>>>I would be interested in hearing how some
of the list members first came across Synthtech.Com.
*My
MOTM Adventure* by Kenny Tkacs
I was
going through my bi-annual "I wish I had a modular synthesizer blues" that I've
been going through since about 1973, when I searched the web for info on modular
synthesizers. I found the Analogue Heaven ("AH") archive lists and started
reading thousands of posts. It was fun reading the ramblings of like-minded
synthesizer enthusiasts, since I have felt quite alone in my love for these
machines all these years.
I
remember reading about this guy in Texas trying to stir up interest for a
'Module of the Month,' which I thought was a great idea, but I guess I never
thought it would fly (and I *certainly* never expected the quality of such a
homebrew venture to be as high as it turned out to be... but then, I didn't know
then that Paul was the brains behind the TRS-80 cassette interface, either
).
Maybe
a little less than a year later, with all this "virtual modular" crap starting
to consume the pages of the music magazines, I was damned *determined* to get a
modular once and for all. I couldn't find/afford/repair an old used Moog. I
figured I would have to build it myself from old schematics that I might be able
to find on the web (I had pulled down a lot of Moog Modular schematics,
etc. ... I know it's old technology but I had nowhere else to turn). It
was a nightmare idea that would take forever and probably never work right, but
I figured it was my only option. Also, Paia was starting to mention getting back
into modulars, so I figured I could adapt a few modules from them. I bought
their MIDI2CV, multi-mode filter, and Theremax kits to get me
started.
I
began laying out a whole scheme for ergonomics, front panels, colors, control
spacing, etc. (since my real education is in Industrial Design, not EE, I was
going to make it the best *looking* modular that I could). Around that time
(last September-ish), more web searches brought me to www.synthtech.com. I realized that this was
the guy from AH, studied the site, then went back to AH and found that people
were raving about the stability of the MOTM VCO. So I figured I'd pick up a VCO
from Synth Tech, since it's a critical component, make my own front panel for
it, and integrate it with tinkered together DIY crap for the less critical
modules.
So I
put in a web order for an MOTM-300. About an hour later I get a call from this
guy Paul who asks me what kind of power supply I intend to use with his prized
oscillator. I said something like, "I dunno yet, I'll tinker something together
from a Radio Shack book or use my old PAIA 4700 supply which is still powering
some of my old DIY stuff." Paul patiently explained why a PS is critical to the
performance of the other components, etc., and talked me into the
MOTM-900.
Anyway, the stuff showed up soonafter, and I opened the
box, held the front panels in my hand, hefted them a few times, and within five
minutes was thinking, "Okay, *obviously* I'm not going to replace THESE front
panels." I built those two modules, and ever since, I have been hooked. Now I'm
converting OTHER things to *MOTM* standards!!
Currently I have one of every module (physically or on
pre-order/back-order [MOTM-101]), and multiples of
several.