Alesis Fusion Vox Humana - Who needs a Polymoog?

[NarcissistsDie]

With old, classic analog synths it's not about need, it's about want.

[garry795]

How many times to I have to listen to "Replicas"? Somebode play Cars!

[ZAAL58]

Great demo! Should I buy a 6HD or an 8HD?

[bestrickie2]

Hi WELL PLAYED & that's a real stunner of a keyboard I'd love one of them as you say how it's like a polly moog which Gary Numan uses. I'm a huge fan of G Nmn, Just about finished a version of photograph a Gary Numan cover I've done track by track. I have a Juno G Roland, E86 Roland & a few other stunning keyboards. I do other Gary Numan, Kraftwerk covers & others. I play keyboard & sing old time classics for elderly groups, record bits of my own stuff but it's just a hobby. Cheers from Rich

[soundmanhaven1]

is this what gary numan uesd for his current tour recently....?

[timmarino1]

@soundmanhaven1 If you look at the NIN video with Gary Numan you still see the Polymoog on stage with him and he actually plays it in the song. The video was shot in 09 so I would assume he still keeps his alive and going for the road.

[arpodysseymkIII]

'I would assume he still keeps his alive and going for the road'

No chance I'm afraid. Trent borrowed that Polymoog just for that gig as a surprise for Gary. Numan had no idea it was going to be there til he rocked up for rehearsal. I don't think he's had one in his own live setup since the 80s. He's certainly not nostalgic about them, hence his deranged assertion that the Roland D50 does a perfectly good impression of one - yeah right - and his refusal to even use samples of it.

[synthpro]

I honestly have to say that this is still the closest vox humana sample I have heard yet.

[BrentMB79]

Is this a stock fusion sound or is it from Hollow Sun??

[VoxNumana]

The prest was downloaded from hollow sun. It's free and only takes a minute to install on the Fusion.

I thought I had an unfinshed version of Numan's Airlane on one of my hard drives (again using Vox Humana). My intention was to upload the unfinished track to YouTube but as yet, I can't find it.

[flux302]

I watched this video and the one with it on your fantom... do you notice much difference between the two? just curious. I know youtube doesn't have the best audio quality.

[VoxNumana]

I don't own a Fantom but I know which video you mean on YouTube. Both synths use the same Polymoog sample set. Thus, they both sound identical.

[flux302]

nah nah nah.... I have quite a few different synths and samplers that can play same sample sets. don't be fooled just because they are the same sample does not mean they sound the same. there are many other factors to take into account than simply the file it self.

[VoxNumana]

Yeah I suppose you have to take into account - codecs, filters etc but within reason they should sound fairly similar.

[latasha66]

If you want to hear what a real top-shape polymoog should sound like, check out youtube user: synthpro

He totally refurbished an old beat up polymoog practically from the ground up. Sounds and looks brand new.

[VoxNumana]

Yeah I've watched these videos with great interest.

[NoLie6]

Does someone is able to describe that sound technically? I have a synth where I can set various parameters (like LFOs, ...) and have tried various things. I detuned it, controlled cutoff, ... over LFOs but did not get proper results. Can someone give me a hint what the main 'thing' is of that sound? Of course it could be possible that it is not reproducable by every synth. But I want to try to come as close as possible :-)

[4Dsign]

Yes, it's:

1: Squared sawtooth where top is sawtooth and bottom squared. (similar to second waveform on FL TS404)

Add PW to it (Pulse width is better controlled by an LFO Triangle than by a Sine waveform, it's more dynamic)

2. Add a pure sawtooth (from 30 to 50%)

Depending on the synth used, try to synchronize your 2 sounds to avoid unpredictable results.

3. Add a phaser effect with 5 bands to get Numan's sound (it depends on your phaser)

4. Add a subtle vibrato

[NoLie6]

@4Dsign

Thanks for that information. I will check that out.

[wintersunproject]

Its very good but the synth that gets closest is the korg radias, i have a patch so close to my polymoog it flanges when played at the same time. The radias has a very complex set of detuning algorhythms that give that warm analog vibrato of the polymoog, the korg radias is quite a phenominal peice of gear.

[VoxNumana]

Could you post the Korg's Vox Humana? It would be interesting to compare the two.

[VectorOmega]

Alesis Fusion? Is it a new synth product. More info, please?

[Posthuman2003]

Awesome, sends shivers up my spine!

[Horrorshow655321]

I sounds right on to me, I listened to "Cars" and compared the two, maybe not quite as "fat" on the lower octaves though.

[Synthsound1]

I think if you use the fusion in a full mix the difference between the two becomes less noticable,Its a great synth the fusion very underated in my opinion.

[cypionate011]

It's very good but it lacks the unstable power of the polymoog,that is what is very hard to duplicate.

[VoxNumana]

Yeah I have to agree. The Alesis has a fair stab at Vox Humana but it lacks that special 'magic' the Polymoog has. Still, at least you can gig the Alesis Fusion, only a fool would try to gig a polymoog!

[8462995]

yup your right when i was listening to Gary Numan "Cars" and started comparing there was something Missing on the Alesis it almost has the Vox Humana Preset but it really lacks that electro feeling... or a missing Filter... to be fair the Alesis Still looks back to the old Polymoog's History and revealing it again :D

[RADS190]

Unstable, lol my polymoog is unstable, it works when it wants lol. must admit, it still has a sound of it own though, BUT, the fusion weighs how much bout 7 or 8 kilo's? my moog is pushing 40 kilos, You cant go gigging with it very well as moving it tends to bugger it up etc, i would use the fusion on stage as its good enough, but use the moog in the studio.

[GNeuman]

Amazing!! It sounds absolutely spot on...!!!

That is by far the most accurate Vox Humana emulation I have heard by a very long way...Is it a preset, or did you create the patch?

Thanks very much for posting..

Would love to hear a side by side comparison.............

[BlurredMan030]

spot on. i sure couldn't tell the difference :)