June 2, 2008—As of June 1st, the Poly Evolver Rack is no longer available. The current production run had reached its end and we made the difficult decision not to do another one.
We have also had to raise the price of the Evolver Desktop $50. There had been no price increases since the Evolver was released in 2002, even though costs have increased tremendously in that time. We still think it's a bargain at a US MSRP of $649.
Why We Like Thursday
May 22, 2008—Andrew Everding of the band Thursday is our kind of guy. Performances feature his Poly Evolver Keyboard, but he also owns an Evolver, an Evolver Keyboard, and a Prophet '08. When he's not busy running all over the planet with the band, Andrew tells us he has been using his DSI gear for commercial work. So if you're agonizing over which Dave Smith instrument to get, just follow Andrew's lead and get one of everything! Just kidding. Sort of...
Prophet '08 Nominated for TEC Award
May 21, 2008—The Prophet '08 has been nominated for the 2008 TEC Award for outstanding technical achievement in the Musical Instrument Technology category. Founded in 1985, the TEC (Technical Excellence & Creativity) Awards is the foremost program recognizing the achievements of audio professionals. Presented annually by the Mix Foundation for Excellence in Audio, the TEC Awards honor the individuals, companies and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, films, TV shows and live performances. The Poly Evolver Keyboard was honored with a nomination in 2006 and Dave was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame in 2005. The 24th Annual TEC Awards ceremony will be held October 3, 2008 in San Francisco to coincide with the AES show.
Expression Pedals Now Available
May 16, 2008—Expression pedals are now available direct from DSI. These pedals are compatible with all DSI products that have pedal inputs (and probably most other manufacturers' products, as well). We are only able to offer them to customers in the US and Canada at this time, as the shipping costs make them prohibitively expensive elsewhere. They sell for $39.99 plus shipping and handling.
Hot Chip's Felix Martin and his Poly Evolver are "Ready for the Floor"
April 25, 2008—Last night we all attended the sold out Hot Chip show at the Fillmore with Felix Martin manning the mighty Poly Evolver Keyboard. These guys are a blast and are making some very original and fun pop/dance music. The Poly Evolver is prominently featured on their hit "Ready for the Floor." They told us they also have a Prophet '08 and a Poly Evolver Rack. Thanks to Felix, Al, Alex, and the rest of the guys (Fiona, too) for making us feel welcome and showing us a good time.
Jason Miles: Prophet '08 Makes Global Noize
April 25, 2008—Keyboard great and Prophet '08 player Jason Miles (Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson) is playing live dates in support of Global Noize, his latest album project with DJ Logic and many special guest artists. The album is set to be released on 4/29/08 from Shanachie Entertainment. For photos of Jason performing with his Prophet '08, check out the Global Noize Pics page on MySpace.
Jason Miles: Soundcheck at The Highline Ballroom, NYC, 4/7/08
Morgan Page's "Go-To" Synth
April 24, 2008—Producer/DJ/remixer/recording artist Morgan Page—whose remixes for Nelly Furtado, Jody Watley, and Delerium all hit #1 on the Billboard Dance chart—sent us his remix of Natalie Walker's "Over and Under," which pretty obviously (in a good way) features his Prophet '08 Special Edition. Morgan tells us, "The Prophet is now officially my go-to synth for everything from major label remixes to original productions." Thanks Morgan! Check out his new album "Elevate," out now on Nettwerk and available for download from iTunes.
Ray Subject and the "Blue Wizard"
April 24, 2008—Marek "Dendy" Dendes—AKA Ray Subject—sent along an edit of his track "Blue Wizard" [blue_wizard_edit.mp3, 5.33MB] (Hmmm, I wonder where the title comes from...?) With the exception of the sampled drums and percussion, all of the sounds were produced with his trusty desktop Evolver. Visit the Ray Subject Web site to download a high bitrate version of the entire track.
The Keyboard Wizard Meets the Prophet
April 24, 2008—Michael Walthius, "The Keyboard Wizard," has been generating a lot of buzz with his demos of the Prophet '08 on YouTube. If you haven't been able to lay your hands on a Prophet, it's the next best thing. Good stuff!
Coming Soon: A Case For Your Prophet/Evolver Keyboard
April 24, 2008—While adequate "off-the-shelf" cases are available for the Poly Evolver Keyboard, cases for the Evolver Keyboard and the Prophet '08 Keyboard are somewhat difficult to find due to their unusual sizes and people have generally had to resort to getting custom cases made. In 90 days or so, we will have available a case that will work for both the Prophet and the Evolver Keyboard. It is a molded, polyethylene case with wheels, with a 2.25" wide accessory compartment. Because the Evolver Keyboard and the Prophet have essentially the same profile, the case will work for either instrument. A 9" tray is included to fill the extra space not occupied by the smaller Evolver Keyboard and to provide additional storage (and who doesn't need that?). Check back for further information.
Ghostland Observatory: Close Encounters with the Prophet '08
April 18, 2008—One of the great joys of making musical instruments is getting to see and hear the artists who use them. Last night we saw new Prophet '08 Module owners Ghostland Observatory when they played to a sold out crowd at the Mezzanine in San Francisco. This other l'il ol' band from Texas was dynamic, great fun (Lasers! Cowboy boots! A CAPE!!!), and very gracious. Thanks to Thomas and Aaron for letting us share in the fun.
April 24, 2008—Producer/DJ/remixer/recording artist