The mighty modular synth

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. ;-)

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

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. ;-)))))

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. 

Wind synths. 

I bought one of the first Yamaha WX11's, back in 1990. The technology was way ahead of its' time, and it came with several faults, including the irritating habit of jamming open on notes. MIDI bagpipes, anyone ???? It went back to the shop a couple of months later. I seem to recall it was £500, which was a fair bit of money at the time. 

I was thinking, on and off, about getting the latest Yamaha wind synth - the WX5. It's not been in regular production for a few years (you can imagine they're not volume production items) and the support is a bit hit and miss, to say the least. The other alternative is something like an Akai 5000 - I don't like Akai wind synths, the conductive keypad means you have to play it with your fingers off the keys, which is totally counterintuitive to a sax player. Also there's a plastic mouthpiece you bite to get vibrato. Frankly, no thanks. 

Wind synths don't play anything like a sax- they're sort of a sax, and not a sax. Anyone who's played a guitar synth will probably understand what I mean. They take a lot of getting used to. Interesting, though. One problem I have with them is that most sax players get hold of one..... and then try and make it sound like a sax, which is B O R I N G and unimaginative. You have a whole world of sounds out there, so they go for a "sax" sound, and it sounds like the Marvelous Mechanical Mouse Organ. 

Thanks for your input. I was thinking of getting an Akai EWI-USB for around £180 for a friend who is a MIDI hobbyist and used to play saxophone. The ability to switch fingerings between default/flute/sax/oboe sounded intriguing, but I was afraid of the issue you mentioned with the counterintuitive electroconductive keys. The retailer has a two week return policy so I might still take a chance on it and see if he likes it.