Little Phatty Tone Module

toryjames · Post by **toryjames** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:07 am

I want a Little Phatty tone module. Think: Yamaha's TX7 to their DX7.
It could be programmed through: a Little Phatty keyboard (front panel), software editor, midi cc#'s. It should be as small as possible (one rack space?). Maybe one knob w/ a cryptic 2 digit led display (so you could kinda edit stuff from the front). It would function as a tone generator, a compositional tool rather than a keyboard instrument. Does anybody else want such a thing? Like a Matrix 1000 type of device (but monophonic). I do. $899?

toryjames · Post by **toryjames** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:21 pm

Oh yeah, and it could be MIDI daisy chained for polyphony.

CTRLSHFT · Post by **CTRLSHFT** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:43 pm

I think your best bet for the time being to to get a mf-107, and a cv-midi converter. Instant additional VCOs for your LP..

toryjames · Post by **toryjames** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:15 am

Yeah, I already have stuff like that (well, nobody has the 107). I was thinking of a live situation, where multiple monophonic tracks were needed. Not wanting to have three keyboards on stage, just one live keyboard and backing things sequenced through multiple tone modules. Waldorf Pulse... Novation Bass Station Rack... that sort of thing. Not wanting a huge 80's A-frame with three keyboards. I've looked at the DSI Evolver (Desktop) but the fact that everything runs through digital converters drives me a little bit crazy. DSP, digital envelope follower, digital distortion, digital envelopes... While others were posting suggestions (reintroducing the original Minimoog, a Moogerfooger VCA/Env) I wanted to toss my idea into the ring. It's a pretty conservative suggestion, but it is what I would buy.

Kevin Lightner · Post by **Kevin Lightner** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:42 am

I think your best bet for the time being to to get a mf-107, and a cv-midi converter. Instant additional VCOs for your LP..

I'm not sure the 107 can work as an external, tracking VCO.
Great if true, but I haven't seen anything yet that definitely says so.

CTRLSHFT · Post by **CTRLSHFT** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 1:26 pm

Kevin Lightner wrote:
I think your best bet for the time being to to get a mf-107, and a cv-midi converter. Instant additional VCOs for your LP..
I'm not sure the 107 can work as an external, tracking VCO.
Great if true, but I haven't seen anything yet that definitely says so.

i suppose it's hearsay until moog actually states it specifically, but right after the NAMM show a few people on this forum mentioned it (citing Nick from The Volt Per Octaves) did track @ 1v/oct.

at this point i would think moog knows that it's users want a functional VCO to supplement not only psuedo modular setups, but to add-on to the LP and Voyager, yet still have all the comforts most applicable to musicians with little to no background in synthesis (thats extended to mainly non-keyboard players, but in no way excludes them), that is, people who just want a cool stompbox.

this is a unit i think everyone can agree would be very useful, and very fun to have handy for all sorts of experimentation. it's also the backbone of a modular synth. them ignoring this fact and skipping the scaling aspect would be a terrible oversight in the long run.

i think (i hope!) it scales close to 1v/oct, and that they considered this aspect of the design from the beginning.

Kevin Lightner · Post by **Kevin Lightner** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 2:22 pm

Well we can hope anyways.

My thoughts are that it doesn't take a very precise circuit or power supply to do the standard vco / sync thing they're doing, but it does to make it a good external VCO.
Then, the power supply and parts in the VCO have to precise, some control provided for tracking and temperature stability provided.
That's a tall order, but it doesn't mean it isn't part of its design.
I simply don't know.

toryjames · Post by **toryjames** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:35 pm

During Namm weekend I called Amos at Moog to ask about the MF-107 and he said they used precision resistors (1% I think) to compensate for not being able to fit all of the circuitry of a Voyager or LP VCO inside. He said they tested it and the prototype seemed to track fine with the LP. He also confirmed that the CV input is calibrated to 1v/oct. The issue still stands though, that the 107 would not substitute for an additional LP VCO>VCF>VCA tone module. Regardless, I am excited it will do things that neither the Voyager or LP VCO will do (designed around the idea of external audio processing). Thanks to you both for your feedback and suggestions.

CTRLSHFT · Post by **CTRLSHFT** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:42 pm

Kevin Lightner wrote:Well we can hope anyways.

My thoughts are that it doesn't take a very precise circuit or power supply to do the standard vco / sync thing they're doing, but it does to make it a good external VCO.
Then, the power supply and parts in the VCO have to precise, some control provided for tracking and temperature stability provided.
That's a tall order, but it doesn't mean it isn't part of its design.
I simply don't know.

i just got a email back from amos, "We used precision fixed resistors to scale the frequency response to
1V/Oct CV input, nominally. This means that it will probably not track
true across as wide a range as a hand-calibrated Voyager oscillator, but
I think it ought to track as well or better than for example a Metasonix
oscillator... I'll want to play around with it once there are some units actually
ready to go... right now they are still in Engineering, being tweaked
and tuned. But the short answer is yes, they should track 1V/Octave."

even 4 octaves would be seriously awesome for use with the LP. I absolutely see what you're saying though, it really would be a pretty tall order. here's hoping!:)