The Vector synthesizer – a new digital hardware synthesizer hybrid, combining several synthesis methods – is now available.
Features:
- Hybrid synthesis engine
- Complex modulators
- 10 voice polyphony with per-voice filters
- Effects affect synthesis
- Extensive arpeggiator with a step sequencer
- 7″ capacitive touchscreen
- 25 smooth rotary encoders
- 7 toggle switches
- Metal case 289×176×44mm
- 1.5kg weight
- Stereo 6.35mm output (2× mono jack)
- Stereo 6.35mm headphone output
- Ethernet port
- USB device, USB host
- MIDI input
- Runs on ARM Cortex-A53
- Powered by realtime Linux
- 32bit internal processing
- 32bit DAC (-106dB SNR)
- Firmware update via LAN
Audio Demos:
Pricing and Availability
The Vector is available now for 766€.
Those tiny audio jacks are a small point of concern, but the Ethernet connection is quite welcome. Smart. I honestly don’t know what kind of field life any touchscreen has, especially in a moderately well-used synth, but this is a serious instrument with a beefy sound. Risk in use mostly depends on how & where you use it. I like the form factor; its like a much more serious Roland Boutique.
what’s tiny about 6.35mm ? you want XLR?
I need to get my darned metric conversion brain module back online. I glitched at the 6.35 mm and thought “mini-plugs,” which they aren’t. Note to self: cut back on the Red Bull smoothies.
No Midi Out. Presumably a sound-generation box and not ever gonna be a sequencer-style desktop box via future firmware update.
I think both midi in/out should be standard… “sequencer or not”…
Midi in only, is not acceptable 🙂 (No buy from me then)
What’s your vector, Victor?
The Demos are extremely boring. Why don’t they care about showing the possibilities. If this is all it can output, nobody needs this machine.
The hardware set-up here is really appealing, love the touch-screen + lotsa knobs + ARM chip with real-time Linux kernel.
But the synthesis engine really needs some work: assuming I’ve read the user manual correctly, you have 2 oscillators per voice, each of which blends 4 fixed wave forms. You could compare this to a Waldorf Blofeld with only 1 wave table with only 4 wave-forms in it (not to mention dual multi-form filters, lots of effects, samplese etc.) Polyphony is also rather limited, although the orbital modulation system and hands-on interaction are great fun.
However, the plus side is that this only a software problem: the developers can easily improve the synthesis engine to create a much more flexible & interesting system.
The demos are dreadful .Really twee. It looks good and on first look a great interface.If its so powerful how many part multi timbral is it? Why no extra outs.
The demo’s to me are very very poor.
Looks pretty cool! Pretty crazy that ARM processors have come this far. Totally agree with everyone that it needs a better demo, but I’m sure reviews aren’t far off.
Early bird run is only available if you’re in the European Economic Area though.
ARM processors are what power your iPhones & iPads – chances are your phone is way more powerful than what’s inside this device because Apple have customs designs. The ROLI Seaboard has an ARM processor inside to run Equator with far greater polyphony & sonic range than this synth. The long & short of it is that Vector really need to work on their synthesiser engine.
ROLI Seabord is not running Equator on its hardware, its just an MPE controller. Maybe you are mistaken by Haken Continuum, which is running EaganMatrix synth engine. And in case of Continuum its not ARMs, but SHARC DSPs.
He probably means the Seaboard Grand, that one did have a sound engine built-in.