Can we talk about modular synths?

[GAS KING]

def stay with the DPO for a LONG time before switching anything up, mainly because:

*it sounds great, has the wavefolding and all the outputs
*most double/complex VCO's will be sort of the same, it's not worth it going through the hassle to switch (and even then I think it's in the running for the top complex oscillators in terms of sound and feature set)
* It is at it's core at least TWO VCO's, so why switch it for one more advanced VCO only to look for a VCO to complement it?

regarding FM: Link the one to the other and mess with FM that way, there's some excellent glassy/distorted/crazy tones to be had in there.
Or just use it as two VCO's until you want more. Keep it, goddamnit!

If i'd had space I'd get the DPO, instead I have the harvestman hertz donut mk2 which is digital and somewhat offers the same feature set in a smaller package. So fucking good.

Yeah, I'm going to keep it.
Had a momentary lapse in judgement due to frustration.
I do like the sounds it can make. Very powerful and complex.

I think the part that I questioned, is that I got it because I thought it looked cool. Not for any practical reasons. lol

Good point on the dual vco in the DPO vs a separate VCO solution.


What are the linked FM tones good for? or how would you use those sounds?

I definitely have the space.
I will look at the hertz donut mk2......because I don't know what that is.
I love researching modules.

[GAS KING]

Yeah it's just like learning guitar etc. Try to think of a sound you want. Then try to make it using 1 or two modules, and only those modules. Then do this for a few different sounds. Then add more modules.

Good suggestion.
I will try this over the weekend.

[coldbrightsunlight]

This is good advice. Try to stop thinking about new stuff, really get into the stuff you have. Doing that will get you a better idea what you can do, what you want to do, what features you like and what you're missing

[behndy]

hah. or just buy EVERYTHING NEAT, glean a tiny bit of How To Use Things knowledge from it, sell it, REPEAT.

but no. seriously. less is more. you're being smart diving deep butts into something super verbose like the DPO.

[eatyourguitar]

you can take any complex problem and break it down into smaller simple problems. maybe write down what sound you want to make. then make a plan. usually it starts with selecting the frequency and waveshape for a single vco without wavefolding. adding upper harmonics is done with FM, AM, PM, WF, distortion. removing harmonics to get back to a sine vco is done with low pass or band pass filtering. AM or volume changes are done by patching through a VCA. you also patch modulation to the VCA CV input. on the DPO there is a CV input for FM index. this is a VCA placed at the FM input. modulating FM index is like modulating a VCA with a basic FM patch. the hard part about the DPO is that all the internal patch routing is hidden and not extremely well documented. complex oscillator is complex but basically it is two VCO's two VCA's, a mixer, and a wavefolder built in for your convenience.

[GAS KING]

I need to figure out and experiment more with modulating CV.
I've mostly tried a plain sine LFO or Maths so far.
This mostly sounds like crap when I do it.
I have tried offsetting or attenuating the modulation first to reduce the intensity of it....which helps.
Getting it all in sync is a whole nother thing. :-\

[coldbrightsunlight]

I need to figure out and experiment more with modulating CV.
I've mostly tried a plain sine LFO or Maths so far.
This mostly sounds like crap when I do it.
I have tried offsetting or attenuating the modulation first to reduce the intensity of it....which helps.
Getting it all in sync is a whole nother thing. :-\

Yeah try some envelope style stuff using maths i.e. not continuous, repetitive modulation but triggered by an event - either a note or some cyclic/random/button press event. Or try to make more complicated shapes using a maths function that's modulated by something else or use logic to make more interesting shapes.

Less can often be more when it comes to FM/modulation of anything really. If you're just taking a non-attentuated LFO and modulating parameters... yeah. Not often gonna sound good. Learning the ins and outs of the 4 maths operators will very much be your friend here!!!!!


I just bought a Make Noise MMG. Had my eye on one for a bit, looking forward to checking it out

[GAS KING]

Thanks for all of the tips everyone! I'll try all of this over the weekend and report back.

I watched this video twice and it really made the 4 operators make sense to me. ( https://youtu.be/vzqkhHhGDPI )
I tried out the examples shown and that really made it make sense.
Being able to add/subtract/combine voltage and offset seems really powerful.

Cool on the MMG.
(quietly looks it up to see what it does)

[eatyourguitar]

I got this for an LPG. $50 delivered.
https://reverb.com/item/15616113-takaab ... 2018-black

my minor complaint with MMG is that it does not sound like QMMG. however QMMG is discontinued and stupid used prices. $50 for a dual LPG. yeah. QMMG is $2000 now. it was $500 new? or $600?

but more importantly is the MN ModDemix, OptoMix, LxD are all interesting flavors that do different things. I don't hate MMG but I feel like I can't get over the differences with QMMG. I can't unknow the sound of QMMG.

[MrNovember]

Other than the similar letters, aren't the QMMG and MMG very different things?

[eatyourguitar]

Other than the similar letters, aren't the QMMG and MMG very different things?

1. they sound different

2. QMMG was hand made with matched vactrols. tuned matched all 4 channels.

3. MMG is one channel of QMMG with some minor changes. this is mass produced. they all sound different and no one cares. MN really doesn't care. this is when it went down hill IMO. will it bongo? filter? yes. but it is not QMMG.

"very different" is a stretch. they were trying to release this like a greatest hits album of the Beatles or something big and easy to make as much money as fast as possible. the bait and switch. they would like to have people believe they are identical. if you ask Tony Rolando he will probably tell you they are the same circuit and the same sound. the problem is that you are using different batches of vactrols and not sorting them. same circuit? what about a fuzz face with NKT275? it is misleading to have marketing tell people "it is the same circuit people love". but technically that is truthful. it is the same circuit people love.

[MrNovember]

Other than the similar letters, aren't the QMMG and MMG very different things?

1. they sound different

2. QMMG was hand made with matched vactrols. tuned matched all 4 channels.

3. MMG is one channel of QMMG with some minor changes. this is mass produced. they all sound different and no one cares. MN really doesn't care. this is when it went down hill IMO. will it bongo? filter? yes. but it is not QMMG.

"very different" is a stretch. they were trying to release this like a greatest hits album of the Beatles or something big and easy to make as much money as fast as possible. the bait and switch. they would like to have people believe they are identical. if you ask Tony Rolando he will probably tell you they are the same circuit and the same sound. the problem is that you are using different batches of vactrols and not sorting them. same circuit? what about a fuzz face with NKT275? it is misleading to have marketing tell people "it is the same circuit people love". but technically that is truthful. it is the same circuit people love.

So, yes, what I am hearing is that they are very different things. I never argued that that they were similar or even comparable. I owned an MMG in the past and never fully clicked with it, but I never thought of the MMG as a QMMG v2. Again, other than the letters, I really see very few comparisons between the two; they've always been completely separate modules in my mind. And I'm not trying to defend Make Noise. I do not doubt that they use skeptical capitalist bullshit selling practices like every other successful company today

[coldbrightsunlight]

I don't have a point of comparison with the QMMG so I'm hoping I like this one haha. I like the feature set of it as a module, so I hope I dig the sound.

Also planning to pick up a takaab LPG or something similar in the near future.

[GAS KING]

I've been watching WMD YT tutorial/overview vids and I really like the WMD stuff.

Has anyone tried WMD?

[eatyourguitar]

I've been watching WMD YT tutorial/overview vids and I really like the WMD stuff.

Has anyone tried WMD?

I have the QAAF and the mini slew. WMD is one of my favorite builders. he started with the geiger counter and the arcane pre-amp pedals. then geiger counter eurorack module. he released a wavetable VCO called gama wave source. it was a lot of the same technology as the geiger counter. then the synchrodyne + expander and micro hadron collider + expander. then a whole bunch of modules. then the performance mixer, some kick ass sequencers and some kick ass drum modules. he also redesigned one of his filters to be more multi-purpose distortion or filter in 4HP.

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/wmd-c4rbn

my rack
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/1290577