The mighty modular synth

Off work for another month. Everything's come back, nearly, just some vision loss, I'm a bit wobbly and get tired very easily.

I think the neighbours might drive me back to work with flaming torches, though. Never move in next to a musician...... this isn't the modular, it's an analogue synth being driven by a sequencer. 

Had a stroke, at the age of 50 !! Looks like I need to take a long rest, folks, and to learn to slow down a little. I'll be back here in a few months, but take care, all, look after yourselves, too !! I'm fine, over the worst, but wooo. Big tap on the shoulder from the Grim Reaper. ;-)))))

The second cabinet should make it slightly more complicated than the Space Shuttle. If I do it correctly. ;-)

Patch cables omitted for clarity. The "keyboard" is an Arturia Minibrute with imported walnut sides. This no longer acts as a standalone synth: better get another one..... now it kicks out MIDI information. This goes up to the very top of the synth into the left hand box in the pic - two plugs - which is a sequencer. (The other sequencer is synchronised to the first but goes off to another synth, a Korg MS-20). 

The sequencer info comes out, in MIDI format, and goes into the middle row of the synthesizer. On this row, the "control voltages" it produces can be processed by another unit which increases or decreases or inverts the voltage (an attenuverter) - this then kicks out CV - control voltage - into a pair of splitters and then a triple oscillator, filter, envelope generator, filter and output module, last right hand unit on the top row - the audio output then goes to an audio mixer and on to the PC soundcard and Cubase. 

The rows above and below the middle one are extra oscillators, filters, amps, you name it. They're "nearly finished". At the very top and bottom of the synth are patch panels which, if an input goes into one, automatically routes that input around the case, so you get multiple outputs and less external cabling to worry about. These will be used to form a bus to expand the system into another similarly sized case. The beauty of modular synths is that they can be infinitely expanded, just keep adding modules, cases and power supplies and you can patch anything into anything, if it's logical and you have the time and money to afford and build it. ;-)

The latest additions to the synth have been an echo unit and a "Sallen-Key filter, which should be soldered up in a weekend or two (got a health scare at the moment and can't see well enough to do all the fiddly soldering. ;-) ) 

There's still some finishing off to do. Well, quite a lot of finishing off to do, to be honest. ;-)

Quite a feat of soldering, there ! ;-) Buchla never quite caught on in Europe the same way Moog did. Which is a real shame. 

Nice system, must be great fun to play!

I have a modular but it's much smaller than the other ones pictured in this thread, only has about ten modules.

There are so many interesting modules available and always new modules being released too. Often really hard to choose which modules to get. And unfortunately my disposable income is limited.

 

So nice to see this, right after I saw "I dream of Wires" I just got and watched.

 

Really cool!