Clavia Micro Modular w. Doepfer Pocket Control
While awaiting our own modular analogue synth "Gigantor", SHotQ has purchased a Micro Modular - a virtual modular synthesizer. The Micro Modular is based on Clavias spectacular "Nord Modular", the main difference being sheer muscle power. That is, the Micro has fewer DSPs (digital signal processors), resulting in fewer voices available (often, with a reasonably complex patch, the Micro Modular becomes monophonic).
The actual synth is just a little box with a few knobs and buttons, and some inputs and outputs for audio and MIDI. By connecting the box to a computer, you can use an editor to put together your own modular synth patches on screen. You have access to a large number of ready-made modules - from standard stuff like oscillators, filters, envelopes, etc, to more esoteric devices such as vocoders, various step sequencers and similar. By placing the desired modules on the screen and dragging cables between them you create a patch, which then can be played and modulated at will. The clever about this is that all the synthesis work is done in the Micro Modular box - the computer is just used as a graphical editor. After filling the Micro Modular with suitable patches, you can take it anywhere and play it without the computer.
SHotQ's Micro Modular is equipped with a Doepfer Pocket Control, a smart little MIDI control device with 16 knobs. Since each knob can control one or several parameters in a modular patch, this makes some advanced real time control possible. A plus is that the Pocket Control is so small that it fits on top of the Micro Modular!
The Micro Modular has successfully been used for rain and thunder effects and drum filter processor during our first live gig. It has also appeared in Nacht und Tag. For us, its foremost usefulness is bizarre sounds and complex rhythmical sound constructions.