This is a guest contribution by Seattle-based sound designer Chris Burgess. Chris has been working principally in game audio for the last several years to support his “healthy” addiction to synths. Recently he’s worked on Guild Wars 2, Middle-earth: Shadow of War and République.
I built my first modular system about seven months ago and dove in with an understanding of synthesis and signal flow, but not a lot of knowledge about modular synthesis. Specifically in regards to what kind of modules exist and what utilities are required to run them.
Having promised others I would document my lessons learned, this month’s theme seemed the perfect motivator to take a moment and put into words the pros and cons of my modular system. Some things I wish I’d known when initially choosing which modules to purchase.
Also a shout out to Jerry Schroeder, a fellow sound designer at ArenaNet, who collaborated on writing and editing this article.
But stating that you want a modular system is too broad and too dangerous for your disposable income (or worse yet, rent money!) because there are near infinite combinations and directions in the kinds of modules available for purchase.
Do you want your modular system to function as a source of creation or modification. In other words synthesis or effects processing or a combination of both.
It’s worth seriously considering this question to help focus what modules you want to purchase, rather than buying random units and ending up with something that, while fun to noodle with, may not grant you the depth and flexibility you want down the road. That is, assuming this modular unit will be integrated into a commercial workflow and not just a novelty. Toys are great (and I would argue necessary!) but I learned some hard lessons about buying only modules that seemed the “coolest” and not knowing about the less-sexy utility modules needed to run everything (which ended up costing much more money in the long run).
Each module requires a certain amount of power to run it with the exception of some passive modules. Some modular synth cases have built in power supplies and those that don’t, can be equipped with power supplies utilizing an outlet adapter and a ribbon cable to plug in/power other modules for the case.
I chose to buy a large case with a built in power supply, hopeful that I could fill the case with modules and not have to worry about measuring the required power for each module. Some of my carefree attitude was due to the fact that I found it difficult to find documentation on how much power my case would actually provide. So I just started plugging things in and hoped for the best.
The cautionary tale here is that underpowered modules can start to behave in odd ways. So far, I have only experienced one power-related issue with a TipTop Audio z3000 digital oscillator, which started drifting in tuning after I installed a power-hungry Verbos Bark Filter on the same power rail. Moving the oscillator to a different rail of the case fixed the issue.
For those of you who wish to take a more measured approach, I suggest using modulargrid.net which allows you to select a case and insert retail modules to calculate how much rack space and power will be required to run your modular system.
Modules typically have an output, and sometimes an input depending on their function, which will be routed to some sort or input/output unit or array (like a mixer).
Modular level is a 10Vpp (volts peak to peak) signal which supports CV (control voltage) which operates on a +5V/-5V scale.
Line level, the signal level an audio interface will be expecting, is 2Vpp. The level difference, if my math is correct, is roughly 10dBu. The point is, to have an output module that will translate the modular level from 10Vpp down to 2Vpp for an audio interface. Conversely, if we want to run external audio into the modular, we need an audio input with an amplifier that can boost the line level signal up to modular level.
These I/O modules can take the shape of a simple stereo in and out with volume attenuators, or a large mixer with multi channels summed to stereo with panning and send capabilities.
A simple stereo out module is fine if you see yourself wanting to record one sound at a time and being able to route your audio path in series to the final audio output.
However, having the flexibility to mix signals in parallel and sum before going out to an audio interface, as well as routing the mixer’s output back into other modules becomes very valuable in the long run (and to state the obvious, if you are using your mixer’s output to route back into other modules make sure you have another means of I/O to your recording device).
All this to say, giving yourself room to creatively path your signal will be useful in the long run. Typically the more time I spend creating patches the more complex (or convoluted) the routing becomes.
Currently I use a Qu-Bit Mixology four channel mixer and a Circuit Abbey Gozinta amplifier to bring incoming line level signals to modular level.
Speaking of convoluted, you will need multiples or mults. Mults are small modules that let you duplicate an input audio or CV signal multiple times. The next section will cover modules that output control voltage signals, which are my primary use case for mults.
One of the reasons modular systems are so appealing to sound designers is their tremendous routing flexibility. Creatively modulating parameters of a module allows for truly interesting results that can be difficult to achieve within a DAW . But in order to do this effectively, we need modules that spit out CV signals. Common examples of modules that do this are ADSR Envelopes, Gates, and LFOs.
Without some of these tools at your disposal, you will most likely be relying on your hands to turn knobs and effect the sound. These CV modulators offload some of the manual work of turning a modules volume, pitch or pan up and down and free your hands for expressing something else.
My main envelope generator is Make Noise Maths, which can self cycle envelopes (in other words, it does not need a gate signal to trigger an envelope cycle) and it outputs attack and release as well as gate signals. It has been a flexible all in one envelope generator with deep functionality allowing me to attenuate outgoing voltages and internally route envelopes to create interesting patterns.
Beyond modulating or triggering modules with a good old periodic waveform, every now and then we like to get random and there are plenty of modules out there to fit the bill. I don’t have a ton to say here except that some modules sound great when they’re allowed the room to wiggle a little and random sources are usually a great way to bring out that lively/organic character in many modules.
My two go to random sources are the Make Noise Wogglebug and the Sputnk Modular West Coast Random Source. Initially I assumed one random source was as good as another, but diving into the previously listed modules, I have to admit there are multiple shades of freaky. While the Wogglebug feels out of control most times (probably from my lack of user knowledge) the WCRS feels more controlled and lived in. WCRS’ randomness drunkenly stumbles upon a predictable trajectory while the Wogglebug is more erratic and unpredictable. Random food for thought!
Remember that +5/-5 Volt scale I mentioned earlier? Modules that output these 5 Volt CV signals often send out the full 5 Volts, meaning the modulation that will occur to the source will be quite dramatic.
Some modules (Make Noise for example) supply a scaler for the outgoing CV signal and an attenuator on the CV input at the receiving end, allowing greater flexibility to finesse the depth of modulation without any additional processing.
When this feature is not present, you will be sending the full CV signal and this is when it is very handy to have a dedicated CV scaler. Referring to my random section and the idea of “wiggling” I often find my favorite sounds and texture come from a lot of very subtle random modulation over time.
If you were holding out for the fun, this is it. For performing sound in an expressive manner I have found that a variety of touch controllers are great.
First, I chose the Mutable Instruments Ears module, which is a contact mic with a built in envelope generator. It outputs a CV envelope of the signal received by the contact mic, allowing for interesting gestural control of other modules. An Intellijel Planar joystick and a Sound Machines LP1lightplane touch control module round out my control surface options. Having these zero latency, tactile interfaces has been pure gold for translating interesting and expressive gestures into control signals.
Try to avoid recreating gear you already own. I happen to already be a synth nut and have several traditional synths of the east coast school. So it does not make sense for me to keep purchasing traditional sounding synths in the eurorack format.
For me it has been great to try and keep purchases as abstract and effects focused as possible. As much as I want to live out my Tangerine Dream wanna be fantasies, I find the modules I buy for nostalgia’s sake are usually the ones that end up collecting dust the fastest.
Once you initialize (unplug all patch cables) the sound is gone. It’s good to understand the ramifications this will have on your workflow. I end up sampling for hours building a library and trying to account for whatever variations I will need in the future. Though as I become more familiar with routing tricks and possibilities, I find myself plugging in for one off sound opportunities where I need some speaker ripping sound performed to picture.
And by that I refer to your patience level with programming synths. I know I personally hate menu diving on hardware, so that is where I draw the line in my purchasing. I try to avoid setting myself up for failure and wasting money on something even if it sounds really really cool, but I am realistic about knowing I will hate it for the way I have to interact with it.
I got to hear Randy Jones from Madrona Labs showing off his Sound Plane and one thing he said that stuck with me is that we are using office gestures in a creative medium (referring to the marriage of a computer typing keyboard with a mix console).
I’ve found that my modular synth and hardware in general is an escape from this that I personally love. It’s not always the right tool for the job or the scope of a project, but making opportunities to record and be fully engaged with a physical embodiment of your sound is extremely fulfilling.
If anyone is looking to get started in this mad world of modular synthesis, my condolences to your bank account and I hope I’ve provided some enlightening nuggets to help you with your quest.
Envelope Followers: If you’re looking to process external audio through effects modules, I’ve found having an envelope follower to be invaluable. Using car bys and sounds with interesting amplitude envelopes, that would be difficult to recreate with a simple ADSR envelope generator, is a great tool for pushing effects modules to their limits.
LFO with frequency Divider: (See Batumi LFO pictured under Gates, Envelopes, and LFOs). This is my modular recreation of automating a tremolo plug-in’s rate (ala mondomod). If you run an envelope into the LFO’s frequency divider you end up changing the LFO’s rate with the rising/falling of the attack/release of the envelope.
Wavetable oscillator/external audio processor: If you’re looking for the gateway to speaker ripping, can opener, garbage disposal sounding nonsense, then I would recommend a wavetable unit. The Harvestman Piston Honda MkII has been able to trash some sounds with it’s aggressive set of wavetables and it has an external audio in.
I wish I had a sweet answer for this one, but unless I’m close to a synth shop, I’ve mostly found myself trolling youtube demos for hours trying to weigh the benefit of a module’s sonic possibilities. The best advice I can offer is to be willing to sell modules you’re not satisfied with. I have been a bit of a gear hoarder, but have known people who maintain a small rack and efficient rack by unabashedly letting go of gear they realize they don’t need.
Once I find a patch I am happy with, I record a set of variations with variable length, pitch, and effects. The same way I would record objects in the real world if I’m performing an asset recording session (metal impacts, cloth movements, etc) getting variations of different intensities/gestures and then moving on.
Ideally, if I stick to this organization style, I can snip out these regions and bounce them tagged with metadata and in the library they go.
I don’t spend a lot of time editing these assets down because I don’t want to spend all day cataloging. I grab just related sounding files and trying to keep the file length under two minutes (for the sake of scrubbing through it later). It’s not the most granular cataloging, but it is the compromise I’ve made with myself to make sure I don’t drag my feet cataloging a session at the end of the day. Avoiding the backlog at all costs.
Thanks for reading and I hope there are some useful tidbits in here for anyone looking to jump into the modular world. Feel free to hit me up if further questions arise or you’re just looking to nerd out on some wacky synths.
A big thank you to Chris Burgess for taking the time to pen this piece. For more on this subject, check out this episode of Tonebenders.
Nik has performed a critical role in helping us visually articulate business requirements, for one of the largest in-house Agile developments in Europe, then translating these needs into effective UI/UX. Nik acted as a critical interface, bringing a real understanding of the business as well as first rate design skills. His impact has been both positive and considerable. He is really good to work with too!
Nik is a great addition to any team. His ability to find workable solutions for complex problems is a true asset and something our team has come to rely upon and trust. His wealth of design and UI experience helps bring value to each discussion/decision needed. He can easily identify potential user-experience issues and offers workable solutions and knows how to best convey his recommended approach through smart design, prototypes or mock-ups. His focus on the user experience is consistently steering the team to make better decisions. I have always appreciated that he is willing to get a job done correctly and put in the effort to think about a long-term solution even though we have short-term deadlines. It has been a pleasure working with Nik.
Nik is a strong team player, with the ability to provide effective UX/UI input and solutions across a wide range of projects. His design skill and experience give him the ability to understand complex requirements from the business and translate them into quality, workable solutions. He is always happy to work with the wider project team to provide input and guidance at every stage of the development process, providing different options and visuals where needed including prototypes, wireframes and general guidelines. He has always been someone I can rely on and trust to deliver and is a pleasure to work with.
Nik is definitely focused on ensuring a standard User Interface while also willing to spend time to work with me and understand my delivery needs. He easily matched these 2 competing drivers and achieved the best result
This was a fantastic project to be involved with. Working with IBM Watson technology, we used personality analytics to provide users with an insight of their traits. The idea was to create an app for the iPad pro which exhibited data capture technology. The success of the app came from its easy and fun user experience with the reward of a macaron just to take part in the experiment hence 'Data is Delicious'. I headed the UX, developing the IA to UAT delivering user flows, wireframes, prototypes and user test planes. The Data is Delicious project was a great success creating leads post event.
The Story: A five hour brainstorm session gave birth to the idea of collecting delegate’s details by combining personality data with choice of macaron Yum! In this session a mix team of developers’ designers and UX. Driving the UX I focused on the user journey and keeping the experience lean.
The user tasks and goals: Taking the business requirement, I looked at simplifying the user journey and presenting the possible steps and task the user is expected to make.
The Process: Discovery of IBM Watson changed the user journey. I thought of how IBM Watson could work and reiterated the flow to make it leaner which resulted in a more engaging experience for the user. So from the user answering a set of questions getting and giving us a twitter account to receive a macaron to the twitter account actually being the data driver to there personality trait and the macaron becoming the choice of the trait. This user flow shows the user journey referencing each page for development and backend.
Wireframes and markup: The wireframes shows functionality and how the experience comes together. The wireframes played an important part of the process for the development teams. Each screen was referenced to the user flow so identification was made easy for backend.
The UI: Users at the event showed a lot of interest in the technology and how we use the data. The business goals were met and the application generated many leads and contacts.
UAT: Once development teams had a working app on a staging platform. I headed the UAT with users to find bugs in the app.
Big 5 personality traits. IBM Watson:Watson results offered great depth and gave detailed insight. This was simplified for the app which made the results a lot more digestible to the user
Working with this subject made me realise how sensitive I needed to be to the user’s needs and emotion. This was a two part website for two sectors. The business objectives are to build a site that allows healthcare professionals to vexplore the content and understand the need for the product for their patients. The second part is to build a site which explains the product to patients and public, what the benefits were of having this treatment.
Although each site held the similar content the language needed to be different. As a professional, statistical information was the key. Forthe patents version, of course the approach needed less clinical and display more empathy. Below are examples for the health professional site. The patent site is due to begin work in mid July 2017.
Sitemap We were requested by our client take existing data to create a responsive site for HCPs and patients. I first mapped out the information into a sitemap, which was reiterated numerous times as part of the IA process.
Wireframes and mark-up desktop The IA of the wireframes was constructed allowed for templates types. As the development was to be done by the client I had to be sure that the mark-up was easy to follow.
Omnicom consist of creative agencies which employ a range talent. We proposed a concept to create a network of internal staff starting with TBWA London and New York. Delivering my UX rational though wireframes supported with Hi fidelity UI in collaboration with the designer, the project was agreed and commissioned to us. The product would allow managers to be able to locate staff with particular skill sets for ongoing projects and then request for the individual by contacting their managers. The staff, on the other hand would be able to upload there profiles including examples of their work on the system to show their interest to be able to work on other projects globally.
We started with a brainstorming session to uncover the requirements. In this session we discussed the core functionalities and what would be a wish list. I took an holistic view an quickly realised that this product can grow into something more than just a pool. Some of these features were added into the wireframes and skinned in the UI
Wireframes were produced covering UX rational and functionality These initial iterations exhibit the potential this site could have. After researching site like site like the creative Dots creative network I proposed a direction of how the users can benefit from some of the functionality and how we can take this site to the next level to enrich the experience.
Low fidelity and prototyping from sketch to Axure I have found low fidelity sketching, wireframing and prototyping to be extremely useful to help visualise concepts and flows. Working with users, business analysts and development to produce quick examples of the features bringing in alignment for the team vision and scope.
I develop the functionality in my prototypes which I could quickly produce and iterate in Axure. Prototypes have numerous iterations which allowing development to scope the work more accuracy. Axure prototyping bringing clarity to the vision of the final goal and acceptance criteria. The iterations can be made quickly and can effectively reduce development times.
The complex project demanded solutions that could accommodate rich text data from displaying itinerary description to pricing and costings. The MVP solutions were based around tables and grids as the backend dealt with large volumes of data.
The examples here are a range of screens I have designed, from internal staff sites to template affiliate site.
I took the opportunity to explored some bootstrap responsive design, as I beilieved this was the best way forward for the goals of the projects. I carry out A/B testing on the Kuoni home page to find where we could make the content leaner and reported my findings to my superiors. One of main test goals was to discover if the user found the companies 'Value Propositions' easily as this was one of the business needs. The solution was determined by my findings.
My career started in print and is a skill that has proved to be useful. I am very comfortable working in this medium and liaising with printers to deliver the final products in printed and packaged on time and on budget.
Logo designs I have had the opportunity to work on have given identity to internal projects and external sites. Over a period of development and iterations, I would refine the design to match the customer or project ID and guides.