When you’re configuring your modular synthesizer, it’s easy to leave out the all-important “utility” modules. These are not sexy like new sound sources or filters, but they are essential in helping put a patch together, as well as to giving you more options and creative control in a patch.
In this post, we’re going to talk about what I call “utility mixers” – not the final mixer with optional effects sends and the such, but tools to combine signals in the middle of a patch.
The first two sections below (Why Do I Need More Mixers? and Audio versus Control Voltage Mixers) are designed for those new to modular synthesis who are still getting familiar with these building blocks. The third section (Ideas for breaking the Rules) may be interesting to even experienced users as it presents a few alternate ideas for processing signals in your system to get new sounds out of your existing oscillators, waveshapers, and filters.
