Soundmachines - Modulör114

[Psychotronic]

Look, its a synth:



http://www.sound-machines.it/product/modulor114/

 

[Grain Bastard]

Looks cool. The usb host is interesting as it could mean integration of the OP-1 into a modular. There is a lot of these 'gateway synths' coming out. They want us hooked on euro-cRack!!!

[Psychotronic]

They want us hooked on euro-cRack!!!

 

[Braintree]

Who wants to take a guess at how goddamn expensive it will be?

[Psychotronic]

Around 900€ according to schneidersladen.

[Braintree]

That's not bad at all. Use it with the Mother-32 and you've got a pretty cheap modular setup with just two units.

[lala]

Quite a comprehensive little bugger isnt he,  got loads of mixers & mults, fx section, ribbon, clock divs, logic, usb in

[Grain Bastard]

That's not bad at all. Use it with the Mother-32 and you've got a pretty cheap modular setup with just two units.

You would think so but the reality is sitting in a room in just your underpants, a huge rack of 'modules' and no other possessions as you have sold everything to fund the craving for that sound you heard the first time you 'used' a modular....

 

The synth world needs a Zamo, im telling you.

[BCM]

lol

 

that ribbon controller looks wack

[Psychotronic]

lol

 

that ribbon controller looks wack

 

 

[thawkins]

The website now says it's 737€.

I am considering getting this to try out modular synthesis, because:

1) all "real" modular starter systems seem to either cost twice as much, or

2) figuring out a reasonably priced system with comparable features seems really hard since I don't know anything about building a system, and

3) USB ports mean I can control it using my existing gear and sequence through the laptop.

However aside from the bunch of videos on the manufacturer's website, there are no reviews or demo jams to listen to, so I am a bit unsure about the thing.

The alternatives seem to be the Mother-32 and Pittsburgh Modular's SV-1. My gut instinct says to go for the SV-1 because it seems to have more patching capabilities (and most people are going to get the Moog anyway, and I try to take the road less traveled).

 

This is how an addiction starts, right?

[TubularCorporation]

Looks pretty cool. I can't post without some kind of nitpick, though, so: the fact that the whole thing can be powered from the USB port is a little disconcerting.

[thawkins]

Looks pretty cool. I can't post without some kind of nitpick, though, so: the fact that the whole thing can be powered from the USB port is a little disconcerting.

Since I am about to possibly drop a lot of money on this, I appreciate every nitpick. :)

Why do you find it disconcerting?

[Psychotronic]

the fact that the whole thing can be powered from the USB port is a little disconcerting.

What's wrong with that?

[thawkins]

In this video it shows the Modulör installed in a eurorack thing. I don't know if it's still only powered by the USB or by the rack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRRMzn1Jxvo (sorry I don't know how to embed youtube yet)

 

Also here's a bunch of demos that aren't on the official page yet:

https://www.youtube.com/user/mancio1

[TubularCorporation]

 

Looks pretty cool. I can't post without some kind of nitpick, though, so: the fact that the whole thing can be powered from the USB port is a little disconcerting.

Since I am about to possibly drop a lot of money on this, I appreciate every nitpick. :)

Why do you find it disconcerting?

 

 

I hadn't checked the USB spec in a while and it seemed like not a lot of power for a fairly complex analog synth but it looks like some recent revisions give you more like 5 amps instead of 1.5, and I'm probably overreacting to begin with.   Someone who knows better than me should chime in, I just see "usb power" and think "limited headroom" but again, my knowledge is pretty shallow here.

[thawkins]

 

 

Looks pretty cool. I can't post without some kind of nitpick, though, so: the fact that the whole thing can be powered from the USB port is a little disconcerting.

Since I am about to possibly drop a lot of money on this, I appreciate every nitpick. :)

Why do you find it disconcerting?

 

 

I hadn't checked the USB spec in a while and it seemed like not a lot of power for a fairly complex analog synth but it looks like some recent revisions give you more like 5 amps instead of 1.5, and I'm probably overreacting to begin with.   Someone who knows better than me should chime in, I just see "usb power" and think "limited headroom" but again, my knowledge is pretty shallow here.

 

 

I don't even think 1.5 amps is an issue. Take a look at powered rack cases - they provide something like 900 milliamps for +/- 12V, and that's for 10 modules (I got my numbers from here http://pittsburghmodular.com/cell-dc-cases/). I might be talking out of my ass here with regard to electronics, but it seems to my naive self that having enough amps is definitely not the problem, even less if USB supports up to 5A.

 

In other news it seems I can have a Modulör114 for 880€ (because shipping to Japan), now I guess it's off to modulargrid.net to see if I can build something comparable for less. Gut feeling says that I'd probably end up spending half the cash to just have a case and USB or MIDI input, which means it's probably better to go for the Modulör. I would really like to see some more reviews though (especially from Sonic State as they've done the Pittsburgh SV-1 and Mother-32 (which I could get for 700€ incidentally) already).