The Python is lurking...

Stubbe · Post by **Stubbe** » Sun Dec 29, 2002 6:21 pm

It finally seems as if the elusive Python depictured in the brochure from the launch of SFP will be revealed sometime soon. At least it is now on the Zarg frontpage, stated to be ready in January

http://www.zargmusic.com/

A happy new year with all the best from

Stubbe

King of Snake · Post by **King of Snake** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 5:53 pm

Hmmm, some pretty impressive plucked string imitations in those demo's. Good to have some new development from Zarg.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: King of Snake on 2002-12-30 17:53 ]</font>

Ben Walker · Post by **Ben Walker** » Thu Jan 09, 2003 11:50 am

There's more info (screenshots, description, etc) and some MP3's at <A HREF="http://home.wanadoo.nl/~falcon/python/index.html" TARGET="_blank">here</A>.

Looks and sounds very impressive indeed.

Ben

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ben Walker on 2003-01-09 11:53 ]</font>

dehuszar · Post by **dehuszar** » Fri Jan 10, 2003 11:21 pm

Dunno. ...Not to poopoo the synth, but those demo tracks were reminiscant of Keith Courage: In Alpha Zone (I'm curious to see how many know what I'm talking about).

Hopefully, the presets are crap and the synth is capable of a lot more. I realize it's incredibly difficult to model plucked and bowed strings and the like, but those pre's stink of limberger.

Okay, okay, I'll go take my curmodgeonly ass on somewhere else.

My $.02

Sam

Shayne White · Post by **Shayne White** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 8:53 pm

All right, I'm not trying to be a wet blanket, but I'm afraid this synth probably falls flat in light of Six-String coming out for SFP. Six-String will be able to do real physical modeling, as opposed to FM trying to do physical modeling. (I don't know all the details of Six-String, but it definitely is NOT an FM synth.) And then, on the FM side, Python can hardly do anything -- only two of the operators are set to harmonics, and the other two are regular semitone oscs. And the multi-segment envelope is ridiculously slow. It looks like it has some interesting routing capabilities, but the oscillators are not very functional. Only 4 operators? Come on.

I think some of the guitar presets are nice, but I don't think an FM synth is best suited for physical modeling. So as far as the FM side of it goes, NI's FM7 is so far above it it's not even funny.

What I'm really looking forward to is the 3.1 update to the Orion synths. The new preset list is desperately needed!

Shayne

Ben Walker · Post by **Ben Walker** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 8:48 am

Hi,
I've spent a week playing with the Python Pro now and I'd have to say that comparing it to either FM7 or the SixString is quite unfair.

It's not setting out to be the FM synth to end all FM synths (and I don't see that a limitation of 'only' 4 oscillators is really an issue with a synth with as flexible a routing as this). Neither is it really in direct competition with the SixString, which may excel at creating string emulations (and some nice bell like tones too) but can't do half of what the PythonPro can do.

It IS a very complex synth, and you do need to read the manual a couple of times to really appreciate what's going on with the synth, but I find it a very rewarding and challenging synth to play with and experiment with. Maybe not for instant gratification, but for someone who really wants to delve into the complexity of the Python model, it's capable of some amazingly rich and varied results.

I'd urge anyone who's bored of the standard VA architecture to have a look at this. It's certainly unlike anything else out there in Pulsar land.

Take the time to read the manual and investigate why this more than just an FM wannabe!

Cheers,
Ben

visilia · Post by **visilia** » Fri Jan 24, 2003 7:28 pm

Hi Ben,

You said exactly what I also wanted to say about the Python. I'm playing with it for over a week too and I think it is the deepest synth available for the Scope platform. It's not easy to program (although I think it has a very clever design), but the possibilities are almost endless. To summarise, you'll get:

- FM synthesis
- AM synthesis
- Karplus-Strong/Physical modeling synthesis
- Waveshaping synthesis (The nature of FM synthesis is that if you set a carrier osc to a fixed frequency of 0 Hz, it works as a waveshaper)
- Subtractive synthesis (although only fully usable in mono mode)
- Feedback synthesis (I made that one up myself, but it can be a really powerfull tool)

Quite a lot, isn't it?

cheers,
vincent

BTW, I hope to upload about 30 new Python presets in a week or so

Shayne White · Post by **Shayne White** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 2:53 am

Well, I'll admit it has great modulation capabilities. I should take another look at it...at first glance it seemed to me like it was an FM synth that was trying to do physical modelling, but perhaps because of its architecture it can do things that neither Six-String nor a standard FM synth can do. I probably judged it too quickly.

There were some technical issues I had with it, though. The Env3 nodes were really slow trying to move them around, the Python Mod patch spit out 0db noise at one point, and the Python Pro made my computer lock up. (I have a PC with XP.) I got rather nervous using it and gave up after a few minutes. I guess I should have another look at it.

Well, I think John Bowen is doing some great stuff, and I am really looking forward to 3.1 updates for his synths!

Shayne

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Mon Jan 27, 2003 9:03 am

I totally agree with Ben and Visilia

WHAT A SYNTH

it was really fun to check the extremely comprehensive manual first (tnx Ben) to get the idea behind the thing.
A very clear concept and a functional, yet great looking interface, but significantly different from 'standard' designs and capable of significantly different sounds.
So what am I to say, I just couldn't resist and ordered the thing

cheers, Tom