The Modular Synthesizer Thread

[Julio Di Benedetto]

RIP...Don Buchla.  April 18, 1937 - September 16, 2016

[Julio Di Benedetto]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5Xaw5r43n0

Modular Synths Mimic Life In Suzanne Ciani & Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith's 'Sunergy'

September 15, 2016 by LARS GOTRICH • There is life in the modular synth, which ripples and gurgles in ways that can feel human or otherwise. Sunergy brings together two synthesists of different generations for a stunning album that feels deeply conversational. Suzanne Ciani was a classically trained pianist before meeting musical inventor Don Buchla in the early '70s, radically altering her creative path. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is a more recent convert to modular synths, but has already discovered a voice of her own, especially with this year's gorgeous EARS.

Smith and Ciani's collaborative LP is documented here by director Sean Hellfritsch, whose 25-minute film was shot in Ciani's Northern California home. There, the duo makes music that evokes the motion of ocean waves and sea life, with the synths perfectly in tune with the natural world.

"When I was invited to make a film about a collaboration between Kaitlyn and Suzanne, the modular synth geek in me jumped for joy," Hellfritsch tells NPR. "I didn't hold any expectations over the film, though I was certain it wouldn't be a classic documentary — i.e., no interviews intercut with behind-the-scenes footage. As the recordings came to life, I felt more and more that what I was making should simply serve as a visual layer to the sounds — another channel for listeners to experience.

"The music of Sunergy is an ode to the sun and the sea, so I thought it natural to look to those elements for my inspiration, as well. I took a camera to the intertidal zone of Duxbury Reef and was very fortunate to find it in such a dynamic state. As I was shooting, I could see the sounds of Kaitlyn and Suzanne's synths dancing in the water and light. I thought to myself, 'Aha! This is it!'"

Sunergy comes out Sept. 16 on RVNG Intl.

http://kaitlynaureliasmith.bandcamp.com/album/frkwys-vol-13-sunergy

[APK]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6oV6-shZpI

Incredibly small. And inexpensive. And a surprisingly good sound ... if you are into that thing.  :o

[Julio Di Benedetto]

Cool little synth Anthony.....especially when paired with other sound devices.

Tennis with a module :o ;D

[APK]

Think I'd go for this neat looking semi if I were to buy another analog.
It has some depth and a nice design:


http://www.kilpatrickaudio.com/?p=phenol

Anyone here given it a try? Scott M2 ?  It's made in Toronto.

[Scott M2]

I've never tried it Anthony - but I went to see a dance piece where a friend was performing his score live and he played one as his main instrument. I was really impressed with the sound. A solid, tight bass sound even in a concrete room. A nice touch was one of the dancers holding his notebook while he patched up the synth on the side of the stage before the piece, so that it felt like a part of the performance.

[Scott M2]

Another friend (a modular synthesist who I respect as an experimental musician, and who works at Long & McQuade) had recommended it to him for his needs.

[Julio Di Benedetto]

Anthony I have had my eye on this from the beginning of my modular journey.....I still am very interested in it and its a phenomenal modular synth.  It has many features in it that I love and have not seen implemented in such a compact entity.

If I think what you are think....this would be an no looking back place to jump in and its a well priced piece of kit

Also its banana plug...how I miss my Serge.....remember on Star Trek how they played I think chess on multiply layers so you could take a piece above. Not sure thats the best example but I hope you get the idea.  Banana plugs allow you to stack multiple cable outputs to various inputs.....but you can't stack multiple outputs into one input....just a banana fact.

FYI Pomona make some solid banana cables you see on Buchla's and Serge modulars. 

Heres a excellent walk through from a Canadian music store.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UVguohNNDs

[Julio Di Benedetto]

Its a year since I embarked on my modular synth adventure.

When i started I did not know it mean't that I would actually be building a synthesizer, not in a DIY manner but selecting the parts that form a complete system if thats possible with eurorack. A fair amount of choices along the way turned out to be short term as the system grew and now I feel the modular has evolved far enough.

I will never think of filters, lfo's, Sample & holds, Random generators etc...along with gates, triggers & envelopes to name a few in the same way again.  Composing with a modular system liberates one from the fixed method of traditional synthesis and with that liberty comes the real challenge of sonic freedom.... you are on your own with nothing to fall back on which is both exciting and daunting.

The modular synth requires a different set of operating skills, at least for me it does...you can't approach it with past knowledge. Not acceptable.  It demands that you be open and not try to conform it to your will, eventually, yes, a partnership will come into being but you have to pay you sonic dues. 

The quote below really reflects what I have been suggesting and carries the main sentiment.

"It is comforting to be in a situation and do what you know. You can rely on past experiences to guide you through the process, even as difficulties pop up. The challenge is making the time and space to work on what we don't know. Where the falls are harder and the successes are smaller. I'm constantly looking at the balance between what we know and what we want to learn. How do we continue to pursue new as we rely on refining what we have? What amount of resources do we apply to each? As soon as we try something for the first time we know something about it. We get the initial jitters out of the way. After that, the unknown becomes the possible.".....Chef Alex Talbot

[Julio Di Benedetto]

A dedication to Buchla on the Moog website.



Dear Don,

There are no words that can accurately portray the profound impact you have had on our lives. We are deeply inspired by your artistry, and your ground-breaking achievements will always inform the work we hold most closely to our hearts. You and Bob, through your distinctive styles, collaboration and friendship, have laid the foundation for our future. Your influence endures in our minds, hearts and hands as we craft tools that give rise to joyful experimentations. We will never truly capture the elegance and beauty that you and Bob achieved, but we promise to never stop trying.

From everyone at Moog, thank you for inspiring us and giving meaning to our life's work.

Love,

Your Friends At Moog

[APK]

Which reminds me that I'd love on of these Music Easels:

[APK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhtar8FlgzU

[hdibrell]

 8)

[hdibrell]

Which reminds me that I'd love on of these Music Easels:


  I'm really enjoying mine. At first I got sort of frustrated with it as there is a learning curve like most synths. I found myself trying to force my will upon it and not accomplishing much. Recently I've been letting it take me where it wants and experimenting from there. I've been copying patches from others and using them as starting points and getting better results. Lots of fun.

[Julio Di Benedetto]

Harry....you have an Easel!  You been holding out on us? ;)

I have been listening, watching, reading, you name it.  Prices is daunting and availability a bit sketchy however to experience a Buchla without a second mortgage, this seems to be the way.  From my understanding its so much more than just a patchable monophonic synth.....you enter the mind of its creator. 

[APK]

Harry !!!   we are coming over to play with it ... right now ! 8)

[hdibrell]

Okay, but bring beer and pizza.  ;D

[Julio Di Benedetto]

This thread has been asleep a while.....time to wake up.



The Bitbox is a 24bit 48k stereo sampler for eurorack. You can record 16 track / loops from your modular and then have them triggered as you please, by contact on the touch sensitive screen or by cv triggers and gates. 16 independent sonic events.  Also as a sample playback of externally recorded material to be processed by the modular.

Its like having a DAW within your modular system.  It can also export via the micro sd card into Ableton Live and open as a ready to go session.

For live performance its potential is huge. 

I have had the Bitbox for a short time but I am very excited to be able to extend a modular patch into many sonic events simultaneously. Create a massive piece of music without having to commit anything to disk until performance ready.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amoxQ3KxvZs

[Julio Di Benedetto]

So interesting modules coming soon or currently available....



The original MT module is some 7 years old and this new design is available this coming September, possibly the king of wavetables with many created by Robert Rich.  Not sure if the screen has functions beyond eye candy.  Can import your own wavetables.




Remember the E-MU Morpheus Z Plane Synth.....the famous filter inside that is now reborn in eurorack format!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_mgPq9SWi8

[Julio Di Benedetto]

And while Im at it, here's my eurorack system now......consolidated to about half of its former size.