What happened to the SmootHound Siva?

[SKU]

The Tonex thread discussion about modelling done at component level reminded me of this device. Initially had a rough start at TOP but it got better and better.
I think it sounds fantastic and the latency seems to be around 1ms. Haven't heard anything since and the project seems to be DOA.

SIVA Multieffects - Smooth Hound Innovations

SIVA Plugz are virtual analogue effects plugins for digital audio workstations

www.smoothhound-innovations.com

 

[Lysander]

You can still buy it, as far as i can tell.

But yeah, i'd love to hear/read more about the SIVA. The fact that it was basically designed, built and programmed by a single guy is seriously impressive.

 

[mbenigni]

FAS/ ToneX haters: “Ugh, you couldn’t make a UI more regressive than this!”

Smooth Hound: “Hold my beer.”

 

[the-trooper]

Was wondering the same thing some time ago

What happened to that "home made" modeler?

From couple of years ago. I think made by someone from UK. It looked like a plain metal box with literally one knob (joystick?) for editing. Supposedly was getting ready for mass production. There were a couple of videos about it, made a tiny ripple and disappeared. Anything ever come out of it?

thegearforum.com

 

[SKU]

You can still buy it, as far as i can tell.

But yeah, i'd love to hear/read more about the Siva. The fact that it was basically designed, built and programmed by a single guy is seriously impressive.

The website notes that it only ships within the UK. Still, it's too much of a risk to order from an inactive company.

 

[Lysander]

FAS/ ToneX haters: “Ugh, you couldn’t make a UI more regressive than this!”

Not kidding: for a single control UX... that's actually not bad at all. Not that i think having a single control for a whole modeler is a great idea, mind you, but i've seen it implemented worse.

I could definitely find my way around the SIVA easier than Fractal products.

 

[mbenigni]

I could definitely find my way around the SIVA easier than Fractal products.

Partly because there are fewer places to go.

Not that this is always a bad thing. In fact, the relative simplicity is a big part of what I love about the QC.

 

[Lysander]

Partly because there are fewer places to go.

Well... yes But "select thing with a single joystick, click to modify" is about the most intuitive UX one can implement. Anyone who used a computer over the past 30 years can get around it, without ever reading a manual.

Problem is, it's also a bad UX, for many other reasons.

 

[Sascha Franck]

FAS/ ToneX haters: “Ugh, you couldn’t make a UI more regressive than this!”

Smooth Hound: “Hold my beer.”

Yeah, if there were competitions for the worst modeler UI, this thing would win all of them with ease and by a mile.

 

[mbenigni]

Yeah, if there were competitions for the worst modeler UI, this thing would win all of them with ease and by a mile.

@Lysander makes the case that there's really nothing wrong with it, but that's only because there's really nothing to it at all.

Has anyone ever sat down with an amp modeler with 3, or even 5, encoders and thought, "Oh, this really needs less"?

 

[Sascha Franck]

but that's only because there's really nothing to it at all.

This.

And seriously, it's not about whether a UI is easy to understand at first sight. That's important when operating a chewing gum machine.
For something you're using regularly, it's all about whether you can develop efficiency over time. And with this thing, you can't. You can possibly improve the speed at which you press and turn the knob, but that's got nothing to do with efficiency, it's motoric athletics.

 

[Whizzinby]

And seriously, it's not about whether a UI is easy to understand at first sight. That's important when operating a chewing gum machine.

Too true.

From what I recall of that device, and more-so the corresponding thread, as savagely as people picked it apart, I still think it was kinda awesome that a single dude managed to create it. I’m not beyond fucking up the making of a ham sandwhich, and that dude managed to create a modeler.

 

[DrewJD82]

Yeah, I thought it was a cool as hell the guy did it on his own. Not like the AxeFX didn’t have a similar beginning.

 

[Foxmeister]

I've been to a few guitar shows in the UK over the past 12 months, and Smoothhound has been there with the Siva.

 

[Lysander]

For something you're using regularly, it's all about whether you can develop efficiency over time. And with this thing, you can't. You can possibly improve the speed at which you press and turn the knob, but that's got nothing to do with efficiency, it's motoric athletics.

I want to emphasize thou: for a single-control UX, the SIVA is actually quite well implemented. One of the old demo videos showcases the navigation quite nicely.



The Ampero II Stage has a similar navigation input (sans touchscreen), and it's way worse - so, simple as this is, it's still very possible to implement it badly.

What i'd love to find are better tone demos. There's only a few out there in the YouTubez and quite limited in scope, but what i heard was actually *gasp* pretty good sounding.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Size is just right imo. I've always rooted for the dude

 

[Achilles]

Love the way the navigation knob controls the virtual knobs on-screen.
Actually very cool.

 

[SKU]

Too true.

From what I recall of that device, and more-so the corresponding thread, as savagely as people picked it apart, I still think it was kinda awesome that a single dude managed to create it.

Definitely! And not only that but the tech behind it is pretty interesting. The guy can't play for shit but he seems to be a bit of an electronics/maths/programming guru dabbling his feet into the guitar world.

The part where he said that he didn't even compare his algos with the real amp was the bomb. Big dick energy!

 

[SKU]

Love the way the navigation knob controls the virtual knobs on-screen.
Actually very cool.

View attachment 21491

IT seems that you can also use the footswitches to navigate for hands free editing. Pretty cool in its simplicity!

 

[Sascha Franck]

Yeah, I thought it was a cool as hell the guy did it on his own.

Of course. But then, isn't that the same reason why the UI is such an epic fail?
I'm not belitteling the efforts of that guy, seems to be a nice (if somewhat strange) fellow, too. But when you plan to make a business out of whatever it might be, you'd rather want to have a look at a) what your potential target customers want/need and b) what the competition has on offer (and why). And in that price range, you're competing with the big guys already, so these points are even more important.