Hi all,
I'm completely new to modular but really keen to get involved, is the system I've put together on here everything I need to get started on a synth voice? Sorry for the basic question but help would be really appreciated.
Thanks
Not exactly. For example, there's a ring modulator...but you need two sources to make those work, and there's only one VCO. Other bits are sort of superfluous, such as Clouds (which doesn't exist anymore, anyway, except as a third-party build or used) or a six-channel mixer where you only really have a single voice chain.
Stop for a minute and go and research some of the 'classic' analog synths, most notably the ARP 2600 or Odyssey, the (still being made, it's that useful) Korg MS-20, or the venerable EML 101. See how those are put together and how they can be varied via patching. THEN come back to MG with that info under your belt and start building again.
I can't stress how important research like this is. While MG is an unparallelled resource for creating mockups of builds, data sets, and the like, it's also a mass of pitfalls for those who have no modular or patchable experience. By doing some careful examination of the older synths and discovering why those designs are prized right down to the present day (and, as noted, still in production with the MS-20 and, also, the Odyssey), lots of mistakes can be avoided, less time wasted, and better results obtained. Of course, it's also worth noting that your first several builds will suck...but by doing them, you start to notice patterns in the parts that intuitively work well together, and eventually this process yields results. It's sort of like building musical capability through practice; you might WANT to play Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier' sonata, but you're going to have to get there through a lot of other stuff first!
I would look into buying a complete synth voice: Intellijel, Pittsburgh, and many other manufacturers offer them. Most of them are completely patchable between each individual component. They'll include one or two VCOs, a filter, a VCA... and maybe some other goodies. Once you have that, you might want to think about sequencing. How do you intend to trigger notes and modulation?
A patchable wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Something like an Arturia Minibrute 2, which has both patchpoints and the ability to expand into Eurorack via their Rackbrute expanders, might not be a bad choice. A Moog M32/DFAM pair, which also seems like a popular starting choice, is another.
