Wow! Lugia, you put a lot of work into that post - thank you so much.
Ha! I thought that 1U module was just a misshapen PNG file
Regarding the IO: I'm confused .
The top right module is for the case's two back-panel outputs, correct? What about the two back-panel inputs? Also, the 2-in mixer in the top right corner: does that mix to line level? Wouldn't I need 6.35mm adaptors for the outside world, or am I being a derp?
My very first design actually utilised two of those send/return modules like you have here. However I took them out in favour of more open-ended functionality. My implementation of the extra IO could double as an extra mix bus or a stereo send/return or two mono, depending on my fancy - all without the need for adaptors.
From what I can surmise, your suggested system here is a waaaay, waaaaaaay more flexible - and as you rightly say 'multifunctional' - affair with a single stereo mix bus. Is that right? Regarding the 'multifunctional' modules. I was keen to not have too many of those. My thinking was "do less with more" hahaha.... :-P.
Seriously though, the rational for my first design was to have a stereo bus and a mono bus with 4 distinct sound generation workflows: a sampling pipeline, a stereo effects/processing pipeline, a stereo digital synth voice and a mono analog synth voice. Each module was placed where it was to do a specific thing relating to one or the other of my 'pipelines.' Quite a rigid and inefficient architecture I suppose. That was by design though. Is that a bad idea?
That said, I can see there is far more interoperability within your suggested system. You've suggested a lot of modules I haven't seen before. I clearly have a lot more reading and thinking to do. Right than, back to it. I'll post my next iteration soon
Thanks again
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