Doepfer

The "standard patch" is for subtractive synthesis. The idea is that 
the VCO generates a signal rich in harmonics (eg. a square wave) and 
a filter is used to remove some of the harmonics to achive a desired 
sound. Whether you use BP, LP or HP depends on what part of the 
signal you want to subtract. It's best to have a picture of the 
patch, but I can't find one online at the moment, but it's pretty 
close to what you described:

MIDI pitch CV->VCO->Filter->VCA->Audio output

MIDI gate CV->ADSR->VCA

At this point, things can go in many directions because all of the 
modules typically have CV inputs for further modulation. For 
example, you could split the gate CV and feed a second ADSR into the 
filter cutoff. Or you could split the pitch CV and feed the filter 
cutoff. 

If you are concerned about what modules to purchase, I wouldn't 
sweat it too much. Just plan on selling ones that don't work out. 
Experimentation is one of the benefits of modular synthesis.

Doug




> I'm trying to make sense of how everything generally wires 
together in
> a modular.  Obviously, anything is possible, and the 
experimentation
> is where the fun comes in, but I would like to understand the
> "typical" way that a synth is wired, so that I can know what I'm 
doing
> when I deviate from it.