3 ms·

This seems like a somewhat solved problem. Other domains - like CGI - use node networks that show active parameter values. There isn't a lot of space between a

This seems like a somewhat solved problem. Other domains - like CGI - use node networks that show active parameter values. There isn't a lot of space between a node network and a modular synth patch. The big difference is that you can save and load patches in a node editor, but you have to rebuild everything by hand on a modular. Even then you're never going to reproduce panel settings exactly. Some people find this appealing, but for me it's the main reason I stopped using my big modular and changed to Cherry/Softtube/VCV Rack. It's also true that if you're synth-literate you should be able to recreate many patches by ear. There isn't usually that much going on, so it looks a lot more complex on paper than it really is. Things get more complex if you're using modules that play samples or do something exceptionally unique, but even then you can usually get in the ballpark - if not exactly, then close enough for something that works aesthetically. The musical part is a different problem. You can scribble graphic scores, but they're far too crude to represent anything beyond the vaguest hint of what's going on.

pclmulqdq 2y ago
Notated organ music has had the "modular synthesizer" problem for centuries. The solution that organists chose was to just write stuff down in front of the score. It would probably be a lot more clear than any of the suggestions in the article to use a node network and a short text description of the settings of each node. People also need to let go of the idea that written music is about conveying how to create an exact reproduction of the original sound. That's what a recording is for. A musical score conveys the scheme under which to produce sound, and notates the important characteristics of the sound to produce. Everything else is intentionally left up to the performer. If you don't believe that is valuable, you don't need to use it as a tool. However, it allows future musicians to both understand what you were thinking and put their own spin on your work.

pclmulqdq 2y ago

Notated organ music has had the "modular synthesizer" problem for centuries. The solution that organists chose was to just write stuff down in front of the score. It would probably be a lot more clear than any of the suggestions in the article to use a node network and a short text description of the settings of each node. People also need to let go of the idea that written music is about conveying how to create an exact reproduction of the original sound. That's what a recording is for. A musical score conveys the scheme under which to produce sound, and notates the important characteristics of the sound to produce. Everything else is intentionally left up to the performer. If you don't believe that is valuable, you don't need to use it as a tool. However, it allows future musicians to both understand what you were thinking and put their own spin on your work.