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Hey, tnx for your reply, how do you disconnect the top case ?

yeah - can definitely go that way - a lot of the modulation can be shared which helps & I have a module *sensory translator) which takes audio input, splits it into frequency bands and then outputs envelopes per band...

Interesting module for sure!!!

iirc the EYESY is programmable using python scripts - so you can get much more out of it than the obvious... brightness etc can be controlled programatically or by adjusting the contrast/brightness on the screen

Unfortunately, I don't programme so the finer tweaks will be lost to me.

that one's almost definitely Lumen out fron MBP (in mono) then into LZX modular (the green looks like its the whole signal going through a doepfer a-116) and at some point it's going through the syntonie cbv01 - then out to a flat screen tv and rescanned using an iPhone

Thanks for sharing the process with me. Seems like a lot of work but the results are astounding! Looks very "analogue"!

I started listening to it last night...

It's an acquired taste! lol!

recently i built a custom case that consist of multiple stackable sub cases:
https://modwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3993355#p3993355

first i tried to use 8mm x 80mm metal bolts between the cases but i was not successful.
I was hoping to be able to stack & unstack the cases without the need for any tool.

after i realised that its totally ok for me using a tool in favour of a good connection between the cases i finally mounted a 3mm metal plate with 2 M5 holes on top of each sub case
it looks like a strong connection with nothing to worry about.

EDITED Jul 17th 2023, 12:28

a few notes

1. nRings - (oscillator)

a sound source (NOT an oscillator) and an effect - sound sources are only oscillators when they constantly produce a waveform at the specified pitch - Rings is a resonator - it produces a sound when it is triggered either via the trigger input or receiving a change of pitch or audio is input - that sound then decays or is choked when a new trigger is received (depending on the polyphony setting)

NB Rings is notoriously awkward to tune (at least with a tuner) due to harmonics - the trimmer for frequency on small clones makes this more difficult...

2. uBraids - (oscillator)
3. Forbidden Planet - (filter)
4. A-132-3 DVCA - (vca)

is this enough vcas - remember they're useful for both audio and modulation

5. Monsoon - (fx)

can also be used as a sound source... and really needs attenuation on modulation inputs

6. Function Junction - (envelope/ad/lfo/mixer or attenuator)
7. Pachinko - (random sequencer)
8. A-180-3 - (mult)
9. A-118-2 - (noise/t&h/s&h)

I'd rather have a s&h/t&h that accepts external inputs

10. Disting mk4 - (everything. literally everything.)

I definitely think that in this size case I'd want to go for a single voice with good ergonomics and that's got enough support modules, rather than multiple voices that aren't well supported - "trying to do too much in too small a case" - it's a common beginner folly...

Thanks for sharing your videos. When there is music to the vids, the experience is synaesthetic!!

yeah - can definitely go that way - a lot of the modulation can be shared which helps & I have a module *sensory translator) which takes audio input, splits it into frequency bands and then outputs envelopes per band...

Thanks for explaining how it works! Excellent! The Critter and Guitari EYESY syncs visuals with sounds but looks more superficial and the colours are a bit too bright.

iirc the EYESY is programmable using python scripts - so you can get much more out of it than the obvious... brightness etc can be controlled programatically or by adjusting the contrast/brightness on the screen

There were some videos which I liked a lot - perhaps, they were created with the same analogue gear but I can't tell which one. They have a retro look and a depth of perception without the digital flatness.

If you want to post links to individual videos I might be able to tell you what I used

Here's one of them - looks like a dead TV channel gone psychedelic and retro cyberpunk. Awesome!! Curious about your gear used...

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CLVM5_dBane/]

that one's almost definitely Lumen out fron MBP (in mono) then into LZX modular (the green looks like its the whole signal going through a doepfer a-116) and at some point it's going through the syntonie cbv01 - then out to a flat screen tv and rescanned using an iPhone

I had posted weblinks to my debut CD in the "You" section of the forum. You can stream the album on Bandcamp :

[https://khatulistiwa.bandcamp.com/album/the-silence-that-does-not-exist]

Tracks 4 and 5 were made solely with Eurorack. The rest with Mother-32, Lyra-8, Behringer 2600 Blue Marvin, O-coast, Strega, Recovery Mystic, Eowave Quadrantid Swarm, Wingie 2, guitar pedals and Ableton!

-- Solar01

I started listening to it last night...

EDITED Jul 17th 2023, 09:19

Thanks for sharing your videos. When there is music to the vids, the experience is synaesthetic!!

yeah - can definitely go that way - a lot of the modulation can be shared which helps & I have a module *sensory translator) which takes audio input, splits it into frequency bands and then outputs envelopes per band...

Thanks for explaining how it works! Excellent! The Critter and Guitari EYESY syncs visuals with sounds but looks more superficial and the colours are a bit too bright.

There were some videos which I liked a lot - perhaps, they were created with the same analogue gear but I can't tell which one. They have a retro look and a depth of perception without the digital flatness.

If you want to post links to individual videos I might be able to tell you what I used

Here's one of them - looks like a dead TV channel gone psychedelic and retro cyberpunk. Awesome!! Curious about your gear used...

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CLVM5_dBane/]

Thank you very much for sharing your music. Both tracks are different but equally worthy of inclusion.

-- Solar01

Happy you liked them!
-- JimHowell1970

I had posted weblinks to my debut CD in the "You" section of the forum. You can stream the album on Bandcamp :

[https://khatulistiwa.bandcamp.com/album/the-silence-that-does-not-exist]

Tracks 4 and 5 were made solely with Eurorack. The rest with Mother-32, Lyra-8, Behringer 2600 Blue Marvin, O-coast, Strega, Recovery Mystic, Eowave Quadrantid Swarm, Wingie 2, guitar pedals and Ableton!

EDITED Jul 17th 2023, 04:37

Thanks for sharing your videos. When there is music to the vids, the experience is synaesthetic!!

yeah - can definitely go that way - a lot of the modulation can be shared which helps & I have a module *sensory translator) which takes audio input, splits it into frequency bands and then outputs envelopes per band...

There were some videos which I liked a lot - perhaps, they were created with the same analogue gear but I can't tell which one. They have a retro look and a depth of perception without the digital flatness.

If you want to post links to individual videos I might be able to tell you what I used

Thank you very much for sharing your music. Both tracks are different but equally worthy of inclusion.

-- Solar01

Happy you liked them!

Question 1
I'm in the middle of putting together a small (all in one) rack for noodling around and attempting to make Berlin School/Generative/Drone style music. already have a few modules/pieces:
1. nRings
2. uBraids
3. Monsoon
4. Pachinko
5. Disting mk4
6. Niftycase
I'm looking to finish off this case with the VCA, FORBIDDEN PLANET (filter), FUNCTION JUNCTION (envelopes/lfo/mixer), FOUR LFO (I am on the fence about this for obvious reasons.) Not that I'm against Behringer, I have the Neutron and a small mixer and they are just fine for me. Feels a little wrong to XAOC Batumi, but DAMN that price. I do feel I may be a little heavy with modulation (if that's possible) when this is done. Whenever that may be.
BTW, I am not married to the Disitng. I bought it used to learn what other modules do and what I want in the future.
As you can probably guess, I'm doing this on the cheap (this is a hobby).
Any thoughts or suggegstions are appreciated.

external gear:
7. Keystep, SQ-64 & SQ-1 (should be covered for sequencing)
8. Electribe 2 (drums/more voices/sequencer)
9. Zoom MS-70CDR (effects pedal if needed)
10. Neutron (stand alone modular synth to play with or use as individual modules)

Question 2
Are most users a ONE BIG CASE packed with all kinds of random modules or do you have a few smaller cases?
After I finish this Niftycase I want to make (by hand) a case for the Behringer System 100 modules. Wondering if getting a bigger case like the Mantis would be the better option. I like the idea of having a couple of smaller cases but maybe you guys would know better.
See, I told you I wasn't against Behringer and yes I am aware that these are also "borrowed" modules from Roland but for some weird reason I don't have a problem with. Yeah yeah hipocrite I know.

UPDATED:

Thanks Jim for the advice and utility advice too. I may have skipped on that entirely. Blinded by the cool stuff. I made a few changes and feel this is very close/if not what I want my rack to be. I think I included a little bit of everything. I put a quick description of what I will use each module as. A few of these modules can do multiple thing but not all at once. Except maybe the Function Junction. But I probably don't have to say that. Again, criticisms and advice are appreciated.

1. nRings - (oscillator)
2. uBraids - (oscillator)
3. Forbidden Planet - (filter)
4. A-132-3 DVCA - (vca)
5. Monsoon - (fx)
6. Function Junction - (envelope/ad/lfo/mixer or attenuator)
7. Pachinko - (random sequencer)
8. A-180-3 - (mult)
9. A-118-2 - (noise/t&h/s&h)
10. Disting mk4 - (everything. literally everything.)

At least, my GAS for guitar pedals has died off as I think I have all that I need now to make my music.

Mine too years ago - a year or so before I got into eurorack - I have a very nice pedal cupboard... I'm planning on getting them out soon... just need to movee a few things around and make a bit more space in the studio for a pedalboard

I have a bunch of loose pedals here as the chain is different each time I use them. The only static pedalboard is for me to play black metal on the guitar which is very different from the experimental music and electronic music which I make.

I hope the same will happen with Eurorack modules as I exhaust possibilities.

-- Solar01

possibilities are endless!!

Quite a scary prospect! Change is constant with my set-up... I realise that it is hard to keep things still.

sorry for that, didn't mean to... I started messing with Processing3 (Java programming environment for video) and then Lumen and then I discovered video in the function dropdown in the eurorack modules seciton here!!!

here's a link to my instagram where I put video stuff - https://www.instagram.com/jimhowell1970/

Thanks for sharing your videos. When there is music to the vids, the experience is synaesthetic!!

the very early stuff on there is Lumen, then it's mostly eurorack video (mostly LZX GEN2 with some DIY modules from LZX, Reverselandfill, Visible Signals and Syntonie - plus some 'audio' modules that will effect video - mostly doepfer wavefolders - they get a bit smeary as the op amps arent' fast enough) and there's also some stuff where I use Lumen as a front and and then process it add to it in the rack...

There were some videos which I liked a lot - perhaps, they were created with the same analogue gear but I can't tell which one. They have a retro look and a depth of perception without the digital flatness.

and a link to my only track on bandcamp - https://communitymodularelectronic.bandcamp.com/track/jim-howell-aintnosunshinehere it was on the 'best of modulargrid 2021' compilation... although my friend optical_collusion thought this one should be on instead -

-- JimHowell1970

Thank you very much for sharing your music. Both tracks are different but equally worthy of inclusion.

We can encourage listeners to discover the album on Bandcamp. (NB. the links here do not seem to work on Safari - to be checked - but one can copy and paste the url, or use this one: The Silence that does not Exist). Btw, special mention for ‘Lunar Inclination’, ‘Still Air Vibrates’, and of course ‘Dimensional Wreck’.
-- Sweelinck

Thank you so much for recommending this album! I have also amended the weblinks to function as they should and I will add this weblink to the Lunar Inclination track :-)

[]

EDITED Jul 18th 2023, 16:19

Hi all,
i have two cases. i would like to stack one on top of the other, but want to be able to simply remove it because thats my traveling case (suitcase style). It needs to be a strong connection, the top one is 7u high and cos of patching i dont want to tip that one over 😅
Any remommodations on how to adress this ? They are both rougly the same hp wide and the lower on is deeper than the one intented on top. i dont mind drilling in yhe cases.
Hope to hear from you

At least, my GAS for guitar pedals has died off as I think I have all that I need now to make my music.

Mine too years ago - a year or so before I got into eurorack - I have a very nice pedal cupboard... I'm planning on getting them out soon... just need to movee a few things around and make a bit more space in the studio for a pedalboard

I hope the same will happen with Eurorack modules as I exhaust possibilities.

-- Solar01

possibilities are endless!!

By the way, I think you have succesfully (and involuntarily) introduced me to another rabbit hole - video modules / gear !!!! (Just by the mention of it) Checking out TACHYONS+ and toying with Lumen demo to see if it is the thing for me....

-- Solar01

sorry for that, didn't mean to... I started messing with Processing3 (Java programming environment for video) and then Lumen and then I discovered video in the function dropdown in the eurorack modules seciton here!!!

here's a link to my instagram where I put video stuff - https://www.instagram.com/jimhowell1970/

the very early stuff on there is Lumen, then it's mostly eurorack video (mostly LZX GEN2 with some DIY modules from LZX, Reverselandfill, Visible Signals and Syntonie - plus some 'audio' modules that will effect video - mostly doepfer wavefolders - they get a bit smeary as the op amps arent' fast enough) and there's also some stuff where I use Lumen as a front and and then process it add to it in the rack...

and a link to my only track on bandcamp - https://communitymodularelectronic.bandcamp.com/track/jim-howell-aintnosunshinehere it was on the 'best of modulargrid 2021' compilation... although my friend optical_collusion thought this one should be on instead -

EDITED Jul 16th 2023, 10:53

We can encourage listeners to discover the album on Bandcamp. (NB. the links here do not seem to work on Safari - to be checked - but one can copy and paste the url, or use this one: The Silence that does not Exist). Btw, special mention for ‘Lunar Inclination’, ‘Still Air Vibrates’, and of course ‘Dimensional Wreck’.

Excellent!
Finally, serious business begins...

Thank you for your encouraging words!

• Did you take note of which modules (and possibly semi-modulars associated) you used for this piece?

I would have an idea from a photo of my half-filled minimalistic rig back from the very beginnings of my modular journey. Just Eurorack in action but I doubt I can re-create the same piece again from memory.

• It seems to be essentially generative. Did you add some manual interventions? Any ‘tweaks’ on the fly?
  (Personally I most often keep a detailed record of these two aspects).

It was a direct recording of an improvised piece with spontaneous tweaks and forgotten patches. Another track - "Dreamer is Awake" is a full modular track which I might be able to re-create mostly using the Data Bender.

Bravo for the visual on the side (the video): it does not distract attention for the music.
Really nice work.
-- Sweelinck

Thank you again for your kind words! :-)

Excellent!
Finally, serious business begins...

• Did you take note of which modules (and possibly semi-modulars associated) you used for this piece?
• It seems to be essentially generative. Did you add some manual interventions? Any ‘tweaks’ on the fly?
  (Personally I most often keep a detailed record of these two aspects).

Bravo for the visual on the side (the video): it does not distract attention for the music.
Really nice work.

Hi there,

I have recently released my debut CD called Reverse Image "The Silence that does not Exist" on a label called Khatulistiwa. Gear used - Eurorack, Mother-32, Behringer 2600 Blue Marvin, O-coast, Strega, Recovery Mystic, Eowave Quadrantid Swarm, guitar pedals, Ableton, etc.

"Reverse Image is a sound artist from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She builds her works using analogue and digital equipment looking for the intersection between repetitive motifs and disjointed incidences.The title is inspired by the search for moments of silence amidst the discord.

Recordings from 2022-2023."

You can stream the entire album on Bandcamp :

https://khatulistiwa.bandcamp.com/album/the-silence-that-does-not-exist

And here's an Eurorack track :

" />

Sound samples and the CD can be purchased from Soundohm :

https://www.soundohm.com/product/the-silence-that-does-not

Also, an excellent review of the album:

https://touchingextremes.wordpress.com/2023/07/02/reverse-image-the-silence-that-does-not-exist/

Thank you very much for listening! :-)

EDITED Aug 9th 2023, 10:25

I think almost everyone gets bouts of severe GAS from time to time - at least until you get to a certain point where you can effectively patch most things if you don't already have them - and innovative, interesting modules are few and far between...

I'm reasonably sure that most, if not all, of the modules I buy/build in the future will be either simple utilities or video modules...

-- JimHowell1970

At least, my GAS for guitar pedals has died off as I think I have all that I need now to make my music. I hope the same will happen with Eurorack modules as I exhaust possibilities. By the way, I think you have succesfully (and involuntarily) introduced me to another rabbit hole - video modules / gear !!!! (Just by the mention of it) Checking out TACHYONS+ and toying with Lumen demo to see if it is the thing for me....

@HGSynth has done a great job there with advice

I'd also take a quick look at my signature - & spend some time thinking about it... it's a quick guide to getting the most versatility for the least expense... & it scales well too...

bigger case - check... can't say I'm a fan of the rackbrutes, as a starter case I think the mantis wins every time on every level (hp/cost/manufacturer reputation/decent power supply/no hideous rack wart), but as an addition to a minibrute they make a lot of sense, but only if you're going to connect them physically... if you're not going to connect them and have the rack to the side of the minibrute then the mantis wins (& they come in black now too)

definitely worth investigating more modulation sources and utilities...

Maths is brilliant - it's got decent ergonomics and a decent feature set - which in itself is invaluable, but most importantly there's a lot of educational material - videos and especially the 'maths illustrated supplement' which is an excellent primer for patch programming and patching in general - especially when time is spent trying to understand what, why and how it's doing what it's doing...

the addition of another modulation source such as batumi or zadar is a great idea!

I'd probably go for the Happy Nerding 3 x MIA over the TUL as you get an extra channel in the same hp and ergonomics is still good

a quad cascading vca is a investment - I'd go for a veils clone myself - you can never have too many vcas!!!! yjru're really useful for modulation as well as audio! and they can be used to attenuate modular level down a bit before hitting whatever you're currently using to mix the minibrute and the drum machine

if you can find one, a kinks clone is always useful

if you're thinking of using the turing machine as a pitch sequencer at all, you'll almost definitely want to add a quantizer

I always like a matrix mixer (or 2) - great for combining modulation, setting up feedback loops into sound modifiers, send/return of effects etc etc

@HGSynth, marvelous response. Thank you for you insights. Shopping around for the rack, but focused on the rackbrute 6u. I've not seen anything but the 6u rackbrute available (I had originally thought that the 3u version would do), so I'm not anticipating a shortage of HP being available. I hadn't expected to ponder beyond a bit of modulation and some effects (lacking any on the mb 2s).

Minibrute 2s. I'd like to use the sequencer on the 2s for most of the sequencing and clock -- which also goes out to (or comes in from -- not sure which I prefer) an erica synths lxr-02 for drums, and do some processing, futzing, modulating of the bass lines on the rack.

I've added some randomness to the modules, yes. As I think more about sound, it seems that one of the true strengths of adding modular is getting a bit farther from the norms of integrated or even semi-modular synths.

I will read up on the modules you've hilighted above. Thank you again for your comments.

Looking to expand Mini Brute into the world of modular. How does the community think these modules will play (well, not well, redundant, missing something key, etc...) with the MB?
-- mashume

Which Minibrute do you mean, the 2/2s, or do you mean the Microbrute? The 2s is awesome in conjuction with modular, so many cool modulation and sequencing possibilities. The Microbrute's patchbay is much more limited, but would still expand quite well into a modular rack. Do you already have the linked rack, or are you still shopping around? If you haven't gotten it yet, you may want to consider going a little bigger (the Rackbrute 6u is a good starter size, though I might recommend a Tip Top Mantis - both are great). Don't get me wrong, you can 100% build an amazing instrument in the rack size you have, but you're going to have to be conservative with hp.

How much control do you want over the basslines? Will you mostly be sequencing basslines on the MB and then sending the audio to the rack for futzing, or are you mainly looking to use your rack to modulate cv that goes back and forth into the MB? Or do you want to use the rack to create the bassline melodies itself? I see you've added a good deal of random cv possibilities to the rack since posting, how are you planning to use those? Will you be clocking from the MB?

In general though, you need more architecture (meaning utilities) to get the most out of your modules. For example, you need VCAs; the ones provided on the MB2 are not enough for an expanded system. A chainable VCA like the Intellijel Quad VCA or Mutable Instruments Veils works well. The Veils is the first module I got to expand my Minibrute 2s when dipping my toes into modular, and it completely changed how I used the synth. Also, you are missing modulators like LFOs (ignoring MATHS which, of course, can do that too). A voltage controlled LFO like XAOC's Batumi would give you excellent controllable LFOs that can drastically change your sounds and cv. I see you've added attenuverters/offsets, and MATHS can do that quite handily, but you may want to consider more, so you can better control the modulations and randomness. Happy Nerding's 3xMIA is pretty good at that, and gives you mixing, helping to free up the VCAs and MATHS which can be used in other ways.

There are a number of other utility, modulating, or signal mangling modules that I could recommend, but it really all depends on your goals, particularly with a rack of that size. Hope this helps.

I think I have been afflicted with severe GAS since getting into gear last year and modular this year! DIY seems like a rewarding hobby but I can't solder and read schematics to save my life...

-- Solar01

I think almost everyone gets bouts of severe GAS from time to time - at least until you get to a certain point where you can effectively patch most things if you don't already have them - and innovative, interesting modules are few and far between...

I'm reasonably sure that most, if not all, of the modules I buy/build in the future will be either simple utilities or video modules...

Lol! I started with a 6U 104HP rack and added another 3U 104 HP to it with fevered intensity. Now, I am about to fill up a 12U 104HP rack which someone described as "overwhelming". I think I am gonna slow down and get to know the modules more deeply.. and catch my breath!
-- Solar01

hahaha - I wonder how they'd describe my 1800hp or so over 8 cases? but that is over 7 years, not 3 months... but then I like mostly bigger modules with better ergonomics... I didn't go over 6u 72hp for the 1st 6 months or so and I think I was within 6u 104hp for the 1st year - then I discovered both DIY and video...

-- JimHowell1970

WOW! That's Massive! I am trying to draw the line at 12U 104HP....but I find myself keeping another 3U 104HP skiff (just in case)! I think I have been afflicted with severe GAS since getting into gear last year and modular this year! DIY seems like a rewarding hobby but I can't solder and read schematics to save my life...

Lol! I started with a 6U 104HP rack and added another 3U 104 HP to it with fevered intensity. Now, I am about to fill up a 12U 104HP rack which someone described as "overwhelming". I think I am gonna slow down and get to know the modules more deeply.. and catch my breath!
-- Solar01

hahaha - I wonder how they'd describe my 1800hp or so over 8 cases? but that is over 7 years, not 3 months... but then I like mostly bigger modules with better ergonomics... I didn't go over 6u 72hp for the 1st 6 months or so and I think I was within 6u 104hp for the 1st year - then I discovered both DIY and video...

I agree you are a bit modulation heavy... and utility light... in this size case and for that number of modules...

take a look at my signature file (below) the formula is for how to get the most versatility for the least expense... have a good long think about it... and then come and ask questions - some might be why & what, for example...

the b-company thing is your own personal decision, but it's not just about cloning & really not the clones of older stuff like the roland 100 series (or the 2500 series or even a 2600) - it's the clones of modules that are still in or just out of production etc that people take the most exception to and it's not just modules - they've been doing this for decades with all sorts of stuff, skirting legalities/ethics etc and often poorly and Uli is well, not that nice a guy, whereas lots of the smaller manufacturers are... and they often at least try to innovate whereas b-company generally don't... they're a big company and all the other modular manufacturers really are the small guys that need the support

but there's at least one other guy that a lot of people won't buy things from...

from what I can tell most people don't want to give their cash to racist misogynists, but it's your money, do with it what you want - personally I try not to give money to them, but you can't totally escape giving money to Uli anyway - it's more how much you give them as they own a major synth component (ICs etc) manufacturer - which a lot of modules use components from (becauses there is no other source in a lot of cases)

just because it's a hobby doesn't mean it should be cheap (or vice versa) lots of us humans spend a large amount of our disposable income on our hobbies - & not just modular synths... I can think of lots of hobbies that are, or at least can be, a lot more expensive... and even if you don't have much money, doesn't mean you should necessarily just buy modules at the cheaper end - it just means it takes longer (& possibly a bit more discipline) to buy some modules you might want/need... it's not a race...it's you building your own custom synthesizer... don't expect it to be particularly any cheaper than any other custom/professional level musical instrument (take a look at fender or gibson custom shop guitars or cellos & bows for them for examples) , at least not in the long term... 100/month is not that much, but over 10 years it's 12000... and unlike a lot of other hobbies it will probably still maintain a decent chunk of that in value - especially if you buy more desireable modules & especially compared to beer appreciation, for example - & you'll have got at least the same enjoyment value out of it

but beware of GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) - most of us get a bout from time to time and suddenly all (or most of) your disposable income for a few months or years is gone into the modular

as for cases - to me the mantis is one of the best bang for buck (size/cost/manufacturer reputation/decent power supply) cases out there and a much better starter case than most because of it... no crappy built in midi->cv or audio outs etc (which you may or may not need) which at least to me defeat the "I'm building my own custom instrument" part of modular - but then I don't have either midi->cv or output modules & I've got a fair few & a fair mix of modules from different manufacturers (iirc it was about 40 different manufacturers at last count), but there is nothing random about it - they all serve a purpose...

your question regarding cases is interesting - and depends on a lot of factors - what is a big case? what is a small case? how many is a few? how long is a piece of string?

I have 8 cases of which the smallest is 6u 72hp and the 2 largest are 9u 104hp... lots of people have fewer cases, lots have more cases - possibly bigger or smaller...

I've built 4 of my cases from wood & components myself - functional, but aesthetically challenged is how I'd describe them... you can save a bit of money this way, but not necessarily that much... rails, threaded inserts and decent power supplies cost a significant part of the total cost at the lower end - I reckon those for my 9us (2 104hp, 2 84hp) cost about 2/3rds of a mantis per case and when you factor in time for construction, tools etc etc... personally I wouldn't entertain building anything smaller than 6u (but they're still small cases to me)

if you are going down this route though - befaco make some excellent DIY able power supplies - I have 5 of their excalibus power supplies and they are very good (really very quiet) - and easy, if tedious builds (24 power headers * 16 solder joints per header) - if you can't solder or don't want to learn (always useful for building modules) then they're not that much more to buy ready made and still good value (don't skimp on power supplies)

Question 1
I'm in the middle of putting together a small (all in one) rack for noodling around and attempting to make Berlin School/Generative/Drone style music. already have a few modules/pieces:
1. nRings
2. uBraids
3. Monsoon
4. Pachinko
5. Disting mk4
6. Niftycase
I'm looking to finish off this case with the VCA, FORBIDDEN PLANET (filter), FUNCTION JUNCTION (envelopes/lfo/mixer), FOUR LFO (I am on the fence about this for obvious reasons.) Not that I'm against Behringer, I have the Neutron and a small mixer and they are just fine for me. Feels a little wrong to XAOC Batumi, but DAMN that price. I do feel I may be a little heavy with modulation (if that's possible) when this is done. Whenever that may be.
BTW, I am not married to the Disitng. I bought it used to learn what other modules do and what I want in the future.
As you can probably guess, I'm doing this on the cheap (this is a hobby).
Any thoughts or suggegstions are appreciated.

external gear:
7. Keystep, SQ-64 & SQ-1 (should be covered for sequencing)
8. Electribe 2 (drums/more voices/sequencer)
9. Zoom MS-70CDR (effects pedal if needed)
10. Neutron (stand alone modular synth to play with or use as individual modules)

Question 2
Are most users a ONE BIG CASE packed with all kinds of random modules or do you have a few smaller cases?
After I finish this Niftycase I want to make (by hand) a case for the Behringer System 100 modules. Wondering if getting a bigger case like the Mantis would be the better option. I like the idea of having a couple of smaller cases but maybe you guys would know better.
See, I told you I wasn't against Behringer and yes I am aware that these are also "borrowed" modules from Roland but for some weird reason I don't have a problem with. Yeah yeah hipocrite I know.

EDITED Jul 14th 2023, 21:16

NP - reason I have an es8/es6 is due to buying before the es9 cme out - if it had been out I'd have bought the es9... although if funds are tight a used es8 now and an es6 in the future might be the way forward...

Thanks for the responses. might look into the expert sleepers stuff, if i can afford it.

Thanks so much for your helpful advice and perspectives. Need to fully unleash the potential of each module. Still lots to learn less than 3 months into this modular quest. Lots to think about and re-consider!

-- Solar01

3 months in - relax, have fun, keep researching and asking question (no such thing as a stupid question etc) and work out what you're missing by missing it (and reasearching/asking questions) and most of all just patch and patch and patch again....

-- JimHowell1970

Lol! I started with a 6U 104HP rack and added another 3U 104 HP to it with fevered intensity. Now, I am about to fill up a 12U 104HP rack which someone described as "overwhelming". I think I am gonna slow down and get to know the modules more deeply.. and catch my breath!

Thanks so much for your helpful advice and perspectives. Need to fully unleash the potential of each module. Still lots to learn less than 3 months into this modular quest. Lots to think about and re-consider!

-- Solar01

3 months in - relax, have fun, keep researching and asking question (no such thing as a stupid question etc) and work out what you're missing by missing it (and reasearching/asking questions) and most of all just patch and patch and patch again....

Hey, so I made this record last year, this was all recorded directly to a Marantz CP430 using only a Make Noise System Concrete.
Can check it out here:
https://memorysoft.bandcamp.com/album/software

A 3 group multi of one in and 3 outs, or single multi-9 outs if you only use the top input, or 1 in 3 out 1 in 6 out if you use the top and middle in, you get the picture. And a little signal adder at the bottom
The build is super easy, barely an inconvenience. Just solder 16 sockets and one power connector and put the front panel on and it’s done.

Good quality, though I did get some noticeable (on the scope) lag between the original slope and the multi’d slope, but I couldn’t hear the lag.

Excellent first kit if you’re just considering DIY module building.
Build

When we equip ourselves with utilities and modulations (see the famous @JimHowell1970’s signature), we expand our possibilities.

-- Sweelinck

Thanks lots for all the helpful suggestions!!! All very helpful and will be considered seriously... I will think about how I can fit in more modules into this rack without spilling over into 15U! I make experimental music, industrial and ambient sounds, and I am enjoying this transition from semi-modular gear to modular! :D

-- Solar01

really just quoting to allow easy access to my famous signature file!!! see below...

the formula basically gives a hint towards most versatility for the least expense, but shouldn't be taken as strict or anything like that - often modules are in multiple categories and how you see them may be different to how I see them and may differ over time... examples are a lot of filters (primarily in the sound modifier camp) can also be used as sound sources, a sound sourcemay in fact be multiple oscillators and some utilities (wavefolders and mixers, for example), mutable rings is definitely both a sound source and a sound processor, lots of vcos can double as lfos, sequencers can be modulation sources etc etc

utilities are often 'hidden' in classical fixed synth architecture and their number is limited (usually by cost) - but this is modular and they are exposed and only limited by how many of them you have - multiples are really useful - so don't just get one and assume that you've ticked them off... you may want to put multiple ticks for each...

an example is the minimoog oscillator section, where there are iirc 3 oscillators and a mixer before the vca/vcf - let's ignore the fact that one of those is the lfo and imagine we have a dedicated lfo (or lfos) and that most similar vcos have multiple outputs for different waveforms rather than switchable output - firstly we'd want a mult to copy the pitch to each of the oscillators, and instead of the a single mixer- ideally we'd have 1 per oscillator to mix waveforms and then another to mix the outputs of those mixers to get a (more flexible) version of that archtecture - the AISynthesis Harmonic Mixer would be a good candidate as it's reasonably inexpensive, has decent control and (being based on the moog cp1) has the nice gain/grit of the original moog mixer - or you could patch in a vca for amplitude modulation, or a wavefolder to add some 'west coast' vibes or whatever

another example is a clock divider... great for triggers and gates, but send in audio and use an even division and out comes a square wave at a lower octave than the input (/2 = -1ve, /4 = -2ve, etc) - which is why I'd always recommend an extra basic clock diveider as well as whatever's being used for regular clock division!

Maths seems to be a great starter utility set - 2 envelope generators/slews/lfos, a mixer, 2 attenuverters/offsets and some basic logic.. but once its self-patched - it can be programmed to do all sorts of more interesting things - see the 'maths illustrated supplement' for more details - so it's a really good idea to have at least some of that functionality duplicated in other modules as well - so you can use it when you patch program maths... or of course multiple copies of Maths (or both!)

and a final example - the matrix mixer - possibly my favourite utility module - and really I'm just meaning basic mono versions, not VC ones or stereo ones or overly complicated ones that need special cables (although all these have their places, except maybe the special cables, which I'd lose) - not only can they be used for creating additional complex modulation from simpler sources, by mixing copies of those simpler modulation sources together in various amounts, but they can also be used as simple send/return routers for effects and for creating feedback loops (which can be done on other mixers too, btw) as well as many other applications I'm sure you can think of...

hope all this helps...

-- JimHowell1970

Thanks so much for your helpful advice and perspectives. Need to fully unleash the potential of each module. Still lots to learn less than 3 months into this modular quest. Lots to think about and re-consider!

depends how many channels you want and whether you want usb or ADAT connectivity

befaco do a 2 channel usb one, expert sleepers do more channels (both ADAT and/or USB) and are often expandable depending on the software you are using and iirc bored brain do one (but that might be ADAT only)

I've got a es8/es6 combo, but I really only use it for audio i/o via usb to my MBP - I do use it for clocking (on channel 3 using a kick sample as the clock from Logic to PNW - using a saved template with the kick sample on every 16th note, so it moves with any tempo changes)

When we equip ourselves with utilities and modulations (see the famous @JimHowell1970’s signature), we expand our possibilities.

-- Sweelinck

Thanks lots for all the helpful suggestions!!! All very helpful and will be considered seriously... I will think about how I can fit in more modules into this rack without spilling over into 15U! I make experimental music, industrial and ambient sounds, and I am enjoying this transition from semi-modular gear to modular! :D

-- Solar01

really just quoting to allow easy access to my famous signature file!!! see below...

the formula basically gives a hint towards most versatility for the least expense, but shouldn't be taken as strict or anything like that - often modules are in multiple categories and how you see them may be different to how I see them and may differ over time... examples are a lot of filters (primarily in the sound modifier camp) can also be used as sound sources, a sound sourcemay in fact be multiple oscillators and some utilities (wavefolders and mixers, for example), mutable rings is definitely both a sound source and a sound processor, lots of vcos can double as lfos, sequencers can be modulation sources etc etc

utilities are often 'hidden' in classical fixed synth architecture and their number is limited (usually by cost) - but this is modular and they are exposed and only limited by how many of them you have - multiples are really useful - so don't just get one and assume that you've ticked them off... you may want to put multiple ticks for each...

an example is the minimoog oscillator section, where there are iirc 3 oscillators and a mixer before the vca/vcf - let's ignore the fact that one of those is the lfo and imagine we have a dedicated lfo (or lfos) and that most similar vcos have multiple outputs for different waveforms rather than switchable output - firstly we'd want a mult to copy the pitch to each of the oscillators, and instead of the a single mixer- ideally we'd have 1 per oscillator to mix waveforms and then another to mix the outputs of those mixers to get a (more flexible) version of that archtecture - the AISynthesis Harmonic Mixer would be a good candidate as it's reasonably inexpensive, has decent control and (being based on the moog cp1) has the nice gain/grit of the original moog mixer - or you could patch in a vca for amplitude modulation, or a wavefolder to add some 'west coast' vibes or whatever

another example is a clock divider... great for triggers and gates, but send in audio and use an even division and out comes a square wave at a lower octave than the input (/2 = -1ve, /4 = -2ve, etc) - which is why I'd always recommend an extra basic clock diveider as well as whatever's being used for regular clock division!

Maths seems to be a great starter utility set - 2 envelope generators/slews/lfos, a mixer, 2 attenuverters/offsets and some basic logic.. but once its self-patched - it can be programmed to do all sorts of more interesting things - see the 'maths illustrated supplement' for more details - so it's a really good idea to have at least some of that functionality duplicated in other modules as well - so you can use it when you patch program maths... or of course multiple copies of Maths (or both!)

and a final example - the matrix mixer - possibly my favourite utility module - and really I'm just meaning basic mono versions, not VC ones or stereo ones or overly complicated ones that need special cables (although all these have their places, except maybe the special cables, which I'd lose) - not only can they be used for creating additional complex modulation from simpler sources, by mixing copies of those simpler modulation sources together in various amounts, but they can also be used as simple send/return routers for effects and for creating feedback loops (which can be done on other mixers too, btw) as well as many other applications I'm sure you can think of...

hope all this helps...

I've read a lot of good things about the Expert Sleepers ES9. Never used it myself, but have definitely considered getting one.

Any recomendations on an interface to connect to ableton in my PC? Looking for audio and cv both ways.

It is true that you have many sound sources here. But depending on the style of music you want to develop, and the final use you make of your modular, one can conceive or remember that this is the lion’s share. So that’s OK with me.

I often propose analogies in my comments: you own a lot of colors for your paintings, and to highlight them you need all kinds of tools like brushes, knives, sponges, masking tapes, etc.

When we equip ourselves with utilities and modulations (see the famous @JimHowell1970’s signature), we expand our possibilities. And this can even become excessive, or addictive too... So for your future addiction may I suggest, among many others, the little following selection:

Divkid Ochd (so much ‘organic’...)
Xaoc Nin (for your Zadar)
Happy Nerding 3x MIA (as already suggested)
Xodes LB5 (easy logic, absolutely useful and harmless)
Doepfer A-151 (classic quad sequential switch)
Intellijel Planar2 (it is you who become the utility)
And in any case: the Expert Sleepers Disting mk4!

I believe there is also a lack of filter modules in your setup.
From Doepfer filters to the great Joranalogue Filter 8, the choice is vast to complete your lonely QPAS. Without forgetting a proper Low Pass Gate.

As always, should you or any of your tracks, patches or videos be caught or killed, ModularGrid will disavow any knowledge of your actions :)
-- Sweelinck

Thanks lots for all the helpful suggestions!!! All very helpful and will be considered seriously... I will think about how I can fit in more modules into this rack without spilling over into 15U! I make experimental music, industrial and ambient sounds, and I am enjoying this transition from semi-modular gear to modular! :D

It is true that you have many sound sources here. But depending on the style of music you want to develop, and the final use you make of your modular, one can conceive or remember that this is the lion’s share. So that’s OK with me.

I often propose analogies in my comments: you own a lot of colors for your paintings, and to highlight them you need all kinds of tools like brushes, knives, sponges, masking tapes, etc.

When we equip ourselves with utilities and modulations (see the famous @JimHowell1970’s signature), we expand our possibilities. And this can even become excessive, or addictive too... So for your future addiction may I suggest, among many others, the little following selection:

Divkid Ochd (so much ‘organic’...)
Xaoc Nin (for your Zadar)
Happy Nerding 3x MIA (as already suggested)
Xodes LB5 (easy logic, absolutely useful and harmless)
Doepfer A-151 (classic quad sequential switch)
Intellijel Planar2 (it is you who become the utility)
And in any case: the Expert Sleepers Disting mk4!

I believe there is also a lack of filter modules in your setup.
From Doepfer filters to the great Joranalogue Filter 8, the choice is vast to complete your lonely QPAS. Without forgetting a proper Low Pass Gate.

As always, should you or any of your tracks, patches or videos be caught or killed, ModularGrid will disavow any knowledge of your actions :)

“Portray” is now available on all digital platforms under the label of Wic Recordings. With this single nostalgia, we can say that it offers a perfect combination of modernism and a warm-analog atmosphere.

In the creation process of the song, vintage-style analog instruments and equipment such as recorded drums, drum machine, magnetic tapes, tape echo, spring reverb, tube sound equipment, analog compressors were used. In addition, voltage-controlled synthesizers and modules designed by Efe Çakır and Vaemi, as well as synthesizers of well-known brands such as Roland and Arp, were used and blended with today's modern perspective.

This single was prepared with an analog-digital hybrid approach in recording, mixing and mastering processes, and now it meets the audience.

To listen or download the song:
https://wicrecordings.lnk.to/Portray

Very beautiful track! Thanks for sharing!
Subscribed! :)

small teletype

EDITED Jul 14th 2023, 03:17

I'd look at some audio software development environments for this - either code it yourself in something like praxis or maybe Max or similar has one already built

Thank you all for the responses so far - a big update though! I ended up finding a doepfer lc-6 case locally for the same price I was going to pay for the alm case but almost twice the HP ( sub $280 total! ). Just brought it home and am very very happy to have all this extra space to work with.

I think a quadrax will be in my rack at some point in the future - I'm starting to get some of the criticism about rings though ( tunability is certainly one I've noticed already ). I think maybe a plaits to replace it and then some complex oscillator to go with that would be wonderful for this setup.

I'm not trying to ( or able to ) immediately fill up all of this new found 168hp of space. I will probably sell nanoring and honestly thinking of selling pachinko as well. Plop in a quadrax, plaits, and a nother voice and i'm starting to cook I think. To go with the doepfer-ness, and now that I have basically unlimited depth ( 100mm in this thing?? ) I waas thinking of picking up some of the very well priced doepfer modules. The octovca seems great for cv mixing and handling. Anyone got some fav doepfer utilities that would help make this rack be as expressive as can be?

Here's a sort of new iteration with the updated space and sizing. I have a gitgud lfo i DIY'd and this sputnik modular Variable Waveform Generator. I haven't put the VWG to much use do to the fact i currently dont have any VCA's!

Maybe even a second Ornament & Crime,
-- dubstepjoris

I think another one could be really fun too! I'm a programmer currently going back to college to major in EE with a focus on DSP and writing some modules for the O_C seems like a fun project. The more the merrier!

I've been curious about maybe adding a pams to the mix now that the PNW's are super cheap on reverb. having 8 outputs of gates/triggers/envelopes/looping stuff seems like a great addition to the modulation part of my rack. I think with the quadrax and maaaaybe the zadar ( or even batumi? ) - i'd have most modulation duties under control and should start really focusing on messing with cv through logic and mixing.

Another thing now that I have this amount of space, a control surface / tactile playable element would be quite nice. I know tetrapad/tete and rene both get a lot of mentions.

EDITED Jul 13th 2023, 20:30

People here do not seem to get this has a better resolution than before (build from the ground up), on top of that ALM seems to have listened to users and made nice adjustments.

Hi,
If you prefer something of Menu-diving instead of combination of buttons-colors... you have https://www.modulargrid.net/e/xaoc-devices-zadar instead Quadrax
-- ferranadsr

Indeed Zadar is often categorized as EG but I'd argue it's more of a complex shape LFO than an EG one can use to control the amplification section of a voice. You can do it, but it's not a great interface for it, something like Quadrax, Nano Quart, or even Maths offer better interfaces to play with the volume envelope. I personally found Zadar annoying as a classic EG, having both Quadrax and Maths at hand... But as an LFO, it's quite unique !

You can use a second-hand Quadra instead of Quadrax, or something like Nano Modules Quart.
-- dubstepjoris

Sure Quadrax is capable of being complex but it doesn't have to be if you don't go into the menus, in fact I used mine as a simple Quadra for a (shamefuly long) while before finding time to dig in (worth the hours, for sure). With the experience I have now in Euro (a few years), I'd say that's one of the modules I will never sell, it does so much and it does it really well.
In my mind, it's a bit like buying a Maths: it's something a newcomer has very little chance of using to its full powers, but that will become useful to almost any synthesist out there once experience grows. Maths is perhaps a better teacher because it can do more different things and also because there are quite a few learning resources available for it.

Looking at the rack, I find the Quadrax and its versatility would be one of the most important modules that make the rack "interesting" for me as it covers more EG, but also linked envelopes, waveshaping synced LFO's etc. For the type of music you mention, that will come in very handy as I suspect the O&C will be forever busy with something else...
In fact, I'd even say that for the music you want to make, Quadrax + Zadar would be ll you need forever. If you would consider another voice (Odessa is HUGE for this type of rack), you could free up some space for it. That free HPs game is one you'll have to play a bit with this size of rack.

All the best for your project !

If you can track down a Voltage Block, that will be a good addition to your modulation sources. You probably want to look for a matrix mixer, or at the very least a Happy Nerding 3xMIA, to combine/attenuate/polarize modulation sources.
Have fun and good luck!
-- farkas

Thank you so much for your thoughts. Definitely keen on a Voltage Block when I am able to find one and I will check out the 3xMIA :-)

If you can track down a Voltage Block, that will be a good addition to your modulation sources. You probably want to look for a matrix mixer, or at the very least a Happy Nerding 3xMIA, to combine/attenuate/polarize modulation sources.
Have fun and good luck!

Hello, I am a beginner who has expanded too fast and this is how my near-future rack will look like. I think I need more modulation but I am reluctant to part with more sound sources. I am using Make Noise O-ctrl as sequencer but plan to get the Malekko Voltage Block and I use OTO BAM as reverb outside the rig rather than a module. RAND is a Marbles clone and QUARKS is an Elements clone. Am I missing anything important such as for modulation? Thank you very much for your help and advice.