Have you read the interview with Vongon? These things matter to me. I felt the same thing about Vermona years ago.
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I think it’s legitimate to compare features when looking at instruments - it’s a way of weighing up alternatives.
But the way we make decisions is partly rational, partly emotion based - some of.the language in this thread reflects how people feel about instruments, and that’s an important aspect.
I haven’t heard anything that special from the Vongon, and would want effects with it. It’s inspired in part by a Juno, so a chorus would be nice. Velociy.and aftertouch would be welcome to.
But this is about how people feel, and the totality of what’s on offer, rather than what’s missing and clearly some of us are vibing with this little synth.
If I was to buy it I’d need to sell my bagpipes. My neighbours have been through a lot and I’d hate to deprive them of the pipes.
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You’re right, crappy wasn’t fair. Limited is what it really is, and indeed if it’s a problem for me that’s not necessarily a problem for everyone else.
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I like you. You’re a cool dude!
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I’ve had both and vastly prefer the polyphrase. LVX is really nice and no fun (for me). Polyphrase is very fun and hands on.
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I am citing this because it made me laugh, then react…
But I’m talking to everyone that has been flagged here:
-
Let’s be clear: numerous moderation actions to clean a thread that has been derailed is NOT censorship.
It’s not like you’re some political activist, get down off your high horses. You can actually freely express your frustration, moaning or whatever sterile but liberating gasp in this other part of the forum:
Miserable git's general and non-specific (but very inclusive) whingeing thread - If you've got thoughts about stuff, I'm your guy -
You can make as many jokes as you want here
Music memes
and there
The General Memes Thread -
Please keep other threads as tidy as possible.
Derailing a thread and especially talking about flags is never a good thing.
Reach us @Mods if you have a problem with the flagging. Or see #1 if you really need to express your negative feelings to the community.
If you keep derailing a thread or talking about flags after we did some action, you’ll get silenced. Especially if I’ve drunk to much the day before. -
If you want to express some criticism, try to do it without hurting anyone’s feelings.
If your feelings are hurt by someone’s post, flag it instead of answering to it, or reach us mods to talk about it. -
If you really think a short off topic chat is needed, at least use the
[details="Off topic thing"]
I really need to offload this
[/details]
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Sigh. This thread needs cleaning up as its not fair on the poor Vongon which is only going to appeal to a few anyway.
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If Replay was intended to have alternative firmwares I’d then find it more compelling.
A bit like noise engineering etc.
As it is, it is sort of a Yamaha Reface and locked forever to be just that. And that model has worked for Yamaha - my impression is that range have sold well and sound very good.
Perhaps the name Replay is a clue to this just being the first of other downloadable firmware timbres … perhaps not.
I’d be tempted here if this is a juno version of the firmware that (a) sounds very good (b) can be swapped for each of a Moog, Oberheim, Waldorf, Korg (etc) ‘homage’ in the future.
Lack of velocity and micro USB are stumbling blocks though.
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I could see updates for sure, I think they were just going for Juno inspired interface though, like a big sweet spot synth. Not really any specific “cloning” I could see them adding filter models or something though but I don’t think that would call for alternative firmware unless they already pushed it to the brink. Nice fuzzy SEM filter would probably peak people’s interest. Some alternate dirty digital waves. But yeah hard to say.
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Now we know there is no Secret menu.
Are we shaming people for buying synths now in this forum?
Indeed, they could pack a lot more into the companion app with more features, right now it just expands the “secret menu” functions. I would worry a little that it would just become another infinite rabbit hole of useless complexity though. A bit part of the appeal for me was the ‘bread and butter’ sound palette, and it would be a shame for the synth to lose its identity. When I have loaded alternate firmware onto my eurorack modules all it did was make the module more difficult to use with different functions being applied to labeled knobs.
The allure is that it has the mechanical keys similar to the elektron devices I enjoy using with a simple voice structure that I know sounds good as a raw ingredient. It’s also small but not annoying to use because they packed a billion tiny sliders and knobs.
Please remember, I spent years playing the digitone’s front panel as a keyboard. This is like a large synth by comparison. Heck I had korg minilogue XD module for the same reason and I played it with the sequencer buttons in keyboard mode because it was convenient (and then because I got used to it).
I’m a little surprised by the mockery here for this product. I guess I am just seeing a different side of the community than than I am used to. I shouldn’t have to defend buying a great-sounding cool-looking synth that costs about the same as a eurorack module.
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No one’s make you defend yourself. You like the product. That’s gravy.
I reserve the right to not get it. I also reserve the right to have a laugh
Edit: however gear detectives will be showing up for your interrogation at around 2 your time. I wouldn’t recommend blowing that meeting off
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I will be preparing a slide presentation of Dan McPharlin paper craft synthesizers and drafting a defence based on the merits of minimalist interface design. My legal counsel has advised that I serve tea and biscuits to the inquisitors, but I am worried that it may come off as a bribe. Wish me luck!
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I would never take tea and biscuits as a bribe, but I will take them with bourbon.
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I usually agree with the saying never judge a book by cover, but in this case it’s warranted.
If you honestly had no idea what this was, and had to guess a price most people would say 100, maybe 150?
They went under board on the aesthetic, if that’s even a saying. I just couldn’t get joy out of playing this while visually looking at it.
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Their marketing accomplished some things…I love all 3 of their pedals I’ve seen/heard so far and kinda want them
I bet most people around 50 would say 100 maybe 150, I bet younger people would guess quite a bit higher, Y2K aesthetic is definitely in… people will shell out for a nice retro looking computer keyboard. Personally I think it looks great… would have preferred if it was even more classic computer grey but what ya gonna do.
I guess that is the risk of making something with a different look though you are going to alienate some people, like personally I think dreadboxs stuff with the outrun look is pretty ehh, I know a lot of people love it, feels a just dated and out of touch to me.
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I really like design and aesthetics, but looks wise I honestly think this seems like a half baked AI generated “retro-futuristic“ product concept that needed a few more rounds of refinement.
It just screams generic mass market “boutique design” that will sit nicely next to pastel coloured turntables, cassette players and polaroid cameras at big department stores and urban outfitters.
Very surprising considering their Polyphrase and Ultrasheer aesthetically look amazing. I think if they just took the Polyphrase, made the case wider and stuck a keybed in front it would be much more appealing at $899 with that superb and full of character delay/looper included in one solid package.
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As you are a professional guitarist does this tick the boxes for playing keys? That seems to be the aim by Vongon.
I do hope that the Vongon Replay is successful though, as it might encourage more pedal makers to create their own samplers or synths rather than add to the 1000s of high end pedals already out there.
Imagine a Chase Bliss Blooper or Mood built into a simple portable keyboard or Automatone sized sampler?
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