RISD Research Fellow & faculty member Alex Chechile and student Ada Wu with a prototype Daisy module. Photo by Karen Philippi.
In recent years, there's been a refreshing comeback of hands-on hardware in electronic music production. Whether you're working in your bedroom, a studio, or performing on stage, many electronic musicians are rediscovering the unique thrill of physically turning a knob, patching a cable, or pressing a key. These tactile experiences aren't just nostalgic—they're also opening up new ways for designers to reinvent traditional synthesis and explore the outer edges of sound design.
No area of music technology has experienced more explosive growth than modular synthesizers, particularly those in the Eurorack format. Originally developed by Doepfer Musikelectronik in 1995, Eurorack has evolved from just a few designers in the early 2000s to a thriving community with over 1,000 manufacturers and thousands of modules available in 2024. This boom in Eurorack has also sparked renewed interest in other modular synth formats, including Buchla, Serge, MU, and semi-modular synthesizers. The modular world has never been more vibrant, offering endless possibilities for creativity.
Alex Ferrandiz testing his firmware on the Daisy Patch Eurorack module. Photo by Karen Philippi.
With modular synthesis entering the music tech cultural zeitgeist, educational institutions like Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) are taking the initiative to bring modular synthesis technique and design into the realm of higher education.
RISD: Modular Synthesis Studio
Led by RISD Research Fellow and faculty member Dr. Alex Chechile, the Modular Synthesis Studio class is bringing the art of modular synthesis fabrication to the college classroom. In this course, students dive into the world of modular synthesis, exploring both the concepts and design principles. But it doesn’t stop there—students collaborate and apply what they’ve learned in a collective, hands-on project, making the experience as practical as it is educational.
As described in the course syllabus, “In Modular Synthesis Studio, we will learn and apply concepts of voltage controlled synthesizers to creative coding and embedded computing platforms. Imbued with the spirit of community, together we will design and build a one-of-a-kind RISD modular synthesizer by semester end, while also creating new sound-based works with the system.”
Throughout the course, students dive deep into voltage-controlled synthesis, digital signal processing (DSP), and instrument design. They work in RISD’s Studio for Research in Sound and Technology (SRST), which features a Serge Modular system that brings synthesis concepts to life in a tactile way. In addition, they have access to Daisy Patches for prototyping firmware and a variety of Eurorack modules for creative patching.
The course leads to an exciting group project: designing and building a unique, Daisy-powered modular synthesizer system. Each student takes on the challenge of creating and constructing one module for the system, which serves as their final project. By the end of the semester, students walk away with a deep, expert-level understanding of synthesis concepts and techniques.
Students working collaboratively on their custom modules. Photo by Haram Lee.
Students in this course develop a wide range of skills, including lower-level audio programming, soldering, hardware assembly, interface design, and manufacturing. Along the way, they also delve into the rich history of modular synthesis, listen to works by influential modular artists from both the past and present, and explore a curated collection of books and articles on modular synthesis and instrument design.
Designing and building a module in one semester could be considered a daunting task—especially since it can take months or even years to create a commercially viable module. To help students tackle this challenge, SRST partnered with Electrosmith, equipping students with the Daisy Patch Submodule (SM). With all the essential circuitry for modular signals—like control voltage, gate signals, and modular-level audio I/O—already onboard, students can dive straight into the exciting parts of instrument design: crafting the firmware and designing the interface.
Hui-Chun Yang with her Daisy Patch SM based module prototype. Photo by Karen Philippi.
Interview
We had the chance to chat with Alex Chechile about the course, his students, and his own history with modular synthesis:
ES - First off, we’d love to get to know you more and learn about your background in music, modular synthesis, and education, and how it all brought you to creating Modular Synthesis Studio!
AC - Sure! My background in music and sound is rooted in a circular process of research and creative application. When making compositions, live performances, or installations, certain questions emerge that I try to answer through empirical investigations, and what I find helps shape my next piece. The connective tissue between research and creative practice is often the software and instruments I make since they are developed from my findings and are used in my music. A good example would be my work with difference tones, which are sounds produced within the inner ear by the ear itself. I conduct psychoacoustic investigations to better understand the perception limits for complex spectra of difference tones. From the findings, I build instruments that I use in my series On the Sensations of Tone. By fine tuning the experience, I’m investigating other aspects of difference tones and updating the instruments as I go.
This all funnels into Modular Synthesis Studio because I wanted to show students how to design and build physical modules based on their own concepts, questions, and research. I’ve been working extensively with modular synthesizers since around the mid-aughts, and have seen the field grow immensely. Now, because of platforms like Daisy, I feel like we’re in a golden age for the instrument because you can program modules to be completely tailored to your own creative and research practices.
ES - When you were designing the class, did you always have Daisy in mind for your students to use? What drew you to the Daisy platform as an educational tool?
AC - Yes, I specifically designed Modular Synthesis Studio around Daisy for a few reasons. Since we were building everything from the ground up, I liked how Daisy has multiple points of entry. By using the Daisy Patch Eurorack module, students could first learn how to program the hardware without worrying about fabrication. Then, once comfortable with the digital workflow, students could build a physical module of their own using the Daisy Patch Submodule. If there was a problem with their custom module, they could use the Patch Eurorack module to help troubleshoot. Also, there’s a great community on the Daisy Discord and forum, and creating new things is always better with supportive documentation and being able to talk with others.
Alex Chechile teaching module fabrication. Photo by Karen Philippi.
ES - Despite modular synthesis’ growth in popularity within the music tech world, it is still a niche discipline. To what level were your students familiar with modular synthesis and instrument design prior to starting the class?
AC - Some students had prior experience with modular synthesis before enrolling, either from using our Serge system in other Sound courses or through their own explorations. However, it was a completely new subject for many, and no students in the class had built their own modules before. That said, RISD students often have experience with instrument design from working with microcontrollers or building acoustic instruments.
ES - Modular synthesis is a complex subject to teach on its own, let alone teaching how to take that knowledge and apply it to creating a complete modular synthesizer system. Where did you find success in bridging the gap between conceptual understanding and real-world application for students who may have been less familiar with the subjects and skills taught in the class?
AC - Bridging that gap was really just breaking things down into manageable parts. The course was structured into three main sections. We started with the fundamentals of modular synthesis, covering different types of modules like signal generators and processors, as well as broader concepts like modulation and self-patching techniques. Having tools like the Serge system and Daisy Patch available for students to explore on their own was key. Between class sessions, students worked on creating and documenting patches, and iterated on those made by their classmates.
Next, we moved into digital synthesis using the visual programming language Max/MSP, although we didn’t need to go too deep since many of the core concepts carried over. We used a class GitHub repository where I shared example code of Max patches that mirrored the concepts we explored with the Serge. What we spent more time exploring was Gen, which is a nested patching environment within Max/MSP that we used to program Daisy firmware. With building-block examples of Gen code, students could interconnect patches to make custom instruments. But before they built their own designs, we recreated all the basic functions of a simple modular synthesizer in Gen. All of this code was shared on the GitHub so students could reference it when building their own modules. Also, at this stage everyone in the class had access to an entire modular synth that they collectively programmed, so moving from here meant going into more experimental territory.
We reached this point by the middle of the semester, so the entire second half of the course was focused on designing and building custom modules and assembling the system. The students built modules that included elements of chaos theory like the butterfly effect, wavetable and granular synthesis, and other techniques unavailable in the Serge format. In the final week, everyone recorded a piece with the finished synthesizer and we compiled the tracks into an album on Soundcloud.
Ryan Huang discussing his module firmware, programmed with Max/MSP’s Gen. Photo by Haram Lee.
ES - Let’s chat about the designs your students created. The front panel artwork and interfaces are truly unique and intriguing. Were there any standout design choices your students made when designing their modules? Either in the hardware or firmware design?
AC - Before the students started working on their own creations, we spent a lot of time analyzing the design of historical and modern modules and systems. These analyses began by studying the visual and and functional properties of the Serge in our studio to get a solid understanding of what makes the system unique. From there we looked at other systems like the Buchla 100 and 200e, while students analyzed and shared newer Eurorack modules they found interesting.
When it came time to make system-wide decisions for our synth, the students voted on their own design paradigm and UI/UX decisions. This resulted in a visual approach similar to the early Serge paperface systems, with each student designing their own module artwork. We decided to use gray jacks for inputs and purple jacks for outputs, and the consensus for firmware design was for modules to invite discovery through playful experimentation. For example, one student’s module is a filter that has handmade touch sensors and photoresistors built into the faceplate artwork.
A collection of students’ modules for the Daisy powered Serge-format system. Photo by Haram Lee.
ES - With the student system being entirely Daisy Patch SM powered, were there any features that students weren’t able to include in their system or individual modular designs, either due to lack of additional time, materials, or hardware capabilities?
AC - One of the great things about the Daisy Patch Submodule is that the inputs and outputs are already at modular-level. However, the most common request we weren’t able to resolve due to time was gain staging for non-modular signals like guitars and microphones. Over the summer we expanded our Serge with Random-Source Audio Interface modules, so this won’t be an issue next time.
ES - Even though the class is new, have you seen any lasting impacts with students who have taken the course? Outside of perhaps wanting to get into modular synths!
AC - Well the first offering of the class was this past spring 2024 so it’s a bit early to say because of summer break, but I’m sure students will run with the material. We approached fabrication from a DIY perspective, so they know everything they need to make a system themselves. The fruits of the course will also benefit anyone using our studio in the future. Together we expanded our Serge system with a custom cabinet of modules made by our students and based on their ideas and interests. Since this is a fully programmable Serge-format synthesizer, it will continue to change, expand, and morph into new forms over time. It brings a new set of concepts and sounds to the Serge, so future pieces developed on our “RISD Serge” will have a unique character of analog and digital sounds. The digital component that our students added is commercially unavailable, which makes the system stand out. When creating Modular Synthesis Studio, I was really inspired by the community and excitement that can form around unique modular synthesizers. I sense that same excitement in our students and for this instrument to shape their creative work and research.
ES - We heard that this class will be a part of a larger major available at RISD. Are you able to share more about that with us?
AC - Yes! Starting next year, undergraduate students can major in Sound at RISD in the new Computation, Technology, and Culture department that we just established. Modular Synthesis Studio is one of the courses they can take, along with other classes in programming sound, modular synthesis, spatial audio, composition, and more. We’re really excited about the new BFA program!
ES - Thank you for taking the time to chat with us, and it’s great to see Daisy being used both for education and creative collaboration. We are excited to see where the Modular Synthesis Studio course takes students in the coming years!
The future of music technology is unfolding in the world of synthesis, where innovation is key—whether it's reviving the nostalgic sounds of the past or exploring new sonic frontiers. This spirit of creativity is alive and well in the Modular Synthesis Studio, where students are crafting groundbreaking synthesis algorithms and interfaces with the help of Daisy, an embedded hardware platform that makes the creation process more accessible than ever. As a new year kicks off at the Rhode Island School of Design, we’re excited to see what the students will create next!
Curious to hear the Daisy modular synthesizer at RISD’s Studio for Research in Sound and Technology? Check out the Modular Synthesis Studio album on Soundcloud!
The inaugural Modular Synthesis Studio class surrounding their completed synthesizer. Back row (L-R): Alex Chechile, Marius Andre, Max Doulis, Sofía Rocha, Meo Luri, Alex Ferrandiz, Yechen Zhu. Front row (L-R): Echo Xu, Ryan Huang, Hui-Chun Yang, Ada Wu, Tracy Zhang, Jack English. Photo by Shawn Greenlee.