Bluemole - Modular Synthesiser Project

Modular Synthesiser DIY Project

This and the following pages are intended to document the slow progress of my modular synthesiser DIY project. An old hand barely will find anything exciting here but maybe it's inspiring and encouraging to any beginner or aspiring enthusiast.

In spring 2003 I decided to buy a modular synthesiser.
I went through innumerable websites and pages and soon found out that for the time being I want to entirely stay in the analogue domain and primarily want to rely on so called traditional technologies. I was sure that this kind of electronic musical instrument would meet my style of playing best.
I decided to avoid special integrated custom circuits and especially chips that are about to become extinct. There are so many commercial systems out there that need the remaining parts for repair and maintenance.
So here you will probably not find anything related to something like Curtis Electro Music (CEM). These chips and others have to be saved for all those great vintage machines out there in the world!

Why?
In today's world of 24/96-digital recording many will ask "why bother with that obsolete technology?" From my point of view it's the same as with any other musical instrument. Why should a drumkit be obsolete? Or a grand piano? Or a violin or trumpet? Nowadays a drumkit is quite different from one of the seventies, for instance.
Compared to earlier decades analogue technology has been refined and is very well known. Modern VST instruments availiable for the various computer platforms are not a substitute. This is a class of instrument on its own.

I hardly ever would go for a Moog Modular. They are wonderful instruments but not what I've in mind in terms of reliability and flexibility. So IMHO it's quite worthwhile to go for a modern modular sound synthesis system.

So ...
Even today a reasonable modular synthesiser certainly is not cheap and since money always is an issue I had to decide which way to go and I had to choose formfactor and other technical standards to meet my financial and technical capabilities (which are both far from large).

There are many nice vendors of synthesiser electronics out there. I decided to build up my future system based on Tony Allgood's wonderful Oakley Sound System modules.
Since this is a UK based company it has the advantage that I don't have to pay additional sales taxes and customs duties, as I would have to do if I got parts from the USA or other non-EU countries. A nice "side-effect" that saves me an average of additional 30%!
This "basic system" will be extended step by step, and at times modules of other companies such as the also pretty cool MOTM or even something really "exotic" will join in.

Bluemole is the name of the whole idea to build such a modular synthesis system and the musics around it. Most of my music was recorded during the blauwurf sessions since 2005.

Modules by Oakley Sound Systems
Front Panels

< Home