SergeModular

>I've decided to share the source of my angst with the list. Hopefully it
>will be thought-provoking,or at least entertaining.
>
>My modular has been sitting idle of late, primarily because I'm weary of
>playing it with just knobs. This is no surprise. I had always planned to
>control it with a sequencer, either analog, faux-analog (SQ-16, etc) or my
>own Seq-303. Alas, nothing I've tried does the trick. (In the case of
>Seq-303, this is due to a need to get away from the computer: I write code
>all day, and playing a mouse-based sequencer just doesn't give me the
>release I need).
>
>I've been through a couple of different sequencers in the last year, and
>neither did it for me. The SQ-16 was too damn hard to use, lacked knobs,
>and forced me to do a lot of mental bookkeeping ("track 1 is assigned to
>MIDI channel 2, which is routed to output 4 on the Expressionist", etc. Too
>much like work.) The Mobius lacked knobs and was non-intuitive to program.
>
>So I'm looking again, and I thought I'd solicit advice. What I want is
>something that can create complex, polyrhythmic patterns, under real-time
>control, with pitches entered from knobs or sliders, and with lots of
>options for permuting the sequence, either by patching or via controls. I'd
>like to have at least one 16-step CV channel, at least two 8 step (min)
>channels, and an equivalent number of trigger channels. Quantization would
>be nice; I haven't decided if it's essential. Ease of interface with my
>banana jack system. Rack mountable. MIDI sync.
>
>After ruling out the Serge stuff (just too fucking expensive and hard to
>get), the Schaltwerk (too expensive and no knobs), and the Regelwerk
>(maybe?) I've decided that my options are as follows:
>
>1) An MAQ 16/3
>2) 1.5 panels of Doepfer modules, consisting primarily of a pair of A-155's
>and assorted support modules, and then either
> a) Sergiying the Doepfer by replacing the mini's with bananas;
> b) Sergifying the Doepfer by ripping ALL of the module guts out and
>mounting them behind a custom Schafer panel, or
> c) Building a very large banana to mini conversion panel
>3) Going the DIY route, perhaps enhanced with a few gutted Doepfer modules
>(the quantizer, for example). This might not be as hard as it seems at
>first, due to the availability of PC boards for some interesting sequencer
>designs. However, as my wife points out, time is not something I have a lot
>of.
>
>For reference, the synth I'm looking to control is a Fenix combined with a
>single Serge panel: four VCO's, four filters, 8 VCA's, and attendant
>goodies.
>
>Any comments? Suggestions? Outright ridicule?
>
>Jim Johnson
>Metaphoric Software
>-------------------
>Makers of Techno Toys
>Software for Electronic Music
>http://www.technotoys.com
>info@...
>
>

On 1/30/02 at 6:08 PM m. blake wilson wrote:

>Jim Johnson wrote:
>
>> ....
>>
>> 1) An MAQ 16/3
>>
>
>but of course! based on your description, this is precisely what you want.
>they seem to
>pop up regularly for around $500, and IMHO you get plenty o'bang for your
>buck. my maq
>likes my serge quite a bit, and b/c its midi as well, the rest of the
>system
>thinks its
>pretty swell too. make sure you get a later version (the originals didn't
>have
>cv/gate)
>or an original with the upgrade kit for cv/gate.
>
>while this track is just a long jam, it showcases two maq's working
>together
>both with
>vintage moogs and a particular modern analog; the maq has the very cool
>ability to drop
>out of sync into manual step mode, which we do a couple times on the
>track, so
>you can manually
>step thru the pattern (kind of like jamming) then latch back into sync:
>
>http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/2017/2017960.html
>
>fwiw.
>
>jim, i think this is what you're looking for.
>
>hth,
>
>blake
>--
>m. blake wilson is OdysseySounds
> email: mbw@...
> web: http://members.home.net/odysseysounds/index.htm
> music: http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/242/matthew_b_wilson.html
> serge: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SergeModular/
>
>
>
>
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>
>Keep on Patchin'!
>
>
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Jim Johnson
Metaphoric Software
-------------------
Makers of Techno Toys
Software for Electronic Music
http://www.technotoys.com
info@...