Morphing Terrarium

E350 Morphing Terrarium

Synsthesis Technology's E350 Morphing Terrarium is a possibility for my next module, so  I'll gather a few relevant posts here.

• Megaloceros has developed a DIY expansion board.
• Euroticism (who seems to have stopped posting) has reviewed and demonstrated the module extensively on Vimeo.
• Universalblender has demonstrated it on Youtube.
• Here's the manual.

Case 4 revisited

c4n 18Apr13

Legs on, time to revisit the modules.

• I have replaced the Plan-B VCO with the 95E to save space. It's smaller, possibly slightly less flexible, but prettier and, goddamit, British. And also significantly shallower, which makes positioning easier (I can move the two Red Modules back together).
• I think that pairing the MATHS with the Synchrodyne might initially prove an excessive learning curve as they are both complex modules, but they're in for now. I might temporarily substitute a random voltage module for the MATHS at some point.
• There's a Doepfer Manual Gate to kick the Flame.
• The Frequency Shifter had to move to the bottom row because of its depth - the power supply lies under the top row.
• I might get a Doepfer thin multiple A180-2 to lever in. 
• The current configuration includes six VCLFOs - one A147, one 143-4 and the uLFO. You cannot have too many VCLFOs. I'm still in the market for a VILFO.
• No standalone filter and no standalone ADSR, but some of the modules incorporate these things.

There might be slightly more HP in c4 than I have declared in ModularGrid, but I have not screwed them in yet and that always squeezes the space.

C4 with legs was [to me]  a thing of beauty, even empty (calling to mind Rincewind's Luggage). But with modules it becomes something altogether more magnificent.

What else might fit in? The VILFO and Morphing Terrarium combination has already been mentioned. f(h)'s IMP must also contend. Perhaps a second Noise Case is called for (I still have a spare power supply): but let's fiddle with c4 first.

Case 4 legs

inside C4

The Case 4 Noise now has legs.
Four Dansette legs from ebay, a little battered, but sound and reasonably-priced (some sets sell for £30+). Four mounting plates from the celebrated Dunn & Sons hardware store in Bex (£2.60 the lot). The first snap shows the whole thing, the second one of the plywood reinforcements inside the case.

And the Pittsburgh delay has arrived, so all will be running in a few days (after the CAMRA AGM in Norwich)

c4n manuals

c4n 9Apr13

Here are (will be) the manuals for the modules listed in c4n.

• Trogotronic 676
• Strakal Brulu
• Plan B Complex VCO
• Doepfer A126 Frequency Shifter
• Doepfer A143-9 QLFO
• bubblesound uLFO
• Pittsburgh Delay
• Doepfer A143-4 Quad VCLFO
• Makenoise MATHS
• WMD Synchrodyne
• Flame Talking Synth
• Cwejman MX-4S

And a reminder of some of the sounds to aim for:

• Trog & Strakal
• uLFO & delay
• MATHS & Synchrodyne
• VILFO and Morphing Terrarium

Flame talking synth

Flame
Talking Synth

The module arrived today. I have only played with it for half-an-hour, but I'm pretty certain it's the most bizarre module I have encountered. A splendid and lucky find.
Here's the manual, noises to follow.

Case4Noise 5Apr13

WTB and Sponsorship

The outfall from the Case4Noise plan requires:

1. Synchrodyne
2. VILFO
3. delay - previously considering Pittsburgh and FoH. There's also the Synthesis Technology E580 resampling mini-delay
4. and perhaps eventually a Morphing Terrarium.

The Little Drummer Boy will have to wait.

[2Apr13] Four OU invigilation sessions and a cheque from Google Adsense all in today's post will pay for the Morphing Terrarium.
I might reintroduce the Inadvertent Module Sponsorship first envisaged in the original blog (two links there), as when LiDL (in an obscure way) gave me £90 for a sequencer and CAB were going to pay for the Trautonium.