Monday, January 07, 2008
Sonic State: Inside Synthesis 003 - Modular Basics
Inside Synthesis 003 - Modular Basics
Introduction to Modular Synthesis
via Sonic State where you can find more info on this video.
This video features the prototype Mattson Mini Modular.
16 comments:
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MATRIXSYNTH - EVERYTHING SYNTH
© Matrixsynth - All posts are presented here for informative, historical and educative purposes as applicable within fair use.
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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Nice intro to modulars. Many will appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough to say that you have to start with setting up some controller, is in my ears not entirely true and in general contrast to the incredibly open structure of modular synths.
Most modular users know the fun of setting up free-running patches, where the control lies in manipulating the knobs and switches. This lies deep in the heritage of modular synthesis. In fact many modular users never really use a keyboard for it.
Yes, I hardly ever use a keyboard to 'play' my 100Ms. I usually let them play themselves or with some other cv/gate input.
ReplyDeleteBTW, when is the MMM shipping and how many owners are there?
This is really good.
ReplyDeleteTwo things:
A) 'Semi-random' in reference to running an LFO through the S+H. We need a judges call on this, as it would be best described as a periodic arbitrary voltage - there's nothing remotely random in that application.
B) Ring Modulation adding harmonics. Adding sidebands, yes - but there's nothing harmonic about it unless the two inputs happen to be a the exact same frequency, then you'd get the first harmonic, but that's about it.
But all in all, a great video. Wish there were more like it.
Ring modulation is not modulating a normal VCA, RM has two bipolar inputs.
ReplyDeleteAlso, his examples of AM (what he´s doing, not RM) also has pitch and filter modulation only to confuse beginners.
It´s not the first time that wrong concepts are spread by "inside synthesis", some days ago he said an operator was an oscillator.
These videos are nice, but should be taken carefully, as sometimes even the more basics concepts comes with errors.
The term Ring Modulation is thrown around a lot with modular synths, but most (including mine) are in fact Balanced Modulators or Four Quadrant Multipliers where both inputs can swing both + and - (VCAs being two quadrant). However, both are very capable of AM. In the case of the four quadrant this is more evident when the modulating signal is sub-audio band. The carrier signal is held to the level of the modulator... the modulator acts like the gating signal on a VCA.
ReplyDeleteI say this one was OK.
The ring modulator makes phase invertion, when a normal VCA does not. Of course a RM can make AM (as long as one of their inputs is unipolar). That doesn´t mean that a normal VCA is a RM.
ReplyDeleteThe difference between both is even more evident at low frequency...
Okay, so no one is buying one of these or are all the people in the first production order (which is apparently closed now) not paying any attention to a video we heard about and had to wait 3 months for it to surface?
ReplyDeleteHey Javier,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comments. I used "Ring Modulation" since that's the terminology that George Mattson used when describing the VCA module's capabilities to me. I'm not sure how it's internally routed - it may have been that he was using the term loosely.
I can't think of a time during which I referred to an "operator" as an "oscillator" in any of my videos. But I certainly can make mistakes, so it's perfectly possible. I remember that my favorite and most enthusiastic teachers and professors would occasionally make mistakes even when they thought their work was fully researched.
I'll see about making sure that corrections are written up once I find out the exact details.
Cheers,
-William
Hey Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI wasn't aware that this episode had a deadline. It was released in the order it was created, once the series had moved to Sonic State.
-William
Funny enough, you're not the first person to confuse my work with the "innovative" site.
ReplyDeleteIt kind of pisses me off. The site was registered 10 days after my series first appeared on YouTube.
I think the site's creator could have thought of a more "innovative" name. Or at least provide information that's remotely new and interesting.
Very cool. Thanks for the video William!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCorrections posted on insidesynthesis.com. Thanks Peter and Javier.
ReplyDeleteBlogger Javier said...
ReplyDelete....Of course a RM can make AM (as long as one of their inputs is unipolar). That doesn´t mean that a normal VCA is a RM....
Agreed. I hope my comment didn't come across that way. A ring or Four Quad. Multiplier can do AM, whether or not the modulator is unipolar as the negative travel will simply be negated, but this is not to say a Two Quad can do sum/difference 'ring' processing.
- P
In the end, this video is really really good. I hope you keep it up.
ReplyDeleteI think you did an excellent job in communicating the basics in a way the person who would be seeking that information could easily understand. You kept it simple, you didn't attempt to impress the viewer with your knowledge, you stuck to the plan and the plan was to get the idea across.
We want more!
Hi Peter, yeah, RM is a way of amplitude modulation, but if one of it´s inputs is unipolar you get the effect of what is know as AM.
ReplyDeleteIn fact there´s no carrier/modulator with RM! Both inputs are identical...