modular etc etc

[steevio]

integration with a DAW is easy, you just have to have a way to convert midi information into Control Voltages (CVs)

you can either use a stand alone box or module midi-CV convertor, or software that will produce voltages like Tone mentioned (Silent Way)

If you think of CVs as a sort of analogue midi, you're half way to understanding it, but when you get going it will quickly fall into place for you. its quite intuitive once you start.

example, say you have a midi controller and you turn a parameter knob, it makes the value go up from 0 to 127 in digital steps, if say you are opening a filter,
and with analogue you turn the knob and voltage goes up (smoothly with no steps) from say 0 volts to 10V (or 20V, in fact it varies with different modules and systems, but you dont need to worry about that)
that voltage is responsible for opening the filter.

i know thats a simplification, but it really is almost as simple as that, everything is just fluctuating voltages, so you can use almost anything to control anything else, its much more deep, accurate and versatile than midi.

[gowans]

yeah that makes things easy to understand. its knowing what to buy and where to start, im basically just wanting a real nice drum machine/bass module thing, so i can make some wonky patterns of percussion. what would you recommend as a starting system.

[steevio]

yeah that makes things easy to understand. its knowing what to buy and where to start, im basically just wanting a real nice drum machine/bass module thing, so i can make some wonky patterns of percussion. what would you recommend as a starting system.

the problem is that you need quite a few different modules just to synthesize one drum sound , so if you want to build a percussion synth, you'll need alot of modules.

what i do is use dedicated modules for things that you cant really synthesize that easily and maybe only do one thing, like a kick drum or hi-hat, snare, and use various modules to make other sounds which are less easy to define like tomtom /cowbell/timbali/wood block/ clave / metal pipe etc.. i make all those sounds with one modular patch, so that i can interchange, mix and match, ,morph the sounds. for that i use this set up;

2 x tiptop audio Z3000 mk2 (VCO) great for FM to get those clangy, boingy sounds
1 x Makenoise Maths (dual EG)
1 x Makenoise QMMG (quad VCA/VCF)- but you could use any combination of VCAs and VCFs.

you can also make regular synth sounds with this set up, just by opening up the filters (edit when i say regular i dont mean ordinary and boring, i just mean sounds that you can make with synthesizers

and use these dedicated modules;

Analogue solutions HH88 (808 hihat)
Analogue solutions SD99 (909 snare) these are both good.

i'm using a jomox mbase 01 for kicks (only becasue i cant afford anymore modules right now), and a tiptop BD808

having a lot of EGs helps massively to add groove to everything, i use envelopes to shape absolutely everything coming out of my modular, the A143-2 quad adsr plus some trigger delays can really funk everything up

[skept]

[headband]

Very nice selection of modules skept, how do you like your Polivoks filter??

[skept]

Very nice selection of modules skept, how do you like your Polivoks filter??

thanks man! i am quite happy with these choices. i mean we are looking at a simple subtractive synth here (well a little fm action with the pb osc) but the possibilities and all around power granted to it because of it being modular are just unreal.

i think the polivoks sounds freaking wicked! if someone wants an all around utility filter then this is not the choice but if someone desires something that sounds just nasty and really interested especially when modulated like crazy then this is the one. i've been using it like a vca and gettting interesting results. the polivoks vcf and vulcan modulator are my favorite modules. the vulcan modulator is the sh!t!

[oblioblioblio]

looks like a fun case.

Livewire stuff is great. I used to have more but ditched some of it becuase I was going for a complete system feel. The Frequensteiner filter is really special, although it has some quirks that can be more noticeable in some systems.

I still have a Dual Cyclotron and a Dalek Modulator, which I use as a dedicated system for bass.

I would be interested in a Vulcan but I have a Dual Envelator which is quite similar in philosophy but in practice I prefer the patchability of the envelators.

If you mix the waves from the Wiard Oscillator you can get pulsewidth modulation and similar from all the waves, including triangle and saw. I like mixing 2 saws.

[skept]

last night i was kicking the vulcan modulator up to audio rates and making it modulate it self. i got some pretty interesting bass tones out of it.