advice for an A-100 baby (long)
2002-11-21 by bostonimprov
hello, i'm writing to seek advice on a A-100 system, which i should have funds available to purchase in late January. my plan/idea is to have something similar to the A-100 basic system 1, but to lose a few modules for an A-100 system that will meet my special interests - A178 theremin controllers to control an A-100 electronic synthesis system, and the various components required for the Doepfer Trautonium. Classic Theremin simulation is not necessary - i already have a Big Briar professional Theremin. My understanding from the Doepfer pages are that the following are necessary for Trautonium simulation: A-198 Trautonium Manual A-113 Subharmonic Generator A-104 Trautonium Formant Filter 2X A-110 Standard-VCO 2X A-130 VCA Linear A-138a Mixer Linear A-140 ADSR Envelope Generator A-145 LFO Modulation Generator to this, i would also be adding: 2x A-178 Theremin Controllers: these might not be necesarry, as my Big Briar 91a Theremin has a single CV out, which i've never used. so maybe its possible to use my big briar theremin as a controller. having only one CV out on my Theremin makes me doubt though, that i'd be able to use my Big Briar Theremin antennas as pitch/loundness or loudness/modulation depth. i am still deciding on either a standard A-100 case or the portable A-100 case. i have thought that a creative and interesting way to fill out the rest of either case would be with the following: A-120 VCF1 A-121 VCF2 A-112 Sampler A-118 Noise/Random Generator A-180 multi-connector A-116 Voltage Controlled Waveform Processor 30 patch cables (mixed) but i'm not clear on how much space for modules is available to me for either A-100 cases, and what modules would be best for my purposes. my work is primarily as a Thereminist in improvisatory experimental music/experimental chamber music, (sounding like AMM, Thomas Lehn, John Cage, Morton Feldman, Kevin Drumm etc), so i would be wanting to produce fairly dry, episodic material in realtime with an A-100 system (so i dont think delays or reverbs are necessary). i also don't need midi. i'm also in two minds about the necessity of a sequencer. somtimes i think that i would need not it, and other times i think it would be interesting to dump a realtime episode to a sequencer and the replay/ trigger the event through a A-118 Noise/Random Generator and other modules for live and successive modifications in performance. i was hoping that i could achieve that with the A- 112 Sampler As i am primarily a thereminist, my knowledge of analogue synthesis is somewhat basic/intermediate. any advice, probaly best sent to me personally offlist, (sorry this email comes hot on the heels of Coleman's 'New Challenge' thread) that list members might have about what modules to get to fill out the system beyond the first list of components i mentioned, that would best suit my purposes, would be gratefully received. sorry for the long post. i'm looking forward to getting my A-100 system and learning creative & technical information from this group. James http://www.zuihitsu.net/ http://www.erp.terra.pl/coleman.htm http://www.forcedexposure.com/artists/coleman.james.html