modular etc etc

[oblioblioblio]

actually might not be true what I said from watching the video... linear FM certainly won't involve digital conversion and a great feature.

[steevio]

check out the Jomox Mbase drum modules !

perfect for me, as i already use the Mbase 09 for my kicks, now it can go in the rack with CV control !!

http://www.jomox.com/

I think i'm going to go with the tiptop BD909. It seems quite flexible compared to the other tiptop drum modules. I'm using the Vermona Kick Lancet at the moment but i've got enough things on my desk. The mod.brane could be interesting for me though.

ive had a BD909 on order for 9 months, i'm going to go with both i think, if i can afford it.

[gowans]

I'm going to dive straight into the deep end on this and get a case this month to start off, I still enjoy using the computer for my productions so won't eliminate that, I'm into soundscape design and producing those glass/metallic pads. But also love that underwater sounding polyrythmic percussion so I'm thinking a sequencer module might be a must? Anyone used the wmd phase displacement oscillator? Thoughts? And recommend any modules to get those great great wonky bass rhythms?

[oblioblioblio]

Pads aren't that do-able on a modular, not in the dial up a polyphonic patch and press some buttons kind of way, and digital takes the edge for incicate sound design there I think... but anything is possible... 2 tri-core oscillators in FM configuration into reverb gets me where I enjoy being.

Watery percussion I find is done best with a vactrol filter just backed off from resonance and then tickled with a pulse from an LFO (as in the LFO goes into the audio in), then wobble the cutoff as necessary...

done very well here with patch notes... also possible to get same results from euro modules (and this technique works with non vactrol filters, I just find their response to CV is perfect for smooth organic changes ... the random generator being synced to the pulses is really important... can get Wogglebug in euro which is my favourite uncertain voltage generator. http://www.365patches.com/2012/07/water-percussions/

Heard good things about WMD and for me a digital oscillator done well is a key part of my music making process... specially if it's digital and analogue!

It's good to dive in but worth doing some research on your case .... get something you can sell on in the quite likely event that your plans change... and quite a lot of the busboards and PSUs are just trash IMO... like TipTop Uzeus.

[gowans]

that's a great reference thanks mate. any recommended vactrol modules? if I have the money to go that route, but at the moment i'm only looking at doepfer modules. im now thinking of sequencing from the computer to the modular using a midi to cv/gate as i'm a big fan of reaktor and enjoy using that still. I wouldn't say its full on poly pads, I like strange sounds, almost dissonant metallic glass textures, I think if I get a few vco's and tune them to a chord I could perhaps get some nice pads as well. Recommended case? I checked the A-100 6HE case is this a sensible option?

[oblioblioblio]

The Richter Malekko Dual Borg will probably be closest.... you can do it with any filter though.

VCOs will probably sound too big to use as a pad! I find that anyway. I get a really rich sound using 2 oscillators in FM config, and another one FMing the frequency of a filter they're going to. Gets quite rich sounds. Reckon you might get on a wavetable VCO... did you check out any demos of the Synth Tech Morphing Terrarium?

For me the best solution is 3U bits and pieces that will fit into a regular rackmount case... Gator are sh!t Chinese made but they work... frames and PSU by Hinton Instruments. His PSU is 250 pounds plus VAT ... v superior quality and will last 100 years. Hinton busboards are designed for really low noise/crosstalk so are smaller than other boards with 7 slots for modules.

[oblioblioblio]

Midi to CV are often pretty expensive modules. 190 or whatever is quite a bit of sequencing!

[Phase Ghost]

If you're sequencing from a computer, don't even look at the Midi to CV stuff. Expert Sleepers modules are far superior in just about every way. The ES-3 is fuckin rock solid, plus you can send audio through it as an added bonus. Seriously, don't even look at that other sh!t.

FM'ing two regular old analog osc's can get you plenty of glassy sounding tones. The WMD PDO looks pretty dope, but for the cash, I'd get something like the Cwejman VCO-6 instead. I'm sure the PDO is dope, but there's no way it's as good as the VCO-6. Perhaps, the intelijel rubicon. Whatever the case, get two VCO's so you can FM the other.

I've had three digital oscillators and only kept one, the Piston Honda. I had the Synthtech E340 and it was a major disappointment. The CV inputs were so touchy, you had to attenuate it before hand. The whole spread/swarm aspect of it was pretty lame and only had a very small usable range. The "chaos" feature was an LFO as far as I could tell. It sucked. Then, I got a WMD Gamma Wave Source. At first, I really liked it. Then, I realized it had one trick, which was to scan through all the tables and effects quickly. It was really touchy scanning tables too. It was like it went from 5mph to 80mph with no in between. Plus, it only seemed to like a positive voltage. So, it went too and I ended up with another Z3000 and I couldn't be happier. The Honda owns though. I'll never sell that thing.

For percussion, the MakeNoise Maths envelopes are so nice. I use them exclusively at this point. I patched up the Doepfer A-140 ADSR the other day and just couldn't get on with it. For longer, sustained sounds, it should be fine. For nice plucky percussion, the Maths is 100x better. Those are the only to EG's I've used so far. As far as vactrol filters, I had a A-101-2 low pass gate. Didn't do a whole lot for me. Maybe the Borg or MMG is different, but I think the envelope is key for percussion.