Serge Modular Analog Synthesizer & Processor w 8 Preamp Detectors & N Comparator

via this auction
"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 it can also be used as a standalone studio/live processors. It's particular strength in this arrangement is multichannel audio processing, but due to the versatility of the modules included, it could also be used for generative and trigger synthesis work. This Serge has had only one owner and I was in charge of maintaining and programming it while I worked for Asphodel Studios and Records/RML. I can assure you that you will not find a better Serge panel unless you order a new one straight from STS. Everything is in mint working order physically and electronically. Scroll towards the bottom to see a video in which the Serge made an appearance in ;-) Also, the information on each module below has been quoted from the original Serge product catalogue. One last important note is that there is no power supply included with this panel. One will have to be ordered from STS if the highest bidder does not already have one.

Preamp Detector:
The new Serge preamps and envelope detectors provide an exceptionally responsive link between external audio signals and the Serge synthesizer modules. The key to this responsivity comes from the fact that our detector was designed to respond to the POWER rather than to the AMPLITUDE of a sound. No other synthesizer system offers this sophisticated capability. Human perception of loudness is proportional to the POWER content of a wave, rather than to its AMPLITUDE. Detecting the AMPLITUDE of a signal produces an inaccurate envelope, sometimes too soft, and most of the time too loud. The new Serge detectors are exceptionally accurate, responsive devices which output a control voltage envelope that is directly proportional to the perceived loudness of an input signal. It operates over a very wide dynamic range, in excess of 70 db, (or the difference between a whisper and a subway train at IS feet!). The output is accurately log--linear at 12 .5 db per volt, a taper which mates perfectly with the. control characteristics of our newest VCA's. Thus it is possible, for example, to control the loudness of a synthesizer sound by the sound envelope of a locomotive, a dog barking, or a voice going from a whisper to a shout. The effect is especially remarkable because of the accuracy of the responses the whisper is really a whisper, and the shout a shout. The PREAMP DETECTOR (PRNV) allies a Serge detector with a multi - purpose preamp suitable for a wide variety of inputs. The LO - Z input accepts high output microphones in the 200 t o 1000 Ohms range (such as most electret microphones), with a sensitivity suited for close - mitring applications such as instrument or voice pickup. The H I - Z input accepts transducers such as guitar pick-ups and contact microphones. It is also suited for- amplifying low level signals from tape machines, tuners, etc. Detector and Preamp can be switched to work separately or Coupled. Sensitivity for the various microphones and audio sources can be adjusted over a very wide range using the Preamp's gain control. Please note that it will not cut the gain to zero. With the Dual Comparator Module, exceeding a pre-set loudness level can be used to provide a trigger pulse to initiate any number of activities within the synthesizer.

N Comparator and Voltage Divider:
The NCOMPARATOR (NCOM) consists of two sections: a comparator and a voltage-control led pulse divider. The divider section outputs a pulse once every "N" comparator pulse, where "N" is a number from 1 to 31, settable with a control voltage at the divider's VC input (or manually via the divider's control knob). Additionally, the Divider outputs a staircase wave with "N" steps. This will produce whole-tone steps when plugged into the 1 V/Oct input of a VCO. This module has two distinct areas of use (in addition to the normal functions of the comparator). For audio frequencies, the divider can be set to Output sub-divided frequencies with digital precision. Output frequency depends on "N". If "N"= ` . 3,4, etc., the output frequencies will be an octave, an octave and a fifth. Or two octaves below the input, respectively. Because "N" is voltage controllable, arpeggios and various melodies can easily be programmed. The nature of this type of division (integer division), results in frequencies that fal l along the sub--harmonic series, a series that has great tonal charm. For sub--audio frequencies, the divider acts like a counter, outputting a pulse only after "N" number of input Pulse. Input pulse's can be fairly random, or regular . This capability is especially powerful for determining tempos and rhythmic patterns when using several sequencers (especially if the "N" vc input is taken from one of a Sequencer's rows of controls). In a more random Situation, using a microphone preamp/detector as input, the divider might be set to count how many times a sound of a certain loudness will have occured, and be set to trigger an event upon reaching the count . Since the Count can be made variable (from 1 to 31), fairly complex and subtle interactions can be generated.


A bit about the studio from which this comes from ... Asphodel Records/Studios and Recombinant Media Labs was San Francisco's cutting edge and award winning production, recording, and performance/research facility. We worked both with artists internal and external to the record label. Some of the clientele has included Academy and Grammy Award nominated M.I.A., members of Nine Inch Nails, Lou Reed, Kode 9, Speedy J, Blixa Bargeld, and many many others. The facility was home to many talented professionals who were the users of the equipment we are selling. Below is a little video profile of Asphodel and RML to give you a better idea about what the facility looked like and did."





XLR8R TV Episode 10: Asphodel and Recombinant Media Labs

YouTube Uploaded by XLR8RTV on Aug 14, 2007

"In part one of a series, XLR8R Technology editor Ken Taylor takes you on a tour of one of electronic art's finest facilities, Asphodel and Recombinant Media Labs. Comprised of an unprecedented 16.8.2 -channel, 10-screen surround-cinema performance environment with an external control room, a suite full of new and old synthesizers (all in mint condition), a DVD- and CD-mastering studio and a recording studio with top-of-the-line equipment spanning nearly every era of electronic music, Asphodel and RML is a sound artist's dream come to life. While the technology is impressive, it's only one aspect of what makes these studios special. We'll explore the facility further in future episodes.

Download a full res version of this episode at:
http://www.revision3.com/xlr8rtv/asphodel
or subscribe to the video podcast at:
http://www.revision3.com/xlr8rtv"