[sdiy] Question regarding sends...

[Christopher Randall]

Hey, all:

I've got an idea for a module that would make live performance  
situations easier for me (and I assume others.) Normally, when I use  
my modular live, I pre-patch three or four sounds; I've found that  
during use I normally will have to repatch only the effects portions  
of the sounds (i.e. ring mod, delay, etc.)

I was thinking this morning that I'd like to make a module that could  
go at the end of my VCOs->Filters->VCA->mix chain and it would be  
like this:

Signal In

Send One knob

Send Two knob

Dry Signal out

Sends 1-2 out

So it would function exactly like the aux send section of a console.  
The dry signal would be mixed with the send returns in another mixer  
module, so I don't need to add a mixer to the module itself, although  
that's not a half-bad idea if it was easy.

Now I have no problem building, say, the CGS boards in to proper  
modules, and I've made a couple modules from scratch, but electronics  
theory and design is utterly beyond me. Could I do this entirely  
passive, with it basically operating as a multiple, with attenuators  
on the send outputs? Or am I going to lose a lot of signal at the dry  
out, which will be variable depending on the amount being "sent"? If  
that's the case, what would be the proper way to do this?

This sort of module would be rather handy live, but not so much in  
the studio, I don't think. But I like to repatch as little as  
possible live, for obvious reasons, and being able to set two  
"effects" chains would be incredibly handy.

Chris Randall
http://www.analogindustries.com