$PLURJ!

My $PLURJ! Modular synthesizer

Location and module #'s

MODULE

DESIGNERS

ADDITION OR
MODIFICATION?

FURTHER 
INFORMATION

Month / Year
COMPLETED

Row # 1

From left to right

1, 2

Dual Multi-mode VCA

Richard Curcio / RichardC64

Both modules will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB

I will possibly be building more of this (Ian Fritz quote) “brilliant design”

The Multi-mode VCA allows a CV to pan 1 or 2 different AC inputs between the 2 different outputs

November 2011

Row # 1

From left to right

3, 4

Dual Voltage Controlled Low Frequency Oscillator

Innovated by Ryk John Miller Thekreator from Thomas Henry's CA3080 Workbook

Implemented straight from 2 schematics within THenry's CA3080 book

Both modules will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB

I have 2 more PCBs of these to build

These 2 identical modules were based on a lower accuracy 1V/octave interface along with a dual 2N3904 triangle core oscillator

February 2412

Row # 2

From left to right

5 to 10

6 x CGS VCA

6 x passively attenuated banana to 1/4” jack converters

Ken Stone

4 of my planned 6 CGS VCAs have been constructed and installed

This is one of my newly laminated paper on copper PCB panels

I will be ordering more of these

2 of the VCAs use Analog Devices SSM2210 matched transistor pairs. The other 2 use matched 2N3904s. The final 2 will be 2N3904s as well

2008

Row # 2

From left to right

11

3 x CD4053 SPDT switches

3 x passive +V / GND on/off switches

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

Both modules will be transferred to the laminated paper panel over copper PCB that I have waiting for them

Each of the 3 x SPDT switches are voltage controllable for switching between input 1 or 2 to the output

2009

Row # 3

From left to right

12, 13

2 x Music From Outer Space 16 step digital sequencers

Ray Wilson

Both modules will be transferred to the laminated paper panel over copper PCB that I have waiting for them

Both of these sequencers are the digital sections only allowing me to use them each as 16 step on/off switches for sequencing

2007

Row # 3

From left to right

14

CGS Wave Multiplier

Ken Stone

This module will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB

I have 2 more PCBs from which I will build only the Wave Folder sections

I myself only use the wave folder portion of the 3 functions in this module. It is almost exactly the same as the Serge wave folder in circuitry

2008

Row # 3

From left to right

15, 16

2 x 2 input manually pannable mixer

Implemented by Ryk John Miller Thekreator from a Ray Wilson / MFOS design

Both of these modules will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB, if I decide to keep them

None

2009

Row # 3

From left to right

17, 18

2 x Electronotes Newsletter (author / engineer Bernie Hutchins) State Variable Filters

Bernie Hutchins (IIRC)

Both of these modules will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB

More may be built

Both of these SVFs are 2 pole with Lowpass, Bandpass and Highpass outputs with manually controllable resonance

2005

Transferred to the copper panel in 2011

Row # 3

From left to right

19 to 22

2 x dual input DC mixers

2 x portamentos

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

None

Both of the DC mixers have 1 attenuable input each and an attenuable +5V output

November 2011

Row # 4

From left to right

23, 24

2 x Thomas Henry 1V/octave triangle waveform Voltage Controlled Oscillators

Innovated by Ryk John Miller Thekreator from Thomas Henry's CA3080 Workbook

Implemented straight from 2 schematics within THenry's CA3080 book

Both modules will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB

These 2 identical modules were based on a precision accuracy 1V/octave interface along with a dual 2N3904 triangle core oscillator

2008

24

Music From Outer Space 1V/octave Voltage Controlled Oscillator

Ray Wilson

None

Non modded

2008

25

CGS Voltage Controlled Oscillator V0.2 from 1 of my 2 CGS Bi-N-Tic Voltage Controlled Filters / Oscillators

Innovated by Ken Stone from a Terry Mikulic design that had been published in the Electronotes Newsletter in the later 1970s

I completely scrapped the Bi-N-Tic filter section due to it's being far too unpredictable in it's usefulness. I adjusted the output to give me 10 VAC output

Non modded

2007

26

Ian Fritz Voltage Controlled Oscilator

Ian Fritz

I removed all of the wave shapers and modified the output to 10 VAC

Non modded

1205

Row # 4

From left to right

27 to 30

4 x Serge / CGS Universal Slope Generators

Serge Tcherepnin

IMHO, this is the most powerful analog module ever designed by anyone, for modular synthesizers.

Eternal respect and thanks to Serge Tcherenin, for designing this module!

Each of these modules are capable of functioning as:

Vcable AD & AR EGs; VCF; VCLFO; Gate Delay; Pitch tracker; 1V/octave VCO (lower frequencies); envelope follower and I forget what else

January 2012

31

The Judge V1.00 alpha

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

No other module with this intended function has ever existed in world history.

The Judge consists of a white noise generator, Sample & Hold generator and a comparator.

I have a 2^nd one built, to mount into a panel

The comparator compares a +V user input with a sampled voltage from the white noise. If the user +V is higher than the sample, the comparator outputs a +V. Otherwise it outputs Ground

2010. 1^st build in November 2012

Row # 4

From left to right

32 to 36

2 x MFOS ADSR EGs

3 x Barry Klein ADSR EGs

2 x Ray Wilson

3 x Barry Klein

None

Non modded

Klein 1205

Wilson 2008

Wilson 2010

Row # 5

From left to right

37

4 x dual input AC mixers

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

None

Non modded

2011

Row # 5

From left to right

38 to 41

2 x CGS clock dividers

2 x Barry Klein Sinewave LFOs

Ken Stone

Barry Klein / CFS Technologies

I added the 7^th division to each of the clock dividers

I added the Cosine output to each of the LFOs as well as attenuation for each of their sine, cosine, triangle and squarewave outputs

In my laminated panel transfer, I permanently connected the Clock input of divider #2, to the BIT 7 output of divider #1

These 2 LFOs were my very 1^st modules for the $PLURJ! modular that I built in July 2005

LFOs 0705

Dividers 2007

Row # 5

From left to right

42, 43

CGS Pulse Divider

CGS Gated Comparator

Ken Stone

Pulse Divider outputs converted from +5V to +10V

Gated Comparator BIT outputs converted from +5V to +15V

IMHO the Gated Comparator is one of the best module designs in existance. Ken got it to roughly imitate The Judge in functionality

Pulse Divider - January 2012

Gated Comparator – February 2012

Row # 5

From left to right

44, 45

2 x CD4015 dual 4 BIT Shift Registers

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

None

None

2009

Row # 6

From left to right

46 to 49

2 x Barry Klein SSM2044 4 Pole Low Pass Filters

2 x Mike Irwin / Charlie Lamm VCAs

Barry Klein

Mike Irwin
Charlie Lamm

All 4 modules will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB

I have 6 more SSM2164 chips which will allow me to build 12 more Irwin/Lamm VCAs

1 of the 2044s had a tempco resistor added to it to allow 1V/octave response for it when self-resonating

2005

Row # 6

From left to right

50, 51

4 x CD4093 NAND gates

4 x CD4070 XOR gates

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

None

Non modded

2009

Moved to laminated panel in February 2012

52, 53

Quad +V / Gnd on/off switches

3 x CD4053 SPDT switches

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

Contents will be transferred from the panel above

Non modded

Yet to be completed

Mostly offscreen

54 to 57

4 x Quadatrix 4 Step 1V/octave Semitone sequencers

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

These sequencers will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB if I decide to keep them, unmodified

Non-modded

2008

Mostly offscreen

58

Music From Outer Space 16 Step Analog Sequencer

Ray Wilson

This sequencer will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB if I decide to keep it functioning

Non modded

2007

Mostly offscreen

59

MPS drum synthesizer

Thomas Henry

This module will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB if I decide to keep it functioning

None

2009

Mostly offscreen

60

Quadatrix 4 Step 1V/octave Octave sequencer

Ryk John Miller Thekreator

This module will be transferred to a laminated paper panel over copper PCB if I decide to keep it functioning

None

2008

Tuesday, February 2812 – This has been my 1^st major change to this webpage's modular contents listing since at some point in 2008. I had last added a new photo of my modular back on February 13^th 2009. I thought it were about time to update the photo since so many of the modules that had existed then had been scrapped and so many new ones had been added.

There could be a hell of a lot of editing to do on this entire webpage yet, IF I decide to keep it. My deathlehem.com server name expires it's contract in July of this year. I decided late last year that “Deathlehem, is no more.” ( mainly as my overall outlook on life has changed somewhat since The Deathlehem Machine had been conceived at 2:08pm on June 0805.) That includes my servers original registration name which I hope to change over to $PLURJ! (splurj) officially, later this year, if I'm able to continue to support my server.

In later November 2011 I had again, an urge to look for and study all of the interesting modules that Serge Tcherepnin had started designing in the early 1970s. This time though, that urge became gargantuan, taking over much of my outlook as to modular synthesizers as a whole, including my own. Briefly after that thought-line return, the desire to rename my modular occurred. In combination with STS's huge pricings for what they're offering technologically, I thought buying anything from them to require a fair bit of splurging of income. From there, came the new name for my modular as well as my webpage, with tongue somewhat implanted in cheek: $PLURJ! Lol. Also partly due to being able to build Serge modules for a fraction of their resale price.

As well – my overall modular synthesizer direction / attitude has changed roughly from my decades long held belief / understanding of the (old terms warning) West Coast / East coast types of modular synthesizers to my own label of North Coast. Whereas my modular currently contains more-so of the fabled 'East Coast' functionality, with my moving more towards the Serge style 'West Coast' functionality, but also including much from the (Stanley Lunetta – jazz drummer great) Lunetta format, as well as my being one of the very FEW modular owners as well as builders in Canada – I've decided to call my $PLURJ! modular synthesizer, North Coast. Lol.

There are many designs that I've been coming up with over the last few years that I haven't even created prototypes of yet. Some of them (including The Judge) are functions that haven't ever existed in world history, before. Some day, the others will be prototyped and we'll see where they go from there. Understandable or not, these modules include:

The Liquid HiHat; The Liquid Kit; The Judge; The $PLURJ! 999 Sequencer (I heavily updated Moog 960 descendent, with functionality that has never existed ever before on Earth; a 4 step has been prototyped and works. The 8 step prototype is currently under construction; approximately 75% completed.); the true-polyrhythm processor (tested and working in software. I'd much rather come up with a digital controller module version though.) and many more that I wont make mention of yet.

And finally – with now having 20 inventions under my belt and not desiring to make anything financially from any of them but just to give new functions and tools to other in my interest areas in life – I often find myself wondering what the heck I'd be coming up with if I had actually allowed myself TO go to college / university for learning? Lol. Oh well. Not enough time for that, as I see it. Someday, in another life in my future. :-D

Ryk John Miller Thekreator / Richarius Molindarius