Aug31

Written by:Bruce Richardson
Tuesday, August 31, 1999 6:00 PM

Dream Station, like ReBirth, gives users analog synthesis technology with built-in pattern based sequencing. It adds another layer to the paradigm, however, and allows users to drive the whole operation via MIDI.

Fuzzy, Buzzy, Fat and Fun

Load up the demo song Mr. Satan, and see if you don't get a little grin on your face. This is very much the kind of sound that early Casiopeia albums had: buzzy, fat, in your face synths. So fat, you feel like you can grab a handful of it, right out of the air. Happy music. Dream Station loves to make these sounds. Matter of fact, that's what Dream Station really shows off in all the included demo tunes.


It's got a three-oscillator virtual analog synth section, with standard filtering and envelope options. You can save your own sounds as presets, and a good many are already programmed for you.

That's not where the good stuff stops, though. You can also load up sample layers to be triggered, send and receive automation via the onscreen knobs, and capture your audio to wave files.

Dream Station's internal sequencer will be more familiar to tracker enthusiasts than to folks accustomed to more standard MIDI DAW applications or hardware emulations like ReBirth. It's an interesting juxtaposition, really, in that the synth module itself is very much a hardware emulation style interface, then beneath it you see this very spreadsheet-like sequencer window. It also reminds me of early MIDI sequencers in its "moving list" approach. Songs are composed by making smaller looped sections and stringing them together.

Various commands are included that can tell Dream Station to slide between notes, modulate parameters, etc. These can be layered two commands per sequencer step. This is separate from the onscreen automation, however, so there's no inherent limitation. What you can't cover with the commands, you cover with automation, and vice versa.

However, you can choose to simply turn this feature off (after a reload the sequencer window simply disappears), and Dream Station will allow you to control all its capabilities with the sequencer of your choice. This would be the choice for someone already working with a MIDI sequencer application. Some sort of virtual MIDI connection, such as Hubi's Loopback, is required for this setup. Controllers may be mapped to the various Dream Station settings via a dialog box that is quite full featured and flexible. One can completely automate the synth via CC to get great filter sweep and other fun effects.

At the bottom of the Dream Station window is a mixer which can be automated by CC data as well.

Shortcomings

What hurts Dream Station a bit is its polyphony performance. At realtime performance latency, you can choke out Dream Station with a single synth pad if you are playing five and six note chords.

Since other manufacturers have largely overcome latency/polyphony limitations in their latest releases, one would expect Dream Station to follow suit in the near future. It is a shame to have this much fat sound at this price, and for polyphony to hold back its potential.

Keep in mind that this is realtime latency I'm talking about. Should you wish to use Dream Station's internal sequencing capabilities, you will be able to get a bit more polyphony going. When used in conjunction with other synths, and with resulting tracks combined in a traditional DAW application, you may find that Dream Station is indispensible simply for the particular brand of analog sound it produces.

For more information go to http://www.audio-simulation.de

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