Quite a bit of mail on lots of very interesting topics today and yesterday! Let's
keep it going!
All this has tickled a few brain cells for me too... I think there are two very
important areas that make modular synthesis interesting and fun. I do agree that
filters really accout for about 80% of the character of a modular synth.
Oscillators are important, but I'll save that for another message. I also think a
very huge part of modular synthesis comes from controllers; both gesture (keyboards,
joysticks, ribbons, etc.) and programmed (EGs, LFOs, etc.)
Here's a filter idea that has been kicking around my head, a Voltage Controlled
Graphic EQ. Rather than bands at fixed frequencies, you set up a response curve and
then control the frequency (and perhaps the Q) of all the bands with the same CV. I
suppose you could do this with several 410 filters ganged together or a variation on
a vocoder filter bank. By setting the response curve, you create different slopes
and dips, etc. HP, LP, BP, and other response curves could be "drawn" with the
graphic sliders and swept about under VC. Thoughts?
In the controller area, I'd like to see more physical controllers. I know that Paul
hasn't made any physical controllers but I think this is a wide open area for the
DIY experimenter. We've talked about lots of things in the past; ribbons, gloves,
joysticks, etc. Something that has stuck in my mind recently is a sort of small
hand held "bow" that produces a few CVs, one for the vibration of the string that
can be plucked, slapped, etc. and one for the tension of the bow itself. The string
CV would obviously move faster than the bow tension. I dunno, I guess I have the
idea that you could "stretch" sounds with such a device ;)
Oh well, more random thoughts....
Eric
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