Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

Rather than have a whole polyphonic DX-7 in a 1U space,
I'd like to see a DX-7 operator in a 3U or 4U space with all the
control functions handled by individual knobs and switches. No
menu's please! With a number of these you could build a DX-7 voice
with the patching serving as the algorithm selection. You could
patch in filters and other processors between operators within the
algorithm as well. I would buy 6 or more without question. Maybe
Zimmer would even buy some. :)

To me, one of the main attractions of a modular is the user
interface. I love the one knob equals one function concept. I
absolutely hate having to step through multiple layered menus while
squinting at a tiny LCD screen. If we can't have real knobs, lets
have virtual knobs on a large computer screen. (I'm also one of
those old guys who can't see quite right anymore.)

I would also agree that one of the most useful modules would be a
high quality delay line with a large range. The range should go
down perhaps as low as 100 microseconds and perhaps as high as 30
seconds. Over at least some of that range you would want 1V/Octave
control with good precision. (In other words the delay time would
half for each octave you went up) The low range would be useful for
experimenting with correlation effects and physical modeling, the
mid range for flanging type effects and the high range for
simulating tape delay. The feedback loop should be patchable to
allow for the insertion of limiting or filtering. The key to the
whole thing is to either have no stepping or steps small enough to
prevent zippering.

Another interesting module could be a filter bank or parametric type
filter of the FIR type (finite impulse response.)

How about a fourier series generator?

The possibilities are really endless. But I personally would rather
have a large panel with a lot of knobs then a little panel with an
LCD and layered menus.

Paul Haneberg