[sdiy] Synthesis and effects (sprung from the loins of "Death of DIY?")

[Scott Stites]

> I see no difference between guitar modules and synth modules other
> than packaging, and usually a unipolar 9V power supply. Bring it on.
> Could it be 'less' on topic than the rants lately ???

It was guitar effects that got me into synthesis, actually.  I personally
believe there is absolutely no distinction between synthesizers that employ
subtractive synthesis and effects themselves.  I believe they are on topic
any time of the day.  Beyond the VCO in the audio signal chain, it's just
effects that are shaping your sound.

Fuzz box = Non-linear distortion module.

Wah Pedal = shaping filter

Volume Pedal = shaping amplifier

Phase shifter?  All Pass Filter (vastly and mystically excluded on most
commercial synths, IMO).

Flanger?  Comb filter.

Ring Modulator?  Um....Ring Modulator.  No, wait - four quadrant multiplier!
Whew, that was close.

Octave Down?  Divider.

Then there are compressors, limiters, envelope followers, tremelo, reverb,
echo, chorus.  Synth, synth, synth, synth, synth,synth, synth.  There's
obviously more besides these things.

The main difference is that your guitar or bass has four, six, 10 or 12
voice paraphony built in, and you don't have to give one bit of a damn about
temperature compensation, unless it gets reallllyyyyy hot or realllyyyyy
cold.  This is in trade for decent voltage control, gating and triggering
other than what you can derive from an envelope generator or, if you're
lucky, you have Muffy around to extract voltage from pitch monophonically.
I guess that's why God gave guitarists feet as well as fingers.

Cheers,
Scott