Let’s address rationally, for a minute or two, all the arguments put forward by blaize.
> I think it is better that a design does only one single task perfectly
Mutable Instruments’ design philosophy is that a product should cover all the basics well; and then, that any extra function that the hardware allows can be added - even if they are hidden behind secret handshakes - so that people who want to invest time with the product can learn and enjoy them, and maybe save $100 or $200 of extra gear in the process.
Nobody forced you to dive into the sequencer or the system settings. Restrict yourself to the 4 pots and the 4 switches and you’ll see that the Shruthi is a logically laid out wavetable synth.
> The OS seems bloated and is confusing requires too much learning
Sure it is loaded with features, but the point is that if you consider yourself a beginner, you shouldn’t bother with them.
> I would prefer not have to write here to discover simple functions like a turning the arp latch on,
Is it that hard to go to the manual and look for “latch”?
> checking the OS
The OS version is displayed when the synth starts up. Unless you explicitly tell it not to do it, which you apparently have. You can’t complain that the synth doesn’t display the OS version on boot if you have explicitly disabled this.
> how to switch between normal key play and seq and arp play
The manual explains that.
> like how do i activate/ stop?
The manual says:
“”“
When arp is selected, the chords played on the keyboard are arpeggiated. Releasing the keys for a short amount of time stops the arpeggio but keeps the clock ticking. Releasing the keys for a duration greater than that of a bar stops the arpeggio and resets the clock
”""
I don’t know what’s complicated here.
> Some display “abbreviations seem strange, example; for “Groove” using Gro and not Grv for example
Seriously? The Shruthi UI uses, rather consistently, the first 3 letters of the word.
> Perhaps I am the one whom is arrogant enough to call out Shruthi firmware and user guide as an arrogant design, which presumes the user has advanced technical knowledge of music theory, notation theory, maths, synthesis, patch design, advanced and arcane synthesis, programming. advanced midi,
Well, it’s a synth that people have to build themselves, often from parts they source themselves.
It’s a project for those who want to understand what is happening “under the hood”, It’s not meant to be easy. What would be the point of dumbing it down? For people who want to casually play, there are already plenty of manufactured products, or things like littlebits.
> describe basic set up combos with keyboard and other gear and the appropriate settings for novices
There are illustration in the “quick start guide” that comes with the kit.
> perhaps explain a few synth basics, as they apply to Shruthi.
Because there aren’t already thousands of subtractive synthesis tutorials on the net…
> I thought i could filter an audio In signal easily, this seems an arcane task and I have sadly given up for now. I was really looking forward to that feature and it is frustrating to understand why it sounds absolute shit, and how to get the result i want. another month or two of synth meditation.
Still not sure what is your problem with the audio in is…
>
The rest of your message is a rant against “synths with a deep synthesis engine and a screen-driven UI” as a whole category, not against the Shruthi. Try other machines in this category (Mopho, Pulse…) and see how well they fare…
Why on earth did you buy the Shruthi, seeing that it had 4 knobs and 6 buttons. Did you really expect it to have only 4 parameters?
The problem with the “1 knob per function rant” is that if we were to follow what they prescribe, we would end up with either light and portable “shallow” synths; or ridiculously big and heavy “deep” synths. Sometimes, people want to have lot of synthesis power in a small box they can carry around or that doesn’t take much space in the studio.
