Digital/Analogue Hybrid Synthesizer Plexus tactical update regarding a polyphonic digital sampler/fm/vco into analogue filter and vca approach to making new sounds. Although a modular approach is possible, the cost and size become significant. A less costly approach uses an existing semi-modular polyphonic analogue synthesizer from Studio Electronics, the Omega Code. This four voice synthesizer has channel inputs and outputs for each voice. FM oscillators can be used from a Yamaha TX802, which has a round-robin system to send four voices out separate outputs. Likewise, the Yamaha Tx16w can be set up to do the same. This is sufficient to trigger the envelopes on the Omega. The range of sounds is at once quite large but then with a consistent color that can become overbearing. Activation of per channel overdrive allows for the creation of electric guitar style feedback synthesis. Some opportunities for modular like interaction exist. One of the more interesting is allowing for a muted analogue oscillator to provide frequency modulation of the filter cutoff in the musical frequency range. This allows for surprising but fuzzy feeling special effects. The TX16w uses the mighty Typhoon alternative operating system, which is downloadable on the web. It is still a bit painful to click through menus. A vp9000 feeds into a peavey spectrum filter. . . this allows for an alternate form of digital-analogue cooperation. Here the "time" knob allows for the musician to alter the flow of time in the sample arbitrarily. It all comes with a heavy dose of digital hash that needs dealing with, but can still be interesting. I'd say that these explorations have been somewhat more rewarding than my modular explorations, mostly because of the musical relevance of polyphony. But allowing for the interaction of the two signal paths produces a certain color (to me like a Fender Bassman). Here is a short soundtrack bit layering this with processed voice and Jupiter 8, named after the street in Chicago. http://soundcloud.com/plexus-instruments/waveland