Modular Synth Panels

"I sold some of my second-hand blue oakleysound modules in the MOTM
format on ebay and lost a ton of money, many people were put off by
the 'non-standard' format and told me so.
Also the Harvestman has now changed his much cooler black/orange
design to the silver deopfer style, I presume for this same reason."

This is exactly what Scott from Harvestman told me at NAMM this year.
Shawn at Analogue Haven also says as much.

Thanks to all for your opinions. So many people have expressed a
preference for yellow, I'm seriously leaning in that direction. If
some nerd demands Doepfer-looking panels, I could offer silver FPD
panels for extra cost. (Or just email them the damn FPD file and let
them make their own.)

In fact, I don't actually see a lot of preference for one modular
panel size or another, from actual end-users. The most requested
format in my experience is: "guitar pedal, with real bypass, and CHEAP
CHEAP CHEAP." And it has to run on a 9-volt battery. That's not gonna
happen. It's made of TUBES, people. This is one reason, among many,
why I curse at guitarists all the time.

You've seen Ken Stone's tube VCA?
http://www.cgs.synth.net/modules/cgs65_vca.html
You can make a primitive VCA out of those battery-radio tubes. But not
much else. They tend to have too little gain for resonant filters or
preamps. And I have no idea where he found a stash of those 1J24
subminiature tubes. They are no longer made, and are already getting
scarce as hell, even in Russia. I will NOT use subminiature tubes, of
any type--because they are disappearing rapidly. The "common junk" TV
tubes I usually use will probably never run out, because so damn many
of them were made.

Most tube module designs I am looking at.....will almost certainly
need +5v power. Amps of it. To run all the damn tube heaters. That
will piss a few Doepfer fans off. But no choice--all Eurorack synth
cabinets have limited power supply capacity, even the really big ones.

I can do a simple preamp/VCA module that runs off existing +-12v,
using 26A6 pentodes. But most of the designs I'm looking at will need
+5 to run heaters on 6.3v tubes. (I run them a little cold
deliberately, to maximize lifetime.) NO choice.

If someone complains that the module doesn't look like other brands, I
can always get rid of them by pointing out how much power Metasonix
tube modules pull. They'll REALLY complain about that. Do I really
want such fools as customers anyway?

"If someone complains that the module doesn't look like other brands, I can always get rid of them by pointing out how much power Metasonix tube modules pull. They'll REALLY complain about that. Do I really want such fools as customers anyway?"

Heaven forbid they have a separate cab for the bright yellow tube modules of awesomness...

Personally, I'm planning on clear Lexan panels, yellow LEDs, black legends, MOTM style knobs with the inserts painted yellow, black wiring, and yellow boards with black silk screening.

Yellow rocks.

-Ian
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At 10:38 PM 7/12/2008, metasonix2000 wrote:

>.... This is one reason, among many,
>why I curse at guitarists all the time.

We're not *all* complete idiots. Some of us are incomplete idiots.

>If someone complains that the module doesn't look like other brands, I
>can always get rid of them by pointing out how much power Metasonix
>tube modules pull. They'll REALLY complain about that. Do I really
>want such fools as customers anyway?

Man, I wish you wouldn't mince words. ;-)

In my opinionated opinion, people who insist on uniformity are
fetishists more than artists, and I have a hard time with that.* Not
that fetishists don't spend good money. (* Sorry if that offends
anyone, but how can you seriously argue that appearance is more
important than sound in a musical instrument?!)

John

Well, I'll be the first to admit it. I'm a fetishist. Usually the
minute I record something musical, I lose interest and want to fool
around with a different idea.

One of the biggest diy motivators for me was having a variety of
modules from many different designers while avoiding frankensynth
syndrome(which I can't stand); for me everything has to be able to sit
side by side in the same cabinet, run off the same power supply and
have the same jacks. Also, every panel looks exactly how I want it
too(which means the same color)

That said, if I had a eurorack, that still wouldn't be enough to stop
me from buying harvestman(in fact, that's a good enough reason to go
euro in the first place), cwejman and metasonix modules. At least they
could fit in the same cabinet, and being anal like I am, I could
arrange the odd colored ones in different areas so the overall system
is symmetrical or something like that.

I say go for the yellow too if that's what you want to do.

--- In ModularSynthPanels@yahoogroups.com, John Mahoney <jmahoney@...>
wrote:

>
> At 10:38 PM 7/12/2008, metasonix2000 wrote:
> >.... This is one reason, among many,
> >why I curse at guitarists all the time.
>
> We're not *all* complete idiots. Some of us are incomplete idiots.
>
>
> >If someone complains that the module doesn't look like other brands, I
> >can always get rid of them by pointing out how much power Metasonix
> >tube modules pull. They'll REALLY complain about that. Do I really
> >want such fools as customers anyway?
>
> Man, I wish you wouldn't mince words. ;-)
>
> In my opinionated opinion, people who insist on uniformity are
> fetishists more than artists, and I have a hard time with that.* Not
> that fetishists don't spend good money. (* Sorry if that offends
> anyone, but how can you seriously argue that appearance is more
> important than sound in a musical instrument?!)
>
> John
>

On 7/13/08, John Mahoney <jmahoney@...> wrote:

>
> In my opinionated opinion, people who insist on uniformity are
> fetishists more than artists, and I have a hard time with that.

OTOH visual aesthetics might be important to some for setting the mood
or has effects on the workflow. Mileages vary, some like it color
coded ;) (nothing to do with modulars, but I've passed trying out
synths which have clearly stated in it's frontpanel: "Won't suit Your
workflow" - it's ergonomics too)

> (* Sorry if that offends
> anyone, but how can you seriously argue that appearance is more
> important than sound in a musical instrument?!)
>

See above.. and what about including the most of the "whole acts" in
Billboard 500.. Now, Wait a minute... :D

Samppa

I have an effects company that's about to release a Euro module or two soon and we went through the same dilemma. We spend a lot of time on the cosmetics of our effect pedals so it would be a shame to do a black and silver module...

I personally say "dont do it" the people that want a metasonic module will buy it already, whether it's yellow, clear, pink or solid black without writing on it, but someone that is unfamiliar with your company may be put off by a yellow module

ultimately, it's a business decision, we felt we would sell more if we conformed to the standard than if we didnt, and really, that's the goal...to pay our rent, buy parts and come up with new designs.

If theres anything i can help you with, feel free to ask, i personally got a ton of help from Mike Brown...we could not have done the project without his help

Josh