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Modular synth madness

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Davesax1965 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2018 at 04:31
To give you an idea of the complexity of the system - the Moog 3P, as used by Tangerine Dream, typically had 3-10 oscillators. Mine has 18 multi voice ones. I can output 48 simultaneous waveforms. The Moog could do 3-10.

One of the Moog oscillators could be switched into low mode to act as a low frequency oscillator. I've got about 8 LFO's in the system.

You'd have one or two filters in a Moog. I have something like 12. 

There were usually a couple of envelope generators in the Moog, I've got about 12 as well, plus slew limiters. 

A sequencer was an expensive optional extra in a Moog modular. I have 8 secondary ones, two master ones and two two channel backups. 



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2018 at 04:53
Let's also factor in my brother's 18U of modular synth - this gives us 56U of modular synthesizers to jam with. There are also about ten analogue synths we can use and two modern string synthesizers. 

We're multi instrumentalists, so we also have an entire music shop full of guitars, basses, saxes, flutes and percussion. No drums, though. 

The idea is to do podcasts - basically set up live somewhere, just jam along (possibly with some local musicians, if we can find any) and then release the jam sessions on either CD or as a free download on Bandcamp. All planned for 2019, watch this outer space. 



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2018 at 22:37
Hi,

Dave ... I got mad!

It's not yours!

"Moog Modular" t-shirt is a reprint. Of all my TD-tees, it's the one that I wear most often.
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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Davesax1965 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 21 2018 at 06:38
Good stuff, Mosh. ;-) 

I must get something like that. Otherwise people might not think I'm serious about old synthesizers. ;-)

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 22 2018 at 07:08
Originally posted by Davesax1965 Davesax1965 wrote:

Good stuff, Mosh. ;-) 

I must get something like that. Otherwise people might not think I'm serious about old synthesizers. ;-)

I'm wanting to say that if anyone can appreciate your dedication, it would have to be Chris Franke ... but it seems that he has opted out of the world of music, sadly enough. After reading TD/EF's book, I can now see him fixing something or other in his own equipment in all those early days ... that early part of the book is sad in many ways about that culminating in their freezing show in Poland (no heat!) and power failures.

And the show took place, and guess what ... it even made it to a double album! 

He does not discuss a whole lot the 24 MacIntoshes they had for many years travelling with them. Apparently they were all networked ... I bet that even Jobs and Wozniak were ... kind of amazed about that, if not there themselves doing it. In many ways, I think that this, in a subtle sort of way, is like giving Chris a lot more appreciation than is clear at all. Regardless of what happened, Chris ended up getting the equipment to work!
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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Davesax1965 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 22 2018 at 09:47
Cheers, Mosh. ;-)

As a bit of a shock, I think I'm going to use it for a year and then probably sell it. 

And build another. ;-)

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Davesax1965 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 26 2018 at 02:07
Less than a quarter of the synth. 

It's a pity that spaghetti isn't conductive, I'm going to need a lot of patch leads. 



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2018 at 06:27
The main cabinet is getting near completion - just got to build a powered case...



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2018 at 06:28
"I wonder what this knob does ? " 

"He builds synthesizers" ;-)



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2018 at 12:24
Dave, did you pick up a copy of Suzanne Ciani's co-authored book, Patch and Tweak?
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Davesax1965 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 05 2018 at 06:25
I didn't - am I missing something ? ;-)

(apart from any sense of proportion and logic, that is. ;-) ) 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2018 at 04:03
One massive reorganisation of the cases to do - this is the synth in it's entirety so far. The middle rack is waiting to have a powered case built. The two side cases are the sequencers and sequencer voices. 



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2018 at 04:05
Sequencers, all wired up to receive common clocks (so they all run in sync)



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2018 at 04:07
Sequencer voices - the sequencers push out two channels of quantised voltages which go into this cabinet. Essentially, it's six oscillators, in two banks of three with various filters and modulators. There are two outputs from this case which go into a mixer.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2018 at 04:12
And this is where they live. Some reorganisation required to get the other case in. 

The sequencers produce the background rhythms automatically. There are two banks, the sequencers can be selected by rotary switch so you have a total of 8 patterns, selectable to run individually or in tandem.

In the interim, the other rack (which is being finished off) has a total of 8 oscillators in and produces the main lead voices. It'll be run (via MIDI) from the Arturia Minibrute in the foreground. There will also be an internal sequencer in the main case which provides master clock out to the sequencer case, keeping everything synchronised. 

The next step is to get the main 18U case built. I've got to add a back plate containing two power supplies and six distribution strips, then get the whole thing powered up. There will be another two or so output modules in the big case giving yet more outs to a mixer. 

Coming along !! 





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2018 at 08:10
Let there be Blinkenlight.





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2018 at 03:08
Thus. And that's about half the setup. 


Edited by Davesax1965 - December 29 2018 at 03:10

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2019 at 09:10
A tiny example of just the sequencer section at work. This is not even scratching the surface of the sequencer boxes. 



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2019 at 06:10
Right, next step: build an 18U custom case. Or rather, get a custom flight case made for me. 

This is the zen of modular synth power. 

You've got frames, which the modules screw into. These are 19" rackmount jobbies, but there are standard non- rackmount frames available. Under the frames here are two "cheesegrater" power supplies which kick out 2.8 amps each, 12v DC. The feeds out are +12, -12, +5 and GND. 

You have an AC power inlet (IEC) which connects up to the power supplies (not shown). The power supplies kick out DC to the green PCBs, which are power distribution strips. (No wiring on here yet). The distribution strips - "bus boards" - have headers on them to connect the power to the modules via ribbon cables, again, not shown. 

All of this sits on a back board. I've got a bit of ply here, but the working board will be 2mm mild steel. The back board is insulated from the case (and AC in) by sitting it on square section aluminium. So, lots of cutting and drilling to do, which will result in lots of sailor language. After that, you switch the power on (hoping that you've not made any mistakes) - test the voltages and then plug the modules in with the right polarity, as reversing the +12 and -12v feeds has all kinds of nasty and expensive consequences. 

Job done after that. I'll have a couple of blank rows spare "for expansion purposes" - the real pain in the backside is calibrating all the oscillators, amps and filters in the synth. This can take AGES to set them up correctly. They're all tested and working, but getting them to sound right takes quite some considerable time and effort. 

Should be just insane when finished, though. 



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Davesax1965 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Davesax1965 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2019 at 06:11
I have no idea why I deliberately make my life this complicated. ;-)

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