Shmøergh A1 is a fully analog semi-modular monosynth. It has a default hardwired patch inside and a couple of modulation sources and targets on the top so we can consider it semi-modular. Everything is handmade by me at home. Most of the module circuits are based on very well-known schematics and a few of the circuits are original. I list references for each module and I either provide links to circuit explanations or I try to explain them myself. Check this video to hear how it sounds.
Samples
So what can you do with this? First of all, the sound of an pure analog synth is another dimension. I could rarely if ever get this rich tone from a computer or a digital synth. Of course I'm biased but I honestly haven't had this much fun with Ableton and MIDI controllers as I had with this simple monosynth.
I used my Korg NTS-1 for some plate reverb but everything else is coming straight from the synth. Pardon my playing.
Recommendation
I don't know whether I would recommend building this as a first synth DIY project. There are quite a lot of points where things may go unexpected which can be a great source of frustration—as well as joy, when the bug is found. The individual modules are however not complicated at all and could be useful even for small projects (e.g. for a DIY Eurorack modular) or for beginners. So maybe yes, I would recommend as a beginner project 😄. Shematics below!