Chysn's Gear Rant Thread...

chysn · « **Reply #40 on:** March 05, 2016, 02:13:14 PM »

Bloody hell, I can't find my Evolver power supply. I had it just a couple days ago. I'm not particularly untidy, and it always goes back in the same place, but it's gone. My problem here is, I don't have a music "studio." I have a "music room," which has the piano, guitar, my kids' drum set and band instruments, and an antique side table with the Little Phatty. My Evolver lives on a Manhasset music stand, but isn't continuously plugged in. So now I want to use it, and the power supply is gone. Maybe the dog found it and wandered off with it.

Well, it'll turn up. The best way to find it would be to order another one, then I'll find the damn thing immediately. But it might be best to have a spare anyway.

This is going to require looking behind things. End of today's Gear Rant.

Edit: Found it! It was exactly where it was supposed to be, but under--instead of on top of--some other cables. How embarrassing.

chysn · « **Reply #41 on:** March 06, 2016, 02:25:09 PM »

Today I spent a little time perusing the Moog Mother-32 manual. It seems like it could be an interesting alternative to a CP-251. A couple hundred dollars more, and it has the sequencer, and another oscillator.

On the other hand, the Mother-32 lacks some of the things that I really like about the CP-251, specifically the noise, sample and hold, and lag processor modules.

Note that the Mother-32 being a complete synth isn't really a consideration for me. I'm looking for additional synthesis resources for the Little Phatty. The CP-251 seems like it would be more fun in this context, but it's possible that I'm missing something.

dslsynth · « **Reply #42 on:** March 06, 2016, 02:55:51 PM »

Would just be so much better if DSI made an eurorack modulation/preset manager module. In that way you would have multiple LFO's and envelopes not to mention a more powerful sequencer plus noise as a modulation source.

Speaking of eurorack: Have you considered getting an eurorack modulation module or two to do the same thing? Or is the CP-251 more affordable than such an option?

chysn · « **Reply #43 on:** March 06, 2016, 03:19:14 PM »

Quote from: dslsynth on March 06, 2016, 02:55:51 PM

Speaking of eurorack: Have you considered getting an eurorack modulation module or two to do the same thing? Or is the CP-251 more affordable than such an option?

Module-for-module, the CP-251 is an absolutely insane deal. I've priced out a eurorack system with only modulation options (no oscillators, no VCA), and it would be really easy to drop $1000USD (900 euro) on that sort of thing, and just keep going and going. I've got children going to college in a few years, so I'm working hard to stay out of eurorack even though it really appeals to me in a lot of ways.

By the way, this is ditto for the Mother-32. If you were to reproduce a Mother-32's capabilities with modules, you'd be in pretty deep. The Mother-32 sequencer alone is probably worth its eurorack price.

Fuseball · « **Reply #44 on:** March 07, 2016, 12:37:46 AM »

Quote from: chysn on March 06, 2016, 03:19:14 PM

Module-for-module, the CP-251 is an absolutely insane deal. I've priced out a eurorack system with only modulation options (no oscillators, no VCA), and it would be really easy to drop $1000USD (900 euro) on that sort of thing, and just keep going and going. I've got children going to college in a few years, so I'm working hard to stay out of eurorack even though it really appeals to me in a lot of ways.

And I always thought the CP-251 was absurdly expensive for what it does. The cost of eurorack modules definitely puts that in perspective! Been to a couple of modular meets now and the impression I got is that it was an audio science experiment. Nobody was making anything particularly melodic with the hardware. Absolutely nothing wrong with that of course, but not the right path for me. It was quite a relief to be honest.

chysn · « **Reply #45 on:** March 08, 2016, 05:16:15 AM »

Quote from: Fuseball on March 07, 2016, 12:37:46 AM

And I always thought the CP-251 was absurdly expensive for what it does. The cost of eurorack modules definitely puts that in perspective!

There's been a significant development very recently, which is Moog's release of a couple eurorack cases in the $100 range. This is sort of a price breakthrough, and makes me re-re-reconsider the whole eurorack thing.

But strictly speaking, it looks like it would cost about $700USD to build a CP-251-like system, à la carte. I think it's because there's sort of a price floor for a single module, and that floor is between $100USD - $120. So LFOs start at $100, lag processors start around $150, etc.

Quote

Been to a couple of modular meets now and the impression I got is that it was an audio science experiment. Nobody was making anything particularly melodic with the hardware. Absolutely nothing wrong with that of course, but not the right path for me. It was quite a relief to be honest.

It's a world of exploration that was really the heart of electronic music before the Minimoog normalized the signal path. There were some truly musical things done with the huge old RCA synthesizers, by Morton Subotnick and Milton Babbit, or by tape loop (e.g., Daphne Oram).

Eurorack seems to capture some of that spirit again.

chysn · « **Reply #46 on:** March 10, 2016, 07:06:39 PM »

I got the Little Phatty CV Out modification today.

Installation for a Stage II is a breeze. Time between removing the first screw and replacing the last was about a half hour. And I spent quite a bit of time testing the calibration before putting it back together.

Okay, so here's the rant part, as promised. The kit came with a replacement right-hand panel with holes drilled in it. This right-hand panel is black, whereas my original panels are dark gray. So right now, I've got a bit of a color mismatch.

I shot an email to Moog support, asking if they have any black left-hand panels available. If they do, and they're not too pricey, then cool. If not, I may drill holes in my original panel so it matches. But I hope they have the black panel, because the black looks great against the red.

Update: Apparently, one of each side panel was supposed to come with the kit. Moog is sending the matching panel to me.

chysn · « **Reply #47 on:** March 28, 2016, 04:52:42 PM »

There's a used music store not far from here with a CP-251 in stock, and I've asked them to hold it for me overnight so I can pick it up tomorrow. I know I said I wasn't going to buy anything until April, but it's one of those deals that, no matter what, I'm not going to lose any money on it.

I've pretty much ruled out going to eurorack; but in place of that, I'm looking into analog DIY. The CP-251 will be of great help in filling in the gaps as I build my own modules.

Sacred Synthesis · « **Reply #48 on:** March 28, 2016, 06:28:47 PM »

There's plenty of sense in building up composite instruments out of carefully selected modules, without following the more familiar modular route. Plus, who wants the patch cord spaghetti, if you can avoid it? I like your thinking, which is like mine!

chysn · « **Reply #49 on:** March 29, 2016, 12:00:53 PM »

Quote from: Sacred Synthesis on March 28, 2016, 06:28:47 PM

There's plenty of sense in building up composite instruments out of carefully selected modules, without following the more familiar modular route. Plus, who wants the patch cord spaghetti, if you can avoid it? I like your thinking, which is like mine!

I picked up the CP-251 today. It's like having a whole new synth. My first project was to use the Little Phatty's filter envelope to modulate the CP-251's LFO rate, with the LFO going into the LP's volume CV. The LP's CV outs will shine, because I'll be able to control many of the CP's functions from the LP's panel.

I've got a dozen patch cords coming tomorrow. I'm totally planning on patch cord spaghetti.

Sacred Synthesis · « **Reply #50 on:** March 29, 2016, 12:11:54 PM »

Well, you can't make too much spaghetti with a little CP-251. But it certainly will be both fun and fascinating.

chysn · « **Reply #51 on:** March 30, 2016, 07:50:30 AM »

This morning, I have been working on delayed vibrato. The trick here is that voltages are summed and not multiplied, so I can't, for example, control the amount of attenuation with the LP's filter envelope (for example).

The solution I devised is to send the synth's gate output to the lag processor. Set the rise time to maximum, and the fall time to minimum. The lag processor's output goes to an attenuator, and that attenuator's out goes to the LFO rate. Set the LFO rate knob to about the 10:00 position. LFO triangle goes to the other attenuator, and that attenuator goes out to the synth's pitch CV.

Set the lag processor's attenuator control to around +2, and the LFO's attenuator control to taste for your target vibrato depth (but realistically, to a negative value just barely below zero).

When you play a key, the lag processor acts as an envelope on the gate to bring the LFO up to speed. You really have to thread the needle on the attenuator knobs, but it's effective once they're set properly.

chysn · « **Reply #52 on:** April 18, 2016, 12:04:25 PM »

So, I bought a Mother-32 this afternoon. More later. Initial impression is that it sounds great, and will be a nice start to a eurorack system, but the sequencer is a beastly thing.

dslsynth · « **Reply #53 on:** April 18, 2016, 12:31:56 PM »

Congratulations!

Watch out for your budget though. Eurorack appreciation can be a very costly diagnosis to live with!

. o O ( cable salad blues )

chysn · « **Reply #54 on:** April 18, 2016, 12:36:35 PM »

Quote from: dslsynth on April 18, 2016, 12:31:56 PM

Congratulations!

Watch out for your budget though. Eurorack appreciation can be a very costly diagnosis to live with!

Thanks. It's too late for me, though. Save yourselves!

dslsynth · « **Reply #55 on:** April 18, 2016, 12:43:09 PM »

Quote from: chysn on April 18, 2016, 12:36:35 PM

Thanks. It's too late for me, though. Save yourselves!

Easy one with my budget!

I have to admit that while I find eurorack increasingly interesting I am honestly being scared away by cost, bulk, visual cable clutter and the lack of parameter control via MIDI which rules out generative methods.

Paul Dither · « **Reply #56 on:** April 18, 2016, 12:47:41 PM »

Quote from: chysn on April 18, 2016, 12:36:35 PM

Quote from: dslsynth on April 18, 2016, 12:31:56 PM
Congratulations!

Watch out for your budget though. Eurorack appreciation can be a very costly diagnosis to live with!

Thanks. It's too late for me, though. Save yourselves!

But I thought, we'll leave no one behind.

Paul Dither · « **Reply #57 on:** April 18, 2016, 12:49:20 PM »

Quote from: chysn on April 18, 2016, 12:04:25 PM

So, I bought a Mother-32 this afternoon. More later. Initial impression is that it sounds great, and will be a nice start to a eurorack system, but the sequencer is a beastly thing.

Congrats! I'm curious about what you are going to think about it. I've heard very mixed impressions so far on diverse forums as well as from friends.

chysn · « **Reply #58 on:** April 18, 2016, 02:24:49 PM »

Quote from: Paul Dither on April 18, 2016, 12:49:20 PM

Congrats! I'm curious about what you are going to think about it. I've heard very mixed impressions so far on diverse forums as well as from friends.

I won't get to spend serious time with it until tomorrow. But my reasoning was that enough of the CP-251's functions overlap with the Mother-32 to make the additional investment worthwhile. So

CP-251	Mother-32
LFO	Yep
Lag Processor	Nope
Multi (4-way)	Yep (3-way)
Mixer (4)	Yep (2, but mix can be controlled by CV)
Sample/Hold	Nope
Attenuator (2)	Nope
Noise	Yep

My plan (right now) is to eventually have a 60hp box of modules stacked over the Mother-32 in Moog's 2-way rack, and I can fill that up over time. The Pittsburgh Modular Toolbox can cover the S&H and lag processor.

Paul Dither · « **Reply #59 on:** April 18, 2016, 04:19:06 PM »

Quote from: chysn on April 18, 2016, 02:24:49 PM

My plan (right now) is to eventually have a 60hp box of modules stacked over the Mother-32 in Moog's 2-way rack, and I can fill that up over time. The Pittsburgh Modular Toolbox can cover the S&H and lag processor.

Sounds like a good plan. Sticking to the 2-way rack will at least prevent you from things going way overboard. I guess the only downside with Moog's racks is that you have to get an extra power supply.