Serge Modular Analog Synthesizer & Processor w Dual Transient Generator

via this auction - SN 0294

"Up for auction is a beautiful condition Serge Modular Fully Loaded Panel! As you can tell from the photographs, the synth is in immaculate shape and feels exactly like it did straight from Rex Probe at Sound Transform Systems! This Serge is a 1996 Serge and features the build quality and routing of the older more expensive (and expansive) Serge designs. For anyone looking to expand on their Serge rig or their current modular system, this is a great panel to buy. Because this panel features balanced line level inputs and outputs it can also be used as a standalone studio/live processors.

Quadrature Oscillator:
Used mainly for quadraphonic panning; simultaneous sine-cosine output waveforms. Voltage-controlled LFO.Neat 'hold' input freezes the state of the waveform when 'hold' goes high.

Dual Processor:
Deceptively simple. It's two 3-input DC mixers, each input having an inverting attenuator, and with a master DC offset knob, -5 to +5 volts. Can also be used as a spare audio mixer. You can use this module as a voltage multiplier. Put your incoming voltage at one of the inputs, then multiple off that input to the next processor input to double it. Keep in mind that you can use this module with no input voltages. The offset knob is handy for driving one or more modules together as a group, or for using negative bias to VC an oscillator into extra-low territory. Since several of the Serge modules have no VC processing input, it's handy to have one of these to trim the output of a DSG, Random Source, or TKB Pressure into a more subtle range.

Dual Transient Generator:
Insanely versatile module; there's very little it can't do. Two independent slew generators (positive and negative) are combined to make a Universal Slope Generator. This Dual module give you two of them. Trigger it with a pulse and you get a single AR type envelope waveform. When the cycle starts a gate trigger output goes low. When the cycle is finished, it goes high. So to make it cycle repetitively, connect the GATE to TRIGGER. Rise and Fall times are settable by knob. Here's a short list of things you can do with this module: AR transient generator, VC slew limiter, VC LFO (variable slope triangle and rectangular waveforms), VC audio oscillator, VC trigger delay, VC clock, VCLPF, VC pulse divider, Envelope Follower. Talk about wide range - cycle times go from hours to microseconds, without range switching. You can almost make an entire synthesizer with nothing but this module, used in its various ways.

The Slope Generator's output is linear, but by patching the output back into the attenuated VC input you can create exponential waveforms (with the attenuator knob set after 12 o'clock) or log waveforms (with the knob set before 12 noon). How can this module act as a filter? It slew-limits the high frequency components of the incoming signal, at a rate set by rise and fall knobs, and VC. If the rise and fall knobs are set fully clockwise (fastest rate), filtering will be audibly minimal, seeing as the Slope Generator is responding rapidly to input. Turning rise and fall knobs counterclockwise increases the response time, and high frequency content at the output will decrease. Turn them fully counterclockwise and audio output will be minimal. So feed this thing a low harmonic content waveform like a sine or triangle, and you've got a rough equivalent VCA!

This sort of filtering action is more subtle than the regular VCFs, though a bit more obvious than a 'tone control.' Good for mellowing out raspy and buzzy tones. Cross-connecting two Slope Generators together generates interesting 'chaotic' waveforms. Connect the output of one to the attenuated VC input of the other, then take the output of the second and patch it to the input of the first. Play with the attenuator settings."