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Ok so I've got a Snazzy Mini-Ark which is cool but I think is probably capable of a whole lot more than I have been able to do with it. I have been thinking about setting up a small modular guitar synth system....I'd like to start as simple as possible so I am thinking that unless I am not understanding modular synths clearly that the Mini-Ark can serve the function of the oscillator(s). I'd like to combine that with a STG Soundlabs Sea Devil's Filter (Eurorack format from Analogue Haven) as it is closely based on the filter of the EMS VCS3 which I am a big fan of.

http://www.stgsoundlabs.com/products/se ... ter_mu.htm



Some sounds:

http://www.stgsoundlabs.com/demos/sea_d ... mo_one.mp3

I know I can buy a small Eurorack format case made by Doepfer from Analogue Haven. It is fairly cheap.

So I would have essentially an oscillator (Mini-Ark) and a filter (Sea Devil's Filter). I see small modular synth set-ups and they usually have more elements than this.

Below is a very simple modular from Analogue Systems and it has VCO, which I am thinking would be handled by the Mini-Ark, VCF, which would be handled by the Sea Devil's Filter, VCA, which I know is an amplifier and would probably be necessary, EG1, which I am not sure of the function of, VC LFO, LFO seems like something you see on most synths, S+H (Sample and Hold?), not quite sure at this point what that is exactly, Noise, not sure how that functions exactly either.....so can anyone give me recommendations as to what the most basic system that would be musical would be ( I know I can always add more later - hell its modular!) and any fairly inexpensive modules that might fit the bill?

Found this:

http://www.analoguehaven.com/tiptopaudi ... endingkit/

Looks like a better case solution than the Doepfer.

I would suggest getting an envelope generator that you can use to modulate the filter and lfo's and whatnot. And I'm becoming more and more enamoured with this

http://www.analoguehaven.com/livewire/vulcanmodulator/

I recommend reading some stuff over at muff wiggler forums, starting here: http://muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13

the basic synthesizer is usually described as VCO (or simply oscillator), filter, EG (envelope generator, or ADSR) and VCA. that doesn't necessarily have to be 4 modules - several filters have a built-in VCA, for example.

the easiest way to understand an EG (for me anyways) is to think of it as a wave that is broken up into pieces - attack, decay, sustain and release. a lot of times they also have triggers for certain events, like end of cycle.

so much more to say...

blahquaker wrote:I recommend reading some stuff over at muff wiggler forums, starting here: http://muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13

the basic synthesizer is usually described as VCO (or simply oscillator), filter, EG (envelope generator, or ADSR) and VCA. that doesn't necessarily have to be 4 modules - several filters have a built-in VCA, for example.

the easiest way to understand an EG (for me anyways) is to think of it as a wave that is broken up into pieces - attack, decay, sustain and release. a lot of times they also have triggers for certain events, like end of cycle.

so much more to say...

Thanks, I am going to keep researching. I do have an account on Muff Wiggler.

So the thing I am most confused about right now is whether the Snazzy Mini-Ark can stand in for an oscillator or not. I guess I thought it could because it is tracking the guitar signal and creating a tone based on it but is not actually using the guitar signal.

Call me... You need an osc for reals... You're on the right track and that table top case is what I was going to suggest... I could talk all day bout some synthesizing... Don't go all Muff Wigg... ILF's got the synth nerds... The 6th Annual Austin Analog Synth Party is today... We love our sine waves in Austin...

Cool ideas simmering here for sure. I definitely agree with having a separate VCO besides the MiniArk. That way you can use the Mini Ark to control a completely separate voice. I run my guitar into an A/B/Y box and split the signal so it goes into my MiniArk and a Metasonix TM-1 at the same time. The MiniArk outputs a squarewave that tracks the guitar pitch and a gate signal that tracks the guitar notes. I send the squarewave into the VCO on the TM-1 and the gate signal into the VCA on the TM-1, and voila - I'm playing the TM-1 like a tiny synth with my guitar. Super fun.

At the most basic I'd say you'd want a synth set-up like this: VCO >> VCF >> VCA + an EG to modulate whatever you want. You can use envelope generators to shape the opening and closing of VCA's for instance. This will allow you to make string-like pads (slow attacks, long decay / sustain / release), percussive short blasts (fast attacks & decays, short sustain and release), etc. etc. You can also use envelopes to modulate filters and oscillators to do stuff like pitch modulation, bring filters in and out with note-attack, etc. And then if you did also have a noise generator you can use that to color the clean tones coming from your VCO. Most drum synth modules utilize noise to give grit and texture to otherwise clean waveforms to produce their drum sounds.

On and on and on and on. Endless discussion to be had here. Feel free to PM me any time if you want to. Have fun man!

Thanks all for the insights. I am still working on this. it is all a bit outside of what I can shell out cash wise at the moment.

So what would you think of any of the following as the center to develop a modular system around.

Soundlab seems to have the most bang for the buck and the most ins/outs.

Soundlab Semi-modular

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sound-Lab-Analog-Sy ... 2a0e2af94b



Doepfer Dark Energy

http://www.doepfer.de/Dark_Energy_e.htm

Hopefully some day I'll do this.

When i know what the hell I'm doing with it....

I am liking the looks of this!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Semi-Modular-Analog ... 2a0e982c24

Hey.....has anyone tried out the Tracer City? This seems like a no-brainer as far as combining with the Mini-Ark. I wish it were a bit cheaper or I could find one used. I just wonder if the Tracer City makes more sense with the Ark than a small modular or semi-modular synth like the Doepfer Dark Energy.

I'm liking some aspects of this demo of the two combined. Wish I could hear more of the two of them together.

[soundcloud]http://soundcloud.com/loss1234/snazzy-fx-the-tracer-and-ark-combination[/soundcloud]

The Tracer does some nice things with these field recordings, too, all by itself.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-M7oAgsPro[/youtube]

Any thoughts on the 4ms Triwave Picogenerator as a partner for the Mini-Ark?

Not quite sure exactly what it sports as to cv input.

http://www.4mspedals.com/triwave.php

I'm not finding the demo particularly musical which doesn't mean much but it would be nice to hear from someone who uses one.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP1PW1Bulpw[/youtube]

Jomox M-Resonator and T-Resonator also look interesting. Though they appear to lack CV inputs.

http://www.analoguehaven.com/jomox/tresonator/

Murf? Has CV. You can also get one with midi which could be nice.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSVvm_WWSs8[/youtube]