modular etc etc

[skept]

the first thing that is confusing to me is what seems to be a very low number of reverb and delay modules. is there a reason for this or am i simply not finding them?

[steevio]

the first thing that is confusing to me is what seems to be a very low number of reverb and delay modules. is there a reason for this or am i simply not finding them?

i dont use delays with my modular, delays sound a bit too obvious to me, ive been using them so long now i'm bored with them. i use trigger delays instead, so instead of delaying audio, i delay the sequences and triggers, that way you can have your delays do anything you want instead of just repeating the audio, so your delays can morph into other sounds or trigger whole delayed sequences.
reverb is harder to give up, but i use a couple of Lexicon digital reverbs, however there are modules like the TipTop Z DSP and Z5000.

the way i look at it, my modular is just a big effects machine, i dont need to add anything else, but a touch of reverb will always polish things up a bit.

[oblioblioblio]

Flight of Harmony Sound of Shadows
Make Noise Phonogene can be wired up to act like a delay, plus he has another one coming out based on a Soundhack plugin.
Tiptop ZDSP has some reverb and delay options, and Sean Costello of Valhalla DSP is designing some custom reverb cards for the module with voltage control and audio rate modulation of internal parameters of the reverb algorithm. The ZDSP uses a custom chip designed by Keith Barr who was the founder of Alesis who made some famous reverbs in the 80s and 90s.

The Harvestman something or other, Thunder something I think?

Most of my work is done on the more obvious modules though, like simple building blocks all interacting.

[skept]

i dont use delays with my modular, delays sound a bit too obvious to me, ive been using them so long now i'm bored with them. i use trigger delays instead, so instead of delaying audio, i delay the sequences and triggers, that way you can have your delays do anything you want instead of just repeating the audio, so your delays can morph into other sounds or trigger whole delayed sequences.

i'm really into midi delay at the moment which i am assuming is similar to what you are describing.

[steevio]

i dont use delays with my modular, delays sound a bit too obvious to me, ive been using them so long now i'm bored with them. i use trigger delays instead, so instead of delaying audio, i delay the sequences and triggers, that way you can have your delays do anything you want instead of just repeating the audio, so your delays can morph into other sounds or trigger whole delayed sequences.

i'm really into midi delay at the moment which i am assuming is similar to what you are describing.

yeah its very similar, but not exactly the same, and i'd find it difficult to explain why its different in the same way as i find it hard to explain the difference between modular and other forms of synthesis, but if youre into midi delays then you'll love modular mate.

when i started making techno in 1992 i used the old original cubase on an atari, and it was excellent midi environment, there was no audio sequencing, everything was geared up to manipulating midi, so i've always made music that way ever since, ive very rarely used audio delays in my music, when i use delays i dont want them to sound like delays, i use them to actually create the rhythms and patterns, and when i started with modular i realised that it was even better for this type of composing.
from everything you've said so far, i'd say modular is your future environment bro.

[skept]

like simple building blocks all interacting.

again, this is much like how i approach my current work.

well guys i guess the answer is becoming more and more obvious to me. i'm sure i'll be back to post questions and updates regarding my modular progress. i'm hitting all the stickies on muff wiggler and the links within like crazy for the time being.

[skept]

i'm strongly considering the pittsburgh modular foundation as a starting point. any thoughts?

[oblioblioblio]

i wouldn't bother.

lots of people think the Pittsburgh stuff is great, which I can't disagree with but at the end all you're going to get from the foundation is a classic synth architecture.. which will either make you think that's all modular have to offer, or it's going to make you regret buying it instead of a bigger system.