PLAN B analog blog

Adam,

I read over my initial reply and realize I may have come across a bit
vague, please let me follow up by giving your question the explanation
it deserves

Your observation was accurate. There are only 8 channels for control
voltage input:

3 allocate to Coarse and Fine Frequency,

3 allocate to Amplifier Level,

2 remain for allocation across the wave and patch functions.

 
At no time during design was there an argument for reducing control
count for Frequency and Level. There were alternative proposals:

 
1) Additional control input channels could have been included.   
These proposals didn't fly due to direct and indirect cost impacts
that ranged from the Bill of Materials, Form Factor, Noise immunity,
Sample Rate and time to complete.   

 
2) Buttons could have been deployed but then simple automation and
integration into existing analog frames would have somewhat less that
what we desired.

 
3) The design intention of maintaining minimum module pricing and
realistic schedule pacing for a highly integrated module, dictated the
functionality the module now embodies.   

 
So in actuality it's not incorrect to call this a "design limitation" as, based upon the above, it is! Development decisions were nicely
re-enforced when reduced actually playing and sounding the module.   I
hope you like the result of this fairly painful road to module
incarnation and perhaps find this design limitation not too great a
source of irritation. As a side note, half the development battle was
and is dealing with "spec creep".  The Ring Mod and Fz Shift modes are
examples of added functionality that was able to "earn its keep". 

- P