Quad tomorrow

[thumpasorus]

I’m going quad tomorrow. Picking up a starter 5.1 channel receiver mostly to listen to DTS mixes of Marvin Gaye on Forever Yours. Done in the late 1990s by Robert Margouleff, who programmed synths and mixed for Stevie Wonder and Devo. Great recent interview by him on Anthony Marinelli’s YouTube channel with a bit toward the end about synths in quad space. (This is my first post, so linking may be iffy - - quad stuff around 85 min in)

Hoping to find my way to the quad versions of What’s Going On and Let’s Get It On. I learned about those 1970s Motown mixes stumbling through this forum. That’s why I joined.

Also interested in running my own synths in quad. Looking to pick up what I can here about all that. Cheers.

 

[H.A.L.]

Welcome aboard! Synths and multichannel -- you DO want to spend a lot of money, lol!

What type of synths are we talking about -- modular or semi-modular? For performance, or recording?

For starters, look for an external mixer that outputs individual channels with panning. Four semi-modulars
can output four channels that you could pan however you like with two separate stereo system speakers.

For modular, Bored Brain has an interesting mixer + expansion that handles up to 12 channels (!):

https://boredbrainmusic.com/product/xcelon/

https://boredbrainmusic.com/product/xcelon-xp3/

Eurorack only recently starting going to stereo over mono, but I have seen individual modules for quad that you can search for on Modulargrid.net. Here's a search for some:

https://modulargrid.net/e/modules/b...&SearchShowpanel=1&order=newest&direction=asc

Of course, you can double up two stereo modular outputs. For example, have two Instruo Carns that can output eight channels into four outputs with panning (you can rear sum them, but the end one would just be stereo, so keep the modules separate).

https://modulargrid.com/e/instruo-carn

Let us know how it goes! I'm sure there are others here who know more about the synths you
are talking about (that I assume are semi-modular keyboard types). A small 48hp Eurorack could be a relatively
cheap means of tying together semi-modular inputs and outputting in panned quad.

 

[Brysherexx]

More relaxed here than other chat forums. Welcome . Happy to join the party

 

[esimms86]

I’m going quad tomorrow. Picking up a starter 5.1 channel receiver mostly to listen to DTS mixes of Marvin Gaye on Forever Yours. Done in the late 1990s by Robert Margouleff, who programmed synths and mixed for Stevie Wonder and Devo. Great recent interview by him on Anthony Marinelli’s YouTube channel with a bit toward the end about synths in quad space. (This is my first post, so linking may be iffy - - quad stuff around 85 min in)

Hoping to find my way to the quad versions of What’s Going On and Let’s Get It On. I learned about those 1970s Motown mixes stumbling through this forum. That’s why I joined.

Also interested in running my own synths in quad. Looking to pick up what I can here about all that. Cheers.

Welcome aboard! I’m curious as to what you think about Suzanne Ciani’s work with synthesizers in quad?

 

[thumpasorus]

Welcome aboard! Synths and multichannel -- you DO want to spend a lot of money, lol!

Haha, right! I’m pretty much on the four speakers, one kidney track.

I’m more a semi-modular guy. Moog Grandmother, Behringer Neutron, Korg MS-10, Micromoog, plus two or three more Behringer clones I try not mention when I want to make a good impression on gear people. I have a few eurorack modules for special functions, including a matrix mixer and a quad VCA with four ins and four outs (Doepfer A-138M and A-135-1). Plan is to route out from them through Ladik 4ch outs or something like the DBX 1046 to keep from frying the line-level part of the chain, and see what happens.

If I can get the hang of that, I want to add in the Mystic Circuits 3DVCA to give more control moving elements all around. After that, if I can hang, I’ll take a run at your Bad Brains mixer. Thing’s badass! I’ll study up on Cairns too. Really clever suggestion, thanks.

All your good info much, much appreciated! Except you know in terms of my bank account. Thanks for the warm welcome and very sound advice!

 

[thumpasorus]

Welcome aboard! I’m curious as to what you think about Suzanne Ciani’s work with synthesizers in quad?

Yes, I’m interested in her stuff. I haven’t heard the Live album in quad, but I’m absolutely hoping to. It’s a little cerebral for me to listen to all the time. But I should probably try to acquire some taste. Let me know if you have suggestions!

 

[barfle]

Yes, I’m interested in her stuff. I haven’t heard the Live album in quad, but I’m absolutely hoping to. It’s a little cerebral for me to listen to all the time. But I should probably try to acquire some taste. Let me know if you have suggestions!

Suzanne Ciani is a student of Morton Subotnick, who I was able to see live in the mid-2010s. The Buchla isn’t exactly musical, but it’s fascinating. Subotnick’s work influenced me getting (a bit too) deep into quad.

And, of course, welcome to the money pit. I’m sure you can get a lot of us to send money your way for your work, and we’re even better at finding ways to help you spend it.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Haha, right! I’m pretty much on the four speakers, one kidney track.

I’m more a semi-modular guy. Moog Grandmother, Behringer Neutron, Korg MS-10, Micromoog, plus two or three more Behringer clones I try not mention when I want to make a good impression on gear people. I have a few eurorack modules for special functions, including a matrix mixer and a quad VCA with four ins and four outs (Doepfer A-138M and A-135-1). Plan is to route out from them through Ladik 4ch outs or something like the DBX 1046 to keep from frying the line-level part of the chain, and see what happens.

If I can get the hang of that, I want to add in the Mystic Circuits 3DVCA to give more control moving elements all around. After that, if I can hang, I’ll take a run at your Bad Brains mixer. Thing’s badass! I’ll study up on Cairns too. Really clever suggestion, thanks.

All your good info much, much appreciated! Except you know in terms of my bank account. Thanks for the warm welcome and very sound advice!

Welcome to the forum. Meet @Franck , our resident spatial mix modular synth artist.

In the last edition of Cyclical Dreams Magazine, published today and featuring Kebu, there is an introduction to quadraphonic on Eurorack modular syntesizers by yours truly.

https://www.cyclicaldreams.com/magazine

https://pubhtml5.com/qori/hdau/

https://shop.peachymango.org/

 

[Franck]

Welcome to the forum. Meet @Franck , our resident spatial mix modular synth artist.

Thanks @~dave~~wave~ for the shout out.

Welcome @thumpasorus !

You can find a bit more information on quadraphonic modules on Eurorak on https://www.peachymango.org/euroquad

You will also find there a playlist of modular synthesizer in Atmos. A big part of it, is quadraphonic tracks using Atmos for the delivery mechanism, but some pieces are more than 4 channels.

I have done a few writing around spatial music, that you can find at https://www.peachymango.org/writings

For quad synthesizers, besides the eurorack and buchla systems, there is not much quad synthesizers per se. However one I’m exploring is the 3rd wave which has 6 outputs that are assignable.

There are quad groups around in the USA, I know there are from time to time quadraphonic concerts in San Diego, see https://www.instagram.com/pointsofaction?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

And in LA, check the Vintage Synthesizer Museum and my friends at SoCal Synths Society: https://www.socalsynthsociety.com/

 

[barfle]

And in LA, check the Vintage Synthesizer Museum and my friends at SoCal Synths Society: https://www.socalsynthsociety.com/

Doggone, if THAT doesn’t make me feel old!

 

[MidiMagic]

I found an easy way to mix QS with my 4-bus mixer.

I built a phase inverter that fits into the bus 3-4 inserts. This version works with the most mixers.

Then I use just the pan pots and bus selectors to pan the sources wherever I want them in QS. This is ALL you neeed to encode QS, EV, or DS.

Ignore the center pan position in the diagram. It needs much more circuitry.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

I found an easy way to mix QS with my 4-bus mixer.

I built a phase inverter that fits into the bus 3-4 inserts. This version works with the most mixers.

View attachment 111922
Then I use just the pan pots and bus selectors to pan the sources wherever I want them in QS. This is ALL you neeed to encode QS, EV, or DS.

Ignore the center pan position in the diagram. It needs much more circuitry.

View attachment 111923

What frigging anachronisic nonsensence. Who cares? Move on to the 21st Century.

 

[thumpasorus]

You can find a bit more information on quadraphonic modules on Eurorak on https://www.peachymango.org/euroquad

You will also find there a playlist of modular synthesizer in Atmos. A big part of it, is quadraphonic tracks using Atmos for the delivery mechanism, but some pieces are more than 4 channels.

I have done a few writing around spatial music, that you can find at https://www.peachymango.org/writings

For quad synthesizers, besides the eurorack and buchla systems, there is not much quad synthesizers per se. However one I’m exploring is the 3rd wave which has 6 outputs that are assignable.

There are quad groups around in the USA, I know there are from time to time quadraphonic concerts in San Diego, see https://www.instagram.com/pointsofaction?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

And in LA, check the Vintage Synthesizer Museum and my friends at SoCal Synths Society: https://www.socalsynthsociety.com/

I’m soaking this up. @Franck, that blog of yours is a godsend. I’ll try not to bug you, but you know a lot of stuff I want to know. Plus your tracks rock.

I take your comments about CVilization as a starting point to heart. I was thinking about the Mystic Circuits 3DVCA for that spot in the leaning curve, so I’ll do my homework and then see if I can follow up. That’s a conversation for a few months (also meaning few paychecks) down the road tho.

Until then I’m trying to get my bearings with a matrix mixer for basically static distribution of sounds and Doepfer A-135-1 with Super Synthesis Scanner module for motion, if limited and kind of lurching motion. I was glad to see you use a WMD mixer. My only stereo thing now is a WMD Multimode VCA, which gives me better results than I deserve and has a saturation circuit I dig. Anyway, blah blah, more soon, okay?

And more generally - thanks again to everybody on the thread. I’ll be marinating on all this for a while! Feels really good to be here.