For the last couple of year I’ve written up my conversations with all of the modular manufacturers I could visit during the most recent NAMM show, starting on the first night of the show. This year, for personal reasons, I was on a different schedule, but I’m finally starting my manufacturer-by-manufacturer reports, to be spread out over several installments.
Most of the posts on this site are devoted to smaller modular systems I build for my courses. However, I recently did a 2-hour live webcast with “DivKid” Ben Wilson about my personal system, including many of the choices that went into building it. Here is that video plus some background.
I created the original Learning Modular Synthesis course for those who were complete beginners to the world of modular synthesis. The next question became: How do I help users reach the next level? The answer is the Eurorack Expansion Project. The idea is you have a nice core system, and want to know how to intelligently expand it – particularly if you interested in a specific technique or are after a certain sound. I’m tackling this in two parts: an online course, and a weekly series – including a dedicated Patreon page for the hard-core users out there.
The AJH Synth Ring SM is three modules in one: a ring modulator based on an analog transistor core design, a sub bass generator that creates tones 1 and 2 octaves down, and a 5 input mixer based on the classic Moog CP-3 design. This mixer is used to combine the original inputs, ring modular, and sub bass sounds; you can override them by patching in alternate inputs. The bonus preview movie from the soon-to-be-released Eurorack Expansion course focuses on the ring modulator section, showing a few different applications as well as really focusing on the waveforms and harmonic spectra it creates so that you better understand how a ring modulator works: