MOTM

I think Tobius has it right.  I use the MOTM for analog stuff and Kyma
for digital sound manipulation and sound design.  I can't easily do
Granular Synthesis on the MOTM (thoough it *IS* possible) and the VCF
sound in Kyma does not really compare to any of Paul's filters.  But
if you put the two together, you get something that is more than the
sum of its parts...

--- In motm@yahoogroups.com, Tobias Machine Head <tobias@m...> wrote:
> > There are many all digital analog synths out there. Kyma, Nord,
pluggins ect.
> > However being the audio files we are, we¹re all recognizing how
good analog
> > sounds compared to digital simulation.
> > 
> > I constantly think of ways of combining best of both worlds.
> > There are a few personal musings in this matter.
> > My main setup consist of a MOTM system and a Synclavier both
connected to a
> > Kyma system acting as the main hub.
> > An analog audio path simply just sounds the best. If you compare
an analog
> > oscillator with a digital high quality oscillator, there is no
comparison.
> > Analog wins. However digital completely rules over analog because
of superior
> > control and complexity. So how do we combine the building blocks
of analog
> > with the complexity of digital. High speed computer controlled CV.
The PISM-1
> > is a first step towards such a thing, but ultimately I would want
to connect
> > my computer (without having to resort to MIDI then CV). I can only
dream of
> > the possibilities that would bring. Additive synthesis, scanning
synthesis,
> > true formant synthesis etc etc.
> > 
> > Now let¹s flip the concept.
> > Most of the time digital synths all share a final converter as an
output. That
> > means that the sound never quite feels bigger when you¹re playing
more notes.
> > Witch is the case with ex Giga studio or ESX24. You play one note
and it
> > sounds convincing, but a chord it sonically starts to collapse.
The secret
> > with the Synclavier is that each note polyphony has it¹s own voice
card.
> > That¹s also why the Synclav tower is so big. Each voice runs on a
separate
> > sample rate set to the speed of what key you press (not like ESX24
where a
> > poor sounding real time sample rate converter changes the sample
in reference
> > to a fixed clock). The analog output from each card gets mixed
together in an
> > analog bus. Thus even when you play a chord with simple sample, it
sounds rich
> > and full. It¹s like several mono synths added together.
> > What does this have to do with Modular synths? Well, here¹s my
thought. Why
> > not create a sampler card for the modular world? Take the idea of
a Synclav
> > voice card, and put it in a MOTM module. A MOTM 300 ultra mono
sampler! Let it
> > even stream the audio from your computer, so ram wouldn¹t be an issue.
> > Individual voice cards that can be linked together to create
polyphony, AND
> > now also give you access to all your filters, modifiers etc. The real
> > interesting sounds happens when you breakup the analog digital
chain a bit.
> > Slap a MOTM filter in the middle of a KYMA patch, not just at the
end. Same
> > with the Synclav. Let me add some analog noise to modulate the
pitch of each
> > voice etc.
> > 
> > 
> > Tobias Enhus
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Wanna spend 10 grand to get the knobs back?
> >  
> > http://www.buchla.com/200e/index.html
> >  
> > --George
> >  
> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: Bob Colwell <mailto:bob.colwell@c...>
> >> To: MOTM <mailto:motm@yahoogroups.com>
> >> Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 4:04 PM
> >> Subject: [motm] an all-digital "analog" synthesizer
> >> 
> >> I have an idea that's been kicking around in my head for the last
25 years:
> >> what's the best way to
> >> combine the strengths of both digital and analog electronics to
make a
> >> modular synthesizer.
> >>  
> >> Picture a modular analog synth. I believe the day is coming when
I could
> >> replace the analog
> >> guts of any of the modules with one DSP-like device, programmed
to provide
> >> the function
> >> of that module, be it filtering, envelope generation, VCO, etc.
Powering up
> >> the machine
> >> would cause each DSP to be programmed for its function by some
master CPU.
> >> Want 
> >> another VCO? Just make one. Could also keep the programming in flash,
> >> possibly 
> >> incorporated directly on the DSP chip. Silicon capable of doing
this is
> >> pretty much 
> >> available right now.
> >>  
> >> To capitalize on the strength of the digital part of this rig,
I'm thinking
> >> the interfaces between
> >> modules should be digital, not analog. But I'm somewhat torn on
this part --
> >> there's something
> >> satisfying, logical, and concrete about connecting a patch cord
from the
> >> output of one
> >> module to the input of another. Even with digital protocols we
could still
> >> have patch
> >> cords. 
> >>  
> >> But the digital world doesn't really need 'em. You could have a
very general
> >> routing
> >> interconnect network inside the box that allows anything to
connect to
> >> anything else.
> >> The question is how to control that routability and how to make
it readily
> >> visible to
> >> the machine's operator.
> >>  
> >> To really take advantage of the extreme programmability of the
modules, you'd
> >> probably want each of them to have some kind of display that
reflects the
> >> current
> >> function of that module. LCD displays are pretty expensive right now,
> >> especially
> >> the color ones that I think would be necessary to quickly
distinguish the
> >> various
> >> modules.
> >>  
> >> Why would anyone want such a rig? Well, one major reason is that
you could
> >> get all of the "knobs" back to their exact settings later,
something that I
> >> never
> >> could achieve with an analog synth. In fact, if the patching is
done via a
> >> routing
> >> network, you could reconfigure the machine to precisely what it
was at any
> >> previous time. Maybe a combination of internal routing network
plus patch
> >> cords?
> >>  
> >> Anyone else ever thought about doing this?
> >>  
> >> -BobC
> >> 
> >> 
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> >> 
> >>