Cynthia and Modcan-A

cornutt · Post by **cornutt** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:28 pm

It looks like they're done. I had not checked in on cyndustries,com in a while, so just for the heck of it, I looked today. There is some bizarre content there that sorta kinda pertains to synths, but it's very badly done -- it kind of looks like something assembled by a bot, which in turn was written by someone who isn't a native English speaker. I wonder if someone is just parking the domain.
Going back through the Wayback Machine, it looks like the domain registration expired last July. According to WHOIS, someone named Aimee Baker in Great Britain registered it in October.

With Bruce Duncan unable to take many orders, and no one else that I'm aware of designing in Modcan-A, what does this mean for the format going forward? Possible market opportunity for someone?

Dave Peck · Post by **Dave Peck** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:49 pm

Wow the text on that web site is very peculiar.

JohnLRice · Post by **JohnLRice** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:46 pm

Maybe SynthCube or someone will look into making some Modcan A style panels for some existing MOTM/MU PCBs?

Maybe suggest to Free State FX that they do Modcan A versions of their Mutable Instruments redesigns? I bet those modules would breath a lot of new life into those lovely A systems!

https://www.freestatefx.com/collections ... fx-modules

unrecordings · Post by **unrecordings** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:47 am

Looks very much like the WHOIS registration info is fake

I love 'features of cynthia macintosh' on the tech talk page

I would delve into the contact form, but don't fancy the potential consequences

Edit: Also looks like a lot of the text was poached from wikipedia, google translated into whatever language, then translated back into english

Edit Again: And I just remembered that wasn't even her real name

jkjelec · Post by **jkjelec** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 10:04 am

I decided 6-7 years ago that THIS is the format I

(and I still think it is the

-est format). I think bananas are the perfect system for patching a modular for their feel and reliability, and the panels look classy and amazing.

I had to resort to finishing up the system with MU and MOTM modules that I converted to banana jacks. It's not the worst thing, but it involves creating custom power cables, drilling into the mounting rail, it limits the flexibility for placing modules, and sometimes leaves weird gaps between modules.

Interesting thought JohnLRice! It seems that the manufacturing of custom panels in small runs for a reasonable cost has taken giant leap forward these past few years. Perhaps a vendor will take up manufacturing A style panels.

megaohm · Post by **megaohm** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:23 pm

I still make custom modules in A-Series format.
Panels are different, though.
I use FrontPanelExpress so they are engraved, not metalphoto style like proper Modcan panels.

jkjelec · Post by **jkjelec** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:58 pm

megaohm, Awesome! I don't see anything about it on your site. Please tell us more (or tell me more via PM). Do you just sell your standard modules with these types of panels, or do you make custom panels as well? If custom, what's the design/ordering/drilling process, lead time, price (in pistachios LOL)? I assume they would look like this Delta VCF/VCA module of yours that I have? If so, sweet!

elmerfudd · Post by **elmerfudd** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 8:09 pm

Sexier in silver. Leave Phil alone, he has trapezoids to build!

megaohm · Post by **megaohm** » Fri Jan 05, 2018 4:31 pm

Wow!
I love seeing those pics!
Very early ones, too.
Also, I agree with your pic, jkjelec. That Frequency knob should have been larger!

My website is paid for but sort of dead.
I always find something else to do instead of working on that...
and I realize that is an issue!

Always love building in banana formats.
If you have requests email me.
My MU "production" modules, DIY projects, refits, custom ideas, anything.

cornutt · Post by **cornutt** » Fri Jan 05, 2018 4:31 pm

I do hope someone can pick up the slack. Even though I don't (currently) have any Modcan-A myself, I'd hate to see the format die. I can actually see Modcan-A being a good alternative to Euro for a portable system.

jkjelec · Post by **jkjelec** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 9:09 pm

elmerfudd Nice! Black, silver, we can all get along!

touyube · Post by **sduck** » Sat Jan 06, 2018 10:48 pm

Semi-related: so the subtitle to this forum, that appears in the main index is "ModCan, Moog, Synthesizers.com, MOTM, Cynthia and others..... Go big!". I've been thinking perhaps this needs to be updated, especially regarding the Cynthia part - I never really considered her a major player in 5U anyway, but maybe I'm wrong - I didn't make up this subtitle. Any thoughts on this - should it be changed? If so, to what?

steffengrondahl · Post by **steffengrondahl** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 3:17 am

^ good idea. I've been thinking about suggesting this several times. I suggest removing cythia (long out of business) and swapping a little around, something like

Moog, Synthesizers.com, MOTM, ModCan, Moon and others..... Go big!

Moog defined the format, Synthesizers.com probably most influential (best selling), MOTM also there of course, ModCan because of A and B series and Moon because they seems to be a bigger player than stg/soundlabs, SSL, COTK, Mos-lab etc (not sure about the latter though, I'm just a big fan of the Moon sequencer stuff

).

JohnLRice · Post by **JohnLRice** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 5:46 am

Maybe for all the sub forums the short descriptions should be changed so that they no longer rely on brand names at all, or at least mostly?

I know that's easier said then done but since manufacturers rise and fall in popularity and sometimes disappear completely, it might be better to have more technically descriptive descriptions that hold true for a strong majority of the modules that are considered to be in? Then in a main sticky within each sub forum all of the relevant manufacturers (past and present) and details/exceptions could be listed?

DrReverendSeance · Post by **DrReverendSeance** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 6:40 am

When I was just starting out and only lurking on Muffs, I appreciated having the brand names there as a guide. Today I don’t look at them, but in the beginning I would have found technical descriptions confusing.

I like the suggestion from steffengrondahl.

Moog, Synthesizers.com, MOTM, ModCan and others... go big!

I removed Moon from his suggestion as, although they seem to make excellent modules, I don’t think they invented a new format or system. If we include Moon, why not Hordjik, Oakley etc...

Moog started it all, dot com seems like the entry point to modular today, MOTM is a unique format, and so is ModCan A.

trentpmcd · Post by **trentpmcd** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:49 am

DrReverendSeance wrote:When I was just starting out and only lurking on Muffs, I appreciated having the brand names there as a guide. Today I don’t look at them, but in the beginning I would have found technical descriptions confusing.

I like the suggestion from steffengrondahl.
Moog, Synthesizers.com, MOTM, ModCan and others... go big!
I removed Moon from his suggestion as, although they seem to make excellent modules, I don’t think they invented a new format or system. If we include Moon, why not Hordjik, Oakley etc...

Moog started it all, dot com seems like the entry point to modular today, MOTM is a unique format, and so is ModCan A.

This makes sense to me, being new to the format. Another argument for dotcom being there is that in some ways it is a unique format powerwise from Moog, and one they either made or popularized.

ear ear · Post by **ear ear** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:39 am

cornutt wrote:I can actually see Modcan-A being a good alternative to Euro for a portable system.

elmerfudd · Post by **elmerfudd** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:13 am

Always seemed weird that Modcan A was in this section. It is not 5u in that the modules themselves are 9" and the racks are 6u and then there is the nanner thing....I think Moog, MU, Motm defines the field better. Modcan A should have its own sub forum lending to it's nature. Not unlike Wiard.....I feel the same way about EMS being lumped in with Buchla, makes NO sense to me.

ear ear · Post by **ear ear** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:19 am

Yes, but if you go too far you end up with death by a thousand sub-fora... electro-music style.

Cheradenine · Post by **Cheradenine** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:49 am

I also do custom Modcan A modules, with UV printed panels.
I'm just a very slow builder...

(J.Haible frequency shifter)

ear ear · Post by **ear ear** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:11 am

Cheradenine wrote:I'm just a very slow builder...

Possibly, but you're reliable and your work's really good.

cornutt · Post by **cornutt** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:26 pm

sduck wrote:...especially regarding the Cynthia part - I never really considered her a major player in 5U anyway, ...

At one time, she was pretty big in the Modcan-A world... she had a bunch of things that filled in gaps in Modcan's lineup. She tried to branch out into different formats, and I think that's where it all went wrong. At one time, she was offering Zeroscillators in Modcan-A, MOTM, MU, Euro and Frac... too much for a small shop.

As far as whether Modcan-A belongs in this forum... I've got a couple of Modcan-A modules, converted to 1/4" jacks, in my 5U mixed system.

touyube · Post by **sduck** » Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:48 pm

Ok, I changed it as per steffengrondahl's suggestion. Seemed like a good middle ground collection of names.

jkjelec · Post by **jkjelec** » Mon Jan 08, 2018 11:29 am

elmerfudd wrote:

Always seemed weird that Modcan A was in this section.

I feel like us Modcan A-ers

belong here. I did post once or twice to the Buchla section...mostly crickets. I guess our lot in life is to be east-coasty MU folks that are weird because we use bananas and have one or two west coast modules in the mix. Time to grow a pony-tail LOL!

Ramases · Post by **Ramases** » Mon Jan 08, 2018 12:42 pm

Modcan A was always in this sub-forum because, apart from the banana jacks and one or two odd exceptions, the modules are functionally identical to their Modcan B counterparts.

It made sense to us to have discussions about module use/functionality etc that would potentially benefit two sets of users (A and B) in one place rather than spread over two.

Plus the Buchla/Serge/EMS sub-forum was never designated as the only place to discuss banana jack modules and just kind of defaulted to this (to a large extent) by use over time.

MUFF WIGGLER

MUFF WIGGLER

Cynthia and Modcan-A

Cynthia and Modcan-A

Modcan

modcan a