Modular module?

[elmegil]

Project Teaser...

A while back I had an idea about a "drum host" -- an 18 HP (I think?) module that would let you plug in 3 voices of your choice on the back, each voice having up to 3 pots and 4 jacks.

The idea was to do 808 voices in a relatively easy mix & match format. I can't remember where all I may have posted about it, but here I am.

Well... Vladimir Pantelic's 4 drum voice module kinda puts that to shame . And I'm having second thoughts about YET ANOTHER set of 808 voices (even though I still think my way of doing the accent LIKE THE ORIGINAL is superior to the others on the market).

So I have respun it a bit, to make it more general, with the idea that it could host any kind of voice. And with 4 pots OR 3 pots and an SPDT switch per voice. (An on-off-on SPDT and a CD4052 can be used as a 3 way switch).

First submodule (already laid out) is a 3340 VCO; frequency, FM, PWM and an output select from triangle, pulse, or saw.

Next submodules will be an SSI2144 VCF, and then a 2164 VCA.

With one of each, it becomes an 18HP full synth voice, only needs CV and an external EG.

An EG submodule is another obvious choice for 4 pots/4 jacks (A/D/S/R, gate/trigger and output, not sure what the extra jack would be for, maybe an end-of-cycle so you could loop it).

Curious about other feedback:

Does it sound interesting to anyone but me?
What other kinds of submodules would be interesting to make with 4 pots/4 jacks or 3 pots+switch/4 jacks?

Various sorts of random come to mind, LFSR or subcomponents of the SOU, Some digital stuff, etc. But that's just how my mind works, I'm sure there are other ideas out there.

I expect to make the host itself an open standard or maybe even open source, with the idea that the really interesting part is what you can plug into it.




First reactions on FB are mostly "why make a module modular?"

Thinking you could do interesting normalling more easily this way though. Not sure if that's sufficient.

BTW in case it's not obvious this is purely DIY, not intending to sell a set of pre-built bits.