In this video, Electronic Music Artist, Mylar Melodies, explains Eurorack "Multiples" and "Switched Multiples", how they work and provides some examples of how they can be used.

Here's the link:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIAC1Cew9r8

In this video, the Inventor of this WOW-inducing device explains what "Flash" is and how it works.

Here's the link:
www.gearnews.com/flash-the-synth-built-into-a-midi-plug/

I recently watched 2 videos which provided some good information on Eurorack Synthesizers. Both were over 3-hours long. These are just 2 of a 4-Part series.

The Presenter is "DivKid", a VERY knowledgeable person in the Eurorack community. One of the other people in these Episodes is Kim Bjorn. He's the Author / Producer of 3 books:

• Push, Turn, Move
• Patch and Tweak
• Pedal Crush

​The 3rd person in these videos is Chris Meyer, who also has a LOT of highly useful information on Eurorack Systems. In fact, he co-wrote "Patch and Tweak" with Kim and Chris also has his own YouTube Channel, called: "Learning Modular".

These 4 Episodes are, basically, of Chris installing Modules into his newly-modified SEVEN ROW Eurorack case!!! That's right… Seven, horizontal rows in a monster case!

As he's installing them, he explains how he installed the massive power supply as well as why he chose certain Modules over others. All 3 share their Eurorack knowledge as his case is slowly filled-in. So, the information provided is not "step-by-step" but, as you pay attention to what they're talking about, you'll find some interesting nuggets.

Here's the Link to Episode 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwR3lDa_8QE

Here's the Link to Episode 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd_JvL8YSlU

There were only 2 Episodes available when I wrote this but here's the Link to where you can find the others:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DivKidVideo/videos

Here's the Link to Chris Meyer's "Learning Modular" YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJXCV7wux1v9J8Auuf2z7g/videos

It looks as though Synthesizer pioneer, Alan R. Pearlman, "crossed-over" on January 5th 2019.

Although more people, especially non-Musicians, will have heard of "Moog" Synthesizers, Mr. Pearlman founded the "ARP Instruments, Inc." in 1969 and contributed quite a bit to the Music industry. This is what his daughter Posted, regarding his crossing:

Here's the link to the Synthtopia website, where I first learned of his crossing:
​www.synthtopia.com/content/2019/01/06/arp-founder-alan-r-pearlman-has-died/

​Here's a link to a short, video interview with Mr. Pearlman, from 2006:
www.namm.org/library/oral-history/alan-r-pearlman?fbclid=IwAR0hsbPR2buZVzHu04T5c6evuHjCnDHFxrvQTUZ2qsJNcIH5W6Q7CEFKEF8

Electronic Synthesizers helped shape Music, in every genre, since they were first invented. According to this Wikipedia article, that would be 1876:
​en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesizer#Early_electric_instruments

Most Synthesizers have a very unique or slightly different sound. The "Moog sound" is probably the most recognizable — especially for those of us who first began listening to Music in the '60s and '70s. During those early years, the biggest companies, still known today are:

• Moog,
• ARP,
• Oberheim and
• Sequential Circuits (Later named "Dave Smith Instruments" or simply "DSI")

Of all the Synthesizers, up to about the 1980s, the original "minimoog Model D" was the most popular. Although I'm a "Drummer", while I was still in High School, I bought a very basic "Korg" Synthesizer. (I don't remember its name.) Hearing more and more about this "minimoog" thing, in the early '70s, I saved-up and bought one from a local Music Store ($1,495). The sounds were rich and the various combinations of sonic textures were easy to pull out of it. It was an amazing experience.

Then I heard about something called an "ARP 2600". After seeing some images and reading several articles on it, I knew I had to buy one. This thing was a monster! It had features none of the Moog Synthesizers, at that time, offered (especially on their "non-Modular" Synthesizers, like the minimoog)​:

• Ring Modulation,
• Sample & Hold,
• Spring Reverb,
• 3 "complete" (audio / LFO) Oscillators,
• a "Lag" circuit,
• an "Electronic Switch",
• a "Multiple",
• Patch Points,
• an "Envelope Follower",
• and more!

Many, many Musicians have used ARP Synthesizers in their Music… and, even though the ARP company hasn't existed for decades, many Musicians continue to use those Synthesizers in their Music. Here's a link to the song "Frankenstein" by Edgar Winter. You can see him play the ARP 2600 in this video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1mV_5-bRPo

Here's a page where you can see the different variations of the ARP 2600 over the years:
​www.vintagesynth.com/arp/arp.php

Although ARP released several different Synthesizers over the years, my ARP 2600 could not only imitate most of their sounds but also added a bit more… that is, until I heard about the "ARP 2500"!

In its day, I really wanted an ARP 2500 but Sylvia and I could never afford one. It was a big powerhouse of its time.

Here's the link to an "ARP 2500" web page, which explains some of its capabilities:
www.vintagesynth.com/arp/2500.php

​Jimmy Page, of Progressive Rock band "Led Zeppelin", has (or had) an ARP 2500. Pete Townshend, of the Rock Band "The Who", also used an ARP 2500. You can hear that instrument's "Sequencer" Module on their song: "Baba O'Riley". It's right at the beginning. Here's a link where you can hear that song:
​www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2KRpRMSu4g

Here's the Wikipedia page for "ARP Instruments, Inc.":
​en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARP_Instruments
​
​Probably the most popular "ARP" Synthesizer was the "Odyssey".
​
My notes here don't do enough to explain the impact Mr. Pearlman and his instruments have had on me, Sylvia and this entire world. Thank you Mr. Pearlman!

Music Columnist and Synthesizer explorer, Robin Vincent, has created a video titled: "25 - Top tips for performing live with Eurorack".

A day or 2 before, he had performed with part of his Eurorack Synthesizer in a local restaurant in England, where he's from. During that performance, he realized several things which he hadn't planned for. So he created this video, in order to pass this valuable information on to others.

Here's the link:
​www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7LFURMEs8Q

In June, Sylvia and I traded-in our "Roland System-1m" ($600) for the "Behringer Neutron" ($300). It finally arrived last week.

• The System-1m is a nice-sounding Synth. It also has several Patch Points. However, most of the time when I wanted to create a certain sound or Patch our Eurorack Modular into it, the System-1m just didn't offer the flexibility we needed.
• The Neutron, on the other hand, has 56 Patch Points, which allow for many combinations of Control Voltage signal flow and audio modification.

The digital Oscillators in the System-1m made them very stable and tracked across the keyboard very well. We were pleasantly surprised to find the Neutron's analog Oscillators are also very stable.

There's a very good Review of the Neutron over at SonicState. Here's the link:
sonicstate.com/news/2018/04/05/sonic-lab-behringer-neutron-analog-desktop-semi-modular-review/

Because I learned Synthesizers the "old school" way, with "Patch Charts", I wanted to be sure there was one available. The User's Manual does have a handy Patch Chart on page 27 but I fine-tuned it just a bit for our purposes. I have included it below for anyone to Download.

• A "Patch Chart" is used with Synthesizers which don't offer a "Save" or "Store" for your sound creations. I realize that some Artists simply want the "journey" to be the "sound". That's fine but there may still be times when you'll want to start with a certain "sound foundation" and, without being able to Save a Patch electronically, a "Patch Chart" will come in very handy.

If you've never used a Patch Chart, there are no real "rules" of how to draw-out and explain a Patch. So, for what it's worth, these are a few things I've learned over the years on how to write-out a Patch so you'll understand it years from now:

• When drawing lines where your Patch Cables are to be connected, be sure to use a contrasting ink color. Since the Blank Patch Chart I made has "black" lines, I always use a "red" pen to draw the Cable lines.
• Explain as much as you can and be clear as to "what goes where". Remember, someone else may need to "interpret" your notes or YOU may be wanting to recreate that Patch in the future. You might know exactly how all the knobs, buttons and cables are set but after working with hundreds of Patches and several other Synths, you're going to want a simple layout and instructions on every Patch Chart.
• Be consistent.  Although you may only be dealing with 1 or 2 Patch Cables in the beginning, your Neutron may later become part of a larger system, maybe a Eurorack Modular. So, even though it's easy to draw a straight line from the "LFO Out" to the "OSC1 In", once you start dealing with 10, 20, 50 or more Patch Cables, you'll end-up with random lines on your Patch Chart if you don't think-through "where" those lines are going to be drawn.
• One way to indicate that 2 Patch Cables cross each other, is to draw a rounded "wow". See my examples below:

Music has been a part of the Earth / 3D experience for a VERY long time. It could be said that "Nature" itself was the first "Orchestra"… the first playing of "sounds", which, in turn, activated various Moods, Memories and Actions within the various Beings scattered around this amazing blue ball. Water droplets creating multi-textured Rhythms… The sonic variety of the Wind moving through the Leaves, Caves and other timbre-inspiring objects… all contribute to the character we've all come to know as Nature's songs.
​
When "Humans" began creating Music, they mostly picked-up "Acoustic" or "Synthetic" instruments. Think about it… A non-electric guitar is an "Acoustic" instrument. An electronic Synthesizer is a "Synthetic" instrument. Wind moving through the Leaves of a Tree and Water bubbling in a Brook are "Organic" instruments.

As Music evolved, Humans continued to experiment with various Styles of Music and, for "me", these boil-down to the following groupings (generally speaking):

• Music that's fun to Sing or Whistle to — "Melodic Music"
• Music which makes your body want to move — "Dance Music"
• Music which is fun to Perform — "Participation Music"
• Music which engages your Logical mind — Baroque, Classical and some Contemporary Music
• Music which was created simply by the idea of "look what "I" can do" — "Clever Music"
• Music which is relaxing, soothing. Music which fills the ambient space around us with the comforting feeling of getting into that calm, restful feeling. — "Ambient Music"

As music-gear-technology evolved, Human Society has been gifted with some very powerful, very flexible Music-creation tools. These days, the simple Piano, Flute, Xylophone, Tuba, etc. can produce any type of sound. In fact, electronic Synthesizers can be Patched (setup) so they not only create "Music" without any Human interaction but that "Music" can also evolve (change) over Time AND it can have all the subtleties as though a "Human" were really "playing" it. However, this "ease of Music-creation at our fingertips", means ANYONE can create interesting Music. Today, even the family dog can create a musical masterpiece.

…and this is where our world is today… over-saturated with "Music".  Some "good". Some "not so good". Some of it is "bad", but it makes it to the popular Listening Posts (radio, social media, etc.) Some of it is "absolutely great" but no one ever hears it.

In the "old days", there were "Talent Scouts" — people who would travel the country looking for talented people — Singers, Actors, Musicians, etc. If someone was exceptional, that company would bring them in for an Audition. If they "had what it takes", they were "usually" Signed to a Movie or Record company. If they "mostly" had what it takes, they may still be Signed but would be given some additional training, where they were lacking.

Today, however, the Music Industry is being crushed by the shear number of  "new Songs" they receive every day. According to the information at the link at the bottom of this article, Music-site "Spotify" adds over 20,000 Songs to its Site each day!!! Not "20". Not" 200"… but TWENTY THOUSAND Songs!!! For a Musician or Song-Writer, this is very depressing. As you can see, even the major Record Producers have a difficult time getting their Artist's Songs heard by the masses.

So how does the "little guy" compete? How does ANYONE get their Music into the right places, so it will be "heard" and then, maybe, "purchased"? Although I don't have an answer for this, it's always a good idea to "follow your Heart" because, if you're in the Music business for the "money", you may want to find another career. As you can see, even if you're the next "Elvis" or "Adele", today's society is currently overwhelmed with Music.

FIND YOUR OWN VOICE
Being a Drummer and Synthesist, I do my best to look into new Music-Gear announcements, instrument techniques, etc. I've seen a lot of articles and videos on "how to create "that sound" in your favorite Song" or "how to play like your favorite Artist", etc. At the same time, society tells us that the Musicians and Songs, which "get noticed" or even "go viral" are the ones that "find their own style". So which is it?… Are we expected to sound like everyone else who came before us or are we supposed to follow our own Path?

When I was growing up, hearing those (now) old Rock Classics, I never thought:

• "When I grow-up, I want to sound just like that."

No. Instead, I thought:

• "I'm going to have a Number One Song some day." or
• "I'm going to play in a successful Band some day." or
• "I'm going to be a Musician who's so different, and creates such interesting Songs, that everyone will want to buy my Music."

…but I never imagined that "copying" another Musician or their Songs would be my "goal"… my "pinnacle". I always wanted to create my owns Songs… to tell the world "my" message. To make a statement.

MAKE YOUR POINT AND MOVE ON
So, if you ever get the opportunity of creating a piece of Music, please GIVE IT A VOICE… make it say something. Time and again, when Sylvia and I are in Public Areas we hear Music which is "sonically" (melodically and harmonically) un-interesting AND the Lyrics will usually repeat… for EVER. In our opinion, if your Guitar Lick or Piano improvisation repeats more than 4 times, you're not being creative and you've lost the very short attention span of your Listeners… AND if your Lyrics repeat more then 4 times in a row, then you've lost your message — if your Song ever had one.

• Let's say you and your friends go to a restaurant you've never been to. You place your order and it turns out that the entire experience was WAY over the top. You now have a new "favorite meal" and can't wait to get back there again. You can't stop talking about it.
• Let's say you get a bonus at work and decide to go back to that restaurant for your "favorite meal" every day. By the end of the 10th day, your feeling about that Dish is: "Well, it's ok." (It's no long SO GREAT that you can't live without it.)

So, repeating an element of a Song is similar. Yes, you're trying to make a point with your Lyrics or Performance but you don't have to beat your Listeners over the head with an idea.
There's a Saying:

• "Less is more"

However, this isn't telling you to use fewer words that are "different" from each other. It means select each word carefully and allow each to contribute to the overall listening experience — your message. Think of the Notes you select for your Composition and the Words you choose for your Lyrics as the ingredients of a very tasteful meal… too few "interesting Notes" and your Words won't be supported by the Music. Too many repeated Words will sour the taste of that great Guitar or Piano solo we just heard.

LET THE MUSIC GUIDE YOU
I'm not saying you shouldn't play "Cover Tunes". Sometimes it can feel good to Perform a Song which was created by someone else. It can stir some good memories inside you or help you, as a Musician, make a little more money.

So what I'm saying is… listen to the Music. As you're sculpting your Song, listen carefully to what "IT" wants and needs… and pay attention to your own Feelings and Memories, as your Song comes to life. Allow your Song to guide you. If you want to test this, the next time you create a Song, make two of them. With the first one, listen to the Song and let it influence which Words, Notes, Rhythms and Textures you sprinkle into it… and keep your Logical Mind out of it. With the 2nd Song, let your Logical / Clever Mind loose. When both Songs are finished, play them for your family and friends. Don't tell them how you created them. You may even tell them "someone else" created them. Just to get their honest reactions.

Here's the link to the Spotify statistics:
https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/spotify-statistics/

Behringer has been making audio equipment and electronic musical instruments for many years. The few pieces of information Sylvia and I had heard about them was mostly from some of their unhappy customers, who let their complaints be known on various Forums.

Around 2015 or so, company Owner, Uli Behringer, commented about Moog's extremely high prices and said he could manufacture and sell similar Synthesizers for around $300.
​

• This was at a Time when Moog's "lower-priced" Synthesizers were Retailing for around $1,500. (Of course, these contained "Keyboards".)

Later, Behringer's Synthesizers, which were "copies" of popular Synths decades before, would become known as "Clones". The first "Clone" Behringer made was of Moog's famous "Mini Moog Model D". Granted it didn't have a Keyboard but it IS currently selling for $299! A few months later, Moog decided to release something "new". So they created the "Mini Moog Model D" and placed a Retail price of $3,500 on it!!!
​

• The original "Mini Moog" was released in the early 70s. I was still in High School but, after hearing it's awesome sounds on various Rock recordings, I just had to have one. So I saved all my money and bought a brand new Mini Moog from the local music store… for $1,495!!!

The new Mini Moog does have a Keyboard and, although Moog added "MIDI" (digital technology, which the Behringer "Model D" also has), they added a few Patch Points (interconnection Jacks) for Control Voltage and other benefits when working with other Synthesizers. (The Behringer version also has MIDI and several Patch Points.)

• Although Moog recreated the "Model D", they did add a few improvements. So, in order to save everyone a lot of confusion, why didn't the call this new version the "Model D+" or "Model D Plus"?

Since that first Behringer Synth, they have created their very own, not "Cloned", Synthesizer called the "Deepmind 12". This one does have a Keyboard, has MANY more features than Moog's Mini Moog and Retails for just $1,000!!!
​

• Behringer has also stated that they have assigned several of their Engineering Teams to Clone many more of music history's popular Synthesizers.

Several years ago, Behringer began building a new Factory in China. The manufacturing building will be about 3-MILLION SQUARE FEET in size!!!

A new, "Behringer original" Synthesizer which has been talked about since it was "leaked" in January 2018, is called: "Neutron". Although it doesn't have a Keyboard, it does have a very flexible set of features, a great sound and will Retail for $299!!! I told Sylvia, the Neutron needs to be on our Music Gear List.

• About 8-months ago, I was working with our "incomplete" Modular Synthesizer and wanted to create a sound that was in my mind. the Function I needed was inside our "Roland System-1m" Synthesizer ($600) but it didn't offer any way to access it from another Synth. So I told Sylvia "The System-1m isn't as flexible as we need it to be. So we should trade it in at our local Guitar Center store and get something else." That "something else" is the "Neutron".

Here's a link to an article on the new Behringer Factory:
www.synthanatomy.com/2018/03/music-tribe-city-get-an-insight-factory-behringer.html

Here's an older article, which provides a few more details:
www.prosoundnetwork.com/business/music-group-city-moves-forward

Here's a link to a very good Review (video) of the Neutron:
www.synthtopia.com/content/2018/04/05/behringer-neutron-analog-semi-modular-synthesizer-review/

• On that web page, I was surprised by some of the Comments. Everyone had something good to say about the Neutron (and Behringer). There were even 2 or 3 people who said, in the past, they would not buy anything from Behringer… but were now considering purchasing this amazing Synth.

The Review (in the link above) of the Neutron was done by Nick Batt of "SonicState". If you're not familiar with "SonicState", here's the direct link to their website:
www.sonicstate.com
​

Today, Sylvia and I received 2 new Modules for the Eurorack Synthesizer we're creating.

• A couple of months ago, we purchased the 1st piece… the Case.
• Our 1st Module was the "Double Helix Oscillator" by Pittsburgh Modular.
• A few weeks ago, we bought the "qMI 2" a "MIDI-to-Control Voltage converter". Made by Vermona Modular.

After a lot of research, planning our budget, saving our money and talking it over, last Thursday, Sylvia and I bought 2 new Modules:

• The "A-143-2 Quad ADSR" by Doepfer ($265)
• www.detroitmodular.com/doepfer-a-143-2-quad-adsr.html
• The Warna II by Xaoc Devices ($110)
• www.detroitmodular.com/xaoc-warna.html

​
Granted, we eat fried potatoes for supper every night and a can of soup for Lunch, when we go to work, but I have no idea how we managed to "save" and "pay for" those items. I'm not really that good at this type of money-juggling. I have enough trouble remembering to deduct each day's purchases from our Checkbook. "Sylvia" is the financial Wizard in OUR family! I do my best to continually stay tuned-in to her energies and to act-on any suggestions she provides.

As for the timing of this purchase… THAT was also interesting… We bought these from "Detroit Modular" (see links above), which is located in Michigan. We ordered them Thursday morning and the expected delivery was "by Monday". (It was shipped through the Post Office.) Up until Friday night, their Tracking information showed that our package was still traveling through the various States, on its way to us, here, in North Carolina. When I checked their Tracking information this morning, Saturday, it showed that it was to be delivered "today"!

We used the website "Modular Grid", in order to learn about some of the Modules available and to create this Synthesizer using their free software.

• It's a great website. You can search for Modules by "Manufacturer's Name", "Function" (Oscillator, Envelope Generator, etc.) and can see which Modules have been released recently and which are the most popular. You can also build your own "on-screen" Synthesizer. Their software will keep track of how much money the total System will cost AND whether or not the Modules you selected will actually fit inside the Case you used.

​This is a picture of our "Modular Grid" Synthesizer. It shows which Modules we currently have and where I placed them. (Of course, they can always be moved. If needed.)

Although we currently have 4 Modules, we don't enough Synthesizer elements to make a complete sound.

• If you're building your own "Modular" Synthesizer, and don't know which "types" of Modules to buy, look at the classic "analog" Synths of the past. Two of the easiest ones to use, to follow the signal flow (sound) from start to finish, are the "Mini Moog" and the "ARP 2600".
• There are no locked-in-concrete rules with this but "basically", you start with a sound source, such as an "Oscillator" So you'll need a "VCO" (Voltage Controlled Oscillator). ("Voltage Controlled" simply means its Pitch can be changed by a frequency which is produced by one of your Modules. Putting a parameter under "Voltage Control" will not only make changes faster than you can "manually" change them, but it also means "random" and / or "very fast patterned" changes can be produced.)
• Next, the Oscillator's sound get filtered. So you'll need a "VCF" (Voltage Controlled Filter").
• From there, the sound moves to a "VCA" (Voltage Controlled Amplifier"), then to a Mixer and finally, out to Speakers, a recording system, headphones, etc.
• Also, because you'll be using a "Voltage Controlled" Filter and Amplifier, you'll want a Module which is designed to control them and this would be the "Envelope Generator". Just as we use our mouth, tongue, breath and Voice Box, to "form" and "speak" words, an Envelope Generator produces Stages of voltages which control the opening and closing of the parameters of the VCF and VCA. (Of course, with Modular Synthesizers, almost any Module can be used to change the parameters of almost any other.)

Right now, Sylvia and I have an Oscillator, Envelope Generator, a "MIDI-to-CV" converter (so we can play notes in this "Analog" Synth using our "Digital" keyboard) and a Multiple.

• The "Warna II" is a "Multiple", Mixer and Inverter.

To complete the "building blocks", we still need a VCA and VCF.

What I can tell about these Modules, especially the new ones is…

In just testing the Envelope Generator, I had to use the Multiple several times. At one point, I used 3 of its sections and 10 of its 15 Patch-Points. More than once, today, I told Sylvia: "It's a good thing we bought this Multiple."

It wasn't just "a multiple". We did a lot of research, watched a few videos and read several pages of descriptions before deciding on this particular Module. It has:

• two, 1-in-4-out Multiples,
• one, 4-in-1-out Mixer,
• and the two Multiples can be switched, to convert the incoming signal to its opposite polarity.
• Plus, all of the Inputs on this Module are "DC" coupled. This means it will accept "Audio" sound sources AND "Control Voltages".

As for the "Envelope Generator"…
I've been wanting us to have a "delayed Gate" feature in a Synthesizer for quite a while. We may still purchase a Module which only provides that feature but this A-143-2 Module not only has FOUR Envelope Generators, each can be Triggered (activate) separately from the others or Triggered when any of the others has completed its cycle.

I was able to create a 4-stage, one-after-the-other Envelope today. I was also able to create a looping waveshape. Sort of like a customized LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator).

Anyway, so far, we're finding that both Modules were well worth the money.

I've been wanting to fine-tune the image of the Double Helix Oscillator, that I used in the Patch Chart I created and, today, I finally got around to doing just that. This one is cleaner, more professional looking and contains less clutter… making it easier for everyone to indicate Knob and Switch settings as well as the Patch Cord connections routings.

So the updated Chart for this Pittsburgh Modular module is now in our "Downloads" area and is free to download.