PAiA 9700 Modular Synth

[Nikolai77]

I am interested in building a PAiA 9700 as an inexpensive introduction to modular synthesis. I'm wondering if anyone on this forum has built one, and if so, is it worth the build and what are some pro's/con's about it compared to other modular units?
I've heard the resonance causes random distortion at high levels and was wondering how bad it really is and if there are any mods to resolve this problem.
Also, is it possible to build multiple 9700's and throw them all in the same rackmount unit for polyphonic pad patches? Is that possible and how would it work?
Are the modules in the 9700 compatible with other modules that are based off the V/Oct scale, such as Doepfer or MFOS modules?
Any and all information is appreciated.

[chinard]

yes,
two of them in fact.

They are a fun project but troubleshooting them can be a nightmare.
Extremely high density front panel wiring means mistakes are a little too easy.
Documentation and assembly instructions are very well written, and scott is always helpful.

Sound wise its pretty lo-fi compared to alot of other DIY kits and projects out there. Then again sometimes lo-fi is a good thing...
If you are after a more stable and warm sound then you are looking in the wrong place. Otherwise, its great starting place particularly if you are going to expand with more frak-rack style modules.
Works well with euro setup too. I am using it with my 12u doepfer/planb/livewire/cwejman/harvestman setup and a voyager.
I actually didn't even own any adsr's or vca's for the longest time because the ones on my 9700 were just so useful.

As far as polyphony goes.. anything is possible but many have gone insane going down that rabbit hole.

my favourite things...
-the envelopes (3 of them) are wonderful. fast as hell and friggin crazy when you put them into 'cycle' mode. They do LFO into audio ranges so they make a wild FM source.
-the osc's FM very well and have individual outputs for every waveform.
-osc1 is also an LFO
-The filter has a really unique and dirty sound to it. Interesting and unpredictable things happen when you FM it. Also overdrives very well.
The distortion at high resonance can be a good thing if you like crazyness. (its a modular.. its supposed to be crazy)
-3 vca's in total. first two can be used as a VC panner, and 3rd can be used as a balanced modulator.
-standard oct/v implementation. blah blah blah..

mediocre things...
-dynamic range of vca's werent that great. a little noisy. works great for CV attenuation tho.
-osc tuning is a little dodgy due to cheap quality trimpots.
-osc sync is also a little strange. it requires a square wave input. Does not really sync-sweep well, but it does sound nice and buzzy.
-compared to other vco's they are a little thin but whatever.. it is what it is.

things i didnt like at all.
-didnt like balanced modulator. It works, but it doesnt sound very nice and for some reason it only really likes triangle wave as modulator signal.
-noise source is barely audible. i dont know.. maybe i screwed something up when putting it together
-the patch cables they recommend you build are really super flimsy. I would either replace with good quality cables or do one better and banana-jack the whole system.
-midi-cv is kinda buggy. takes quite a bit of getting around the bugs and i have better midi cv boxes so i just dont use it.
-no multiples... wtf?


Now all that in mind you might also want to look into some of the diy projects from Yusynth, MOTM, and MFOS. They also have alot of DIY projects for beginners that are considerably easier to get working properly.

good luck

[Audent]

I agree %90 with chinards opinions on the 9700 system. I built mine about 5 years ago as MY introduction to modular synths and still use parts of it regularly. It does have it's quirks, but for under $600 you certainly get a lot of bang for your buck.


My major complaints are:

The VCA has VERY little headroom and is very noisy.
Also, andI am unsure if this is an assembly problem, but the EG interacts strangely with the VCA, in that it does not like to retrigger until it has completed its cycle. Now I just use the env out to trigger a MFOS VCA and I don't have any issues.

I do not have the same problem with the noise source. Mine functions as one would expect.

obviously....the filter. Feeding unattenuated CV signals can make the filter go into SCREECH mode. So having some attenuators...and multi's would be handy (and quite easy to build comparatively)

VCO tracking is not great...I get about 3 usable octaves....but then again I don't really use this system for any precise synthesis. The 9700 seems to be best for churning out extremely modulated sounds.

the good stuff:

The AR generators and EG cycle mode are EXTREMELY fun. You can use them get some of the most convincingly wet sounds outta the filter that i've ever heard. I'd love to mod the EG to add CV inputs for ADSR....


for my simple uses, the Midi to CV interface is wonderful and works exactly as documented.

It really is a fun project and definitely well documented...and as mentioned above, Scott at Paia is very very helpful. For me it has been a great learning tool and sometimes a secret weapon! Just don't expect to be blown away by it's sound quality.

[valis]

I agree with the two previous comments as well. All I have from the 9700 series right now is the VCF but I've played with the whole modular system before.

Honestly, I think you'd be better off getting boards from MFOS and building that modular synth. I absolutely love Paia but MFOS modules are simpler, easier to build, and much cheaper (after sourcing parts). Plus Ray gives good explanations and all of the wiring diagrams are on each modules' page. One of the major downsides is that you'll probably have to build your owns panels but you've already heard the complaints about the cramped Paia panels. I recently completed the first installment of my modular and it was almost exclusively MFOS and Paia stuff. I'll swear by MFOS. Their boards may be a bit more expensive than some of the other companies but the documentation can't be beat..

Just my two cents..

[polyneux74]

[matrix12x]

I built one and I think it sounds pretty cool. I also have several MOTM, Blacet, and Oakley modules, and everything has it's place. But you can't beat what you get for the price with the Paia 9700. Although I have to say I hate the 1/8" jacks.