DSI Tempest

The Lounge Other Gear
41

[quote=““Deep Cycle””]
When I was in the market for a drum machine I eventuly bought a MD UW and a friend bought the tempest.

After a wile I found the Tempest OS very frustrating, when trying to build a simple kit it really pissed me off to the point i knew i made the right choice getting a MD, even though my mate can get a usable kit built quick enough I was shocked to find that I couldn’t record filter tweaks, (or any knob movements) to the sequencer without assigning it to a slider first, this sorta kills the flow for me, maybe I’m just to used to the elektron plock way…

I don’t want to bitch too much about it bcause it sounds absolutely massive I just don’t feel the love from DSI’s “build it then ditch it” coustomer care…

http://boilerroom.tv/karenn-live-in-the-boiler_room/
[/quote]

You’re right here, I am finding some things frustrating after coming from MD UW. Just seems that a bit of logical thought could have made the Tempest such an amazing machine. Instead a lot of features feel half-arsed and ill implemented or just plain not implemented at all. Such a shame for a machine that sounds so good. It’s like they rushed it out to market then realized the feature set wasn’t great then said “fuck it, at least it sounds good”
I mean how could the developers not have gone over this stuff during beta and come to the same conclusion???
The distortion and compression is actually a joke.
It’s as though, quite literally, a clown might have snuck into the DSI factory over night and tacked this lump of shit on to the developing Tempest structure (for a laugh) and still the developers didn’t notice it. Unreal.
I think I have very high standards of what to expect (as you should if your spending this type of cash) that have come from using well made gear (like Elektron) that receives excellent after market updates with key features being implemented as promised. I will keep the Tempest as I do like how it sounds and the synth engine is great. But I feel already like it won’t be a permanent member of my gear. More like an expensive guest.
Also that Karenn set is great. They played in here Dublin with that same set up just a few weeks back. Here’s a photo been doing the rounds has a bit of a closer look at it

523366_10151159255608713_1370153892_n.jpg960×720 111 KB

42

^ can’t imagine why you would allow an expensive guest stay knowing its not permanent. Seems like you hate it and certainly not pressured to accept its quirks. Surely some of the worst stuff I’ve read.

EDIT - Sorry, I realise you said you like the sound!!!

IMO elektrons are the quirkiest machines out there and take some REAL getting used too plus 3 box’s have had to go back for warranty repair in there first year, the MD twice so nobody can say there perfect nor tanks. Plus the constant oversight in the need for out per voice gets me frustrated tho the AK seems to have corrected that.

Its the sound I’m interested in the tempest rather than an all in one jack in the box and I’m not expecting p locks which can be a bit of a gimmick anyway sometimes forcing you add unnecessary stuff to an otherwise solid loop.

The only thing I’m interested in it can’t do (it seems) is midi sequencing. After that from other accounts I’ve heard it will be a “finished job” with no promises of new extras which I like the idea of, old school and no constant waiting for the “new” feature. Maybe that’s not the reality? Think I’m gonna have to try it tho.

Elektron do spoil there users tho, who come to expect a lot from there gear including new features promised or not.

Not beating on anything that’s just my true perspective at the mo.

L

43

Tbh tho I’ve heard the distortion effect on demos and think it sounds as expected for an add on effect which it is, I’d guess it sounds terrible on the mix (low to high) but a few sounds at a time (just highs) not bad…
Though I have an iotine core for distortion, which I recently realised Karren also use live. Looks like im a real fan boy :S but I’ don’t own a single record of there’s. That said there live set has some really tidy moments.

44

I don’t understand “add on effect” what’s the point? Why spend the time on a half arsed effect, even if it was just a days work, it’s a days work the OS deff could of used.

Anyway, I also love the sound of it, but if that’s all that mattered I’d own one…

45

tempest distortion is nothing for about an 8th, them re d=i=c=k u less … no adding warmth,

the comp lowers the volume, a tiny bit,

but, 32 mutable tracks, hi quality sounds, fat bass, fat kick, fat hi hats,

the ribbons are great, the pad sounds are awesome, 6 voice poly,

the samples bring a lot, u can add a real tom or hi hat in there, tons of variety,

its basically 4 layers, each sound, every layer is strong enough to be a sound on its own, but u can do interesting stuff like, the heavy tone from the analogs, the bounce from a pitched down tom, then a great click for the drum by using a rim shot, all mixed in one kick, very unique,

if u try it out, find a way if u can to add the contest presets, at least a few, the regular presets are soo bad that u wont get anywhere with um and think it sucks, the contest sounds are a ton better.

i don’t get what all this stuff that everyone wants, it sequences drums, awesome, basses too, great, leads? yep? bar length? 8//// yes better,

roll button, ribbon controller, reverses, filters, all those sounds to add variety, mpc swing,

not an elektron, weak in some areas they are strong, it sounds better,

u can do parameter locks of sorts, in the event editor, u can edit every event, volume, key, length, fx, other stuff too.

it has led me to areas using the real time pad playing that i would never do on the elektron stuff,

but yea, i cant stress the terribleness of the factory presets, its a deep machine n has tricks, u wont learn them for a while, the contest presets have them, the factory don’t, it a whole other machine,

tons of great guys use it and its awesome, i can see why.

46

[quote=“” Deep Cycle""]
I don’t understand “add on effect” what’s the point? Why spend the time on a half arsed effect, even if it was just a days work, it’s a days work the OS deff could of used.
[/quote]

I don’t know as I don’t work for them or own the box, it was just manner of description as I see it… But that’s what it is really, an added bonus… It isn’t like a stand alone distortion box that should be expected to handle and mangle a full mix with aplomb, but has a simple dist/overdrive circuit probably similar to feeding back an out to an input.
I thought anyway.

EDIT - imagine the A4 overdrive on the full kit?? Would probably sound poo.

47

When you put down 2k on a machine with 2 names on it who have been in the business for decades, it raises expectations. Truth is, the os is developed by 1 developer, and its his first machine. And i think they made alot of wrong trade-offs to keep the costs down. Dont slam a cheap distortion and comp on an expensive machine. Cut those features and invest in a proper hipass filter with reso instead for instance. Guess its too late for that.
But in all fairness, i can always come up with cool sounds when using it, and it plays along nicely when jamming live without crashes or loosing data. Things that get me everytime though are the screens and modes. Gets me off guard every time.

48

^ fair points!! I’d agree that all makes total sense.

How do you mean screens and modes catching you off guard mate?

Edit - also are the dist/comp that cheap or just basic?

49

^ all this is true. and don’t get me wrong the Tempest is definitely growing on me and it does sound great. But the fact that front panel real estate has been given to distortion and compression on the Tempest is beyond me. If they were hidden in the Amp section in a menu somewhere I’d have noticed they didn’t sound great, didn’t use them and moved on. But the fact that they are on the front… whose idea was that? I would expect everything on the front panel to be useable. These are not useable.

Enough hacking the Tempest anyways. All in all I really do actually like it.

That is indeed an Iotine in the Karenn pic. Stacked on top of a TL Audio Ivory as far as I can tell. The Tempest does offer very flexible mixing capabilities with it’s voice outs. At the moment I have an Eventide Space and it sounds great with the Tempest. Sending one or two sounds out individually and a bit of Space over the aux sends really brings the Tempest to life

50

I don’t know as I don’t work for them or own the box, it was just manner of description as I see it… But that’s what it is really, an added bonus… It isn’t like a stand alone distortion box that should be expected to handle and mangle a full mix with aplomb, but has a simple dist/overdrive circuit probably similar to feeding back an out to an input.
I thought anyway.

EDIT - imagine the A4 overdrive on the full kit?? Would probably sound poo.

[/quote]
Not so. I set up a thread because my mind was blown by how good the feedback and overdrive work together with the oscillators and filter on the A4. Have a listen.

It’s a nicely thought out, very useful architecture Elektron have implemented there. There’s the same number of parameters involved here as on the Tempest, chiefly Osc 1 feedback level and the drive level on the filter.
The Tempest distortion is literally tacked on the end of the mix post filter. Can’t be shaped and introduces lots of noise and has some kind of high pass filter that kills the low end. And it audibly clicks on and off when used

51

Messing with Tempest and my Knas Ekdahl Polygamist.

52

@cocker
are you running individual sounds out to individual outputs, into individual channels on a mixer, and only sending one or two sounds to the distortion / compression on the master out ?

that seems to be the intended setup. i own some really classy distortion, and I wouldn’t run an entire mix through it and expect loveliness.

perhaps the distortion/compression gets real estate on the front panel because they are meant to be played (rather than set & forget). it seems to me to be a machine that begs to be played as opposed to programmed, at least that’s my expectation.

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For instance, i’m in the event or mixer screen. Then i turn one of the envelope knobs. The screen doesnt show me any feedback because it still shows the mixer. And because you need a shift combo to access all adsr params I cant do it blind.
Also it happens alot that i think im in 16 sounds mode, but actually am in 16 mutes, that kind of stuff.

54

[quote=“” Cocker""]

[quote=“PlayRecord”]EDIT - imagine the A4 overdrive on the full kit?? Would probably sound poo.
[/quote]

Not so. I set up a thread because my mind was blown by how good the feedback and overdrive work together with the oscillators and filter on the A4. Have a listen.

It’s a nicely thought out, very useful architecture Elektron have implemented there. There’s the same number of parameters involved here as on the Tempest, chiefly Osc 1 feedback level and the drive level on the filter.
The Tempest distortion is literally tacked on the end of the mix post filter. Can’t be shaped and introduces lots of noise and has some kind of high pass filter that kills the low end. And it audibly clicks on and off when used[/quote]
Yeah seen that, nice, A much more versatile setup deffo!! but that’s only 1 sound at a time, probably wouldn’t sound useable on the whole kit at once using that technique. I do like the distortion the A4 can do tho I’m not sure its high end either…

The click from the circuit activating on the tempest is in the FAQs on DSIshomepage http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/support/tempest.php
They say its not too audible when playing? Is it worse than that?
Cheers mate thinking of giving one a go… No trying one first though here.

55

the 32 mutes is great, i put the same sound on a few pads, then basically make it more complex as it goes,

also one voice controlled by the ot, for arps and all that good stuff

56

In case anyone’s interested, there’s a beta update to the OS just released which adds arp functionality, plus a few other features.

57

i didnt know, aweeeesum

58

[quote=“” Purusha""]
In case anyone’s interested, there’s a beta update to the OS just released which adds arp functionality, plus a few other features.
[/quote]

Very interested. Signed up to the group but waiting on confirmation. Any more detes pal?
Cheers, Leon.

59

If you are waiting for the support page, you’ll miss out on alot of features for months. Beta’s are posted here: http://dsiforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=4727&sid=bfa5ace0a65401fff558091370d47346
In this beta is alot more cool stuff, like 8 bars, easier sample selection, unquantised recording, sequencer midi out, basic midi control over beatFX etc etc

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^ still waiting to be confirmed as a group member so can’t get in.