System arrived tonight at supper time. First a cool snapshot — explanations follow.
To answer your first question, yes, there are gaps in the panels. Three or four of the modules that I want were out of stock, so it will be a few weeks before the gaps get filled in.
For those who have just arrived at the party, this is a euro-rack modular synthesizer. Calling it “analog” would be stretching a point; if you squint, you can probably see the four-digit LED on one of the modules. A couple of them have digital brains. But all of the audio and control signals that reach the panel are analog.
Its mission in life is to make funny noises. And here’s my first attempt:
I picked out the modules by reading about them online and downloading manuals. Possibly one or two of them will prove to be bad choices, and will have to be swapped for other items. I know what oscillators do, and filters, and envelope generators. I’m a lot less certain about the Make Noise Maths, but I think it pretty much has to be a keeper.
The black panels at the bottom are a Make Noise Rene on the left, and two Make Noise Pressure Points on the right (with a Brains attached). These are both step sequencers, and they both have touchplate interfaces. The main difference between a system of this sort and a computer-based music machine is precisely that it can be touched.
My next job is to test everything, make sure it’s all working, and where necessary figure out how it’s supposed to work. Should only take a week or two.
Jim Aikin's Oblong Blob 