Can we talk about modular synths?

[actual]

Yeah..so you input one note, and get a seventh chord right? But you trigger all four notes at the same time, with the same gate, right?

[Ruiner]

Yeah..so you input one note, and get a seventh chord right? But you trigger all four notes at the same time, with the same gate, right?

Yeah, i use a Doepfer switcher to mix up when a note is played and which part of the chord through which VCO.

[actual]

Do you then send the VCO's through the same VCA and filter?

[Ruiner]

Do you then send the VCO's through the same VCA and filter?

Sometimes, depends on what i'm trying to accomplish with it. Other times i'll use separate VCAs with different LFO or ADSR going into it to say have the root note be a long release and then parts of the 3rd playing on top of it or something like that.

[actual]

Ahh I see, then it is true polyphony. I think.

[behndy]

it's stacking monophonic VCO's (with possibly different envelopes) to get polyphony.

[actual]

My thing was, that if you send the VCO's through the same VCA and filter, being gated by the same source, then it would be paraphony, but because there are multiple VCA's and filters, it's polyphony.

[Ruiner]

it's one of the phonies.... just like me... a phony.

[actual]

Hey, at least you're loaded

[Ruiner]

Loadaphony

[behndy]

PHONY LOADS.

like when you scream out you're going to finish but throw warm rice pudding on your partner to trick them because you must ALWAYS protect your precious, precious seed.

[kbit]

I guess that's kinda the fun for me though. Learning the skill of playing the keyboard, music theory etc. So in my world, using a module which for instance spits out major triads for you, is no different than having an APC or other pad controller, that lights up all the notes in a certain scale in a certain key etc.

Yeah..so you input one note, and get a seventh chord right? But you trigger all four notes at the same time, with the same gate, right?

If this module was used specifically in this way, I understand how you could see it like this: play one key, get a whole chord, minimal effort, "cheating". But... you are only affecting one variable of all four voices: the pitch. Each of these voice can then have a separate or related modulation of timbre, volume; one voice could go to a delay, another to a filter, another could be FM'ing something and not being heard directly at all. The possibility to delineate all the separate parts of a signal chain is where the possibilities of modular come alive, and why I wouldn't see a chord module like that as "cheating." I see it as a specific way to modulate multiple variable at once time.

Also I totally get that you weren't trying to be confrontational, and I'm not implying you're talking down on anyone. I intend no sassy vibes with my post, just sharing my perspective

Like kbit pointed out (because now that kbit never posts all of his posts are good posts) polyphony is a pain in the ass on modular.

[Invisible Man]

Mylar Melodies’ first few minutes of his Generative music video is useful for this. ‘The skill is knowing what to keep.’

[behndy]

....... I intend no sassy vibes with my post, just sharing my perspective

no. Sassy Vibes forEVER.

NO SASSY NO PEACE.

[oscillateur]

A thing to note is that the process of making music can be as important as the result. In this regard, modulars can be either super liberating or super limiting (or both at the same time). It's not just about what you make but how you got there.