Muff's Modules & More

Parallel Worlds

hello,

a new Serge M-odule has been released: the 'Stereo Mixer' M-odule.

it contains (from left to right):
Quadrature Oscillator module, Dual Transient Generator module, Dual VCA (ac-coupled), Dual Channel Stereo Mixer module (with level and panning voltage controlled).

with this M-odule, the user is presented with a bank of six VCA's (two in the stereo mixer module, two in the Dual VCA, two hardwired in the two outs of the Quad Osc) and two transient generators plus a quadrature sinewave Osc.

so, he has plenty of cv sources to use for modulating volume (or AM synthesis) and for modulating Pan Position, etc...

the Quad Osc goes into well into Audio range, so it can be used as Audio source as well.

Price is 1700 USD.

M-odule photo is in the files section of the yahoo Serge Modular Users Group.

thanks,
Bakis.

astroschnautzer · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:01 am Post subject:

serge seems pretty nice but these prices just feels unreal, 1700$ for this is just very weird, does serge use some super components or is it just the brand or what justifies these prices?

2012 · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:06 am Post subject:

mono-poly · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:25 am Post subject:

Can we stop the always hating price crap?
If i get a system from modcan like this i would have to buy:

Dual LFO 05a $352.80
VC Dual ADSR $554.40
VCA Panner $433.65
Dual X-Fader $352.80

Total $1700 and a bit

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:26 am Post subject:

BugBrand · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:31 am Post subject:

And the Naked Creature thread shows just how much work goes into assembling these modules (even ignoring development) -- that's quite involved wiring there!

HexEnduction · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:39 am Post subject:

When you hold one of these m-odules in yr hand you can actually see how intricate and insane the quality assurance is. The pictures I posted don't really do it justice. When you plug it in, turn it on and start patching you can hear every last cent in there. F'real.

astroschnautzer · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:01 am Post subject:

Not trying to post any hatred on serge or their prices, I just did not understand where the price comes from, that an other manufacturer too has same kind of prices does not explain what makes some brands expenciver then others, I understand that serge for example is good build quality and top engineering but for me it seems still like a steep price, not trying to criticice people who buy or use serge, I could well see myself sometime in the future owning serge. I kind of guessed that somebody will be angry for asking this, mayby I should have put my words in an other way.

2012 · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:40 am Post subject:

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:13 am Post subject:

chimologic · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:45 am Post subject:

Yes if the price seems to steep then don't buy it. It is expensive. But is totally worth it because there is nothing else like them. Besides the uniqueness in the sound there is a non quantifiable quality to playing with a beautiful Serge system the unique ways you can approach synthesis with the banana plugs and patch programmability, the unique modules, the layout and tactile feel of each module....

if its too expensive for you, don't buy it.more time for Rex to work on my orders! twisted

oh yes and one of these stereo mixers m-odules is in my future for sure.

b3nsf · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:17 pm Post subject:

Rex was telling me about how he matches components...

They test all the resistors and the like to determine what its value is then put one thousand of them in a sheet of styrofoam, with like values next to each other, somebody is matching these components by hand....

He also says finding two exactly matched components in a batch is 2 out of 1000...

This gives every knob an even and exact tuning ability completely linear soundwise, in reality its log matched to the human ear. not too shabby!!!!

and he's got a jeep for wisconsin winter, not ferarri
d'oh!

cebec · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:33 pm Post subject:

astroschnautzer · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:35 pm Post subject:

Ok, this was what I was looking for, Serge really have special manufacturing procedures rather then just the brand and the functionality that there is no competition for. Very few talk about the serge sound, always about functionality, how is it sounding?

cebec · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:48 pm Post subject:

Well, everything on these pages is STS Serge and b3nsf has some great all-M-class pieces shared, too.
http://www.virb.com/cebec
http://share.ovi.com/channel/cebec.public

http://soundcloud.com/b3nsf

HexEnduction just posted a classy video/demo. of his new Creature M-odule:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ6wMrjSynw&fmt=18

I have to include Kkonkkrete's fantastic YouTube video, as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLDIGxlM1rA&fmt=18

So, listen to these and hopefully that will give you a good sense of the 'sound'.

b3nsf · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 12:58 pm Post subject:

Rex told me something last night about the sound, because we were chatting about vactrols....

He said that the Serge stuff is very alive, quick responding, modulation screams into radio frequency range, dog whistle, infrasound, Booming bass...

the use of vactrols is on the phasors where its gloppy slugginess is welcomed, not on filters or vca's so these jump to life like a ring modulator, shooting out side bands and creating harmonics and over-tones... twisted

man, this is strong coffee Coffee Addiction FTW

mono-poly · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:56 pm Post subject:

Some Serge stuff:

http://mono-poly.blogspot.com/2009/03/noodlemono-poly-black-sunday.htm l
http://mono-poly.blogspot.com/2008/09/droneramayana.html

parasitk · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:26 pm Post subject:

makenoise · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:06 pm Post subject:

kkonkkrete · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:40 pm Post subject:

I have to include Kkonkkrete's fantastic YouTube video, as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLDIGxlM1rA&fmt=18

Thanks cebec!

Here's a little speculation regarding the quadrature osc (I don't actually own one):
- note that little "Hold" input. I think that can be used for some pretty cool effects if you drive the oscs at audio rate. If you put an audio rate pulse wave in there running faster than the quad oscs, you should get some nice aliasing effects, as with the SSG. Interestingly, because the two oscs are out of phase, when the freq of the pulse is close to the freq of the oscs, you should get two different waveshapes at any given point of time, because the hold will occur at different stages of the cycle for the left and right half. That should sound like some kind of thickening if you blend the two outputs with a mixer.
- if you send the two outputs to a VC X-fader and mod the X-fade at audio rates, you should be able to get a pitch other than the base pitch coming out of the oscillators. I haven't thought this through properly, but I'd be curious to know if it works.

Just another example of how a Serge module that looks fairly routine at first blush may hide some interesting behaviours

cebec · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 7:37 pm Post subject:

b3nsf · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:47 am Post subject:

parasitik,

I was just trying to explain its sound, which is hard to do... not dissing vactrols at all I think they are cool, its hard to say "the VCA is a ring mod" or vice versa, without mentioning how blazingly fast it responds... just a characteristic etc....

razz

I wish I had a low pass gate too, maybe that clone..... hmmmm help

panda30y · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:30 am Post subject:

astroschnautzer · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:56 am Post subject:

Thanks for excellent audio demos and drones, I enjoyed listening to all of them. It sure seems that you can make a very wide range of stuff with just one or two m-panels. The "sound" seemed somewhat "hard" and precice and many patches was very complex. This clearly isn`t a synth made for equal tempered keyboard playing althogh you could probably do it cos just about every function had the label v/oct that can have one, nice:)

b3nsf · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:11 pm Post subject:

i honestly dont know about the equal tempered stuff, because my dual osc is being built starting today!!!! w00t

I've been using generators for sound sources and well, they can be very microtonal lets just call it that, yeah!! Mr. Green

but as soon as that puppy arrives I'll be making something normal with it, just to flip the script, besides it sounds like a challenge...
I'm a "sounds" guy, meaning I love making stuff thats far from the standards for music composition and normalcy Dalek

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:15 pm Post subject:

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject:

and for those who need audio samples of the Serge modular (in 'real-life situations'), check the audio clip from the track "Ungreat Certainty" (on the myspace player) from my new Parallel Worlds album 'Shade' (the high-pitched crystal-like bell sequence is the Serge):
www.myspace.com/parallelworldsmusic

cebec · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:19 pm Post subject:

parasitk · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:28 pm Post subject:

Thank goodness, all this fake Serge "music" was getting scary. hihi

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:30 pm Post subject:

parasitk · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:31 pm Post subject:

So was I!

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 4:36 pm Post subject:

cebec · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:31 pm Post subject:

it's like this: razz

... but funnier. hihi

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dinner+at+the+y

neandrewthal · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:53 pm Post subject:

You may be a cunning linguist, but I'm the master debater. w00t!!

chimologic · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 7:27 pm Post subject:

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:36 pm Post subject:

2012 · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:08 am Post subject:

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:27 am Post subject:

HexEnduction · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:40 am Post subject:

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:52 am Post subject:

HexEnduction · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:30 am Post subject:

Thanks for clearing that up.
The pictures of your studio make it look like the systems might be exclusive.

The Format Jumbler looks like a "must-have". Chugging Beers

Do you plan on recording a Serge only release or are you more comfortable with integrating the systems together for your projects?

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:34 am Post subject:

HexEnduction · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:58 am Post subject:

Of course. Especially with that monster wall of Euro.

And FWIW I found this video that someone posted in a different thread about this smiley:
Dinner at the Y

Ice cream indeed.

Link

Babaluma · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:39 am Post subject:

the tongue's fine, it's her teeth that scare me!

eek!

chimologic · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:06 am Post subject:

Bakis, I think is too late.

the deep meanings behind the Lick emoticon might be forever locked for you due to synth overdose.

Dinner at the Y

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:09 am Post subject:

chimologic · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 8:25 am Post subject:

Oh I produce plenty of music with my synths too don't worry. but Bakis mix it up with some shots of good Scotch, some excursions to the mountains, some trips to comedy clubs, strolls in the beach with some ladies with bi-kinis. and then....

you might unlock the wisdom behind this one: Dinner at the Y

. No ring modulation needed.

b3nsf · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:45 am Post subject:

hey Bakis,

I have the roland 104 sequencer.... asked Rex about the gates that roland shoots up in the teens, he said... "i'm not intimate with roland but if it is truly 12-14 volts than that would be too high for Serge gate inputs"

I had already done it of course, it didn't blow out, but the protection circuitry might be kinda angry

now I use the triggers from the 606, and the CV from the sequencer, problem solved. (only one ground needed because 606 and sequencer share a ground with a standard ring tip cable)

any ideas on how to get those roland gates down to 10 volts? d'oh!

edit: what about a variac?

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject:

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:24 pm Post subject:

just got new info from Rex:

the Serge can handle 0 to +10volts triggers and gates fine.

cebec · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:32 pm Post subject:

Just to add more info, here's what Rex sent me when I inquired about using my 808's triggers with the Serge:

astroschnautzer · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:57 pm Post subject:

A quick question: What is the difference between the quad slope and dual slope m-odules ? They seem to have the same picture at the serge-fans site..

cebec · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:16 pm Post subject:

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:19 pm Post subject:

Parallel Worlds · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:23 pm Post subject:

astroschnautzer · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:28 pm Post subject:

b3nsf · Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:53 am Post subject:

cebec · Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:43 am Post subject: