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Suzanne Ciani's Buchla Cookbook

99 points · 31 comments · stuart78

  1. glimshe · · focus · HN ↗
    Modular synths are very cool, but it's a bit like a swimming pool: it's great when someone close to you deals with the grind so you can just enjoy it.

    I talked myself out investing in modulars because I know I'll never have the patience to deal with the wires when all I want is to play. Big respect for those who can do it!

    1. import · · focus · HN ↗
      Once you can start to visualize the voltage flow in your brain its so much fun to deal with the cables.
      1. Slow_Hand · · focus · HN ↗
        Yeah. Having a model of the signal flow in your mind and being creative with the structure is half the fun of synthesizers for me. And even if you don't comprehend everything in the moment, happy accidents are a big part of the fun.

        Some modular performers like Keith Fullerton Whitman have a very dynamic approach to patching. I've seen shows where he was aggressively re-patching throughout the performance and hot-swapping connections on the fly. I'm talking several patches in a minute. It wasn't subtle, either. It was a nice contrast to many performers who tend to design their system as a fixed structure and then play from there.

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