leisuremuffin wrote:gah, thanks for reminding me how i want to spend more money on stuff.
anyway, the dark energy thing looks like a pretty cool and useful multi purpose module, but i don't think you should go that way and here's why:
From a perspective of effective learning, it makes more sense to have discrete modules for each function. If you've already learned on soft synth instruments, you're probably already familiar with how to program something like the dark energy. Everything you need to get a sound is already right there start to finish except for the pitch and trigger information. you provide that with a keyboard or your sequencer output. I think that where modular synths start to get interesting is when you get away from that thinking of playing a keyboard style synth. Having no built in signal flow or architecture from the start is a really amazing blank canvas. you aren't locked into keyboard----> osc ----> filter ----> amp with the obvious spots for LFOs and ENVs to control. it opens up how you look at designing synth sounds. And when you get discrete modules, you typically are getting modules with more points of control and signal in and out that allow you top explore this thinking more fully. I believe the kind of thinking that you develop working this way is remarkably useful in every aspect of being an electronic musician, engineer, sound designer, whatever.
of course you could easily learn all of the same kind of thinking, and achieve equally interesting results with software based modular synths or programming languages. But I think using the hardware stuff is about 3000Xs more fun.
.lm.
I appreciate your feedback, and what you say makes a lot of sense. I am basically looking for a low cost entry point that won't take too long or too much research (or soldering right away) to get going. I had thought of starting with the Dark Energy since it is somewhat familiar and I could interface with it via familiar methods (daw, midi keyboard like you mentioned)...it could be a building block I suppose. And then later on down the road, expand on that foundation little by little. For example, buy something like this
case and a sound source module like you describe, and then others as I figure out what those could be.
I already see where this type of project is headed
