Now when your talking old school synths there is nothing more old school then a modular system. With a modular system there is no limit to how many VCO, VCA, VCF, or Envelope generators you want. The modular systems, like the Moog above, were first produced in the late 60s early 70s. The various components of a module system are connected through the use of patch cables, so they only look as clean as the pic above when they are not being played.
Now one thing that most people don’t realize is that you don’t need a keyboard to play a synth of this type. Though the use sequencers and using oscillator to control oscillators you can build up medleys and play the whole thing through knob turning.
While there are companies still made module synth units today, there is also a big DIY movement. I’m not just talking about people selling kits so you can assemble your own, but there are many places on the net where people are sharing there module know-how. While many will sell you a PCB most also show you the circuit used to make the module. One of the great DIY synth makers is Ray Wilson’s Music from Outerspace. Another great resource is the Electro Music Forums. So go check them out.
