FPGA is a way of creating a custom digital circuit by using software tools. When on the device, it's no longer code, but is instead a bunch of on-chip digital hardware (various types of gates, etc. and sometimes specialized cores). It's not magical, but it does let you run at hardware speeds, which can be good for this type of use. It's field-programmable (the FP in FPGA) so there can be, in theory, updates to the circuit after it has been delivered.
@Donal Finn You can have digital without code. Digital just means discrete logic values rather than continuous voltages. For example: the original Yamaha FM chips, are definitely digital, but aren't executing anything we'd call "code". The difference is, regular code is a set of instructions that are stored in memory and evaluated by a processor at runtime. In a simplified sense, FPGA is more a set of logic gates (and/or/not/etc.) that signals are sent between at runtime. It's configured, rather than programmed. It can also do much more in parallel as you dedicate different blocks to perform parallel tasks (like reading input). One is not necessarily better than the other (and neither of them have a "sound"). But the FPGA is more of a hardware solution once the initial work is done vs DSP chip which is a normal code-running processor with specialized functions for signal processing. I think this quote from Sparkfun (posting the link will get the comment moderated, so look up "sparkfun how does an FPGA work" for more info) is helpful: "However, FPGAs can be far more efficient in terms of processing time as well as offering very tight timing. To illustrate this, let’s look at a trivial example of turning an LED on when you press a button. If you wrote code to do this with something like an Arduino, the processor would run a small loop of code that would read the state of a pin then update the state of another pin based on that value. If you optimized the code you could probably get this to update in the millions of times per second. That may sound great but let’s look at what it would look like with an FPGA. In the case of simply connecting a button to an LED with an FPGA, you simply connect the button and the LED. The value from the button passes through some input buffer, is fed through the routing matrix, then output through an output buffer. This process happens continuously all the time. The only delay comes from the switching delays of the transistors in the chip, which are incredibly small."
@@LocaliLLocano I initially got the black because damn it looked sleek, but I cancelled the preorder halfway through 2020 because I was anxious about it never coming to the states (which it hasn't) over that time I felt like I regretted not getting the more fun color, blue, so when I ordered via a small overseas music store, I got it in blue :) It arrived a week later, I've owned it for about two months now!
Andrew M hey Andrew did you get it at gear4music? Are you from the states ? How long was the ship time? I like the blue too. It reminds me of a Jupiter 6 and a sporty g shock watch.
I didn't blieve in warm power of Digital Oscillators until i'm not found it in Peak, but now the new reality of warm sounds comes even more from this, impressive
Owning it for a couple of weeks, i can inly agree to Nicks opinion - it will never ever leave my setup. Best buy in decades for me. Definitely an instrument of character- intuitive like Juno, so beefy as Moog, versatile: decent warm if you want - or aggressive. A wonderful sounding modern classic. With great haptics too, solid in every way. Soundwise and buildwise 🙂 thanks for the review. It nailed my experience.
Great review as always Nick. Been following the evolution of this beast for some years now and loved my first hands-on with it at Synthfest last year. Mine is now finally on her way and will be with me this Friday.... can't wait ;-)
Hi Nick, nice review. Looking forward to seeing it in person :) Would love to see some use of the External in/Envelope follower and the Hi-Pass filter. Lovely sounds!
I try my best to resist gawking over newly released gear, but *wow* This is the sort of thing I hoped would come from this new era of synth design, keep the style and sounds of the vintage gear that inspires, and the features and flexibility available with modern tech. I'll be scheming about this one for awhile.
Resistance is useless... test it and keep it. You will🙂 i had no chance to test it before buy, so I bought it blind, only bAsed on youtube reviews. I was not disappointed one second - but am still overwhelmed. Greatful that i picked one.
Great video and I love how this synth not only looks and sounds great but it doesn't have a screen. For me, that makes it feel like something from back in the fay only it's brand new. Well done UDO!
Your reviews are so comprehensive, thank you very much for all you do over the years, I really appreciate it. 7:55 Burning Down the House!!!! This synth does look like it burns down the house indeed!!!
I see a Ped/CV modulation source, does it have a CV pitch out on the back and if yes, could you route it into the Pedal/CV in to have a rudimentary keytracking modulation source?
This is one of the few times where if I didn't know, I'd have thought this was a fully analogue poly synth. It has all the character and warmth of analogue, but with the top end glassiness and shimmer of digital. The best of both worlds in my opinion.
This thing will be my first synth. I've always wondered when to go the hardware way, because softwares nowadays brings you almost everything that hardware has to offer. This is new. This synth will make history!
Not when it sounds as good as this does. There's no plugin on the planet that'll sound as impressive. Even stuff like Omnisphere sounds feeble and cheap compared to this thing.
hmmm probably not quite comparable. They both seem to go different approaches and sound quite different. Especially the Polybrute since Arturia uses some really weird filters.
i find the poly so much more inspiring. i dont know... i cant follow up on the hype of the udo it def is a solid piece of equip and it does sound good. but thats about it. the lil tweaks like the stereospray through binaural circuitry is nice but nothing that really makes me astonished. And with the pricetag of 2,5K it def should do that. That being said its def overpriced. i understand its a lil boutique fabricator therefor prices need to be a lil higher but from my assumption its 1k too high. Its the Hippstersynth for me! Cool, retrolooks in layout, high quality but overpriced and nothing really new in the end.
Phenomenal sounding synth, and that binaural mode is awesome. Shame the cost jumped an extra grand from the original planned price, but I get it's hard for a smaller company to do this.
Also it’s built like it costs. Internally, only top quality components that’ll last decades and decades supposedly. Behringer who makes affordable stuff doesn’t use these kind of high-quality capacitors etc. and you can definitely hear the difference. It costs like it sounds. Professional-level instrument here.
The patch at 8:09 was from Burning Down the House (one of Talking Heads' finest moments), which is what you'll be doing with this beauty if you get one. I can live with the lack of heavy duty patch storage (probably be updated in a firmware update) & the JX3P style sequencer (it's less rudimentary than that, and hopefully may be beefed up with a firmware update), as it sounds so superb. It's like a cross between a Jupiter 6, 8 and even a DW8000 (ppg stuff sounded very noisy, which is due to the age of the ones I tried or the implementation of less than 16 bit technology), but with far more flexibility that is *easily accesible* due to minimal menu diving. I'm smitten with the layout and instant 'hero value' tweakability. The price is a bit steep (no bitimbral function as of yet or ever?), but i hope it shifts units cause it deserves to be played and played. Thanks for a great review 👍
I'm going to 2nd another comment posted earlier saying how out of many of the recent poly synths demo'd this year, this one has an excellent engine behind it. The brass sounds at 25:10 remind me of classic Tangerine Dream from their mid-80's time period. Good stuff!
When cycling through the arp modes, it seems the mode did not change. Could it be that a changed mode is only applied to subsequent key presses when hold is engaged?
There was a Q&A with George on gearslutz 11 months ago where I asked George about this.. this was his response: Hi, I can't make promises about our new developments at this stage just in case we change! However, many people have shared your desires and I understand the motivations for such a unit. The challenge for us would be in miniaturising the UI without losing the magic. It may mean smaller faders and pots, which would be a compromise, or a rethink using encoders. The desktop unit might actually be a completely unique entity in its own right and would not necessarily have to be a Super 6 in a rack, there is lots of options at this stage.
I really wanted this thing at one point. Still kinda do. But with the PolyBrute coming out and at a cheaper price with way more effects, routing etc.. I feel that is the better buy at the moment. Especially after what they've done with the MatrixBrute. I think I'll wait about six months to a year and let them do all the firmware updates and stuff. That'll give me time to see how this thing w really sounds and works. Also gives me time to get rid of stuff so i can focus on a smaller set up. Thanks SonicLab
Does anyone know how the keybed's like for this? I tried out the Novation Summit and those keys were so stiff, it sort of makes me worried about the other synths in this price range :(
Its interesting, not all waves need to be perfect to sound like the shape they are said to represent, I couldnt tell you why they are different, or exactly what those differences do to the sound.
Looking at waveforms means nothing at all really. Do you look at waveforms when testing an FX unit? Do you listen to an oil painting or sculture or do you use your eyes?
@@6581punk Seriously ? Get off your high horse dude I didn't say I have a problem with the supersix waveforms , but a saw and square with edges is not a aperfect saw ,square , not that it has to be it was just an observation . ever heard of the gibbs phenomenon ( sure this is not the case with super 6 , but this just an example why oscciloscopes can be usefull ) ? And Yes , I sometimes look at waveforms , especially when I hear there is something off , a microscopic look might reveal a lot You might have noticed that sonic state has huge ass oscilloscope + spectrum analyzer in the back :) , why would that be ?
I may be way off, but implementing perfect square and saw may be difficult. Also, it may also be a way of dealing more effectively with the signals higher harmonics folding back into the lower audible frequencies across the note ranges of interest even with the FPGA using stupid high sample rates. I seem to remember George saying in a passing comment when he was in SonicState studio with Nick that there is very little bandlimiting going on. He didn't say none, but very little. Again, a DSP person may shoot my theory down easy enough :)
colour me interested as well. I love the whole sound of it and the interface with that sweet 80s polysynth vibe. Sliders are always more appreciated than rotating knobs. Using an FPGA is a clever idea and i was wondering why this hasn't really been done yet on a bigger scale? As someone who's into exact retro console & home computer emulation, i've known the benefits if FPGAs for a while now and it's great to see them becoming a thing in Synthesizers as well :)
great review - have been watching this synth with great interest. as a sweaty techno lord I would appreciate more depth in the sequencer, so for now I'm just watching and waiting to see what comes next! thanks sonicstate :)
It sounds sooo beautiful.. I do not see LFO 1 there on the 8 modulation sources??? Cant i map other destinations to LFO 1 or can LFO only modulate VCA and VCF ??? that would be so sad, it would only leave LFO 2 which is only Sinewave :(
im looklng for a new polysynth to add up my deepmind 12 and minibrute 2. would you recommemd this for synthwave or should i go for the rev2 or polybrute??
I love love love your reviews, nick. But perhaps you could use headphones or IEMs, so the room reflections due to the use of speakers doesn't interfere when you're deep diving?
Hey Great talk !!! I want to factory reset the super 6 but its nog doing how the manual it subscribe. The problem is that when I touch to much keys in a short time it keep hanging is his note. Super shit while performing. Can you advice ?
great review! I enjoyed the time you dedicated to the filter section, that I think sounds gorgeous. Do you know if the "chord" setting (in the unison size) can be assigned as in the chord memory function of old synths? thanks!
Nick my dude, let's say I'm a person looking or a polysynth that sounds fantastic but presents the option to fill the hole of straight up only have VSTs where Poly anything is concerned- right now the Polybrute and the Super 6 are entirely the most interesting to me for both covering a lot of ground but sounding fantastic. I would argue the polybrute is even more varied out of the box in terms of sound design with FX and morphing and what have you, but the Super 6 is just... big and ready to sit in a mix and organic and has a very nice sounding filter (not to say the polybrute's filters don't sound nice, but they're almost a bit clean for my tastes.) Would you have a recommendation between the two?
Hey all, can any of you advise on first Hardware synth purchase? So far it's a toss up between the * Korg Prologue 16 * UDO Super 6 *Novation summit It was actually discovering the Super 6 last year, that sent me down a rabbit hole of synth searching, comparing and contrasting. I was sure about it being my first hardware synth. Now I ask for ye help. As the certainty is no more. All the best
I recently bought a summit and have been really liking it. It’s very flexible, and so far I’ve been able to craft all the sounds I wanted out of it. That said, if you don’t need quite as much modulation capability the prologue can be had for quite cheap nowadays. I’m sure it can handle most classic sounds well enough. The UDO is more expensive but to my ears sounds lovely as well. I think the UDO and Summit are comparable, with the summit’s filter sounding a little more modern. Summit also had bitimbrality and more voices, which I wanted so that’s what I ended up going with. Still, can’t really go wrong with any of them.
First synth is hard, because you don’t know what you really want before you’ve tried a couple of synths... It’s subjective. The Super 6 is definitely the most unique one of the three, it really sounds special and the interface is the most ”analog”, even though all three are quite straightforward. Synths like this are rare. I have a Prologue and I like it. It’s a whole lotta synth for the money, sounds good and the build is solid, worthy of the name. But if I had the money, I’d also get the Super 6, because wow the sound and I really like the screenless UI (but I would also keep the Prologue). Prologue has the simplest UI, I think, the easiest synth to learn, because there isn’t a lot of modulation available, so in that sense it is a good beginner synth. (Although you can expand and complicate it later greatly with the user oscillators & effects... and layers.) But the lack of modulation is a negative thing if you’re into that. I like simplicity myself. Listen to as many demos as you can find. Which one sounds the most exciting to you? I just personally like Korg sound, don’t like Novation. Your mileage may vary. And try playing them in a shop - which one feels good and speaks to you. If money is not a concern, then, hell, just get the Super 6 :-)
I tested a summit the last view days and I really wanted to like it. It is rather flexible, that's the good part. But my main problem was that it couldn't sound analogish like advertising is saying. Maybe it was a problem with the gear I had, but it sounded kind of sterile and dull even compared to some of my vsti's in the mix. Too little high dizzle and "balls" . I tried a lot of adjustments within the synth and eq to handle it but in the end I sent it back. But I think it's just a matter of taste.
User waves can be loaded. 4096 samples, int16, no Wav file header is the format I believe. I have made a ton of these, I am unfortunately still waiting for my preordered synth. Can't wait.
@@Gainn Are you sure about that? Fun thing is that it doesn't say "mono" on the back panel. If the non-binaural signal chain phases between positive and negative, shouldn't this also affect the signal if you would get if you had that mono sum?
@@cornerliston Yeah, I'm not sure why there's no marking on the chassis, but it works fine. You can still tell there's some tiny movement in phase but it's less than you get from dual oscillator analogue synths. I did run a stereo signal into my mixer and then mono it and that gives noticeable phase-shifting. It does mention the L channel being a summed mono in the manual as well. But who reads manuals? 😂
@@Gainn Sounds to me as they didn't manage to make a true mono in that case : ) But that might not be a real issue. Might be more in the head but somehow I think the non-binaural signal sounds a bit off. Or just imagination. Can't tell anymore : )
@@cornerliston It's just a programmed effect, so if there's enough demand it's not impossible they could make a bypass mode of some sort. In a mix you really don't notice it when it's in mono and even when not it's very subtle. Definitely less obvious than when running it in stereo with binaural off.
When you turn it on look at the bank buttons. If you have the latest firmware then bank A,C,E,G will temporarily light up. If other bank buttons light up you don't have the latest.
I love the design and UI. It sounds pretty great but I can't see why you should spend almost $3000 for it when the Summit costs considerably less for a similar experience. I guess the stereo imaging really makes a difference?
Also, and no offense to Novation as they make excellent products - but the Super 6 is made by a guy who comes from a background of precision medical equipment. It's built like a proverbial brick outhouse.
I was also on the fence between the Summit and the Super 6. I ended up getting the Super 6 and I made a good choice for myself! The Summit is great really but I was looking for something more Organic and soundscapy and the Super 6 has that ability which sounds fresh and it sets it apart. The Summit was a bit too conventional and polished.
@@Handheldsounds I agree based on the comparisons I've seen and heard. The summit is very powerful, and has the ability to make very unique sounds but the overall tone of the machine sounded more 'clinical' to my ears - even when a patch was made on both machines that was close to identical. I think the Summit is an awesome and very capable machine but I''ll be saving up for a Super 6. I think its a stand out player in this current 'golden age of synthesis' and destined to be a future classic.
Depends on your other gear. But if I was a lucky OB-6 owner, I would never ever give it away. I don‘t know of a synth which can match this unique OSC-VCF sound. The Super-6 sounds really good for a digital OSC, though. But I‘m into Arturia‘s Polybrute. Same price, more analog sound, more modulations.
It covers the fluffy and mellow registers so well 😍 And it seems the alternate waves exhibit a ppg like quality that I have yet to hear in the current wavetable offerings...
3:48 "Plenty of low end coming in from the south, showers of white noise expected tuesday, increasing resonance into the afternoon"
Best review of this unit by far and I've watched about 50 of them today. Well done!
Great presentation! I do love my Super 6 ❤️
FPGA is a way of creating a custom digital circuit by using software tools. When on the device, it's no longer code, but is instead a bunch of on-chip digital hardware (various types of gates, etc. and sometimes specialized cores). It's not magical, but it does let you run at hardware speeds, which can be good for this type of use. It's field-programmable (the FP in FPGA) so there can be, in theory, updates to the circuit after it has been delivered.
I was skeptical at first, but man it sounds so good. Can’t wait to see what UDO make next
Why is FPGA better than traditional DSP?
maybe a modern looking hardware design style ;-)
@Donal Finn yes, that i konw; but wat's so better with FPGA rather than DSP?
@Donal Finn You can have digital without code. Digital just means discrete logic values rather than continuous voltages. For example: the original Yamaha FM chips, are definitely digital, but aren't executing anything we'd call "code".
The difference is, regular code is a set of instructions that are stored in memory and evaluated by a processor at runtime.
In a simplified sense, FPGA is more a set of logic gates (and/or/not/etc.) that signals are sent between at runtime. It's configured, rather than programmed. It can also do much more in parallel as you dedicate different blocks to perform parallel tasks (like reading input).
One is not necessarily better than the other (and neither of them have a "sound"). But the FPGA is more of a hardware solution once the initial work is done vs DSP chip which is a normal code-running processor with specialized functions for signal processing. I think this quote from Sparkfun (posting the link will get the comment moderated, so look up "sparkfun how does an FPGA work" for more info) is helpful:
"However, FPGAs can be far more efficient in terms of processing time as well as offering very tight timing. To illustrate this, let’s look at a trivial example of turning an LED on when you press a button. If you wrote code to do this with something like an Arduino, the processor would run a small loop of code that would read the state of a pin then update the state of another pin based on that value.
If you optimized the code you could probably get this to update in the millions of times per second. That may sound great but let’s look at what it would look like with an FPGA. In the case of simply connecting a button to an LED with an FPGA, you simply connect the button and the LED. The value from the button passes through some input buffer, is fed through the routing matrix, then output through an output buffer. This process happens continuously all the time. The only delay comes from the switching delays of the transistors in the chip, which are incredibly small."
As an UDO owner I’ve been actively looking at your page every day for this, because I love mine more than I’ve ever loved a synth
Andrew M I’d you get the blue or the black one ? How long was the wait to get yours ?
I'm super jealous
@@LocaliLLocano I initially got the black because damn it looked sleek, but I cancelled the preorder halfway through 2020 because I was anxious about it never coming to the states (which it hasn't) over that time I felt like I regretted not getting the more fun color, blue, so when I ordered via a small overseas music store, I got it in blue :) It arrived a week later, I've owned it for about two months now!
Andrew M hey Andrew did you get it at gear4music? Are you from the states ? How long was the ship time? I like the blue too. It reminds me of a Jupiter 6 and a sporty g shock watch.
@@LocaliLLocano I acquired mine at funkyjunk from the UK - spent 200 on shipping but got it much much earlier.
Talking Heads BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE
yeah, I think he is missing chorus or something
That was bugging me, thanks.
Burning down the house! My house, is out of the ordinary. That's right, don't want to hurt nobody..
THREE-HUN-DRED-SIX-TY-FIVE-DEGREES!
@BC J BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE!
Lot of competition out there right now, but this is the best sounding poly I've heard demoed. Thanks Nick.
Me too!
I didn't blieve in warm power of Digital Oscillators until i'm not found it in Peak, but now the new reality of warm sounds comes even more from this, impressive
Owning it for a couple of weeks, i can inly agree to Nicks opinion - it will never ever leave my setup. Best buy in decades for me. Definitely an instrument of character- intuitive like Juno, so beefy as Moog, versatile: decent warm if you want - or aggressive. A wonderful sounding modern classic. With great haptics too, solid in every way. Soundwise and buildwise 🙂 thanks for the review.
It nailed my experience.
Totally I agree. It was love at first sight and it's the Poly I've always wanted.
Great review as always Nick. Been following the evolution of this beast for some years now and loved my first hands-on with it at Synthfest last year. Mine is now finally on her way and will be with me this Friday.... can't wait ;-)
How do you like it?
You should use this beauty on one of your Friday Fun Synth Jams. Thanks for this and all you do!
Whooooa I've been waiting for this review!!!! what an amazing instrument
Hi Nick, nice review. Looking forward to seeing it in person :) Would love to see some use of the External in/Envelope follower and the Hi-Pass filter. Lovely sounds!
Good God, what an amazing sounding synth.
thanks for the review!
I love the button choice they went with on this synth. Those are my favourite kind of buttons.
This is the best synth channel. Thanks!
Sounds HUGE. Best demo of it I've heard.
I try my best to resist gawking over newly released gear, but *wow*
This is the sort of thing I hoped would come from this new era of synth design, keep the style and sounds of the vintage gear that inspires, and the features and flexibility available with modern tech.
I'll be scheming about this one for awhile.
Gassing for things is a real issue, but I promise you, this is entirely different. This is just a good-ass product.
Resistance is useless... test it and keep it. You will🙂 i had no chance to test it before buy, so I bought it blind, only bAsed on youtube reviews. I was not disappointed one second - but am still overwhelmed. Greatful that i picked one.
Great video and I love how this synth not only looks and sounds great but it doesn't have a screen.
For me, that makes it feel like something from back in the fay only it's brand new.
Well done UDO!
Thank you for sharing, Amazing and unique Synth !!
Your reviews are so comprehensive, thank you very much for all you do over the years, I really appreciate it. 7:55 Burning Down the House!!!! This synth does look like it burns down the house indeed!!!
I would love to see this in module tbh
i agree.
@@mpmi7588 +1
Sonicstate, keeping me skint since 2018
My Novation Summit is giving me dirty looks for watching this...
i was thinking the same thing XD
@@abhayasky What are the chances?
My ob-xa just waltzed over, hugged me and said "hello"
I see a Ped/CV modulation source, does it have a CV pitch out on the back and if yes, could you route it into the Pedal/CV in to have a rudimentary keytracking modulation source?
This is one of the few times where if I didn't know, I'd have thought this was a fully analogue poly synth. It has all the character and warmth of analogue, but with the top end glassiness and shimmer of digital. The best of both worlds in my opinion.
Yes
Beautiful sounding harmonics...and Nick is playing with larger chords and syncopation! Fabulous!
Oh dear, I need to spend a lot of money! Stunning synth. Great review, as always :)
WOW what a beautiful intro Nick!!! 19:19 is slapping.
Good god. I seriously love the sound this thing makes. I truly hope they keep making great stuff like this.
man, the heft and breadth of those oscillators. I'm sure they won't get lost in a mix!
This thing will be my first synth. I've always wondered when to go the hardware way, because softwares nowadays brings you almost everything that hardware has to offer. This is new. This synth will make history!
@BC J the only other one that will buy will be the Essence FM from Kodamo (300 polyphony, 1800 oscillators), but that's it
EssenceFM is great 👍
Amazing Synthesizer, well done England!
obligatory “Nick make an ambient album” comment (no seriously though though please)
Hardware wont ever die
Touching keys and knobs is simply unbeatable 😊👍🏼...
Not when it sounds as good as this does. There's no plugin on the planet that'll sound as impressive. Even stuff like Omnisphere sounds feeble and cheap compared to this thing.
@bookmarkthis it's a hybrid.
@bookmarkthis no. It’s not.
@bookmarkthis....the video in which the line "let's listen to the filter, because this is the analog part of the instrument" is said......
I deeply enjoy those outro minitracks of yours Nick!
Bristol should make a statue of George with his synth. I mean that in a good way of course.
Dangerous business being a statue these days.
12:00 geez so good turn this into a hit please!!
@Sonicstate Wicked review. Thank you.
Thanks for the thorough review. I'm reluctant reading manuals so I learned a thing or two about my Super 6 watching it :-D
as usual, here to hear you say "beef" or "beefy"... :-)
T A S T Y
26:08
@@pigtoad3025 8:40
Nick,
Compared to the Polybrute?
What’s your opinion?
hmmm probably not quite comparable. They both seem to go different approaches and sound quite different. Especially the Polybrute since Arturia uses some really weird filters.
i find the poly so much more inspiring. i dont know... i cant follow up on the hype of the udo it def is a solid piece of equip and it does sound good. but thats about it. the lil tweaks like the stereospray through binaural circuitry is nice but nothing that really makes me astonished. And with the pricetag of 2,5K it def should do that. That being said its def overpriced. i understand its a lil boutique fabricator therefor prices need to be a lil higher but from my assumption its 1k too high. Its the Hippstersynth for me! Cool, retrolooks in layout, high quality but overpriced and nothing really new in the end.
A supersaw beast!! Love it
Phenomenal sounding synth, and that binaural mode is awesome. Shame the cost jumped an extra grand from the original planned price, but I get it's hard for a smaller company to do this.
Yeah price point too high, although do want one!
For what you get it’s fair, those are amazing Rossum-designed Prophet filters, 12 of them. Not cheap.
Also it’s built like it costs. Internally, only top quality components that’ll last decades and decades supposedly. Behringer who makes affordable stuff doesn’t use these kind of high-quality capacitors etc. and you can definitely hear the difference. It costs like it sounds. Professional-level instrument here.
I love the lack of screen and Jupiter-esque build - it's got something special going on.
What a stunner. The only synth that I'm drooling for.
Beautiful sounding and looking synth
8:07 Prophet 5 sync. Could be Burning down the house" by Berie Worrell, Japan "Ghosts," or Pink Floyd "one of my turns". Famous sync sound.
The patch at 8:09 was from Burning Down the House (one of Talking Heads' finest moments), which is what you'll be doing with this beauty if you get one.
I can live with the lack of heavy duty patch storage (probably be updated in a firmware update) & the JX3P style sequencer (it's less rudimentary than that, and hopefully may be beefed up with a firmware update), as it sounds so superb.
It's like a cross between a Jupiter 6, 8 and even a DW8000 (ppg stuff sounded very noisy, which is due to the age of the ones I tried or the implementation of less than 16 bit technology), but with far more flexibility that is *easily accesible* due to minimal menu diving. I'm smitten with the layout and instant 'hero value' tweakability.
The price is a bit steep (no bitimbral function as of yet or ever?), but i hope it shifts units cause it deserves to be played and played.
Thanks for a great review 👍
it’s a tiny thing but OMG the deeeeep clicks on those rotary switches!
I'm going to 2nd another comment posted earlier saying how out of many of the recent poly synths demo'd this year, this one has an excellent engine behind it. The brass sounds at 25:10 remind me of classic Tangerine Dream from their mid-80's time period. Good stuff!
10:24 "We can Cross-Mod here., we can Cross-mod there, here a Cross, there a Cross everywhere a Cross Cross!" lol
When cycling through the arp modes, it seems the mode did not change. Could it be that a changed mode is only applied to subsequent key presses when hold is engaged?
I got to play on one at Synth Fest UK and was blown away, sounded amazing
Great review!
IS there going to be a module as I am not buying a poly synth with only 4 octaves
There was a Q&A with George on gearslutz 11 months ago where I asked George about this.. this was his response:
Hi, I can't make promises about our new developments at this stage just in case we change! However, many people have shared your desires and I understand the motivations for such a unit. The challenge for us would be in miniaturising the UI without losing the magic. It may mean smaller faders and pots, which would be a compromise, or a rethink using encoders.
The desktop unit might actually be a completely unique entity in its own right and would not necessarily have to be a Super 6 in a rack, there is lots of options at this stage.
I really wanted this thing at one point. Still kinda do. But with the PolyBrute coming out and at a cheaper price with way more effects, routing etc.. I feel that is the better buy at the moment. Especially after what they've done with the MatrixBrute. I think I'll wait about six months to a year and let them do all the firmware updates and stuff. That'll give me time to see how this thing w really sounds and works. Also gives me time to get rid of stuff so i can focus on a smaller set up. Thanks SonicLab
Polybrute does not sound like this.
Does anyone know how the keybed's like for this? I tried out the Novation Summit and those keys were so stiff, it sort of makes me worried about the other synths in this price range :(
Love your channel, keep it up,
Beautiful, clean design.
Why are there jagged portions in both the saw and square ?
03:50
Its interesting, not all waves need to be perfect to sound like the shape they are said to represent, I couldnt tell you why they are different, or exactly what those differences do to the sound.
Looking at waveforms means nothing at all really. Do you look at waveforms when testing an FX unit? Do you listen to an oil painting or sculture or do you use your eyes?
@@6581punk
Seriously ?
Get off your high horse dude
I didn't say I have a problem with the supersix waveforms , but a saw and square with edges is not a aperfect saw ,square , not that it has to be it was just an observation .
ever heard of the gibbs phenomenon ( sure this is not the case with super 6 , but this just an example why oscciloscopes can be usefull ) ?
And Yes , I sometimes look at waveforms , especially when I hear there is something off , a microscopic look might reveal a lot
You might have noticed that sonic state has huge ass oscilloscope + spectrum analyzer in the back :) , why would that be ?
I may be way off, but implementing perfect square and saw may be difficult. Also, it may also be a way of dealing more effectively with the signals higher harmonics folding back into the lower audible frequencies across the note ranges of interest even with the FPGA using stupid high sample rates. I seem to remember George saying in a passing comment when he was in SonicState studio with Nick that there is very little bandlimiting going on. He didn't say none, but very little. Again, a DSP person may shoot my theory down easy enough :)
Great review!! Loved the demos. But what about the voltage controlled high-pass filter inside there...?
been waiting for this.. awesome!
Great comments on here I learnt a lot
Some lush patches there, Nick. The more that I hear of this synth, the more that I long for one
USB over Midi sounds very interesting, any idea how it will work? :-)
it’s for the propriety UDO pianoroll printer :’)
Nice one Nick!
colour me interested as well. I love the whole sound of it and the interface with that sweet 80s polysynth vibe. Sliders are always more appreciated than rotating knobs. Using an FPGA is a clever idea and i was wondering why this hasn't really been done yet on a bigger scale? As someone who's into exact retro console & home computer emulation, i've known the benefits if FPGAs for a while now and it's great to see them becoming a thing in Synthesizers as well :)
great review - have been watching this synth with great interest. as a sweaty techno lord I would appreciate more depth in the sequencer, so for now I'm just watching and waiting to see what comes next! thanks sonicstate :)
It sounds sooo beautiful..
I do not see LFO 1 there on the 8 modulation sources??? Cant i map other destinations to LFO 1 or can LFO only modulate VCA and VCF ???
that would be so sad, it would only leave LFO 2 which is only Sinewave :(
im looklng for a new polysynth to add up my deepmind 12 and minibrute 2. would you recommemd this for synthwave or should i go for the rev2 or polybrute??
I love love love your reviews, nick. But perhaps you could use headphones or IEMs, so the room reflections due to the use of speakers doesn't interfere when you're deep diving?
That first funky riff with some jazzy voicings is so unusual to Nick!
How many factory presets are there? And are they good / usable?
Hey Great talk !!! I want to factory reset the super 6 but its nog doing how the manual it subscribe. The problem is that when I touch to much keys in a short time it keep hanging is his note. Super shit while performing. Can you advice ?
great review! I enjoyed the time you dedicated to the filter section, that I think sounds gorgeous. Do you know if the "chord" setting (in the unison size) can be assigned as in the chord memory function of old synths? thanks!
As of now it's automatically set to a major chord
That would be dope, you can use the sequencer to do that as a bit of a workaround though
Reminds me of the SH201 BEAUTIFUL SYNTHS BOTH
Interesting. What's the difference between a FPGA oscillator and a DSP oscillator?
You re the best Nick
ok, will be waiting for it to have a wave-table oscillator to mount own wave-forms on
Absolutely beautiful
Nick my dude, let's say I'm a person looking or a polysynth that sounds fantastic but presents the option to fill the hole of straight up only have VSTs where Poly anything is concerned- right now the Polybrute and the Super 6 are entirely the most interesting to me for both covering a lot of ground but sounding fantastic. I would argue the polybrute is even more varied out of the box in terms of sound design with FX and morphing and what have you, but the Super 6 is just... big and ready to sit in a mix and organic and has a very nice sounding filter (not to say the polybrute's filters don't sound nice, but they're almost a bit clean for my tastes.) Would you have a recommendation between the two?
A software editor would be the icing on the cake .
Hey all, can any of you advise on first Hardware synth purchase?
So far it's a toss up between the
* Korg Prologue 16
* UDO Super 6
*Novation summit
It was actually discovering the Super 6 last year, that sent me down a rabbit hole of synth searching, comparing and contrasting. I was sure about it being my first hardware synth. Now I ask for ye help. As the certainty is no more.
All the best
I recently bought a summit and have been really liking it. It’s very flexible, and so far I’ve been able to craft all the sounds I wanted out of it. That said, if you don’t need quite as much modulation capability the prologue can be had for quite cheap nowadays. I’m sure it can handle most classic sounds well enough. The UDO is more expensive but to my ears sounds lovely as well. I think the UDO and Summit are comparable, with the summit’s filter sounding a little more modern. Summit also had bitimbrality and more voices, which I wanted so that’s what I ended up going with. Still, can’t really go wrong with any of them.
@@tomthepom98 thankyou for your input. The Summit does seem to be the most versatile option and value for money. I'm glad it's working for you.
First synth is hard, because you don’t know what you really want before you’ve tried a couple of synths... It’s subjective. The Super 6 is definitely the most unique one of the three, it really sounds special and the interface is the most ”analog”, even though all three are quite straightforward. Synths like this are rare.
I have a Prologue and I like it. It’s a whole lotta synth for the money, sounds good and the build is solid, worthy of the name. But if I had the money, I’d also get the Super 6, because wow the sound and I really like the screenless UI (but I would also keep the Prologue). Prologue has the simplest UI, I think, the easiest synth to learn, because there isn’t a lot of modulation available, so in that sense it is a good beginner synth. (Although you can expand and complicate it later greatly with the user oscillators & effects... and layers.) But the lack of modulation is a negative thing if you’re into that. I like simplicity myself.
Listen to as many demos as you can find. Which one sounds the most exciting to you? I just personally like Korg sound, don’t like Novation. Your mileage may vary. And try playing them in a shop - which one feels good and speaks to you.
If money is not a concern, then, hell, just get the Super 6 :-)
I tested a summit the last view days and I really wanted to like it. It is rather flexible, that's the good part. But my main problem was that it couldn't sound analogish like advertising is saying. Maybe it was a problem with the gear I had, but it sounded kind of sterile and dull even compared to some of my vsti's in the mix. Too little high dizzle and "balls" . I tried a lot of adjustments within the synth and eq to handle it but in the end I sent it back. But I think it's just a matter of taste.
Can the audio input trigger the arp? Then I could sell my Juno 6 or Polysix to help fund this.
User waves can be loaded. 4096 samples, int16, no Wav file header is the format I believe. I have made a ton of these, I am unfortunately still waiting for my preordered synth. Can't wait.
This is a really nice sounding synth damn.
Does that mean you can't have this true mono when the non-binaural mode push the voices in and out of phase?
You just run one jack out of the left output and it sums the signal to mono.
@@Gainn Are you sure about that? Fun thing is that it doesn't say "mono" on the back panel.
If the non-binaural signal chain phases between positive and negative, shouldn't this also affect the signal if you would get if you had that mono sum?
@@cornerliston Yeah, I'm not sure why there's no marking on the chassis, but it works fine. You can still tell there's some tiny movement in phase but it's less than you get from dual oscillator analogue synths. I did run a stereo signal into my mixer and then mono it and that gives noticeable phase-shifting. It does mention the L channel being a summed mono in the manual as well. But who reads manuals? 😂
@@Gainn Sounds to me as they didn't manage to make a true mono in that case : ) But that might not be a real issue. Might be more in the head but somehow I think the non-binaural signal sounds a bit off. Or just imagination. Can't tell anymore : )
@@cornerliston It's just a programmed effect, so if there's enough demand it's not impossible they could make a bypass mode of some sort. In a mix you really don't notice it when it's in mono and even when not it's very subtle. Definitely less obvious than when running it in stereo with binaural off.
This has to be the best synth I've ever heard, sharp yet smooth top end, fat low end and just glorious sounding overall, it's perfect soundwise IMO.
Got mine today 🎹❤️
So midi over usb doesn’t work😢
How can I tell the current version of the OS?
🙏❤️
When you turn it on look at the bank buttons. If you have the latest firmware then bank A,C,E,G will temporarily light up. If other bank buttons light up you don't have the latest.
Your Patreon link is misspelt, Nick.
Is there anyway to accurately check what tempo the sequencer/arpeggiator is set to? Obviously not having the screen, or is it just a midi job?
That’s actually a good point. Even though my Sub37 had a screen it didn’t display the BPM. It was infuriating. Guess you could sync it with another
Sync it through audio in or usb and midi clock.
First impression: This synth looks massive for being a 49 keys. And the step in the UI reminds me of the small Behringer mixing consoles.
Some nice kit, that binaural feature is rad!
I love the design and UI. It sounds pretty great but I can't see why you should spend almost $3000 for it when the Summit costs considerably less for a similar experience. I guess the stereo imaging really makes a difference?
The Summit is about as similar to the Super 6 as an Aston Martin is similar to a Maserati. They do the same thing but oh, so differently.
There's a few videos comparing this machine to the Summit - to my ears the UDO does sound quite a bit nicer.
Also, and no offense to Novation as they make excellent products - but the Super 6 is made by a guy who comes from a background of precision medical equipment. It's built like a proverbial brick outhouse.
I was also on the fence between the Summit and the Super 6. I ended up getting the Super 6 and I made a good choice for myself! The Summit is great really but I was looking for something more Organic and soundscapy and the Super 6 has that ability which sounds fresh and it sets it apart. The Summit was a bit too conventional and polished.
@@Handheldsounds I agree based on the comparisons I've seen and heard. The summit is very powerful, and has the ability to make very unique sounds but the overall tone of the machine sounded more 'clinical' to my ears - even when a patch was made on both machines that was close to identical. I think the Summit is an awesome and very capable machine but I''ll be saving up for a Super 6. I think its a stand out player in this current 'golden age of synthesis' and destined to be a future classic.
This sounds awesome!
At last! Is this gonna replace my ob6? I think it might..
OB6 completley different color in the palette. Merge em :)
Depends on your other gear. But if I was a lucky OB-6 owner, I would never ever give it away. I don‘t know of a synth which can match this unique OSC-VCF sound. The Super-6 sounds really good for a digital OSC, though. But I‘m into Arturia‘s Polybrute. Same price, more analog sound, more modulations.
Ditto. I fell in love with the PolyBrute instantly with the first demo, I didn‘t with the Super 6 after a year and dozens of demos.
Let me know if you want to sell ob6
@@danielcraighead6901 Totally! Wish I could afford both..
It covers the fluffy and mellow registers so well 😍 And it seems the alternate waves exhibit a ppg like quality that I have yet to hear in the current wavetable offerings...
18:33
Of course , gearge said he might call it Batt mode
It's in the manual :)
That riff -Burning Down The House?
Are these patches available on Patreon? Cannot see.
Not currently, this was made way before we started that. We will see if they can be found though
@@sonicstate cool, let me know if you do. Thanks!