MOTM

I also forgot to ad that on the normaled module it would be a good idea to
somehow mark the "controlling" jack so that bumpkins like myself don't get
confused. -Nate

>I've been reading everybody's want lists for new modules. Am I the only one
>who doesn't know what some of this stuff does? Oh well, doesn't matter
>anyway, I still haven't received my first module yet (thirty years old and
>still waiting for Christmas presents!). I know what the basic stuff does
>since I have a couple of normal synths (a Waldorf pulse and a Korg MS 2000),
>but some of these things you guys are talking about seem fairly esoteric.
>Are they really useful beyond specific sounds you want to make or can most
>of them be used for many things?

Join the club! Even though I've been playing with and programming synths
for around 20 years now, I get a little mystified at some of the modules.
My solution thus far is this: build 'em first, ask questions later :-). Of
course, the basics like VCO's, VCF's, VCA's, EG's are pretty clear if
you've done any programming at all, but things like the VC-router, Lag
Processor, VC-LFO, etc were not things that that I immediately saw a need
for. But after building them, I found a million uses that wouldn't be
obvious from their counterparts in standard architecture synths. This is
what's so great about the modular concept: you can pretty much plug
anything into anything else, and you won't break anything by experimenting.
A module that seems pretty esoteric at first can become really useful
quickly.

>This brings me my next question: I decided to build a modular so I could
>make
>unusual sounds that are impossible on my other synths, so I was wondering if
>anyone has any suggestions. The kinds of things I am interested in are long
>evolving patches that change over time preferably with many control points
>to cause the sound to evolve  once they are started or triggered,I'm not
>really looking to "play"the sound with a keyboard (I don't even own one!). I
>also intend on using external sound sources such as samples, guitar, t.v. or
>whatever noise is going on outside at the time, so I haven't decided if I
>really will need oscillators. Can they be used for other things? I guess
>what I want is an ambient texture generator that has a lot of control
>options.

The MOTM will do this in spades! Take a listen to some of Robert Rich's
demo MP3's on the Synthtech site, he's made some really impressive
continually evolving chaotic sounds using relatively few modules. I rarely
control the MOTM from a keyboard (though it makes one absolute hell of a
monosynth if you like). I bought a couple of $1.79 joysticks from a parts
dealer, and those, combined with an analog sequencer, are my favorite
"performance controls" for the MOTM.

You probably will want an oscillator or 2, even if you're primarily
planning on usint the MOTM for processing external sounds. Remember, the
VCO's output can either be used as audio, or as an audio (or sub audio,
because they'll go that low) rate control voltage. With the MOTM ring mod,
you need at least 1 oscillator for the standard ring-mod sounds. Using a
VCO for frequency modulating filters is a particular favorite of mine.
Again, if you have the module, you'll find a million uses for it, that's
the beauty of the modular.

>I hope I didn't ramble too much for anybody and any suggestions would really
>be appreciated!
>thanks, Barry

Please don't be intimidated to ask any questions around here, we tend to be
a pretty tolerant (and enthusiastic) bunch

____________________________________________
Dave Trenkel : improv@...
Minus Web Site: http://listen.to/minusmusic
Minus MP3's: http://www.mp3.com/-minus-
____________________________________________

In a message dated 00-11-15 18:38:54 EST, you write:

<< The kinds of things I am interested in are long 
 evolving patches that change over time preferably with many control points 
 to cause the sound to evolve  once they are started or triggered,I'm not 
 really looking to "play"the sound with a keyboard (I don't even own one!). I 
 also intend on using external sound sources such as samples, guitar, t.v. or 
 whatever noise is going on outside at the time, so I haven't decided if I 
 really will need oscillators. Can they be used for other things? I guess 
 what I want is an ambient texture generator that has a lot of control 
 options. >>


barry,
this an excellent use for a modular !  you should have fun following all the 
options that become open to you.
yes, i`d say that signal processing notwithstanding,  at least 2 vco`s would 
greatly improve the capabilities of a modular set-up ( i want to say 3 but i 
think you could get by with 2 and grow over time ). useful as sounds sources, 
true, but also as modulation sources with vast potential for v.c.`ing  other 
modules. one thing ( i`ll let my own biases show here ) you`ll want to look 
at are random voltage sources. most machines are offered with one. i use 3 
and am thinking about a 4th. these help  setting up patches where there is 
"evolution" of some parameters while you can focus on manually tweaking 
others.
good luck with your plans !
best,
dave v.

Get a MOTM-410 filter for certain.
Larry H

----- Original Message -----
From: baron swodeck <reductionengine@...>
To: <motm@egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 5:36 PM
Subject: [motm] (unknown)


I've been reading everybody's want lists for new modules. Am I the only one
who doesn't know what some of this stuff does? Oh well, doesn't matter
anyway, I still haven't received my first module yet (thirty years old and
still waiting for Christmas presents!). I know what the basic stuff does
since I have a couple of normal synths (a Waldorf pulse and a Korg MS 2000),
but some of these things you guys are talking about seem fairly esoteric.
Are they really useful beyond specific sounds you want to make or can most
of them be used for many things?
This brings me my next question: I decided to build a modular so I could
make
unusual sounds that are impossible on my other synths, so I was wondering if
anyone has any suggestions. The kinds of things I am interested in are long
evolving patches that change over time preferably with many control points
to cause the sound to evolve  once they are started or triggered,I'm not
really looking to "play"the sound with a keyboard (I don't even own one!). I
also intend on using external sound sources such as samples, guitar, t.v. or
whatever noise is going on outside at the time, so I haven't decided if I
really will need oscillators. Can they be used for other things? I guess
what I want is an ambient texture generator that has a lot of control
options.
I hope I didn't ramble too much for anybody and any suggestions would really
be appreciated!
thanks, Barry

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>>>>>  2. Alternate tunings.  Well sort of.   ...The limitation is that it
absolutely must be equally spaced tunings.  That may be boring to some



For anyone 'hankering' to play with alternate tunings, let me just give a
couple of words of advice.

Ignore "Quarter-Tone Tuning." Sounds like a great idea, right? Twice as many
notes? Twice as many sonic possibilities? So why does it sound so awful? As
Carlos often points out, just dropping another note equally between two
other imperfect intervals just doubles the error. Quarter tone is a dead
end. Everyone tries that first and gets dismayed by new tunings in general.

As far as equally-spaced intervals that do NOT number 12 per octave, 19 is
the only "reasonable" one, and I recommend it highly. It has a weird, eerie
sound to it, yet you can get your feet wet slowly because most of the
sonorous intervals still fall pretty close to what we're used to. You have
to do boat-loads of math to see this in action, but just trust me. Or use a
CAD program to draw two concentric circles, and then divide one equally by
12 and the other by 19 and see how close most of the lines fall.

The next good sounding, equally-tempered tunings don't occur until up in the
low thirties, I think, which is not for the faint of heart, but 19-tone
tunings are loads of fun.

Pop on Carlos' "Beauty in the Beast," soon to be remastered on CD, and get
psyched!

In my adventurous youth, I created many banks of sounds for my Mirage DSK-8,
ESQ-M and TX-81Z using 19 tone. The nice thing about ET tunings is that you
can often get them by biasing or by altering the oscillators' response to
the control. Then you just need to make that strip of paper with the weirdo
note names so you know what you're doing:  "C, C#, Dd, D, E..." (because in
19-tone, C# and D-flat are two different notes).

Roger/group..YES..there is ham radio fest at the Lake County fair grounds in Grayslake this Sunday 3/23. I drove past there last nite and spotted the signs.
For others interested, the fair grounds are located at routes 83 and 120 in Grayslake Il. 
For anyone needing further directions,shoot me a note.
I was planning on checking it out Sunday.

Gary

>Hi gang,
>
>I was wondering if any of you midwesterners on the list might know if 
>anything resembling what they used to call - a "Ham-Radio/Surplus 
>Electronics/Parts Fair still exist. \ufffd I remember going to one way 
>back (around '90) up in Grayslake, IL, at the county fairgrounds. \ufffdI 
>got so much cool stuff, components, tools, etc...for amazingly low 
>prices. \ufffdNow that I'm back into this Dr. Diode Synth thing, it'd be 
>great if these things were still happening. \ufffdIt's kinda like a used 
>music store thing - you gotta spend a lot of time going through stuff 
>but you can find treasures galore...
>
>Anybody got a clue about these?
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Rog
>
>
>
> 
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
>
>
>

Steve,  Welcome to the MOTM community.  I think a simple kit like the quad
LFO is a great starter kit.
Larry Hendry

----- Original Message -----
From: sduck409 <sduck409@...>
To: <motm@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 2:54 PM
Subject: [motm] (unknown)


Hi! I thought I'd introduce myself, as I've been lurking here for a
while.

Just finished my second motm kit - a quad lfo. It works perfectly,
and was very easy to assemble. Built a power supply earlier - too
easy to mention.

I've got plans for lots more kits, as time and budget allows. I've
also got some dotcom stuff, and some paia kits.

Paul called me up, perplexed, upon getting my original order for the
quad lfo. Strange first order - yup! Did I know what this thing is
for? Did I know it's not a guitar stomp box? Etc. Understandable.
Okay, here's who I am ..... a 40something professional cellist who's
been playing in symphonies all my life. Currently in the Nashville
Symphony. My mom's a composer, and hence my ears got stretched a lot
as I grew up. Growing up happened in the 60's and 70's, in Ithaca,
NY, down the road from Trumansburg. Hence I was around moog stuff
constantly - Robert Moog was just another townie, and I got to see
Mother Mallards Portable Masterpiece Company many times, and they
didn't mind if I came up and fooled with the knobs after their
concerts. Later I attended Oberlin Conservatory, and besides the
cello, took courses in composition and electronic music, and was one
of the first students in the TIMARA program there. Got to play with
the moog and the buchla there. A few of my classmates were building
modulars from serge kits, which was a viable option then, and I
meant to do that someday, but never got around to it. So life goes
by for some years, and I get to beta test a bunch of music software,
and along comes arturia modular. Great piece of gear, but still has
major limitations, and doesn't really have the sound. So I did some
online searching and on a lark bought 3 dotcom modules, and was
looking out for a fun, cheap way to add to them, and there's motm.
So I've got the start of a modular going here!


I think the 101 is the next kit in line. And after that some more
basic stuff. More involved stuff a few months from now. I wish there
was something like a serge Dual Universal Slope Generator available
somewhere - any advice?

Cheers - Steve Drake







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