANY other modern synth offers this at all.

That's one of the most important aspects of the sound- the only other digital synth to have that kind of internal resolution was the NED Synclavier, which actually could run over 100kHz, and sounded very full and warm, even for a digital synth. With the Solaris, the proof is in the playing. I couldn't understand why anyone needed to build another hardware VA in this day and age, until I played it.....

[dlmorley]

Originally Posted by Marzzz

That's one of the most important aspects of the sound- the only other digital synth to have that kind of internal resolution was the NED Synclavier, which actually could run over 100kHz, and sounded very full and warm, even for a digital synth. With the Solaris, the proof is in the playing. I couldn't understand why anyone needed to build another hardware VA in this day and age, until I played it.....

Fairlight Series III samples at up to 100khz btw...no idea what this means though! I do know it sounds amazing.

[isham]

Are there some new demos of this mighty machine ?
(in other contexts than landscapes cinematic drone sounds -

[Entrainer]

This synth is causing massive waves of GAS within.
And I haven't felt this way about a keyboard in YEARS.
Many many years. Or a piece of software for that matter.

That 96kHz internal processing is for ALL parameters.
Including LFOs, Envelopes... which can also go into audio-rates.

Forgive me in advance, but I'd take this over a 200e. Different...
but not as much as you'd think. I compare it more to a Wavestation,
Cwejman, Buchla type hybrid more than the Jupiter/Oberhiem
comparisons others are making. Which I'm sure it does fine and well.
But it does so much, much more.

[Sounds Great]

Originally Posted by Marzzz

New Bowen Solaris Sound files

(click around a bit on the page to find all 18 examples)

I have been checking out sounds for hours over at the listening room and fell on the Solaris which brought me to this thread. I knew nothing of this before.

This thing has me intrigued. I'm liking the sounds better than the samples of all my old analog favorites.

[casiosk1]

Jesus.

[Sounds Great]

[isham]

It sounds great from what I'm hearing as well, in the same family as Waldorf or the accelerator from Radikal ? Maybe the solaris is even more flexible ... on the paper it is.

Still looking for a demo in a musical context ! Not that the one available are not good - but want to hear more !

[DeckardTrinity]

I've decided to take the plunge - the Solaris will be helping me make up for the last 10 or so years I've been without a hardware synth. Judging from the reviews of those who actually have one or have laid hands on one, and heard the sound from the actual machine, I am thinking this is truly the "one synth to rule them all" for the foreseeable future. I have so much to learn and get caught up with, and know I will never max out the potential of all those parameters (the modulation routing along is literally making my head spin).

Gonna be a fun, fun next decade.

[The Hamburglar]

I have not been impressed by any sounds I have heard (yet.)