Below are all of the blog posts I’ve created for the Learning Modular site. The include instructional videos and articles on important concepts (such as getting started, managing clocks in your modular system, how the different types of FM work, etc.) as well as trade show reports and other writings of interest. To browse a specific category, click on one of the Blog Categories at right.
AJHSynth Ring SM and Sonic XV
I love modules that add to my sonic vocabulary – especially ones that just invite you to play with them, dialing in new sounds. Two modules that definitely fit that bill are the new AJHSynth Ring SM and Sonic XV Diode Ladder Wave Filter. Thinking “I rarely need a ring...
Matching Octaves in Your Modular
Different oscillators and MIDI to CV converters may have varying ideas of what voltage a given note produces, and what pitch should you hear as a result. If there is a difference, in most cases it can be dialed out with a pitch knob or transpose switch. However, there are occasions when you need the assistance of an additional module to settle these disagreements.
Patching Exponential FM
One way to create more complex waveforms (and therefore, harmonics) than traditionally supplied by oscillators is to use one oscillator to modulate the frequency of another. In this article I’ll describe how to set up an “FM” (frequency modulation) patch, and include a movie from my Learn Modular Synthesis course that demonstrates the “exponential” flavor of FM.
Adding Syncopation to Sequences
When you’re new to modular synthesizers, it’s all too easy to fall into the rut of just recreating the patches hardwired into your existing synths. But don’t forget that one of the main reasons to go modular in the first place is to get out of those ruts and explore...
Make Noise LxD (Low Strike Duo)
I’ve fallen in love with the Make Noise LxD dual low pass gate (LPG), and wanted to share my love affair with you. The LxD contains two stages: a VCA coupled with a 12dB/octave, slightly resonant low pass filter based on their MMG (Multi Mode Gate), and a VCA coupled...
Exploring the Moog CP3-Type Mixer
NAMM 2016: Day 3
I intended to visit the remaining modular manufacturers on my last half day at the show and cover all of their new releases, and fell woefully short – that’s a testament of how many manufacturers and new modules there are these days. Fortunately, there are others who report specs and prices; I’m going to focus more on my own impressions and reactions to some of the new and recently released modules I did get demos of.
NAMM 2016: Day 2
I got to a few more booths today at NAMM 2016 (Malekko, The Harvestman, Sputnik, Snazzy FX, and a return to Intellijel), and wanted to share some more conversations and observations about some of the current directions in modular synthesis – both my own, and from the Meet the Makers panel on modular synthesis.
NAMM 2016: Day 1
I’m at the NAMM music show in Anaheim California, and thought I’d summarize some conversations and share some quick impressions of a few of the booths I visited on the first day of the show.
Multiples: Passive, Buffered, and Logic
Sometimes, you need to send a signal to more than one place. With Eurorack in particular being a small format to begin with, it’s not common for a module to have multiple outputs to cover you, so you need to find a way to split the signal yourself. There a few ways to do it, some with disadvantages you may not have been aware of.