In addition to setting up my new studio, for the past seven months I’ve been involved in helping the Bob Moog Foundation put together a very cool Eurorack modular system to raffle away for a fundraiser (tickets are available December 2nd through the 20th – make sure you enter!). The main article below covers the module selection for that system, which was an interesting process in itself; I will also be active on DivKid’s Discord and the Pro Synth Network Livestream the first week of December talking about this system – details below.
Live performances is one of my main focuses, so that makes its way into this newsletter as well. For one, we’ve started selling the custom cable clips I use to help clean up my performance case. I also recently finished a trio of performances of a brand-new set; a very cool video of me performing inside a video cube at the last one is embedded below – plus I’ve started planning appearances for 2025 (if you want me to come out your way, get in touch!). I also want to catch you up on the most recent posts I created for my Patreon subscribers.
Let’s get to it:
- featured article: I was asked to help specify a Eurorack modular system that paid tribute to Bob Moog’s original systems, and also brought it forward to today’s times.
- Alias Zone updates: I performed inside a “holographic video cube” when I headlined the opening night of the inaugural Wavetrails Festival. I’m also on the soundtrack for the recent Cyclical Festival.
- Learning Modular updates: My wife is now selling the specially-designed cable clips I use to keep patches in my live performance system under control.
- Patreon updates: More posts about my performance system, as well as the start of a new series on spatial audio, starting with how we hear what direction a sound is coming from.
- upcoming events: I will be a guest on the Pro Synth Network Livestream on Friday, December 6, talking about the Bob Moog raffle modular as well as a bit about my own pursuits. I also list my currently scheduled gigs for the first quarter of 2025.
- one more thing: Luigi’s Modular patch cables – the main brand I use – are 25% off during December!
The Bob Moog Foundation Modular Raffle System
Back in April, I was contacted by the Bob Moog Foundation to help them put together a modular system for an upcoming fund-raising raffle – as far as I know, the first time they’ve raffled off a modular synth! Given the recent damage and severe drop-off in attendance that the Moogseum received as a result of Hurricane Helene, this raffle takes on special importance for the Foundation. Single tickets are $20 each; there are price breaks for buying multiple tickets.
I’d like to share with you the process of choosing the components for this system. My overall approach is to treat a modular as an ensemble of players that have to work well together. This system started with a particular mandate: to be a modern Eurorack tribute to the original Moog modular systems. But, that was not going to cover all of the functions expected in a modern modular system – so a lot of thought went into how to complement that core with more current modules to create a lovely, multi-voiced ensemble that could play melodic or percussive lines driven by sequencer, keyboard, arpeggiator, or MIDI.
(For those who want to “jump to the chase”, click on this link to see the module selection on ModularGrid.)
The Case
When putting together a system, the size of the case determines quite a bit. I have huge respect for the beautiful work Erik Needham does at Needham Woodworks, so he was the first person I approached. After considering a few different options, Erik decided to build the Foundation a custom 16U 120hp (five normal 3U rows plus an Intellijel 1U row) hardwood case out of Black American Walnut, with Eskatonic power. He says it’s a new design that draws inspiration from the first line of labor-intensive, fully hand-cut dovetailed cabinets he crafted when he started out.
There are amazing details throughout which reflect Erik’s creativity, enthusiasm, and craftsmanship, including a hardware inlay of Bob Moog’s head based on the Foundation’s logo, an etched translucent image of Bob in front of one of his modular systems on the back, a Chromaesthetic customizable lighting system, and other wood inlay, brass, and translucent panel work. The case alone is worth several thousand dollars, and is definitely unique.
The Modules
Since the main purpose of this system is to be a tribute to Bob Moog’s creations, the first thing I did was search on ModularGrid for all modules that included “Moog” in their description – be it the Moog modular, or other Moog instruments such as the Taurus bass pedals (Frequency Central Raging Bull 3.0), Minimoog (EMW VCF MG24, Dannysound MM VCA), and others.
Moog synthesizers are perhaps most famous for their patented transistor ladder filter. Now that the patent has expired, a lot of companies have taken that design and either replicated it faithfully (such as the new, limited edition Synthesis Technology E490 Ladder VCF) or used it as a starting point to come up with their own updated interpretation (such as the Rossum electro-music Evolution Variable Character Ladder Filter). We ended up with eight different interpretations of this theme, including four low-pass filters (E490, Evolution, MG24, and the Doepfer A-108 VCF8 – the latter also having a bonus bandpass output), and four multi-mode filters (Dannysound Multimode Ladder Filter, the stereo Happy Nerding MMM VCF, the Raging Bull and the Instruō àradh – those last two also having integrated VCAs).
(Yes, eight filters is a lot for a system this size. Honestly, I thought only about half of the manufacturers we contacted would come through, when the actual number was much higher! Anyway, the Moog filter is its most famous module, and these are eight quite different interpretations of it – so the owner should still have a lot of fun. I also added a “West Coast” flare in the form of an Intellijel Bifold wavefolder.)
Another big part of the Moog sound is the CP3 oscillator mixer, which clips one half of the waveform before there other, which adds more even harmonics back into the sound. We included three variations of the CP3 design, from the straightforward Manhattan Analog DTM, to the nonlinearcircuits Mogue mixer plus VCA, to the AJH Synth Ring SM which includes a mixer, transistor-based ring modulator, and unique sub-bass generators. Rounding out the “voice tail” is a modern quad linear VCA utility module – the Frap Tools 411 – to complement the older-school VCAs in the Raging Bull, MM VCA, and Mogue.
Oscillators were a challenge, as I wanted to include both old-school analog VCOs as well as contemporary digital ones. For a “basic” analog VCO I went with the Befaco Pony, which includes modern features like wavefolding and through-zero linear FM. For an advanced analog oscillator, I chose the Rossum Electro-Music Triton, which includes three VCOs in one module with interesting self-modulation routings (you can also use it as three stand-alone VCOs). For a Moog tribute, I chose the Random*Source Serge NTO (New Timbral Oscillator), which Serge Tcherepnin was commissioned to build for TONTO (The Original New Timbral Orchestra) as an upgrade to the Moog VCOs in the original system.
On the digital side, I went with the Modbap Osiris wavetable VCO (with my custom WavPak, sampled from my own studio modular system) and the stereo Noise Engineering Virt Inter Legio, which comes with three different algorithms, and can be reprogrammed to take on alternate personalities.
When it came to sequencers, the Doepfer A-155 Analog/Trigger Sequencer was the clear choice, as it most closely resembled the original Mood modular sequencers. Doepfer generously donated their full sequencing system, including two A-155s, the A-154 Sequencer Controller, and their A-160-5 Voltage Controlled Clock Multiplier/Ratcheting Controller. We rounded those out with a Tesseract Modular VC Logics logic module for combining gates, and an Ornament & Crime running my Calibr8or firmware (part of the Phazerville Suite) for quantization, transposition, enhanced tuning, and more. This is installed in the TLM Audio OC T4.0 which runs an upgraded Teensy 4.0 microcontroller.
Since the Doepfer sequencers can also be used as trigger pattern generators, I decided to also add a compliment of percussion modules. These include the Shakmat Modular Battering Ram kick drum module, 2hp Snare, and for old-school noise-based “cymbals” and noise splashes, a combination of the Steady State Fate Quantum Rainbow 2 noise source and Abyss Devices LPG dual low pass gate with decay time trimmers (the àradh in particular can also be used as an LPG).
Continuing the old-school vibe, I looked at what other effects or signal processing modules and outboard gear Moog sold at the time. A filter bank was central to the original modular systems, and the Moog vocoder was a prized piece of rack equipment; Moog Music donated a Spectravox to cover those duties and more. Spring reverbs were the main spatial effect back then; we included a Befaco Spring Reverb with Accusonics tank. Phase Shifters were also popular back in the day, and Moog offered a rackmount unit; for this system we have a WMD Orion analog phaser. A Bode Frequency Shifter was one of the more unusual modules you could get back then; this system has a Doepfer A-126-2 Voltage Controlled Frequency Shifter with expander. To round off the effects section with a modern digital flair, there is also a Happy Nerding FX Aid, which you can custom-configure using dozens of algorithms available from Happy Nerding online.
Of course, you are going to need a master audio mixer and output module to get these great sounds out of this system. For the former, we went with the versatile Cosmotronic Cosmic Pro with four mono and two stereo channels, two effects sends and returns, and clickless mutes. For the latter, we have a Knob.Farm Ooots, which includes headphone and balanced outputs, tilt EQ, and adjustable saturation.
Modulation is important for animating sounds, and we included quite a versatile set of modules in this system: a traditional AD (2hp EG) plus dual ADSR (Intellijel Tangrams), a triple sample & hold (SSF/DivKid RND STEP), the Eurorack favorite Make Noise Maths, and an extraordinarily versatile digital quad LFO and random source (Five12 QV-L). Utility mixers include the Frap Tools 321 and Zorx CV Bus with Silencer expander. There’s also several buffered multiples, including two from Abyss Devices, and a Joranalogue Add 2 for the precision adding of control voltages – such as adding a keyboard transposition to a sequencer line.
And for the “cherry on top”: If you have seen Keith Emerson’s huge Moog modular system, it tends to have an oscilloscope, frequency counter, or both in the upper right corner. Echoing that, we added a Mordax DATA module which includes those functions and many more in the same location in this system. I personally find the DATA to be invaluable in my own modular systems, both for tuning, and also to learn how a module works by comparing the signal going into it with the signal coming out.
The Extras
We realized the potential winner may be new to modular – so we wanted to make it easier for them to get up and running. For example, this system comes with a set of 100 patch cables from Luigi’s Modular Supply. (By the way, Luigi’s patch cables are on sale through December; more information below in the One More Thing section.)
For those who prefer keyboards to sequencers, we included a Synthesziers.com three octave full-size keyboard in a walnut case to keep the old-school look. We had them add a MIDI interface so you could connect this system with the rest of your keyboards, as well as an arpeggiator for “instant sequences” without having to learn the powerful Doepfer system first.
If you’ve never patched before, Moog Music also donated their popular Mother-32, which is a full pre-patched semi-modular analog synth voice (also with MIDI, as well as its own sequencer) meaning you can create sounds without learning how to patch up an entire voice beforehand. The Mother-32 can also be extended using the other modules in this system.
When you are ready to learn how to patch, there’s a signed copy of the modular synthesis bible Patch & Tweak, plus coupons codes to get my entire set of online courses for no charge.
I feel really good about this system: It truly is a self-contained modular orchestra, which also plays well with others. And since it’s modular, if there is something in it that’s not quite to your taste, swap it out for something different! It was an honor to work with the Bob Moog Foundation to put it together, and I really appreciated their patience during this process.
The total system with accessories comes to almost $20k USD in value. Isn’t that worth buying a handful or two of tickets for, to take a chance on owning it? 🙂
If you would like to discuss this system more, feel free to do so in the comments below. Or even better, if you subscribe to DivKid on Patreon, this will be the Featured System for the week of December 2 on his members Discord channel. I’ll be answering questions on there as well.
Alias Zone Updates
I had a nice run of three live plus a pre-recorded performance in September and October, which I wrote completely new music for – including the piece Paradise Lost.
Perhaps the most visually interesting of these gigs was when I headlined the first night of the inaugural Wavetrails festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when I performed inside a “holographic video cube”: four 12’ (~3.7m) panels of translucent cloth, with video projected onto each panel. The graphics were generated in real time by John-Mark Collins of Wonder + Light. The full length of Paradise Lost is shown above; I will also edit and release the final third of my set – a work in progress with the current title The Gathering Storm – later this winter.
If you’re curious to see both me and the other performers at two other gigs I had during this stretch, click here to see the inaugural Modular Electronica event put on by the Colorado Modular Synth Society and Luigi’s Modular Supply, and the 2024 edition of Cyclical Festival organized by the excellent electronic music label Cyclical Dreams.
Speaking of Cyclical Dreams, they released an album of the performances during Cyclical Fest 24 at an incredibly low price, including my piece Paradise Lost. Other wonderful artists include Paul Nagel, René van der Wouden, grum~pe, Cartas de Japón, SONICrider, Michael Brückner, Phobos, Francisco Nicosia, and Tony Obr. Click here to buy it on Bandcamp.
Finally, I have a favor to ask: The excellent Cyclical Magazine has opened voting for the best Ambient, Berlin School, Drone and Soundscape Electronic Music album released in 2024. You can pick up to three; I would hope that you would pick the album Finite Space by Chris Meyer’s Alias Zone as one of them. Click here to vote; voting is open only until December 15.
Learning Modular Updates
To save time when setting up for a gig, I pre-patch as many things as I can. The next trick is getting them out off the way of any controls I need to see and modify while playing.
I had tried a few different patch cable clips I found on Etsy and elsewhere, but I had problems with all of them: mostly with them breaking, but also with them getting in the way of jacks and controls, and also with the edge of the case or the modules above when trying to close it.
My wife Trish (“cybertrish” on eBay) has a 3D printer, so I drew up an improved clip design based on what I had learned from the earlier failures. Main features include:
• straight on one side to get out of the way of the case lid as well as jacks and controls
• notches to fit over rack rail lips
• strengthening the base as much as possible to reduce breakage, including using a special countersunk screw that got the screw head out of the way of the cables while also not removing too much material from the base of the clip
We went through a few design iterations, and I’ve been using them in my travel case for my recent gigs – and I’m really happy with how they work. We chose to print them using PETG HF, which is less brittle than the clips I had bought from others: I can bend the arms quite a way without them breaking off.
Trish is selling them in sets of 10, including the special 3mm screws. Click here to go to her eBay page to purchase them in black, or click here for ones that are a silvery clear. They’ll pay for themselves the first time playing live when you don’t have to dig through a rat’s nest of cables while trying to get at a control… 😉
Patreon Updates
My Patreon subscription has evolved over the years from module reviews and synth history, to now covering live performance, studio, and compositional ideas in addition to advanced patching tricks. There are roughly 500 posts in the archives now, all of which you get access to from day one of your subscription, including during the seven day free trial.
New posts I’ve written since the last newsletter include:
- Tales from the Road 02: Tuning Before Playing covers the techniques I use – including creating a special “tuning sequence” – to help me quickly ensure all of my sound sources are in tune before playing. Available to all paid subscribers.
- Tales from the Road 03: Playing Inside a Video Cube talks about the special setup requirements to quickly get in and out of the video cube shown above under Alias Zone Updates, as well as how I rescued a recording from that gig which had some tracks missing. Available to +5v and above subscribers.
- Improving my Live Performances Part 6: The Updated Backbone Patch discusses in great detail the patch I create on my live performance modular system before I start composing, including the clocking and trigger system, voice patches, sequencer setup, and audio routing including effects sends and returns. This saves time and helps keep me in the flow when I create a new set. Available to +5v and above subscribers.
- Spatial Audio 01: How We Hear is the start of a brand new series on working in realms beyond stereo. Roughly half of my live performances are in quadraphonic, and my new studio was designed to allow me to work in Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 spatial audio. I start this new series by explaining how our ears and brain tell where a sound is coming from, and how we should be mixing to give it the clues it needs. Available to all paid subscribers.
So: If you want to take your modular music experience to the next level, I humbly suggest you really should be a subscriber. As I mentioned, there’s seven day free trial, so check it out and see if you agree.
Upcoming Events
December 6, 7 PM GMT, Pro Synth Network YouTube Channel
I will be a special guest on the December 6 edition of the Pro Synth Network Livestream, focusing on the Bob Moog Foundation modular raffle system, as well as modular synthesis and my electronic music career in general. Click here to go directly to the page for that stream and turn Notifications On to be reminded to watch it live (where you get to ask questions in the Chat), or to watch the playback later. YouTube will do the time conversion for you to tell when it airs in your location (7 PM GMT, 2 PM EST, 11 AM PST).
January 23 2025, 6 PM, Radiant Beer Company, Anaheim California
The Southern California Synth Society puts on an annual Electronic Sonic Madness show during NAMM week for primarily modular synthesis acts, with a long list of performers, free admission, and lots of giveaways. Current plans are for me to play an extended “kick off” set when the doors open at 6 PM.
If you are attending NAMM, I will also be in the MIDI Association booth (Hall A, Booth 10302) Thursday at 11 AM for a special event – drop by if you can! And whenever I’m not in talks about spatial audio, I’ll be bouncing between the Bob Moog and Alan R Pearlman Foundation booths. I also plan to attend Buchla & Friends all day that Sunday.
March 14-16 2025, ELECTROWAVE
The Rocky Mountain Electronic Music Festival, Ent Center for the Performing Arts, University of Colorado Springs, Colorado
I will be both speaking and performing at this “research/community collaboration featuring a variety of performances, lectures, and workshops throughout the weekend.” Current plans are for me to play Friday evening and do a breakdown of how I executed my performance on Saturday; I might also be on a panel. More information will be coming soon; click here to go to their web site.
By the way, if you are an electronic musician or act from Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, or New Mexico, you can apply to perform at their Front Range Waves concert which is part of the Electrowave Festival. Click here for the application (open until January 15).
One More Thing…
Luigi’s Modular is the main brand of Eurorack patch cables that I use. Almost all of the cables in my performance system is their low-profile right-angle M-PAR cables; their heads take up the least room, and they ensure I can close the lid of my case when it’s fully patched (especially when paired with Chaos Clips – see above). And their Doppio cables are my favorite passive splitter. And for those who prefer straight cables, take a look at their Spaghetti line.
My brother Ronald Meyer runs Starving Students Music Supplies, and he’s the exclusive US distributor for Luigi’s Modular cables in the US. Even better, he is running a special on them for the month of December: 25% off! Click here to go to his web store, and enter the code REMEMBER25 when you check out. Happy holidays!
In other news, after trying for a couple of years to build social media and YouTube audiences for both Learning Modular as well as for Alias Zone, I’ve decided to give in to the fact that the two are merely different halves of my one brain, rather than separate entities.
Although I am keeping separate Learning Modular and Alias Zone web sites, the social media pages originally tagged as being just for Learning Modular will now be the main home for both Alias Zone and Learning Modular content. I will still post Alias Zone happenings to the old Alias Zone social media pages for awhile (and always to the Alias Zone web site), but the joint Learning Modular/Alias Zone social media pages are going to be where the action is – on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
feeling mentally unified (or maybe just mental) –
Chris