Plans for my new modular

kara · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:30 am Post subject: Plans for my new modular

After a lot reading and googling, I've finaly decided to start with Doepfer.
I've looked at others too, but Doepfer sells directly in France, so no shit with customs & import taxes.
First i was thinking of buying there mini-system but that means that I buying a full rack, which didn't appeal to me.

This is what I think will be my first purchase :

-The double Baie d rack.
- A190 MIDI2CV
- 2 x A110 VCO
- A130 VCA
- A121 Multi-filter
- A145 LFO
- A140 ADSR
- A130 VCA
- A114 Ring modulator
Patch cables

Will cost me around 1300 euros, which is a good start I think.

What do you think ?

k

EdisonRex · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:45 am Post subject:

I think you should drop one of the VCAs for either an extra envelope generator or an extra VCO. The A130 has two inputs, the signal chain would most likely come from the filter, and I can't see why you'd need two VCAs with only 2 VCOs and only one EG. That's just my opinion though.

Classic voice setup though, 2 VCOs, a filter and a modulator. Come to think of it, that filter is a multimode -12dBf so you might actually find you want a beefier lowpass than that - have you heard this system yet?

kara · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:54 am Post subject:

True, the second VCA is a typo

The missing component is
A138c Mixer

I didn't hear that system yet, it's just based on my experience with the NM1 and G2X, as I tought it would be a good start on which I could build in the future.

k

EdisonRex · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 8:03 am Post subject:

A138 - even better. It's a pretty basic setup nonetheless, but should be plenty versatile. I still think you could use a second EG, and some kind of random source or LFO.

Funky40 · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:31 am Post subject:

Don't take the A130 VCA ! takebetter the new one. the A130 sounds bad ( CA3080 based ))

my opinion:
just take best filters and best VCOs, especially for the begin.
Best filters guarantees you a full fat warm and bright sound and will make you smile even with simple patches.

Best VCOs mean:
best tracking, which is necessary for good FM patching,
and also good sine Wave, which is also important for good FM patching.
then also nice FM behave which is different on VCOs.
Baisc Waveforms are often not that different soudwise.
If doepfer, take the A-111
Plan B VCO would be cool, but there are so many people who state that it don't tracks proper ( which was also my experience )
I was not very happy with my doepfer filters, but the a107 morph is fat and very versatile

hmmm...... ?
personally i think you should not start with such a small system.
I just read you have a G2, what should such a small System gives you ?
I would wait, or just make a Rack as a compliment to your G2.
then take 2 really good filters. maybe the livewire frequensteiner and a Plan B or a Doepfer a-107, or Harvestman Polivoks.
get a LPG from plan B ( model 13 i think ) adn look that soembody will build you a custom gainstage with 2 or 4 channels for a fair price.
Then you can patch the G2 into your hardware modular. ( AS should have a gainstage too, but you need 2 or better 3 )

for example one G2 out for a VCO mix into analog VCF.
another G2 out for aSecond VCO out to FMing Filters.
Then a third G2 out to get a trigger signal out for the LPG.
Then you have one G2 output free, so you can patch the analog signal back to the G2 for further processing.

In my opinion the analog signal looses something when patching it back to the G2, but you could make this as a parallel path.
you see, 3-4 modules( VCF,LPG, another VCF ) could be enough to have lots of fun with The G2 ,
but you need quite some additional modules to get this working. mainly some gainstages or a multiple Gainstage.
I have patched this way sometimes with the NM1

kara · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:26 am Post subject:

Thanks Funky, that's good advice and a total different approach
I'll think about this

k

dougcl · Joined: Feb 08, 2008 Posts: 33 Location: Portland OR

Consider the A-132-3. Get VCO's with linear CV for FM (A-110's don't). The Cwejman VCO-2RM price will probably fall between a pair of A-110's and a pair of A-111's, so you should look at that, since it is a very high quality unit that allows FM. I think the A-121 is great. Take a look at the A-143-3 instead of the A-145. Better, take a look at the MFB dual LFO.

Doug

cthulu · Joined: Feb 07, 2009 Posts: 56 Location: Göteborg, Sweden

Adam-V · Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:30 pm Post subject:

There were problems with the sockets Doepfer were using a number of years ago but that was resolved by the socket manufacturers (Cliff) and also affected anybody using said brand of sockets not just Doepfer.

The Doepfer system does do some normalisation via the internal gate and CV bus and there is some normalisation of signal flow within the individual modules themselves but for the most part a modular synth by definition shouldn't and in general couldn't have normalised patching due to their modular nature. The MS20 is a self contained synth and only has modular capabilities because the synth components are not individual removable modules and are internally hard wired.

Cheers,
Adam-V
Sick of the Doepfer bashing that goes on around here.

kara · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:56 am Post subject:

It looks like a not easy decission....
Still don't know what I will do, but time is on my site Smile

Thanks for all the input

k

cthulu · Joined: Feb 07, 2009 Posts: 56 Location: Göteborg, Sweden

Gomonoa · Joined: Sep 22, 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Germany

You should go with an A-131 instead of A-130.
Since the latter one is better for CV than Audio.

I figured, since i went modular, that the filter is VERY important for the sound coming out.
I dont know the A-121, but its running out. Maybe you take a look at the A-106-6 XP filter, it has some more filter slopes, more filter-types and so on...

I can recommend the A-124 Wasp Filter, very nice, but kinda special, doenstn sound like other filters.

I also have an MFB Filter, well, i might gonna sell it, its a bit boring IMO.