What Modular system did you go with and why?

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by DivineChemical

Y jumping from say a mini-jack to banana-jack is just a matter of plugging into an interface module as the voltages are pretty much universal these days.

In that particular instance no, it would create a bunch of headaches.

I'm not suggesting sticking to one system, but as you've seen with DotCom, the power supply and rack can eat up alot of the initial finances. The more systems you cross fertilise to, the more racks and psu's you probably need (although some modules can live in a different host rack).

In general, after a few years of trial and error, I've decided that if you are drawn to a Moog style modular way of working, better to go with the 1/4" or mini jack systems like Doepfer and DotCom.
If you want to be experimental and esoteric, better to go with the banana stuff like Serge, Buchla and Cyndustries.
In the end, there is no hard difference between most of the systems, I'm just suggesting cutting down on the potential conflicts of voltage differences. grounding and the requirement for multiple racks and separate PSU's.

[triez]

The .Com system does sound monstrous, there is no doubt about it. It is like driving a V8. I really like it because I like to play melodic stuff on it, I am not really into experimental noise doodling, I prefer the whole 70's and 80's pop aesthetic. It is a real meat and potatoes architecture, but it it is very powerful if you have enough VCO's to use as LFO's. It is a really solid foundation for a modular system, put a couple of vintage FX units with it, particularly lo-fi delays and it rocks.

If you like doing sound FX then it probably isn't the best first choice, you would need too many modules to do what some of the other systems can do within one module, so really it is best to have a good idea in your head exactly what you want to do with it sonically before you make a decision as to what system to buy.

[Beermaster]

From my experiences I think you have to group the modulars in to two sections:

Bananas and Jacks. The Bananas tend use a different control voltage system to the jacks and when cross patching from a module in one cabinet to a module in a different cabinet with a different power supply then you need to have a common ground or you get a nice wopping big 50hZ hum through the patch. Cross patching a banana to a jack modular is a pain in the ass as you have to try and find an earthing point on the Jack gear which not usually very obvious or simple,

On the other side Jack gear to other jack gear just works - its simple with same CV voltages and no grounding to screw around with. Plug and play.

The whole power supply thing is confusing but you don't have to go with the brands own supply and since nearly all of them use a 'Power One' transformer anyway its easy to find a cheaper alternative to suit your needs as long as you want to put in the extra work of sourcing one. For instance the Blacet power supplies are are small and cheap and can easily power MOTM and dot com moduels.

On the MOTM-dot com side of Fat Bastard I'm running fifteen Power supplies and there are no problems that I've found so far...

Beer

[Coyoteous]

Originally Posted by ignatius

that does sound good and it's awesome (important) to be able to do that but i' like to go to places like this as well so here's something from the other end of the spectrum :)

That's Michael Ford's system - mostly Wiard and Metalbox modules. MF = liquidcolor = KAIS (kubricasinstan from the gas station) = metalbox:

http://www.metalbox.com

Metalbox modules are almost all Ken Stone CGS design/PCB's - nice stuff...

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Beermaster

Cross patching a banana to a jack modular is a pain in the ass as you have to try and find an earthing point on the Jack gear which not usually very obvious or simple,

On the other side Jack gear to other jack gear just works - its simple with same CV voltages and no grounding to screw around with. Plug and play.

That's a good summation.

[Coyoteous]

Oh, Lord... now license to be esoteric and experimental is included in the price of a banana jack? I'll bet you guys have some sort secret stacking handshake, too.

- half kidding, but don't let anybody tell you what these systems will and won't do, and what kind of music they're good for... that's up to you.

Interfacing nanners with shielded/grounded connectors/cables (even balanced) can be done, if you work it out. I have a DIY banana semi-modular based on PAIA Curtis/EK-X kits that works just fine with 1/4" and 1/8" (TT and XLR for that matter).

Let's also not forget that Buchla uses banana and 1/8" and Wiard is 1/8". Also, you can make non-experimental music with Serge, Buchla and Cyndustries - though you might not get the firmware update for the secret handshake if the league of banana elitists finds out.

- rant over, carry on...

[chrisso]

No need to rant.
My comments about banana vs jack were meant as a very general rule.
My personal gremlins regarding interfacing several different systems were real however.
I just think most times it's creates more hassle than the results reward, specifically when interfacing banana systems with jack systems (often with different control voltages).

I agree with you about Wiard. The clip of Michael Ford's system is great IMO.
For those who are dipping a toe in the water the first time, I think it's handy to know you don't tend to patch Giorgio Moroder sounding sequencer parts, or Keith Emerson ELP Moog on a Serge or Buchla system. Likewise, you tend not to get all metalic and odd ball on a 1/4" system based on ladder filters and analogue oscillators.
It doesn't mean you can't, just pointing out a few particular characteristics of the current systems available.

[arttoseo]

I decided to keep all of my modules rackable, and integrate the rack frames and racks along with other rackmount gear and racks

[revstate]

voyager+vx351+foogers+frxs

i like semi modular ^_^

[Coyoteous]

Originally Posted by chrisso

No need to rant.

Oh, come on - it was a mild one.

My comments about banana vs jack were meant as a very general rule.
My personal gremlins regarding interfacing several different systems were real however.

I have no doubt about the validity of your experience and perspective, even if it differs from mine.

I just think most times it's creates more hassle than the results reward, specifically when interfacing banana systems with jack systems (often with different control voltages).

Okay, general rule accepted. Though breaking rules, once understood, is what can deliver us from the idiomatic. OTOH, sometimes you just can't "get there from here."

I agree with you about Wiard. The clip of Michael Ford's system is great IMO.
For those who are dipping a toe in the water the first time, I think it's handy to know you don't tend to patch Giorgio Moroder sounding sequencer parts, or Keith Emerson ELP Moog on a Serge or Buchla system. Likewise, you tend not to get all metalic and odd ball on a 1/4" system based on ladder filters and analogue oscillators.
It doesn't mean you can't, just pointing out a few particular characteristics of the current systems available.

- salient points...

[Coyoteous]

Originally Posted by arttoseo

I decided to keep all of my modules rackable, and integrate the rack frames and racks along with other rackmount gear and racks

That sounds familiar...

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Coyoteous

Though breaking rules, once understood, is what can deliver us from the idiomatic.

[sleestack]

Originally Posted by ignatius

modcan makes a CV recorder which can also sample audio. full details + mp3's below. it's module 57a

Untitled Document

oh, and there's a erurorack module from plan B i think.. not sure.. might be harvestman that is essentially a circuit bent SK-1

edit: her e it is.. harvestman digital delay/sampler.

the harvestman digital audio electronics : model 1973 tyme sefari

Cool, thanks

[Dog_Chao_Chao]

Nice thread. And I was wondering if I could find any useful information about modular analog synths here...well, I couldnt find any better. Thank you.

I´ve been playing around with some modular systems and I want to get a good one for my recording studio. I own a few analog synths. I got myself in the modulars with the nord, wich did teach me a lot about. I then got a ms 20 and I had a doepfer to play with (not mine though).

The thing is, I now want the best tone wise I can get. Im not sure if I agree with the fact that oscillators sound the same from brand to brand...

The nord is nice but I feel it doesnt have the sound Im looking for, no matter how hard I try, it simply doesnt sound analog.

The ms20 sounds much nicer but its to limited...I didnt like the way the doepfer sounded, I cant really describe it, although I did not try it that much

So I ask you wise analog synth users: what would you advise me to get?

I dont need it to be portable, its going to stay in the studio

I dont need a very quick deliver time, I can wait

I dont need it to be the cheapest, Its going to be an investment for me and the studio.

I just want it to sound beautiful, powerful and warm, real analog, versatile maybe, and I would love if I could do some polyphonic also....

About polyphonic modulars...Isnt there another way of getting polyphony other than having, say, 6 exact copies of each modules and replicating the settings? For example, how is it done in the ps 3300?

Thanks

[Dog_Chao_Chao]

ups. only now i saw the date of the last entry on this thread....

Still, Id love some input if someone is still interested.

[chrisso]

Really all that's needed is a few oscillator modules and a mixer module.
Polyphonic CV into OSC's - OSC's into mixer - then the summed audio into a single filter with singular ENV and Output.

As to the 'best' sounding modulars.
Best is a subjective opinion, but.....
The two warmest and fullsome I've heard are Moog and Polyfusion. The Polyfusion is something else!
Serge and Buchla have a slightly different sound, but they are up there with Moog and P/F in terms of sound, build quality, features etc.....

In the currently available systems - CJwegman and MOTM seem to get a lot of raves, although I haven't laid hands on either myself.
I love my ModCan, but haven't been blown away by the filters (to be truly honest).

[shadowfac]

Originally Posted by DivineChemical

But there's no such thing as a polyphonic CV device, remember!?

Sorry, but you're wrong.

The Kenton Pro 2000 can output up to 5 CV/Gate pairs in polyphonic mode:

Kenton MIDI to CV converter, Pro-2000 mkII, High spec, very accurate, 16 bit DACs

I'm sure there are other converters that can do similar things. Doepfer, maybe?

[chrisso]

Aaaaaargh.

(head explodes)

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by shadowfac

Sorry, but you're wrong.

It was a joke.
Hence the

[shadowfac]

Originally Posted by chrisso

It was a joke.
Hence the

Oh, I apologize, then.

In any case, those Kenton converters look real good. I ought to get one someday.

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by DivineChemical

I can't help but wonder if I'm rubbing off on you.

Don't flatter yourself.

[Dog_Chao_Chao]

Thanks for the late answers.

Im still not convinced about that polyphonic issue. I mean, for example, with the ober sems I know you really have to replicate every osc.

But in the ps 3300 there are 48 osc, and I dont see 48 individual osc controls. I never had one in my hands but ive seen some patches being made on youtube and Im pretty sure there weren't 48 pitch, wave, tune, etc... controls.

YouTube - Gaetano Di Giorgio plays Korg PS 3200


About that studio modular sugestion: I was thinking on a more easy to get system. The moog is too expensive and too hard to find.

I was thinking wiard, serge, blacet?, that GS sugestion, etc. I would like to use it for rythm programing, bass and some dense and atmospheric "pads". I would be happy with 3 or 4 voices, even if I´d start monophonic. I just want to be sure it will be possible to reach polyphonic if I want to, someday.

Oh, and is it just me or is the wiard homepage completly unreadable and the with the same horrible layout for years. It doesnt inspire you that much to spend that much money on...

Thanks

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Dog_Chao_Chao

I was thinking wiard, serge, blacet?, that GS sugestion, etc. I would like to use it for rythm programing, bass and some dense and atmospheric "pads".

Not sure about Wiard or Blacet, but bass is not a Serge forte, although bass sounds can be made. Atmospheric pads would definitely be possible, although in my experience it takes a lot of modules and a lot of hard work to create pads as atmospheric and evolving as many soft synths. But when you do create an atmospheric pad on a Serge, it can be something special, especially as you created it.
I find the best way to gain flexibility is to mix two systems.
For example, Serge (banana) is great at off beat patches, ModCan (also banana) has plenty of mainstream modules (like Moog style filters), as well as some out there modules of it's own.

[Dog_Chao_Chao]

Originally Posted by DivineChemical

That's because there was only one control that controlled all of the oscillators, and each of the oscillators, filters, etc. was assigned to a different key. They had to do it this way because nobody had thought of dynamic voice allocation yet.

Ok. now that makes sense. So we dont actually have to duplicate 48 osc settings. Also I think that is related to the semi modular structure.

How about a little help choosing a system? What would you get?

[Dog_Chao_Chao]

Originally Posted by chrisso

I find the best way to gain flexibility is to mix two systems.
For example, Serge (banana) is great at off beat patches, ModCan (also banana) has plenty of mainstream modules (like Moog style filters), as well as some out there modules of it's own.

Thanks. Ill look into ModCan.

[seen-da-sizer]

Originally Posted by Dog_Chao_Chao

But in the ps 3300 there are 48 osc, and I dont see 48 individual osc controls. I never had one in my hands but ive seen some patches being made on youtube and Im pretty sure there weren't 48 pitch, wave, tune, etc... controls.

There are NOT 48 oscillators in a PS-3300. The correct number is 36 (3 x 12). The PS-3100 has 12 and the PS-3200 has 24.

The rest of the notes are done with octave dividers. The tuning knob tunes all 12-oscillators at the same time. Then each of the 12 osc can be tuned separate. If there would be some kind of oscillator control, you only could control all Cs (or C#s, Ds etc.) at the same time. Any kind of MIDI interface for a PS-Series synth only controls the Gate and NOT the CV. There are 48 gates, one for each voice.

You can pitch modulate an oscillator on a PS, but you will control all of the 12 (half-notes) at the same time. This kind of technolgy is usually used in low-end home organs. At first this sounds very limiting, but trust me: The PS-3x00 is one wicked piece of equipment.

[chrisso]

It looks darn wicked, but too expensive for me right now.