The Cyndustries List

> > Hi, Ive never used a analog VCO before I would like some more info please
> > ,I have a virus synth module i trigger the sounds from that yousing a midi
> > keyboard ,does the Zerooscillator work in the same way, or do you need to
> > connect it to a analog keyboard ,in other words does it have built in sounds
> > or is it a sound altering device ,or is it a stand alone unit and if so how
> > do you youse it in that way ? thanks .

Hi, I tried to answer an earlier version of your question about a month ago. 

Many music shops and many people call a whole synthesizer without keys a "synth module".
Even though it seems like the same thing as a modular synthesizer it's not that at all.

A modular synthesizer is a collection of many separate modules with specific functions that all combine to make a synthesizer.

A Zeroscillator is one module that would be part of a modular system and it is the VCO. As mentioned, for a greater variety of sounds someone assembling a system will probably want more than one VCO. 

Generally the way a VCO operates is it outputs different waves at a high voltage level all the time without stopping. You would send the output to your filter(s) and your VCA(s) and possibly other modules.

You control it with voltage. It could be a combination of a specific voltage that is interpreted by the VCO as a frequency or it could be the varying voltage of another module (modulation). An external waveform from outside a modular can be amplified into a usable control voltage, though most people starting out think the result might be more impressive than it actually turns out. There are interfaces that turn MIDI to Control Voltage that many people use today.

I don't know if this is the best article on the internet but it might be worth reading for an explanation
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr09/articles/goingmodular.htm