Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: MOTM

First of all, its great to have a new module feature thread again, it's been so long!!   

 

 

  Regrading scale programming on a quantizer module, my thought is if the module came with 20 or so scale presets from the "factory" then I'd bet that 95% of users would just stick with those anyway, especially if they had to load some app to transfer scales via USB, or coax their sequencer to send a MIDI scale dump or whatever..  so for most users its probably not even too important.    But wait. . . unless programming scales became part of patching the module..using ya know, patchcords, cv's and gates...hmmm  now I bet most people would end up playing with new scales!  Even if a user didn't really care what exact note was programmed, the modular experimentation-ability of the module would of course, keep the users mind going and results fresh.  Think less in terms of strict scales, but more of a user defined voltage memory bank.

 

    So I propose this idea for those who are mad patchers, or those would want to experiment with different tunings, a mode of operation where you enter the "scale", note by note and then name it(maybe) and save it all from the module panel.  It would be nice if no computer was necessary to program it, and no cumbersome MIDI scale program messages would have to be attempted.    Might need an encoder for this or a button or two, maybe not... but its an idea.  And gives the freedom for real modular experimentation, and intertwinedness in a patch.  Afterall, wouldn't you rather see it be a usable experimantal feature waiting to be (ab)used.. rather then just loading a scale, 1.2.3 done.  (yawn..it came with 20 scales anyway right?) 

 

   So yes keep it in the patchcord realm... no midi/usb jack necessary, you patch up a voltage, tune it to just the right pitch,(listen to an osc or use a MIDI/CV -if you're after a perfect pitch, you might not be, its a modular afterall) press the button (or send a trig pulse) and it saves this voltage level as step 1 of user scale 01, and then go to the next one.  Program in an octaves worth and it automatically spans it to the 88 key range or whatever.  You might need an additional ADC channel for this..  But the best part is thinking of patches where the module is reprogramming itself as part of the patch.. wow the patching possibilites..  would it tend towards chaos or towards a single note??  :)  and then yes you have 2 (or 4) of these in a single module.. wow..

 

    Power to the people!  Lets think "outside the box" and keep it "inside the box" - no computer necessary!

 

 

~Steve