[sdiy] Definition of Modular (regarding FatMan)

[Magnus Danielson]

From: Peter Grenader <peter at buzzclick-music.com>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Definition of Modular (regarding FatMan)
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 12:45:15 -0700
Message-ID: <BF2E27DB.260A2%peter at buzzclick-music.com>

> I think Peng's point defines 'large' or 'small' modular, amore than it's
> it's 'top layer' description.
> 
> If not, then please somebody tell me what a Putney is - what category.  It
> needs to be patched in order for it to do anything, yet you cannot move the
> functional blocks around.  Does this make it just a patchable system?  Or a
> non-modular patchable system?  The fact the it is broken into separate
> functional blocks, or modules, that must be routed together externally
> doesn't qualify it as a modular system?  I think so.

Actually, with the Synthi you are a bit limited, so it is not quite there.
Never the less, I love my Synthi for what it is. 

To some degree this discussion is partly meaningless, we could end up with
different answers depending on letting modular pertaining to functional modules
in a set of modules or physical units. You can have virtual synth with a fixed
set of modules but for which you can hook up in whatever way you want, that is
still modular in the sense that you can hook those modules up as you want, but
it is not modular in that you can pop in some new module. You could also
consider an analogue synth with a programmable patch-matrix performing the same
functionality altought all in analogue.

With sufficient of plugs in and out of any form of box containing one or more
modules you can hook up to any number of other boxes doing the same thing. One
such box may be a physical module containing several instances of some
particular function, which you can use independently as if they where fully
modular except that they all sit in the same box. The good old modulars have
several of these physical modules. The Formant for instance have a tripple LFO
module, the Buchla 200 has a tripple "Gate" (VCA) and what about those Buchla
source of uncertainty, that is actually several different noise sources crammed
into the same physical module.

The Buchla 259 Complex Oscillator is a physical module which contains several
functional modules in a fixed-patched maner, yeat we view it as one module.

No, there is no simple exact interpretation of what is a modular. Sorry.

I go for the functional modularity since in the end, when I use a synthesizer
which has the necessary functional modularity, that is what gives me the
limitations and powers. Add a few modules or add another panel or whatever and
I get mor functionality, but what I may see the difference is the grouping of
those that I am forced to pay for. Full modularity comes at a price.

Cheers,
Magnus