Exploring Modular Synthesizers: A Discussion

[dustytretch]

Is anyone here into modular synths?
Does anyone here own a modular synth or has heard of them before?

 

[rbj]

back in the 70s, i used to have fun with the Moog patchboard synth that our Music Department had. had a couple of Teac 3340 4-track tape decks also.

 

[dustytretch]

back in the 70s, i used to have fun with the Moog patchboard synth that our Music Department had. had a couple of Teac 3340 4-track tape decks also.

An actual moog modular, wow...

 

[schip666!]

Here's a recent photo of my friend Sudhu attempting to refurbish the Moog I learned to build electronic circuits for, also in the early 70's. We had one of those Teac's and a Sony 4 track in our studio as well!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f....225886319911.136598.623064911&type=1&theater

I later built my own signal processor, using some commercial modules and a bunch of my own design. Last time I looked it still worked...

Did you have a question about them?

 

[dustytretch]

Here's a recent photo of my friend Sudhu attempting to refurbish the Moog I learned to build electronic circuits for, also in the early 70's. We had one of those Teac's and a Sony 4 track in our studio as well!

(Not high enough post count for link in quoted post)

I later built my own signal processor, using some commercial modules and a bunch of my own design. Last time I looked it still worked...

Did you have a question about them?

What sort of signal processor?
Envelope follower, pre-amp, effect, audio-CV?

 

[dustytretch]

Here is my eurorack modular synth, it is starting to overflow somewhat.

 

[schip666!]

Cool. Who makes those modules?

Here's a funky pic of mine:

As you may see I never got around to labeling anything...but fortunately I made a map and color coded the in/out/control jacks...

Mostly from left to right:
One audio VCO and one fancy VCF, both from Serge Systems I think.
Two more VCF's of my own design, using chips from another synth company.
A ring (balanced) modulator.
Two analog CCD phase shift/delay lines (not very good but kinda fun).
A really crazy pitch shifter (also using CCD delay) hacked out of a cassette tape recorder
that was made to listen to tapes at double speed -- totally whack sound.
Two kinds of distortion circuits.
Four attack-release generators and VCAs
Slow function and noise generators, mixers, envelop followers, and other stuff I don't even remember...

I also made a similar digital controller box based on a (Radio Shack) Trash80. But it has gone the way of the dodo.

You can hear some of the results (circa 1982) here: http://www.etantdonnes.com/Mobsters/