[sdiy] Most popular DIY modular format?

[ニコラス・ケント]

For what it's worth I've found the answer to be putting together  
different regular size cases of different brands. This has the  
benefit of not going having to go nuts trying to figure out and pay  
for the best system. And I don't have to try to cobble together stuff  
that wasn't designed to fit together.

>
> How do SDIYers react to Serge modulars (or Buchla for that  
> matter)?  Some users do a very good job of hyping the Serge as  
> being able to do things no other modular can do.

Well Serge comes with a philosophy of having voltage control on  
nearly everything

Recently you are starting to see a chipping away situation simply  
because of all the modules out there including some influenced or  
copied from Serge. I do compliment Doepfer for being much more  
serious about voltage control, they still miss chances, but they  
finally have a range prebuilt modules that are oriented toward  
processing voltage, not just audio signals.

Though I at least end understanding the Serge was designed with this  
approach. It's not quite the same as companies who concentrate on  
building their own versions of "classic" designs.

Obviously Serge's designs used Buchla's designs as a point of  
departure, so there's that connection. Buchla is of course  
fascinating since he's the guy making modulars who's not been  
significantly influenced by other brands and their specifications.  
It's a genuine alternative point of view (as long as there isn't a  
plethora of clones)

> I guess that's where my interest in DIY is currently peaked, being  
> able to add modules that are not commerically available, but I am  
> curious if a Serge is truely unique in its abilities.

Of course not. But the outcome of buying a system is having a (later  
built) system made up of maturely developed modules that aren't  
heavily compromised by cost or skill.

>
> Its hard to put your head around a Serge or Buchla when all you've  
> laid your hands on are Doepfers, a Modcan, a .COM, and an M5.

Yes, though while Serge has that Buchla inspiration they aren't  
interchangeable. As often pointed out, Buchla separates audio from  
control, Serge does nothing of the sort (other than using color coded  
jack rings).

Oh as a little digression -  I think I found it as a PDF on the Serge  
yahoo group. I saw an instruction manual for an early Serge System  
back when everything was geometric icons. (not the "Gold book") What  
blew me away was so much of the synthesis process was involved with  
positive and negative slews (which have been more or less combined in  
the UAP now).

What was connectedly interesting was the same week I saw (nephew)  
stefan tcherepnin play on some circa 1980 panels that were full of  
positive and negative slew modules (maybe half the modules were one  
or the other). Though I noticed he real heart of his patches involved  
wave multiplier feedback in conjunction with some of those slews.

Though on your builders list above - I'd say Modcan, which I'd guess  
contains a lot of Serge circuitry (or influence) and Wiard seem to  
try to bridge the gap between a more Moog influenced system and some  
of  Buchla's approach

I'd say Doepfer is improving. Early on their standard LFO had no CV  
and had bare bones voltage processing options. As the result of  
building and adapting so many designs you have options and multiple  
approaches... but of course you still have a legacy of a lot of  
rather basic modules, jack connection issues which are frustrating  
though fixable, and perhaps a price before features approach.


>
> I had better not jump to any rash decisions with my modular, its  
> hard to deny my anxiety and actually plan things out!  ;)

I'd say just get something that seems exciting and has enough modules  
to get you past the hump of owning a really expensive monosynth or  
filter band. One quasi justification is at least the second hand  
price is quite solid. So as long as you don't trash them it's lot  
easier to trade or sell modules without being burnt than other gear.  
(though notice that big systems sold at once never get the value of  
small top quality systems).

There's nothing worse than not planning things at all or having huge  
holes in your plan. On the other hand you don't do yourself a favor  
with big complexly detailed plans because you really have to use a  
system to get it refined just right. You might very well be spending  
time pondering when you could be already using your system, and then  
when you do use it you find out your big plan wasn't right and didn't  
have the flexibility you need to get it right. Kind of like buying a  
"dream system" - you always spend all your available money or more to  
find out you didn't get it quite right and now have no more money.