Mattson Mini Modular VCA
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
37 comments:
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MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
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MATRIXSYNTH is supported by affiliate links that use cookies to track clickthroughs and sales. See the privacy policy for details.
MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
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you call that a knob? *zipppp* now that's a knob!
ReplyDeleteI am gonna print out al modules tonight.
ReplyDeleteSo i can start building up a system.
:D
It's getting more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think the glow in the dark comment from an earlier post is right.
ReplyDeletewhat are those things on the pots? they look like electronic eyyyyyyeeeeeeezzzz!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGeorge,
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's gonna be tons of people who will support MMM. Keep it up man...
Oh and here's a little note for the haters:
I'm sure George or any other self-respecting Matrixsynth reader don't give a fuck about the bullshit you type in here so why dont you save yourselves a bit of time/energy?
Gosh, I really want to be reminded with a hoakey script font that each module is part of the The "Pheonix Series"...thanks.
ReplyDelete"The "Pheonix Series"...thanks."
ReplyDeleteIts actually Phoenix series. And perhaps, there are other series?
Glow in the dark faces is actually a cool idea .. or at least something that will look cool under flourescent light.
Show us what you've got, man.
ReplyDeleteno, you show us what you got.
ReplyDeleteis it 2U in height?
ReplyDeleteThese things really pulling enough chatter both good and bad.
ReplyDeleteGeorge must be enjoying that.
"These things really pulling enough chatter both good and bad.
ReplyDeleteGeorge must be enjoying that."
+ 1
What voltages will this system use?
ReplyDeleteI agree, glow in the dark panels would be cooool. Wish I'd thought of it, thanks for the idea. Actually, the graphics are a slight yellow.
ReplyDeleteI don't recall seeing "Phoenix Series" on the buffer. The name has a purpose.
For all of you "It doesn't have....You should have....You call that a knob..." people:
No, I don't call it a knob, didn't call it a knob...AND- It's not a knob, I agree with you. I told you there's only one. And, I'll slam myself on this one too. The one knob is a cheap, sleezy knob at that.
Premise 2:
Why? I don't care. Shocked? Let me explain.
The system is cheap. Yes, I used the word. I love sound, I love creating sound. I don't love paying for acid-etched, screen printed graphics or flashy knobs, etc. I designed this system by stripping all of the cost sucking cosmetics off the thing. I don't want to pay for something that has no bearing on the sound. I don't want to charge a customer a big markup for something they don't want or, not like "my" version of what looks good. That's a highly personallized call and subject to personal taste. It doesn't affect the sound or function any. I use my ears to create sound. I don't stare at the synth. When I listen to a CD or a radio, I can't see the instruments being used. If you're serious about cosmetics. Peter, Paul, Cyndi, etc have wonderful products that look awesome. Buy them. I'd give my eye teeth, if I still had them, for some of their gear.
Good product, good stuff. Kudo's. It's a lot of work to bring that stuff to the market. And, they do it well.
Premise 3: Buy your own knobs. You know what you like, you can buy your perfect knob and do it cheaper than paying for what I could have offered. Chances are good you would have replaced them anyway. The sad part is: Knobs cost almost as much or more than the control they're attached to. Somebody is making money for "pretty"
The dust caps cost less than a penny. They provide the necessary function: Tactile positioning of the control, and gives you finger space to do it. I don't charge for knobs, but-hey, you're not paying for it.
I have 2 design slogans:
I'm thinking "inside" the box.
and
You don't get what you don't pay for.
You guys catching on?
Another hint. With the exception of Friday's module. This is true, 100% analog.
On to graphics:
I designed them using a freeware graphics program and printed them on my printer. They work.
The link to the program and the entire graphics files will be available on the web site Saturday. If you want to be creative, do your own, have contests, doctor it up, I don't care. It won't sound any different. It will look the way you like it. I just did these so we know what the controls do. That helps.
An added bonus. Remember the "swiss cheese" panel? Here they are. Every single-space module uses the same panel- even the blanks. 1 setup fee, lots of the same thing. Guess what?- lower cost. If you feel like re-doing your graphics, move the controls around to where it makes sense to you and makes you happy. Every control can go in any hole in that 4X4 matrix. The graphics cover the unused holes.
So, dress it up however you like. If that's your thing. Some people love that stuff. Otherwise. The system looks "OK" and all of the external "stuff" does what it's supposed to.
I have to eat some lunch.
George Mattson
To the voltages guy. I'll answer that next.
george, that's awesome. is it going to be DIY or assembled modules? or both?
ReplyDeletei just hope i can afford it (not from US)
So all that being said the estimated price per module will be $19.95, right?
ReplyDeleteGood point on all counts.
ReplyDeleteStop with the $20 comments! You are making your anonymous ignorance obvious.
ReplyDeleteYou can hardly buy a PC board for less than $20, except for the Catgirl stuff.
it's a neat tradeoff for beginners and those who think they can do design better than the... people who design things.
ReplyDeletei.e. anyone with an apple.
matt, what's the voltage on these things ? ray wilson shit is getting more and more popular, it'd be a good nod to the established community to make them a standardized voltage...
i think this is very cool George. modulars for the (washed) masses.
ReplyDeleteive got a feeling these wont all be 'vanilla' modules either
ReplyDeleteWill there be a rack and PS, or will that be another DIY aspect to it? Either way, I like the idea.
ReplyDeleteI wrote this big voltage thing, jumped to one of your profiles and lost the whole thing. I'll try to be brief.
ReplyDeleteSystem power:
120VAC/240VAC switch selectable internally.
Board power: +/-15VDC
Bi-polar signals: +/- 5VDC or, 10V P-P if you prefer that notation.
Unipolar CV: 0 to 5VDC
Module output impedance= 1k-ohms
Input impedance= 100K-ohms
Precision CV control inputs 1V/Oct
So, it's electrically compatible and cross-patchable to everyone else currently in production. Well, the majority of them. I'm not re-inventing the wheel. uh-the spokes and rim are still there anyway. maybe the hub and a bearing.
Kraenk-It will be fully assembled, tested, tweaked, burned in, etc, etc, etc.
Basically, I'm building a paper doll. The stuff that comes with it are OK but not high-fashion.
It looks good and can stand on it's own as-is. But, I'm not going crazy focusing on that. So, if you don't care and are more focused on experimenting with your craft, fine. If you need high-profile glitz, the opportunity to dress it up is also there. Either is OK. So. Yes and no on DIY
$19.95/ module? Great, I'll bid on all that you have. LOL. I guess I shouldn't have used the "C" word. Let's say inexpensive instead.
The "Not U.S. Guy" That's a sore spot. I designed it for dual supply and RoHs compliance. Unfortunately, I don't like paying a guy money just because he's standing on a border any more than I like paying for a knob. Told you I was a cantankerous curmudgeon.
If the demand is there, and I have a feeling it will be, we'll get all of the beaurocratic stuff figured out. So, sorry, but hold on. You'll just have to wait a little longer. I have a LOT to do.
I want all of you to realize: This is my passion. I love doing it. I think others, especially the entry-level guys should have the opportunity to get into it. This is my chance to give back to the synth community. It looks OK, but, I've been designing and patching synths a long time. I think I know a few tricks. That's why I jumped on to explain the buffer. Yes, it's something new. It's not a high-profile module that people will drool over right away. The people that have been working with analog modulars a lot will understand the importance of such a device in the "creative and controllability" environment. But, If you determine you want a system with a bunch of modules without having a clue as to the signal and CV support structure, you need to talk to us. We're a large communuty with a lot of helpful information. If one of us doesn't have an answer, one of the others will and we'll all learn
I need to get back to it.
Thanks guys
George Mattson
George...you rock man.
ReplyDeleteYour efforts are appreciated and I'm glad you are doing this. It's both fun and exciting to see someone has a passion for this stuff and is genuinely trying to promote the item in the best way for the masses to enjoy.
Keep up the good work.
You said it about understanding the importance of the Buffer! I need so many of those and powered ones are never configured perfectly. That doesn't however mean you shouldn't make one of the coolest sounding oscillators and a ripping filter.
ReplyDeletethanks dude.
ReplyDelete+/- 15 is good for me. did you state panel dimensions yet are or are you sneaking that in on a later post?
there's always ways to sneak around RoHS shit, but if you don't want uncle sugar to sneak around you then it's best to just pay the damn fees, don't you think?
one last thing - could you generalize your future plans for the format? as in, do you want to put the initiative mostly in the hands of the consumer for DIY purposes or are you going to be releasing modules at a pretty good clip?
i'm interested to see your design philosophies.
:)
ReplyDeleteThe oscillator and filter will be shown Thursday.
To be honest, guys. We're doing it this way because it is important for people to understand the modules, what they do and what you can do with them. This slows the pace and allows us the opportunity to discuss this stuff individually. Not just slam you with the whole thing all at once and have to jump back and forth confusing what we said about what module and which module did that? Really, Matrix was really cool allowing this to go down this way. If you're impatient and want to rip the paper off the package, sorry. I'm going against every marketing, sales and manufacturing "textbook" crap that I can. My wife has her BS in business and says I'm nuts. Now I know what the BS means.
The modules aren't anything spectacular. Just good, solid, basic, true analog 30 year old technology brought up to date with readily available components. But, I put "me" into it. The mixer coming up is a mixer. So, what? it mixes-gosh. I made it so it mixes CV or analog. It doesn't care. Remember the old EML center tapped pots where you could morph from one thing to another to another? This is what the mixer does. Gee. Put 4 different cv's into one of the 4 channels and you can mix CV's. Morph them however you want. (take those to the buffer and run them to simultaneously to the filter, oscillator, VCA.) It has simultaneously available normal and inverting outputs. But, While I was throwing it together, My sound mixing days came back to me and I added a "punch-in" for each channel. I shouldn't have to explaing what the importance of "that" little feature can help do.
So, as I was putting this stuff together, If I could add a cool feature just by tapping the circuit and adding a wire, switch, a couple components or whatever, I did it. It's simple, adds to the versatility and wasn't a big cost sucker.
If I needed to re-design the entire basic circuit and add a bunch of stuff that made it more expensive, I didn't do it. Some of the more expensive features hardly ever get used anyway.
One other clue: All of the modules will cost the same. I don't care if it's a VCO or the infamous "why a whole module for noise" source. That allows you to truly build a system that does the most for what you have instead of going "lets see, I need that, but, I only have money for this, so, I'll fill in this gaping hole" just because that's all of the budget they have. Then, never need the module and still have a need for the module they couldn't afford.
I want people to think before they order. Plan it out. I know I lose money on the VCO's, but other necessary modules buffer that out. Everything evens out over a well thought-out system.
One other clue: I won't have dealers, or even wholesalers. I'm going direct, internet-only sales. I don't like someone making just as much as I did just to let a product sit on their shelf. So, forget it. Guess what, I don't charge for that loss either. Absolutely no middle-men. I'll explain it all later.
I'm really behind on getting these pix done.
George Mattson
Hell yeah George, much respect. I love that you are selling them by yourself with no middleman. I always hate to see when a great module or line of modules (I won't name any names) all of the sudden gets retail distribution and suddenly the price is 50% more than it was a month or two ago. I think tis decision along with the others that you have described will definitely help to keep the cost down.
ReplyDeleteI'm a jaded old fart who doesn't get excited about a whole lot, but this sounds very exciting to me. I would love to see a lot of the guys who have wanted to get into modular synthesis, but have not due to the cost now be able to get started. Kudos! Keep up the great work.
So, will these go on sale on Saturday, or is that just when the website will be launced?
ReplyDeletei was only asking for knobs to see a more complex module...as long as there's something to tweak i've got no complaints...carry on
ReplyDeleteis this what they call "net-roots" marketing???
ReplyDelete"My wife has her BS in business and says I'm nuts. Now I know what the BS means."
ReplyDeleteLOL
Will they be fitting in standard rack mounts some how or some kind of custom cabinet?
ReplyDeleteI don't have a modular, so I'm idiot when it comes to them, but would like to get one some day, so my intrest is a little peaked on these new modules. Thinking maybe its time to get my hand dirty.
The whole system as a unit will be revealed Saturday. Hang tight. All of this "torture" will be over soon. But, it will be cool.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Nattson
With modulars, the more formats the better!
ReplyDeleteThe modulation input on the VCA starts out as amplitude modulation and morphs into ring modulation as the control is turned clockwise. Just like the Syntar
ReplyDeleteGeorge Mattson