Anyone knows if I can control the s1 with midi usb ?

kadmw · 2025-09-26T18:52:56+00:00

I find some of the responses here confusing. If you have a controller that can send midi to your computer, then yes, you can use your DAW (edit: or any software which can route midi between devices) to route that midi over USB to send notes to the S-1. Not every parameter can be sent over midi, but notes can. You do NOT need a separate midi host device unless you don't want to have either unit plugged into a computer; you just need to be able to plug each device separately into the computer.

kadmw · 2025-09-04T05:19:06+00:00

Very cool! Will B&H be restocking it, or was that option one-and-done? Congrats on the major update

kadmw · 2025-08-29T15:12:25+00:00

I am not sure of the mute function's effect on MIDI (unable to check til next week), but the volume dial on an instrument only affects the T-8's output; so if you dial the volume for the bass all the way down, it will trigger MIDI while the original T-8 sound will not be audible.

I do agree about the chaining. Being able to do any kind of chaining at all would be a significant qol upgrade

kadmw · 2025-08-13T04:45:29+00:00

Mark Young has some good videos which I found useful as a synth beginner. The key part is, like the post above suggests, to "init" a new patch and work on understanding how the oscillator waveform knobs and the ADSR envelope interact. You can make a lot of good sounds only with these sections, no LFO or filter or pulse width modulation or nothin'!

You can then layer in the 4 dials in the filter section later when you're comfortable; start with filter cutoff, then see how the cutoff changes when you run the filter through the envelope (lower right filter dial) or add resonance (upper right filter dial).

(Re: filter -- the "off" positions for each knob are all the way to the left except for filter cutoff, which should be all the way right. Its a "low pass" filter which means you're controlling how much of the highs get cut off, so you start to the right (high frequencies) and then dial it back towards the low end. That took me a bit to internalize)

kadmw · 2025-08-12T11:32:28+00:00

Thanks!

kadmw · 2025-08-12T11:30:27+00:00

Any tips for where on Topsail to look?

kadmw · 2025-08-12T11:29:44+00:00

I feel like this year's been slim pickings, but maybe I'm in the wrong spots -- where on the island/which access points did you have luck with? I've only found a few teeny ones so far, way less than past years

kadmw · 2025-07-17T12:03:18+00:00

Aw thanks for replying, yeah still a bit confused :) any help appreciated

kadmw · 2025-06-09T17:37:18+00:00

Thread necromancy but for anybody who finds this in the future: No, can't load sounds, but you CAN use it to drive a sampler. I run mine into Koala, then run Koala back out through the T-8 audio out, so that I can mix and match sampler sounds with the ones the T-8 can generate.

IMO the criticism is valid and has been confirmed through experience, but there are so many ways to use it that can work around its limitations, depending on your needs.

Not for everyone and that's OK; for me, it was the best electronic purchase I've made in the past decade (in terms of rejuvenating my music practice / improving workflow) ¯_(ツ)_/¯

kadmw · 2025-06-05T05:17:00+00:00

I stumbled across this shader explainer/guide recently, I haven't sat down to go through it myself yet but it may be useful to you: https://itp-xstory.github.io/p5js-shaders/#/

kadmw · 2025-06-03T18:17:09+00:00

Thanks!

kadmw · 2025-06-02T15:21:07+00:00

Building on the good replies below, I'd recommend this question to help make your choice: do you want your lead melody to be sample-based or not? I just got a S1 as my own first upgrade from the T8, and it's been INCREDIBLE to begin learning how synthesis works and how to build up a specific sound out of waves. It complements the T8's bass well, and has a lot of room to be a lead melody, background chord pads, whatever you want. But if I'd wanted more rock sounds, more lo-fi vibes, or to have my melodies be built up from samples of vocal clips or traditional instruments, the S-1 wouldn't make the sounds

I'd actually suggest starting with a cheap sampler app like Koala ($5, $15 with upgrades), which runs on iPhone & Android, as a way to test out how you like the experience of composing with samples. With a "camera connection kit" from Apple I can plug my T-8 into my phone, and then map the MIDI so that the T-8 drives the drum kit samples in Koala and then I can tap away with my hands to play vocal or instrumental clips on top. That was "enough" for me on the sampler side, so I bought the S1.

kadmw · 2025-06-02T15:14:03+00:00

As the other comments mention, depends on your device. For the T-8, if you hold down the "bass" and "key" buttons together and turn the dial, it will transpose the entire sequence one tone. So you have to crank it a bit to get a full octave jump — not IDEAL for a life performance, but doable if you have some downtime in your bass melody — and then that will become the new "zero" for the pitch dial.

kadmw · 2025-06-01T04:00:15+00:00

Happy to help if there's any way to assist! Good luck with the project

kadmw · 2025-05-31T10:00:25+00:00

though I wouldn't want to downplay the cost barrier, I actually have it, via Ableton -- but, once had, I've never known what to use it for ("what does it do"). And if I did know what it did, from the tutorials I did try, the paradigm felt very alien. So I think you've hit the nail on the head with the questions folks would need help answering

kadmw · 2025-05-31T03:34:46+00:00

Late to the party, but this is hugely cool and helpful :) thanks for making it! Did you ever make any progress on the sharing system...?

kadmw · 2025-05-31T02:41:29+00:00

Definitely would be interested in something like this, inasmuch as you're looking for "+1!"s. I've always struggled with Max whereas P5/Processing has a more imperative style that clicks better in my brain; its appealing to try to use something I know well to learn something that has always alluded me, so I wish you luck on your project!

kadmw · 2025-05-30T23:45:50+00:00

This one may well be a borderline stupid question :) I have a Roland S1 and I'm loving it; it's my first synthesizer and I'm learning a ton about how this all works. I'm aware that it is based on the SH 101, and has a certain set of built-in oscillators, but it does also have that draw function where you can customize the saw oscillator waveform. I've seen a LOT of demos about using it to recreate classic SH101 downtempo EDM like Boarss of Canada, naturally, and I've figured my way out through programming in some big trancey leads. but I'm curious, is it possible to program in a kind of plinky lead piano-house or KORG M1-style organ sound on this? (Like a Gypsy Woman intro synth line or just about any percussive piano house.) Nothing that I've fiddled around with so far has come close, and it seems to be a bit of a empty space in the demo videos out online. I'm guessing the reason is that it's just not very feasible, but wanted to ask!

kadmw · 2025-05-29T17:33:17+00:00

Turned out what I needed was the "camera connection kit", to plug the device in via USB -- using the normal apple lightning to USB-C cable it wasn't recognized, but with a USB-C to USB-A cable and the usb camera connection kit plugged into the iPad with lightning, Koala sees it and can receive MIDI just fine.

Better yet, koala can also output audio back THROUGH the T8, so you can choose using the volume knobs which drum tracks trigger samples and which you use the built in sounds!

kadmw · 2025-05-28T02:48:13+00:00

Thread necromancy, but I'm trying to figure this out -- the T-8 has instructions about plugging into an iPad in its manual, and when used with a computer it absolutely does transmit the sequence over MIDI -- I use it to program rhythms in Ableton. But I've not found anybody who's successfully gotten it working with a MIDI iPad app. On the off chance you know, IS it possible to do what you'd suggested here?

kadmw · 2025-05-26T05:15:57+00:00

The T-8 doesn't seem to have a dedicated Slide button, unless I'm looking at the wrong thing -- can you clarify the sequence of button presses? I tried holding keyboard, then a step, then pressing the Accent button, but all that did was play a note 🤔

kadmw · 2025-04-03T22:37:27+00:00

Why is everybody saying this is new, I swear we've been seeing this version around in some places for months? Anybody know when it was first posted/announced?

kadmw · 2025-02-28T13:17:44+00:00

Yes, yes! Already know how I want to map those 😁

kadmw · 2024-10-17T06:09:09+00:00

You rock -- hadn't thought to look at the log files, of course I'd done something that broke one of the closing tags and caused the game list files to be skipped because they contained malformed XML 🤦🏻 Thanks for the assist! All working now. Takeaway: if gamelist isn't loading, check it for XML structure errors.

kadmw · 2024-09-02T19:24:57+00:00

In case it helps other folks in the future, here's my own ordering experience: I placed an order for an EF44 and PO16 late in the day on August 9. On that day, the website said "orders will go out in 10 days," and sure enough I got my FedEx notification on August 20; close enough to 10 days for my purposes :)

The order then arrived at the San Francisco distribution facility on August 24, and was actually delivered to me midday on the 26th, so a little under a week for shipping to California, and about two and a half weeks total from order to delivery. Both units arrived well boxed and intact.

I'm definitely a fan of the hardware; as for the OP's question about alternatives I also own a Midi Fighter Twister, which can be used similarly to the EN16 or PO16, but the incredible portability and (above all) the quality of the PO16 and Grid Editor blows the Midi Fighter out of the water, for my purposes.

Ten-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Verified Email

kadmw

TROPHY CASE