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This year was again a challenging year on many fronts for everyone. At tangible waves we’ve had to deal with the usual demands of a growing backlog of orders, the breakdown of global supply chains and distribution channels, the “Chipocalypse” and changes to our team. Not all change is bad though, and there were amazing highlights during the year: The visit to Superbooth 21 was just incredible. To see (almost) everyone from the wider synth community back in person felt so good and gave me a big boost to keep going and keep making modular synthesizers which are affordable for everyone. We’ve also had a change to our team which is now, myself excluded, 100% female powered! All production and distribution of our products is now firmly in the hands of Antonia, Tamara and Albena. Together they managed to work through the backlog and bring down the wait times from 3 months to just under 3 weeks and many smaller orders are now dispatched almost immediately!  The module palette has increased enormously this year and many of these modules have been produced by third party manufacturers. This proves that the AE format is becoming a “real” independent standard and it is something that I couldn’t even have dreamed of when I started this journey 5 years ago. To all those brave creators, I owe you my thanks for putting your energy and money into this format and to bring new ideas (and a splash of colour) to the AE Modular system. What will the next year bring? Who knows? But one thing is certain: I have so many ideas and prototypes for new modules and I bet the other creators out there will add more new modules as well. Also I’m looking forward to more music from artists on our forum. Whatever happens, I’m just so happy to be working on this system and to be part of this fantastic community! Many thanks to you all, and I wish you a beautiful festive season and a happy new year! XMAS Discount To express our gratitude to you all who are either new to the AE Modular community or have been with us for a long time we’ve decided to offer a 10% discount from 18th December through to 31st December with code XMAES-2021. New Products These products are now ready for sale, however the chip shortage may strike again any time, so better get in early!
TBD The TBD module is a multifunctional DSP (digital signal processing) module that includes more than 30 different synthesis and audio processing plugins. It is a collaboration project between CTAG Kiel (an academic working group of Kiel University of Applied Sciences), instrumentsofthings.com (who produce this module for Eurorack) and tangible waves. You can find more information and purchase this module in the shop. ENVFOLLOWER/EXT.IN This module allows you to bring in external audio via balanced and unbalanced mono inputs. It then converts the volume of this signal into CV which you can use in the AE system to control anything you want, filter cut off, oscillator pitch, amplitude, etc. It also provides a gate signal every time the input passes a certain threshold, which can be controlled by a knob. You can find more information and purchase this module in the shop. CVSHIFTER The CVSHIFTER module is the AE version of the well-known analogue shift register modules that have been around in the modular world for a long time. It works like this: The CV input is sampled with each trigger input signal and this CV is sent to the CV 1 output; at the same time, all CV outputs 1-4 are shifted by one. You can find more information and purchase this module in the shop. Black Face Plates We are now also offering all the modules, which are used in the Starter System 1 and 2 with a black faceplate made from fibreglass, the same material used for circuit boards. This matte black with white lettering looks extremely stylish. The starter systems and also the individual modules are now available with the black option. Soon we will extend this option to all the modules in the store.
We are also offering the face plates individually, in case you would like to upgrade your existing modules. For now, only those modules from the starter racks are available, but soon we will offer upgrades for all modules.  You can find more information and purchase these products in the shop. What about the CIRRUS? As discussed on the forum, the CIRRUS can no longer be produced due to the global shortage of certain chips, especially those produced by STM. However while we won’t be able to produce more of the CIRRUS with the Microcell firmware, we did find another, similar chip, which could be used to run the original MI Clouds firmware. This chip is available in relative abundance and at a decent price so the plan is to release a CIRRUS Classic sometime in the first half of 2022. Music made by the Community VA- 400th-Murmur This is a huge collaborative album with contributions from 63 artists and among them are a few artists from our forum who have used the AE Modular for their submission. A great sounding album with an astonishing variety of sounds, please check it out! https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1816/va-400th-murmur A generative Yuletide Patch @funbun presented us with this great festive generative patch: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1835/generative-patch-yuletide Album BELLS This is another Christmas inspired album by @funbun in which he explores modal and generative music. Please check it out and buy it at: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1842/bells-christmas-ep Chapel FM live concert with AE Modular John from Wonkystuff plays a live set every year for Christmas and this year it was a 100% AE Modular performance which is a very nice meditative ambient set: https://namcom.bandcamp.com/album/live-for-chapel-fm-2021-12-12 And if you missed last year’s performance, you can catch up with this link: https://namcom.bandcamp.com/album/live-for-chapel-fm-20201213 These tracks explore some dark places User @pt3r is again inviting us to follow him to dark and beautiful soundscapes: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1710/sc-apes-ladders and https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1834/regurgitate First patch for Euclid Grid, Core, Moco and Five step @luckylutte shows us how to use those cool new 3rd party modules for fun and dance: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1838/first-patch-euclid-grid-core DIY Projects User @duddex found this little digital reverb module and was successful to simply stick on the BRAEDBOARD to make fantastic sounds: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1843/accutronics-digi-log-reverb And user @yoreb has added these nifty switches to his sequencers to be able to quickly change the sequence length without having to repatch the cables: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1829/switches-added-seq-triq
Programming More and more modules are now programmable and it was the right time to start a sub forum for this. In it you can discuss anything to do with installing or developing firmwares for either the GRAINS, TBD or Wonkystuff’s core1.ae. Check it out here: https://forum.aemodular.com/board/23/programming The first project to report this month is an implementation of the Bernoulli Gate which works similar to the Branches module by Mutable Instruments. It has been developed by @duddex and is now also available on the official AE Modular Github: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1807/bernoulli-gate-grains https://github.com/aemodular/GRAINS/tree/master/Grains-BernoulliGate Then we got a Sine Wave LFO made for GRAINS by @keurslagerkurt: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1801/vc-sine-lfo-grains Also for GRAINS is a CV to MIDI converter by @duddex: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1822/cv-midi-grains Then this new cool Eurorack module was presented which might become an AE Module next year? It would be another programmable module which you could program in Python and it's based on the Raspberry Pi PICO: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1837/raspi-pico-documentation  Superbooth came and went in a big rush of preparations, travel and 4 long days filled with the joy of meeting with so many like minded people. Thank you to all who come to our booth and all those who send their greetings via social media! I also have to thank Antonia, who was a great help on this trip and did such a fantastic job of documenting it and keeping you all up to date on Instagram and Facebook! Another big thanks goes to Tobias, our former intern, who came by and stayed at the booth more than half of the time talking to people about AE modular, showing his tiny AE system in a homemade case.
We showed off a few new and upcoming modules and you’ll be pleased to hear that they will soon be available in our store. I expect some of them to be ready just in time for Christmas. New Products We missed the newsletter last month so the below is no longer news to most of you, but it’s just so impressive that in the last two months there were not one, not two, but FIVE new 3rd party modules released! This is such a joy to see as it means that the AE Modular format is “growing up” and the cases are getting more colourful. Also these modules are so creative and offer surprising possibilities.
Music made by the Community Usually we list links to the forum where people have uploaded their latest patches with short Youtube videos or soundcloud clips. Not so this time. For some reason the AE Modular artists were especially prolific in creating not just short sound clips, but full albums! Check them out, each one of them is a musical treat!
Black Warrior Lures Damon wears many hats: fisherman extraordinaire, prolific videographer, successful entrepreneur of fishing accessories and also accomplished electronic jazz musician. His albums are always intricate, complex, food for thoughts and ears. You should definitely check them out:
Deofol Atmospheric and dark soundscapes, noise as beauty. These are just some attributes to describe the work of Deofol. Here are two fantastic albums which explore the juxtaposition of frequencies that verge on isolationism, the darker side of ambient, and drone.
DIY Projects The DIY forum was especially alive again over the last two months and it really shows that the AE Modular community doesn't shy away from getting their hands dirty with woodworking, painting, soldering and other crafts. First off, @thehatghost showed off his incredibly beautiful wooden cabinet which he built for his 2x20 system. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1756/wooden-studio-stands-travel-modular
tangible waves got hacked ... secret designs leaked! These designs were leaked to the AE Modula forum ... we don't know if or when they will be released, but they certainly look delicious! forum.aemodular.com/thread/1739/hacked-tangible-waves-unreleased-modules
This year the Ambient Waves Festival was again at the beautiful Nazareth Church in Munich. This time I brought only my small AE Modular system with a few of the recently released modules: Drone38, DronX, Phaser, etc. Many thanks to Andreas Merz who so artfully filmed and produced the video of my performance! https://www.ambient-waves-cosmic-music-festival.de/ Another day at Superbooth and even after our big announcement of the TBD yesterday there a few more news. Some of you pixel-sleuths have already spotted 3 new modules in the photos we published on social media, so naturally you may have a few questions and here is what we can tell you so far: HEARTBEAT is a new module that is currently in development which will provide a steady master clock in your system. The display allows you to select a very fine grained BPM setting which you can select either via the knob in steps as fine as 0.1 or via the tap tempo button. It has 6 outputs which can be configured individually for different clock divisions between 1/1 and 1/32 and even dotted notes and triplets. The module has its own internal clock, or it can be configured to use an external clock (e.g. the Bus clock if MIDI is plugged into the MASTER module).  HEARTBEAT EXTENDER will be an extension module which connects to the HEARTBEAT module via a small cable in the back. It offers a quick way to switch between different clock rates via the 6 preset buttons. It also offers 3.5mm connections for MIDI in (as an additional clock source independent from the external clock input). With the MIDI out connection you can use the AE system as the master clock in your studio as it sends standard MIDI clock/start/stop signals to other gear. Lastly the SWING/ACCLR knob allows for choosing a swing amount or accelerando/ritardando time when switching between tempo presets. Those two modules are shown at Superbooth as prototypes but are still not quite ready for production yet. We’ll let you know once they are available in the shop in a few weeks. We have come a long way since the last Superbooth in 2019. Not only are there now over 70 modules available in the online store, but a few indie developers have started creating their own module lines which are compatible with the formfactor which is much smaller than Eurorack and allows cheaper production costs. Our team has grown as well to tackle the steadily growing list of orders which are all still handled in the beautiful small Bavarian town of Murnau. Notable module creations, which can be inspected in person at Superbooth, are the CIRRUS, a clone of Mutable Instruments’ Clouds, WAVETABLES, a wavetable oscillator which is a collaboration project with Paula Maddox from Dove Audio, METER which provides an oscilloscope among other functions and a complete 18 voice drone oscillator. The main stars at this year’s Superbooth however are the Synth Explorer education system and the AE TBD, a brand new, programmable multi-function module for sound generation and -processing. The AE TBD (“to be determined”) is based on the ESP32 chip which is very powerful. The module is made to run the open source firmware CTAG-TBD developed by the Creative Technologies AG of Kiel University in Germany. Currently the firmware includes 50(!) plugins which include a huge variety of sound generators, filters and effects. The module can connect to a PC running Windows, Linux, or MacOSX via a USB cable and the many parameters for each plugin can then be adjusted in real time via a web interface and stored as favourites back to the module for standalone performance. The module has 2 CV and 2 trigger inputs which can be mapped to any parameter via the web interface. In addition the module has two knobs and two trigger buttons which can also be freely assigned to any parameter or function on a given plugin.  The firmware contains plugins which are based on open source code by Mutable Instruments: TBDings, TBDaids and Claude (Their web interface is inspired by their Eurorack counterparts Braids, Plaits and Clouds)
But there are also completely new and unique fully featured synthesizers all within this tiny package:
The firmware also includes a very sophisticated sample player (Rompler). Up to 60 seconds of audio samples can be uploaded to the module via the USB connection. A full list of all included plugins can be found here. A small, but very dedicated and friendly community of open source software developers is constantly expanding the available plugins and since it is based on C++ and a very well thought out framework, it is relatively easy for new developers to come up with new plugins. Initially the TBD platform was only available for Eurorack, developed and currently sold by another small start-up, Instruments of Things. Through a licensing agreement this amazingly versatile module is now also part of the AE Modular family of modules. There are only two main differences between the AE TBD and its Eurorack counterpart: The AE module is in mono and offeres only USB connectivity, not WIFI. Please see the dedicated page on the AE Modular community forum for news, demo videos and soundbites about the TBD for AEM: https://forum.aemodular.com/post/13652/thread Words from Robert As autumn is now clearly on its way into the land, we can all breathe a bit more clearly and enjoy the way nature paints all trees in the most beautiful colours. But instead of spending my free time in the mountains nearby, I’m preparing for the long train ride to Berlin. Finally, after much uncertainty the Superbooth is going to happen, live and in person, albeit with proper social distancing. I’m looking forward to meeting my friends and colleagues and of course I’m very much looking forward to meeting you, my dear customers, members of the AE Modular community. I hope you can make it and visit me at booth W450 on the Ground Floor. Each year for Superbooth I have prepared a special module to unveil and this year I’m so excited to be showing off a very special module which I’ve worked on in secret for many months. I hope you will like it. But this is all I’m going to reveal for now! Product Announcements Synth Explorer Educational System What I can reveal however, is the Synth Explorer educational system which is now available for purchase on our webshop. This project is very dear to my heart and I’m very lucky to have the support from two amazing music educators in the US, Jordan Rose from Synths4Kids in Oregon and Frae-Frae LaSci from Willie-Mae Rock Camp in New York City. They each are trialling the synth explorer in their workshops and offer ideas and advice on how to shape the curriculum which is still in development.  If you are a music teacher and are interested in acquiring the Synth Explorer at the educational discount for your school or university, please get in contact via the contact form on this page which also has a lot more information about the system and variations: Synth Explorer for Education Many people have asked about whether the Synth Explorer is also available for everyone and therefore we are now selling the “Ultimate” system which you can find in the web shop here: Synth Explorer Ultimate CIRRUS currently out of stock You may have seen that currently the CIRRUS is out of stock which is unusual for our web shop. The reason is the current global shortage of chips which unfortunately has driven the prices for the particular chip, which is used in the CIRRUS, to unforeseen heights. We are investigating alternatives to make the CIRRUS available at a manageable cost and will let you know when it becomes available again. This was discussed at length in the forum: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1620/chip-apocalypse-cirrus-price-opinion Third Party Products Flavorwave has announced another nifty accessory which fits perfectly for the AE Modular: a beautiful and colourful acrylic stand which you can order from directly from the Flavorwave Website: https://flavorwave-synth-accessories.myshopify.com/products/desktop-synth-stand  Wonkystuff Teasers
The new module called MOCO is a take on Doepfer’s A-144 Morphing Controller which allows the mixing and morphing of 4 independent VCAs or other waveforms. Keurslager Kurt promised new modules Zeno aka Keurslager Kurt has mentioned that he has 3(!) new modules in development! They are
AEtherwaves Vol. 3 SUBMISSIONS close on 20th of September! We are doing it again and ask everyone in the AE community to send in a track to this year’s album! Please check out this forum post for all the details: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1591/aetherwaves-submissions-close-20th-september Music made by the Community User @pt3r presents a new album on Bandcamp. The first track shows how well the Algodrone works in an atmospheric drone. Please check it out here: https://deofol.bandcamp.com/album/we-never-left A first track presented by user @chmeee5 and it’s a really nice one, too: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1621/stranger-slings-arrows Some real live footage of Papa Rôti having fun with glitchy sounds: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1596/road-aetherwaves-vol-papa-ti This is a labour of love by @101 .. AE Modular samples played and processed through Audiomulch, an Australian music software that is made for live performances: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1563/dubstep-mix-aem-audiomulch This is the first track featuring the new Cirrus module, provided by @keurslagerkurt and it’s ambient: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1618/first-track-cirrus-ambient-okay Well this however is NOT so ambient, says @dmoney2000 about this track: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1594/ok-ambient A really nice summer groove from @lorizon: https://forum.aemodular.com/post/13353/thread DIY Projects How to hook a Z-DSP card to the AE Multi FX module: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1630/tiptop-audio-dsp-card-multifx Other Forum Topics HELP needed for a special art project! User @Maximilius001 asks for voice recordings from people who talk about their experience of and during the pandemic. Please read all about it here: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1614/art-commission-help-needed All recordings should be sent in by the 1st of October. What are your overrated or underrated modules? This is a very fruitful discussion which may change your mind about some of the modules in your rack that you’ve neglected lately. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1634/overrated-underappreciated-modules We need more Schwingggg! Here are some ideas on how to make things swing a little and apparently there’s even a module in the works that might do it for you: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1624/schwing-swingggg Karplus Strong Synthesis with the GRAINS module! This thread started out with a discussion about how to achieve those plucky, clangy sounds using a delay in lieu of MI Rings and then @namke gave us the GRAINS codes for this! Check out the discussion here: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1608/karplus-strong-synthesis The GRAINS code for this can be downloaded here: https://github.com/wonkystuff/grains_karplusStrong Are you stressed from having too many modules and you don’t know which to use first? This may be a first world problem, but you are not alone. Join the group therapy session in this thread: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1622/module-stress-first-world-problem ;-) Huge Humble Book Bundle with books for electronic inventors and aspiring geniuses, grab it while you can, it expires on 18th September: https://www.humblebundle.com/books/charles-platt-make-community-books Upcoming Events SUPERBOOTH 2021 in Berlin, September 15th-18th Please visit us at Booth W450, we would love to meet you! More information and tickets at the Superbooth Website: https://www.superbooth.com Many of you may have seen this short video of my workplace which I posted to YouTube in May 2019. Although it is now over 2 years ago, very little has actually changed from what you can see there. The biggest change was of course that I no longer work alone, but have the incredible help from Antonia and Benedikt who take care of most of the production work these days and which allows me to spend more time on dreaming up and prototyping new modules. This dream is a shared dream. For me it is to be able to do for a living what I love doing: To create and build synths and to inspire people. For you, it is to be able to build affordable modular systems to create the incredible music that you do. However I also love to make music, it’s just that with the constant pressure of building systems and getting orders out the door this part of me got pushed back again and again. Until now! I have been fortunate to secure the lease of a beautiful little former chapel which is in the same building as our workspace, within a renovated old Hospital which has been turned into an innovation centre. You can see the chapel in the video where I got to use it for a short time only. Now I’m in the process of turning this amazing space into a room where I can make music, experiment and perform! This will allow me to play my own synth in a kind-of live situation; something I have increasingly missed over the last months. This will contribute to the module development for sure, and - it’s simply fun of course!  At the moment there’s still a lot of work to do in the chapel, but I will keep you posted on the progress. -- Robert Reminder: Price increase from 12th of July We’ve written about this before so this is only a reminder that all prices will go up by 5%-8% due to increases in our production cost. So if you want to save some money then you still have a few more days to send off your order at the current prices. New Products now in Store! All the below products were featured in our last blog post and are now available for purchase from our online store! TUBE-VU This is a very cool VU meter with real tubes as display element! It looks great and definitely will make everyone come over and talk to you if you bring this to a synth meet! You can buy this product from our online store. 6MUTE A very simple, but useful module for performing. There are 6 inputs, outputs and switch buttons that will mute the outputs (click-free!) when pressed. The buttons are very soft, high-quality and illuminated to show the status. Buy this now from our online store. CVADDER-HQ This is a precision CV adder which you can use to easily transpose pitch sequences thattrack 1 Volt per octave. This is a single adder with four inputs and adds easy octave transposition by one or two octaves or a free interval. It’s now available for purchase here. 2CVADD-HQ These are two precision adders that work like the single one above, but don’t feature the octave transposition. You can find this in our online store here. CIRRUS !! This is a clone of Clouds from Mutable Instruments, however with the Microcell alternative firmware installed which adds many more features to the original granular and reverb effects. This is our second MI clone in the AE Modular range and more will follow! You can order the CIRRUS module from our online store here. STOMP I/O With the STOMP-IO module, you can integrate guitar effect pedals and similar devices into your AE modular system! For output (send) and input (return) return there is a mono minijack socket; two minijack to 1/4" socket adapters are included as effect pedals usually work with the latter ones. Send and return levels can be controlled with separate knobs. You can order this module now from our online store. Flavorwave Cable Hangers  We featured this amazing cable storage device a few times here in the blog, but due to the very expensive shipping costs from the US, people in Europe and other regions were missing out. Therefore we got a big batch from Flavorwave and now it’s officially available in our store for our non-US customers. You can find the cable hangers here in our online store.  VIOLET Patchwires All lengths are now available in beautiful violet! You can buy these in the store here. Music made by the Community It must be the summer heat or gradual introduction of freedom from COVID restrictions, but whatever it is, there has not been a month in recent history where more music was produced on this forum! The output from this super talented community was phenomenal and incredibly varied! Please have a listen to this selection of sounds below! S101w techno by @maydonpoliris where he combined techniques from @101 and @slowscape. It’s really cool to hear the influences here: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1498/s101w-techno (Mr)(Bubble)T by @pt3r is showing off his DIY aeclidean sequencer module with nice bubbly sounds: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1500/bubble Arbor Low South by @martynaudio is such a nice mellow tune that invites a stroll through a summer garden … https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1497/arbor-low-south Contemplation (Drone) by @moruial is the first patch that uses the BioT module to great effect. As usual this comes with super nice visuals: https://forum.aemodular.com/post/12401 Tegmo 1: a zesty synth romp by UY Scuti (@dmoney2000) is a comeback with edgy sounds and creative visuals, check it out: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1504/back-yall-strange-synth-jam Quake of the Universe by @glitchyfrog is a triple treat of firsts. Some of these tracks were made on a train and we can imagine watching the landscape pass by to these relaxed tunes https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1496/quake-universe-experiments HiTek by @thehatghost is an audio visual experiment that is quite astonishing really. You have to see it to believe it: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1502/hitek Live techno featuring AE Modular by @keurslagerkurt is just pure fun with two guys having a party in the living room! https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1505/more-live-techno-featuring-modular Pourpre-orange by @gaetan is a laid back ambient techno(?) piece which invites to lounge and have a beer .. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1514/pourpre-orange-ambient-techno CV Jam by @101 is a thumping beat with shifting CVs and ghostly background drones, cool stuff! https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1520/cv-jam Droneday by @pt3r is his homage to drone day! https://forum.aemodular.com/post/12516 First Jam by Running in long grass (@docwho) is a great debut, full of interesting sounds in all directions and a beautiful AE sequence https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1523/first-jam-ae-modular Topography by @maximillius001 is a nice ‘West Coast’ inspired track https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1527/topography-west-coast-patching-jam Dark ambient by @namke lulls you into a safe space, but be careful, there may be occasional jumpscares! https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1525/dark-ambient-occasional-jump-scares Album Releases UY Scuti (@dmoney2000) has released an album on bandcamp with selected works, many of which feature the AE Modular in some way. It’s a great album and you should check it out! At only $3 (or more, if you can spare it) this is better than a cup of coffee! https://uyscuti1.bandcamp.com/album/selected-works-2020-21 DIY Projects Experimenting with Capacitive Touch Ever since the BioT from Wonkystuff and Hotair the topic of capacitive touch interests and excites people. This is another similar experiment. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1528/experiementing-capacitive-touch Self Made Patch Wires These have nice tips similar to the original ones from tangible waves https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1487/diy-cables-male-connector Slinky Reverb Is this the ultimate reverb? It definitely looks cool and inviting to all ages to play with it. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/865/slinky-reverb DIY Switches These switches look awesome mounted to a blank panel. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1494/diy-switches Other Forum Topics KISS or Go For it? Is a valid question to ask once your first case is full and you have another couple of modules in the wait list. Should you build another Gargantua with everything but the kitchen sink, limit yourself to just a small case with a selection of vital modules or have many smaller cases that you patch together? It’s a great discussion.. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1510/ Stereo Solutions. Here are some very cool tips and tricks what you can do with stereo signals and the new MIXCONSOLE https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1492/share-ae-stereo-solutions Upcoming Events Superbooth, 15th - 18th September 2021 This time it’s really on! And tangible waves will be there again with a stand. Please come and visit us if you can, we would love to see and chat with you! https://www.superbooth.com/en/ Introducing the SynthExplorer We love synthesis, the electronic music you can create with it and of course modular synthesizers, which are so flexible and can adapt so easily to any creative mood and form. So naturally we thought of how to encourage and excite young people and kids to kick start their creative journey into music with this amazing instrument. After talking to a few music teachers and some brainstorming we came up with a small collection of modules that would be ideal to teach children (and any beginners) the basics of synthesis and even other concepts from a modern STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) curriculum. This led to the concept of a basic SynthExplorer system with a series of possible upgrades to target those different concepts. This system will be sold at a generous discount to schools or similar organisations who teach music to kids or young adults. But the hardware is only one part of the concept, the other is the Handbook, the curriculum, which will help teachers understand the possibilities of this product and how to integrate it into their lesson plans. For this we got in contact with Jordan from SynthsForKids, who runs workshops for kids in the beautiful forests of Oregon. We are also in contact with a few other similar organisations from various parts of the world and we hope that in partnership with such a dedicated and diverse group we will create a music curriculum which is unique and approachable for teachers and students anywhere. And after months of brainstorming and waiting the very first model of the SynthExplorer was sent to Carsten (aka The5thVolt) to be presented in Australia at a local synth meetup near Sydney. Here you can watch the presentation in full: We hope to officially offer these systems and a first version of the basic curriculum by August ‘21 and are always happy for any messages of interest, questions or ideas. Please send those to explorer@tangiblewaves.com. IMPORTANT - Price increases from 12th of July For almost 4 years the prices in our shop have stayed stable and true to our motto: “Modular synth affordable for everyone!” However, the shortages and increasing cost of microchips and other electronic components are taking a toll on the bottom line and we have to adjust the prices of our products for this new market situation. Therefore we will increase all prices by 5%-8% from the 12th of July. That includes the Starter Systems, individual modules and all accessories. Some modules which use now rare microchips will see an even higher increase, eg. the Wavetables and other microprocessor-based modules. So if you like our old prices, you still have 4 weeks to put your order in at that cheaper rate. New Products No new products in the shop, but definitely some new products next month. We are looking forward to bringing the following new modules in July:
6MUTE A very simple, but useful module for performing. There are 6 inputs, outputs and switch buttons that will mute the outputs (click-free!) when pressed. The buttons are very soft, high-quality and illuminated to show the status. CVADD-HQ This is a precision CV adder which you can use to easily transpose pitch sequences which tracks 1 Volt per octave. This is a single adder which adds easy octave transposition by one or two octaves or a free interval.. 2CVADD-HQ These are two precision adders that work like the single one above, but don’t feature the octave transposition.
TUBE-VU This is a very cool VU meter with real tubes! It looks great and definitely will make everyone come over and talk to you if you bring this to a synth meet! CIRRUS @slowscape got it right and put the puzzle together, congratulations! This is probably the most anticipated module which will come out in a while. A clone of Clouds from Mutable Instruments, however with the Microcell alternative firmware installed which adds many more features to the original granular and reverb effects. Unfortunately this will also become the most expensive module in the entire AE Modular range which is due to the current price inflation and global supply shortage of microchips. You may have heard that due to COVID and other factors some chips are now very hard to get and the STM chip that is used in Cirrus is one of those. Fortunately we have secured a good batch of them before they went completely out of stock at our supplier’s. More MI Clones? Which MI clone would you like to see next? Leave a comment in the forum: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1491/new-blog-2021-synths-kids Pink Patch Wires Soon all lengths of patch wires will also be available in pink! Just to make a statement! Third Party Products BioT from Wonkystuff and Hotair Productions John and Matt have got together and produced a true work of art with this module that sold out on both their stores within 12 hours of release! Let’s hope they brew a new batch soon. This module adds touch plate connections and funky aliens to your rack, but you have to build it yourself, which, with only 24 solder connections, is really super simple! You can find more info at the Wonkystuff store: https://wonkystuff.net/product/biot-kit/ And on the Hot Air Bandcamp page: https://smallrocks.bandcamp.com/album/biot-touch-plate-demonstration-record Cable Hangers from Flavorwave Jason sent us a batch from the US so that they can be more easily shipped to our European customers and they will soon be available in the tangible waves shop. Music made by the Community As always, the community didn’t rest and gave their collective AE Modules a solid workout. Good to see a steady stream of good tracks from the regulars and also first pieces from new members. And this should really be an encouragement to all those that are coming new to AE Modular or synthesis or even completely new to music making: You’re learning new things, don’t be afraid, your “mistakes” are your style. Just keep patching and post your stuff! Dark Ambient First Album @jubin is relatively new to the forum and has posted this gritty, dark ambient to bandcamp. The AE modular plays a big role in it and so does a Korg Volca. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1474/peur-du-noir AEM + Bastl Kastle Drum - Acid Jam @101 shows us how it’s done. Apparently “It is like trying to herd cats when your jamming with it. You can get something good going - only to trash it with the slightest tweak.” Listen for yourself https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1446/aem-bastl-kastle-drum-acid New Album on Bandcamp - Murmurs By @pt3r who consistently amazes us with ambient soundscapes and beautiful albeit dark imagery. Check it out: https://deofol.bandcamp.com/album/murmurs Slow Moving Water @slowscape used found sound and found visuals to create this relaxing ambient track: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1480/ambient-session-slow-moving-water Found Sound Techno from Foxermod M.J. Hood has released a new EP on Soundcloud which uses a lot of found sound and the AE to glue it all together. Check it out: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1465/ae-sounds-new-track Ambient with new 5 step module @keurslagerkurt has done it again and not only created a new module prototype, but then made a compelling piece with it: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1460/ambient-patch-new-steps-module Night of the Yowie and Driving along the M1 @maydonpoliris posted these two awesome tracks that feature the AE Modular and a few Korg Volcas. It’s cool, funky and bit scary and you should check it out: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1455/todays-jam-track DIY Projects Show off your Rack Here are pictures from AE Modular systems that have their own very special make up! https://forum.aemodular.com/post/11898/thread @gaetan has beautifully hand drawn designs all over the blank panels in his rack.  @lutzjak has put his AE Modular into a nuclear glowing spy briefcase  Triangle Buddy
This is an inverting amplifier made with only the BRAEDBOARD and the components that come with it. A great first project, check it out: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1477/braedboard-project-triangle-buddy-inverting Upcoming Events World Drone Day - 29th May 2021 This is to celebrate not those pesky flying monsters, but those loooong ambient sounds that take you in and make you dream. Hundreds of musicians around the world are streaming or playing live on this day. You can find more at the official homepage: https://droneday.org/ There may be a few AE Modular members showing off their droning skills, check it out on the thread here: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1444/world-drone-day-29th-2021 Words from Robert“Almost” business as usual - what does this even mean? For most of you it means that you are still waiting patiently for your order to be shipped and while I am incredibly grateful for your patience, understanding and kind words, there isn’t a day when I don’t think of how to turn this situation around. For 3 years now we are trying to catch up with this incredible demand, not just for the stock on hand, but also for new and exciting modules. We have grown from just myself to a team of three truly dedicated staff and while that helps, it also means that if one of us gets sick, production goes down by 30%! We encountered this painfully the last weeks - but now we are complete again. It is a fact of and reality of any small business and while we’re trying to improve processes, it’s not that easy like “simply hire more staff”.... All this might sound as if I’m a bit weary, maybe worn out from the double demands of getting out orders every day while trying to innovate and design new modules at night…. But - NO! In fact the opposite is true: I’m feeling more energised and more alive than ever! This work has been a true blessing in my life, not just because I can finally support myself and my family with work that I truly love, but also because of you, the incredible community which gives me so much inspiration and support and makes everything we do here in the shop meaningful and worthwhile doing! Due to the workload in the production I don’t get to read all of the posts on the forum and don’t get to watch all of the amazing jams and music videos that are coming out almost every day now, so I’m always happy when Carsten creates these blog posts with an overview of what happened and what was discussed in the community each month. Also reading some of the older blog posts shows just how far we all have come and how this community has grown in leaps and bounds over only the last 3 years! Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of this amazing journey! New Products
4VCA A quad VCA, switchable DC/CV and Audio (same like 2VCA), and a mix output! So it is also a 4-channel CV controllable mixer! You can buy this module in the shop now! 2TONE A dual bass-treble tone control, that is a quite useful companion for the MIXCONSOLE. This module is now available in the shop! VMBRIDGE The VMBRIDGE module offers all necessary level adaptations for cross-patching between Volca Modular and AE modular. It offers two audio and two CV connections for each direction (from/to Volca Modular), plus two minijack connections for the CV and Sync in/out connections of the Volca Modular. You can find more info and purchase this module in the shop! SWITCHMATRIX 4x4 4 inputs, four outputs; you can make freely every connection between these, no matter if CV or audio signals. Each routing / connection setting can be stored in one of 64 preset memories. Selecting the presets is possible by up/down triggers, CV, and of course by two up/down buttons. A performance mode makes it possible to switch between 16 presets by simply pressing one of the matrix buttons - quite handy for live use! You can now buy this module in our shop! TeasersThe following modules have now been successfully prototyped and will soon go into production! 6MUTE This module will allow a click-free muting of up to 6 audio channels with illuminated pushbuttons. It is a nice addition for the MIXCONSOLE and is perfect for live performances. CIRRUS Think of those white fluffy water vapours in the sky and then think of the famous Eurorack module with a very similar name … This module is (for me) one of the most exciting additions to the AE palette!  Cable Holders by FlavorwaveThis cable management attachment fits perfectly on all AE Modular racks and has already attracted much interest from the community. Check it out on Flavorwave's Online Shop. There’s also a discussion thread on the forum: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1407/help-cable-management-kit-question  Music made by the CommunityMore and more fabulous tracks are being released into the AE Modular community. Each is a testament to the incredible creativity of these artists and how they use the modular synthesizer to express their visions of sound. Again the following list is only an excerpt of all the wonderful new tracks that have been posted. Please visit the forum for more! https://forum.aemodular.com/board/5/ae-music-performances Live Jam with Movie Comments by @lukylutte - It’s always so interesting to see how people use the AE Modular in live environments. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1430/kinda-house Techno Jam with the new 555 Breadboard Oscillator - Keuerslager Kurt just can’t stop. After his recent success with his first new modules he’s already working on the next one and showing it off here with great aplomb! https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1428/melodic-acid-techno-modular-555 Psychedelic Video by @101 - There are a few really interesting music videos now posted on the forum with very artistic graphics. This one also features a nice psychedelic guitar: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1426/new-psychedelic-video Aphex Twin inspired Jam and showing off yet another Breadboard Design - We just can’t keep Keuerslager Kurt quiet! Does he ever sleep? This jam shows off his arpeggiator prototype on a breadboard: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1404/inspired-aphex-ae-jam And this is another jam with that same arpeggiator. This is more ambient: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1398/generative-ambient-droning-jam-aerpeggiator First Jam and it rocks! - New to AE and new to the forum, but this track makes us want to see and hear more of user @maydonpoliris: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1423/sampling-ae-externally First Ambient Track with Drone38 and DronX - Ambient master Moruial puts the new drone modules to work in this slow and meditative track: https://forum.aemodular.com/post/11721/thread Ambience and Swirling Video - user @dmoney2000 (UY Scuti) achieves a very captivating symbiosis between his ambient soundscapes and the swirling video structures: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1400/ambient-techno-ft-ae-structure Ambient Solina - @lorizon doesn’t post very often, but when he does the tracks are just absolutely excellent. This dreamy piece is another one of these marvels: https://forum.aemodular.com/post/11636/thread Video Synthesis and AE Modular - This is a faster track by Uy Scuti featuring video synthesis and a techno track made with the AE and other synths https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1422/more-video-synthesis-structure-modular A Volley of Ambient and Droney Pieces - are coming from user @pt3r who creates these amazing sound and video scapes with only a Starter Rack 2 and some FX. And lately he has even released an album on Bandcamp which might or not be your “Cup of tAE” https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1374/game-drones https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1424/rack-gently-bleeps https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1416/cup-tae https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1405/different New AE Modular PodcastThis is an initiative of The Tuesday Night Machines, Slowscape and The 5th Volt with the goal to meet once every month over Zoom and just talk about various topics concerning the AE Modular community. We are thinking of inviting guests in the future, so if you would like to be part of one of the next episodes, please contact @admin via the forum! All episodes will be listed in the forum thread below. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1332/ae-modular-synth-podcast DIY ProjectsAs usual, the DIY projects have bloomed in April. No wonder since it’s Spring in the northern hemisphere where most of AE’s fans live! The following is an excerpt of what our genius inventors have posted to the forum. However please check out the DIY board yourself and also go on to our Discord server where you can participate in real-time chat and discuss your next DIY project. https://forum.aemodular.com/board/8/diy-building Free 3D printed AE Modular stand Posted by user @lillyschwartz this looks like a great way to prop up a one case system. Thanks to Lilly for also posting the model files on Thingiverse so that anyone with a 3D Printer can make this stand! https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1427/3d-printed-stand-row-case  Double Rack Stand This is another 3D printed rack mount and holds together the cutest little AE setup that we’ve ever seen. Check it out in all its cuteness: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1372/modular-rack-korg-volca-stand
“Legendary” 555 VCO by Thomas Henry In his typical Lab Notebook fashion, Zeno aka Keuerslager Kurt has presented his experiments with turning the good old 555 timer chip into a wonderfully tracking VCO. The design has been out for a number of years and was only waiting for someone dedicated enough to port it to the AE. However for now it only lives on Zeno’s breadboard even though it already makes amazingly good sounds. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1411/adapting-legendary-th-555-vco  An AErpeggiator And because Zeno can’t stop inventing new things he’s also presented us with a breadboard prototype of a new arpeggiator module that allows for CV controlled transposition of the root note. Check out his detailed report: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1385/cobbling-arpeggiator-ae  Chaos aka Sloth This module is yet another project by Zeno and is a clone of the Sloth Eurorack module made by Nonlinear Circuits. It is a source of slow moving chaotic CV and great for drones and ambient things. Check out the progress here: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1376/chaos-module-adapted-single-nonlinearcircuits Powering your AE directly via Micro USB 5V Felix aka TheTuesdayNightmachines wanted a super compact Drone Rack and found a way to get the modules powered without losing 1U to a Power module! This is a great hack for those small, battery powered rigs. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1389/ae-modular-microusb-power-adapter  Other Forum Topics The AE Modular forum is a safe space for musicians and allround creative souls and in the Lounge we can discuss many other topics that aren’t directly related to hardware, software or even music making. It allows us to come together as people and as creatives and share our thoughts, philosophies and dreams. I think that it’s this opening up and sharing more personally our thoughts on our journey as artists that makes this community so incredibly fun and rewarding.
How the modular synth has kindled my creativity! User @johnpg “broke cover” and wrote a long and very important piece on the forum about his new creative process and he states that “Your mistakes and errors are not mistakes and errors - they are your STYLE.” I think this is such an important message especially for beginners as it will help to overcome the “fear of not being good enough” that might hold some people back from ever discovering and fulfilling their creative potential. https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1336/modular-synth-kindled-creativity Tell Me About Jazz This has become one of the most frequented threads in April and has definitely struck a chord in many of our members. What is Jazz? How do you make Jazz? How (if at all) can we make Jazz with our modular synths? Even if you never thought about or particularly liked Jazz, reading the posts in this thread will give more insight and most likely an appreciation of the influences that Jazz had and still has on all music and why not also on our electronic music? https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1341/tell-me-jazz-play Sisters with Transistors If you haven’t yet seen this new documentary about some of the pioneering women who have contributed hugely to the development of synthesizers and electronic music, then you should definitely give this a go. Here is a good writeup to whet your appetite before you buy the incredibly cheap ticket to see this movie! https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/apr/23/sisters-with-transistors-film-electronic-musics-forgotten-pioneers-clara-rockmore This blog is going to be a bit different, mainly because Robert has been super busy with orders and hasn’t had much time to work on new modules. Most people who are anxiously waiting for a package from Germany may appreciate this! However we are going to introduce a new independent AE module creator and his two new modules.  Zeno is a relative newcomer to the AE Modular community, but boy did he make an entrance! Already his first few videos were thumping and were immediately followed by a series of live streams of techno done with his new AE Modular system. From the start he was engaged in the DIY channel of the Discord server and board on the forum and it wasn’t long before he introduced his first module idea - Kurt’s Dead Band Filter. You can see his first announcement here: https://forum.aemodular.com/thread/1210/modular-waveshaper-design-demo-kurts He has taken a big step and really turned this prototype into a product which is now for sale as a DIY kit. That’s why we would like to know more about Zeno, how he got into making electronic music and where he gets his ideas for building modules. First things first, what are those new modules?
Kurt's Dead Band is an audio/CV manipulation tool for AE Modular, homemade with tons of love by Keurslager Kurt. In the kit you will find everything you need to make your own 1U Dead Band module, you only need a soldering iron and some solder. The build is very beginner friendly, with only through-hole components. Kurt’s Quad Boost is an amplifier module for the AE Modular format. It is tailored specifically for AE Modular, but it will work for every signal from 0-5V, and it runs on 5V. It consists of four transistor amplifier circuits, inspired by the old-school ‘LPB-1’ guitar pedal. Each amplifier circuit has its own dedicated ‘Boost’ knob that controls the input volume. The amplification has a distinct ‘transistor sound’. Due to the non-linear nature of this simple component, it is by no means a clean boost at all. Depending on the input volume, you will get everything in between crispy high end accents and deep low-end fatness. You can see the Quad Boost in action here: Where can people buy your modules and how much do they cost? I will start off by offering my modules as a complete kit. So you get the PCB, front panel and all components, but you need to solder and mount it together yourself. It is honestly really easy, and could be a great beginner build for everyone who wants to try out soldering! You can get a soldering iron for as low as €10 these days and that will do for a small build like this. I would like to offer full modules in the future, but the reality for the moment is that I have no decent workbench to do long soldering sessions, nor do I have the spare time for it besides my day job. It also makes shipping considerably harder, as I can send the kit just as a ‘flat’ envelope package, but a full module would have very different shipping needs. So we’ll see what the future brings, I’ll be on the lookout for ways to make the full module possible, and of course the success of the kit will also determine the future. A website is in the works, but for now you can buy my Dead Band kit for €37.95 (or $45 USD, without shipping costs) via Tindie on this page: https://www.tindie.com/products/keurslagerkurt/kurts-dead-band/ The Quad Boost is also available now (quicker than expected)! It’s a slightly more dense build, there are more components on a smaller space, but nothing is really fragile and all components are through-hole. This full kit costs €33.86 (or $40 USD, no shipping included). https://www.tindie.com/products/keurslagerkurt/kurts-quad-boost/
Please tell us a bit about your musical journey. How did you start making electronic music and who are your influences? My first exposure to electronic music must have been the LP’s of Kraftwerk from my dad. However, this felt like ‘old’ music already when I was a teenager. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed listening to these records, but the first time electronic music blew me away must have been Mount Kimbie’s debut album ‘Crooks & Lovers’. I think I was about 16 years old and it sounded like nothing else at that moment, and yet, it felt very catchy and accessible. Listening back to it now, I can hear tons of interesting soundscaping, loads of hiss, bitcrushed drums, etc, but back then it was the melodies and funky rhythms that I heard. I think making and experimenting with music yourself makes you hear other music very different. Then came tons of albums that sucked me into electronic music. There was James Blake’s first EPs and album, I remember Boards Of Canada releasing a new album which made me discover their fantastic debut. I dove into Aphex Twin and Autechre, and also enjoyed more recent stuff from people like Flying Lotus or Fourtet. One of my favorite albums was also Moderat’s ‘II’, which gave some nice introductions to techno and club music. And probably my all time favorite electronic artist is Oneohtrix Point Never, he really blurs all lines between experimental, cheesy pop and noise with his incredible catalogue of the last decade. But the biggest influence that made me want to make techno music was definitely Recondite. He really makes music that makes me dance and touches my soul, but in a very German Techno way. It’s very minimal, almost cold music, and yet it’s crafted so well that it makes me feel something. So my first experience going to a Techno club was seeing Recondite live in a warehouse in my hometown of Ghent, and that is definitely what got me into the clubbing and techno scene. Seeing these people perform, often with live rigs consisting of tons of Elektron gear, desktop synths and often a modular rig, made me dream about my own system. Like a lot of people here, seeing the steep prices of Eurorack gear made me reconsider my dreams. When Covid hit, I was pretty much locked at home without work (I give practical courses about electrical motors at Uni). I was lucky enough to keep my paycheck, so I had more money than usual (as I couldn’t go out), and way more time. So this is the point where I really got into hardware synths, starting with a TD-3 and an Elektron Model:Samples. After some months I also started recording live videos of my jams, which got watched by random people online (much to my suprise!!). I’ve played in quite some bands, and it always seemed so hard to even reach 100 different listeners that are not our own friends & family. So this was really a new experience for me that gave me tons of energy to explore hardware synths further. This is also when I started to use the ‘Keurslager Kurt’ alias. I was in search of a good artist name, and it's a bit of a recurring trend with European Techno artists to make music under their own name (Charlotte Dewitte, Adam Beyer, Amelie Lens, Stephan Bodzin, Robert Langer,..). But in my opinion ‘Zeno Van Moerkerke’ was not really a great stage name. So I ended up using ‘Keurslager Kurt’, which is actually the name of the local butcher in the small rural village where I grew up (Keurslager meaning ‘quality butcher’ in Dutch). It sounds a bit brutal, which is perfect for making techno music, but it’s also a bit stupid, to indicate that I don’t take myself too serious. So when you see recurring hints to meat, butchers, etc, in my music and artwork, now you know why! Oh, and to be clear, I’m not with the meat lobby, it’s not meant to be serious at all ;-) So after diving into hardware synthesizers,I got to know AE Modular through a video of BoBeats in the second half of 2020. Seeing those prices and hearing the fantastic music of people on here (I remember the cactus video of Slowscape in particular, but of course also the videos of Tuesday Night Machines, The 5th Volt & Technobear) made me take the dive into modular! You have used other electronic instruments in the past and we can see a Digitakt in one of your videos. Why did you choose to add the AE Modular to your arsenal and how does it fit into your music? Modular seemed very inspiring to me as it can do things that really no other hardware instrument can do. I’m very interested in synthesis and the crossing of science and music, and AE Modular seemed perfect for that. Besides all that, AE Modular is also compact, which is important as I have very little space to work with. I think Digitakt and AE Modular make a fantastic pairing. I often use Digitakt as the central piece of my setup (much like a lot of AE users use a Deluge), it sends clock & MIDI signals while it also provides a fantastic sequencer with tons of musical options. However, AE Modular offers an endless amount of possibilities that the Digitakt does not have, as it is a sample based machine. Modular also gives a great way to introduce random factors, small changes and such that make the music come to life! However, even with high expectations, I was still very impressed, surprised even, by how extremely good AE Modular sounds. I did not find a lot of people dipping in techno and more ‘harsh’ sounds on youtube, so it was a bit of a guess whether it would be something that fits AE Modular. But the brute force and power that you can create with the system really blew me away. I have spent so much time with the machine the last half year, I even sold quite some of my older gear because I don’t use it anymore since I have my AE, haha. What do you like about the system and where would you like to see improvements? Like most of us, I was sucked in by the affordable prices, but what impressed me most was the fantastic sound quality. I also love the patch cables, it keeps the system so portable and makes it really easy to interface with experiments on a breadboard. I think the analog modules side of AE Modular really bring tons of great options already, and I think the most ‘groundbreaking’ new options might be in the digital side of things. Which is ironic, because I only make analog stuff, haha! So what I miss most is some type of complex, digital sequencer that would really make the system a standalone powerhouse for more percussive stuff too. However, I still have made quite some live techno on AE Modular alone, and the TOPOGRAF has been a godsend for that. What would also solve that ‘problem’ for me, would be the possibilities to have multiple MIDI channels to CV in. My Digitakt can send and sequence up to 8 MIDI tracks, so multiple MIDI in channels on the AE would make some seriously complex songs possible! But I feel like this community is growing fast, and so many people are loving the system, that it is only a matter of time for more and more third parties to arrive! Together with Robert himself churning out so many modules, I feel like the future is gonna be great for AE (and the present is already so great!!). How did you get started with electronics and how did you get the idea for the new modules? I only got into electronics about one and a half years ago, when I started at my new job at the University. The previous lab teacher who retired, was an electronics geek building his own amplifiers and stuff. In the past, when people at the university were going to throw old stuff away, he always kept it in different cases ‘hidden’ in the lab. So when I was going through all the stuff, I found tons and tons of old PCB’s with loads of different stuff. I was triggered to go online and search what all these different chips did. I found some chips that came out of an old function generator, and found out that synth diy legend Thomas Henry used these exact chips to build a synth in the past. It led me into a rabbit hole of diy builders and youtubers like Look Mum No Computer, Simon The Magpie, and many more. I started building guitar pedals, as I did not have a lot of synth knowledge back then, I mainly played guitar. However, testing guitar pedals is really a drag. You have to mess with a huge contraption of jack sockets going to your breadboard, connecting a ton of grounds with alligator clips and at the same time you have to hold and play your guitar! No fun, and very frustrating at times. So when I got my AE Modular, it was when I really took a deep plunge in audio electronics, as it is so easy to connect a breadboard and experiment! I must add that I’m also quite an electronics nerd by now, I read ‘The Art of Electronics’ before I go to sleep in bed these days, haha. So the idea for new modules did not come out of a direct need, but rather out of learning new circuits and trying them out to see if I can make something musical with it. My first module, Kurt’s Dead Band, was based on a super interesting video I found by Prof. Aaron Lantermann. It seemed like a fun, super basic circuit that I could easily try out on the breadboard, and it worked! So I took that idea to the AE Modular forum, and both Robert and @namke (from Wonkystuff) provided me very useful input on converting this basic building block to a useful module. So I managed to add CV, together with the option for both audio & DC in, and I even discovered an ‘easter egg’ in the circuit by accident that made it possible to both create a horizontal and vertical dead band. The Quad Boost also came into existence while I was learning more about transistors. I still have a hard time completely grasping transistors, as they feel like very complex and non-ideal building blocks with a lot of unexpected properties. So while I was learning about circuits to use a transistor as a simple amplification device, I wanted to try and design one to test my new knowledge. So after a lot of calculations and mistakes on paper, I figured out a working, simple circuit on 5V. It’s actually so simple that I managed to fit four identical circuits on one PCB with all through-hole (so easy-diy) components. I really love the sound of it, it's not a clean amplification by any means, but I think other people will enjoy the transistor boost sound too! There is actually a fun twist with the Quad Boost: you can change just one specific resistor value in the circuit which really alters the sound in a cool way, giving it some dirtier clipping/overdrive sound. For example, for my own version I have two of the four transistor boost circuits with the ‘standard’ value, and the two others with the ‘dirty’ version. For the module I will include some extra resistors, so people at home can make their own personal version of the circuit! I will also include four different transistors for the circuit, but these only alter the sound in some very subtle (or imaginary?) way, but it's fun to introduce some randomness. Do you have more ideas? What do you think you will produce next? I have been messing with a recording/playback chip, ISD1820. It's a low cost and very glitchy chip, which is a lot of fun, but also very unstable. If I figure out a way to make it work reliably, I think it could be a fun circuit to convert to a module. One thing that I would also love to make is a completely analog drum kit module that is suitable for more techno-oriented setups: kick, snare and hihat. A clap would also be nice, but seems rather hard to do. So this one needs a ton more research and is something for the longer future. Probably I will do some random other circuits in between, depending on what crosses my path! Of course I’m always interested in what other people would like, and I will also make all my schematics public on the forum, as that is how I learned about electronics in the first place! So I would like to spread the knowledge and help other interested people or builders. Anyone who has questions, tips, or thoughts, I’m very happy to chat and talk about this kind of stuff. More Info, Social Media, etc
Don't forget to visit his Tindie Shop and buy those two modules! https://www.tindie.com/products/keurslagerkurt/kurts-dead-band/ https://www.tindie.com/products/keurslagerkurt/kurts-quad-boost/ |
AuthorRobert Langer, founder of tangible waves. Here, I will share some thoughts, background infos and news about AE modular and tangible waves. Archives
October 2022
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