The ultimate analog : No chips, military grade, $24k

Imagine you've got all the money in the world, and you want to buy yourself a modular synth. Where do you go? Sure, a Buchla would be nice, but now they're getting so common, appearing in pop videos. No, you need a $24,341 CMS MR-24. Why? "They are hand built using only the finest materials available including military spec. potentiometers, knobs, and scratch/corrosive resistant front panel stock used by the US Navy... no chips whatsoever in the audio path. Many of our competitors say discrete - but the real truth is, their circuits are hybrid - meaning they use a combination of transistors, chips and some even use the dreaded "transistors- on-a-chip" devices, and try to claim discrete." Chris from Analog Industries says: "If you're a trust-fund baby and have gotten tired of spending your parents hard-earned money on cocaine and strippers, this is your instrument. The end of the road viz. modulars. It doesn't get any better."

Posted by Tom Whitwell.

Comments:

Shocking! Simply shocking!

I've been hearing about this "dreaded" transistor on a chip thing, and I'm simply outraged! When will it end?

Everyone knows that if your caps aren't made from hand blown glass by Chihuly himself, laden with silver leaf and rare oils, and your resistors aren't wound from the hair of angles by swiss midgets you're just kidding yourself.

But seriously, I'm sure it sounds awesome at the cash register...

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:30 pm

Can this modular synthesize the 'cha ching' sound of an analog cash register??? I THINK NOT!

How come none of these things have MP3 examples? I want to hear the Buchla 200e, for if I buy that I won't be able to afford me heroine for a while. Personally, I really like the sound of Modcan modulars for some reason. Perhaps because they have good MP3's on their site.

# posted by

Anonymous : 2:53 am

Getting a Buchla is like getting a piece of Don Buchla's brain - the new 200e is a brilliant modern application of his former 200 series. At least there are some very new concepts and features in play.

The CMS offers nothing as innovative as the Buchla in its design. The system pictured has been offerred for years. It sounds like an Arp, (CMS's mainstay business is fixing and hotrodding Arps). Many have waited years for orders, or have decided not to order systems, due to uncertain delivery schedules....

# posted by

Anonymous : 5:24 am

yeh the new Buchla modular puts this thing to shame, and then sodomizes it for good measure

# posted by

Awakened Yeti : 5:53 am

I have to agree with one or other of the anonymi - I'm sure this is great engineering but you'd need ultra golden ears to know the diff. Meanwhile, it does nothing new, unlike various new concept modules from Cyndustries, Ken Stone, Blacet, etc, etc. The point of modular synths is the creation of new sounds, surely? Not ultra-hifi recreation of old Keith Emerson solos. I'm wondering when somone will develop a module around the Anadigm miracle chip.

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:55 am

from the cms website:

"The first thing you notice when you hear one of these baby's is the sound."

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:17 am

Re: "The first thing you notice when you hear one of these baby's is the sound."

Yep, when you hear something, you do tend to notice the sound - good to see CMS grasp the fundamentals of music physics.

Is that a military grade apostrophe in 'baby's'?

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:06 am

All this new fangled "tube" and "pots" technology. Transistors? Pussies!!

You lames ass techno dweebs... anyone with a real ear knows you simply cannot replicated the sound of stick on rock with all your hullabaloo and modern wheeznots. Have you *heard* oak stick on sedimentary shale? Of course not, you tin-eared cyborg.

Learn how to play some *real* music: go out and bang some coconuts together and blow into a seashell! You no-talent lame ass m-fers who have to use technology to create your pitiful shrieking make my want to puke.

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:05 pm

It's more interesting and rewarding to make cool sounds with unexpected cheap crap. Even if I was loaded and I bought that thing, I'd never use it enough to justify it, and I'd never get over the guilt of how many starving children I could have saved instead.

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:30 pm

I have a good BBQ sauce that makes starving children palatable. I shall now devote myself to the creation of a mighty modular theremin music score to be played while eating starving children BBQ.

hmmm. who else can I offend... oh yeah, the Jews...

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:46 pm

damn you must have giant balls to offend so many people anonymously

# posted by

Awakened Yeti : 2:23 am

I just can't remember my password.

- Jose Farmer (not the author)

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:18 pm

NO no!

i was just only thinking of the guy trying to decide "hmm Modular Synth or Starving Children ...hmmmm?" What a predicament!!!

It's not about the jews!

Whew

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:41 am

Mp3's !? How can you even dare suggest that perfect "military grade" sound be DIGITALLY COMPRESSED! The only recording format worthy of this heavenly audio is the EDISON WAX CYLINDER. That will retain all the "warmth" and "clarity" and ensure that the bouquet of the sound keeps its subtle undertones of chocolate, bananna, coffee and the bright crisp finish of pizza, brick, and fear.

# posted by

Wiley : 7:07 pm

"chris thorpe...
Meanwhile, it does nothing new, unlike various new concept modules from Cyndustries, Ken Stone, Blacet, etc, etc. The point of modular synths is the creation of new sounds, surely? Not ultra-hifi recreation of old Keith Emerson solos..."

No one have said that the CMS is something else than a basic system. So far CMS have 16 modules, it´s all the basic modules but they seem to be quite complex. So, if a manufacturer has a basic system of that high quality, it´s a very very good start. There is definately a potential for CMS to develope more new concepts of the same high quality. It´s a long time investment. If I had this basic system, I would use it togehter with new concept modules from other brands unless CMS wont develope any.

# posted by

Anonymous : 1:15 am