2025: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2025)

[vurt]

Yea, I’ve heard I should get a Maths, but I don’t know a use case scenario since I’ve never had one, just transforming CV signals. One thing I probably won’t do is get more effects since I am going to get a Warp when they’re available…

ah, you say maths here, but it's polimaths in the image.
they're two different things, as in it's not an upgraded maths plus!
the signal generator aspect is still there, but with a very different approach and end result.

[Constructed Identity]

Yea, I’ve heard I should get a Maths, but I don’t know a use case scenario since I’ve never had one, just transforming CV signals. One thing I probably won’t do is get more effects since I am going to get a Warp when they’re available…

Maths is one of my favorite modules. If I had to slim down to a very small system, Maths would definitely be in there. I frequently use one channel as an envelope generator or LFO and one channel to process stepped voltages but there are so many patching tricks which it will help with. It's also really useful when I need an extra clock divider, voltage scaling/mirroring and some simple logic.
With that said, I wouldn't recommend getting one just because it's something everyone says you should get. The manual is a good resource for understanding how Maths works and the information therein can be applied to a number of similar modules which are based on the Serge DUSG, Buchla 281 and 256/257.

Things to understand:
How is the Sum output different from the Or/Max output?
When will the trig input trigger the envelope and when will it ignore a trigger?
How does that behavior relate to using the EOR and EOC outputs and how channels 1 and 4 cycle.
How do the inputs respond to audio signals of different types (how to patch an evelope follower vs a wave shaper).

I made this video which covers a very specific patch but I talk about some of the behaviors of the envelopes and some uses for channels 2/3. All of these techniques can be applied to modules like Befaco Rampage, Random*Source DUSG and others.

Yea, I did watch some videos on it last year and know general stuff. This is a drawback to multipurpose modules in that it's hard to judge the value/hp ratio so that's why most modules I got have one function. Only Disting EX is a jack-of-all-trades and it has still only been used as: clockable LFO; m. to stereo reverb; looper; drum sample player; quantizer; and I checked out the tuner once briefly. I have to go back to the manual when I use it for something else and I can understand why they get sold.
So that's why I haven't already bought a Maths. ...and I guess I should take PolyMaths off this list since it is probably overkill.

[justin3am]

Yea, I did watch some videos on it last year and know general stuff. This is a drawback to multipurpose modules in that it's hard to judge the value/hp ratio so that's why most modules I got have one function. Only Disting EX is a jack-of-all-trades and it has still only been used as: clockable LFO; m. to stereo reverb; looper; drum sample player; quantizer; and I checked out the tuner once briefly. I have to go back to the manual when I use it for something else and I can understand why they get sold.
So that's why I haven't already bought a Maths. ...and I guess I should take PolyMaths off this list since it is probably overkill.

What I find interesting about patch programmable modules (as opposed to modules with different algorithms/modes) is that when it's patched to be an LFO, the other functions which aren't related to generating an LFO are still doing *something*. That is to say, when a USG channel is cycling, it's not in a different mode from when it's not cycling, the EOC output has just been connected to the trig input. That being the case, feeding audio to the input still does *something* and occasionally it's even interesting and sometimes unlike the results you can get from other methods.

These kinds of modules are almost designed to be mis-used and you can get some exciting results by trying stuff that seems like it goes against common modular wisdom.

Of coarse it's all a matter of different strokes for different folks.

[foosnark]

I have to go back to the manual when I use it for something else and I can understand why they get sold.
So that's why I haven't already bought a Maths.

To me there's a big difference. With Disting, the basic functionality varies wildly depending on which mode you choose. Knobs, inputs and outputs all completely change their meaning. There are a bunch of secondary settings on submenus. There's far too much to reasonably memorize it all.

Maths always functions exactly the same way no matter how you're using it -- it's only the context that changes. The Rise knob is always going to control the rate of rise, the EOC output is always going to go high after the level goes back to zero. There's very little to memorize, you just have to have a general understanding of how it works.

Honestly, something as simple as a VCA is "multi-function" in the same sense that Maths is. It's a remote control for volume, or for control voltages. It's an AND logic module if you patch gates into it. It's a half-wave rectifier if you patch a constant voltage into the input and your audio signal into the CV input.

[vurt]

can get some exciting results by trying stuff that seems like it goes against common modular wisdom.

last night i watched a youtube friend, working with the antonus arp2600 (lovely machine)
following an official patch sheet from the original, ceremonial gong, needs a bit of fm which the arp doesn't have...
oh yes it bloody does
if you feed the oscillator output on 1 to the oscillator output on 2. wtf?

i asked him to unplug mid patch, and you can hear the fm kick in and out so it works, but my head doesn't understand why???

[vurt]

maths value to hp ratio...
hmmm well you can usually find at least one reason to use it in a patch, aside from output mixer it's probably the module that is somewhere in most patches.

[Constructed Identity]

maths value to hp ratio...
hmmm well you can usually find at least one reason to use it in a patch, aside from output mixer it's probably the module that is somewhere in most patches.

Yea, I read the manual today, I will get one if I end up getting rid of ENVY machine. Both really easy to use but Maths has all the inputs.

[justin3am]

can get some exciting results by trying stuff that seems like it goes against common modular wisdom.

last night i watched a youtube friend, working with the antonus arp2600 (lovely machine)
following an official patch sheet from the original, ceremonial gong, needs a bit of fm which the arp doesn't have...
oh yes it bloody does
if you feed the oscillator output on 1 to the oscillator output on 2. wtf?

i asked him to unplug mid patch, and you can hear the fm kick in and out so it works, but my head doesn't understand why???

Yeah for sure! Each Osc on the 2600 has its own CV mixer, and each has an oscillator normalled to one of the inputs. Osc2 is fed to Oscs 1 and 3, Osc1 is fed to Osc2, so you can even get some xmod without any patch cables. Still it's nice to use the ringmod as a VCA to get some dynamic FM. Using the output of the filter to FM an oscillator also sounds great.

[vurt]

can get some exciting results by trying stuff that seems like it goes against common modular wisdom.

last night i watched a youtube friend, working with the antonus arp2600 (lovely machine)
following an official patch sheet from the original, ceremonial gong, needs a bit of fm which the arp doesn't have...
oh yes it bloody does
if you feed the oscillator output on 1 to the oscillator output on 2. wtf?

i asked him to unplug mid patch, and you can hear the fm kick in and out so it works, but my head doesn't understand why???

Yeah for sure! Each Osc on the 2600 has its own CV mixer, and each has an oscillator normalled to one of the inputs. Osc2 is fed to Oscs 1 and 3, Osc1 is fed to Osc2, so you can even get some xmod without any patch cables. Still it's nice to use the ringmod as a VCA to get some dynamic FM. Using the output of the filter to FM an oscillator also sounds great.

yeah, but output to output? with a cable!!!

[vurt]

maths value to hp ratio...
hmmm well you can usually find at least one reason to use it in a patch, aside from output mixer it's probably the module that is somewhere in most patches.

Yea, I read the manual today, I will get one if I end up getting rid of ENVY machine. Both really easy to use but Maths has all the inputs.

i do think with your system as is, you would get more from maths than polimaths.
it is just always useful somehow.
not saying anyone should buy it or even that they need it, but i havent seen many people disappointed they have one? im sure theres some, but few and far between!

[seafire]

I'm really trying hard not to buy anything before Xmas, but I may fail

[vurt]

I'm really trying hard not to buy anything before Xmas, but I may fail

rather than buy yourself something, buy something for someone else in this thread, they can do the same.
then if the partners ask "no dear, ive not bought myself anything, not this close to xmas"

[seafire]

[justin3am]

yeah, but output to output? with a cable!!!

Yeah, there are some output to output connections that work if I remember correctly, because one output is normalled to an input and connecting another signal to the output causes the output resistor to act like a pull down resistor. Maths will output a trigger from the signal inputs when cycle is activated, for similar reasons.

[vurt]

yeah, but output to output? with a cable!!!

Yeah, there are some output to output connections that work if I remember correctly, because one output is normalled to an input and connecting another signal to the output causes the output resistor to act like a pull down resistor. Maths will output a trigger from the signal inputs when cycle is activated, for similar reasons.

thanks. starting to make a bit more sense. not sure id have tried it personally with 5 grands worth of lovely machine