Modular synthesis

[NQ]

[StephenVitiello]

I have what started out as a Doepfer system but then I've replaced almost all of the modules with non-Doepfer ones over a period of 5 years. I really love it though still struggle with using it in performance. It's an expensive endeavor and pretty addicitive but definitely get a quality of sounds and a kind of interaction that feels very rewarding... 

[haesslich]

yes, ca. 50/50 doepfer and non-doepfer in two cases:



I started 6 years or so ago, and since then the system constantly grew. but i'm trying to keep the addiction-factor as low as possible, so i buy only a few modules each year.

[taylordeupree]

10+ years ago i had a 15u space Doepfer system (before most of these other 3rd party companies were around)... i used it a lot on my "Polr" CD for Raster/Noton but otherwise didn't get along with it too well. sold it and bought a Nord Modular which i ended up using on almost everything i do. (since replaced that with the G2 modular)

lately i've been sort of interested in getting back into the modular game... but i haven't been convinced yet. 90% of the demos you hear out there just sound like modular wanking.. not really useful for any kind of real production and otherwise i think the type of system i'd need to create the kind of music i do would be far too cumbersome.

i thought about a processing rack... no oscillators.. just filters and stuff like that.. which, if i were to get back into it, would probably be the way i go. but, i really don't need anymore gear.. so i try to stay away..

all the new companies are sure putting out interesting sounding modules though.

[rlainhart]

Taylor: have you ever worked with a Buchla 200e? It's very feature dense, in that you can get a lot of functionality in a small package, and the fact that you have some preset capability makes it much more viable for performance, in my opinion, than most other systems.

You're welcome to try mine out sometime...

And what have you got against modular wanking, anyhow? ^_^

[taylordeupree]

hi richard

the closest i've come to a 200e is seeing videos of you connected by the fact that we're only a handful of miles away from each other...

as expected, the price has turned of off of even trying it... as i'm sure, if your "wanking" is anything to judge by.. the buchla + kyma are pretty amazing!

i'd love to try it sometime, you know, borrow it for a year or two...

maybe if we ever get a NE Kyma meeting together! or just make it an excuse to get together on our own

t

Taylor: have you ever worked with a Buchla 200e? It's very feature dense, in that you can get a lot of functionality in a small package, and the fact that you have some preset capability makes it much more viable for performance, in my opinion, than most other systems.

You're welcome to try mine out sometime...

And what have you got against modular wanking, anyhow? ^_^

[haesslich]

Taylor: have you ever worked with a Buchla 200e? It's very feature dense, in that you can get a lot of functionality in a small package, and the fact that you have some preset capability makes it much more viable for performance, in my opinion, than most other systems.

+1 for buchla. i had three get-together with buchla systems, and especially when i first had the opportunity to play it for some hours, it was a remarkable experience. especially the 250e sequencer captured me. buchla never got me by it's sound (which by no means is bad, it's just not what fascinates me), but rather it's the feature-density and opportunities.
similarly i was fascinated by the serge system i could hear earlier this year. the simplicity of the modules and the sound (the resonant equalizer is great) are inspiring.
the only other system that fascinated me in a comparable way was the roland system 100m. conservative, nothing unusual, but the sound!

too bad that all these three systems are so expensive ;-)

[Le Berger]

I'm cool with my MS-2000, even though it's semi-modular (4 virtual patches) and technically not analog either. I like the practicality of being able to save edits on sounds & sequences for later use, and it's a little less bulky / impractical than most modular systems. And I did get it for a few pennies...

With that said, along the lines of "not really useful for any kind of real production" & "modular wanking" I never used it for my current music projects. Most of what comes from that lil bug has that Klaus Schulze / J-M Jarre /  Laurie Spiegel / Kraftwerk / etc. feel to it and I feel like that's been done to a pulp. Very fun to toy with though!

And don't get me wrong, if a friend was to have an interesting modular set up and willing to leave me some time alone with it, I'd surely have a blast.

[taylordeupree]

yeah, with real modular systems... this "wanking" i'm talking about (and, obviously in jest to Richard, because his Buchla stuff is beautiful)... is that i see most people (and by "most people" i mean demos on youtube or various places like that) spending all this time making "weird noises" and not much time making anything that sounds like it could be used in a song... now, maybe these people just want to make weird noises... and they're aren't really trying to compose.. maybe they just like making sounds..which is fine.. but my point is that i haven't seen many demos out there that have convinced me to go the modular route.. yet..

[Le Berger]

i haven't seen many demos out there that have convinced me to go the modular route.. yet..

sounds like a challenge.. 

[chorus7]

I think a lot of people forget about multi tracking with modulars ( unless you a have a HUGE system )...Most of the vids on youtube seem to be of one patch ( but I agree with Taylor there is a lot of "bug music" )... Most of my own stuff is done with a modular ( Serge or Dotcom ) its heavily multi tracked and processed. I find I work well starting to program a sound and I'm not limited to the restrictions a hardwired synth can impose...

I also see my whole studio as one big modular everything runs in and out of everything else, the only problem is to know when to stop...I also learned early on to press record no matter what because most of the time you won't be able to capture the same movements in the sounds...

Joe

[taylordeupree]

yeah.. of course, i forgot to mention that i definitely DO believe wonderful music can, and is, being created with modulars! i'm only talking about my personal experiences when shopping/drooling over modulars.. doing research.. listening to sound clips, watching videos.. trying to find SOMETHING that sounds *subtle*...

[haesslich]

it's hard to make a demo for a single module that let's you judge the module although played in a rich musical context. and most demos only aim at single modules, since the number of module combinations is endless today. and modules develop their strenghts only when used in a context.
in the right context, even modules from companies that promote their products as harsh and evil (like harvestman) can be used subtle. (not sure about metasonix though )
a modular synthesizer is a trap. it makes you believe to know what you want to do, then makes you buy the completely "wrong" modules for that, makes you buy the "right" ones a year later. and a year after that you meet a guy with the modules you owned earlier, and sold because they didn't fit to your sound, and this guy makes the music you wanted to make ever before.

[rlainhart]

Taylor, you're welcome to visit any time. I'e been trying to get a Kyma group meeting together, but there have been obstacles...

Apropos of modular synths, please check out the concert notice I just posted:

http://www.12k.com/forum/index.php?topic=748.0

I can't promise there won't be any wanking, however....

[NQ]

@Taylor totally true that most of the demos sound like uninspiring noodles that lead nowhere. But maybe that's also due to the fact that it's pretty easy to get lost in noises and patching.

@Stephen: i used the modular live in a trio context (including processing by a computer) and i found it a lot less stressfull than just using a computer. But as a solo performance i can totally see your point.

@haesslich: I'm totally trap in that game at the moment. There are a coupe of modules i still try to figure out, how i can use them for my work, because i initially thought i might need them.