Zarg Solaris....All in one Synth?

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 2:31 pm

I've read alot of good things about Zarg Solaris. I am building another box, it will be for small showroom venues, i.e. Classic Rock Night ( Oh boy )Fusion Jazz Night ( Mercy,Mercy )and so on. My question is, I'm looking for an all in one synth. Got my old trusty SE-1 for Mono,GS3 Orchestra for samples,and a whole bunch of other synths that do various sounds. But I'm hoping to find one synth that I can load up in one project, and just use the presets that I like,or make. Is Solaris that versatile for this gig? Lots of Yes,ELP,Herbie Hancock ,Weather Report, actually all the stuff I love to play besides Chopin and Debussey.

Thank You For Any Info From Solaris Users,

next to nothing · Post by **next to nothing** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 5:32 pm

i just got it and i love it (as many others do). I would recommend that you write john bowen a mail and ask for a demo. he will then ship you a demo via mail, and you will be able to check it out fully!

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Thu Oct 13, 2005 5:47 pm

Preset load time may be an issue live, Jimmy - sometimes 4-5 seconds.

From what i gather, Solaris is about 1 voice per sharc DSP - another consideration.

For me it's the ultimate soundtrack synth - vast moving soundscapes etcetera.

It'll do rock & fusion very well, complex as it is, and you'll be the only guy out there that sounds like that

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 2:09 am

it rather shrieks for knobs - that's it's only flaw...

there a really(!) good presets from several 3rd parties, so it'll be a quick starter. go for it

cheers, tom

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 1:24 pm

As I expected,
Thank you gentlemen. I was looking for something like this. Load times in modular are exceptable, my SE-1 will cover most of the leads, while Solaris can do 1:1 of Prophets, OBXs, and I'm sure ARP String Ensemble,etc.
I'm actually looking forward to doing my favorite cover stuff with 1:1 sounds that kick like the real hardware. I've been everybodys side man for so long I must get that music and attitude out of my head. No offense Englebert.
Piddi,Wayne, and Astro. Thank You for your input. If you make it to Las Vegas next year, I have 1 year of work lined up with the best cats in town. Come and hear Pulsar rock the house. The tour I'm finishing up this winter was great fun with GS3/Scope live. Who knows maybe Solaris will put my SE-1 to rest. My Oberheim XPander has already recieved a proper burial in my project studio at home in LV.

djmicron · Post by **djmicron** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 1:40 pm

i'm using solaris on everything, because it can do everything.
It is a must for every scope user

Micron

sergiosimoes · Post by **sergiosimoes** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 3:31 pm

Hey Jimmy, may I ask what Scope synth or synths burried your Xpander? I always saw that one as a kind of holly cow (IOW: my "dream" synth)

Crickstone · Post by **Crickstone** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 4:54 pm

I bought my Xpander in the late eighties when I was very young from jazz great Oscar Peterson, and then in the mid-nineties sold it to a friend for school tuition. He did nothing with it for eight years and luckily I was able to buy it back. I regreted selling it and will never part with it again. I've even bought extra parts for it. For me this was my first big synth and the programming is intuitive for me. Mind you I've never used it on stage, nor would I want to, but it will never leave my studio again. Some of the patches I've created for that thing just wraps around your head like a pair of shapely legs. I've still to scratch the surface. That's why I went Scope for their synths, cause once you hear an Xpander, VSTs sound like toys, And Scope is the closest thing I've heard to the real deal...just my two cents worth..BTW I'm headed for a Solaris purchase very very soon...

[ This Message was edited by: Crickstone on 2005-10-14 17:55 ]

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:44 am

Modular and Flexor have helped me bury the XPander, but only because the beast needed rest. I've accumulated various Curtis chipsets, and replacement parts also. Just purchased a Matrix 12 w/anvil case for 1550 USD, once again I'll be broke for a few weeks but these two MIDI'd were a must. Working with MIII, and Flexor are very similar in programming hybrid modulars like the Oberheims, but it's the actual electric circuitry that gives the Oberheims that distinct sound, it just buzzes and drips. The grunge settings on filters, and other various colorings 3rd party developers add is only a testament to the fact that they still can't find a way to emulate that kind of energy, all the routings and sound partials are digitally correct, there-in lies the dilemma. Oberheims were not meant to be correct, just fucking FAT. But there is nothing in my opinion that comes close to Scope Synths. I believe they know that and so do the Pro Tools/Digidesign folks, or they would have tried to emulate Synths instead of Mixers. Even Powercore Synths remind me of Velveeta Cheese, they pale in comparison to my beloved Scope Platform.
My first performance in Las Vegas will be in Janurary '06. I will be playing 1:1 of Isao Tomitas Snowflakes Are Dancing, along with Wendy Carlos, Suzanne Ciani, and e
ven some of my own synthed up Chopin pieces, especially my favorite Fantasie Impromptu. It's for the people who financed and built the new "Worlds Largest " casino the South Coast. BTW they all are the Worlds Largest, no big deal. But local media will be right up my ass with cameras, so I'm going to write RB for a promotional skin to put on my LCD's for the event or maybe he"ll send me a T-shirt.( Not the one at Musik Messe with the green circle, but something that shouts " I Use Scope".

Long Live The People At Sieburg,

Jimmy V.

P.S. Just made my donation for the forum, the only forum I need....PLANETZ!!! ankyu,....ankyu......you're very kind, ankyu......Please..stay seated....ankyu, and goodnight.

[ This Message was edited by: scope4live on 2005-10-16 11:01 ]

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 5:34 pm

On 2005-10-14 14:24, scope4live wrote:
If you make it to Las Vegas next year, I have 1 year of work lined up with the best cats in town. Come and hear Pulsar rock the house.

- looks like we're touring your way next Northern summer - I'll take you up on that

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Sun Oct 16, 2005 6:24 pm

Hey That's Good News,
I'm my own boss this time around
and it will be fun. I haven't played locally since '93, so I will look forward to playing all the music I like. ELP,Yes,Pink Floyd,Herbie Hancock,Weather Report,etc.
Vegas will be in for a shock, cause most groups that aren't signed, aren't rehearsed either. Mine will be an exception.
Sloppiness breeds inefficiency. IMHO. I'm using the best players who are dying to play in a well produced group. I think Scope will steal the show.

Be Fruitful And Multiply,

[ This Message was edited by: scope4live on 2005-10-16 19:24 ]