PLUGINS MODULAR SESSION
Untangle those virtual cables, get patchin’ and pursue the creative spark with our course
Our masterclass gets you patching with our free plugin collection
It’s a temporal paradox that would leave James Cameron scratching his noggin: after fifty years, modular synthesisers are again the hip ‘new’ thing, with more manufacturers than ever before trundling out modules and systems in a variety of formats, from Moog-style behemoths to diminutive Eurorack systems.
In the 1960s, Moog and Buchla had the field virtually to themselves. Robert Moog’s history as the guiding force that popularised electronic music is indisputable, while Donald Buchla’s pioneering instruments provided many a soundtrack to the stoned and less-thanimmaculate hippies throughout the Summer of Love and beyond.
A few other manufacturers eventually joined the fray, including ARP, Emu, Serge, PPG and Polyfusion; while on the home front, Peter Zinovieff, David Cockerell, and Tristram Cary blasted off into space with the semimodular EMS VCS3 and Synthi A/KS.
All of these instruments had in common a flexibility not offered by hardwired synth like Moog’s Minimoog. The signal paths of modular synths were not decided at the factory but by the user, generally using patch cables, but the method varied from manufacturer to manufacturer.
As you’d imagine, computers provide a tidier, more controllable field for modular synthesis, without compromising flexibility. Ever-expanding DSP power means that would-be modular users can do things their wood-and-metal contemporaries can only dream of. And thanks to Computer Music, it doesn’t cost a thing.
Indeed, a number of excellent semimodular instruments can be found among the multitudinous plugins bundled with each and every issue of . From classic recreations like the Buchla-inspired Aalto and XILS-lab’s spot on recreation of the EMS VCS 3, to more thoroughly modern takes such as u-he’s Bazille CM and the new Freestyle CM, we’ve got everything you need to start patching right away.
Modular synthesis is exciting and often inspiring, but it’s also complex and potentially confusing. Rest assured, we’re here to help. Over the next few pages, we’ll guide you through some of the most common patches favoured by modular synthesists. You’ll learn the patching tricks needed to produce your own classic sounds. So what are you waiting for? Grab your virtual patch leads and fire up those oscillators!