Re: [AH] Arranging modular synths

From Cynthia Webster
Sent Mon, Mar 7th 2005, 01:25

on 3/6/05 1:45 AM, Kim Johnsson at xxx.xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xx wrote:

> Hi guys!
> 
> I'm just about to start building a modular synth (Doepfer), and I was
> wondering what kind of "stategies" exist for the arranging of the
> modules? I.e. group by function (all oscs in the same place, envelopes,
> filter and so on), by "logical" signal flow, or some other "algorithm".
> Do some of you prefer a chaotic module order? Have you noticed any
> difference in your patching with a "logical" module setup as opposed to
> a chaotic one? How much time do you spend rearranging modules, if you
> end up getting a bunch of new ones? And so on...
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Kim

~ Laying Out Your Modules or Modular System Overview ~

I find myself following clusters of different philosophies or conventions
overlapping upon one another in the arrangement of modules in a modular
system.

My very first synth was an Arp 2600, and I drove it along with myself to
Boston to study with the Jim Michmerhuizen the wonderful man who wrote the
2600 and 2500 synthesizer manuals originally for Arp.

Did you know that in the USA - all highways going North-and-South are
numbered in ~odd~ numbers, (US Highway #1 goes up the Pacific Coast Highway)
... and West-to-East highways, (like highway # 80) are always numbered with
~even~ numbers?

Well, the ARP manuals explained synthesis in an overall left-to-right signal
flow of little boxes for modules - with audio sources & audio modifiers
drawn first, and then any control voltage sources or control voltage
modifier signals drawn underneath them as arrowed lines going back and forth
vertically between Controller and Controllee.


Boston Style Notation

[VCO]-------->[
  |           [ Mixer]----->[VCF]----[VCA]----->  MAIN OUT
  |  [VCO]--->[               |        |
  |                           |        |
[LFO]                       [ENV]    [ENV]

                   
So in my mind, audio signals flow West-to-East, or horizontally from module
to module, and control voltages travel generally South-to-North or
vertically from module to module.

This is exactly how I think when patching, and I find it helpful to conform
the physical arrangement of real world modules in the same order.

The Core Philosophy (A Boston type layout?)

Imagine the upper left corner of your cabinet with a Left-to-Right signal
flow... it would not make much sense to start with a Filter there as the
very fist module in the upper left corner of the rack - because most likely
you will need to start a left-to-right signal flow with something that
creates some sort of Signal (!) such as a Noise Source or Oscillator to
start with.  Before the filter - you'll need a signal to put into it!

(The eccentric owners of some systems shun Oscillators altogether -
and instead have banks of several self-oscillating Filters creating sine
waves, combined with many mixers to create additive sound waveforms from
scratch).  So ~whatever~ you sources of signals, in this philosophy, they
should go in the upper left of your rig.

Next come audio signal modifiers such as waveshapers and filters,
(most likely in that order) near the upper middle of your rig, followed by
exotics and time modifiers such as Phasors, Flangers, Delays, Echos and
Reverbs.  (Of course you do not always use these in these orders)

Continuing on in a left-to-right signal flow to the rightmost end of your
cabinet, this is where you would put your VCAs and mixer type modules
(Reverbs are often found here as well) as this end of the rig is the final
output to the world.

Ok, so we've described the main row of audio modules with all their
interconnections patching horizontally from left-to-right, but what about
things like LFOs and Envelope Generators, or exotic voltage control
modifiers like Burst Generators, Comparators, Sequencers, or Peak & Trough
modules?

This collection of control voltage modifiers would all live in a row
~underneath~ the row of audio generators and processors - so that their
connections to actually control different parameters of the audio specific
modules travel vertically, or north and south.

(Note that the most basic of control voltage modifiers, Modwheels and
Keyboards, would live further down - underneath all of these).

That is the grand overview of they way that Jim Michmerhuizen taught
patching at the Boston School of Electronic Music.  With this philosophy in
mind, have a look at many of the non modular types of synthesizers out there
- and you'll see it reflected in the front panels of many models and
different brands including the classic Arp 2600.

Ok then, what was all this about overlapping philosophies?

Obviously these examples are based on a medium to large size modular.
In smaller systems it's most likely that you may merge or overlay the
purpose of two separate rows on top of each other so that your patching
is in all four directions within the same row.  No worries!
(Every little modular system has the potential to grow up big and strong!)

The same left-to-right signal flow is quite possible with the smallest
of systems.  If you only have two modules, then put your Oscillator
on the left, and your VCA on the right, and as you expand your system
you may have to mix audio modules and control voltage modules within
your one row of modules.


% Mutagens %

Other thoughts that mutate the system layout are things like
whether you are left or right handed.  If for example you have any
modules that you need to operate with your predominant hand, then
it makes sense to put your joysticks or envelope firing buttons on
that side.  

The more knobs that a sequencer module has, the more of an investment
you have in tuning it - so you may think to place it up in an upper
tier far away from everything else so it won't get bumped out of tune
easily.  

Another mutation to "the Boston Method of patching" is the
recommendation of sprinkling lots of extra Mixer and VCA modules
throughout your system, especially if they are DC coupled allowing
the manipulation of control voltages and not just audio.
You can never have too many of these!
(Mults would also fall into this category if you use them).

On Moog type layouts space must also be set aside for additional
Oscillator and filter ~Controller~ types of modules.


~My Own System~  
(I call the "Winchester Mystery System" because it never stops growing!)

My Modcan A & Cynthia modular system is made mainly of banana jacks cables
which eliminate the need for dedicated mult modules, however many of our
modules also have larger 1/4 phone jacks for larger and heavier Moog type
patchcords at the main inputs or final outputs - so I try to place any of
these hybrid banana/phone modules along the bottom row of the whole system.
This keeps the heavy cables and hardware out of the way.
(Doepfer Ribbon Controller Modules might be best near the bottom for the
same reason)

This means I break with the philosophy occasionally such as putting
patch cord interface panels, mic pre-amps, or I/O send and return types
like the Cynthia brand Anything Modules at the bottom left under the
classification of Control Voltage modifiers with large jacks such as
MIDI or pedal Interface modules.
Technically, if they are a ~source~ of sound such as a pre-amp introducing
an external signal into the left-to-right signal flow, then they should be
on the upper left of a system, (possibly even further left than the
Oscillators!)

I started with a very meager system only buying a module every couple
of months (but it's kind of snowballed over the years :)

Work on my own system grinds along slowly as aside from keeping a
"Go By" example of every module in the rig as a reference - I spend
at least 90% of my time helping to build other people's systems!

Here is the system layout, [Each header below is a cabinet]


              Cynthia's Winchester Mystery System
 
[Logic/Seq Wing]   [Main Expansion Cabinet]  [Mac & Surround Exp Wing]

[Interface Wing]   [MAIN Stand Alone Synth]  [4x4 Panning Matrix Wing]

I presently have a six cabinet system with two stacked central cabinets
and four wings on either side of them. Each of these cabinets is a
double-decker for a grand total of 128 spaces. The lower center cabinet is
what I consider the "main" system cabinet not only because it was the
first one I populated with modules, but also because it is
capable of acting as a fully functional stand alone system of it's
own.  (Within this cabinet there is a Boston type left-to-right signal
flow from Oscillators on the left - to a Dual VCA as the Final Output module
on the right).

This is so that I can travel light with it and not always need to
bring the whole system every time.

The center cabinet above this basic system cabinet is an expansion unit
adding another row of audio generating and processing modules, and a row
of system infrastructure above that where I place my large sequencer, along
with pairs of gooseneck lamp Photon Interfaces, and monitor speaker modules.

Even when laying-out the four double-decker wing cabinets, I felt the need
to philosophize each one's purpose and placement within the system.

My lower center cabinet is designed to create a complex two-voice output,
that can be stretched when necessary into a less complex four-voice output.
(The center cabinet above it is designed the same way).

Together these two large (32 module "16D") cabinets are capable of
generating up to four or eight outputs of audio all at the same time so
I built the rightmost lower of the Wing cabinets to be a Quad Output Station
with a voltage controlled 4x4 quad panning matrix. Four voices of audio come
off the end of the two center cabinets to this separate wing cabinet which
contains (4) Quadraphonic Panners, (4) Joysticks to steer them, (4) Mixers,
(4) Reverbs, and (1) Quad VCA Dual Panner/Mixer module as a final quad or
four-channel Output out to the sound system and whatever recorders.

(This also puts all four of those joysticks by my right hand, and the
Quad Panning Matrix Wing is in a stand-alone cabinet that can go right off
to do live show on it's own if needed).

Because this whole system arrangement can also be patched to provide
~eight~ voices or audio surround channels, another Wing Cabinet above this
Quad Panning Output Station is also designed to output a second group of
four-channel signals for up to eight channels of surround sound.
This Surround Sound Expansion Wing Cabinet makes the system capable of
real-time output to Dolby, DTS, or THX ULTRA encoding for DVD and film
projects...

This surround sound expansion wing is also the home of
the Cynthia Macintosh & Major Monitor modules within the system.
Philosophically, this suggests the main use for the Macintosh module
is in the role of multi-channel recorder, but of course it can also
be used as a full sound effects library, and as an audio processing
module doing real-time doppler shifts around the room.
Where to put such a jack of all trades module?

I'm thinking with all of the new products we have in development,
I should probably add yet another expansion to the expansion for
the Macintosh, (maybe in the center?) as I'd like to use the upper
left wing cabinet for a host of new goodies soon to be released!

The far left Lower Wing cabinet of my system is now full of all of the
system interface modules including MIDI, BiPedal Interfaces,
pitch-to-voltage converters, pre-amps, envelope followers, and send and
return type interfaces. This puts all of the realworld Inputs at the
lower left of my system.

Above the System Interface Wing is the Logic & Sequencing Wing.
It has lots of exotic logical operation modules, comparators,
digital noise sources, RanDivides, smaller sequencers, and loads of
Dividers and is sort of what I use as a combo Source-of-Uncertainty
and Martian Metal Munching MoonMouse modular rhythm section LOL!


"Look at all the Paisley Modules!"

The idea of making a module or cabinet into a ~subsystem~ of it's
own within a larger modular system is a lot like the Buchla
Dodecca modules, or the Serge and STS Animal type panels... so I'll
call this "Berkeley type patching philosophy" </shoot!>
(see the East Coast vs. West Coast paradigm being supported here?)

It gets even deeper if you attribute the Banana type willy nilly
"everything connected to everything man..." thinking that was
as popular as Sandoz in California back in the early seventies.
Banana Cables are a wonderful system as every signal has the instant
freedom of a queen on the chessboard and can go literally anywhere in
the system.  (of course you don't have to live on the west coast to
think "Berkeley Style" LOL!)

Names and labels aside, this subsystem type thinking
can be applied to the layout of any type of modular system by
building groups of modules into "Voices".  Thus, clusters of
Oscillators, Mixers, Filters, and VCAs can be grouped into a
stand alone voice, and that entire group or building block
can get placed around in different spots as you arrange and
rearrange your system.

Perhaps a Japanese Philosophy might be to make the Final Output
subsection in the very center of your system - with all sound
generating modules around the outer perimeter and the filters
and processors in between?  This way all signals come to you
in the center.

A Chinese Philosophy might be to determine the layout by chance?
(a radial layout using a dartboard to position the modules?)

A Hebrew Philosophy to flip the whole layout to read Right to Left?

(What conceptual layouts can you think of? Some of us have seen
a modular synthesizer that rolls-up like a quilted carpet!)

We each have a large investment in our systems and often think
about where the modules should be moved to after learning new
uses or favorite patches with them.  It only can take ONE new
module to rock your whole layout into a different paradigm!

(That's the beauty of it!)

Some people even use the length of the patchcords in their
collection as an indicator of where the modules should
be laid out, (Scottish type Philosophy?)

Some manufacturers make dual and quad modules of the same
function such as the Modcan 4VCA with four VCAs, or their
Quad LFO with four LFOs, these can be placed alongside
the Cynthia brand Quad Bandpass, Comparator, or Low Pass
Gates modules and are a lot of fun when lined-up in rows
of "four of this" and "four of that".  A versatile
subsystem could be dedicated just to those types of
modules for even higher functional density.

Yet another physical consideration are with modules made
with their jacks all at the bottom of each module, and
all of their knobs at the top.  Aries, MOTM, Technosaurus,
and Wiard are fine examples of this type of layout where
in order to keep cables as out of the way as possible
modules are probably best aligned in as few rows, and
as long a horizontal row each as possible.

If all of this *thinking* wasn't enough, then there are
layers of practicality to apply to your layout such as
how portable do you want this thing??  Where do the Theremin
module's antennas go? And is there a spare gymnasium in
the house for all of this, or is your studio sharing space
in the broom closet?

You most likely will be presenting yours proudly to
the world and place it in a prominent space so that
it's fine appearance is a pleasure to behold, so why not
indulge some time in applying your own philosophies to
really make a statement with your system!

I hope that this helps in suggesting a few things to think
about as your own systems evolve.  If anyone thinks of
some more ideas then please jump in!

Best Wishes!


Cynthia 

http://www.cyndustries.com/


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