Dave Smith/Roger Linn Tempest

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Looks like a fun toy for rich boys.. Doesn't seem to be all that versatile from my softwarey perspective.

In all honesty, I'm not sure if I dig the implications behind pricey beasts like this.. I think the minimalist approach is much better for creativity, and even though roger (or dave) claims he prefers a clean interface, that device is only minimalist in its lack of versatility (and sampling capabilities). I know this belief is somewhat inconsistent with my appreciation of open-ended software but I mean it mostly in an anti-materialist gear fetishization type of way. They crammed it with analog, analog VCO's, analog effects - All hail the analog signal path, filthy digital components are sacrilege. As if an analog signal, kept sufficienty unspoilt, is going to come alive and make your music for you.

I think the korg monotron was a great idea and would love to see more lo-fi inventions. That's where all this started anyway, roger himself (on the interview that was linked) mentioned how the roland instruments were cheap unfashionable shit when they were new; a wonderful statement of how you can't predict or control the nature of these trends, which these two lads ironically are trying to do by catering to musicians' nostalgia and insecurities (On some level, anyway).

If you disagree, consider this: Who the fuck really needs a device like this?

  On 1/20/2011 at 8:21 PM, sup said:

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yas...?

i was thinking about this box today. and touching myself

  On 4/5/2011 at 10:12 AM, hahathhat said:

i was thinking about this box today. and touching myself

I think it's certainty a step up from the Jomox stuff and will cost the same as a full whack MD UW MkII + but I think the sequencer should be a little more versatile for sound manipulation like parameter locks or a mod matrix via the ribbon controller something for that price however I do like the glowing pads

Looks like no real news on a release for this.

A few models have gotten in to the hands of beta testers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=px-ao53NpxU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mEZhnJTKmU&feature=player_embedded

And a quickstart guide:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAZfJ3xH74I&feature=player_embedded

The redivider video certainly paints it in a pretty good light.

I dunno bout the tempest anymore as it seems to be a jack of all trades and master of none

Machinedrum has the sequencer, DRM mkiii has the analogue tweakability, the jomox and miami have the TR appeal and the mpc is king for drum sampling so where does the tempest fit when its more expensive than any of them?

If it had a deeper sequencer then maybe but your essentially getting the same ole DS sound engine in a different box for a lot more money.

The sequencer is quite deep from what Ive seem so far in my opinion, however it does seem more like an MPC sequencer than say a Machinedrum, and it would be hard to surpass the Machine Drums UI in some aspects.

From what Ive read the Tempest should easily top any other drum machine I can think of and that Ive owned when it comes to the structural capability it offers access to for one voice/sound.

What I find odd is that a lot of people (youtube comments etc) are really praising the sounds theyre hearing, but if I'm honest I havent heard anything fantastic yet. A lot of the sounds weve been hearing are very basic, or just samples, when the specifications of the Tempest show its got real potential for layered and well structured sounds. From the specifications, and some imagination, I think its definitely capable, and if I hadnt just bought an octatrack Id be getting one.

What makes you say it seems like a Jack of all trades though? (not trying to be an ass, just interested) I thought it was quite focused to be honest.

Do you mean feature wise?

what's irritating to me is that the release date has been pushed back an entire quarter, come on guys

Richard Devine's jam session:

[vimeo]29623271[/vimeo]

I still dont think that sounds that great....

It definitely shows potential, but still it just sounds like a vermona DRM, where while the sounds are percussive, they arent that complex...

I assume we'll see more promising things as time goes on though

  On 9/27/2011 at 12:26 AM, Tamagotchi San said:

The sequencer is quite deep from what Ive seem so far in my opinion, however it does seem more like an MPC sequencer than say a Machinedrum, and it would be hard to surpass the Machine Drums UI in some aspects.

 

From what Ive read the Tempest should easily top any other drum machine I can think of and that Ive owned when it comes to the structural capability it offers access to for one voice/sound.

 

What I find odd is that a lot of people (youtube comments etc) are really praising the sounds theyre hearing, but if I'm honest I havent heard anything fantastic yet. A lot of the sounds weve been hearing are very basic, or just samples, when the specifications of the Tempest show its got real potential for layered and well structured sounds. From the specifications, and some imagination, I think its definitely capable, and if I hadnt just bought an octatrack Id be getting one.

 

What makes you say it seems like a Jack of all trades though? (not trying to be an ass, just interested) I thought it was quite focused to be honest.

 

Do you mean feature wise?

Indeed I meant the features i.e. it doesn't really excel in any field that isn't already covered by other things in some way. If i bought a Tempest and used it with my MPC1000 I'd have most of what this machine can do already.

  On 9/28/2011 at 4:02 PM, xxx said:

After seeing Devine's take, Autechre will no doubt do something about it. I expect a watershed in the same vein as what the Nord did for Cichlisuite or the Monomachine + Machinedrum combo did for Untilted and Quaristice.

Autechre have never been big on analogue percussion imho

  On 9/28/2011 at 6:25 PM, soundwave said:

Indeed I meant the features i.e. it doesn't really excel in any field that isn't already covered by other things in some way. If i bought a Tempest and used it with my MPC1000 I'd have most of what this machine can do already.

 

Yeah, I see what you mean, I thought about getting it as my only drum machine, but I couldnt see myself replacing my 808 with it.

  On 9/28/2011 at 6:25 PM, soundwave said:

  On 9/27/2011 at 12:26 AM, Tamagotchi San said:

The sequencer is quite deep from what Ive seem so far in my opinion, however it does seem more like an MPC sequencer than say a Machinedrum, and it would be hard to surpass the Machine Drums UI in some aspects.

 

From what Ive read the Tempest should easily top any other drum machine I can think of and that Ive owned when it comes to the structural capability it offers access to for one voice/sound.

 

What I find odd is that a lot of people (youtube comments etc) are really praising the sounds theyre hearing, but if I'm honest I havent heard anything fantastic yet. A lot of the sounds weve been hearing are very basic, or just samples, when the specifications of the Tempest show its got real potential for layered and well structured sounds. From the specifications, and some imagination, I think its definitely capable, and if I hadnt just bought an octatrack Id be getting one.

 

What makes you say it seems like a Jack of all trades though? (not trying to be an ass, just interested) I thought it was quite focused to be honest.

 

Do you mean feature wise?

 

 

Indeed I meant the features i.e. it doesn't really excel in any field that isn't already covered by other things in some way. If i bought a Tempest and used it with my MPC1000 I'd have most of what this machine can do already.

 

  On 9/28/2011 at 4:02 PM, xxx said:

After seeing Devine's take, Autechre will no doubt do something about it. I expect a watershed in the same vein as what the Nord did for Cichlisuite or the Monomachine + Machinedrum combo did for Untilted and Quaristice.

 

Autechre have never been big on analogue percussion imho

nah, just 808 all over incunabula and amber.

  On 9/28/2011 at 9:45 PM, oscillik said:

nah, just 808 all over incunabula and amber.

606, brah. Pull yer head out.

  On 9/28/2011 at 9:52 PM, children r r future said:

  On 9/28/2011 at 9:45 PM, oscillik said:

nah, just 808 all over incunabula and amber.

606, brah. Pull yer head out.

there's definitely 808 sounds on those albums. whether they're the real thing, or just samples is debatable. but 808 sounds are on there.

pretty sure the drum in Pen Expers is a Linndrum put through a vacuum cleaner

  On 9/28/2011 at 4:02 PM, xxx said:

After seeing Devine's take, Autechre will no doubt do something about it. I expect a watershed in the same vein as what the Nord did for Cichlisuite or the Monomachine + Machinedrum combo did for Untilted and Quaristice.

I think the opposite. There's no hint in Devine's GENERIC 1998 IDM NOISES FOR DUMMIES vid that the Tempest can do anything beyond that. And people have ago made all those sounds with other gear, so if it's not bringing anything new to the party, then...

It seems that what this has going for it is the fact that it is designed as an instrument that can be performed in a highly improvisatory manner. Now, an 808 (for example) is certainly an instrument, but it's a different kind that is driven by it's sequencer, as most drum machines are; It lacks the kind of flexibility that one gets from something like a keyboard or pad instrument whose performance and nuance you can dictate from moment to moment. Most pad based instruments are focused on sampling. As a pad based instrument with excellent ergonomics it is making it possible to achieve a kind of virtuosity that one cannot get with sequence-based drum machines.

I think Roger and Dave are wise to create something like this because as far as drum synthesizers go there just aren't any devices that are built with the potential for this kind of performance virtuosity. Correct me if I'm wrong. Do any of the MPCs have synthesizers in them?

I hope what I'm trying to say is clear.

  On 9/29/2011 at 4:49 AM, Wall Bird said:

I hope what I'm trying to say is clear.

Yeah I get what your saying.

I agree. I think this is somewhat of an advancement of the MPC sequencer, with more access to hands on features, and obviously it has more modulation capabilities. The problem is that audibly at the moment this is still sounding like a synthesizer making percussion sounds, rather than synthesized drum sounds, which is something I feared from the start.

But maybe I'll get one myself when I can and just see what it's truly capable of...

Also the MPC 5000 has a synth built in to it, but it isn't analog if thats what you meant.

*I meant to say Tetra with an MPC before but it doesnt matter now

i don't understand the strong aversion to this machine. I mean what other fully fleshed out drum synthesizers are there out there besides the machinedrum or some of the higher end xbase stuff? By my ears the Tempest sounds completely different from the Vermona, the Xbase stuff, and the machinedrum. I am personally very excited about a new piece of gear that focuses on drum synthesis. Maybe because there are so few of them? i mean that would explain why certain people are getting so seemingly territorial about it. That makes a little bit of sense, because people seem to be fine with hundreds of different flavors of subtractive melodic analog synthesis, but yet if the Tempest doesn't completely fill a void or do something drastically different than a previously existing drum module its not worthy? does not compute...

i think it looks like an amazing machine, however things in the 4 digit range are destined to stay out of my range.

i like the look of this thing, i like the idea behind it, i like roger linn & dave smith, i really WANT to like the tempest. but i have to say that every demo i have heard of this thing has just sounded... cartoony. i mean the actual sounds themselves have this weird, bouncy, cartoonish quality to them that just sounds terrible to me.

i don't know what it is. the first few demos sounded like that and i just put it down to the not-so-great presets that they put in the thing. i was waiting for someone with some real skills to get their hands on the tempest so i could get an idea of what you could do when you took it off the beaten path a bit. when i heard that richard devine had put up a demo i thought "finally!"

but despite all of devines tweaking it still has that weird, rubbery, goofy sound to it. i don't know what happened. maybe devine didn't stray too far from the presets? i have an evolver and it sure doesn't sound anything like that. i'm about to write this thing off completely but i'm still holding out for that one amazing demo.

This is a much better example of the machine in my opinion. Although I think a lot of the sounds here might be sample waves.

http://www.youtube.com/user/soundsubs#p/u/0/oXy8svqd0YM