NAMM 2008 - New Modular Stuff Review

[REwire]

I spent most of my NAMM day at the Big City Music and Analogue Haven booth and these are the modules that got my attention:

AS RS-140 Distortion - The latest Analogue Systems module is the first distortion I've tried that works on simple analog waveforms. Most analog modular distortions are really wave multipliers and when I try analog distortion pedals on a simple waveform they just turn to square waves and add no harmonics. This one took anything I fed it at Modular line level and distorted nicely. Not over the top metal distortion but a CV input on a distortion is very versatile and gets real nasty feeding it with Pitch Osc FM.

Livewire Automatic Frequency Generator (AFG) - New 28hp Eurorack Oscillator with a ton of outputs and ability to manual or CV control the width of the top and bottom of a waveform. couldn't believe what I was seeing on Mike Brown's scope. That creates sounds that are so animated you'd think you have a bunch, or so evil, sounds like we're being decimated by aliens. A must have for me. Mike says 3 or 4 weeks to go.

Doepfer WaveMult2 - a Sawtooth animator with 4 separate controls you need to apply CV to to get the thing working. Cyndustries has a Sawtooth Animator that has built in LFO's to do the fattening but this has control of each band that you can do more with like use envelopes.

Plan-B Wave Splicer - This is a 4Hp module that takes two waveforms in and uses half of one and half the other to make a new waveform. You can set the split point and CV it too. This makes incredibly thick new sounds and the more you throw in the nastier, especially FM'ing the CV input. This would be a poor man's saw animator or AFG.

Harvestman Zorlon Cannon, Hertz Donut and Time Safari - the first, a rapid fire lo-fi game sounds and gate creater; 2nd - a sharp angular digital oscillator semi styled on the Buchla 261e and 3rd, a loop sampler with Lo-Fi delays.

Suit and Tie Guy's Arp and Mankato Filters (Frac Rack). The Arp one called "Post Lawsuit" was a nice somewhat clean filter but the Mankato, with all it's phased outputs sounded the best. It has a unique look too. My only problem with the design is having all those outputs and no common output that can morph between all of them.

Wish Buchla had been there but who knows if they care anymore.