Part of our goal with this series is to offer not just different function groups, but different control arrangements of similar function groups – for example, a 3x 8HP logic could process RGB in 24HP, but an RGB logic operator module could perhaps do the same in 1x 12HP module. Of course, this isn’t just an exercise in exhausting all possibilities, the idea is to grow it organically around system concepts.
It would be nice to provide enough options such that the user has a lot of control over their system build. In a part of your synth focused on granular pattern synthesis you might prefer quads or triples of single function modules, even if the real estate is larger – whereas in line with an RGB output path you may prefer the multimodal nature of an analog graphics operator (like an HSL modulator or Luma keyer.)
DSG3 offers some analog logic blocks and supporting waveform generation in the most compact/dense way I could think of. It’s highly suited for 3-4 module mini systems or being part of a voice in a “polyphonic graphics” arrangement, where each voice needs its own core ramp/spatial pattern source. If your video synth only has one module dealing with ramps, curves and analog logic (the ingredients you need to make 2D shapes) – or if you prefer building in voices / independent shape generator sections – DSG3 is a great fit.
But analog logic is an ingredient, not a recipe, so there are many other places it’s likely to show up in future modules – I think the two most likely would be an RGB blending module and a piecemeal function bank (although there would still be a lot to decide regarding size and combination of functions – the Sum/Dist style patchable quads layout could work for example.)
One approach might be to offer some kind of 8HP multimodal super function. Just a dual in, single out function, but the full array of operators (mix, multiply, analog logic, soft key, hard key) as modes on a rotary switch. With modules like this, the cost-per-function and hp-per-function ratios go way up, but it would be incredibly versatile, especially in the case you had three for RGB processing.
But there are always many ways to skin a cat, and embedding analog logic in higher level modules is great, as well. Excited to get my DSG3 and see what crazy stuff it can do. Might need to get another one at some point for full RGB processing. First I need some hands on with just the one module and see how far I can take it.
Loving Gen3, I’ve said this before but 10+ years of constant development and production really shows here. LZX is by far the most mature video synth ecosystem the world has seen.
So thinking more about my shift register question/idea I realized that TBC2 or Memory Palace may allow for the “frame sampling” that I imagined, but another buffer after would be needed to allow for the ASR effect. An example of my idea would be taking a gif, or any kind of stop motion or series of images within a bank, and sending a sequnce of them through an ASR so there would be an image delay (not technically a frame delay or sample delay, just another image, could be from a sequnce that makes sense like motion, or not), then being able to recall “delayed” images from the ASR’s buffer at another point. This shift register behavior would help to coordinate other modulation sources so, for example, selecting an image from the buffer would also send other delayed signals out of its channel’s outputs to adjust other module’s parameters like oscillator frequency or filter cutoff. I fully realize there’s very little analog about what I’ve just described, haha, but I feel like describing it as an analog shift register helps get the idea across.
What you’re describing is pretty similar to how the Memory Palace’s frame delay already works – images are loaded into a sequence, and the delay can arbitrarily access any frame in that sequence. What’s different about this suggestion though is the idea of delaying the modulation state of each image, and giving those persistence as well! That could be very interesting.
I’ve wanted a RGB in and R%G%B% / luma Black% white% output module for a while now. I’ve got a version I made in touch designer that is a super fun modulator.
Getting hardware CV sources of the percentage of a color in the frame would be pretty rad.
of course once you have those CV sources then you add all the S&H, slews and switches…
I would also love to see a bus channel module
something with 2 or 3 sets of RGB inputs and a single RGB output
realistically 4 seems like a little bit much for smaller systems…maybe
latching selection switches above or below each of the input channels
maybe CV control over the selection but not totally necessary
hard switching not fading would be totally fine
however fading would certainly bring a new twist to the idea
a couple bus channels and a FKG3 would be the making for a really fun and familiar mixer section.
if we wanted to get a little silly
a matrix switcher
9 inputs and 3 outputs
the outputs could each have a rotary encoder to select which of the 9 inputs it uses.
that way you could select a full RGB input channel or mix and match from separate RGB sources. You could also just patch up a bunch of different outputs that aren’t necessarily a full RGB voice (ramps oscillators shapes keys…)
like a hard switching cousin of the SMX3
sometimes it is good to flip around the color channels in a RGB voice without having to unpatch.
so if you had a camera plugged into TBC2 but instead of RGB you wanted to look at GBR or BGR or any of the possible full voice combinations
RGB, RBG, GBR, GRB, BRG, BGR
you could do that without all the patching and unpatching
I don’t think there’s been a Stairs “restock”. I’m pretty sure what was for sale today was just a tiny first-ever batch (possibly what they could assemble from leftovers of their final prototype batch?).
I heard about it from an Instagram post (or maybe a IG story?) where it explicitly said “limited stock”. And LZX have repeatedly mentioned that they’re planning to have things either not running out of stock or only have brief absences in the future, so I wouldn’t worry too much if you missed it. They’ll definitely be doing more. What was up on the site today was just the beginning. I would try not to view it as something to be frustrated by missing, but as a slow start to general availability for the new Stairs module.
Reminds me of Yellow Jacket, Visionary (April 1st), and Marble Index drops. I’m curious how many times daily a person might need to look at one of these platforms to catch this kind of stuff. 1, 2, 3, 5, 10? This release model rewards luck, obsession, or both.
Maybe we should use the #news this thread is tagged in for similar announcements in the future.
Given that the status update Lars posted on the forum here the other day was very similar to the mailing list email that was sent out today, I took it as maybe just a simple editorial mistake that the latter still said the modules would be releasing “this week” — when they were, from what I could tell, already available on the site at the time it was sent (or put up shortly thereafter).
This is a very good point. In the future I will make sure to make an explicit announcement here on the forum. I assumed (incorrectly) that the email list (nearly 3k subscribers) and Instagram (nearly 9k followers) would catch everybody. I updated the newsletter link on the forum, but did not post explicitly about the new inventory. And, as @sean noted, even the newsletter (which was written before knowing exactly which modules would be ready to ship) did not specifically state module availability. Apologies infinite for this oversight.
@joem is correct–there will be more of these modules. Lots more! They will be in production for long enough that everyone will have a chance to purchase several of each module. We were only able to squeeze in 30 each of four different modules while the production team was waiting on the development team this week. It was inevitable that we would not be able to meet demand with initial quantities, thus disappointing most–especially those interested in Stairs (which sold out in less than an hour).
Sorry for the tease! The wait for a restock won’t be long.
I check the forum pretty regularly and had no idea about the newsletter thread. It might seem a little messy but just replying to that thread with a new link would be way more visible for the default settings on the forum.
I had similar issues with the newsletter coming through on my email for awhile. Just had to sign up again but I don’t know what switch actually got flipped for it to start working reliably since I didn’t sign up any differently from the first time around.
The only availability that matters to me is my local distributer. I will not be ordering direct. While I appreciate the excitement here over the recent new modules, I have no idea when I might see any that I can buy. However, I’m pleased to see progress and happy people.
