I also think that if you are going to invest in a module, make it a good
one and make it the one you want rather than just the one you can
afford. That is the nice thing about modular is that you can build it up
over time. The thing that makes the Buchla special isn't necessarily the
sounds of the modules, but how he built them from a user's perspective,
combined many useful features into one module. My favorite Buchla module
remains the 259 Programmable Complex Waveform Generator, which combines
2 VCOs with a VCA, a waveshaper and several other features, and is a
project I am working to emulate with available DIY circuits currently.

My advice is to get a case and add as you go. I invested quite a bit at
the start, but now I actually build most of my modules from PCBs or
schematics. But one module that I've always been very happy with is the
Cwejman VCO-2RM, since it has quite a bit of things packed into it. Both
VCOs can be made LFOs, and they are normalled so that one modulates the
other. I don't use the ringmod, but at least I know it's there. The PWM
is quite nice, although some waveshaping function would be a good addition.

Conversely, the Analogue Systems is alright, but I don't think the
single-knob fine tuning is quite tight enough for me, and the
waveshaping from saw to sine means that you never really get a clean,
undistorted sinewave out of it. Like many, I was warned away from the
Doepfer VCOs, but I also think that remains a matter of taste on what
kind of sound you want.

best!
D.

Argitoth wrote:

> One more thing! Don't be turned off by a $300 module. Some modules
> that have a high price tag can do everything that three lesser modules
> can do. Such as these:

> Cwejman: http://www.cwejman.net/cwejman.net/modular.htm
> Sold by Analogue Haven: http://www.analoguehaven.com/cwejman/modules/

--
derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl ::: http://blog.myspace.com/macumbista
---Oblique Strategy # 120:
"Move towards the unimportant"