The Cyndustries List

Hello Fellow Synthesists,

Hey Moe, thanks for the great first impressions review.  I can see you
had no trouble getting great FM from the Zeroscillator.  Uploads??

Because you brought it up, I just want to comment about the location
of the sine waveform on the morph knob.  In the continuum of sounds
that the morph produces, the sine wave shows up close to the triangle.
 The reason for this is simple -- they are very closely related
harmonically.  If the sine wave were to show up in the middle of the
range, then half the range would sound like not much is happening and
the second half would get all the business.  Not very continuous
sounding, especially under voltage control.  Also, if you are using
voltage control, the marking becomes less meaningful anyway.

The reason the sine wave is printed on the panel in the middle of the
range is also simple -- the panel was designed before Cynthia ever
heard the Zeroscillator play!  We were all working in parallel at
triple warp speed to bring this module to you.  As for whether the
marking will change on future modules, I don't know.  Cynthia likes
the way it looks right now, so I doubt it.  But think of it this way,
if we do change it, yours will be worth more.

Happy FM'ing,
--Mark Barton
  





--- In The_Cyndustries_List@yahoogroups.com, "mate_stubb"
<mate_stubb@...> wrote:
>
> Howdy all,
> 
> I received my MOTM ZO a couple days ago and am reporting in with my
> initial impressions.
> 
> Appearance/build: 
> This thing is big and beautiful. It is a perfect cosmetic match for
> the factory MOTM modules (something not always achieved by others -
> for example, the Encore Freq Shifter). The sandwiched system of 3 main
> boards and multiple panel control boards is elegant and completely
> eliminates hookup wire for the panel controls. This is an interesting
> solution to the problem of offering multiple formats at a relatively
> low volume.
> 
> The jacks are switchcraft, but not the 112As that MOTM users are used
> to. They look much the same, but have different lugs to mount to the
> PCB. They have a heavier engagement feel than the 112As. The pots are
> smooth feeling with a slightly more damped feel than standard bourns
> pots. The multiturn tuning control is smooth and light feeling. You
> can spin it around with a single finger. I found precise tuning to be
> easy and quick.
> 
> Features/functionality:
> Well, it's simply the most full-featured VCO I've ever seen! Linear
> through zero FM with built in VCA, 5 basic output waveforms, 4 aux
> outputs in quadrature with wave shapers, etc. Everything works as
> advertised. The only tiny complaint I have is that the waveform
> morphing doesn't match the pot positions with the panel graphics. Just
> use your ears and you'll find where it hits the sine wave sweet spot. 
> 
> The variable strength sync works very well, and allows you to achieve
> effects from stepping harmonics to a severe "tearing" from one
> harmonic to the next, to an even more severe octave jump effect I had
> never heard before. Very musical.
> 
> Having a built in VCA to control the FM modulation amount is very
> handy. It makes it easy to achieve enveloped modulations for struck
> metallic sounds using only an external EG.
> 
> I've had great fun using it as a LFO with the quadrature outputs
> driving 4 separate VCOs. Using rectified square waveforms I can get
> swooping trills in 4 part harmony, very cool!
> 
> Sound:
> The basic sound is very clear and pure. I put a scope on all the basic
> output waveforms, and they are pristine. This module has that
> characteristic very pure sine wave output that you cannot get with a
> sawtooth core VCO. This of course is the perfect starting point for
> linear FM. Until now, the only way I could get that sound is by using
> an oscillating VCF, which typically doesn't track the keyboard as well
> as a real VCO.
> 
> I'm still exploring the huge palette available for FM. It's going to
> take a lot of playing to get my head around all the modulation
> capabilities of this oscillator. Suffice it to say that the pure
> inherent waveforms coupled with the extreme amount of modulation
> possible make this sound different and more radical than anything else
> in my system.
> 
> Major kudos to Cynthia and crew for taking the gamble and succeeding
> in bringing a premium module like this to synth lovers everywhere!
> 
> Moe
> http://www.stoogeindustries.com
>