John Bowen Solaris – a life’s work
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John Bowen Solaris Synthesizer
In the Solaris, extensive sound material meets high sound potential, and the two encounter remarkable performance
potential: A weighted (grippy) keyboard, assignable wheels, a joystick, a multiple zone ribbon controller, etc … These
are the decisive ingredients for good sound performance. In addition, there is that small but defintely notable step
sequencer…. Not one of those tools with thousands of possibilities (as in many so-called “workstations”), but
extremely easy to operate and to the point: 4 tracks of 16 steps, upon request with different track lengths, each track
assignable … to the SSM filter, to LFO 4 speed, to the oscillator wavetable No. 29 – and one track for the melody
itself … what more could you want? In addition to the sequencer there is also a flexible arpeggiator on board. With
the Solaris, creativity knows no limits.
Now one highlight must be mentioned that could easily be overlooked …
Octave Up/Down
Well, a keyboard up / down switch wouldn’t seem to be that spectacular. But keep in mind: Solaris is synonymous for
unlimited sound potential. Four parallel synthesizers in one package, classic waveforms, a wealth of wavetables,
rotors, numerous filters, 6 LFOs, 6 envelopes … and all that within the limits of a 5 octave keyboard! But is that
really and truely enough? Not without good reason did Waldorf produce its legendary Wave in a 76-key version to
warrant additional soundspace.
Here is where the Solaris octave switches come into their own! What makes them so unique is not the fact that they
enable keyboard transposition up or down 1 or 2 octaves. The speciality lies in the fact that the current sound can be
retained (press the sustain pedal or the hold button), while at the same time the surrounding octaves are transposed
up or down. This embeds your sound in a choice of 9 octaves! Soup isn’t just about ingedients, it’s also about savour
and spice …
