EHX Synth9: Another tremor through the V-Guitar world

Started by Rhcole, February 20, 2017, 12:28:49 PM

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Rhcole



I also posted this in the EHX section, but any product such as this is big news for the entire forum. With the Mel9 last year I knew for sure that the landscape had changed for guitar synth products permanently. Yes, there is no question that the product lacks the clarity and crystalline quality of real synths, and it probably chokes on complex chords as well.

I will tell you this for sure, a regular guitar player in a cover band who wants a few synth sounds will just buy this product and call it a day. Problem solved.

whippinpost91850

Listening to the demo . Bill really nails some of the Classic synth sounds.

gumtown

Goodness Me !!
That was a really tastefully done demo   :-*
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

thebrushwithin

Great product & great playing(as usual)! Personally, I cannot get excited without midi onboard, for hands free selection of great sounds. I guess it's hard to stuff midi in such a small pedal, cause the added cost would mean nothing considering the added usability, if midi were included, IMO.

mooncaine

I'm with ya on the MIDI. I want more knobs, not fewer.

Rhcole

What these products do is absorb the low end of the marketplace- gigging musicians with church gigs, bar gigs, weddings, etc. They remove the need for these players to even wonder about MIDI, the FTP, hex etc. because they fulfill  the need for a quick lead or comp here and there that sounds passable. These products don't have the clarity, richness, and definition you get from the real thing, but in a bar with sweaty people getting drunk, nobody probably cares.

Fewer players getting into advanced synth equipment produces lower development motivation for manufacturers. Thus, Roland backing off from 13 pin development is a foretelling of this trend. But, on the positive side, the little wonder boxes are democratizing the esoteric sounds and sooner or later they will become almost indistinguishable from the real thing. And, if there is enough demand to control them with MIDI or footswitches, somebody will add them. 

Brak(E)man

I understand the need for simplicity but
making the synth into a unique sounding instrument
like IMO Zawinul did is lost in these cans
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

Rhcole

Yeah, like I wonder what a trilogy of these boxes (Mel9, C9, Synth9) would sound like through the SY-300? What kind of switching would it take, or would they be one at a time in serial mode?

szilard

If you could store and recall presets you could buy 3 for the price of an SY-300 and play them in parallel to create sounds.

chrish

#9
Quote from: szilard on February 21, 2017, 11:45:38 AM
If you could store and recall presets you could buy 3 for the price of an SY-300 and play them in parallel to create sounds.
A person could buy much of ehx line of synth like pedals for the price of a mini moog voyager rme, but i'd still rather have the real thing.

Both the voyager and moog slim phatty have analog inputs that allows the guitar string to act as an osc. That guitar string osc (or any other audio source, like an fx guitar signal ) is then input to the moogs filters where it can be mixed with or without the moog oscs.

The guitar string as the osc source is poly, but like the sy, gets a bit fuzzy with more than 3 notes input at the same time. 

And it's an all analog audio path, with digital control though midi modulation and midi triggering and patch recall. And/or cv triggering and modulation.

As soon as a glitch free guitar pitch to cv system becomes available, the digital guitar synth modeling of analog synths will be history, imo.

The virtual world (including internet chat), by definition, is only ever an appoximation of the real thing. 

Rhcole

I'm reminded that Yamaha was amazed in the 80's when DX-7s were returned for repair that most of them had never been changed from the default presets shipped from the factory. Owners treated them like preset home organs.
Most musicians want to just plug in and play, particularly guitar players.
These boxes will be used as accents only in most cases. Guy will find one or two settings he likes, trot it out a few times a night.


jassy

Quote from: Rhcole on February 21, 2017, 02:58:39 PM
I'm reminded that Yamaha was amazed in the 80's when DX-7s were returned for repair that most of them had never been changed from the default presets shipped from the factory. Owners treated them like preset home organs.
Most musicians want to just plug in and play, particularly guitar players.
These boxes will be used as accents only in most cases. Guy will find one or two settings he likes, trot it out a few times a night.
We must say in honor of the truth that the dx7 (FM synthésis in short) is very complicated to edit, nothing to do with the subtractive synthesis.
Anyway, it's true, guitarists are extraordinarily conservative and simplistic when it comes to manipulating sounds, with a dx7 they would probably only have used the first 7 patches! Hey that's what EHX probably thinks, right?
Only 7 sounds and simplifying an analog synthesizer to only 2 parameters seems, to me at least, excessive.
It is exactly the opposite world of what Roland has traditionally offered in its VG products

chrish

#12
Quote from: Rhcole on February 21, 2017, 02:58:39 PM
I'm reminded that Yamaha was amazed in the 80's when DX-7s were returned for repair that most of them had never been changed from the default presets shipped from the factory. Owners treated them like preset home organs.
Most musicians want to just plug in and play, particularly guitar players.
These boxes will be used as accents only in most cases. Guy will find one or two settings he likes, trot it out a few times a night.
Modular synths seem to be getting popular these days. The programing is not as complex as a digital synth like a korg triton, with a big fat manuel explaining which menu to use to push which button

That last ehx release of the blurst is kind of a take of a guitar pedal verson of an analog modular filter.

guitar players already have experience with modular set ups, ie- all those pedals modulating the guitar string (osc) signal.

I always thought of a fuzz pedal as a synth. I had a ehx 'big muff ' when they first came out and ran it into a univox tape echo into a 60's fender twin reverb.

So you had a sustain (amp envelope) and the fuzz tone (filter), the guitar string as the osc.

Add up the all tone shaping on a big pedal board and that's alot of knob turning and stomp boxing.

I would say that these little 'cans' can be gateways to more complex ideas and gear.

However, cost is the deciding factor in what features you get. I chose the muff fuzz back then because it was inexpensive, but i wanted a minimoog.

Rhcole

Dude,

You wanted a Minimoog and got a Big Muff instead??

Isn't that like wanting a BMW and getting a bicycle?

Back then you could have tried Paia stuff- cheap and good cheesy fun.

I saved my wages as a hotel bellman and bought an Odyssey, followed by an Oberheim Expander and sequencer. Played them in quad in my little apartment.

chrish

Yea, it was a money thing while in school, as in i didn't have much. I had a used fender twin and les paul and that cost enough.

One of the guys i jammed with had a minimoog and a string ensemble synth, and those were cool. He made recordings kind of like todd rudgrens 'a wizard, a true star' album.

After hearing jan hammer play his moog with Mclaughlin's group, wow. And chick corea, and rick walkman wow.

How about an ehx 'fusion9', with pitch to cv out?

szilard

Quote from: chrish on February 21, 2017, 12:31:52 PM
A person could buy much of ehx line of synth like pedals for the price of a mini moog voyager rme, but i'd still rather have the real thing.

Both the voyager and moog slim phatty have analog inputs that allows the guitar string to act as an osc. That guitar string osc (or any other audio source, like an fx guitar signal ) is then input to the moogs filters where it can be mixed with or without the moog oscs.


I have a JP 8080 and a Dave Smith Evolver - they both allow external inputs. Until I got the SY-300 I had the sub outs from a VG-99 running into the Evolver. That's nice for mono lines.

GuitarBuilder

Looks like it could give the SY-300 a run for the money.....
"There's no-one left alive, it must be a draw"  Peter Gabriel 1973

montyrivers


Cups

Their multis tend to be single pedals grouped together in series and not much cheaper than buying them individually.
If they ever put out a programmable multi synth with midi it would probably rival the Boss SY in cost.

jassy

Quote from: montyrivers on February 22, 2017, 02:14:30 AM
Its time for EHX to make a multi.
I would like that too, but all we can do is keep dreaming, EHX would not do that.
If they even have two pedals for organ sounds!.
Being so vast the diversity of sounds you can do with synths most probably we can probably expect several synth pedals each with 9 different sounds.
Apparently this commercial strategy works for them, so congratulations, anything that makes musicians make music is good.

acousticglue

I really like some of these pedals but I think the Sy300 an do many of them if tinkered with. But also with the wealth of FX inside the PC box I can further destroy my signal. Even though I still would like to have the entire line. Just not enough playing time.

Elantric

#21
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Electro-Harmonix Synth9 synthesizer simulation pedal test
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Synth-teaser
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Old with old
Stars 80
Synth + guitar = love
Conclusion

Is your screen too small?
Last February, Electro-Harmonix unveiled the latest in its series of guitar pedals simulating keyboards, the Synth9. This time, it is to the vintage synths that the manufacturer tackles, for the pleasure of a whole generation of bottle guitarists to sound 80's. You have always dreamed of playing chords on an OB-X, a Prophet-5 or a MiniMoog, but your keyboard skills are poor ?? Rejoice, the Synth9 is there.

Old with old

The Synth9 Synthetizer Machine is a pedal for guitarists simulating 9 classic synthesizers. It complements the Electro-Harmonix range of the B9 , C9 , Key9 and Mel9 that we tested a few months ago . The operation is strictly identical to the other pedals, with a large notched button allowing to navigate among the nine simulated sounds, two volume adjustments dedicated to the Dry and Wet sounds, and two controls whose function depends on the synthesizer chosen (often the tone, Filter, or octaves). We also find the Dry output in addition to the classic output to diffuse the sound of the guitar in one amp, and the sounds of synthesizers in another.

Stars 80

Electro-Harmonix Synth9 Synthesizer Machine : Electro-Harmonix Synth9 Synthesizer Machine (95125)
Before listening to our pedal, let's start with a small description 9 different sounds available:

OBX - Reproduces the sounds of an Oberheim OB-X
Profit V - Reproduces the sounds of a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
Vibe Synth - Inspired by the sound of a polyphonic synthesizer with vibrato
Mini Mood - Reproduces the sounds of a Moog
EHX Mini - Reproduces the sounds of an Electro-Harmonix Mini Synth
Solo Synth - Inspired by the sound of a synthesizer with fuzz
Mood Bass - Inspired by the sounds of the MiniMoog and the Taurus
String Synth - Reproduces the sounds of an ARP synthesizer
Poly VI - Reproduces the sounds of a Korg Polysix
You now have an idea of ​​the range of Synth9 sounds. Let us listen to what this gives! Recordings were made with an Ibanez FR2620 Prestige guitar. The Mel9 is connected to a Kemper Profiler connected in stereo to a Steinberg UR22 sound card. The preset selected in the Kemper simulates a Twin Reverb .

https://fr.audiofanzine.com/medias/audio/a.play,m.481276.html

00:00 00:00
Electro-Harmonix Synth9 Synthesizer Machine : Electro-Harmonix Synth9 Synthesizer Machine (28786)
This first excerpt combines three modes of the Synth9 to a drum loop from Studio One . As with the Mel9, the tracking proves to be excellent, the sound credible, and the sensations are there. Some modes behave very well with chords, while others will be more suited to simple notes. Indeed, many presets reproduce monophonic synthesizers, and it is therefore really necessary to adapt his guitar playing, because some notes played at too short a time interval will not come out well, with a less honest attack. Similarly, it is sometimes preferable to cut the resonance of a note with its palm in order to score the note clearly. Nevertheless, the pedal is quite sensitive to the attack and the types of microphones. To play tablecloths for example, the game with the fingers will allow to really dose the attack and to obtain subtle variations. Conversely, for a thick and sharp sound, it is necessary to use the pick and preferably a double microphone in the easel position. In summary, as with the other pedals in the series, you really have to learn to play with the machine. Now let's listen to each of the modes. As for the first excerpt, only the dry sound of the guitar is at 0 to hear only the reproductions of synths.

◄ ►
2 OBX 01:56 2 OBX 01:56
00:00 01:56
2 OBX 01:56
3 Profit V 02:20
4 Vibe Synth 02:08
5 Mini Mood 03:10
6 EHX Mini 02:58
7 Solo Synth 02:24
8 Mood Bass 02:18
9 String Synth 02:58
10 Poly VI 02:22
Some modes are very sensitive to attack, and capture the slightest friction on the string. It is difficult to control them, and the sound is foutraque and noisy. This is the case, for example, with the OBX. Conversely, the Profit V is easily tamed. The note is very defined, there is bottom, sustain, and the sound evolves as the note resonates. The illusion of having a real synthesizer in your hands is total.

Electro-Harmonix Synth9 Synthesizer Machine : Electro-Harmonix Synth9 Synthesizer Machine (45792)
The Vibe Synth mode is very versatile thanks to the Control 1 which modifies the intensity of the vibrato. This immediately brings character to the sound. The Mini Mood is more complex, and is not obvious to control with its octave changes. For this mode only, the Synth volume does not act this time as a volume, but as a portamento setting. Control 2 knob controls the pitch of the upper octaves. The sound is convincing, although the high sensitivity of the mode requires delicate manipulation of the strings.

The EHX Mini is very interesting. It can evolve slowly or directly deliver its sharp and incisive sounds. It is perfect for "stabs" and chords for rhythms. The Control 2 button changes the octaves, but they are less numerous than on the Mini Mood and it is therefore easier to navigate.

The Solo Synth mode is polyphonic and accepts chords very well. It is very close to the sound of a guitar, and will therefore mix very well with the signal Dry so as to obtain a guitar sound thicker and synthetic for big riffs or solos. The Mood Bass will be more comfortable with unique notes since you really find the typical attack of the basses of a Moog. The sound is full and loaded in the bass. The lowest octave, on the other hand, is almost anecdotal, since it is difficult to use it in most cases.

The String Synth offers sounds of very synthetic string instruments. It becomes really interesting using the filter that alters the attack. To do this, you have to manipulate the Control 2, and you get excellent results when the latter is pushed to the right. Finally, Poly VI offers a very thick polyphonic sound, but quite aggressive. Fortunately, Control 1 acts as a tone to adjust all this.

Synth + guitar = love

Despite its sounds, the Synth9 remains a pedal for guitar. So we glued it to the buttocks AnalogMan King of Tone overdrive to see if it always behaves as well with saturation.

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Electro-Harmonix Synth9 Synthesizer Machine : Electro-Harmonix Synth9 Synthesizer Machine (5200)
As expected, the result is convincing! Saturation works with all modes as long as one note is played. In agreement, however, it will be necessary to favor the simulations of polyphonic syntheses, under penalty of obtaining a slurry sound. Monophonic synths are a treat to play riffs or solos. With saturation, we get a more raw side that goes very well with the sounds of Synth9, which was not always the case with Mel9. We also imagine very well to use other effects like reverbs or modulations.

Hybrid guitar / synth sounds are also available with the Electro-Harmonix pedal. The machine is equipped with a volume dedicated to the Dry signal so as to mix the sounds of synthesizers with the more traditional sounds of the guitar. It also has an additional output dedicated to the Dry sound, which allows you to recover the signal from the guitar and pass it through effects or another amp. We took advantage of this to separate the two signals and observe any latency. Here is what it gives.

00:00 00:00
When playing, latency does not mark. Yet, as you can hear, it is very present. We found a latency of about 17 ms, which is very similar to Mel9 and its 15 ms. This latency time is small enough to make an illusion when one does not dwell on this element, but too long to go unnoticed by the attentive ears, or to produce a perfectly wedged piece.

Conclusion

With the Synth9, Electro-Harmonix rested on a perfectly mastered recipe. The overall behavior of the pedal is perfectly identical to that of the Mel9, no new function appears, and the price is the same (239 €) . Moreover, the main defect of the series, the small latency, has not been improved. The Synth9 could therefore be disappointing.

Yet, we find with this pedal mythical sounds very used in music at present, and it is a pleasure to touch the finger of this universe with a guitar. The Synth9 relies on nostalgic fiber, and it works! We could also add that, unlike the Mel9, no mode seemed to us missed. We also deplored the lack of tone control on the previous model. This time, many presets have a Tone via the Control 1 knob. We therefore regret the lack of innovation shown by Electro-Harmonix, it is the enthusiasm that prevails.