Despite the fact that I have and use a Davolisint, I would never, EVER recommend a synth that has NO VCF. I even got a Waldorf 2-Pole for the Davoli, in fact!
The above build is missing so much stuff that my Davoli actually seems over-featured by comparison. Damn...
I see a layout thing...shift the Plog down so that it's next to the WMD Accent module, then slide the Stilson in next to the Plog. That puts all of your timing and sequencing into one easy-to-work zone. And for a little more fun, you might want this between the Plog and Stilson: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/dovemans-shft That's a dual window comparator...it reads incoming voltage levels, and can give you gates on "below thresholds", "between thresholds" (or the "window", hence the name) and "above thresholds". Now, where this gets fun is that you can output a channel of the Stilson to this, and depending on how you set the threshold levels, you'd get TWO channels of voltage-conditional gate generation (in SIX ways!) which can then be tossed around in the build to operate even MORE things. The abuse potential within this sequencing environment would be pretty massive!
Plus, using an external drum machine (or two) is much more "idiomatic" to techno. Even new styles can have "performance practice" aspects, you know...they're not just for Early Music these days.
The ONLY things I would have different in this version is that I'd yank the rightmost buffered mult and adder on row #2 so that you can put the Qx back in for the Quadrax, and the extra 1 hp can go back at either end for one of those Konstant Labs PWRcheckrs. If you need a mult at the right side, just shift the Links over there where the adder/buff pair is currently. Another potential change might be to remove the Kinks in the bottom row, since the one above it makes that redundant...this would then give you 8 more hp, not four...and I can think of something crazy-useful utility-wise that fits in 6: SSF's Tool-Box. Tons of useful circuits hiding in there... Then, as the cherry on the clocking cake here, put the Adventure Audio Count in that leftover 2 hp, which then gives you clockpulse counting, and this can be used with the Plog and others to fire off "conditional" gate pulses for events which need to happen on a specific beat, such as an accented note, etc.
Other than those easy swaps, it's looking like it might be time to dust off the Magic Plastic...
A few notes here...
First of all, with this much sequencing and clocking, this build SCREAMS for a serious Boolean logic module to take the clock manipulation to the next level. If you can mash it in (that black blank panel in the 3 x 84 cab looks possible, might need a little shuffling), I'd suggest the ARC Artificial Neural Network. Does Boolean, some Neural Net tricks, plus you get a comparator, a couple of Schmitt triggers (sort of like decay-only EGs) and a lot of unconventional tricks.
Next, the B. Highpass VCF at the bottom...I'd consider something else, actually...since that's intended to emulate the 904 Moog VCF set HPF, which would have it working in tandem with the 904A, via a module that's curiously absent: the 904C filter coupler. How Uli gets a pass for saying he can emulate a System 55 without that key device is...well, it's ULI is what it is. He probably has no clue as to what a 904C IS. Fortunately, Dieter Doepfer's got yer fix...which actually is BETTER than the 904B...in the A-123-2. More cutoff slopes, more control, all that.
However, there's another problem sitting right next to the 904B...the power supply module. As a rule, you never want a power component adjacent to an audio module. The audio path is too easy to contaminate with P/S hash and garbage, plus whatever line frequency hum that manages to leak past the DC converter and into the uZeus. Now, you can fix the AC ripple with a ferrite on the power input cable (you'd put it right where it LEAVES the DC converter, not by the uZeus input itself), but not the switching supply hash...which CAN sneak in as ultrasonics and those can screw around with the audio result. Easy solution, though...just move it to the OTHER END of that row, as the crud leaked by cheap switchers won't affect anything in the White Gallop.
Other than that, the only other issue I see here is ergonomic: you should probably make the build's layout more coherent by doing some specific functional grouping...VCOs go here, VCFs there, etc. It'll make this loads easier to navigate; right now, it's a real hodgepodge, and that's never useful nor intuitive to use. Otherwise, it's got the goods!
Ok Lugia. I wish I could get my head around what you’re saying, I’m really trying, but with little success! Do you mean an ES3? Can you give me any examples?
-- clivevass
OK...on the back of the Fireface, you'll see some lightpipe ports (probably with little rubber covers to keep crap out of the optical path), probably labelled ADAT. That's where you'd connect any OTHER interface that ALSO has the same ports. So, once you've got the Fireface AND the inexpensive, used, and (for audio) "obsolete" DC-coupled interface you snagged on Reverb or eBay, you'd hook 'em up with a pair of lightpipe cables. There might be a sync lockup issue, but checking the Fireface's docs should help with that. Once the interfaces are happy and talking to each other (you should see the new I/O ports in the Fireface's control/routing app...when you do, everything's cool), you can assign the new ADAT ports to CV Tools' use.
Nope, no ES-3. Just do a little scrounging. and you can beat the cost on that thing. FYI, this IS how you'd hook the ES-3 up as well...but we're going "cheap-n-dirty" here, getting much the same result for about 1/3rd the price.
Partly. Remember, if you have the attack all the way down, that actually equals the SAME amplitude change but at an extremely fast rate. Also, if the envelopes seem TOO punchy (sounds like that's the problem), adjust the CV input level on the VCA downward...try to NOT run VCAs wide-open, as a rule.
What's actually going on is that, without turning the decay up, you've got an envelope outputted that's actually too rapid for the VCA's latency. But when you increase the decay TIME (and not amplitude!), you actually are outputting the full amplitude swing on attack slowly enough to overcome the VCA latency. It SEEMS like the problem is the EG...but it's actually the CV input level to the VCA. Reducing the VCA's CV input level will get that under control.
FYI, the difference between linear and exponential actually has to do with whether or not you're using the VCA for CV/mod use, or for audio. Linear VCAs change level in a 1:1 proportion to the CV level. But exponential VCAs change level in an asymptotic curve that mirrors our perception of absolute loudness...which also works in an exponential manner, just like the decibel scale which measures loudness according to the same physics circumstances as how we perceive it. As a result, you use exponential VCA curves pretty much for AUDIO ONLY...as the exponential curve distorts the 1:1 scaling that VCAs...and their normal "client" signals...require for linear voltage changes.
I'm also going to caution you on trying to get too much jammed into too small a space. Having a pile of two-stages in a smallish module IS DOABLE...but the ergonomics of dealing with the tight patching and controls will eventually wear on you.
Also, there's some larger multi-EG modules that REALLY blow the doors off. The Erogenous Tones Blip/Radar combo is pretty huge...36 hp, in fact. But you get eight EGs, complete chaining capability, plus the Blip allows some wilder functions...for example, envelope sequencing and a truckload of other complex functions that you'd NEVER get in a smaller module. Not in a million, billion years. Nope.
The proper solution isn't ALWAYS the small one.
You're barking up the wrong tree here. The solution isn't in the modular...it'll be via the Fireface. Since that thing can do piles of channels simultaneously, what you REALLY need here is a DC-coupled expander of some cheap sort. Connect it to the ADAT Lightpipe connection (you don't need high sample rates for CV/gate/trig work), and that's that! Just make sure that you get proper DC-coupled hardware for that, and you're golden. With that PLUS the Fireface, you'll have ample audio I/O on that device itself, and all of your control signaling will be split from the audio I/O, which makes things make more sense.
Y'know...I don't use any fancy VCOs, and I've been doing drone-type work since the mid-1980s.
The REAL key to making drone works isn't in the oscillators. It's in the everything else. You can take ONE single VCO and, by splitting the outputs from it off to different VCF/VCA chains, then using slow modulation to make that arrangement "cook", you'll arrive at much the same result. Then once you get your synth patch feed, try jamming it through a few different, paralleled outboard processors and mixing those alongside the "dry" synth signal.
Or, don't use VCOs AT ALL...instead, grab a shortwave radio, find something sonically interesting, then process the hell out of that. Or you could go to Alvin Lucier-style extremes and rig up a copy of his "Long Thin Wire" device. Or use a sampler and make small loops...if you edit the loop points "badly", you'll actually have something of a subliminal rhythmic pattern going on...which gets even more interesting if none of the loops are timed so that they have coincident points of repetition.
Everyone thinks that the way to do stuff like this can ONLY be via modular synths. It's not. Expand your electronic horizons a bit.
That's not how it's supposed to work, you know. By using AC-coupled sources, you're actually going to have trig/gate signals (of a sort) that aren't exactly in time with everything else. There'll always be a little lag. And as you've noticed, not every module will respond to this method.
Why NOT get a DC-coupled interface? You don't have to get something like an ES-8...you can get on eBay or Reverb and rustle up a secondhand MOTU 828 (I use a mkii FW version for synth control, linked via Firewire 400 to my DAW machine) for, at worst, about $150. Plays nicely with CV Tools in Ableton. Plus, it gives me eight return lines, which is great if I want to use a hardware synth to generate modulation signals for something in software. And I should note, you CANNOT do that without a DC-coupled interface!
Hey, don't sweat it...NOBODY gets first builds right. Or the second. Or ninth. And so on. My suggestions would be to...
1) Study what's on the site. Not just the modules, but also look at builds done by experienced synthesists.
2) If you haven't got a copy of VCV Rack, get one. It's free, for one thing...and although it's a bit of a processing hog, it gives you a much clearer idea of what you need to build because it is, after all, a Eurorack simulator. It even has a number of "ports" of various Eurorack hardware modules.
3) Build. Tear down. Build. Tear down. Build. And so on. Think of this as pretty much the modular synth builders' version of using a practice room to work out a musical piece...only, the piece is quite physical as opposed to the usual dotz-n-linez. But like time spent in a practice room, you're honing something into a state where its perfect FOR YOU.
Takes time. Hell, I've been working with electronics in music since the late 1970s, and I'm STILL running into totally new ideas on here.
Had a reply, MG ate it. Grr...
Logic 202 + Fractio: These are key to a lot of sequencing and timing trickery. For example, let's say you want something to appear in the mix every once in a while. Just feed the clock and the appropriate clock division to an AND gate, then you'll get a gate outputted from that that ONLY appears when both clocking signals are present. Another great use for the division is to slow down the sequencer it's next to so that you can sequence transpositions...or you can multiply the clock for TaDream-style ratcheting. That whole area is designed so that ALL of the sequencers...even external ones...can have their timing messed with really hard by everything from Boolean logic to random signals, and there's ample capacity for "abuse potential".
The Qx expander for the Quadrax is what's necessary to "chain" the Quadrax's EGs, with the potential of generating other complex modulation curves in a similar manner to the Maths. But you'll also notice that the Maths has capabilities to mess with the Quadrax via the Qx, and so on. Again, look at the modulation section as something which, if desired, can work as one HUGE mod generator with all sorts of possible outputs. And you can then avoid using the o&C for just LFOs by making use of the QPLFO and use some of the more twisty things the o&C is capable of...the unique stuff!
Varigate 8+: there's another purpose there, and that's its sequence memory. You can set up 99 different memories in the Varigate for it AND the Voltage Block. And having preset, ready-to-drop sequences that you can switch on the fly RULES. Plus, don't forget the timing section and how you can screw with these via that as well.
Bitbox: Keep it. You can use it to loop audio on the fly, play stored samples, and a bunch of other things. It's "stereo voice 5". Which brings up the voicing...
There are actually THREE voice sections on the top row. The first, optimized for pads, washes, atmospherics and the like in stereo consists of the Cs-L and Piston Honda, which sum in stereo via the Mixup. Then the second, intended for leads and the like, consists of the Belgrad and Sisters with the Veils being used for...well, a lot of trickery. For example, you could split the output of each of those VCOs to two VCAs...then take a couple of LFO signals to control them AFTER you've also split them and inverted one of each LFO split, with the result being stereo autopanning! Then, it's also possible to sum this AND the first "voice" via the Befaco for the Lester's inputs...or you can break out any of that and send it to the filters by the percussive setup. Then the THIRD voice is the Loqualis itself, which allows you to concentrate on specific results, such as bass. Also, there's a stereo VCA under it that can be used for stereo modulation of the Loqualis. But each subsection of the top row can ALSO be fed to the respective Performance Mixer strips, along with the stereo percussives. Hence the second Lester...it can either be used to process one of the above subsections along with the other one, or you can use it for stereo filtering for the percussives. And the Wasp and NE VCF are down there for alternate filtering...either on individual percussive outputs, or if you process the percussives via the Lester, this frees those two up for other duties. In short, you could configure this whole voice scheme whichever way you'd want, and in most every configuration, you've got sheer POWER.
Also, you'll notice that much of this build is designed FOR STEREO. You can stereoize most any of the above, in a huge variety of ways. Even the percussives have that Takaab stereo fixed-pan fixed-level mixer so that you can place the individual parts in the stereo field wherever you wish, and then either drop the output of that down to the Performance Mixer, or feed it to the Lester.
Similarly, the entirety of the modulation section is intended to work as something of a single "device", cued by the various gate/trigs from timing and sequencers, or from other modulation sources. You could even chain up the entire thing as a single, self-regulating and insanely-complex modulation source, given enough patchcords and madness. This then opens up the use of the modulation section as a "feedback" system, with everything intercontrolling everything else, which then gets fed back to other things. This is super-important if you ever opt to do generative work; as a generative mod source, that section is aces!
Now, the Tetrapad...it and its expander aren't on this because my idea would be to mount them...plus your matrix mixer...in a powered 4ms Pod of the right size. This would then be an expression controller par excellence...and since it's in a small pod cab, you can then position it anywhere you want, instead of having that stuck in the case. By putting these modules in a Pod, you're upping the ergonomic ease of use, basically turning the Pod into a super-overkill version of the usual mod/pitch wheels that can be placed by your keyboard controller, and connected to the main cab via whatever patchcables are needed for a specific patch. This would be just about perfect, and make it easier to make use of the Tetrapad and matrix mixer (which are great for modulation "global" changes...that's what my 3x3 Wonkystuff one is for, as it's intended for a fifth AE cab that'll house controllers and that system's Performance Mixer).
What I'd suggest is this: just STARE at the build for a while, with a pad and paper handy to make notes about patches, groupings, and the like. After several hours, you'll probably have a melted brain...but you'll ALSO have a clearer idea of what this thing is capable of. Also, keep in mind that, while this is one hellacious system, it's ALSO expansion-friendly. If you think about how the ARP 2500 was intended to be used, this would be the "Main" case...and later, you can add "wing cabs" to this and make things even wilder without needing to disrupt anything in this case. But also like the venerable 2500, you have your expression controls handy beside the keyboard controller. So, yeah...there's a half-century of ideas in this mo'fo!
Sure...just click on my version, then use the "copy rack" function at the top to copy it to your account's builds. And yeah, the way this is set up now makes it much easier to build each subsection individually. My suggestion for starting would be to get the top row and the Performance Mixer, plus one or two of the modulation sources and the Tenderfoot attenuverters. From that, you'll start to get a sense of the raw power that I've hidden in this...this build ain't no joke! Rather, it's a "system core" from which you can expand outwards, with ample capabilities for just that.
I made the above build make more sense. Vide:
I tossed the majority of the adders and buffered mults as being superfluous. However, note the arrangement at the top left...in this case, the adder and buffered mults are PAIRED here so that you can use two separate CV channels (you'll see why in a bit) and have transposition control over each separately.
Now...why two channels? Here's why...I split out the "voice" into two discrete voice "zones". On the left end, you've got your stereo VCOs grouped together, then this feeds to a Hyrlo, set up for three stereo inputs to one stereo out. Then there's a Morgasmatron next to this (I tossed a lot of the excess filters, also...this and the other two are placed to be used by the separate "voices") for the stereo filtering. This would then output stereo to a pair of strips on the Performance Mixer. Then, right after that, are the monophonic VCOs, and a dual VCA/mixer (1/2 of a Veils, actually) is right by those for summing. OR you can use the inputs on the Fold Processor for summing, OR you can send the individual VCA outs to the Fold Processor and have IT serve as the VCO summer...plus the source for sub-octave bass! After that, I kept the Tiptop Steiner-Parker clone for even more post-sum processing then the A-106-1 is intended as a final VCF pair for THAT voice. You'd send that from there down to...again...the Performance Mixer. By doing this, you now have a split between a "pad" voice and a "lead/bass" voice, with the outputs of both going right to the level VCAs in the Performance Mixer.
Your drums are now on the next row down, next to the Konstant Labs PWRchecker which lets you keep an eye on your DC rail performance. The thing next to the BlckNoir isn't a mult...it's actually a fixed-pan stereo mixer (the white-ringed points are the L and R outs) that lets you sum that module down to stereo. After that, the SampleDrum...then a 2xSAM handles the stereo summing of all of that. Its output would go to...yep...two more strips on the Performance Mixer. All of the modulation sources are next...I added the expanders to the Batumi, Zadar, and Quadrax for even more flexibility and interaction between the mod sources, plus a Tenderfoot 3-in attenuverting mixer in the middle for polarization and modulation summing. Each attenuverter can be broken out of that, also.
Bottom row got beefed up quite a bit. Everything from the Pam's to the quantizer are co-located so that you can screw with timing more easily. Plus, there's another adder next to the quantizer so that you can add its output with another CV...and of course, that meant putting the OAx2 by it for a good DC offset source + an extra attenuator. The MISO logically fits next to this, and allows you to manipulate your mod signals globally. But where there should be VCAs...well, there is, but by using the VC8, you get much better functionality AND save about $80 over a pair of the Tangles. These are your linear VCAs for CV/mod manipulation...as the final audio VCAs are actually in...here it is again...the Performance Mixer. Your effects are next...and again, the goal here was to up the capability AND fit the space, so I went with a MSCL stereo compressor for mashing the stereo drum feed (makes it bang HARDER), a Statis Leak (reverb, tap delay, chorus in mono-to-stereo) and the Echoz. After that...yep, there it is...the PERFORMANCE MIXER. This has your final audio VCAs, plus it has a mono FX send and stereo return and a bunch of other tricks that makes this WAY easier to use. Then I followed that with a FX Aid XL which you can either feed the stereo mix through and control the wet-dry mix...OR you can use the second stereo input on the Happy Nerding OUT as a second stereo return, which is pretty convenient! This also has your headphone preamp, main output metering, and transformer isolation which you can oversaturate a bit for some extra warmth.
I got rid of ALL of the small 2 and 3 hp mixers, all but two of the adders, all but one of the buffered mults (which is now where it needs to be...the rest made no sense, and instead of those expensive things, just use passive in-line mult widgets), and a bunch of other things that just didn't fit together nicely with each other. And that last point is key here: the subsystems in here are now PROPERLY grouped and outfitted with their various support modules for ease of use and better internal routings. And I put it in a wood cab like the Pitt 420 so you can get a better idea of the final looks. Result: much tighter configuration, better ergonomics overall, plus much more "readable" where the subsystem patching is concerned instead of having subsystem modules scattered all over the place. And the addition of that WMD Performance Mixer is not only designed to streamline workflow, it ALSO has enough remaining inputs to mix in any "wing" cabs you might get in the future, or you can also send the SV-1s to those since their outputs will be at the proper level, letting you directly integrate those into the final mix. Also, if you go to an arrangement of wing cabs, you can shuffle things on the bottom row so that the Performance Mixer can be expanded with two more input strips, direct mutes, and CV over AUX sends on your first four strips. No room for that YET...but it's something to consider if you go to a "next stage" build.
The power draw here IS HIGH...but by putting this in a EP-420, there's loads of Amps to go around. Oh, yeah...the uZeus went away, too, since the EP-420 has those STONKIN' DC supplies already in place!
EDIT: oh...and I saved you about $300 here, even with expensive additions like the...gotta say it one more time...PERFORMANCE MIXER! haw!
You've severely limited yourself here. This build is too small to support something like the SV-1 without making serious compromises to other subsystems that should go in here. A far smarter mover would've been to study the SV-1, then obtain the "primitives" behind its panel as discrete modules. As it is, your rig here is now being "forced" in terms of operating capabilities by that one module. This actually negates the point of modular...YOU should determine how things function, not some particular module.
Also...why do this sort of setup in general? 2 x 84 is pretty limiting as well. I note that you've got a uZeus in there...so why not jettison it AND the 2 x 84 and go with a Tiptop Mantis? You'd have 40 more hp to work with, the rack is prepowered so no need for the on-panel supply, and it has proper filtered power bussing...no flying busboards! But even if you go with that (IF you can change your order ASAP!), the SV-1 is still a no-no, as even 2 x 104 is too small for a big honker like that.
An example of why you need attenuators...or in this case, attenuverters on a DC-coupled mixer:
Let's say you want a VCF to sweep irregularly. Instead of having the same EG behavior each time, you could send the envelope and another envelope to such a mixer, then INVERT one of the envelopes. Next, rig up a VCA to control the level of the inverted EG signal before it hits the attenuverting mixer, and feed the VCA's CV with a slow LFO. This will cause a constant, repeating rise/fall in the inverted EG's input to the mixer. Send the output from the attenuverting mixer on to the VCF's cutoff CV. The result will be envelopes that have a weird behavior to them, and if you set the level-governing LFO to a period that's not related to the rhythmic pattern that the track your working on, the VCF will constantly output different but related behavior each time it's swept by the mixer's constantly shifting modulation result. This also shows why you've GOT TO have ample VCAs for instances such as this; for generative work, the "support" modules do more heavy lifting than one might imagine! And even if you're NOT doing generative patching, the ability to add a little "ear candy" like that is ALSO what those modules are for. In short, they're essential, and one leaves them out at their peril!
Actually, I would strongly suggest redoing this build. The reason is because many of the individual modules here can also be found in modules which have multiples of that same circuit. Case in point: the two VCAs on the second row...one each, takes up 16 hp. Yank those, put in one of the new versions of Veils, and suddenly you get FOUR VCAs...plus six more hp to play with.
There's a lot of this issue in the build. Take a good look at the various functions and then see how densely you can go in the same or less space. Also, you can drop the Doepfer MIDI interface...you won't have space here for four voices of polyphony. A better move would be something like an Expert Sleepers interface, which would then allow you to send CVs, gates, triggers, mod signals, etc directly from your DAW via a few different pieces of software. Or you can integrate a VCV Rack build with this with one of those.
Lastly, lose the Vermona modules. They're pointlessly expensive for what they do...plus, too damn big! Have a look at 4ms's QPLFO (12 hp! duty cycles from low audio out to 71 MINUTES!) instead of the quad LFO there, and Happy Nerding makes a 6 hp stereo balanced out with metering, headphone preamp, AND a second stereo input which would work like an FX return, with its own ganged stereo level pot. Or you could just as easily add the Befaco Hexpander, and then you'd get three FX loops, balanced I/O, metering, master level, and so on...although, really, you might find that a smaller performance mixer would make more sense if polyphonic operation isn't going to happen. Have a look at Toppobrillo's take on that.
The ideas are there...sorta. This needs a bunch of refinement, though.
No! DO get the sax back out...but only after you listen to THIS:
My bet is that after about 10 minutes of playing this, you're gonna be looking for a suitable pickup...I know these guys have made ME reconsider picking up a bass clarinet again, but ONLY if I get it drilled for a piezo FIRST.
Went nuts...
OK, this is different from your rework in some ways, similar in others.
The top row, I decided to consolidate the "main voice" part there, and have the voice module at the end. The two main oscillators are still there, followed by one of the Mixups for summing. Main VCFs next, then the Quad VCA was repositioned by this so that you can have VCA control over the Befaco's inputs. One of the Lesters went next to that to take advantage of the stereo I/O on that.
First tile row starts now with a buffered mult (yep, it's likely to be needed here), then everything's much the same until the end, where I put in a Stereo VCA to deal with the Lester's output levels to the final mix.
Row #2 is where I started going off...the row is bookended by your passive mults (yep, this is big enough for that), then the quad switch is next to give you a bit more routing control for various functions. Then Disting, Octa, Ochd...and I added a 4ms QPLFO so that you've got some ultra-slow (out to 70 minutes-ish) duty cycles for the modulation section. This is a nice thing because you can also tap tempo with it, or ping it with triggers to determine the duty cycle...in theory, the Varigate 8+ can do this admirably, with the result being that you can sequence (kinda) your four LFOs' rates. The Doepfer minimixer is next to sum those first sources, if needed, then the Blender got used here to crossfade modulation signals...yet more modulation automation. Added a Quadrax/Qx pair for 2 or 3-stage envelopes, looped envelopes, complex function generation, all that fun stuff, then I put a Happy Nerding 3xVCA for VCA control over mod levels. Two ADSRs are after that, then we get into the drum voice.
Now, that looks like it'll be fun...the hats are paired with the indecipherable whateverthing for your percussives. After this is the Violin Ruiner + the WASP VCF for processing these. Now...that next thing isn't a mult, it's a fixed-pan stereo mixer! The white-ringed jacks are the L and R outs, and you put the signals where you want them in the stereo field jacks in between. And yeah...the other Lester is here, and can be used as an "effect" VCF for the drums or, if you like, a second stage of Lester after the one above. Or maybe for the Bitbox...? Your call!
Next row, a very necessary thing with all of this sequencing: LOGIC! This provides the typical Booleans, plus inverters, three flipflop switches, and a clock divider. But that's not all, as I added the Fractio Slumnus after that to allow clock division or multiplication (ie: ratcheting), then I paired this with the 16-step sequencer. Then Stages, Maths, Zadar (WITH the expander!) and the Bitbox. Effects are next: Mimeophon, and the Pico DSP, then a submixer to sum effects (or most anything else you might need in tandem with the mixer). I dropped the Verb (seemed redundant with the Pico DSP) in favor of getting the Fractio down by the timing section.
Next tile row: the unbuffered mult, then the Noise Tools because it adds some useful functions (S&H, slew limiter, clock, noise). Oscope tile next, the delay, then another stereo VCA (intended for tandemmed level control of the Bitbox) before we get to the audio I/O.
Bottom row: Hermod, Pams, Voltage Block...and then, the Varigate 8+ for trig/gate sequencing as well as memories for the Voltage Block. Last is the WMD Performance Mixer, where I added the mute expander which ALSO allows CV control over the AUX sends on channels 1-4.
The only two dropped modules from the original were the aforementioned Verb, as well as that set of fixed HPFs. The latter, I just didn't see the point of having, and by dropping it I was able to put in the fixed panning mixer for your drum modules + their VCFs.
So, yeah...it's not the same as your shot at it above. I went in a direction that didn't necessarily add anything to the sound, but the end result is that the functionality you had before is now VERY bolstered by redoing the signal flow ordering and adding some choice modules to jack that functionality way on up. Result feels more intuitive, and the additions will allow a lot of new modalities that either weren't all there yet, or just weren't there, period.
Which you shouldn't do. Not only do you run into the issue you've mentioned, you're also making the device you're UNcasing and REhousing more expensive than it already is!
An illustration: let's say you want to put a Moog Mother-32 into your snarzy new Pittsburgh EP-208. Sounds sensible enough...but then, let's do some math here.
A Mother-32 takes up 60 hp, and streets for $649. It has its own case and power.
The Pitt cab streets for $699 and has 208 hp total. 699 / 208 = 3.36, which is the per-hp cost of the cab.
So you stick the M32 in there. All of a sudden, here's what happens once you tighten down the last screw...
3.36 x 60 = 201.60. This is what it costs to do what you just did, which makes the M32's ACTUAL price in this situation $850.60!
Did you pay that much for it originally? No? OK...then why pay that NOW?
Eurorack cases are really for devices that DON'T have a case and power. Those devices require it. The Mother-32 in this example...no, it doesn't require it since it comes ready to rock out of the box. Yeah, I know, you see a lot of people on YouTube and the Interwebz in general doing this...but they're actually QUITE wrong in doing it. And I understand the whole thing about "convenience" and all that...but that "convenience" costs in exactly this hidden way. In short, I quote Admiral Akbar: "IT'S A TRAP!" Don't fall for it.
Also, check the "Too Many LFOs?" thread...I put quite a bit of info in there about how to work with LFO signals via other modules, and many of those tricks work just as well with envelope generator outputs.
LFOs are actually a lot more useful than they appear to be, and there ARE some modules that pair with them for some neat results...
First up, any synth that has several of these needs something along the lines of the Intellijel Triplatt. This is a set of three attenuverters that also works as a DC-coupled mixer. Now, why attenuverters? Well, what they'll do is to invert an inputted signal, and inverting an LFO means that you'll get the 180 degree OPPOSITE waveform. Mix this in with the original, and you get cancellation. But mixing it in at levels that don't quite cause 1:1 phase cancellation lets you "smooth out" the original waveform...which is very useful if you're combining several LFOs to create a complex modulation signal.
VCAs combined with LFOs lets you have sounds autofading in and out when you connect the LFO to the VCA's CV input. And if you use something like a sawtooth wave to modulate this, the results will be like a simple envelope generator connected to the VCA. For generative musical forms, that's really useful.
Then there's quantizers. Most of the time, we look at these as being used for extracting pitch CVs from the CV outputs of sequencers. But you can also use them with LFOs to generate CVs that run up and down scales. Even better, if the quantizer has the ability to specify scales/notes, you can make these skitter up and down (depends on the waveform you use) in tune with the rest of the audio coming out of the synth. With a pair of LFOs mixed properly, you can arrive at some very Shepard-esque pattern generation this way (one of my fave ARP 2600 tricks, btw, using the EGs in a "looping" manner).
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Comparators are a natural pairing with LFOs. What these do is to wait until the incoming signal level exceeds a level you set, then when that happens, they output either a gate or trigger. This lets you do all sorts of on/off control tricks with the regularity of the repeating LFO cycles. Better still are special types of these called "window" comparators...these have several voltage thresholds that you set, and a good one will output g/t signals when the level is below the bottom limit, and above the top limit...AND when the waveform's voltage crosses the "window" set by those two limits. Again, for generative work, damned essential!
FYI, comparators also play nice with logic...as do square/pulse waves directly out of an LFO. The typical Boolean logic tricks apply here...OR = one OR the other input can make the logic gate output a trigger or gate, AND = one AND the other (both on at the same time), NOR = neither on at the same time, and NAND = outputs only when neither incoming signal is on at the same time. These rock like you wouldn't believe for creating strange crossrhythmic patterns...again, super-useful for generative.
OK...so if they're just really slow VCOs (they are), can you do anything VCO-ish with them? Again, the answer is HELLZYEAH...you can wavefold LFO signals with the right sort of wavefolder. For example, EMW has a module called the CV Folder 3x...a triple wavefolder optimized for modulation and CV signals. And yes, there's others...such as the Elby "Mangler", etc. Couple this with some of the above, and you're primed for stochastic waveform MAYHEM. And there's one thing like this that's not exactly VCO behavior, but related...minimum/maximum-type discriminators, which take two or more incoming signals and then outputs the selected CV level, minimum, maximum, and sometimes also the median average of the inputs.
Oh, and yes...they do work with VCAs, but note that you'll need DC-coupled ones (which are usually linear) to deal with the LFO signals. A VCA in the output path of an LFO lets you do things like applying an envelope to the signal, so that you get level rise/falls while the waveform from the LFO remains the same. If you've seen the gatefold Brit cover for the first two Kraftwerk albums, the spectacular waveform on the front is the result of this exact usage. This lets you control the amount of modulation coming out of the LFO (or several, mixed) with any CV.
Can they turn things on and off? Sure can...just use a square or pulse output, feed that to an audio VCA's CV input. LFO cycles up, VCA turns on (or off...depends on how you've patched it and with what). Cycle down, audio off.
How about transposition? Yep...if you're using an LFO with a quantizer and your rig also has an adder, just feed the quantized LFO signal into an adder with the CV for your VCOs. This will result in the quantizer's voltage levels being added arithmetically to the pitch CV...and if you set the quantizer properly, you can get behavior that's sorta like the old "Juno Hoover" sound of rave tracks of old, especially if you drop a slew limiter into the quantizer output before it hits the adder.
Now, there's a few things that can behave in a very LFO-ish way...anything based on the Serge Universal Slope Generator (such as Maths, etc) will do this...but then, you'd ALSO get CV control over the rise and fall times, with that determining the duty cycle of the "LFO" here. Lots of two-stage EGs can act like this, too...Intellijel's Quadrax comes to mind immediately. There's also a bunch of interesting "specialized" LFOs, too...check out Ladik's L-122.
Yeah, these things are NO JOKE...in fact, they're the backbone of modulation alongside envelope generators. You CAN have too many LFOs...but you'll only figure out how much is too much when you run out of LFOs to screw with everything else. If that happens, you clearly don't have enough! ;-)
One other point: you can use an LFO as a clock as long as the waveform has a sharp leading edge (saw, square, pulse). An EG, not so much.
One other module where the lines get blurry would be the 4ms PEG. It can loop or act as a pair of one-shots, but it uses some timing tricks similar to their QPLFO to let timing signals OR tap tempo govern the cycle duration. And in both cases, they're capable of insanely long cycle durations, making them excellent for generative purposes.
Actually, the addition of the EP-420 makes a lot of sense. The form factors of both cases are pretty much a dead match, which means you can implement the 270 as a sidecar...sort of like the ARP 2500 "wing" concept. An interesting idea might be to designate the current 270 as your "control" cab with sequencing and timing, plus MIDI, have the main synthesis in the 420, then add a second 270 for processing and mixing. Plunk the KSP right down in front of the 420, and there you are.
Naturally, this would be "long term" stuff...but it's not a bad idea to explore those ideas NOW so that you'd have a clear idea of how an expanded variation would work.
Seems kinda short on envelope gens, actually...this could use a few, maybe a Quadrax would be useful. Also, some attenuverters would be useful. I'd suggest the Roti Pola, but you can't break out the individual pots if/when needed, so an Intellijel Triplatt seems like a better fit. Aside of those, this seems to have a lot of bases covered...might benefit from a reshuffle to get the audio and CV/mod paths in a clearer arrangement, but other than those, not too shabby.
First of all, DON'T decase the Pitt Lifeforms synths and put them in here. All you'll really accomplish is making them more expensive to REhouse and REpower, and losing space for actual modules that need those things. Here's how the math works on that...
EP-270 = $649. $649 / 270 = $2.40. Each 1 hp space in the cab breaks down to that.
Lifeforms SV-1 = $649 x 2 = $1298. This is the street for both SV-1s together.
The SV-1 occupies 48 hp. 48 x 2 = 96 hp.
96 x $2.40 = $230.40. So in the end, recasing these runs their price up to $764.20 EACH. Double that for both = $1528.40.
If you didn't pay $1528 and change for them in the first place, why do it now? Leave them where they belong.
Now, as for the module complement itself...some of what's in here is needlessly expensive. Why, for example, would you use the Grp ADSR (at $167) when the same basic thing can be had for TWO for $151 with the Doepfer A-140-2? It just needs 2 more hp, which should be easy enough to acquire once the Pitt SV-1s are back where they go. Or the ALM Tangle Quartets...8 VCAs for $398 in 16 hp...and an Erogenous Tones VC8 gives you eight in 18 hp, with 2 breakable mixer paths, for $319? And so on...what you might want to do is to go back and see if you can bring the cost on this DOWN; once the Pitts are out, you have expansion space to work with. That also means that whatever you can save over what devices are here already can then go into adding MORE functionality in the newly-opened space.
Also, farkas makes a very good point, in that it makes much more sense from a functional standpoint to NOT have the drums in here. For one thing, that's a lot of tangle going back and forth between the KSP...and lots of interconnection just means more potential for something going wrong. His suggestion is very good...so if you can snag a Blck_noir for $599, you can just as easily snag an RD-8 for $398 and have $$$ left to pair it up with an RD-6 for $179, and you come out $22 AHEAD. Just on the money aspect alone, this makes more sense...to say nothing of having the PROPER working paradigm for Tha D (although, in truth, waiting for an RD-9 makes more sense as that was more like what was really used much of the time: the Roland TR-909). But not having the 606 hats and such (and the RD-6 just happens to also have the Boss DR110 clap, too) means you're missing part of the percussion palette for that style. AND you get two channels of trigger sequencing with it, to boot.
Of course, if you wanted to go with the REAL Detroit working model, you wouldn't buy ANY of this...and instead, go poke around pawn shops and the like. That's what Juan, Derrick and Kevin did...and they launched an entirely new musical movement using those "junk store" instruments. You could say the same for people like Larry Heard in Chi, too. Might not be so easy to pawn shop dive these days, but there's always eBay and Reverb. A good example of how this worked can be heard on some of Derrick May's tracks like "Nude Photo"...where a lot of the "analog bass" is actually coming from...
...wait for it...
...a Yamaha DX100. No lie.
Agreed...although, the Odessa is potentially worth making room for, given its capabilities. You'd need more modulation sources, as noted...but there ARE ways to get at that without chewing up your space. F'rinstance, Doepfer's got this shrunk-down version of their Quad LFO that fits into only 4 hp. No CV control, but you can jumper those puppies out to 8 minute cycles for nice, Krell-ish slow changes.
DO consider a move to 2 x 104, though. Given the CHEEPNIZ of the Tiptop Mantis and its useful features, that makes for a better beginning cab these days than a 2 x 84. Easily expandable, also.
Twas the day before Xmas, and on Modulargrid
Some new asshat spammer sumbitch raised his head.
I found an ashtray next to my desk
AND TOSSED IT AT HIS EFFING SKULL AAAAHHHHH DIE SCAMSCUM DIE!!!! DIE!!!! Grrrrrrrrr....dumbass can't even modify his cut-n-paste crap for somewhere other than Reddit!
I dunno...with the Duatt and Quadratt in the tile row, that's not TOO bad. Maybe a second Duatt would make sense in the hole on the row...? As for the 4 hp hole in the middle 3U row, my suggestion there would be a Doepfer A-133-2 to give more CV control over polarization...being able to modulate between, say, an inverted and noninverted envelope would be pretty nifty, and a good fit in that spot. Also gives the modulation sources a little more to chew on...
100% with ya, Jim...I hate it when people see these "tiny builds" and then think they can manage one with zero build experience. They CAN be done...but you really, REALLY have to know what you're doing.
Worse still, I caught a clip on YouTube from the likes of PERFECT CIRCUIT showing how you too can build some tiny 1 x 84 skiff system. But that only works if you build THAT system! Start swapping modules for your own sonic prefs, and you're suddenly on the modular synth equivalent of the bullet train to heck! And even with their expert, what they cooked up really didn't have all that much capability when you sat down and examined it.
For the OP here, a little info should elucidate the problem...
Tiptop Mantis (perhaps one of the best powered starter cabs right now) = 208 hp totalled for US$335.
Intellijel Palette 62 (the cab in question) = 62 hp of 3U, 62 hp of 1U for US$299.
With the Mantis, you get 208 hp straight up for US$36 more. That's over THREE TIMES the space for standard Eurorack modules than the Palette 62. And even if you factored in the tile row, you'd STILL wind up with far less space for your US$36 savings than the lower cost can justify. And sure, I get that the Palette has MIDI I/O and extra buffered mults (which, in 62 hp, are basically wasted) and the audio I/O...but all of that can be added into a Mantis quite easily, with more comprehensive modules for those functions...and you'd STILL have room to grow. Not got the ca$h for more modules right now? Well, that space will wait patiently for new toys when they're affordable.
So why do these small cabs exist in the first place? Simple: they're more or less little "sidecars", additional small powered (or not) cabs that can support a few additional modules to an existing build. Or at least, that's a more sensible use for them. Got an existing modular that could use a Maths and so forth? THAT is when you drop in something like the Palette 62. But for the love of GOD, don't try and build a full-featured modular in one! 95+% of the time, IT WON'T WORK.
I added a not-very-lovely image of the B.2500 Mixsequencer this evening. Yes, it looks like crap, but that's what I had to work with. At least I got the width right, even if some of the knobs are clipped in the present listing's pic. The reason for this is because I'm trying to sort out how to restore something akin to the functionality of the matrix switching. Here's what I came up with...
Looks daunting, donnit? The lower row has four different modules in repetition...outputs are paired with passive mults, audio inputs with fixed-level mixers, gate/triggers with diode ORs, and CVs with adders. Now, this isn't EXACTLY like what ARP originally came up with, because the matrix switches didn't have the extra circuitry that the 2 hp module sets below each have in this build. But it DOES restore some of the patching paradigm while streamlining interconnectivity and (conveniently) allowing for some patching methods that the original wasn't exactly capable of. And no...I wouldn't miss those fiddly slider switches if I were you. They were the real "weak link" in the original system.
In theory, it may be possible to hack the B.2600 modules so that the 2 hp "patch section" modules can directly connect to the module I/Os. This would clean things up a bit, avoiding little "jumper" cables between the Behringer points and the 2 hp patchers.
Also, when I first started futzing around with this, I used the Doepfer A-100 PMC6 as a "main case". It struck me that this is an EXCELLENT emulation of the original 2515 cab...and that would mean that you could pair it with the 84 hp A-100 cases to construct the 2508 "wings", like the original. One issue that could arise, though, has to do with that "hack" above...it would involve wiring between two rows, so most likely this would work best with some sort of keyed 2-conductor connections between the top and bottom for maintenance. But having a 2500 clone in an ATA-capable road case that's smaller and LIGHTER(!!!) than the original? Priceless.
FYI, this isn't necessarily an endorsement of Uli and his "business practices"...just an attempt at pushing out a new idea. I still think he acts like a bratty asshat, frankly...but if people are going to start diving into building ARP 2500 replicas, I may as well try and sort out this issue in advance.
Send/return works like this:
The P-520 is your "send x 4"...you'd patch a signal to its inputs, then the stompers' inputs to its outputs. For the return, the A-520 works the same way...stompboxes go in its inputs from the boxes outs, then the outputs go back into the modular. This gives you either four mono s/rs OR two STEREO s/rs, which these make much easier due to the fact that the i/o levels on the Ladiks are identical across the four input/outputs on those. No potential of fiddly accidents changing the levels! All you need are 3.5mm to 1/4" cables for the connections...the rest is patch and forget. You'll run your stompbox inputs a bit lower than you would with a guitar, also, since these also work at line level. BUT...since they DO work at line level, you can ALSO use these for any sort of send-return scheme. Want to run things to something like an old SPX90? You're good with this.
I've got a feature request...and hopefully it's easy enough to implement. If we could have a "date created" for builds (ie: the date when the build was started with an empty rack) along with the "last modified" date, that would be a big help in going back thru older builds I've got to clear space. And I'm betting others might want this for the same purpose, too.
Good point...plus, when you de-case something like that and RE-case and power it in a Eurorack cab, you're actually increasing the cost of that synth because you then have to factor in how much EXTRA it costs per hp for things in your cab. As an example, the Arturia 2 x 88 cab there has a per hp cost of about $2.10. The Quadrantid Swarm streets for $549...but at 41 hp, it will wind up costing $635 and change when the cab space gets factored in.
If it's already in a case of its own...keep it there. It's cheaper and makes more sense.
The risk is actually more to the power supply...but quite often, when power supplies fail, they puke up a lot of overvoltages and other garbage. But if it's a Doepfer PSU3, those are pretty beefy and they're overspecced. Just rearrange your +12V load so that everything's a bit more load-balanced across the busboards...and actually, the evened-out load might be useful to lower other component stresses, such as the busboard filtering caps, etc.
One other thing I'd recommend would be to get one of Konstant Labs' 1 hp PWRchecker modules. They're conveniently sized, plus they do a bit more than just being an indicator that the busses are functional. Very smart little thing...and for US$28, they're a no-brainer if you don't already have some front panel rail voltage indicators.
1.85A is pushing it a little. It would be better if you can get that load figure lower, say down around 1.6A. This is easier on the "on the panel" supplies. But if we're talking some sort of heftier internal supply (like the Pitt ones, Doepfer PSU3, etc), this should be OK as those manufacturers tend to build some headroom into their P/Ss. If so, then just take some care to distribute the +12V rails' current load across the distro boards so that one of them isn't bearing the brunt of the current load while the other loafs along.
Careful...the 531 mixer doesn't have CV over levels, but over panning.
This build can't properly support huge modules, either. You need to sort out how to get the modules down in size so that you can make something usable here. One example would be the use of the SND/RTNs...you can get the same basic functionality out of a Ladik A-520 and P-520, with the sole difference being that you'd have to control your I/O levels on the stompboxes themselves. But as for the space difference...that would half that, and the COST...$78 sounds WAAAAAAY better than $500!
One other thing: you'll probably find that you'll hate having your control surfaces on the top row. In that position, you'll have patchcables all over them and they'll be a PITA to work. Bring them to the bottom row, then all you have in the way will be the 2s to/from patches.
Another couple of cabs I'd thumbs-up based on their power supplies would be ones from Erica and Pittsburgh. In the latter case (no pun intended), those are Monorocket designs, and Monorocket was always known for MASSIVE power overspeccing. The Pitt cabs are no exception. And the Erica stuff also goes overboard on amperage...even their 1 x 84 skiffs sport 1.25A 12V rails!
Might be a bit of a wait...between my accident this past spring and dealing with Covid-19 (ten day quarantine...feh), I would've expected the refit of the studio to be done had none of that happened. Set me back months, really...
It should be out there somewhere. Have you tried looking for a used copy via Amazon? I often find that 'difficult to find stuff' turns up there routinely...you just have to be careful to avoid the collector-dealer types so that you don't wind up paying twice the price.
As for "Kontakte", there's actually TWO versions of it...and you can get both via the Stockhausen-Verlag website. Their editions are more expensive than others, but the MASSIVE liner notes (by Da Man Hisself!) on every work in the series is well worth the cost. Anyway, there's a version that's ONLY the electronics, and the other with piano and percussion. Both are 100% worth having. http://www.stockhausen-verlag.com/
Ought to be just fine. You're nowhere close to the limits on the -12 and 5V rails, and only the +12V one is pushing it a bit. But as senor-bling mentioned, Dieter overspecced those power supplies. Even with an inrush, it should handle that like a champ. One thing I would suggest, though, is to try and balance that +12V load as evenly as possible across all three of your busboards. That should give you some leeway on power-up as well.
Juan FTW! Quite a thing to compare ones own work to, though...it's almost like being a beginning modern-day poet, but having to 1:1 compare your work with Shakespeare's sonnets!
Maths is worth the wait, especially as a complex modulation source for the Rainmaker. Maybe poke around on eBay, or the FS listings here or on Muff Wiggler.
Yeah, the Double Helix is actually a good way to get into Buchla-esque territory. Like most complex VCOs, it's got a bunch of useful functions behind the panel, and ample points on front to mess with it. I also like the gate-like setup on the right side, where you can alter dynamics along with timbre via envelopes or just plain pulse signals.
You ought to! After all, this is the first album where they used the "tannerin", a ribbon-controlled theremin, on "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times". "Good Vibrations" usually gets the nod for that, but the truth is that this other track came out first, despite both of them being cut on the same set of sessions.
Those aren't what I'd recommend for dual filters, frankly. Better choices can be found with Intellijel's Morgasmotron or Malekko's Euro version of the Wiard Dual Borg.
But at the same time, you can do most of what you've mentioned with any two separate VCFs. The functions you're describing are ones which the vast majority have patchpoints for, and you can make them behave as a duo with a few patchcords.
Serge is getting cheaper, thanks to Random*Source's efforts, and the fact that they've opted to make the Serge gear PROPERLY modular. Hardly anyone can afford $3k-4k Serge panels, but if you can break all of that up into more financially-possible chunks, well...
It's voodoo, really...while I can understand stereo field depth, how Brian Wilson and Chuck Britz got that depth in a MONO mix still mystifies me...along with a lot of other people. "Pet Sounds" is so full of audio mysteries, one could (and many HAVE) spend one's entire doctoral dissertation in audio engineering studying it and breaking down what can be gleaned from it. Some of what I hear, though, seems to involve the amount of reverb added to different layers along with some very hi-tweak level settings. But there's a problem there, in that what they used for reverb weren't clear. Mark Linett thinks they used plates, but from my experiences with my own Ecoplate II, I'm more inclined to think that we're hearing a combination of those on some isolated parts, and the rest is piped thru United Western's chamber. Nevertheless, the album only uses tape slap and reverb for processing, and there's some indication that they actually printed the reverb on the original takes in many cases, not opting to add all of it in mixing.
The biggest problem, though, lies with Brian himself...this album marked the beginning of his acid-fueled mental decline, something which would go full-blown when work on "Smile" was under way. And since Chuck Britz died in 2000, the actual details of HOW this was mixed are rather lost now. It's known, though, that this was mainly done on 4-track machines, not unlike what The Beatles would also use on "Sgt. Pepper", and "Pet Sounds" may well have pushed that decision by them and George Martin. So, yeah...this album remains an amazing audio engineering mystery in a number of aspects; reading how Mark Linett had to re-piece together all of the master reels for the stereo mix in the reissue's liner notes just sounds like utter madness! Nevertheless, the album is a frickin' monument...it's arguable that ALL prog started from it, given its popularity in the UK and its similarities to the first prog albums that would start to appear in subsequent years. But in the USA, it was largely dismissed when it came out...it's only been in the past 20 years or so that the importance of "Pet Sounds" has become lots clearer. Frankly, I'd put it right up there with Stockhausen's "Kontakte" as a body of work that requires careful (and rewarding!) study.
My suggestion for listening to get a real sense of how stereo field depth (or field depth in general) to work would be to pick up a copy of the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds", especially the recent (2001) reissue that contains both the original mono mix by Chuck Britz and Brian Wilson, but which ALSO has a new stereo mix made by Brian and Mark Linett. This is a great opportunity to really deep-dive and study HOW these mixes work, because the stereo version went back to the source reels for the new mix, so in BOTH cases, they're working from the same recorded material.
What's really amazing is how the stereo field behaves...and then contrasting that with the 1966 mono version. In both cases, there are a lot of "depth cues", but this just makes the 1966 mix even more jaw-dropping, because Britz and Wilson were able to give an apparent front-back depth of field WITHOUT the use of stereophonic mixing. It's hard enough to get that feel out of a stereo mix (M/Sed or not!), which frankly makes the 1966 mono mix a work of pure genius. Seriously, this one album deserves to be carefully studied by ANYONE working with audio engineering, whether they do electronic music or not!
A Buchla 400!? Man...those are not common AT ALL. You should go back and see if his has the usual touchplates or if it has a black and white keyboard. If it's the latter, I only know of ONE offhand which was built for Mark Isham! It'd be amazing if that's the one he's got...
I don't use this on my modular gear, Instead, what I find useful about M/S "abuse" is its ability to spread the mix and, thanks to some phasing trickery in the typical M/S network, the ability to cause the stereo image to exceed the left-right boundaries. So I tend to use these on submixes when I need a 'wider' result, and on some more ambient stuff, I'll put a M/S network plugin on the mixbus to make that stereo field sound massive and deep.
Mind you, there are some risks to this. One thing it'll do is to make your mixes VERY mono-incompatible. Also, you have to keep an ear out for phase cancellations that the M/S network settings might be causing in more extreme settings. Plus, if you want to put something processed like this on vinyl, you'll have to use some serious low-end summing to mono to make the track's low end under control. If that's not done, your lathe engineer will be cussing you up and down, because out of phase BASS results in a situation where the cutting head cannot physically cut that to a lacquer...and REALLY extreme out of phase bass can, in fact, wreck the cutting head!
