Rick Jelliffe sent me a link to an article he wrote on O'Reilly Digital Media which proposes a new form factor for modular synthesizers. The form factor? A4 - the standard size for a sheet of paper outside North America and the Phillipines. The article is in response to Grant Richter of Wiard calling for the use of different materials for modular faceplates to cut down costs (
see this post). Title link takes you to full article. The following is an excerpt:
"But for the rest of us, Grant is entirely right, but it is more than just the cost, it is also the time delay and logistics and also the lack of flexibility that causes users problems. Why is it that we currently have the several dozen different form factors for synthesizer modules?
I think there is another way to approach the issue that solves several other problems, especially for the new and DIY maker: adopt A4 (the paper size used outside North America and the Philippines) as the standard size for module front panels. 210 x 297 millimeters or 8.27 x 11.69 inches.
The first question that probably will pop up is Rick are you insane? A4 is about the same size as US letter paper, surely that is way too big? Plus it isn’t an even multiple of any of the current standard sizes…what gives?
Well, lets start off by redefining the problem. DIY people need to buy the expensive panels because they don’t have the skills or tools to cut and make decent panels themselves. But buying in a good-looking panel has a hidden cost: it makes it difficult to evolve and experiment with the module, in particular with anything that requires new knobs, lights or jacks: so new functionality has to go into a new module, which then needs a new panel. Plus if spend your cash on panels, you don’t have a brass razoo for other modules: there is a substitution cost. So Grant is right that the cost of panels is a disincentive to purchasing panels, but it is also a disincentive to incrementally evolving them."
If you ever wanted to be a fly on someone's shoulder walking around the Frankfurt Musikmesse, here you go. Title link takes you to a post on sequencer.de with a link to the video. The modular goodness starts about four minutes into the video. Note that the video is 90M and Moogulator of sequencer.de has asked us to not dowload the video, but just stream it by clicking on the video link and watching it. 
