Knobcon 24: Paulee's Picks

Chicagoland's Knobcon is now in it's 12th year, and Sonic State were there to capture the ingenuity and playful experimentation on display. Here's a number of products that stood out for me:

Melbourne Instruments Delia

Delia hadn't quite been on my radar because I (wrongly) assumed that it was a keyboard version of their earlier Nina. In the above video, Mike from Voltage & Company eloquently goes through Delia's unique features.

On Nina, there are three oscillators; two analogue, plus a wavetable. The wavetable oscillator can be used as a mod source, which is neat. Delia, on the other hand, is all digital in the oscillator department. There are 2 Virtual Analogue VCO's in addition the wavetable osc. Whats more, all 3 oscillators can be used as mod sources, that's going to sound wild! Check out this mod matrix:

As a hybrid/wavetable synth fan, I'm really looking forward to this one.

Swamp Flux's Biggest Foot

There's definitely a place for more Joy in our lives! In that same vein, Swamp Flux said of their new controller device "The first time I got the prototype working I laughed and it laughed with me - and then I started laughing more, it's like a feedback loop", magical!

This playfully designed module ($300) utilises the Wii balance board, a full-body game controller from 2007, turning movement into voltage. I really the idea of re-purposing obsolete tech in this way; the balance board is something that many people will have lying around in a cupboard, having put it there boxing day 2007, after one go at virtual ski jumping.

Erogenous Tones - Structure in HD

My last pick is a little different, simply because I love the aesthetics of the visuals it creates (also Rick's Opposuits ensemble!) This video synthesizer is equipped with two HDMI inputs and an HDMI output and supports up to 1080p60 resolution. It has been upgraded to USB 3.0, enabling more peripherals and better processing thanks to an optical encoder.

With a 128 GB hard drive on board, users can expect enhanced video sampling, playback, and recording capabilities. The system is designed to simplify the process of generating audio-reactive visuals for live performances, featuring MIDI and CV inputs, as well as a joystick for parameter control. Rick also highlighted the use of an NVIDIA graphics processor and the modular approach to its internal software, which allows for flexible visual manipulations akin to an FM synth structure.

I could watch those visuals for hours! Thanks for popping by and I hoped you enjoyed my Knobcon picks.

Posted by MagicalSynthAdventure an expert in synthesis technology from last Century and Amiga enthusiast.

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