<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"> $.02 my turn...<BR>
(long and rambling)<BR>
(all my (basically uneducated) opinion)<BR>
(heres your grain of salt . )<BR>
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Also we can consider where or what we desire to change.. the actual timbre generating blocks, or the control blocks?? New filters? Blah.. are we really trying to get the ultimate representatin of a violins resonant cavity? I mean, why? It seems a bit dry. . . boring? Fun from a "DIY challenge" POV I guess, but ultimately, what comes out of the speakers . .not as exciting as say.. what you could do with the addition of the meager 12 bit Doepfer sampler module to your rig...<BR>
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Dare I say it, I think that there are more than enough basic timbres available from a standard set of analog building blocks.. (Couple of VCO's + a Miniwave with 10 ROM'S!!) Are there any "new" sounds out there that are interesting or different enough to warrant building a 256 osc additive machine?? Does the chameleon really give a musician anything new? I guess its the exploration instinct in us that makes us want to explore these new beasts, and the desire to challenge ourselves that would drive us to program these things.<BR>
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For me, the most exciting thing is when someone comes up with a new way of implementing a certain IC or circut to do a novel thing. And then gives us the circuit to play with!! : ) In module form ! : ) Things like Grant Richters NoiseRing, Paul Schreibers WaveWarper, these are examples of circuts implemented as modules (tools) for the ultimate sonic tool box (a modular synth) combinations of digital and analog.. Some of Ken Stones CGS modules playing with hardware implementations of obscure mathematical equations... this is cool stuff!!! and availalbe for the most part for us to be able to actually have it in out sonic tool box. <BR>
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future predictions??<BR>
well, the modular synth will always be around for us explorers, and software is going to continue to dominate in the engineering world. and in the home electronic music world. Live music will always require live hardware (midi controllers at least) Its a fine line I guess.. between a devoted computer for a particular softsynth, and a digital synth or VA.. it all come down to money and space I guess.. <BR>
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marketable product/money/profits/popular desires? <BR>
intellectual research/new techniques/non-market driven/academic?<BR>
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We're lucky since we (AH,TGS,SDIY) are probably 60-75% of the whole market for modular gadgets, so the creative geniueses(lol) behind these small companies can go ahead and make the limited runs of the cool stuff that we buy that would just gather dust on a Guitar centers shelves. Thank god for the web in this case.. Imagine roland designers trying to push a new system100 past marketing! <BR>
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blah blah thanks for the bandwidth, time for lunch.<BR>
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~Steve</FONT></HTML>