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Building a DIY sturdy light stunning custom skiff for the road

I wanted all the following for my skiff

light so I can carry it when I carry my bass as well

solid so I’m not afraid of breaking expensive modules

fits in my bag so it is easy for me to carry around

contains my Expert Sleepers I/O (in the form of a ES-3 and ES-6) so I can use it live easily

supports clean power supply so I can use it with the temperamental René (as live interface)…

Useless to say that nothing on the market was satisfying, so I had to revert to DIY - I’m not very gifted with this, so I took my time, and found the solution for material with the US postal service: corrugated plastic Being a good eco-sensible chap, I was on the lookout for discarded corrugated plastic, and found it easily enough in a print shop garbage bin! It is an old construction site warning so it has some fancy colours and words on it!

For the power supply, I chose the Intelligel TPS30 MAX. I tried the power supply they sell, but it is renown to not work with the René, so I moved to a properly grounded one available at DigiKey under the code 62-1222-ND, and the René tracked much better. For the rails, I was supplied by the friendly Ross Lamond, and cut it myself to a 69u - which fitted my bag perfectly!

Here are a few pictures. If anyone is interested, I will post the making-of.

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Results of the VCO and VCA blind tests

I’ve been asked which one is which many times, mostly by people who cannot access the MuffWiggler entries with that information. So here it is! — BEWARE — RESULTS ARE SPOILING THE BLIND-TEST FUN ;-) VCA film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeNFrGcqyfM&feature=youtu.be results: A = Analogue System RS-180 B = intellijel uVCA2 C = intellijel Dubmix D = WMD mmvca E = Oakley Sound Classic VCA F = Cwejman VCA-4MX VCO film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F829LxOzJH0&feature=youtu.be results: D = Analogue System RS-95e (-9.0dB) G = Malekko Richter Oscillator II (-9.3dB) B & 1 = Addac 701 (-4.3dB) E & 2 = Livewire AFG (-8.2dB) A & 4 = Intellijel Dixie 1 (-8.4dB) C & 3 = Thomas Henry X-4046 (-10.0dB) F & 5 = Bubblesound VCOb (-9.0dB) 6 = Makenoise ST0 (-8dB)

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Comparing Filters - part 4a

This is a difficult choice to make - I have to sell some stuff after all... Let’s try to rationalise... Low-Pass Filters (including LPG) - Analogue Systems RS500e ‘Synthi’ - Analogue Systems RS100s ‘ladder’ - Moog’s MF-101 - Pittsburgh Modular LPG - Wiard Borg 1 (white and slow) - Wiard Borg 2 (black and faster) switchable mode - Cwejman MMF-1 - Manhattan Analog MA35VCF/A - Makenoise MMG Multi-Mode Filters (i.e. have multiple outs): - Analogue Systems RS110 Multimode - Toppobrillo Multifilter - Manhattan Analog MA35VCF/A - Shelves + ext - Koma svf-201 - Pittsburgh Modular Filter Effect/Character Filters: - Ken Stone Synthacon Filter - Metasonix R-54 VCO-VCA - Metasonix R-52 multimode - Cwejman Res-4 quad resonator - Synthrotec Dirt - Doepfer wasp - Uoki-Toki Polivoks vcf - Plague Bearer (v4) === I presume I need to find a sort of reasoning for rationalisation... I’m going to play with them now and see if I can try to love some a little less - or find redundancies to rationalise parting with some... any thoughts welcome!

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after a year...

Back from sabbatical a year ago, I got back in the turmoil of teaching/admin so I used synth purchase as retail therapy... and synth noodling as creative output! Now I certainly need to prune - and to edit these Filter videos, and to do my other comparisons, obvious - BBD and distortion are next, although I have only a few of each, so these posts will serve as triggers to discussions... Looking back at the picture of when I started 2 years ago to put the synth together, I have a sense of awe of how far I’ve come, but also of shame of how much gear I’ve acquired... definitely time to prune! More in the Autumn. p

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Comparing Filters - part 3

So 10 days later, mostly out of the studio, I come back to my recording extravaganza... I’ve recorded - Analogue Systems RS500e (fast cv, pre-74 slope) - Analogue Systems RS100s - Analogue Systems RS110 (in low pass) - Toppobrillo Multifilter (in low pass) - Manhattan Analog MA35VCF/A (in low pass) - Ken Stone Synthacon Filter (in low pass) - Malekko Borg 2 (in low pass) - Makenoise MMG (in low pass) - Pittsburgh Modular LPG (in low pass) - Moog’s MF-101 in 2-poles mode - Moog’s MF-101 in 4-poles mode I’ve also done Synthrotek’s DIRT, and Metasonix R-54 and R-52, but they are out of the competition - they have a (crazy) character of their own ;-) Now, for each of them, I’ve done: 1) a series of 5 handmade sweeps on the same sawtooth bass line than last time. 1-1 - with no resonance, taming the input so it does not clip, with cv opening on time; 1-2 - like 1-1, with input cranked to full, to check the flavour of distortion; 1-3 - like 1-1, with the resonance set to get a sound as liquid as I can make it; 1-4 - a manual sweep with no CV, with the same resonance as 3 1-5 - like 1-4, with no resonance 2) a series of resonance sweeps 2-1 - on a fixed sawtooth as input, with a fixed cutoff, sweeping the resonance from none to maximum and back 2-2 - on the same sawtooth as input, with resonance set to full, sweeping the frequency from low to high and back. 2-3 - without any input, as 2-1 2-4 - without any input, as 2-2 3) a series using the filter as oscillator 3-1 - trying to tune a pure 880 Hz 3-2 - spiking the input where the resonance is set to almost self-oscillation 3-3 - with resonance to full, do a manual cutoff sweep 3-4 - using the same computer-controlled CV sequence than for my VCO, test the FM capacities. I thought I was clever. This is in effect way too much information. It was very instructive though. I will put some films with spectral analysis up, but for now, I will ask around to see what would be useful for people to hear... here is a link to the examples 1-1, in a random order, all loudness normalled to 0 LU. https://soundcloud.com/pierre-alexandre-tremblay/vcf-compare-test-1 or a WAV file (24bit 48k) https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2_1TrqqLItoc0dQcFgzVmFiUEE/

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Comparing Filters - part 2

Playing the knobs is a skill. I’ve just done hours of recording to try to match sweeps by hand, and I find it (a posteriori) fantastic to develop new micro-motor skills, quite different to the bass! Good stuff. Should post them online this week - I have also found a new workflow where I do the audio only first, then I will generate the trace/spectroanalysis. Less hard disk space, and easier to edit! p

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Comparing Filters

I’m designing the comparison of the filters at the moment... and I notice how much I love filters more than anything! I also notice that I have not done any classic design in my live, i.e. I did my first pulsated filter groove ever yesterday. With and without distortion. So much fun! I will do the classic filter ping too, for fun, today. Then I should film them both, with something a little more technical - a sweep, and a resonance comparison too. I won’t do 1v/o tracking comparison... or maybe I will to allow filters to follow the oscillator... who knows! I will certainly do a percussion type of thing. Suggestions are welcome, as usual. p

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VCO comparison

I have to continue my assessment of the many modules I bought, so today is VCO-time! All analogue, obviously, as Max and Supercollider caters for my digital needs. I wanted to see the character of each module... independent of the volume, the sound of their wave... I know many people say it is useless to listen to them like this, but I find it fascinating. I wanted to check in a sequence, how the module reacted to frequency modulation... I also wanted to see how they react to audio rate modulation, exponential and linear. I also wanted to check the pulse width, which is too similar to worth the bandwidth in the end... and the sync, which is very capricious on many modules so I decided not to bother anymore. So here are the contenders: Analogue System RS-95e Malekko Richter Oscillator II Addac 701 Livewire AFG Intellijel Dixie 1 Thomas Henry X-4046 Bubblesound VCOb Makenoise ST0 After careful tuning, I’ve done 5 seconds of each basic waves (saw, sine, tri, square), then a cliché synth bass line (with a saw, obviously), then a sequence of audio modulation in the 1v/oct input, triggered by my lovely assistant, Max. This was done on the first seven as the ST0 does not allow the specific waveforms. Then I did the same routine audio rate frequency modulation with the bottom 6 as the others do not allow linear FM. None do through-zero. I changed the order of the contender to keep the blindness, so there will be two keys (letters and numbers). For comparison purpose, I have then match the gains at 0 LU in reference to EBU+18, as we all know that loudness influences quality judgement ;-) If that sounds bizarre, please read this amazingly accessible reference on the new standard and the end of the loudness war: http://www.tcelectronic.com/loudness/ So, my comparison film is here: https://youtu.be/F829LxOzJH0 Again, I feel it is the audio rate modulation that gives most of the character out. I will give all the answers in a spoiler thread soon. I need to do my filter and envelop comparison first.

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VCA and Mixer comparison

The commissions and tours have kept me away from any critical comparison of modules. I am now in pruning mode, and in order to be fair I need to voice what I am looking for. Today is VCA comparisons, be it in mixers or stand alone. What I’m looking for is: - speed - it has to be fast if needs be yet I’m open to character; - AM - related to the previous one but not necessarily convergent - it might break elegantly... - distortion - flavoursome, within my taste range which is very personal; - curve - is it clear as advertised and/or variable and/or fun; - DC-coupled could be useful; - noise is undesirable yet could be traded against flavour/distortion - bleed - is silence silencing. In this comparison, I am trying to devise some tests and blind-test it, for fun more than for science. And for ear training. The above criteria are coming from my practical, compositional use so I presume others would have different ones and I’m happy with this. So I’ve design some tests, filmed the results, and found out that some were not relevant. I’ve compared those I own for the moment: - Analogue System RS-180; - intellijel uVCA2; - Cwejman VCA-4MX (channel in to channel out, not sum) - WMD mmvca; - Oakley Sound Classic VCA - intellijel Dubmix (channel in to sum out, muting everything else, as I don’t have the direct out expansion) I’ve filmed the source (computer generated cosine for maximum purity, doing a return trip through the ES-3 and ES-6). I’ve sent it at +/- 0.5 full scale, which was the cleanest. Then I’ve filmed through the VCA. - full on; - slow alternating on/off (12v and 0v, immediate change from computer source) to test the speed and the bleed; - an AM ‘melody’ always the same (again computer generated) - cranking the gain to full to see the boost (though I distort the input on some of them so it is quite useless) and edited a film you can see here: https://youtu.be/LeNFrGcqyfM I’ve also filmed the on/off at full gain, and the same AM melody at full gain, but it feels redundant now. I’ve also measure the background noise. A- 38.5 dB B- 39.5 dB C- 53.3 dB D- 40.5 dB E- 38.5 dB F- 38.5 dB All was very time consuming... but very instructive I find, both in trying to understand what I look for in modular synth, and how to assess redundancy on a sonic level - interface design is another very valid problem! I will hold on to my conclusions for a couple of days, in order to see what people say (as well as the answers ;-) I find the diversity is quite striking, and explains why I love modular so much!

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A rich man's problem

I’ve got a couple of pieces to finish for mid-March, so until then, I’ve decided that pruning is on the back burner. I want to make good decisions, so I’ll keep using the stuff I have, maybe buy a little more, and then select what needs to be sold back. I might sell before then, but that will be because I don’t like the module’s behaviour, sound, and/or ergonomic design.

I wanted to share the state of affairs though, so you could send me your opinion on redundant and/or missing modules - food for thought, you know…

so here we go. First are the two pictures of the ‘rack’ as they stand, though I only have 18u of 84hp - I’ve put more just to fit everything in… the last 2 pictures will show why I need another case... I meant, to sell some modules...

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Procrastination

Pruning is hard. Buying another case is faster, and simpler. But I’ve blown my budgets (money and space and time) by a factor of 2.5, so I need to skim, just to stop the expansion. To do so, I need to compare module: sound quality, features/versatility, ergonomics/playability. Also I need to check for redundancies between modules. That is the way I got rid of the Z-3000mk2 oscillator (http://www.tiptopaudio.com/z3k.php) - it is nice and compact, but I did not like its sine wave (too harsh a dent), and the wave shaping was redundant with my Analogue System RS-95e. It did offer linear FM but that is again redundant with other oscillator in my setup... maybe I should have sold them all and keep the Z-3000 - better use of space - but I wanted more than one. So let the slaughter begin. I’ll start with filters. Within the week (or a little more ;-)

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Time to Prune

OK, speaking with one of my postgrads, I had to admit this synth is my middle life crisis substantification. Like a motorcycle or a younger partner is to others. It fits: dreamed about it until teenage, and wait to have enough money and adulthood-related frustrations to indulge ;-) Maybe I should call it ‘The Chopper’. It certainly sounds as dirty and low as an Harley... Anyway, now I have too many modules to fit 18U, and some were purchased to be compared and selling those who are not fitting my various agendas... I’ve got two oscillator that will be repaired so that will wait, but I cannot push much further the filter comparison and pruning... so I’ll do it in the next weeks ;-) In the meantime, continuing my modular analogue mus[ik]ings, here is a little something I did yesterday to test my new Wiard Wogglebug... am I the only one to find this dub-strumble groovy? More importantly, does it really matter? A kind of dub-stepped-on-something-unstable-and-stubbled... Comments are welcome! If I find the time and the way, I might make a poll...

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Growing the Synth... and an Audio Example for the Muffwiggler Community

So… here is what it now look likes:

with two more oscillators on the way - the plan is to buy and sell in order to tweak my instrument and my tastes ;-) I’m also quite busy in trying to re-create the auto-tuning system of Expert-Sleepers, but with multi-descriptor targeting with Alex Harker’s external objects for MaxMSP (http://www.alexanderjharker.co.uk/Software.html), namely [descriptors~] and [entrymatcher]. In the meantime, and partly because of this patch-in-progress, I can use anything as oscillator and therefore I’ve bent the Maths (and the Quadra and tried to tame the Metasonix ;-) Here is a detailed example of some interesting features of things oscillating: https://soundcloud.com/pierre-alexandre-tremblay/maths-as-oscillator and here is a video of it: http://youtu.be/OFmQ5HCpwEk More soon!
pa

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Dangerous Neighbourhoods...

OK, I have to confess: I was in holidays, moved to Berlin and therefore managed to spend loads of time and money at Schneidersladen... living nearby is a mixed blessing... I also discovered the importance of rack positioning in keeping down the noise floor of certain modules... and how the Expert-Sleepers ES3+6 is a magic combination... but I know I owe a filter comparison first (whilst I’m still shopping for my extra oscillators). Soon, I promise... Thanks for reading! p

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(pause) A Session with the Stuff, Old and New

(a little pause in the justifications of my purchases) Last Friday, I gave a workshop to our some of the best of Huddersfield’s lovely postgraduates. The brief was simple: explain the basic (and less basic) concepts of (analogue) modular synthesis, and expose what I have found out in the last years of ear training (studio calibration and mixing) and more rigorous synth exploration… Without repeating the content of my workshop, here are a couple of pictures that show some of the tools (all images by Phil Maguire)

We can see to my left one of our VCS3 as well as my incomplete eurorack in progress… a computer is running reaper with Flux’s Epure filter, Melda’s analyser, a pitch tuner and S(m)exoscope plugin to fake an oscilloscope. There is a second VCS3 under cover behind the screen, then a double Roland 100m system and a real analogue oscilloscope (taking its signal at the synth out) What we mused on was comparison of waveforms and spectrum of different machines (EMS vs Roland vs ASys vs Toppobrillo vs Metasonix) and implementations (PWM) that, despite the similar names, had different sound (aural evaluation), waveform and spectral content (visual confirmation!) We also explored the effects of analogue to digital conversion, mostly high pass filtering when not DC-coupled. After that, we just made cool sounds. Here is one of them: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152634185251522 The feedback I had was great, so I might run a similar session next year… if there is a need, I might post it on the web!

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VCF - the Assessment Criteria

What do I look for in a VCF is quite straight forward: - I want it to self-oscillate, as I like the quality (pure-ish with soft even harmonics) of the ‘sine wave’ I get from them; - I want it to either be clean (do what I say and leave the rest alone, like the highly commendable Flux Epure plugin) or with much character (like instability of pitch around the resonance threshold, like the good old squeaky Roland 100m I’ve played with for so many years, and/or some great clipping sound) - VC resonance as well as cutoff frequency; - Ideally, it has multiple inputs to avoid a mixer, and the same with VC inputs; - Ideally, it has multiple outputs - LowPass, HighPass and Bandpass, so I can add (with a mixer) a little of what I removed (most probably processed top end as in my 1990’s bi-amp bass playing experience has infused in my tastes, though I never actually liked it on the bass!); - A sexy feature - for instance insert in the feedback loop, valves, something that gives it an edge... I can do (and will certainly do) very transparent EQing in the DAW where I’ll finish the job, so I need it to be relevant in the rack! So the contenders I now own for this comparison are: Analogue Systems RS-100s LPF Analogue Systems RS-110 MMF Toppobrillo MMF Metasonix R-52 Vacuum-tube MMF Metasonix R-50 Supermodule VCO-VCF Moogerfooger MF-101 LFP I wanted to get Analogue Systems’s Synthi clone but did not get a chance... soon! Some sound will come out of this very soon, with some preliminary comments... in the meantime, I can just say they are all keepers! Each has its qualities, to say the least. More to come!

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The Next Episode

So... I've played with what I have, and I like the VCOs. I am missing the obvious at the moment (more multiple, more VCAs) but my next post will be on VCFs... I use them quite a lot as rich oscillators, as well as filters and the two I have are either too dirty or weak, I think, so I have bought two very different (used) ones as well... a Metasonix and a Toppobrillo, both multimode, so with the Knas and the AS it should be fun... obviously one or more will go after, but this is what I like about a community to buy/sell... my previous instance of trial and error was on bass amps, both lightweight and all tube (very heavy weight ;-) I presume my ears are accustomed at the Moog filter, and also the dirty Roland 100m... and in the virtual world, the Fabfilter Simplon for distorting filters, and the very, very, very transparent Flux Epure... Let's see where that leads me! Patching and example after a little more critical think(er)ing... and the delivery of the two new used toys!