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Suzanne Ciani's Buchla Cookbook

3 points by stuart78 10d ago

glimshe 7d ago
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!
- import 7d ago
  Once you can start to visualize the voltage flow in your brain its so much fun to deal with the cables.
  - Slow_Hand 7d ago
    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.
- Slow_Hand 7d ago
  No shame in that. I find modulars a bit too expansive for my taste. It sounds like you'd benefit from a more traditional hardware synth where the signal flow is mostly locked down.
- CompoundEyes 7d ago
  For around $1200 USD you can put together the “dark easel” of a Make Noise Strega, 0-Coast, 0-Ctrl off Reverb. That plus a little oscilloscope/tuner like the Korg NTS-2 and you’re set. https://youtu.be/SofDTfm1QKUsi=On2kh85cCa5rgRmA https://youtu.be/SofDTfm1QKUsi=On2kh85cCa5rgRmA https://youtu.be/gO9qlVr6-HA?si=FltmhE1xiqPYmKNB https://youtu.be/gO9qlVr6-HA?si=FltmhE1xiqPYmKNB
- brcmthrowaway 7d ago
  VCV Rack?
  - mattjoyce 7d ago
    Its a software emulation of hardware modular. It good fun to noodle about with. Does provide a good experience of modular.
- udbhavs 7d ago
  For me, the "wires" are the play! I go into VCV rack when the intention-oriented workflows in a DAW like Ableton feel too much "on the rails". The large exploration space of a virtual modular setup is tedious if you're trying to do a straightforward DAW task but wonderful if you are itching to have something unexpected and inspiring thrown at you within the action space of one or two knob or wiring changes.
- wahnfrieden 7d ago
  The Easel has internal wiring that minimizes excessive wiring needs
- stuart78 7d ago
  Some people have more or less fixed-patch instruments which might be up your alley. Definitely not that type myself (things are always changing and getting swapped in and out), but there are a lot of fun ways to use them.
- TheOtherHobbes 6d ago
  The worst thing about them is the lack of patch memories. This is sold as some kind of creative limitation, but really it just means you can't park an interesting patch and keep refining and exploring it. I prefer virtual modulars like Reaktor and Cherry Modular. Especially Cherry because there's a nice Java dev system which allows custom development with some ready-made UI and I/O options.
  - kaeluka 6d ago
    This is part of what appeals to me. You can have something you love, but you have an idea that you want to explore. So you have to tear it all down. I'd usually be drawn to hoarding patches, and organizing them, and labelling and maintaining. With a modular synth, I can only produce in the moment. I find that really freeing. I'm a hobbyist, and not a professional musician, i might think different if I did this to make money.
- Xmd5a 6d ago
  > Pitchfork: What made you decide that either the tracks were done or you were ready finally to put an album out? What was the catalyst? > RDJ: It's because I finished making a studio in Scotland that I'd been building for about three years. It took so long. I had this engineer helping me wire all the patch bays together, and he was doing it for about three months, every day, and then he realized he was doing it all wrong and had to start again. That was pretty brutal. So it's kind of like, “OK, I've done that now, it's the end of an era.” > But then I realized I actually like making studios more than making music, because I like the possibilities of what you can do. I make these setups that will achieve some sort of purpose, so the way I've wired it together becomes the track in itself. https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/9506-strange-visitor-a-conversation-with-aphex-twin/ https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/9506-strange-visi...
  - glimshe 6d ago
    That's totally cool - it's just not what I think of doing when I want to play. Spending months building the studio feels l more like a hobby within a hobby (or a job within the job).
harmoni-pet 7d ago
Tiptop Audio has a collaboration with Buchla where they're making eurorack versions of most of the classic models. Some would be very good starter modules. https://tiptopaudio.com/buchla/ https://tiptopaudio.com/buchla/
consumer451 7d ago
I own non-modular synths, but I have never owned modular voltage-controlled hardware. However, I have had a lot of fun playing with Bespoke Synth. It has a much lower barrier to entry than VCV Rack imho. If you are wondering what everyone is talking about in this thread, please check it out: https://github.com/BespokeSynth/BespokeSynth https://github.com/BespokeSynth/BespokeSynth
- wormius 7d ago
  That's funny because I find VCV much "easier" but perhaps it's because I'm not composing so much as noodling and texture-spelunking. I do like bespoke and think its great, but it feels a bit janky to me (though it's been like a year since I tried). It's fun to think about all the various ways people can implement such tools. I'd recommend bespoke for those who want a bit of a different modular system than just a skeuomorphic approach that copies Eurorack design.
wyager 7d ago
I have a probably ~$20k modular rack. It's a lot of fun to experiment with, but the fact that you don't have patch save/recall really slashes the utility. Doing everything in a DAW is the most practical from a "business" standpoint, but it's way less amenable to creative exploration. You really have to know what you want already. The practical compromise that works best for me is a well-designed hardware realtime synth. You have access to a small fraction of the design space of modular, but a higher fraction of the accessible design space sounds good, and you of course have patch save/recall. Recently what I've been doing is creating modular patches, driving them with MIDI, and recording the output into my Elektron Tonverk using their on-device multisample recording. You can record samples at a bunch of different pitch/velocity pairs and save them into a multisample file.
- harmoni-pet 7d ago
  You might find some joy in tossing an octatrack towards the end of your chain. It pairs really nicely with modular
- wahnfrieden 7d ago
  The Buchla Easel is semimodular and has preset cards and a memory recall card
wahnfrieden 7d ago
I ordered the Buchla easel briefcase
outofpaper 7d ago
This is an amazing resource, whether you're into hardware modular synths or virtual ones like VCV Rack and Cardinal. Read, learn, enjoy, and play. P.S. I'll always remember first discovering Suzanne Ciani while watching 321 Contact as a child: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJiTDhOTamo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJiTDhOTamo
nickthegreek 7d ago
if someone wanted to get into this kinda stuff and keep it under $600 USD, is there an entryway path or is not worth it at that level?
- felixgallo 7d ago
  VCV Rack, hands down.
- robrain 6d ago
  Arturia’s V collection includes a Buchla emulation. Personally I find it (the Buchla) impenetrable but YMMV. If you’ve got some MIDI controls lying around already you could have some moderately inexpensive fun.
- speed_spread 6d ago
  If you want to stick with hardware, Behringer have a few cheap, fun and effective semimodulars (standalone, no need for rack) like the Neutron and K2. Best Bang for the buck.
ChickeNES 7d ago
I really should revive the Minimoog clone I built senior year of HS/first year of college...

3 points by stuart78 10d ago

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!

import 7d ago
Once you can start to visualize the voltage flow in your brain its so much fun to deal with the cables.
- Slow_Hand 7d ago
  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.
Slow_Hand 7d ago
No shame in that. I find modulars a bit too expansive for my taste. It sounds like you'd benefit from a more traditional hardware synth where the signal flow is mostly locked down.
CompoundEyes 7d ago
For around $1200 USD you can put together the “dark easel” of a Make Noise Strega, 0-Coast, 0-Ctrl off Reverb. That plus a little oscilloscope/tuner like the Korg NTS-2 and you’re set. https://youtu.be/SofDTfm1QKUsi=On2kh85cCa5rgRmA https://youtu.be/SofDTfm1QKUsi=On2kh85cCa5rgRmA https://youtu.be/gO9qlVr6-HA?si=FltmhE1xiqPYmKNB https://youtu.be/gO9qlVr6-HA?si=FltmhE1xiqPYmKNB
brcmthrowaway 7d ago
VCV Rack?
- mattjoyce 7d ago
  Its a software emulation of hardware modular. It good fun to noodle about with. Does provide a good experience of modular.
udbhavs 7d ago
For me, the "wires" are the play! I go into VCV rack when the intention-oriented workflows in a DAW like Ableton feel too much "on the rails". The large exploration space of a virtual modular setup is tedious if you're trying to do a straightforward DAW task but wonderful if you are itching to have something unexpected and inspiring thrown at you within the action space of one or two knob or wiring changes.
wahnfrieden 7d ago
The Easel has internal wiring that minimizes excessive wiring needs
stuart78 7d ago
Some people have more or less fixed-patch instruments which might be up your alley. Definitely not that type myself (things are always changing and getting swapped in and out), but there are a lot of fun ways to use them.
TheOtherHobbes 6d ago
The worst thing about them is the lack of patch memories. This is sold as some kind of creative limitation, but really it just means you can't park an interesting patch and keep refining and exploring it. I prefer virtual modulars like Reaktor and Cherry Modular. Especially Cherry because there's a nice Java dev system which allows custom development with some ready-made UI and I/O options.
- kaeluka 6d ago
  This is part of what appeals to me. You can have something you love, but you have an idea that you want to explore. So you have to tear it all down. I'd usually be drawn to hoarding patches, and organizing them, and labelling and maintaining. With a modular synth, I can only produce in the moment. I find that really freeing. I'm a hobbyist, and not a professional musician, i might think different if I did this to make money.
Xmd5a 6d ago
> Pitchfork: What made you decide that either the tracks were done or you were ready finally to put an album out? What was the catalyst? > RDJ: It's because I finished making a studio in Scotland that I'd been building for about three years. It took so long. I had this engineer helping me wire all the patch bays together, and he was doing it for about three months, every day, and then he realized he was doing it all wrong and had to start again. That was pretty brutal. So it's kind of like, “OK, I've done that now, it's the end of an era.” > But then I realized I actually like making studios more than making music, because I like the possibilities of what you can do. I make these setups that will achieve some sort of purpose, so the way I've wired it together becomes the track in itself. https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/9506-strange-visitor-a-conversation-with-aphex-twin/ https://pitchfork.com/features/cover-story/9506-strange-visi...
- glimshe 6d ago
  That's totally cool - it's just not what I think of doing when I want to play. Spending months building the studio feels l more like a hobby within a hobby (or a job within the job).

harmoni-pet 7d ago

Tiptop Audio has a collaboration with Buchla where they're making eurorack versions of most of the classic models. Some would be very good starter modules. https://tiptopaudio.com/buchla/ https://tiptopaudio.com/buchla/

consumer451 7d ago

I own non-modular synths, but I have never owned modular voltage-controlled hardware. However, I have had a lot of fun playing with Bespoke Synth. It has a much lower barrier to entry than VCV Rack imho. If you are wondering what everyone is talking about in this thread, please check it out: https://github.com/BespokeSynth/BespokeSynth https://github.com/BespokeSynth/BespokeSynth

wormius 7d ago
That's funny because I find VCV much "easier" but perhaps it's because I'm not composing so much as noodling and texture-spelunking. I do like bespoke and think its great, but it feels a bit janky to me (though it's been like a year since I tried). It's fun to think about all the various ways people can implement such tools. I'd recommend bespoke for those who want a bit of a different modular system than just a skeuomorphic approach that copies Eurorack design.

wyager 7d ago

I have a probably ~$20k modular rack. It's a lot of fun to experiment with, but the fact that you don't have patch save/recall really slashes the utility. Doing everything in a DAW is the most practical from a "business" standpoint, but it's way less amenable to creative exploration. You really have to know what you want already. The practical compromise that works best for me is a well-designed hardware realtime synth. You have access to a small fraction of the design space of modular, but a higher fraction of the accessible design space sounds good, and you of course have patch save/recall. Recently what I've been doing is creating modular patches, driving them with MIDI, and recording the output into my Elektron Tonverk using their on-device multisample recording. You can record samples at a bunch of different pitch/velocity pairs and save them into a multisample file.

harmoni-pet 7d ago
You might find some joy in tossing an octatrack towards the end of your chain. It pairs really nicely with modular
wahnfrieden 7d ago
The Buchla Easel is semimodular and has preset cards and a memory recall card

wahnfrieden 7d ago

I ordered the Buchla easel briefcase

outofpaper 7d ago

This is an amazing resource, whether you're into hardware modular synths or virtual ones like VCV Rack and Cardinal. Read, learn, enjoy, and play. P.S. I'll always remember first discovering Suzanne Ciani while watching 321 Contact as a child: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJiTDhOTamo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJiTDhOTamo

nickthegreek 7d ago

if someone wanted to get into this kinda stuff and keep it under $600 USD, is there an entryway path or is not worth it at that level?

felixgallo 7d ago
VCV Rack, hands down.
robrain 6d ago
Arturia’s V collection includes a Buchla emulation. Personally I find it (the Buchla) impenetrable but YMMV. If you’ve got some MIDI controls lying around already you could have some moderately inexpensive fun.
speed_spread 6d ago
If you want to stick with hardware, Behringer have a few cheap, fun and effective semimodulars (standalone, no need for rack) like the Neutron and K2. Best Bang for the buck.

ChickeNES 7d ago

I really should revive the Minimoog clone I built senior year of HS/first year of college...