I've been watching developments from MakeProAudio, a German audio kits company. The MakeProAudio hardware will be available in multiple configurations which can be mixed, matched and added to. The hardware is said to be 'agnostic', so functionality is based upon the software used to control it. This makes re-tasking the same hardware 'blocks and tiles' software dependent. In other words with software, you can change the purpose of a block designed for a mixer to become I/O for a synth. The system also uses Arduino for networking blocks, audio and MIDI. They have a proprietary network protocol they call GLUE which carries audio and control signals to connect any module to any other module.
MakeProAudio have just announced their first product the Dino Park which should ship this June.
Dino Park is a synthesizer who's initial platform will be based on three Creamware plugins.
Note that the Dino Park has a dual core SHARC DSP on board, so there should be sub 1ms latency. Considering the platform uses a similar design, it is hard not to think of the Dino Park as an Apollo for soft synths.
The base kit (199) has just the Dino board. It has a dual core SHARC DSP. You build a case, add a display, add your own I/O and get your own power supply. Or you add this board to the third kit to double the SHARC DSP to 4 cores.
The 299 Euro kit has a Dino board, a slim case, a basic output tile with analog audio and USB, a Dino display and power supply.
For 369 Euro you get a larger case with the breakout expansion tile. The larger case can hold a second Dino board. The breakout expansion adds 2 channels of analog audio input, stereo S/PDIF I/O on coax, and MIDI I/O/T.
For 69 Euro you can add a tile called Dino Dials which:
Coming later this summer will be four additional plugins from the Creamware suite; B4000, FMagia, Lightwave, and D' n B'. The Dino can host up to 32 plugins. MakeProAudio says they will release more plugins, many from the Creamware collection. There is no info on whether these will be free or cost extra.
There is also no info on OS hosts for the plugins. The Scope software is Windows VST. Yet you can see what looks like Apple phones and tablets used for various display and touch control packages for other applications. So maybe IOS or Mac OS plugin versions will be available.
I suspect that a Mac plugin will be VST only. If that is the case, you could get Sound Radix ' 32 Lives so it will run on 64 bit AU-only DAWs even though it is a VST.
So why not just buy a Scope platform instead?
Scope hardware is really expensive. It starts at 2400 Euro for a 10 core SHARC DSP host box with Scope V7 software package.
You can see the product here:
https://www.makeproaudio.com/makepr...t-high-end-modelling-synthesizer-diy-makekit/
https://www.makeproaudio.com/dinopark/
https://www.gearnews.com/dino-park-digs-up-some-old-creamware-dsp-synths-and-puts-them-in-a-diy-kit/
There are also multiple other products coming from MakeProAudio down the road. This looks like an interesting company.
MakeProAudio have just announced their first product the Dino Park which should ship this June.
Dino Park is a synthesizer who's initial platform will be based on three Creamware plugins.
There are three hardware kits. Prices range from 199 to 438 Euro. The kits require no soldering. They come together like Lego blocks. Also note that they can be built into rack systems, desks or any case you desire.
Note that the Dino Park has a dual core SHARC DSP on board, so there should be sub 1ms latency. Considering the platform uses a similar design, it is hard not to think of the Dino Park as an Apollo for soft synths.
The base kit (199) has just the Dino board. It has a dual core SHARC DSP. You build a case, add a display, add your own I/O and get your own power supply. Or you add this board to the third kit to double the SHARC DSP to 4 cores.
The 299 Euro kit has a Dino board, a slim case, a basic output tile with analog audio and USB, a Dino display and power supply.
For 369 Euro you get a larger case with the breakout expansion tile. The larger case can hold a second Dino board. The breakout expansion adds 2 channels of analog audio input, stereo S/PDIF I/O on coax, and MIDI I/O/T.
For 69 Euro you can add a tile called Dino Dials which:
I believe that a two Dino Board MakeKit EX could utilize two Dino Dials tiles, so you'd potentially have access to 16 parameters available. It will be interesting to see if MakeProAudio makes a 2 Dino board unit available as 2 4 core on a single synth or a pair of 2 core boards hosting 2 different synths or two iterations of the same synth for added voices. How the two boards utilize the I/O is also not yet known. Obviously, since MakeProAudio has announced two board system, there will be need to accomadate them in various ways.
Coming later this summer will be four additional plugins from the Creamware suite; B4000, FMagia, Lightwave, and D' n B'. The Dino can host up to 32 plugins. MakeProAudio says they will release more plugins, many from the Creamware collection. There is no info on whether these will be free or cost extra.
There is also no info on OS hosts for the plugins. The Scope software is Windows VST. Yet you can see what looks like Apple phones and tablets used for various display and touch control packages for other applications. So maybe IOS or Mac OS plugin versions will be available.
I suspect that a Mac plugin will be VST only. If that is the case, you could get Sound Radix ' 32 Lives so it will run on 64 bit AU-only DAWs even though it is a VST.
So why not just buy a Scope platform instead?
Scope hardware is really expensive. It starts at 2400 Euro for a 10 core SHARC DSP host box with Scope V7 software package.
This is a hint as to how MakeProAudio is not violating patents owned by Sonic Core.
You can see the product here:
https://www.makeproaudio.com/makepr...t-high-end-modelling-synthesizer-diy-makekit/
https://www.makeproaudio.com/dinopark/
https://www.gearnews.com/dino-park-digs-up-some-old-creamware-dsp-synths-and-puts-them-in-a-diy-kit/
There are also multiple other products coming from MakeProAudio down the road. This looks like an interesting company.
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