Your 1st Modular attempts ?

[morbius]

I don't pretend to know Don... his like and dislikes... but I've been told by Buchla owners, and people who have known him for decades, that his thinking is 'when you use a standard keyboard with a synthesizer, you're limited yourself to thinking in a 'tonal' way... and that makes it easy to forget about all of the great stuff that doesn't have a thing to do with chords, key signatures, time signatures, etc.'.

I've read articles where Don, in essence, said about the same thing. And that, this is exactly why he doesn't offer a keyboard. I know that in the early days '63/'64... Bob Moog wasn't sure that he was going to offer a keyboard controller... and kinda for the same reasons. But- once he started getting input from musicians, and 'heard the throng', he knew that what most musicians wanted as a primary controller. Now- Bob told me that, himself.

I always say... what's important is what you, the artist, wants or needs. nothing else matters. What works for one, isn't going to always work for another... and one-size does NOT fit all.

[mosc]

Quite right... I just don't think the word despise is correct.

[Kwote]

for me just the feel and flow and of course the sounds make modulars worthwhile. thinking about the negative aspects is a little ho hum to me. i do have specific direction in mind but then i think anyone who's serious about music creation should have that.

i did start out with software, then a monosynth and now modulars but i would honestly say i think the learning curve would've been swifter with the modular. of course money might've held me back a bit. but overall i've found that acquiring modules doesn't require big pockets. just patience. the beauty about not getting everything you want at once is you have more time to explore and really get the most out of the sound.

something an all in one synth can't do. some people say patch cords and huge modulars are overwhelming but honestly when you're presented with an analog/digi hybrid finite synth you're mind can explode as well.

my system is modest but i have big plans. for live use i do have a more finite sized modular setup in mind. but for studio the sky's the limit. my goals may change overtime(change is good), but for now i'm cool with my path.

also i love using the modular with and without a keyboard. why close yourself off to either. be it tonal or experimental, i love balance!

[fireclown]

I get a surprising thrill playing with a stack of modules. I wouldnt dream of limiting the horizon in terms of a finite amount (anymore.. I occasionally play games trying to see what could be compacted into the smallest case and still do worthwhile magic). If you have melodic, polyphonic instruments, I would look for the most sophisiticated, cost effective oscillators, VCAs, modulation sources and timing generators, and use them to do things that most prefab polys are not quite so oriented towards. I think Serge may be the best deal of all, even though the entry fee seems stiff (to me). When you can patch a pitch bending tone farting constantly shifting sound, thats when Im happiest. Melodic
voices over the top of that (if necessary or desireable) could come from any source, but try to get those chaotic, satisfying results from your typical old school analog keyboard, its not going to come close to what a Serge NTO can do.

How neat to see one of my favorite beefheartisms poo(s)ted forth from the land of enchantment! I had to post after that!

[Drone]

[cbm]

[Kwote]

also just remember, in general, you can always flip gear if you decide modular is not for you. i see people make back most of what they originally invested on the used forum and ebay, all the time.

of course most of them turn around and buy different modules.