Can we talk about modular synths?

[mr. sound boy king]

It's been something I've wanted to mess around with.
The whole point of the box I'm building is to do things a traditional synth can't do.
I guess I can do something similar messing around with a quantizer.

I'm just joking around. I like the idea of microtones / microtonality as a means to produce unusual or alien sounds.

[dozicusmaximus]

Oh, I know. I'm sure there is a ton of stuff I can accomplish with regular scales. But that would probably require me actually learning some theory. haha. Which is probably something I really should do at some point.

[yeatsvisitslincoln]

Oh, I know. I'm sure there is a ton of stuff I can accomplish with regular scales. But that would probably require me actually learning some theory. haha. Which is probably something I really should do at some point.

Sometimes I'm annoyed that I know the theory because it makes me think inside the box and go for traditional western melodies and what not. It's honestly kind of refreshing to me when I can manage to forget about it and just do what sounds *good* to me.

[lordgalvar]

Haha yeah I'm not exactly making sitar jams on my modular but HEY YOU NEVER KNOW

The tones between the tones are the only tones for me. In fact, I eagerly await fully digitized nano tone modules.

Lastly, the new Trogotronic cases look siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick.

https://trogotronic.com/product-category/cases/

Watch out for the included power supplies on those...they suck on old houses/wiring. Unbearable noise and tuning issues too. Had to swap them out for more expensive (and less ma) linear ones to solve it. The ones included with make noise are better quality. Maybe they've swapped to a better supply since then though. (The cases are also just eBay pelican knock offs with rails riveted in).

His power boards are nice though and the actual trogotronic devices are quality, just those power supplies..

[yeatsvisitslincoln]

You could always go on Digikey and get a different brick! Make Noise uses the Volgren bricks.

Speaking of.... just put down the money for a new Elite Modular 6U 104 case! Super excited!!

[Strange Tales]

Volgen ones are sold out on Digikey, and it looks like no one else sells them as far as I can find.

[lordgalvar]

Which is what I did. They run two in the Collier case. But, still, I think they should of went with better ones than they did. Add 50 to 60 to the price and it isn't as good of a deal to me. The power cord is kinda annoying too (it's kinda stuck in there around the rails).

I've had better luck with noise on linear power supplies.

Got them from jameco. Actually, picked up lots of misc, weird power supplies/wall warts from them. Don't remember the brand though (wasn't the same as make noise).

[Strange Tales]

Jameco sells Meanwell IIRC which is what Intellijel uses. There were a ton of problems with them before this year with the ones going out not having a connection to earth ground in the power supply itself that was apparently revised in a later batch (at least the ones Intellijel shipped out this year had a connected earth ground).

[lordgalvar]

Yea, they were meanwell. Just looked. They were the fixed ones though. I think they fixed them in 2016. Malekko dudes showed the mod that fixed the problem if somebody has an older one.

The switch to linear helped too (learned that from noisy pedals). Just depends what works in your place. Power supplies are the worst part of modular though. Kind of a try and see approach to them.

I've grown to kinda hate 3.5mm plugs too. Can see why some prefer banana.

[Warpsmasher]

Yeah, I've had no problems or noise issues with the Trogotronic power system that is sold separate from the cases, that comes with the 2-brick cord. That could be in part because I have the boards hanging free in the back, not mounted to anything. I have two of the 6u/two board systems, each powering about 9u of modules. I may need to add an extra busboard to one of the racks, it will be cutting it close once I start to phase out the Rolands to permanent external status. I think if I'm going to do that though, then I might as well just go ahead and get a whole extra power system.
The new trog modules look good. More VCA, well yes, I do need that actually...
Scored an OG red button Telephone Game on the cheap @muffs. Like less than half price cheap. Arriving friday. Also did the jumper thing on my A-147-2, for the super slow mode *(1 hour range).

[yeatsvisitslincoln]

Good to know that the Meanwell Power brick issue has been addressed! New case will have a Make Noise board, but still...

[behndy]

woooooot. E352, Bishop's and Seq 1 (Yeasssty LINCOOOOOLLLLLLNNNN!!) should be here Friday. Noisy Weekends are GO.

also, DAMNIT. they fucked up the painting on my cases wood side panels. so he sweaaaars my case will be leaving Russia Provences in a few more days.

bluegegjagrgrh just want my stufffffffff.

[kbit]

I've been pondering it for a little while, but I'm now convinced I'm going to trade out the DPO for a different oscillator. It's so lovely and does so many things well, but those are the things I use it the least for. I don't think the "complex oscillator" concept is really my bag. Meep. So if anyone wants one... Get at me

I'm not 100% sure what I'd want o replace it with though. Mangrove and STO are on my list but I feel like there's gotta be some stuff out there I'm missing. Whatever it is, I'd like it to contrast but mesh with the Cursus Iteritas cuz I love that thing. Any suggestions of what to look into?

Really digging the Penrose so far, too. It's a very different approach to sequencing melody. It's very fun mixing CV sources for the input.

[oscillateur]

It really depends on what you want to do with it...

If live knobbaging is not a priority, a uBraids is a very nice thing to have. There are many cool algos in there and enough control to make it quite dynamic.
STO is also cool (the waveshaping and toggleable sub-osc are quite useful).

Do you have a separate wavefolder ? That can inform the decision quite a bit.

[Warpsmasher]

Warps is great as a simple oscillator with some cool extra features (esp. wavefolding) that are very useful and not too distracting. I've been using it that way for a couple of years, and am now ready to step up to the E352.