SynthModules

Oops, must be no attachments (?)  Anyway, here's the AH posting
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Geek paradise :)

Having finally found the time to spend some very late nights with my new
PSIM-1 module, I wanted to post a little review of what I think so far. 
AH has had limited chatter on this subject, which is suprising once you
consider what this little box can do.

There are complete specs and info at the website
http://www.synthmodules.com, but the basic idea is 4 voltage input
jacks, a programmable CPU, and 4 voltage output jacks.  There's also
START and STOP buttons, both of which have an input jack so they can be
triggered/pressed from external sources.  Then there's a RESET button,
and AUX out jack and the RS-232 port for programming.  Construction is
solid, and the workmanship is equal to Blacet, which I consider to be
outstanding.  The faceplate is engraved, which looks very sharp.  The
module went right into my FracRac and Blacet power supply without a
hitch.

And you don't have to have a modular to use it.  Anything that has
CV/Gate jacks will be useful.  SH-101, CS-15, etc.

So what does it do?  Right now mine is a 128 note sequencer that I wrote
myself.  Each step holds a note CV, a second CV for another parameter,
and a note length.  I load it by playing my Prodigy's keyboard, while I
feed two other CVs in for the second CV and note length.  If I want to
control those two CVs, I'll use my Fat Controller's sliders.  For less
control I'll feed in a noise source so the voltages will be random.  Or
I can use another sequencer like the Mobius instead of a keyboard. 
Whatever.

Oh, and I have a mapping setup so that the 32 notes on my Prodigy
keyboard can produce 32 voltages of MY CHOICE.  If I want my sequence to
be in a certain mode, I'll just put those notes in.  Or I can mix them
up so pressing E will give me a D one octave higher.  Again, whatever.

When I'm done loading notes in, I press STOP and start feeding gates to
the PSIM.  Every gate plays a step, unless the notes are longer than one
step of course.  I've tested it with my Fat Controller, Mobius, and the
2600's square wave as a master clock, and no matter how fast I go or how
wildly I vary the tempo, the PSIM tracks perfectly.  While playing, the
STOP will reset the sequence back to step one.  And of course that STOP
button can be "pressed" by a voltage trigger coming from an LFO, a drum
machine, whatever.

I'm currently making several variations on this program.  One will be
two sequencers instead of just one, each with its own CV and Gate
outputs.  They will be able to run sequences of different length, like
you can with two step sequencers, and you'll be able to vary the
endpoints while they play.  Another variation will break the 128 notes
into several different chains of notes that can be selected while
playing.  Many more ideas are lurking*

My point here is that for one very reasonably priced module, this thing
does a hell of a lot and I'm only working it as a sequencer!  I've also
written a quantizer for my Fat Controller.  Normally the FC has a range
of 5 octaves, so it can be hard to hit just the right note.  I wrote a
very short program that scales that down to 2 octaves, and will even
quantize it to a set of notes of my choice if I want.  Pick the specific
notes and you can't go wrong while you improvise!

What else could it do?  Just about anything short of producing audio
(well, actually it can).  Make a VC'd LFO with 4 outputs, each 90
degrees out of phase with each other for barber-pole applications.  Make
a 20 stage tracking generator.  Make 4 different things that all run at
once, with an IN and an OUT dedicated to each.

I started looking at all the control-type modules from various modular
companies, but now I'm starting to go past that and just go off into
left field.  Why just re-create things that already exist when it's a
lot more fun to create things that don't exist.

Even if you're not into programming, the current batch of PSIM owners
are more than happy to post their creations on the web where everyone is
welcome to take them.  If you took BASIC back in high school or college,
take a look at some of the PSIM programs.  You can do a lot with very
basic (no pun intended) skills.

There's a couple on my site here:
http://www.ph.k12.in.us/~drew/noise/psim

I could gush for pages on this thing.  If you weren't one of the lucky
few who got in on the first batch, consider getting on the wait list for
the future.

Andrew