What is that thing behind you?

Back in 2018, I wandered into this forum and did that thing, "I like modular synthesizers! They're really neato and also I like turtles!!!@! What should I buy?!" Several of you gave solid advice. It was pretty great. I went off for a year or so to learn everything I could in any way possible, including building oscillators from scratch. Thanks for a push in the right direction.

During that time, I worked on my modular rack. It went through several iterations and 'growth spurts.' I formed a solid game plan and stuck to it, mostly.

Here's where I'm at.

Breaking it down with a color-coded version at http://www.climbhigher.net/image/mowse-modular.jpg and starting from the bottom row:

Red, oscillators and other sound sources.
Orange, filters and effects.
Yellow, utilities and modulation sources, animation.
Green, pre-output effects/utilities and output.
Purple, portable playground and 4th row supplement. Things rotate in and out (e.g. Rene for Mimetic Digitalis and lots of modulation sources)

On the side are two Moog Mother 32’s, an Arturia Keystep, and a handful of modules that move in and out of that top row. Everything is routed into a Scarlett audio interface and Logic Pro X for EQ and recording.

What's next? A proper case with unified power and cabling, but these individual 104hp skiffs were a great way to build slowly.

The layout feels right. Everything I need is where I want it. I sit down, flip a few switches and get right to patching.

A little while back, I created a Discord server where friends get together and jam. Everybody takes a turn and shares a new patch. We’re hanging out, having fun, and learning from each other. It’s pretty great.

For those just diving into this, here are things I learned:

1. Slow your roll! Take your time. Learn first, buy second. Learn, learn, learn!
2. Have a plan. Stick with it, but it’s cool to wander a bit.
3. You’re probably not using that module to the fullest extent. See #1.
4. Find friends, get together, make noise. You’ll have fun and learn tons.
5. Win the lottery, because you’re probably going to ignore #1 - #3.

Here’s one from last night, just a little fun with Rossum Electro-Music Trident and a Mother 32 with Plaits setting a bass tone in the background. Simple sequences with lots of modulation is where I feel most at home. Hope you dig it.

Again, thanks for all of the solid advice given in 2018.

EDITED Jun 2nd 2020, 23:41

Very nice, thank you for coming back and sharing - looks and sounds like a great result to me :D

Yep, turned out pretty well, I have to say. About the only thing I'd change here would be the placement on those uZeuses, in order to get them away from the audio path/devices. But if you're not encountering any noise leakage from them, then yeah...this is solid.

I've been fortunate with the uZeus power supplies but definitely looking forward to a single case with clean power and rails. I try also to keep noisy things off of the same circuit as the modular setup. Thanks for your advice early on, Lugia. Much appreciated. Looking forward to learning and sharing more as I go.

Hi Mowse,

Wow, that's really NICE with big capitals ;-) Amazing what you have achieved in two years time, I would most probably need 10 years for that, if at all!

I like the way you use those colour frames to explain your rack, it's a good and clear way of explaining it and the viewer directly understands your setup, well done.

The only thing we can hope for is that you don't ditch us again for 2 more years ;-) I would rather like you to stay here without leaving us and providing us once and a while one of your videos in the "You" section of this Forum.

I look forward in hearing more nice stuff from you and kind regards, Garfield Modular.

Fantastic post, Mowse! The results sound & look great.

I have been very interested in learning how folks are approaching the organization of their instrument. The color schema you've used to organize the rack, by functional region, is super helpful as a reference point. In particular, designating the purple playground area seems wise. (Have you tried Knurlies? I love them for encouraging rearranging)

Thinking back to your earlier days on this path, has there been any shift in musical vision, goals w/ the case as an instrument, or other philosophical discoveries?

Thanks for sharing, please continue to do so!

EDITED May 27th 2020, 21:41

Did you buy anything during this time and then resell it later? Is there anything that you bought that you found yourself not using or regretting the purchase (regret might be too strong of a term... but you get the idea).

This is the best post I've seen on this forum. I feel like I've learned so much here too, and it's cool to see someone achieve their dream. Thanks for sharing.

@GarfieldModular Thanks for the kind words. I hope to be around more. There's so much more to learn and maybe some things I can share to help others.

@aarontw I have not tried Knurlies, but I'm definitely going to give them a shot, especially on that top row. In terms of vision and direction, there have been many changes. The more I expose myself to different personalities and styles, the more I am drawn to things that didn't resonate with me at first. What I first found appealing is changing. For example, Telharmonic was way off my map as a VCO versus my Moog oscillators. Same with Wogglebug. How do you get controlled results from this thing?! Well, you don't. The magic is in the element of surprise and chaos. Coming from U.S. East coast, not my typical style. A lot of preconceptions were torn down, mostly because I didn't actually know what I was talking about. So, I suppose that my current vision is to expose myself to as much information and learning as possible and see where it leads me.

@Ronin1973 I haven't sold any of my modules and I don't feel buyer's remorse for any given purchase. This is a learning process for me and I have decided to make the commitment in full. I'm sure that I'll sell things eventually, but I want to do so when I'm sure that a piece of gear has been fully explored and is wrong for me.

Looking forward to learning and sharing more, especially some noises and music. Thanks, all, for the kind words. Much appreciated.

@mowse Thanks for sharing your experiences. Your appreciation of the journey really comes through. And the notion of being open to the magic of surprises—and tearing down preconceptions—resonates with me.

One of the things I think you're touching on is that beginner's mind can be a rewarding mindset with which to approach eurorack. Being open to possibility, just as much as we are shaping our instruments with each choice made (modules, signal flow, etc.), can lead somewhere unexpected, and rewarding.

Another thing you've demonstrated here is that committing pays off. Committing to a process that involves learning the ins/outs of modules, patience, and reflection. And continuous learning.

If you're up for one more question, what lies ahead as you continue on your journey? Are there any particular sounds, patches, performative aspects, or anything else on the horizon?

Thanks again for all.

@aarontw I think next up is just a long, deep dive into this thing I've built. As much as I'm looking to get certain things out of it, I'm also looking for it to lead me in interesting directions. Sometimes, I just stare at it and marvel at the sheer number of possibilities and permutations. It'll rain here over the weekend and all work and chores are done...

After diving in for several weeks of tweaking knobs, I surfaced to make changes that yield big returns.

First, I swapped STO for DPO and migrated Plaits to the "travel skiff" top row. I'm now very psyched about my bottom row VCO layout with this beautiful landscape of deep, complex oscillation. One potato... two potato... 17 outputs across four complex VCO's? I think I counted that right.

Second, I decided to not purchase Make Noise X-Pan. Instead, I went with Intellijel Planar2 because it's just SO interactive and fun to play. I love the flavor of Make Noise, so it was a harder decision than most. So far, I feel like it was a good one.

Third, I bought a second Maths. It lives in a 60hp skiff, called The Modulation Harness, geared towards modulation of my semi-modular gear. If HP isn't an issue then one probably can't go wrong with a second Maths.

Fourth, Rene v2 is now my primary sequencer. Rene feels good to play. Mimetic Digitalis is tons of fun, but I sometimes I feel like it lacks a certain intimacy. It cranks out fast variations and 'shreds' but can feel a bit one-knob centric and "searchy" when I want to slow down and be purposeful about what I'm doing. I moved it into The Modulation Harness.

So, what I've achieved is simplification of my overall landscape that came with big improvements to what I like to do and how I do it. Sitting down at this instrument is now such a mesmerizing and enjoyable experience.

Oh, one last thing... ochd arrived in the mail. Totally worth the wait. Super sweet module. Thanks, DivKid!

Now I've got three weeks to dive back in to measure my decisions.

EDITED Jun 16th 2020, 23:26

Hi Mowse,

Wow, you got yourself a nice rack there! :-)

The bottom row are presented by the "strong boys" (VCOs), looks pretty serious ;-) Are you happy with the Odessa module from Xaoc Devices? Is it worth the investment?

Looks like you are pretty much fan of Mutable Instruments :-D

Enjoy your new rack layout and kind regards, Garfield.

Still looking good there! As long as you maintain that "zoned" aspect to the rig, it'll keep a lot of "build discipline" in place. It's definitely the right way to build!