Hi,
I’m UK-based and been using synths since the early 80s. I got my first LC9 case about a year ago and added a G6 a couple of months back.
I got some good advice right at the start and decided that I wanted to design my modular in 2 phases:
1 – I wanted a compositional tool that didn’t require a computer, but could take advantage of my DAW for production of anything I managed to create that would be worth polishing;
2 – A tool to allow me to learn more about sound design above and beyond what I can achieve with my existing keyboards.
I’m pretty much at the end of phase 1 – I only need to address the beginner’s mistake of not buying enough mults. I have an Arturia BeatStep Pro that acts as the master clock. This controls an Atlantis, a Mother-32 and a Little Drummer Boy 2 via its CV/gate/trigger outputs. It also provides MIDI clock to my Kurzweil K2600, which provides polyphonic sequencing for my MIDI-equipped keys. I also pass the clock along to an A-155 Trigger Sequencer and a Turing Machine MkII to provide extra sequencing. The rest of my A-100 rig is:
A-101.3 Vactral Phaser
A-106.5 SEM Filter
A-110.1 Standard VCO
A-114 Dual Ring Modulator
A-119 Envelope follower
A-131 Voltage-Controlled Amplifier
A-138B Audio Mixer
2 x A-138D Cross-fader/FX Insert
A-156 Dual Quantizer
A-160.2 Clock Divider 2
A-166 Dual Logic module
A-180.2 Multi-Jack (2HP)
A-188.1D 4096-stage Bucket Brigade Delay
The oscillator, filter and VCA were my first modules, along with the effects modules (just because I fancied them). I’ve only recently acquired the quantizer and clocck dividers that have made the whole rig come alive. I’ve also got a 4MS rotating clock divider and its break-out module, a Pittsburgh Modular Outs for headphone use, an Expert Sleeppers FH-1 for USB MIDI input and the Expert Sleepers ES-3/ES-6 combination for DAW I/O (though I have an audio clicking problem with the ES-6 at the moment).
It might be worth me pointing out that I ad another set of requirements, based on accessibility. I’m totally blind and have progressive arthritis in my hands, so I needed to pick things carefully in order to ensure that I could take full advantage of each module. For example, I picked the FH-1 because it had direct support for my LinnStrument (which is kinder to my hands than my traditional keyboards) and because it can be configured by writing a script file, placing it on a USB drive then powering up the module with the drive inserted. I’m a software developer in my day job, so doing this doesn’t frighten me.
I’ve had wonderful support from Mr. Doepfer, who has provided text descriptions of panel layouts and from everybody I’ve talked/mailed/forumed with in the modular community, which has given me (almost) as much pleasure as interacting with the synth itself.
Anyway, if you got this far, apologies for rambling on and I hope that this was of some little interest.
Best wishes.
Tim Burgess