Just a few comments from my side. Indeed the original People's Synthesizer or Paperface Serge was meant as a cheap alternative for the students at the CalArts. As soon as Serge founded SMMS it became a professional and commercial product, thus it has not been cheap. The well known front panel graphics wth the round cornered rectangles are the typical SMMS graphics from this period (late 70ies, early 80ies). And the original schematics and IP are not open source of course. Since the shutdown of SMMS the heritage was continued by STS, who is building Systems according to the old PCBs and old mounting and production techniques, however adding a lot of useful modification. These systems are NOT sold under the name Serge though. In parallel Ken Stone curated the heritage on a DIY basis and published changed and additional circuitry. This was and is always a great source to DIYers, today elby-designs hosts his stuff. Today Serge Tcherepnin is in the business again, as part of our Random*Soure-team. Random*Source uses the original SMMS circuitry, but brings it up-to date with modern parts and technologies. Today you can buy "Serge"-systems and modules from randomsource.net (latest generation, 4U and Eurorack) www.elby-designs.com (DIY and Eurorack) www.loudestwarning.co.uk/ (CGS, R*S, custom builds) www.73-75.com (licensed Replika of the paperface People's Synthesizer)
good comment Matthias, I just add the following. I don't know the definition of "paperface" but we used to to glue the paper designs to the aluminum sheet in order to drill the holes not in order to cover them. The point behind the regular grid (sometimes not so regular) is that any module will fit the slot as they all confer to 8 rows (without using rails). Also it kinda maximizes the density of knobs/jacks.
Ken Stone actually passed on his "business" to Laurie of Elby Designs. Laurie has a range of Serge and CGS modules in Eurorack format as well which is great if you want to combine Serge with your Eurorack. You can also find the DIY kits for Best of CGS on Elby's shop: www.elby-designs.com
Sehr interressant und sehr angenehm zum anschauen! Es gibt echt nur wenige, die das schaffen so zu erzählen, ohne daß es langweilig oder anstrengend wird..! Weiter so!!!
Hey :) Vielen Dank!!! Das freut mich sehr zu lesen! Werde auf jeden Fall noch mal so etwas probieren, wenn mir ein Thema einfällt zu dem ich etwas länger am Stück frei erzählen möchte.
I found this extremely useful, thank you. While I've built a couple of DIY Eurorack modules, I found myself drawn to the larger 4u format. The PCBs seem a lot easier to work on from a spacing and size perspective.
hello, it's an old vid but i'll try anyway; what block would you get to start? i can put my hands on a "The Human Comparator 73-75 voice and control" that guy is selling on reverb. but if i wanted to get something with the basic to start in one rack box, wich one would you go for? west coast seems exiting, especially for experiments, but i'm not a rabbit hole guy, i'de rather be able to use the colors and textures without dedicating my life to west coast modular... what pittsburg modular has done was in my head a bit before, but then, if i want to add functiopns for music and a little ambiance creation, what serge style block would you add to the taiga for example? oh and if there's things a consum'actor should know about supporting this or that compagnmy (ken stone and elby would be a prefered choicev to me as the geezer shared and shared and shared a along the trip...)
Great video, can you please tell us why you think banana plug is better than the 3.5mm? I have been interested because they are much cheaper and stackable
Thank you! I like that they are a lot simpler, construction-wise, than 3.5mm TS jacks. No ground sleeve! That makes the plugs and sockets feel more durable and also plugging the jacks in feels smoother and tighter, as the contact area is larger. As you said, they’re also always stackable, which feels very different when patching than with 3.5mm jacks, because you never need to think about how to copy that signal, you just do it, without having to locate a “multiples” module first. And you’re right, they’re also cheaper while offering better quality in my opinion. Even cheap Chinese banana cables off eBay have been a very good experience for me, whereas cheap 3.5mm cables are always a gamble.
The Tuesday Night Machines - if not Simon The Magpie already has done something like that - usually it's him who is responsible for the weird stuff :D P.S. I can't wait to see you guys in the upcoming Thoman Synth Reaktor videos..!! Simon du kommer väl oxå till Thomann eller hur?
I have a korg volca modular a bastle bitranger & kastl a ns1nanosyth I think this is about as close as I shall ever get to a Buchala or Serge I do have a eurorack I tend to mostly head scratching stare at
Hm, so do you think you’ve got the wrong Eurorack module configuration then? What I like to do when I feel uninspired, is to restrict myself super ridiculously. Like only use an LFO and a VCO and cross-patch the two as much as you can and see what audio you can get out. Bonus points if you record some samples or the whole process then and save it in a folder to use in your 2034 hit song!
@@tuesdaynightmachines To much 2hp and reaching around patch cords with overly complex snake pit setups, I thought it would be a great Idea at first, your right though simple is good and eurorack is complicated.
Oh yeah, I also found that 2hp stuff a little too cramped. If it’s just a module here and there it’s fine, but too many in a row aren’t much fun to patch and tweak indeed.
I accidently bought 73-75 homebuild pcb:s thinking that i was buying eurorack sized synth. No regrets and I'm totally fine about it but I don't understand all the differences (or basicly Any) in Serge standard yet. How do you mount it? Is 4U modular same as Serge? If it is does 4U mean as in 16" rack so can It Be fitted there? If thats right. Would it need some kind of protective case for The pcb:s. Sorry for all these dumb questions but I really do need help.
Hey, have a look at the Muffwiggler thread about the 73-75 project. Generally, the front panels are 4U high and fit into a 19“ rack. You might not need a full enclosure, if you‘re mounting it in a rack that‘s protected at the back.
You gave up the Vermona DRM 1?! That Vermona DRM 1 is the reason why I’ve gone DIY, learned about linear power supplies, and await my ‘tugboats’ that slowly make their way to the shores of California periodically to deliver more of my components from China. It’s Another reason why Trump is involved deep in a Trade War with China, as he is conspiring with my family members against me in their attempts to thwart my Synth DIY endeavors. All because of my decision to attempt to build a sort of ‘drum computer’ much like the Vermona DRM 1, instead of just buying it! I’m happy I did, although sometimes I fear that I may have gone in too deep, and that my pride has now got the better of me, and rendered me too stubborn to admit that i would have been in a much more favorable position had I never decided to go DIY! Thank you for sharing, it’s been really inspirational as always! ‘NEVER give up the Urge To Serge!!’
THE TUESDAY NIGHT MACHINES Roland’s twin T networks and Swing VCA are easy beginnings for experimentation. I have a book called ‘Filter Design’. It’s a treasure trove of mathematics and schematics to overload any hungry filter fan! Got a few noise generators meant to aid in meditation, relaxation, and sleeping. Paired with a few digital or analog switch ICs, envelope, and VCA, you’ve got all types of noise! From the dumpster behind the GoodWill I took a broken generic digital drum brain meant for the rack mounted rubber and mesh pads. I found that it’s AC DC adapter’s inlet jack had torn it’s PCB traces clean off the board. Also, it wasn’t agreeing so well with its specified 9 volt supply but it loves 12 volts. It’s a pretty generic set of voices, but there’s promise, with user - defined sets and a few edit-able parameters (it’s an OSP 502 mk2), really IF I brought the individual voices to their own separate channels, and input each one into separate sort of ‘8 channel drum mangling effect unit’, I’d practically have the DRM-1. Time will tell, as I have bitten off far more than I could chew with all the DIY PCBs that I have piled up all around me. I’m trying to get organized, and try my best to just knock out one circuit a week minimum, and just catalog the progress, and hopefully I’ll see a very sick setup emerge from the efforts. I’ve watched / listened to this video a handful of times now and I am really fond of your style of speaking / lecturing. You ought to be making a career of it, somehow! THANKS again!
Thanks for these videos. Could you make a vlog explaining some of the esoteric CGS modules? Thinking mostly of Infinite Melody, Gated Compar, modulo magic. Very curious to see them demonstrated.
Thank you! I've had those videos on my to do list for a while ... it is one thing to explain the modules with text and pictures, like I did in those threads on Muffwiggler (see the video description), but demonstrating the features in a video is a little more tricky, because there isn't much visual feedback you get from the Modulo Magic and Infinite Melody and things can get so complex. I also don't have a proper oscilloscope at the moment, which I do need to get asap though.
Wow! That’s my reaction too! Whenever I hear those magical words I have the urge to drop everything I’m doing and look it up ... and figure out how to get to that hidden Chopper Rescue mini game. What’s disrupting my flow even more though are the words “triple bacon cheesecake”. Oh geez! I don’t know. My brain just stops when I pass that one bakery in town with this loud-mouth baker boy yelling about his wares. And I don’t even like bacon. Yet, upon feeling those cheesecakey airwaves reaching my ear drums, I just black out for a second or two. So if I heard those words in a TH-cam video I’d probably be hard pressed to switch it off too. On the other hand, this experience can also be like a drug and I sometimes feel how my brain wants me to go to town even when my fridge is still full of vegan spaghetti from the day before and there is nothing to shop for. That baker boy will be the end of me 😵
Hallo, ausgezeichnetes Video! Ich werde ein CGS - BOCGS kaufen. Ich möchte es in einem Koffer installieren. Könntest du mir ein Koffer/Case empfehlen (Ich habe dies in Thomann gesehen: www.thomann.de/intl/cl/flyht_pro_case_universal_for_19_units.htm) Gruß aus Santiago de Chile!
Vielen Dank! Der Koffer bei Thomann ist glaube ich nur 10U hoch, d.h. für die drei 4U CGS Boats fehlen dir noch 2U an Höhe. Außerdem solltest du auf die Tiefer der Boats achten. Meine sind glaube ich etwas unter 10cm, was in den Koffer passen würde, allerdings benötigen die noch eine Stromversorgung die dann wohl nicht mehr in den Koffer passt. Da die Serge Modular Systeme nicht wirklich standardisiert sind (bis auf die 4U Höhe), musst du genau schauen wie die Maße bei deinem konkreten System sind. D.h. den Koffer würde ich erst am Schluss kaufen, wenn alle Dimensionen und die Stromversorgung bekannt sind.
Danke dir sehr herzlich. Ich wrede es so tun, nur am ende, nach ich das ganze Modular System montiert habe und den genauen Platz für alles weiss, den Kopffer kaufen. Alles gute und mehr videos!, Andérs Klümppé @@tuesdaynightmachines
@@tuesdaynightmachines Going to Serge because a module allows for multiple functions, I get the idea this will enable me to make more creative patches.
I came here to find out what a Serge synthesizer sounds like. Subscribe? So I can hear you talk about yourself and "me" and "my journey" and "how my brain is wired?" No thanks.
Interesting 🤔 Your brain might be wired quite differently than most people’s indeed. I mean the video title is “thoughts after one year VLOG”, the thumbnail reads “let’s talk Serge” and I even say that it’s a talk video which my viewers requested and not a sound demo a couple of times in the first minute 😂Haha! Also, in the description there is a link to my whole CGS Serge playlist full of music: th-cam.com/play/PLa9Em_H8Xs_YW5V2tt4155Zpe84SHDshG.html
Just a few comments from my side.
Indeed the original People's Synthesizer or Paperface Serge was meant as a cheap alternative for the students at the CalArts. As soon as Serge founded SMMS it became a professional and commercial product, thus it has not been cheap. The well known front panel graphics wth the round cornered rectangles are the typical SMMS graphics from this period (late 70ies, early 80ies). And the original schematics and IP are not open source of course.
Since the shutdown of SMMS the heritage was continued by STS, who is building Systems according to the old PCBs and old mounting and production techniques, however adding a lot of useful modification. These systems are NOT sold under the name Serge though.
In parallel Ken Stone curated the heritage on a DIY basis and published changed and additional circuitry. This was and is always a great source to DIYers, today elby-designs hosts his stuff.
Today Serge Tcherepnin is in the business again, as part of our Random*Soure-team. Random*Source uses the original SMMS circuitry, but brings it up-to date with modern parts and technologies.
Today you can buy "Serge"-systems and modules from
randomsource.net
(latest generation, 4U and Eurorack)
www.elby-designs.com
(DIY and Eurorack)
www.loudestwarning.co.uk/
(CGS, R*S, custom builds)
www.73-75.com
(licensed Replika of the paperface People's Synthesizer)
Thanks a lot for those insights! I pinned your comment so that others can find it easily:)
@@tuesdaynightmachines That's cool. BTW I have about 1800hp of DIY Eurorack, but since I have the 4U Serge I don't touch it anymore (almost).
good comment Matthias, I just add the following. I don't know the definition of "paperface" but we used to to glue the paper designs to the aluminum sheet in order to drill the holes not in order to cover them. The point behind the regular grid (sometimes not so regular) is that any module will fit the slot as they all confer to 8 rows (without using rails). Also it kinda maximizes the density of knobs/jacks.
Ken Stone actually passed on his "business" to Laurie of Elby Designs. Laurie has a range of Serge and CGS modules in Eurorack format as well which is great if you want to combine Serge with your Eurorack. You can also find the DIY kits for Best of CGS on Elby's shop: www.elby-designs.com
Sehr interressant und sehr angenehm zum anschauen! Es gibt echt nur wenige, die das schaffen so zu erzählen, ohne daß es langweilig oder anstrengend wird..! Weiter so!!!
Hey :) Vielen Dank!!! Das freut mich sehr zu lesen! Werde auf jeden Fall noch mal so etwas probieren, wenn mir ein Thema einfällt zu dem ich etwas länger am Stück frei erzählen möchte.
Awesome talk! I dig your insights on some amazing and for some, rather cryptic tools. Your advice is honest, and encouraging. Respect.
Thank you very much!!! :)
Hey, I've enjoyed your "deep dives" into the CGS Serge universe. Thanks for this.
Thank you very much :)
Sertsch! Very interesting - I've been intrigued by the Serge system of modulars but never had an explanation of them like this before - Thanks!
Great video! I was on the edge of buying a STS Serge, but went deeper eurorack instead, and that's cool as well
Top of the line. I absolutely love the layout and sound of these . Just not the price. Gorgeous. Peace Christo👽🐕🎶
I also like the videos by Doug Lynner which are mostly focused on Serge and also shows Elby's Euroserge modules: th-cam.com/users/mlwebworks
Yeah! Doug’s videos have helped me a lot for sure :) great content!
I found this extremely useful, thank you. While I've built a couple of DIY Eurorack modules, I found myself drawn to the larger 4u format. The PCBs seem a lot easier to work on from a spacing and size perspective.
hello, it's an old vid but i'll try anyway; what block would you get to start? i can put my hands on a "The Human Comparator 73-75 voice and control" that guy is selling on reverb. but if i wanted to get something with the basic to start in one rack box, wich one would you go for? west coast seems exiting, especially for experiments, but i'm not a rabbit hole guy, i'de rather be able to use the colors and textures without dedicating my life to west coast modular... what pittsburg modular has done was in my head a bit before, but then, if i want to add functiopns for music and a little ambiance creation, what serge style block would you add to the taiga for example? oh and if there's things a consum'actor should know about supporting this or that compagnmy (ken stone and elby would be a prefered choicev to me as the geezer shared and shared and shared a along the trip...)
Yes, lovely face Fix! And a great vid!😻
Haha! Thanks! I’ll do more :D
Very cool video. I learn a lot, thank you.
Who does'nt want a synthesizer with droles? Well I do! Thanks for this video. Greetings from another PAX-homestudio owner.
Hey, cool! Do you have pictures of your wardrobe studio online?
Thanks! Very informative!!
Great to hear! Thank you :)
Great video, can you please tell us why you think banana plug is better than the 3.5mm?
I have been interested because they are much cheaper and stackable
Thank you! I like that they are a lot simpler, construction-wise, than 3.5mm TS jacks. No ground sleeve! That makes the plugs and sockets feel more durable and also plugging the jacks in feels smoother and tighter, as the contact area is larger. As you said, they’re also always stackable, which feels very different when patching than with 3.5mm jacks, because you never need to think about how to copy that signal, you just do it, without having to locate a “multiples” module first. And you’re right, they’re also cheaper while offering better quality in my opinion. Even cheap Chinese banana cables off eBay have been a very good experience for me, whereas cheap 3.5mm cables are always a gamble.
Lovely face!!
Thanks! :P I think my next VLOG will be about shaving, you know, from a modular synth musician's very personal perspective.
The Tuesday Night Machines - if not Simon The Magpie already has done something like that - usually it's him who is responsible for the weird stuff :D
P.S. I can't wait to see you guys in the upcoming Thoman Synth Reaktor videos..!!
Simon du kommer väl oxå till Thomann eller hur?
We could wait for thomann and shave each other?
För jag ska diiiiit yeaaah
Good idea! I'm sure there will also be a talented Tuber who could sample our shavings for a fluffy ambient track.
@@tuesdaynightmachines Don't shave with a saw oscillator, it is dangerous...
I have a korg volca modular a bastle bitranger & kastl a ns1nanosyth I think this is about as close as I shall ever get to a Buchala or Serge I do have a eurorack I tend to mostly head scratching stare at
Hm, so do you think you’ve got the wrong Eurorack module configuration then? What I like to do when I feel uninspired, is to restrict myself super ridiculously. Like only use an LFO and a VCO and cross-patch the two as much as you can and see what audio you can get out. Bonus points if you record some samples or the whole process then and save it in a folder to use in your 2034 hit song!
@@tuesdaynightmachines To much 2hp and reaching around patch cords with overly complex snake pit setups, I thought it would be a great Idea at first, your right though simple is good and eurorack is complicated.
Oh yeah, I also found that 2hp stuff a little too cramped. If it’s just a module here and there it’s fine, but too many in a row aren’t much fun to patch and tweak indeed.
please go ahead with other videos... ;-)
Thank you! Will do :)
I accidently bought 73-75 homebuild pcb:s thinking that i was buying eurorack sized synth. No regrets and I'm totally fine about it but I don't understand all the differences (or basicly Any) in Serge standard yet. How do you mount it? Is 4U modular same as Serge? If it is does 4U mean as in 16" rack so can It Be fitted there? If thats right. Would it need some kind of protective case for The pcb:s. Sorry for all these dumb questions but I really do need help.
Hey, have a look at the Muffwiggler thread about the 73-75 project. Generally, the front panels are 4U high and fit into a 19“ rack. You might not need a full enclosure, if you‘re mounting it in a rack that‘s protected at the back.
**watches every single Serge video you've posted that I somehow missed**
Haha! Cool! They're all in this playlist now: th-cam.com/video/qZRdJBC5KRg/w-d-xo.html
Informative!
Cool! Thank you :)
You gave up the Vermona DRM 1?! That Vermona DRM 1 is the reason why I’ve gone DIY, learned about linear power supplies, and await my ‘tugboats’ that slowly make their way to the shores of California periodically to deliver more of my components from China. It’s Another reason why Trump is involved deep in a Trade War with China, as he is conspiring with my family members against me in their attempts to thwart my Synth DIY endeavors. All because of my decision to attempt to build a sort of ‘drum computer’ much like the Vermona DRM 1, instead of just buying it! I’m happy I did, although sometimes I fear that I may have gone in too deep, and that my pride has now got the better of me, and rendered me too stubborn to admit that i would have been in a much more favorable position had I never decided to go DIY! Thank you for sharing, it’s been really inspirational as always!
‘NEVER give up the Urge
To Serge!!’
Aaah, but DIY is fun and fulfilling (hopefully). How do you want to build your drum machine? Do you use specific circuits?
THE TUESDAY NIGHT MACHINES
Roland’s twin T networks and Swing VCA are easy beginnings for experimentation. I have a book called ‘Filter Design’. It’s a treasure trove of mathematics and schematics to overload any hungry filter fan! Got a few noise generators meant to aid in meditation, relaxation, and sleeping. Paired with a few digital or analog switch ICs, envelope, and VCA, you’ve got all types of noise! From the dumpster behind the GoodWill I took a broken generic digital drum brain meant for the rack mounted rubber and mesh pads. I found that it’s AC DC adapter’s inlet jack had torn it’s PCB traces clean off the board. Also, it wasn’t agreeing so well with its specified 9 volt supply but it loves 12 volts. It’s a pretty generic set of voices, but there’s promise, with user - defined sets and a few edit-able parameters (it’s an OSP 502 mk2), really IF I brought the individual voices to their own separate channels, and input each one into separate sort of ‘8 channel drum mangling effect unit’, I’d practically have the DRM-1. Time will tell, as I have bitten off far more than I could chew with all the DIY PCBs that I have piled up all around me. I’m trying to get organized, and try my best to just knock out one circuit a week minimum, and just catalog the progress, and hopefully I’ll see a very sick setup emerge from the efforts. I’ve watched / listened to this video a handful of times now and I am really fond of your style of speaking / lecturing. You ought to be making a career of it, somehow! THANKS again!
Thanks for these videos. Could you make a vlog explaining some of the esoteric CGS modules? Thinking mostly of Infinite Melody, Gated Compar, modulo magic. Very curious to see them demonstrated.
Thank you! I've had those videos on my to do list for a while ... it is one thing to explain the modules with text and pictures, like I did in those threads on Muffwiggler (see the video description), but demonstrating the features in a video is a little more tricky, because there isn't much visual feedback you get from the Modulo Magic and Infinite Melody and things can get so complex. I also don't have a proper oscilloscope at the moment, which I do need to get asap though.
I *almost turned off the video when you said, "Teenage Engineering OP-1."
Wow! That’s my reaction too! Whenever I hear those magical words I have the urge to drop everything I’m doing and look it up ... and figure out how to get to that hidden Chopper Rescue mini game. What’s disrupting my flow even more though are the words “triple bacon cheesecake”. Oh geez! I don’t know. My brain just stops when I pass that one bakery in town with this loud-mouth baker boy yelling about his wares. And I don’t even like bacon. Yet, upon feeling those cheesecakey airwaves reaching my ear drums, I just black out for a second or two. So if I heard those words in a TH-cam video I’d probably be hard pressed to switch it off too. On the other hand, this experience can also be like a drug and I sometimes feel how my brain wants me to go to town even when my fridge is still full of vegan spaghetti from the day before and there is nothing to shop for. That baker boy will be the end of me 😵
@@tuesdaynightmachines I appreciate your kind words more than you know. You're a good man.
Hallo, ausgezeichnetes Video! Ich werde ein CGS - BOCGS kaufen. Ich möchte es in einem Koffer installieren. Könntest du mir ein Koffer/Case empfehlen (Ich habe dies in Thomann gesehen: www.thomann.de/intl/cl/flyht_pro_case_universal_for_19_units.htm) Gruß aus Santiago de Chile!
Vielen Dank! Der Koffer bei Thomann ist glaube ich nur 10U hoch, d.h. für die drei 4U CGS Boats fehlen dir noch 2U an Höhe. Außerdem solltest du auf die Tiefer der Boats achten. Meine sind glaube ich etwas unter 10cm, was in den Koffer passen würde, allerdings benötigen die noch eine Stromversorgung die dann wohl nicht mehr in den Koffer passt. Da die Serge Modular Systeme nicht wirklich standardisiert sind (bis auf die 4U Höhe), musst du genau schauen wie die Maße bei deinem konkreten System sind. D.h. den Koffer würde ich erst am Schluss kaufen, wenn alle Dimensionen und die Stromversorgung bekannt sind.
Danke dir sehr herzlich. Ich wrede es so tun, nur am ende, nach ich das ganze Modular System montiert habe und den genauen Platz für alles weiss, den Kopffer kaufen. Alles gute und mehr videos!, Andérs Klümppé @@tuesdaynightmachines
Going from Doepfer to Serge now, I want to be more creative and less conceptual
Hm, not sure if that's the right direction then. Serge is highly "conceptual". It's fun, but also very technical.
@@tuesdaynightmachines Going to Serge because a module allows for multiple functions, I get the idea this will enable me to make more creative patches.
Ah okay. Maybe I misunderstood the conceptual part then. Cool then 😎
You talk
Not Serge
I came here to find out what a Serge synthesizer sounds like. Subscribe? So I can hear you talk about yourself and "me" and "my journey" and "how my brain is wired?" No thanks.
Interesting 🤔 Your brain might be wired quite differently than most people’s indeed. I mean the video title is “thoughts after one year VLOG”, the thumbnail reads “let’s talk Serge” and I even say that it’s a talk video which my viewers requested and not a sound demo a couple of times in the first minute 😂Haha!
Also, in the description there is a link to my whole CGS Serge playlist full of music:
th-cam.com/play/PLa9Em_H8Xs_YW5V2tt4155Zpe84SHDshG.html
@@tuesdaynightmachines thank you