King Capitol Punishment Sleepdrone 5
The Sleepdrone 5 from King Capitol Punishment is a four oscillator drone machine. Each oscillator features:
- discrete output
- pitch tuning
- pitch range selection
- volume level
- added tweak bus feature
- muting on/off control
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User Reviews of the King Capitol Punishment Sleepdrone 5
- Submitted by Jeffrey from Madison, WI (62 points) on May 17, 2010
- the layout on this four oscillator synth is incredibly intuitive. each oscillator has three switches: off/on, low pitch/high pitch, and the third switch alters the oscillator sound slightly, though not in pitch which is a definite plus. each oscillator has a pitch knob and a "volume" knob, though that functions more like an intensity knob--more on that below. i felt that there was a very quick learning curve, though i suppose there's some difficulty in dialing in very specific sounds, and to "tune" the synth can take a few seconds. i'd liken the small "tweek" and "grind" knobs--the small knobs on the right side of the unit--to coarse and fine adjustment knobs. they also do not affect the pitch. the sounds from the inter-ring modulated output vary widely--low end drones, clicks/beats, high-pitched squeals--and i recommend checking out internet videos of this unit being demonstrated for a better idea of its capabilites.
- Good Points: i found that i could use a boss tu-2 (or tu-3) tuner to set each oscillator to a particular pitch/note which helped when using it with other instruments like guitar. the fact that it's "tunable" makes it very useful as as instrument in it's own right. if you tune each oscillator to a specific note, c for example, the inter-ring modulated output will also be c (with maybe a few cents-worth of variation due to oscillation). the unit also plays nicely with other effects such as moog and electro-harmonix. when the volume is loud it reveals very rich sounding oscillations. lastly, this unit isn't in current production (as of 5/16/2010). i've heard no word if it's going to be reissued and i would belive the total production run on this to be several hundred to several thousand, fairly hard to come by for an effect unit.
- Bad Points: the biggest bummer is that the four outputs on the top of the unit--the "dedicated outputs"--have significant bleed-over from the other oscillators. in fact, each dedicated output emits some kind of sound regardless if that specific oscillator is on or not. no volume knob controls these outputs--which are very loud--so a four-channel mixer like a behringer eurorack is pretty much necessary if you wish to make proper use of these outputs. personally, the dedicated outputs don't sound as nice, but this is going to be a matter of taste. i also agree with a previous reviewer that the lights are an unecessary, corny addition to the unit. i suppose there's some possibility that you could use an optically-triggered effect, but not likely. each oscillator's independent "volume" knob is not absolute, for example, when that volume is all the way down that specific oscillaor can still be heard. as i mentioned above, each oscillator's independent volume knob functions more so as an intensity knob. the low pitch/high pitch switch for each oscillator does not necessarily switch at an octave or stepped level. an oscillator tuned on low pitch to a might be a flat-e when you switch the pitch adjustment switch lastly, it's an expensive unit. it's hard to say if it's worth the dough. it's very distinct, sturdy, and made by an independent company, so the cost can be justified outside of it's functionality.
- Price Paid: US$250.00
- Purchased At: eBay
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- Submitted by kinetic turtle from Oakland, CA (166 points) on Oct 14, 2009
- Solidly built, useful synth. Varied noise source. A lot of fun, and a lot of "wtf is that thing with no labels on it" factor from the audience. Definitely a learning curve. It's a lot of money, but it became a go-to box for me.
- Good Points: Nice color, solid build. Sounds great, LOUD.
- Bad Points: Strange bleed between oscillators' "independent" inputs. Lights on the front all blink together, not nearly as cool as you'd assume.
- Price Paid: US$350.00
- Purchased At: KCP
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- Submitted by Dont Cry from United States (8 points) on Sep 27, 2009
- This is solid synth, I got it for only 0 by finding some guy selling it on Craigslist. This thing has a pretty big range, heavy drones to crumbling oscillation. It is built like a tank so you don't have to worry about breaking it at all.
- Good Points: Sound Build
- Bad Points: Regular Price
- Price Paid: US$180.00
- Purchased At: Craigslist
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