MOTM-110

[Roy Tate]

[ If you saw my post on AH, notice I didn't cross-post
  and I added a few more comments.  :) ]

I have built two MOTM-110 Ring Modulator / VCA modules now, and they work
very well.  One difference I noticed immediately was that the VCA doesn't
start bleeding through when the initial gain goes below zero.  With my
ASM-1's VCA (using a CA3080 chip) I can't turn the initial gain more than 2
or 3 volts below zero or I get sound bleed-through.  This was my first
experience with a Ring Modulator, so I had to tweak and patch for a while to
get comfortable using it.  One "secret" is to detune one VCO and (if
possible) change the tracking on that VCO to something like 1.2Volts/Octave.
The most boring sound is when both VCOs are tuned to unison or harmonic
intervals.

The 19" rack rails and the front panel are very solid.  Definitely something
to be proud of.  I guess the real question is "how does it sound."  Well, I
patched up 2 VCOs to the Ring Modulator and then to a 2 pole bandpass filter
(ASM-1) and then on to the MOTM-110 VCA.  I added a WAV file to my site in
the DIY section with some example tones from the MOTM-110 (It's not music,
but ...).  I don't quite have time for serious composition this week, but I
can hear where some of these sounds would fit in a composition.  The first
note is "bright" so turn your speakers down a bit.  Don't say I didn't warn
you! :)

All of the tones come from a single patch, across 3 or 4 octaves of the
keyboard.  I'll probably come up with some more bizarre sounds later, since
I have two Ring Modulators.

By the way, the kits all come with full schematics and calibration
instructions - the perfect reference for a Do-It-Yourself fan.

Regards,

Roy Tate
roytate at ionet.net
http://www.ionet.net/~roytate