inconvience of using modules from different companies

[erich]

I'm really trying to optimize my slowly emerging modular synth for what I want by using modules from several different companies. 1/8 inch (doepfer mcv24) banana plug (cydustries) and 1/4 inch (metasonix). Getting the CV's from the mcv24 to the others is a problem since it's 1/8 inch. How have other people dealt with this? I thought I could just use little adapters that are male 1/8 inch and use my 1/4 inch cables. Just got the mcv24 4 days ago, and haven't tested it yet. Instead of adaptors, I could build cables that go from 1/8 inch to banana, and 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch (will also make some from 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch while I'm at it) I've never soldered before, but this is probably an easy first project. Any thoughts? MOTM also has a module to convert all these formats, but then I need to get a MOTM power supply, but I could then go the MOTM route to get a few modules I will need anyway (mostly basics, mixers, mults, etc.) and MOTM discontinued there kits, but I think they have a few left, meaning I could learn a bit about soldering and muddle through that to save a little money. All I really might want to get into the MOTM stuff for is the conversion module (900 series I think) so maybe I should just build cables and get Cwejman modules. Cwejman is another company I am interested in for the same types of functions the MOTM stuff would serve I even like them a little better I think, but the inclusion of these modules (they are 1/8 inch) would mean more converting 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch and banana. AND another power supply. But they seem absolutly PACKED with functionality. I am having a hard time keeping up with all the power supply differences, and how I will go about mounting modules from different manufacturers. Am I just going to have to treat the few modules from each company like a seperate little modular synth, buying separate cases to mount each type and seperate power supplies for each type, not to mention building cables to convert between the different formats or buy MOTM's banana to 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch conversion modules? I will end up spending a fortune doing it this way. Advice on any or all of these twenty topics will be greatly appreciated. My head is going to explode. Sorry for what may seem like a rant, but these are all things I'm having to address and am a bit overwhelmed.

Thanks in advance

[EdisonRex]

It's funny, mono-poly and I were having this exact same conversation in the chat room today. He was saying how he committed heresy and replaced all of his banana plugs in his Cynthia modules with mini jacks. I don't think that's an extreme example.

I'm looking at similar problems with 1/4 to mini. At least in 1/4 to mini you can get adaptors. At work we got a shipment of headsets for people and they all came with 1/4" stereo jacks that unscrewed to reveal a mini stereo. Rather than tossing out a pile of these, I pocketed them and took them home where they are proving to be very useful.

As for power supplies, I think in the DIY forum there are a bunch of folks with adaptors. In any case they wouldn't be too hard to make. The hardest is the panel format problem and if you want to be hard core you can just get a different format panel made up. I say that like it's a small thing, I know it isn't...

I'm still wrestling with the 10V to 5V problem too. I think I'm going to end up building the Ken Stone CGS mixer, from what I read, that should be able to deal with my voltage range issues.

FWIW, I think I'm going with my own panels based on 2U and 4U 19" rack blanks. I won't have problems mounting them in a rack.

[erich]

You mean the D.C. Mixer? It looks like I could also build one of the power supplies if I'm going to learn to build something. Luckily I have a friend I think could help me. I'm guessing I'm just going to end up building cables (for the bananas) and use adaptors for 1/4 inch to 1/8. If I'm going to do this though, I may go with cwejman before MOTM, I don't know. I'll have to check their power requirements. I'm never going to make any music. I am slowly excepting that I'm just going to have to spend alot on cases for different module formats. Would you think the cables would be easy to build though?

Thanks as always for your help.

[EdisonRex]

Cables are not hard to build, you just need to make enough.
Haven't you figured out that studios take more time to configure than to play in?

[erich]

I'm trying hard not to accept it.

[EdisonRex]

I used to have a running joke with my studio partner (now 20 years ago).

"Are we dicking around with our studio, or is our studio dicking around with us?"

It never stopped. For every hour I spend recording, there are 6 spent doing other maintenance tasks.

[thermionicjunky]

Any plug conversion module should be passive , so an extraneous power supply isn't necessary.