Cyndustries/CGS Burst Generator (25-Nov-03 )
by Pashmina
(originally posted at The Gas Station)

- I got this, as well as the quad lo pass gate module quite recently, a double envelope generator and a major power supply is still to follow.

Both modules match the look of the Modcan system exactly, the only difference being the "Cynthia" script, and the name of the designer at the bottom. The modules were both nicely assembled, ie properly put together.

The Burst Generator it a really strange & obscure module, and I can't think of anything else quite like it. The nearest equivalent is a sort of fancy trigger delay, I suppose, and trigger delay is one thing you can do with it. You feed it a trigger pulse, and it responds with a stream of from one to nine similar trigger pulses. The speed, or I suppose spacing of these pulses can be controlled by either the modules own internal clock, or another clock (there is a clock input socket, and a switch to select internal or external clock modes) It's a really odd concept, and not something I would have thought of, but if you are into making networks of sequencers, trigger pulses, envelope generators etc to make the machine play itself, this module is going to see a lot of use I think.

I've had some good hypnotic patterns going, using this module in combination with the Wiard Sequantiser (I don't own a Modcan-format sequencer as yet), the Modcan Dual LFO (which can act as 2 AD or ar envelopes, depending on how you patch it) and the Modcan Digital OSC, clocked at low rate, thus acting like a preset & strange sequencer. It's the type of thing that can push you into a particular musical direction, and as such, it's a good aid to ideas generation, or something like that anyway (humour me, it's getting late) Apparently, it can be run at audio rated and triggered by a gate pulse to make woodwind chiff effects as well, but I haven't tried this yet.

Looking at Cynthia's range, as well as the newer Modcan pieces, this system has very quickly become much more weird and suitable for more experimental composition techniques in my opinion. Anyway, I'm impressed enough with this thing that I want to explore similar modules in Cyn's range, like the Gated Comparator.