Careful with the MS20 - it’s labeled S&H, but is actually a ‘track and hold’. The difference being, it will sample the input source at Gate OFF, rather than gate ON. So when the trigger is high, the input passes (ie tracks), and when you release the gate, the input voltage is held. To get around this and make it behave more like a S&H, use a very short trigger, like the narrowest pulse you can set on the MS20’s square lfo.
If you already knew this, I don’t mean to be patronizing 
I misunderstood it too. J3RK gave a great explanation, I really need to try this with Neutron (I suppose S&H input is for this). I don’t think any of my other, non-modular synths can do this…
So a potentially awesome patch with the mods of your MS20m:
Osc 1 output (square/pulse) -> S&H clock input
Headphone or main output -> S&H input
S&H output = new main output
This will turn the sample and hold into a sample rate reducer, for decimater type effects. It works at audio rates, when you sweep the clock frequency low enough you’ll eventually get audio drop outs. It’s generally necessary to use a square wave. Just make sure to turn Osc 1 down in the mixer, and only use osc 2 as an internal sound source.
For variation, plug a dummy cable or the mod wheel into VCO1 Total on the patch bay, so you can sweep it’s frequency manually. For tonal variety, try adjusting the pulse width of VCO1, either manually or with modulation.
For transparency, I haven’t tried this with a MS20, but it works with any other synths with S&H (such as the Neutron mentioned above)
Sounds interesting; I’ll give it a go.
I didn’t and it’s not at all patronising - more like useful information; cheers!
thank, I’ll look into it. I just pulled that quote from VSE which is full of all kinds of misinformation so it wouldn’t surprise me. Regardless, that’s one synth I sure miss.
What about the Vermona Perfourmer? (This is an actual question btw.)
nope, Vermona has a random waveform for the LFO, but not fully featured S&H.
I think a lot of the confusion in this thread relates to the fact that many synths with random waveforms have it described and/or labelled as “sample and hold”. And while that may be the way that the random waveform is generated, we are talking about synths that have fully featured sample and hold which includes:
Most random waveforms simply have 1) generated by the LFO rate, 2) hardwired to white noise and 3) output. Where things get interesting is being able to send your own signals to 1) and 2) rather than them being predetermined.
Oberheim Matrix-6/6R/1000 - LFO section
You can also feed this LFO into the Tracking Generator to manipulate it further.
Yet another reason to like this horribly underrated little guy.
I’ve been fascinated by this thread but don’t have even the smallest idea about why this isn’t possible on the OT?
Is it because the sample source would literally be a sample? I suppose running a setup that would achieve this with any synth would create delay?
If I understand your question correctly it’s bcs you would need the source (lfo) and another freely running thing (another lfo) to sample it, regardless of where you have trigs.
With the OT on hold or trig mode it always happens accordingly to where the trigs or trigless trigs are, as opposed to having another lfo/clock source doing the sampling.
Hydrasynth also has quantization options for the LFO, which makes it behave like a sample and hold.
The OT (and other elektrons) can hold any LFO waveform on a step. This is close to sample and hold behaviour, where sample would be what ever waveform you choose (OT gets bonus points for ability to design your own wave shapes) and Hold would be each trig . (Again, OT get bonus points for trigless trigs, and slide trigs… which would make a slewed S&H)
Not exactly the same thing as a samlple and hold circuit, but pretty bloody close.
