Just wondering. I still haven’t made my mind up between it and the Gemini.
I love the clean look of the 8 and the lack of ribbon controller isn’t a huge deal for me. What’s giving me pause is the the voice count when in stacked binaural (4 vs 5) and whether I’d miss the exes layer of controls. I do have a couple of bitimbral synths and tend to use them mostly in single-layer mode,but I wonder if that’s simply because of the shared control set; an extra set of sliders positively encourages one to play with 2-later sounds.
I also tend not to do a lot of panel tweaking once I’ve dialled in a sound, rather I set up interesting variations on stuff like mod wheel and aftertouch and focus more on the harmony side of things as opposed to textural/timbral variation (guessing I’m coming at it more from a piano-playing perspective), so aside from during programming, not having an extra set of sliders isn’t necessarily terrible.
Would be nice to be able to have a good chunk of time with both to be able to decide. I try not to buy stuff speculatively.
In terms of size the Super 8 is about the same as Gemini so not much space saved. Controls are less cluttered at the expense of direct control of both layers in dual mode.
Is there a reason you’re not considering the super6?
The way I see it, you say you don’t do a lot of splits/layers and you’re worried about the voice count when doing so. The Super6 guarantees you always have 6 voices and only one sound to worry about.
Personally, I got a S6 almost 4 years ago now and nothing UDO has done since has made me feel like I need to upgrade. It’s not the hot new thing anymore but it is still a fine instrument.
It depends on your goals and what you need from a synth. I went with the Super Gemini as I wanted a workhorse so I could keep different sounds dialed in on both layers for production. For instance I will always work with my Mono Lead/Bass sounds on the bottom layer and have my Pads/Strings and keys on the top layer. I’ve been super fast with this workflow in manual mode and it’s really easy to get the sounds I need within a few moves.
So I think it really depends on what you’re looking for! I really think the extra polyphony is worth it on the Super Gemini, and the ribbon controller is actually very useful (I’m a guitar player so I think of it kind of like a whammy bar) for creative slides and cinematic stuff.
Super 8 may be a better choice if you already have a few other synths and want to save some money and a little bit of space. I personally do not regret going the Super Gemini route over the Super 6/8 as working with both layers is an awesome workflow for me.
@White_Noise yes, super 6 doesn’t have enough keys (61 minimum for my use) or enough voices when in binaural (6 covers most stuff but occasionally I play 7(+)-note voicings). I also prefer the sound of the Gemini/8.
Space is starting to be an issue, but the difference between Gemini and 8 isn’t all that much. I’m hoping to come to my senses and maybe offload a couple of synths. I have three monos and really I probably only need one. Also, perhaps the UDO could replace my Summit. I know they do different things. I’m not a fan of the Summit’s keybed at all but quite like the rest of it. I’m really leaning more towards “simpler” synths without menus. I’ve been having the most fun with a borrowed Juno 106, truth be told, to the point where I’d like to buy my friend’s spare one.
I do like the bitimbral aspect on my other synths but it’s not essential. However, having direct access to it via Gemini would probably make me use it more.
This is offtopic for this thread, but a note about Summit: I could never part with Summit or switch it to a Peak to save space for the simple reason that Peak does not have an audio input. The Summit reverb is unlike anything I’ve heard on any synthesizer and to me it’s actually better than most of my hardware reverbs. The keybed sucks and it takes up a lot of room but I have this irrational love for the reverb.
UDO should send a Super 8 to Matt Johnson and some other synthfluencers. I hate to see the Moog Muse eat into sales for UDO. Especially since it looks like a child’s play thing. Nothing I heard makes me want to stop pursuing the Super 8. More people need to hear it, just after I place my order.
100% agree with you that synth sounds generally can be too “thick” for piano/organ style playing. Great to make lead lines over your backing, of course. My Super 6 can make very playable synth pianos, not just rhodes and clavinet. I may go for the poly aftertouch option, though an even better one would be an 88 note stage piano with amazing poly aftertouch.
Think I’m pretty much decided on the 8 over the Gemini. Just hope the voice upgrade does indeed get offered. Passed up a good deal on the Gemini yesterday (cheapest it’s been new since launch). Will wait and see what happens with pricing on the 8. They don’t seem to be selling in the way the Gemini did. The shops I’ve been looking at have had the same stock level for several weeks.
I think if UDO hadn’t made the super 8 bitimbral, I would have been more likely to get one — but the fact that it CAN have two layers means that it makes so much more sense to just get the Gemini and have direct access to both layer’s controls. I think I would regret the super 8, as soon as I need to start going back and forth between layers. But maybe that is just me?
Having the sound of the SG, but a single layer, makes more sense to me as a middle-ground product in the line up.
I’ve been following closely and it wasn’t stated the engines are identical. Just because the software and patches translate doesn’t logically mean that they are identical circuits. If I was making synths, every iteration would be a chance to correct an oversight or implement a slight change. Either way, I hear something special. I could be totally wrong though
I just snagged one from Three Wave Music in the US. They are in stock not a preorder. Perfect Circuit says November. Control Voltage says this week, and Kraft Music is showing September. There is a discounted Super Gemini at Perfect Circuit atm. Side note, I spent some time with my Prophet 10 in bitimbral mode and bouncing between layers is easy. No need for dual controls. I’m mostly adding something extra to the attack or some subtle warble anyways. I’m sure the same process will apply to the Super 8
I just put my Super 8 in my music space and wow, what a work of art! This thing slays the Super 6 and maybe my Prophet. The keys are incredible and the tone sounds warmer and very analog. Pretty vague, so let me elaborate. Compared to the Super 6, the filters are smoother and sound heftier, the vca doesn’t clip, the drive is better sounding. Wow, they downplayed the differences, but they seem pretty substantial to my ears. The waveforms sound the same, but I hear an overall richer and more compelling tone. So far as comparing it to the Super Gemini, the single row of controls is fine for me. It’s easy to see what layer one is working on. The color is sort of a greyish white. Not a stark clinical white. Almost like alabaster. Looks fantastic in person.
One unexpected feature of the layers that I like is using single mode and designing two related sounds that I can switch between. For example, a bass patch on lower and a ep sound on upper. Then when I record something, I can just bounce between the two while I write instead of having to remember where I stored the bass patch. You get the point.
The user interface design is outstanding. For example, I set the split point on the keyboard by holding split and pressing the note on the keyboard. That was all intuition and the ‘don’t make me think’ mantra applies to UDO products. Good products follow design heuristics and lean on proper user research findings(my field).
We do need some customizable pick-up modes, also note priority for unison mode. Other than that, bravo. This thing is a chef’s kiss.
I’ve decided on the 8 now. Could have had the Gemini for almost the same price but the fact that I didn’t leap on the bargain tells me I really want the 8 instead.
