But I’m not new to synths! It seems a lot of the beginner tutorials on youtube are also assuming you’re a beginner to synths and it’s like…okay I know what a sine wave sounds like and I know what filters and envelopes and LFOs are just show me how to PATCH THINGS
Anyway. My main noob question is how do I patch multiple modulations into one CV input? (trying to use the correct terminology here). For instance, using the core pack, I want the PWM of the VCO to be modulated both by an LFO and an ADSR, but it doesn’t seem like I can drag more than one cable to the PWM CV. Is there a button combo I’m missing? Is there some weird modular workaround?
You can’t, inputs only except 1 connection. Outputs can have many cables, from the output. You could sum LFO and an ADSR but it will add the values together.
As Phil said, you need to combine the LFO and ADSR into the envelope you want, then send that into the input. Here’s a possible way to do it with core modules. Depending on the effect you want to achieve, there may be another way to do it.
Let’s say I want a filter affected both by an envelope and an LFO. Would an easy way to do this be to set up an ADSR modulating the CV of one filter, then have the output of that filter go into another filter, and have an LFO modulating that one? Does that make sense?
No but I know the sound I want…I want a filter to be open and then close and as it’s closing I want it to wobble. Aka (for example) a long decay, low sustain, with an LFO sent to the filter as well. Literally every synth I’ve used has had both the ADSR and the LFO patched to the filter. I’m just trying to figure out the best way to do that in modular land
For instance, I have an oscillator. I would like for this oscillator to not be making sound all the time. So does that mean I need some sort of VCA? I can’t just go from MIDI v/oct to an ADSR to the oscillator, right? Basic patching stuff like this boggles my mind and I can’t wrap my head around it…
Well if you filter an ADSR you will probably filter all the modulation out of it. Low Frequency stuff resides here, LFO’s/Triggers etc…
If you mean the audio, then yes this could be another way around it though if the first filter has already filtered audio out there will be nothing to modulate. Depends on the chain, probably go ADSR first (depending on how snappy) then LFO or separated filters HP / LP (vice-versa).
You could also attenuate an ADSR and LFO by sending to a mixer and get desired levels.
All I want is an LFO and an ADSR patched to one filter–which apparently isn’t possible in Modular land. So what’s the easiest, most straightforward way to achieve this result?
I’m loving everything else about modular so far except for this funny quirk. Idk how nearly every synth in existence has these two modulation generators patched to one thing but for some reason it’s not possible in modular. It’s kinda baffling to me lol.
EDIT: Except that I want those peaks to get smaller and smaller because if the cutoff frequency is getting lower, but the LFO is modulating at the same amount…
Here’s a photo of a Roland Juno-60. Under the VCF section is a slider for ENV amount (how much the ADSR envelope affects the VCF) and another slider for LFO amount (how much the LFO affects the VCF)–both of which can be used at the same time to varying degrees (along with keyboard amount too of course).
Every single synth I’ve ever played has had this feature. On my desk there sits a Behringer K2–a clone of the Korg MS20. Under cutoff frequency modulation you have two knobs: One for LFO and one for envelope generator…But I can’t do this in modular
