That's just the point. A lot of us started out on hardwired synths - and switched to modulars later - and getting confused by not being able to turn the sound of.... because the gain of the final VCA was above zero. That seems to be Dieters problem with users too.

Keld

--- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com , "Guy" <guy@...> wrote:
>
>
> Those are all pre-patched synths. That doesn't count, honey ;-)
> It wouldn't surprise me that the "demise of Initial Gain" in preset and/or typical keyboard synths has begun when those manuf's got all their prototypes back with a note saying something like "hey, I can't switch it off!", just as Dieter explained.
>
> After that they started to diminish its role, and tucked it away -- preferably in the upper left corner -- and disguised it under a different name. "Volume" or something non-descript...
> A bit later the VCA almost completely disappeared, and served the humble role to provide for the "volume envelope", and/or tremelo-duty.
>
> A shame.
>
> As long as the player uses the classical VCO-VCF-ENVELOPE paradigm, an initial gain is most likely not necessary, indeed. Anything else, and you'll need initial gain.
>
> One can't have enough VCA's in his system. *With* initial gain.
> The most underrated function block in a synth system.
>
> _g
>
> --- In Doepfer_a100@yahoogroups.com , "KeldS" <keldsorensen@> wrote:
> >
> > Well i guess it's there but if you look on a Minimoog the VCA doesn't seem to have an initial gain pot. The prophet 5, the Obxa and arp odyssey have non either - just to name a few. All modulars have but not hardwired synths.
> >
> > Keld
> >
> > >
> > > "Initial Gain" is not a common feature [on a VCA]
> > > Hmm, I beg to differ. A VCA w/o initial gain is not a VCA, IMHO.
> > > Actually, I don't even know of any VCA's w/o initial gain... :-)
> > >
> >
>