Talk:Modular synthesizer

Digital?

The word "digital" only appears once in this entire article. Sounds like an unfinished thought. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Justanothervisitor (talk • contribs) 19:00, 13 May 2013 (UTC)

In reply, modular analog modules with "digital" components are often referred to as "hybrid" systems. There are a few analog modules that have digital parts, for example Doepfer has a few, but these are mostly 'compound' modules that contain many functions, such as the step-sequencer, where 'digital logic control' is easier to implement than doing the same in much more complex TTL.

Kaustin6969 2013 - VII – 25 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kaustin6969 (talk • contribs) 14:52, 25 July 2013 (UTC)

There are now 4 occurrences of "digital" so, progress! ~Kvng (talk) 15:05, 21 December 2024 (UTC)

Wikipedia:External links

The article has become a directory listing rather than an encyclopaedic article. It would be worthwhile looking to remove commercial interests and align this article with the scope of enWP. — billinghurst sDrewth 08:29, 4 August 2013 (UTC)

There are two lists: manufacturers and software synthesizers. Entries are mostly blue links so there is not an WP:EL problem here. Lists like these are often removed as an article matures. ~Kvng (talk) 15:04, 21 December 2024 (UTC)

Types of Modules

The article has conflicting material stuck in willy nilly. For example, we were told that modules are sources or processors. A couple of sentences later, they are signal, control and logic/timing. Then a couple of sentences were are back them being sources or processors. Then we are told they are basic or compoumd. All over the place: poor reader.

So I have rearranged the first paragraph, and also pulled out the "source/processor" material into its own section "Typical modules". The term "compound" is not a term of art in synthesizers, but an unnecessary category introduced inappropriately, so I am rephrasing the second para of the types of modules so that it is not presented as some kind of important key concept.

Rick Jelliffe (talk) 07:19, 24 March 2019 (UTC)

Moving towards rewrite

I’ve started to fully rewrite this page, citing the appropriate number and quality of sources. The previous version had some interesting ideas, but contained some factual inaccuracies (e.g., Moog absolutely did not stop making modular synths in 1971), and the “history” section really wasn’t presenting “a history” but rather a collection of random ideas people have had about synths, with a few (largely inaccurate) dates added. There continues to be much original research in the remainder of the article, an over-reliance on one magazine article, and some large-scale conceptual problems we should address.

For starters, I left in the paragraph that distinguishes Moog from Buchla synthesizers based on filters and keyboards, but this is a myth, not a fact (Buchla released numerous filters over the years, including their famous low-pass gates; only some Moog-style synths had keyboards at all, but a few custom Buchlas did too). However, you can still see this myth being parroted through low-effort slop magazine articles, so the idea has stuck. I agree with the other editors who noted that “logic” is not a separate voltage type: in Serge systems, the distinction is between audio, control, and trigger.

--eliotbates (talk) 06:11, 18 January 2026 (UTC)

References