In this installment I'll cover a more advanced application of the
legendary Serge Smooth & Stepped Generator.
The Serge catalog entry for the SSG describes the coupler section as
being related to another module, the Random Source (RS) ... that the RS
is in fact a Noise Source internally hooked to an SSG ... and that the
SSG can be patched up as a Random Voltage Generator ... but
tantalyzingly and oh-so-typically of Serge (and Buchla I think) to not
say how it's done... at least not in the catalog.
So what the SSG does is somehow take a random signal and deliver the
Random Source's random pulses, random stepped and random smooth signals.
Doing this is a very handy thing for Blue Funstation owners, or anyone
who happens to have a Random Source and an SSG ... and has a desire for
multiple uncorrelated random signals --- in other words, a slow random
smooth voltage controlling one vco, a rapid stepped random voltage
controlling another one at the same time. Or other combinations.
First off, an SSG can't be used as a Random Voltage Generator all by
itself, it needs a random signal to feed it. You need the S/H source of
a Serge Noise Source or Random Source. Patch it into the IN jack of the
Stepped side of the SSG. Now patch the COUPLER to SAMPLE of the Stepped
side, mult another patch cord into COUPLER, and patch it into the IN
jack of the Smooth side. That's it.
The Smooth random voltages are available at SMOOTH OUT, the stepped ones
are at STEPPED OUT, and random pulses are available at the COUPLER
(which is also patched to SAMPLE and Smooth IN).
With the Stepped RATE knob at full, varying the RATE knob of the Stepped
site changes the rate of BOTH the Smooth and Stepped random voltages.
This exactly what the Random Source has. Varying the RATE of the
Stepped side changes the amplitude of your Smooth and Stepped random
voltages ... so turning the Stepped RATE knob down reduces the amplitude
of the signal at the OUT jacks.
Of course, the Smooth RATE and the Stepped RATE can be
voltage-controlled via their respective VC RATE jacks & controls too.
The fun doesn't stop here though ... see what happens if, instead of
using the S/H source to feed the SSG, you use an oscillator, or a DSG,
or a sequencer....
Have fun!
John P.
legendary Serge Smooth & Stepped Generator.
The Serge catalog entry for the SSG describes the coupler section as
being related to another module, the Random Source (RS) ... that the RS
is in fact a Noise Source internally hooked to an SSG ... and that the
SSG can be patched up as a Random Voltage Generator ... but
tantalyzingly and oh-so-typically of Serge (and Buchla I think) to not
say how it's done... at least not in the catalog.
So what the SSG does is somehow take a random signal and deliver the
Random Source's random pulses, random stepped and random smooth signals.
Doing this is a very handy thing for Blue Funstation owners, or anyone
who happens to have a Random Source and an SSG ... and has a desire for
multiple uncorrelated random signals --- in other words, a slow random
smooth voltage controlling one vco, a rapid stepped random voltage
controlling another one at the same time. Or other combinations.
First off, an SSG can't be used as a Random Voltage Generator all by
itself, it needs a random signal to feed it. You need the S/H source of
a Serge Noise Source or Random Source. Patch it into the IN jack of the
Stepped side of the SSG. Now patch the COUPLER to SAMPLE of the Stepped
side, mult another patch cord into COUPLER, and patch it into the IN
jack of the Smooth side. That's it.
The Smooth random voltages are available at SMOOTH OUT, the stepped ones
are at STEPPED OUT, and random pulses are available at the COUPLER
(which is also patched to SAMPLE and Smooth IN).
With the Stepped RATE knob at full, varying the RATE knob of the Stepped
site changes the rate of BOTH the Smooth and Stepped random voltages.
This exactly what the Random Source has. Varying the RATE of the
Stepped side changes the amplitude of your Smooth and Stepped random
voltages ... so turning the Stepped RATE knob down reduces the amplitude
of the signal at the OUT jacks.
Of course, the Smooth RATE and the Stepped RATE can be
voltage-controlled via their respective VC RATE jacks & controls too.
The fun doesn't stop here though ... see what happens if, instead of
using the S/H source to feed the SSG, you use an oscillator, or a DSG,
or a sequencer....
Have fun!
John P.