hello-
brushing over the recent posts about the real ring mod, i must say
that this is indeed a great item to have in your arsenal. if you
don't have one, please go get one and break out your soldering iron.
a100 users can boost their signals before or after the real ring mod
with an a119s. this can compensate for any volume drops and if using
two a119s before the RRM you can create many nice effects by tweeking
the clipping a bit on either the x in, the y in, or both. i was
doing this today and it sounds fantastic. i think that the real ring
mod is the most beautiful ring modulator out there. it sounds like
breaking glass or dropping peppermint candy into a blender. the high
frequency content of the output signal is a spellbinding but
lacerating carbonated sizzling type of sound.

secondly, i wanted to comment some to users and potential buyers of
the a106. this is a very interesting module. i think i over-
estimated it's usefullness as a "filter" so at first i was a little
disappointed. i had hoped for a good filter as well as a crazy noise
module, but what i got was mostly the latter and thats a good thing.
after a few hours of putzing around with the module, i discovered so
many frizzy, squeally, and flatulent sounds. it is a chaotic, moody
and naughty little circuit! one thing it isn't though, in my
opinion, is abrasive. in fact, i find the high resonance settings of
the a108 to be more abrasive than the a106. even when the a106 is
frizzed out into a wash of pink noise it somehow still sounds very
gorgeous and inviting, not shrill at all. i think you can fine tune
it into some very nice leads or basses and even get some quacking
envelope filter sounds too, but the more erratic wobbling noise
settings and disorienting resonance maelstroms are my personal
favorite thing about the module. i like how sometimes you can hold
one note and hear it change timbre without even moving any setting or
dials or CVs. some of the settings, depending on your input, are
just very unstable.

so i'd say get one if you don't have one, but have a good filter too,
because i didn't find the unclipped filter sound held my interest at
all.

ok then-
tom