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give a kodamo to loopop

hen
hello kodamo team, just want to say that would be great if you guys give loopop on youtube a kodamo to make a tutorial on kodamo!

he's great explaining gears

ps: i'm not related to that guy, just one of my favorite youtubers who i follow and love the way he explain about new hardwares

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-RA5BzE_BnZhf5iVdNF1hA
bolau
I think so too. He's great!
KODAMO
We really like his videos too. Last year he wasn't interested into the EssenceFM, but maybe if enough people ask him directly he may give it a try? 🙂
Kwerky
I suggested Loopop review the EssenceFMv2, late last year.
His response was
"Thanks - yes I’ve seen it, I just see so few hands on controls that I don’t see the benefit of having it in hardware form -
seems like there’s so much screen tapping and menus that there’s no advantage to using an FM synth on a computer.
What did I miss?"

Perhaps someone with more experience could field his question?
bolau
Well, not everyone wants to use a laptop on stage...
KODAMO
Most digital synths have a lot more menu diving than the EssenceFM, due to the ridiculously small screens used everywhere. Or they're limited in some way because you cannot create any reasonably advanced sound engine with only tens of dedicated knobs, at some point grouping parameters into pages is mandatory. At least with the big screen you can have a lot of them readily accessible with the 6 contextual knobs.
Soarer
Weird response from Loopop there. I believe he should know the difference in sound between a dedicated hardware synth and a soft synth. Besides, you have the 5 knobs on the EssenceFM along with all the touch screen parameters. Plenty of hands on control.
Teomi
I agree that this is a weird response from him.
If digital was "all the same" then we wouldn't have so many synths that each sound different. Strange response.
Personally, I owned most FM softsynths and I hated all of them. Maybe except Linplug's Octopus but that was a loooong time ago.
KODAMO
Designing a digital sound engine is pretty much like chosing components for an analog synth, with even more possibilities. So every digital synth is different, and hardware ones are especially unique due to the design choices that have to be made to work with limited resources. These choices also tend to give a specific character to the sound.
Kwerky
Ok, now I'm confused
https://youtu.be/sksFzgCG62Q?t=656

https://youtu.be/sksFzgCG62Q?t=2253
dstengle
It is interesting how loopop is does a lot of hardware reviews, but does consistently mention software and obviously uses a laptop to do his videos even when it isn't visible for the overlayed scopes and such. The ModX, while a pain to program is more of a performance instrument than the EssenceFM and maybe that is the difference? He might be more interested with the keyboards when they come out.
Vaclava
He flails his hands around during his synth reviews like he's conducting a high school orchestra then ends his videos with some obnoxious jingle. I think the world can live without him reviewing the EssenceFM.
Kwerky
I'll add I find Loopop's videos really helpful. I've learnt a lot over the years and bought some of my gear based on his reviews.
After all, that's why I suggested he review the EFMii.

I'm a bit confused with the reason he gave to not review it, after seeing his review of the MODX.
korhanerel
Loopop has some good presentation skills, very boring musicality, and his reviews are very superficial most of the time. And as someone else pointed out here, he reviewed the terrible ModX. That synth's screen is unusable. Yes EssenceFM has not a lot of physical controls, but is an MPE synth and allows MIDI CCs to be assigned to any parameter.

I think it would have been fantastic if the EssenceFM knobs could be used as macros outside the mod matrix. Like the Hydrasynth. That would make those knobs super controllers for performance.
Telum Atramenti
I generally liked his reviews but frankly, I find his reasoning for refusal to be disingenuous. Doesn't know enough about the synth to begin with, but acts as if he does, and ends up saying things that are just untrue. I watched the Venus Theory's review and the only thing that became apparent is that the guy hasn't understood how to stack voices to add depth and dimension to sound. Granted it's not the easiest synth to review because of all its capabilities. It would be a very long video, so you do need someone brave enough to tackle all the editing :))
Nelson Baboon
I think that he provides a good service, but i'm not a fan, frankly. Some of his reviews are kind of odd. Like in his pros and cons of a dedicated midi sequencer, he said that it was a "con" of the oxi one that it didn't have its own sounds. I thought that was downright bizarre. and as far as his 'criticism' of the essencefm, his comments sound like the kind of thing that you often hear on gearspace from people who haven't used a piece of gear but trash it anyway. I'd like him to review the essencefm, but basically because i'd like more to be sold, not because i'd expect him to give an insightful review. On the one hand, it sounds so good, and the interface is so good, that i have a hard time believing that he wouldn't like it, but i can also imagine him deciding to trash it because of the price, etc. hmmm - there's a 45 minute review of the korg wavestate. Pretty horrible ui on that thing. ah - maybe i just find him annoying. I think i'll encourage him to review it anyway. I'm a subscriber, so why not?
Nelson Baboon
got a snarky reply from loopop. now, despite never trying it, it's not a good value. I am going to unsubscribe from his 'service'.
Telum Atramenti
"his comments sound like the kind of thing that you often hear on gearspace from people who haven't used a piece of gear but trash it anyway". Exactly. He sounds like what the "analog purists" sound like when they talk about newer digital synths they never used to begin with. 🙄 I wish I were good at editing, I'd do a review, still I had a few words to say about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujs0Klm0lZY&t=174s and https://rumble.com/v1fp7e3-kodamo-essence-fm-synthesizer-fm-noobs-wet-dream-or-failed-product.html The thing is, - I'm definitely not a fan of the Essence FM's form factor, or of the UI aesthetics, I prefer lots of "physical" knobs to tweak parameters during live play and something that isn't reminiscent of Windows 95 look. But I do realise it would have been impossible to make a synth this ergonomic, simple to use and easy to learn without a touch screen, and as far as looks, - functionality means 100 times more to me. TJohn The Road did a very good tutorial of it (he was the guy who gave me the idea to get it to begin with) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUcy1Y0kC9M&t=409s
Kopplog
it's just sad.
to my notion Loopop has a talent to boil things down.
I would really want to see him, bringing up CONS...
as I trust Kodamo on their ability of improvement.
KODAMO
What's funny (and interesting) about the UI is that the EssenceFM's screen is technically better than on most synthesizers (often having a small monochrome screen or 7 segments display), but gets many remarks about its old-fashioned Windows look. Yet 7 segments takes back to the 60's and small monochrome screens to the early 80's 🙂
Using well-known elements like buttons, checkboxes, and sliders like in Windows helps a lot figuring out the interface, because people have been used to that. A lot of interfaces may look fancy, but not intuitive/efficient at all.
Our next synthesizer will use a 4x7 segments display 😜
pete.m
Totally agree, Kodamo. The Essence's touchscreen and interface make for the most responsive and intuitive set-up that I've come across in a very long time. Nice work!

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