MESSE11: Solaris Is Coming

US John Bowen Synth Design announces it has begun production of its flagship Solaris synthesizer keyboard 06/04/11

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The John Bowen Synth Design company has announced that it has begun production of its flagship Solaris synthesizer keyboard, described as a revolutionary synthesis platform promising an unprecedented degree of programmability power made easily accessible by an abundant set of interactive displays and controls. Initial production units of Solaris will be delivered to pre-order customers. Here's the details from John Bowen...
DESIGNED TO BE A SYNTHESIZER DREAM COME TRUE
"Solaris is the culmination of my decades of experience programming and designing synthesizers" says company head John Bowen, a veteran of Moog Music, Sequential Circuits, Korg and other legendary synthesizer companies. "But rather than following the industry norm of designing product to meet a price point" he continues, "the goal behind Solaris has always been to design the ultimate synthesizer dream come true." And few designers in the world have his credentials at catering to the most demanding requirements of the professional music elite, having previously been commissioned by award-winning film composer Hans Zimmer, to custom design synthesizers in software form for the former Creamware SCOPE platform.
UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF PROGRAMMABILITY
To give you a brief idea of the unrivaled flexibility available from the Solaris „designer_ synthesizer, the basic architecture of a program begins with up to four (4) sound sources. These sound sources may be selected from multimode oscillators (with several waveshapes available), modeled CEM oscillators, (PPG/Waldorf style) wavetables, .WAV sample playback, FM or AM synthesis, vector synthesis mixers, rotor processors (special four step waveshape sequences) and external inputs. Solaris then provides a broad array of sound modifiers to shape the frequency, harmonic content, and amplitude of these sound sources. There are four filter sections (each with selectable inputs and multiple type variations including CEM, SSM and Oberheim emulations), four mixers, four amplifier/pan sections, four LFOs with a fifth vibrato LFO, six envelope generators, an 8-stage bipolar looping envelope, an envelope follower, a three-band EQ, a 3x16 step sequencer, plus sundry effects and extensive modulation routing possibilities.
EASE OF ACCESS VIA INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS AND CONTROLS
No expense has been spared in the design of the Solaris user interface either. Order and a well thought out work flow are imposed upon the vast quantity of programming parameters and choices available via the phalanx of five 40x2 character LCD panels arrayed around the large, main LCD panel, all surrounded by soft buttons and knobs. In addition to the 61-key keyboard and pitch bend and modulation wheels, Solaris also comes equipped with a joystick and a ribbon controller.
INNOVATION DRIVEN BY A DSP POWERHOUSE
The synthesis engine of the Solaris is built around Analog Devices_ latest generation of high performance floating point processors. This is the same state of the art DSP processor used by leading music and studio recording companies like Sonic Core, Universal Audio, Solid State Logic, and Euphonix. With six of these processors inside, the Solaris synthesizer is a veritable DSP powerhouse capable of generating up to ten voice polyphony even for complex programs of four oscillators, four filters, four mixers plus modulation routings with exemplary sonic quality at an internal processing rate of 96kHz.
Solaris is manufactured in Germany and comes with a one year warranty on parts and labor. It also comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, returnable within two weeks for a full refund in new condition.
About John Bowen Synth Design
Like the longtime synthesizer company veteran after which it is named, the John Bowen Synth Design company is dedicated to the realization of the finest sounding synthesizers with the richness of authentic vintage tones and the programming flexibility to create sounds never before heard, all conveniently at hand with an opulent user interface of displays and controls.
Pricing and Availability:
The Solaris synthesizer keyboard will have a suggested street price of $3,999.00 in North America and 3590 EUR (includes 19% VAT in Germany).
Solaris will be available for order and delivery by the end of first quarter 2011.
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