> Not sure if there's anything euro format out there, but one module you
> might look at is a Blacet Miniwave. There is a PlanB conversion kit
> to make it work with the Doepfer power bus.
> I'm not sure if there's anything else like it. Works as a wavetable
> "oscillator", quantizer, and you can get some very interesting
> modulations running an LFO through it.

I'd second that the A-112 Sampler Wavetable has an interesting number
of capabilities in comparison.

Looking at other brands from an analog standpoint, the Livewire AFG
is capable of numerous waveshapes and variations that don't even have
names and even more are accessible through internal jumpers which I
understand will be eventually controlled by an add-on module. Since
the waves are the result of mixing and waveshaping internally, one
great outcome is there is much to modulate. I think waveshape change
through modulation opens up worlds more than simply having another
shape to access.

Then if you have linear FM inputs on one module and another VCO + a
VCA to control FM input you have another modulation dimension to
work in. Sync can be another with a second vco.

Mark mentions MANY MANY VCOs, and that certainly doesn't hurt since
you can summon more to build up dense sounds an more modulation.
Sheer numbers do get you additive synthesis potential as well as more
complex modulation. The practicality is you have to control them all
and in many cases control them accurately to get best result. But as
a basic premise there's no question that numbers of vcos mulitiply
the number of timbres you can create.

Historically it's sometimes amusing to see a few non-standard shapes
early builders included. The EML 101 has 4 VCOs but only one of them
has a saw wave available. You do get a cosine wave and some other odd
but simple shapes. Early gear with a variable sine to some more
complex shape is a direction Moog and his inspired by followers
didn't go but is a very useful thing to have. EMS did something
similar though with no CV control while Buchla did sines to nearly
standard shapes with VC.

> Primarily the interest is sonics. I am wondering if there is some
> interesting possible sound that we don't really have easy access to
> with subtractive synthesis. Or maybe just a cool shape that is some
> way much different from the standards.

Well there has to be plenty because the whole mid 80s to mid 90s
digital era wouldn't have kicked out the analog gear if that weren't
so ;-(
I might add that it is kind of funny that after that so many
"virtual" synths now simply give you some very basic analog
subtractive synth simulation capabilities and stop there. But really,
if you look at digital synthesis techniques you do find a lot of them
that easily create sound spectra that are extremely difficult to
duplicate with analog gear. You might need to answer how interesting
to you these sounds are but you can crunch numbers to create waves
you won't easily get when modulating the basic analog shapes.

Another thing to consider is the visual nature of shape created by
sonic spectra. It's well known that you can make very different
looking shapes that have humanly indistinguishable timbres. So it's
really about creating a sound that has an inspiring or contrasting
harmonic and possibly inharmonic content.

Nick