Dino Park digs up some old CreamWare DSP synths and puts them in a DIY kit
CreamWare was a big thing back at the turn of the millennium. The Pulsar system gave you an unparalleled computer-based, but DSP driven, virtual studio with emulations of some classic synthesizers and effects. Well, MakeProAudio is bringing them back with the oddly named Dino Park DIY kit.
Dino Park
CreamWare made some great synthesizer emulations and it’s these that MakeProAudio hope to resurrect. Using a high-performance dedicated DSP processor the Dino Park can bring these highly detailed synths online with no latency. The box will do all the hard maths leaving your CPU free for the rest of your project. And even when you max out your PC the Dino Park synths will still be running perfectly – oh the joys of DSP.
At the moment the Dino Park will launch with the Minimax, Prodyssey and Pro-12 which I’m sure you can guess the origins of.
- Minimax – It’s the Moog Model D.
- Prodyssey – ARP Odyssey.
- Pro-12 – Prophet 5.
Coming later is the B4000 tonewheel organ, Lightwave wavetable synth, FMAGIA FM synth and the D’n’B drum machine. They say this is just the beginning and it can hold up to 32 plug-ins.
The kit
Dino Park starts with a Board. It carries the SHARC DSP, MIDI, USB and audio I/O. To that you add the Dino Display for quick access to plug-in loading and parameters. Two encoders give you control over things. Then there’s a Dino Park Breakout Expansion to add analogue and digital audio inputs plus MIDI in/out/thru. Finally, there’s the Dino Dials array of 8 encoders to give you direct access to definable parameters.
There are two box sizes depending on whether you want the audio/MIDI expansion or not. Then all you have to do is screw it all together.
Pricing
There will be three levels of pricing. For €199 you can get the Dino Board and build your own case, display and ins and outs. For €299 you get the regular kit with the Dino Display, slim case and power supply. For €369 you upgrade to the larger case and the Breakout Expansion. The Dino Dial is an extra for either kit for €69.
That’s all pretty phenomenal value for a DSP box with this much sonic potential and future expandability. I haven’t heard a CreamWare system in a very long time but judging by the sound examples on the site the synths are every bit as good as I remember.
More information
- MakeProAudio Dino Park website.