> (what's that synth with all the rotors inside that makes a noise a bit like a vacuum cleaner when you use it?

Motor Synth: https://gamechangeraudio.com/motor-synth/

Agreed the Phase8 is a neat synth. Basically like a Rhodes and a EBow had a baby.

Yeah, it's not just the novelty aspect, I genuinely like how it sounds and how it opens up new ways to be creative with sound making. I'd really like to hear what Radiohead or Bjork would make with something like that.

You nailed it. Cool idea. Nice design. Great demo. Fun toy.

I'm sure I'd have a good time playing with it for an afternoon and come up with some sounds I like. And, in principle, I'm all for more ways to create music existing - especially ones that are interactive and tactile. But the reality is, if I bought this device it would end up spending most of its time in the basement graveyard with all the other cool tools that are too narrow, too big, too hard to interface, store/recall patches, etc.

I decided a while ago to refocus on a stack that's purely microphone (or other a/d converted input) + MIDI controllers to a DAW driving infinite layers of internal real-time digital synthesis, analog modeling and effects plug-ins. There are fabulously expressive MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) controllers now which can capture every nuance of input my hands, feet and breath can possibly provide.

As you highlighted, that suspicion the all-digital, in-one-box is somehow 'soulless' - is 100% in my head. actually use all the insanely powerful, infinitely flexible, software tools

What an insightful comment. I've always considered art as something that can't be recreated, as it involves the state of mind the creator was at the time of creating it. I would worry no more about recreating a sound on this synth as I would recreating the exact pitch of an acoustic guitar I made last year.

Your take is obviously a valid one though. I just find it infinitely interesting how there can be so many valid viewpoints about something like this.

You can change the actual resonator shape (it says it comes with 3 different shapes) to affect their sound. Like actually unscrew them and screw different ones on. Since this is just a piece of metal I see endless hacking opportunities here.

Has that always been the appeal?

Doesn't every musician with money have this problem? Every rockstar owns like 50 guitars. And they don' like to admit they're just collecting. They always got some story about why they need to buy the nth guitar that's missing from all the other tens of guitars they already own.

Almost all of them own instruments and gear they'll touch once and never do anything meaningful with ever again. Then it becomes a fixture on their walls or den.

It all seems wasteful.

But still, by rich people standards, it seems cheaper than other things like buying a huge boat.

Or any community that involves conspicuous consumption. There's always what feels like a majority of people who collect/buy/show off more than they use things

Problem? Buying what makes you happy is keeping the entire synth industry afloat!

I think that’s actually pretty different. In this case the tines are being electronically “plucked” - in the kalimba + pickups case you have to do all the plucking

You might an internet search for "Array mbira" entertaining.

“Essentially” in the sense you can’t really change the 8 frequencies you have to choose from quickly. Kinda impractical to do if you wanna play a set that spans different keys/tonalities.

“just as good” with every single corner cut ;)

It's honestly incredible they're bringing this to market! This style of incubator tends to work on a lofty goal and the research and ideas explored on the way trickle down into other parts of the company and find their way into more accessible products. Really similar in theory to the over the top concept cars manufacturers build that never see the light of day.

Agreed, its existence is implausible, but I assume they're consulting on other projects for Korg Japan in addition to developing Phase8 and other prototypes. They're undoubtedly taking a loss (despite low European salaries) but their contributions across the board could also scale non-linearly.

I also imagine that it's the olive branch that brought Takahashi back to the company after he left. He brought Korg back from the dead and they were probably and rightfully desperate to find a way to retain their top performer.

Or on the page of the prototyping stage: https://korg.berlin/products/phase8