i'm surprised no one has mentioned this synth yet...

sounds good...

vinyl_junkie_1620 wrote:Oh and general midi..hahah don't make me laugh, on a Serious synth...General Midi, thats an insult.

Better review of the Gay Ahhh here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQLqG3MN5rE

At the beginning of the video I was expecting him to flex the Gaia in half... no idea why lol.

I think you could produce better sounds from the GAIA with more tinkering.

Do you guys think it will be more versatile than the microkorg xl?

Without a side by side... it's hard to tell which is 'better'.

However, it looks like it'd be way easier to program than the XL, way more polyphony and it is a full sized synth. For me at least, it's less about which one sounds better though and which one fits better into your lifestyle/workflow.

If I didn't already have the XL I'd probably think about picking up the Gaia. As it stands since I already have the XL I'll probably wait for the Gaia 2.0/XL and see what they come up with on the flip side.

Features I'd like to see...

Better Multi-timbral modes... GM? What's going on there Roland, just checking the feature box?
Multiple Outs perhaps?
The external in looks a little out of place on the box and just another checkbox feature. Not sure if it is mono/stereo either.
64 voices is sexy... so why no multi program modes?
I know it's a stretch, but a sampling/v-synth style mode for the oscillators with the d-beam. V-synth lite would still be wicked.

The USB features for audio/midi are pretty sexy though, and I have a feeling that you'll see more hardware have better and better computer integration. I'm glad that the Virus really set the trend in this direction, but we really need to see more companies doing this like the TI/TI2, Zoom R16 and now the Gaia.

I want the hardware/software lines blurred and I really wish that Akai would get into the game. I know a lot of people like Maschine, but it isn't hardware in the traditional sense... it's really just a controller with powerful software on the computer. Still a big thanks to NI for showing the way though... if we ever see an MPC coming at it from the other direction I think I'll be in heaven!

The reviews of the Gaia have been really positive... I could see myself getting one.

I work in a music store (Im @ work right now....) and the gaia is rolands virtual analog answer to the Moog Little Phatty. It doesnt sound nearly as thick, but all the controls are there, you have 3 banks, polyphony and its almost half the price...Excellent synth, imo. I think Ill go play with it right now...

I used to have an Andromeda which has got a really fat sound, but I never liked the OS so I ended up selling it.

I like the fact the Gaia doesn't have a screen... no hidden menus!