[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":369},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page:\u002Flearn\u002Fwhat-is-a-modular-synth":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"article":6,"body":7,"description":361,"extension":362,"meta":363,"navigation":6,"path":364,"seo":365,"seoTitle":366,"stem":367,"__hash__":368},"pages\u002Flearn\u002Fwhat-is-a-modular-synth.md","What is a modular synth?",true,{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":346},"minimark",[10,14,27,35,47,52,86,89,93,96,101,119,127,131,153,160,164,193,205,213,217,244,248,251,279,295,299,306,314,318],[11,12,5],"h1",{"id":13},"what-is-a-modular-synth",[15,16,17,18,22,23,26],"p",{},"A modular synthesizer is a synth taken apart. Instead of one box with its sound engine wired up inside, you get separate ",[19,20,21],"strong",{},"modules",". Each one does a single job, and nothing makes a sound until you connect them with ",[19,24,25],{},"patch cables",".",[15,28,29,30,34],{},"That sounds like more work, and it is. It is also the best way to understand how ",[31,32,33],"em",{},"any"," synthesizer works, because every connection you make is an idea about sound that you can hear straight away.",[36,37,38],"blockquote",{},[15,39,40,41,46],{},"You don’t need hardware to learn this. Everything below works in ",[42,43,45],"a",{"href":44},"\u002Fplay","the Kables synth",", in your browser.",[48,49,51],"h2",{"id":50},"signals-everything-is-a-cable","Signals: everything is a cable",[15,53,54,55,58,59,62,63,66,67,71,72,75,76,80,81,85],{},"In a modular synth, every cable carries a ",[19,56,57],{},"signal",": a value that changes over time. Some signals are fast enough to hear: that’s ",[19,60,61],{},"audio",". Others are slow and move knobs for you: that’s ",[19,64,65],{},"control",", usually called ",[42,68,70],{"href":69},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#cv","CV"," (control voltage). Two special kinds of control signal say ",[31,73,74],{},"when"," things happen: a ",[42,77,79],{"href":78},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#gate","gate"," is high for as long as a key is held, and a ",[42,82,84],{"href":83},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#trigger","trigger"," is a short pulse that just means “now”.",[15,87,88],{},"The surprising part is that they are all the same kind of thing. Any output can go into any input. An oscillator can move a filter. An envelope can be listened to. Much of what makes modular interesting comes from breaking the “rules” on purpose.",[48,90,92],{"id":91},"the-four-jobs-a-module-can-do","The four jobs a module can do",[15,94,95],{},"Almost every module fits into one of four roles.",[97,98,100],"h3",{"id":99},"_1-make-a-sound-sources","1. Make a sound: sources",[15,102,103,104,108,109,113,114,118],{},"An ",[42,105,107],{"href":106},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fvco","oscillator"," (VCO) repeats a wave shape over and over, and you hear it as a pitched tone. Its ",[42,110,112],{"href":111},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#waveform","waveform"," decides the tone colour: a sine is pure, a sawtooth is bright and buzzy, a square is hollow. ",[42,115,117],{"href":116},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fnoise","Noise"," is a source too: hiss with every frequency at once, perfect for wind, surf and drums.",[15,120,121,122,126],{},"An oscillator never stops. Patch one straight into the ",[42,123,125],{"href":124},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fout","Output"," and it drones forever, which is why the next two roles exist.",[97,128,130],{"id":129},"_2-shape-the-sound-filters-and-vcas","2. Shape the sound: filters and VCAs",[15,132,133,134,138,139,143,144,148,149,152],{},"A ",[42,135,137],{"href":136},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fvcf","filter"," (VCF) removes part of the frequency range. A low-pass filter cuts the highs, so turning its ",[42,140,142],{"href":141},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#cutoff","cutoff"," down makes a sound darker. Turn up its ",[42,145,147],{"href":146},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#resonance","resonance"," and it whistles at the cutoff. Starting from a bright waveform and filtering it is called ",[19,150,151],{},"subtractive synthesis",", and it is how most classic synth sounds are made.",[15,154,133,155,159],{},[42,156,158],{"href":157},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fvca","VCA"," is a volume control that another signal can turn. With nothing on its control input it stays shut, so a VCA plus a control signal is what turns a drone into notes.",[97,161,163],{"id":162},"_3-move-the-knobs-modulators","3. Move the knobs: modulators",[15,165,166,167,171,172,175,176,179,180,183,184,187,188,192],{},"This is where modular comes alive. An ",[42,168,170],{"href":169},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fadsr","envelope"," is a shape that rises and falls each time a note is played: ",[19,173,174],{},"A","ttack, ",[19,177,178],{},"D","ecay, ",[19,181,182],{},"S","ustain and ",[19,185,186],{},"R","elease (",[42,189,191],{"href":190},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#adsr","ADSR","). Patch it into a VCA and notes fade in and out; into a filter and each note starts bright and closes down.",[15,194,103,195,199,200,204],{},[42,196,198],{"href":197},"\u002Fmodules\u002Flfo","LFO"," is an oscillator too slow to hear. Into pitch it gives vibrato, into a VCA tremolo, into a filter a slow sweep. A ",[42,201,203],{"href":202},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fsh","Sample & Hold"," grabs a random value on every clock tick, giving the classic “computer burble”.",[15,206,207,208,212],{},"Using one signal to change another is called ",[42,209,211],{"href":210},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#modulation","modulation",", and in a modular synth you decide what modulates what.",[97,214,216],{"id":215},"_4-decide-when-clocks-sequencers-and-controllers","4. Decide when: clocks, sequencers and controllers",[15,218,133,219,223,224,228,229,233,234,238,239,243],{},[42,220,222],{"href":221},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fkeys","keyboard"," sends two signals: a ",[42,225,227],{"href":226},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#v-oct","V\u002FOCT"," pitch (which note) and a gate (whether a key is held). A ",[42,230,232],{"href":231},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fclock","clock"," sends steady triggers, and a ",[42,235,237],{"href":236},"\u002Fmodules\u002Fseq","sequencer"," steps through a pattern of notes on each one. ",[42,240,242],{"href":241},"\u002Fmodules\u002Feuclid","Euclidean"," sequencers spread hits evenly over a bar and turn out surprisingly musical rhythms.",[48,245,247],{"id":246},"your-first-patch-in-words","Your first patch, in words",[15,249,250],{},"The classic beginner patch is a single voice:",[252,253,254,261,267,273],"ol",{},[255,256,257,260],"li",{},[19,258,259],{},"Keyboard V\u002FOCT → VCO V\u002FOCT."," The keyboard picks the note.",[255,262,263,266],{},[19,264,265],{},"VCO OUT → Filter IN → VCA IN → Output."," The sound flows left to right.",[255,268,269,272],{},[19,270,271],{},"Keyboard GATE → ADSR GATE."," Pressing a key starts the envelope.",[255,274,275,278],{},[19,276,277],{},"ADSR OUT → VCA CV."," The envelope opens the VCA, so you hear a note only while the envelope is up.",[15,280,281,282,285,286,290,291,294],{},"Add ",[19,283,284],{},"ADSR → Filter CV"," and every note gets the brightness sweep that makes synths sound like synths. That’s the heart of the first three ",[42,287,289],{"href":288},"\u002Flearn","guides",", and you can ",[42,292,293],{"href":44},"build it yourself"," in five minutes with the guided build.",[48,296,298],{"id":297},"why-learn-on-a-modular","Why learn on a modular?",[15,300,301,302,305],{},"Fixed synths hide the signal path behind a panel of knobs. A modular makes you build it, so you learn ",[31,303,304],{},"why"," a sound behaves the way it does. Once you know that an envelope opens a VCA and sweeps a filter, the front panel of any synth (hardware, plugin, or the one in your DAW) makes sense.",[15,307,308,309,313],{},"The names in Kables are the ones used in hardware ",[42,310,312],{"href":311},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary#eurorack","Eurorack"," systems, so everything carries over if you ever buy a case.",[48,315,317],{"id":316},"where-to-go-next","Where to go next",[319,320,321,332,339],"ul",{},[255,322,323,324,326,327,331],{},"Read the ",[42,325,289],{"href":288},", starting with ",[42,328,330],{"href":329},"\u002Flearn\u002Foscillators","oscillators",". Each one hands you patches to play as you read.",[255,333,334,335,26],{},"Look up a word in the ",[42,336,338],{"href":337},"\u002Flearn\u002Fglossary","glossary",[255,340,341,342,345],{},"Browse what each of the ",[42,343,21],{"href":344},"\u002Fmodules"," does, jack by jack.",{"title":347,"searchDepth":348,"depth":348,"links":349},"",2,[350,351,358,359,360],{"id":50,"depth":348,"text":51},{"id":91,"depth":348,"text":92,"children":352},[353,355,356,357],{"id":99,"depth":354,"text":100},3,{"id":129,"depth":354,"text":130},{"id":162,"depth":354,"text":163},{"id":215,"depth":354,"text":216},{"id":246,"depth":348,"text":247},{"id":297,"depth":348,"text":298},{"id":316,"depth":348,"text":317},"A plain-English introduction to modular synthesis — what modules and patch cables are, how oscillators, filters, VCAs, envelopes and LFOs work together, and how to start patching in your browser.","md",{},"\u002Flearn\u002Fwhat-is-a-modular-synth",{"title":5,"description":361},"What is a modular synth? A beginner’s guide to modular synthesis","learn\u002Fwhat-is-a-modular-synth","cFIG13xvdy6Ic4q24w0qqDRgOZvB6LtrQnPbfBhscRY",1792599837965]