Do you plug your modular synth outputs into a mixer?

gliiitches · Joined: Jan 31, 2011 Posts: 3 Location: Portsmouth, UK

Hi all

I will be getting my first modular in a few months and wonder what people do with the outputs of their modulars. Do you tend to plug into a mixer, then into a recording device? Or do you plug straight into some kind of recording device?

Cheers

Leon

blue hell · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 1:00 pm Post subject:

Leon.

Can I ask you to please remove the picture from your sig .. this forum has a non graphic sig policy.

Antimon · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:16 pm Post subject:

Hi gliitches. I plug mine into a mixer, but I can't see why you can't plug it straight into your audio device or recording stuff.

gliiitches · Joined: Jan 31, 2011 Posts: 3 Location: Portsmouth, UK

My bad on the sig! Thank you for the polite way you asked me to change it - genuinely, it makes a nice change from some other sites! Smile

blue hell · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2011 2:23 pm Post subject:

I'm in a good mood then I guess, thanks!

A modular may have an output that is a bit hot for mixer or amp ... Depending on if you have an output module on it that attenuates or not you may want to add some attenuator ... there was some talk on that here not too long ago.

gliiitches · Joined: Jan 31, 2011 Posts: 3 Location: Portsmouth, UK

Ah cool guys, thanks for answering.

The two options I was thinking of were something like a Mackie mixer into a small Tascam digital portastudio, or something like the Zoom R16.

I'm planning on a small Analogue Systems modular to start with. I was going to include a RS180 VCA which (I think) can attenuate audio signals before sending them onto the outside world.

Do you find you need a limiter or something just in case of sound experiments getting out of control?

Adam-V · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2011 2:43 pm Post subject:

I run my modular straight into my Allen & Heath Zed 24 mixer with no problems but they have input level controls that can be used to pad the signal down so it doesn't distort. I expect that Mackie will have similar features on their mixers.

Cheers,
Adam-V

kenl666 · Joined: May 12, 2004 Posts: 66 Location: Pacific Northwest

I just plug my modular straight into my recording chain, but I have a very minimal setup compared to the other responders here.

magman · Joined: Feb 04, 2009 Posts: 363 Location: Liverpool, UK

I've actually built a 2U 8 channel mixer into my modular, I've even built a module panel to simplify patching for it.

My main reason is to enable me to use more than one output from the modular, not just the final VCA. For example, I can mix multiple outputs from the filters. I can also patch the effects send and return back into the modular for things like phasing or other effects. You can also get mixer modules to add to the synth, some with VC control. Again, these can be used to mix outputs before or after filters, or before input to a VCA, controlled by an Envelope Shaper.

Gives me quite a bit more flexibility.

Regards

Magman