Synclavier Digital Corporation (SDC) recently introduced two iOS apps, that turn your iPad or iPhone into a Synclavier synthesizer.
Synclavier Go! (for iPad) and Synclavier Pocket! (for iPhone and iPod Touch) re-create the original Synclavier II FM Synthesis engine, with a touch-screen interface inspired by the original hardware. The Synclavier DSP Engine – used by Arturia in its Synclavier V product line – is a faithful recreation of the FM- and Additive-Synthesis functions of the original instrument.
This video tutorial, via redskylullaby, takes a look at getting started with the Synclavier apps and custom sound design.
Topics covered:
0.30 Sound Architecture
1.01 Harmonic Envelope, Additive Synth and Frames
2.24 Loading Partial Timbres
3.09 Expression, Pitch, Vol and Pan Modulation
5.30 Partial Copy/Paste
5.45 Volume, FM and Intonation Panel
6.15 FM Harmonic Envelope
7.36 Arpeggio and Repeat
8.15 Selecting Multiple Partials for group edit
Pricing and Availability
The Synclavier iOS apps are available now in the iOS App Store.
Fantastic! A dream come true 🙂
FWIW, while it can run on a Gen 3 ipad with iOS 9, that little CPU meter in the header tops out very, very easily and distorts the output. Naturally, I don’t use that ipad for anything. But I haven’t seen the result of running this app on older iPads mentioned yet.
Ok, the previous comment was much less informative than I remembered, the ‘very, very easily’ comment referred to the way I did it – a two finger glassando up the soft keyboard. What this fail to note, was it was a long sustain timber, so that would represent a significant number of notes of polyphony, say 30-ish? Still not a lot for an ipad running a DAW, or non trivial effects chain at the same time. YMMV.
Got my Synclavier Knob today! Works great, much easer interface to use with it. Also, the Synclavier Touch was marketed with a stand made by Heckler Design, that makes a terrific weighted stand to hold my iPad Pro used for Synclavier go! Further, the Synclavier Knob is exactly the dimensions of an iPad mini to fit into a Heckler Design Windfall stand to match the iPad. The Knob is much lighter than expected; the black metal plates are light gauge painted aluminum. As such, the Windfall stand provides some much needed ‘stay in one place’ weight, and an attractive matching stand – sadly without the Synclavier badging…
THB, the stands and knob make this whole project pretty pricey, but look how much Synclavier saved us with the app! LOL! But it’s worth it to have a nice place for sound design and composition.
I wish they had released this before the Windows version.
UI is totally 80s hardware odd. you can’t see ish going on. why replicate that? :/
almost no one had the $ for this in its time,
there is zero need to recreate the interface.
I agree there is zero reason for the interface.
I initially thought the interface was an awkward affectation, and was very critical of the choice, but after using Synclavier Go! for a week I understand why the developers went with the original interface. Their choice isn’t nostalgia, it’s a very efficient way to work with the powerful sound engine.
I was also underwhelmed with the sound of Synclavier Go!, believing it to be rather flat and lifeless, but after a Synclavier II owner lent me his copy of Steve Hill’s excellent FM manual and I spent some time working through the in-app tutorial, I’m really seeing and hearing the possibilities of Synclavier’s unique blend of additive and FM. I’m now eagerly awaiting the Poly-Sampling option.
Ian, thanks for the lead on the Hill book! Very exiting instrument to finally get a chance to play.
The interface on the Fairlight (app) didn’t age as well as the Synclavier’s. They went the way of ‘authentic experience”, rather than retooling the UI for the platform. So, it’s still as clunky as if it was the 80’s all over again.
After using the app a bit, I decided the HW knob was worth it. I don’t like click-drag of screen knobs, and I have a liking for machined aluminum knobs like on the Eventide Harmonizers.
The only thing I don’t like are the colors of the buttons. Being red/green blind, the color/tint/hue of the buttons are too similar between on and off.
I always run into the color thing too :/
when will developers finally realize that red and green are a no go? ?
the thing why FM isnt everybodys cup of tea is because usually the interface is shit.
you have lots of oscillators modulating each other with a lot of envelopes
you need instant access to the oscillator levels and the envelopes, this is where all the sound happens.
if you can’t see the levels (mod amount) and the envelope settings it gets hard to make adjustments that aren’t totally random because you can’t see who is doing what and modulating whom …
and a little goes a very long way here, a little more or less here can totally make or break the sound
thats why people used the dx 7 presets and didnt make any own sounds, please lets not repeat that
Yes, and especially, the FM synthesis is not as natural thinking as substractive synthesis. I think of FM synthesis as most empirical.
We need more synths with resynthesis. And of course more polyphonic aftertouch keyboards like the wonderful Synclavier/Prophet T8 keyboard.
Sure. You think about the Axcel Technos ?