14 thoughts on “Dave Smith Instruments Pro 2 Gets OS Update”

1. No offense to any particular company… why are products released before they are ready?

   1. It’s because synths all have computers in them now, and people end up using their keyboards in ways that the designers didn’t plan for or test for. Another thing is that they’ve got to make 80’s standards work with 2014 technology.

      I’d like to see more instrument designers working more like Google does with Android, open-sourcing their software so that it’s possible for others to add features and bug fixes. There are certainly enough geeks in the synth community that it’s a lot less like that you’d end up with a keyboard that was ‘abandoned’ by the company that built it.

2. “Update” doesn’t mean it’s not ready. It means it getting better/more stable

3. In fairness, Tempest was released before it was “ready” (even so what admitted later by Linn/Smith). But apart from that, I don’t understand either why version updates render a product “not ready”. Does the release of Windows 9 means that all previous Windows were “not ready”?

4. My experience of DSI is that they release a production ready instrument, have an active user forum, listen to wish list items, actively reply to posts and emails then fix obscure bugs people have uncovered (and trust me, they’re way more reliable than some other synths I could mention) and release incremental OS updates. I could not ask for more from a synth manufacturer!

5. Cool!

   Now finish the #$@&%* Tempest already.

6. I see a lot of rigs that pile up examples of many recent goods, but it doesn’t always seem totally, er, coordinated. I’m a DAW guy now, so its not an issue for me, but if I was going to go modular, I’d pick a central instrument like this. I’ve happily owned 2 Prophets, so a new DSI tool would not hurt me a bit. There is owning a lot of modular gear and then there is really commanding it. I agree, this isn’t the right choice if you’re just seeking a monosynth; its also an active hub that will require you to plan carefully to get the best results. If you like Patch Cord Spaghetti because it wows you, a decent anchor is a very good idea. Its part of thinking in an orderly fashion before you buy, instead of trying to fix an unforeseen issue with more gear after the fact. The Pro 2 furthers the trend of digital gear with a CV option onboard and with so many mini-modulars cropping up, its not only timely, its practical.

   Besides, you can actually TRUST Dave in a Moog-like manner because he’s into it quite personally. He’s not a giant foreign conglom with a logo and no face. I use Logic and Alchemy because both offer support staff who snap to when I need anything. That spec is as important as the filter array, so reward it the same way you cover your synths with blankets so they don’t become festooned with cat hair in the night.

7. > For readers looking for a Tempest update, they note that a ‘Tempest OS update is in the works.’

   Dave Smith said during his Reddit AMA that there would be a new official Tempest OS, a new manual and new sound set in 2-3 months. That was in March. Since then it’s not like they’ve run into some horrible bugs or added some amazing new functionality; they just haven’t bothered to work on it at all.

   No offense to Synthtopia, but I see no reason to put any more faith in some vague assurance delivered via a Facebook comment about an update being ‘in the works.’ What does that even mean?

   Ship it or STFU. So tired of your B.S., DSI.

   Also, the sycophants in this thread are not helping them become a better company, which is something they desperately need to do.

8. I’m not just a sycophant; I’m also a client! Ah, its only two months past the stated time and he’s been busy releasing two new synths. Give it a little time and let’s see if the Tempest update addresses the lacking areas well or not. What if it does?

9. i own both the pro 2 and the sub37. I am very happy with both. The sub37 shipped before the manual was ready, and has since received 2 updates. In both instances, features were added. I haven’t updated the pro 2 yet, but I am happy they’re taking care of expected bugs.

   If this post was about the sub37 update that was released earlier in the week, I wonder if there would be as many red comment fields. I own 25+ synths, and these two recent purchases are already on a short list of favorites in my studio. I adopted early and expected to be updating the OS of both at some point. I am glad they have both been diligent given the size of each respective company.

10. DSI is a company with 10 employees (Dave included). All frustration about missing features (or what anyone would think is a “missing feature”) on the Tempest, or slow fixing of bugs on any DSI synth aside, they are creating and shipping some great, inspiring instruments, supporting and maintaining them with a lot of passion – which I think is quite an achievement for such a small company.

    You could argue, why would Dave not hire more people? Well, maybe, sometimes it is not a good idea to grow your company too fast, too much, too early. I am not a business expert, so I would not judge on that ever. All I can say is that I have always felt very well supported – also on the “unofficial” DSI forum.

    1. DSI is a company that sells a $1,999 product and has a responsibility to purchasers of that product, some of whom bought it three years ago, to deliver the functionality that was promised at its announcement almost four years ago and that was advertised on the company’s website and other places.

       DSI is a COMPANY, not your buddy who’s had a tough day and just needs a break. There is no excuse for the pitiful state of the buggy Tempest OS, the broken and incomplete MIDI implementation, etc., etc., regardless of whether it’s a company of 10 or 1,000 people.

       Do you actually think it’s a good thing that they’re still creating and shipping new instruments before they bother to finish the three-year old one? Do you think everyone else in the industry should follow suit and just abandon broken and incomplete products once they have your money?

       I don’t know, maybe $1,999 isn’t much money to you…

       1. do you understand how small business works? I’m not being snarky. I’m genuinely asking.

       2. Well, I hve owned the Tempest – twice, in fact – and the reason why I am not using it anymore is, because it just didn’t inspire my music in the way I hoped it would. But, despite its OS being updated ever so often with bug fixes and small feature additions, I never felt that it was particularly buggy or so. And no, they never promised it to be ready for taking samples or triggering any of your other MIDI instruments, if that’s what you’re after when you write “the functionality that was promised”. In fact, I would like to know from you, what exactly that would have been, in your (obviously objective) opinion?

          And no, 1999$ is not little money for me, and it was a well thought through decision to buy it, try it, sell it, and a year later, buy it, try it and sell it again. Also, I never felt that Dave and his small company would leave customers alone. Have you ever checked our the DSI forum? Yes, there is a lot of bad vibes going on, but all in all, there is also a lot of good stuff coming. Heck, they even released an update to the Prophet ’08’s OS a few months ago.

          Anyway, I would be excited to hear you sharing with us, how you would run a small innovation and manufacturing (!) business like this…