Buchla cabinets represent some expensive module real estate. There have been a bunch of little utility functions that I have wanted from time to time in my Buchla system, but gathering just the right combination of functions into a universally loved utility module seemed virtually impossible. My solution? The ModuleModule

The ModuleModule is a normal Buchla-format module that implements a frame that can hold up to four "standard" mini-modules; "ModuleModule modules", if you will. The ModuleModule frame has a circuit board that has a Buchla power connector, from which it distributes power to the four modules. Anyone who feels so inclined can make mini-modules for the ModuleModule. I think that this might be a pretty good platform for other manufacturers or for DIY efforts. There are a handful of them available currently, with more on the way. I have a long list of modules that I would like to make for this system. Modules can also be double or triple sized. (There's nothing stopping anyone from making a quad-sized module, but by then it really makes more sense to make a normal module.) Below, find pictures and descriptions of a variety of ModuleModule modules, some shipping, the rest in development. Which ones get made first depends upon which ones people would like to see the most. Placement Restrictions. I should also mention some ModuleModule placement restrictions. You can't place a ModuleModule in a slot that has a connector for one of the gooseneck lamps in a 201e cabinet. A ModuleModule will probably not be able to be placed in a slot over a filled back panel cutout in a shallow boat. It does fit over the MIDI I/O board, when placed in the deeper middle boat, but just barely. The left and right hand edges of a 201e don't really work either, because of the wire going between cabinets, and screws holding the boats to the wooden end cheeks. I needed every milimeter of space in the ModuleModule chassis, and I thought the trade off between these placement restrictions and space in the ModuleModule chassis were worth it.

An empty Module Module.

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The ModuleModule modules
In no particular order, here are some of the ideas for ModuleModule modules. I have quite a few more ideas that I haven't drawn up yet. I'm sure you also have ideas for that "one little feature" that you've always wanted, don't you?

Morphun A fun CV processor / sequencer The Morphun is a fun way to reshape control voltages. At least it started out that way. Somewhere along the way it grew into a mini sequencer. The goal behind the morphing function is to make cv processing playable, and fun in the process. Here's a page with Morphun Details. You can find the Morphun Manual here.
mixer You can always use another little mixer, right? This one has connectors on the board that expose the tips and the normals of the input jacks, so that multiple copies of this module can form a little matrix mixer by plugging them together behind the panel.
atten There are some fantastic CV processors in the Buchla system, but sometimes a simple attenuator is all you need. I've gone to a buffered design on the atten module, to ensure the lowest possible load on the module feeding the attenuators.
source selector Takes four CV and pulse pairs in, and selects one source. There are trimmers to set the gain and offset of each source. The source can be selected by a switch or pulse in. This can be ordered with the C and/or D input outfitted with a 3.5 mm jack for connection to external 1v/oct sources. You can find the Source Selector Manual here.
pulse density filter This is the same as the "tock" section in the Pendulum/Ratchet. The one difference is that here there are four pulse outputs. They have the same density percentage, but are based on different random processes.
Div P This is the same as the "div a and b" sections in the Pendulum/Ratchet.
pulse glue pulse glue 00 - A collection of little pulse utilities. A comparator emits a pulse when the input voltage exceeds a threshold. The middle pulse gate section passes a pulse stream when its gate signal is high. The right hand section is a set/reset flip-flop.
pulse glue 01 - Another collection of little pulse utilities. The left hand section allows for "stealing" a pulse from a pulse stream. Normally the pulse stream presented at the in jack is passed on to the out jack. When a pulse is received on the steal input, the next pulse received in the at the in jack is routed to the stolen jack and does not appear on the out jack. The middle section is a retriggerable one-shot. It will fire some time after a pulse comes in the in jack. Retriggerable means the time starts anew each time it gets a pulse at the inputs. The right hand section is a toggle flip-flop alternate pulses go out the a and b outs. Yes... there are two bits worth of pulse glue planned.
pulseq A simple eight step pulse sequencer. The reset jack is synchronous. Patch an output back into the reset jack, and it will reset to step 1 on the next clock input. The freeze stops the sequencer from advancing. There is a cv to address the stages directly.
slew Slows down the rate of change of an input CV. Voltage controllable rise and fall times. It also features a pulse output that is high when the output is rising. The Peakelope function engages a peak detector on the input, which is reset when the output matches the peak. This lets you add rise time to an envelope follower that is fed from a percussive source.
v.accum A voltage accumulator. For each pulse coming into the add jack, the output voltage increases by the amount set on the step knob. A pulse on the subtract jack decreases the output by that amount. A pulse on the reset jacks sets the output to 0 V. There is a mode switch to select one of three ways to deal with what happens when the output reaches one extreme or another. In clip mode, it just stays at that extreme, in rev mode the actions of the add and subtract jacks are swapped, and in wrap mode it resets. A pulse comes out the end jack whenever one of these actions takes place. There is a lag control to smooth the output steps.
pulse balloons This is a pair of pulse integrators wrapped in a balloon metaphor. For each pulse into the tap input the balloon is pushed aloft by the amount of force applied. The balloon is pulled back to earth by the attraction of gravity. PulseBalloons_Manual
sample/hold This is alternative software that runs on the pulse balloons hardware. It implements a sample / hold that has internal random generator and an output lag control. Every time a pulse is received at the clk input, the voltage present at the in jack is sampled to the output, as well as any random voltage set by the rand knob. Finally there's a lag section controlled by a knob and a cv input. There's a jumper on the back of the module which optionally constrict the output to semitones.
adsr A "traditional" adsr envelope generator, if we can even talk of traditions in a field as young as electronic music. It has voltage control for overall times, and one outlet that is dynamically controlled by an external control voltage. Note that the two cv input jacks are a shorting bar distance away from each other, so that it is easy to use one voltage for both controls. If the start and end jack are connected, the ADSR will oscillate, after it receives an intial pulse to get it started. ADSR_Manual
vca Vactrols are really great, but sometimes you just want a VCA. Or four. This one goes to zero. It's none louder.
trunk A trunk line to connect two cabinets. Six audio signals and ten control sources are sent between cabinets. You need a trunk module in each cabinet. This module requires a free back panel cutout for the between-cabinet cable.
d.lfo I had a different design in mind for a simple LFO, but I decided to favor density over multiple waveforms, and came up with this dual lfo design instead.
mults Hey! They're Mults!

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