[sdiy] "podular" synth philosophy

[anthony]

I like the idea of modular synths, but I also have a system I am working on 
that I like to call "podular". It's synth elements that can be used alone as 
their own units, but also as part of another whole. Part of the system 
involves a sort of mainframe that has some control elements and interfaces 
for guitar and other modular synths. I call this the "pod bay".

A good example is the gate-sequencer/lowpass gate combo that I've mentioned 
before. It can be used alone as a rhythmic gate for another instrument. And 
it can be used to trigger other synth elements. Although I don't use it this 
way this could be the heart of a "pod bay". One thing in the works is a 
large cluster of Grant Richter's neuron circuits.

The Coron DS8 drum synth is a perfect example of a self-contained synth unit 
that could be used alone or with another system. I'm currently working on 
what could be considered a small pod bay for 2 DS8's. The configuration 
would be basically to allow you to play the DS8's like bongo drums. Part of 
this unit would be a sample-n-hold, an automatic trigger pulse generator, a 
CGS burst generator and a stereo amp. I have an old boombox that's sort of 
round with a large surface on the top for a CD player lid that will hold it 
all together.

Reusing old gear and improvised enclosures is a big part of it as well. Like 
the kitschy Japanese teenage girl's jewelry box that I. found. I took out 
all of the jewelry box stuff except the music box part and have a real ring 
modulator (ha ha) and a Krog MS20 filter clone to go in it. The music box 
has a little piezo pickup and a preamp.

Sometimes the units will have a very focused and fixed (but interesting) 
application. Like all this talk of Pink Floyd's on the run got me thinking 
that I could build a rudimentary 8-step sequencer and hard wire the CV 
values for each step to correspond to the notes in the song On the Run, with 
a knob to control tempo (but I suppose you could hardwire that too). Then I 
could just hook it up to any synth and play On the Run. This could be done 
for any 8-note, no rest (although I gueess if you're hardwiring it, you 
could hardwire rests too) sequences. This idea was partly inspired by my 
wish to clone the Buchla Electric Easel. At first I hated the idea of those 
programming cards, but I grew to liek the idea. I doubt I'll be cloning a 
complete easel anytime soon though. But the unit IS ripe with inspirational 
ideas. It was also inspired in a way by the Jewelry box music box 
that -obviously- plays only one song - but I like the song it plays.

I also thought of making hardwired CV presets for my gate sequencer and 
maybe even a stand-alone variable CV unit (there's not enough room for it in 
the Bearcat Scanner carcass in which it resides...).