I haven’t posted in awhile, this is an update I wrote 2 years ago lol. I’ll drop this and maybe continue. Lots to report… stay tuned… maybe.
I decided I was going to build a new Serge/4U modular system some time back. This was a response to a number of music making preferences and a desire to build my own instrument… one that could deeply explore advanced timbral shaping and the ability to programmatically sequence sound, without a computer.
Handcrafting sound: I love what computers can do with generating sound, but for many years I’ve been particularly excited about their ability to control analog circuits to create sounds. Coding in an IDE can be tedious, and looking at screen in performance can feel like an extension of a day job… It can feel removed and distracting, especially when improvising or working with/against systems. Also, I have a love for automated systems making automated music, and I can get behind a true purist synth patch… but there are certain physical energies that I often miss, as they give way to different movements, progressions, gestures… and mistakes… and risks (which are all good things!).
Bananas: There are reasons for all the different types of jacks and patch cables and connectors, but nothing works better for me than banana jacks/patch cords. They don’t give you an electronic glitch/click upon patching, they don’t make a loud acoustic kerplunk sound, they are quick to patch because they don’t require much force and most importantly they allow you to avoid having multiples modules. Routing one signal to multiple destinations at varying ratios is something I do a lot.
Programmatic functions in a synthesizer: 4U/Serge systems are known for their logic capabilities, sequencing, and patch-programmable modules, meaning a single module can do many different things. Having worked with a relatively small set of modules for many years in a rather large-sized 5U format system, I’ve become used to using the computer for such things, controlling the analog with Supercollider from a laptop. I don’t plan to give this up, as a computer running advanced music programming software allows for extremely advanced and accurate control I can’t get with only modules. But working with one’s hands, doing this by patch cable, can feel more like an instrument. Ultimately its a choice that will guide me to making different decisions, to use the machine to explore
Understanding my instrument from the inside: I haven’t ever really had to be highly skilled at electronics or synthesis to make music, but understanding this on deeper level gives way to new potentials.
The past 17 months has been an epic trip: immersing myself in synth building (to afford a Serge!), build it how I want it, add or subtract features I do/don’t need. It’s been time-consuming and sometimes an extremely frustrating experience, but I’ve ended up with a very deep system that is amazing to make music with!
Decisions
The first couple months I really had to work out how to go about designing and building the synth. And this is where many options come into play – with design and with electronics.
4U Panel Format: I was not willing to give up a modular design in favor of the original Serge spec of full panels which can be modules occupying 16 inches or 17 inches depending on what you decide. A panel is 7″ x 17″. Thanks to Charlie Kerr / Loudest Warning (LW), there is a standardized format for Serge or 4U people refer to as the LW format. Along with this, one has to decide how dense the panels will be. The old Serge spec tends to be six jacks, knobs, switches or LEDs high, evenly spaced on a grid 1″ x 1″ (inch). Variations of that exist, the most standard of which seems to be the 8 jacks/knobs/switches/LEDs high on a 1″ x .75″ grid. I stuck with this, but decided along the way that I’d be flexible when it seems right. For instance, I made a Gate Sequencer (mostly based on an LW panel design) which is 10 steps in length that made sense to vertically align 10 banana jacks in a column. If I didn’t do this, I would get to step 8 and then follow LEDs to another column for 9 and 10, which seems more confusing. This doesn’t actually get as messy as it sounds. But I should mention that I’ve also not exactly stuck with this 1 x .75″ grid, as it often make sense to seat something in between four jack/knob/switch/LEDs. So I’ve decided on weighing all of this – what looks good and feels even, what feels right with regard to density, and what functions I need on a panel. I tend to lean toward functions, but occasionally choose to not add something like a fine tune knob because of density reasons.
Paperface Design: I did paperface panels, because I wanted to make as much of the synth as possible, and cut costs where I could. But it’s also how Serge was originally done DIY. It’s less expensive, but significantly more time consuming…