Creative Mac: Review: Koblo Studio9000

REVIEW • JANUARY 31, 2001
Koblo Studio9000
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Authorizing Studio9000 is accomplished via a key disk or by challenge/response codes. Kudos to Koblo for including a key disk for folks that have floppy drives; it's nice to avoid the challenge/ response routine if possible. Unfortunately, because the G4 and “blue-and-white” G3 Macs don't have floppy drives, the key disk isn't much good. Key disks don't often work with third-party USB floppy drives; consequently, most users will do the challenge/response anyway, registering a version and challenge code on Koblo's Web site. A response code is e-mailed back to you (mine came within 24 hours).

Global Patterns
The Studio9000 instruments aren't fashioned to look like any particular type of real-world synth. Instead, they have their own look that is decidedly electronica—cool in my book! Though all the instruments have similar front panel layouts and identical graphical control elements, each module has its own color scheme, which makes it possible for the user to distinguish between the instruments at a glance. Stella is blue, Gamma is purple and Vibra is green.

Each instrument has a global parameter section with common controls, including master tune, pan and volume knobs; discrete mute and solo switches; a dedicated key for recording performances direct to hard disk; a MIDI panic button for clearing stuck notes; a Trigger for playing instrument sounds via a mouse click; and a Hold button that sustains the last note triggered. Because drum sounds are mostly transients, Gamma lacks the Hold button but has a global bend parameter. The Vibra1000 is the only instrument without the record-to-disk feature. (Remember, it's the freebie.)

Monitoring includes stereo master LED meters with peak hold and a MIDI activity light. Selecting any knob and a dedicated window displays that knob's function and Control Change number. (Every knob has a CC number for comprehensive automation.) The associated parameter value is shown as a large, red, alphanumeric LED. The current patch name has its own dedicated window, and the user's sound card's selected outputs are displayed there.

Stellar Vibrations
The filter, ADSR, LFO and modulation sections are similar on both the Stella and the Vibra9000. Each has eight multistate filters, three ADSR envelopes, three LFOs, arpeggiators and eight modulation sources/destinations.

The filters sound great and include the following types: 2/4/8-pole, Double and Quad (12 dB/octave multiple parallel), Notch (24 dB with split highpass and lowpass), and Saw and Square Comb with multiple resonant peaks. A filter output stage includes cutoff, resonance lowpass, highpass, bandpass, distortion and stereo spread parameters. Keyboard tracking and a Separation control can vary resonance and cutoff frequencies, depending on the filter type.

Each of the three ADSR envelopes can be inverted and is velocity sensitive. The waveforms for the LFOs are Ramp Up and Down, Triangle, Square, Sine and Random. Simple Attack/Decay envelopes are provided for each LFO. A parameter called Sharp applies a lowpass filter to the LFO's shape in order to smooth the waveform's edges. The LFOs can be synchronized to incoming MIDI Clock—a wonderfully useful effect. The eight modulation sources include all three envelopes and LFOs, velocity, aftertouch and the Mod Wheel, to name a few. Modulation destinations vary from Pan and Separation, to envelope times and even the LFOs themselves.