In this video, synthesist Espen Kraft shares how he uses a MIDI controller to add hands-on control to the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak synthesizer.
The Sequential Circuits Six-Trak was designed to be an affordable polyphonic synthesizer, back when polyphonic synthesizers were beyond the reach of many musicians. The Six-Trak design reflects this goal, offering a simplified synth architecture and an interface that relies on a single knob for patch editing. As a result, the synth can sound great, but patch editing is cumbersome.
As Kraft demonstrates, though, the Six-Trak has a capable MIDI implementation, so you can configure an external MIDI controller to give you knob-per-function control over the synth. The same approach can be used with many of the knob-challenged synths of the ’80s.
¡HEARTS!
This is basically how I’ve been using/controlling/loving my Six-Trak for years. I use an old Novation X-Station for control, because, best synth controller ever.
One thing to note: most Six-Trak control values resolve to much much less than the default MIDI CC range of 0-127. I think only filter cutoff offers that much granularity (and maybe OSC pitch?… I’m prolly forgetting a few). That is, if the front panel control only offers 12 steps, you should expect the same stepping within 127 steps of MIDI CC control.
Interestingly, to me anyway, it doesn’t seem to matter in the end—the synth pretty much always sounds great even with a “crippled” digital->analog control front end.
I’m sometimes surprised at how far people will go to preserve older/clunkier synths, but I’ve been there a few times, so I get it. I wonder, because that same quality of sounds and more can be had in newer, tougher instruments, especially software. Still, I like the fact that people will cobble together the means to keep older stuff working. Its a worthwhile goal, especially when its an editor that opens things up. It totally pushes past limited, budget-y OS designs like the Six-Trak’s.
Seem’s as if this might make the/this Six-Trak fit for somewhat formidable sonic fodder Superbly; even in this day&age especially paired with a deep compressive controller with lots of knobs like auh Drehbank or Faderfox kid’s