Lugia: Thank you very much for the further details! Yeah... I think for the next weeks/months I will be only scratching the surface then ;-) At the same time, that's the beauty of this beast, isn't it? :-D
Kind regards, Garfield.
-- GarfieldModular
You bet! Honestly, every time I've sat down at a 2600, it's always thrown me some new and interesting curveballs. As standalone synths go, the 2600 is a 100% WIN...which is probably why it's still firecracker-hot some 50 years on.
Case From Lake, baybee! Check this one out: https://reverb.com/item/37279796-12u-eurorack-case-powered-84-or-104-hp-patched-resealable-modular-synthesizer-synth The depicted cab there is the 104 hp width. Very carry-on-able, plus you get even MORE space than you'd specced (416 hp total...provided you don't get any modifications; CFL can make a lot of changes, including adding a tile row or two. And the power is NO JOKE...a total of 5600 mA on the +12, 1000 mA on the -12 (with the ability to take that to 2000 mA if needed) and 8000 mA on the +5!
how are you integrating these into your Eurorack setup and/or broader setup? I love pedals too, but haven't yet integrated them in my Eurorack chain and/or DAW chain, it would be great to make that linkage.
-- nickgreenberg
I've used "open architecture" for decades now. With this, everything comes into 1/4" patchbays where all of the signal routings get set up. I keep a pair of stompbox P/Ss (Kokko, also available branded as Flanger) by the desk, one for the left patchbay, the other on the right. With this, I can insert stompboxes at will into whatever signal path I like, either during tracking, mixing, or as some oddball sidechain. There's also some "big pedals" by the patchbays...input side has a Korg X-911 "guitar" synth and an E-H Hog2, effects side has a Fulltone Supa-Trem2, Palmer Timepressor, Jomox T-Resonator II, and an E-H Flanger Hoax (a variation on the venerable Mutron Biphase).
It's also worth noting that this architecture was decided on as a result of a visit I made to Syracuse's electronic music studio in the early 1990s...the earliest of which was designed and set up by Dr. Bob himself. And if Bob Moog says this sort of architecture works...well, are YOU gonna question his decision?
There'll be a point at which the Lehle will start blocking the signal until, by the time you're at DC, it won't pass anything. And actually, the DC on outputs thing with the 2600 goes back to the beginning, as ARP figured that if you wanted to use the 2600 for something of a complex modulation source, you'll need those to be DC-coupled. Smart...but a tad annoying.
Now, how that "stereo" crossfader gets used is interesting. One method is to use it to send a rather complex patch to either the left or right, this then leaves the opposite external output free for routing a lead line. You can also use the stereo out inputs in conjunction with the electronic switch, to create something that abruptly flicks from left to right and back. And so on...like pretty much the entire unit, there's stuff you can explore for weeks at a time and STILL only scratch the surface.
I've got a few FX modules in synths...
The B.2600 has the digital reverb, although I've heard that there's some potential mods for the FX chip.
My AE system has several: phaser, mid-fi delay, two spring reverbs (with different tanks) and their take on the Spin FV-1.
The Digisound has their BBD-based reverb.
Then there's all of the various widgets that are part of the Field Kit and Field Kit FX.
The modular setup here also has its own 1/4" patchbay for routing and the like, but this also gives access to a Korg SDD3300 (triple delay line unit) and a Zoom 9120, plus four channels of Symetrix gates.
As for the rest of the FX...I ain't gonna type THAT out. There's about 100+ U of very filled processor racks here.
Not only do the VCOs go below 30 Hz, you actually have a pitch continuum right on through the LFO settings. After switching to LFO from OSC, run the COARSE tuning up to where it matches (more or less) what you had at the bottom of the OSC mode...then head for the basement! This is super-useful, btw...the ability to sort out scalar intervals in the subsonic and modulation ranges simply by using the keyboard is something majorly important. Ever since Stockhausen's "Kontakte" and the "magic moment" in it where he shows how the scalar continuum extends across the pitch - rhythm gap and then can even make SLOWER "pitches" in the periodic ranges by using the individual pulses to ping a filter, having the ability to simply PLAY that continuum was (and kinda still is!) a big deal.
Hi @Ziqal, do you have any plans of adding a TRS MIDI input or an expansion, even via pins on the back, in order to take advantage of the 24 voice polyphony fully? Preset chords isn't going to cut it, that's why I'm asking.
-- ParanormalPatrolerHi, this is not planned for this version of the module.
-- Ziqal
That's probably going to be a problem, then. It's all well and good to have 24 oscillators under a single control, but if this is supposed to truly be polyphonic (paraphonic, actually...who's going to have 24 identical VCFs for that, plus the module doesn't have 24 discrete outputs), it has to do MUCH MORE than preset chord noodling.
I also don't see any way to blow the Serum wavetables into the module aside of putting them on an SD and then loading from that. Nothing particularly novel about that.
This strikes me as being rather vapor-ish. For one thing, where's Ziqal located? I didn't see that info anywhere on the website, even on the order and "about" pages. If I'm going to drop some moolah on a module, I might also want to know where it'll be shipped from so that I can roughly determine how long shipping will take. This also doesn't seem to be designed for the claimed 24-voice polyphony. The panel doesn't show any way to determine chords, nor any way to change them through simply adding a few switches to implement added notes and then having a clearly-obvious chordal table (clearly obvious because live gigs often happen at darkly-lit venues, and you NEED to be able to see what you're doing) for quick chordal switching. Have a look at this: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/qu-bit-electronix-chord-v2 Now, with that, the chordal switching and results are CLEARLY available to the user, and the module clearly has the necessary circuitry needed to address the module's polyphony, down to individual outs for the chordal pitches. It can easily handle inversions, extracts lead lines, shows the chord's modal structure, and the like.
In short, you guys might want to go back to the drawing board on this. Sorry to say, but compared to Qu-bit's and other polyVCO offerings, this isn't going to cut it.
And if you're NOT up for lugging the modular around to gigs, then you might find THIS useful: https://www.addacsystem.com/en/products/frames-and-power/addac901m-monster-frames/addac901m-21u-monster-frame
As a fixed setup, it doesn't get hardly any better than this. Crazy-stoopid depths for super-deep modules, HUGE power capabilities (20 AMPS!) and even with shipping from Lisbon, it'll still come in cheaper than the 4-row Doepfer Monster. They also have a somewhat more sane 15U @ 197 hp cab, plus you can also get a 2U double rack "crown" which would be pretty useful for housing a pile of tiles...both Intellijel AND Pulplogic, depending on what tile frames you use.
Tearin' up, yep! Exactly what you'd expect from a 2600 in the right hands. I had much the same reaction to my "Xmas Tree" model...the form factor kept reminding me that this was a NEW synth, but I swear that it sounds like you'd expect a pretty new "Orange" to sound back at the end of the 1970s. Until, of course, you flip the filter over to the rev.2 4012...yow!!!
Frankly, the sole problem I've had with my Behringer 2600 is that word right there: Behringer. I (and others) would feel better about this if Tribe would just find a way to get Uli to behave and not steal things (coughcoughPlaitscough).
Or just go with a MIDI -> clock interface. One that I'd suggest would be Ladik's M-221...it's got an onboard clock divider as well as various gate/trigger functions for when the interface receives transport control signals. Plus, it's a whopping $80!
One other note about the Doepfer Monster Cases...the 4-row one is abysmally expensive, but the 3-row has a huge price drop between it and its larger sibling. And if the road case hardware isn't a concern, you could get a 3-row Monster LC and a 2-row Monster LC base for only $65 more than the fully-outfitted 4-row Monster. Plus, they put completely NUTS power supplies in these (4A on the +12 and -12 busses, 8A at +5V) that have more than ample current headroom. Not too shabby for a total of 840 hp to screw around in!
There's a number of problems here...for one thing, the tile row is a wreck. There's two tiles that aren't Intellijel-format, for starters. Then there's all of the I/O modules and extra jacks, which I'm not able to make sense of since the case in question already HAS the necessary jacks. If they're an attempt to integrate pedals, they're the wrong one.
Intellijel makes a specific tile for this, their Pedal I/O 1U, which utilizes the case's jacks. But using the line-level tiles currently in the build won't work well, as both the impedance and level for stompbox inputs is very different from typical line-level signal requirements. A far better result can be had with 3U modules that are specifically for pedals, something like Adventure Audio's Merge, which not only provides proper send-return capabilities, it ALSO adds CV control functions over the module, serves as an external preamp, and comes with an envelope follower so you can use extracted amplitude information to control other modules.
Now, as for the Lifeforms...yep, spot on, I'm going to tell you that it doesn't belong in there. But I'm going to explain one of the critical "whys" as to why that is...
Your Lifeforms module costs $649, takes up 48 hp.
The Intellijel cab costs $649 as well, and has 208 hp of 3U space. Without taking the tiles into account, this means your 3U spaces cost $3.12 each.
3.12 x 48 = $149.76 is the amount (more or less) you have to add to the Lifeforms' cost if you continue to house it in the Intellijel cab. Since I'm pretty sure that an SV-1 never streets for a hair under $800, which is what you get here, it becomes obvious that the convenience of this might not justify the cost. Plus, you admit you're short on space for things...but once you put the SV-1 back where it belongs, you've got space.
Hm...let's mess with this...lessee...
OK...this got a LOT of reworking done to it. There was a lot in the previous build that could be handled better with the use of multifunction modules, one example being the pair of Klavis Twin Waves, which contain a pair of VCOs each, plus quantization, internal VCO sync, and some other surprises. This is key to Eurorack; since a typical build contains a comparatively small amount of space, multifunction modules are essential.
Tile row: This was fixed so that everything goes to the onboard jacks. The outboard stuff in here was moved, then the row was totally rebuilt so that it contains clocking, S&H, noise, a dual attenuverter/mixer, some FX, and a 2-in stereo mixer/output so that you can fly effects in over the main mix.
Top 3U: Buffered mult, as there's a LOT of pitch CV splitting possible here. Then the Rample, and after that is a 4-channel stereo mixer to sum the Rample's outs down to a single stereo pair. Mashed the Elements clone a little more, then you've got the Klavis VCOs, and a Joranalogue Fold6, a rather neat wavefolder in which you can "throw" two oscillator outputs at each other to sort of "cross-warp" them. After this is a Zlob Vnicvrsal Hex VCA to control the levels from the ATOM and Klavises, or you can opt to apply this to the Rample's mixer output, or...well, you get the idea. After that, an Omsonic unity gain panning mixer sums all of that down to a stereo pair. I went with a seriously over the top VCF, and since we're now purely in stereo, why not a stereo VCF? Hence the Rossum Linneaus...not at all conventional, and definitely potential-packed...including the ability to thru-zero it. Void Modular's M+Mix Stereo gives you six pannable inputs at the end of the voice chain, and this patches to one of the stereo pairs at the output mixer tile...leaving the other stereo pair for flying in the several processing options over the master mix.
Bottom 3U: Pam's...no sequencers here, but Pam's has a lot of other tricks up its sleeve. Then the Ochd, and yes, Maths. Sure, it's big. But it's a proven quantity as far as a modulation generator, and is just about perfect for this since it has SO MANY options. Then a Frap 321 and a Happy Nerding 3xVCA give you some crossmod capabilities, also with the assistance of the Quadrax/Qx combo. Then for FX, the Morphogene (obvious pick!), the Beads, and two Malekko SND/RTN modules for external processors. These also offer CV over wet/dry balance, which also has its own abuse potential.
Lots of other stuff got tossed, most of that being due to my work on trying to up the functional capabilities. Really, you don't want single-function devices in a small build like this, and so I attempted to make this VERY much an exploratory build for sound creation by cramming in those multifunctions, putting modules back that synergize with other modules (Maths!) and the like. Result actually has LESS modules than before, but those less modules are actually capable of MORE than the original, especially given that some of the utility bits got tailored to work with other modules...definitely a 1 + 1 = 5 sort of result!
One very useful and uncommon thing about the Chronoblob/Chronoblob2...INSERT POINT! For the sake of what I have to assume is pure sonic troublemaking, Alright Devices put an insert point in the delay return so that you can alter the timbre, etc of subsequent echoes. LOADS of abuse potential there...and only a handful of manufacturers have something like this.
In my case, I've got a MOTU 828 mkii connected to the multitrack, which is running Ableton's CV Tools. Totally open-ended, cheap, effective, and if you need to make adjustments, you can do most everything from inside the DAW.
No prob...plus, the Chinese stuff is so cheap that if you DO happen to get something that doesn't fit, you're out only the money you'd need to take a family of four to MccyD's. But even so, some of the "doesn't fit" issues DO hide useful musical tricks. For example, the Mosky Spring Reverb really doesn't sound like a spring reverb...but when you get the "Dwell" control up too high, this tuns into something of a feedback generator, giving you a feedback "tail" without the need for amplification to get to that instead. The Chinese pedals are rife with useful tricks like that, where the reverse engineering wound up adding some odd capabilities to their emulative pedals. And this ALSO makes them useful in no-input systems, because you can get at sounds you normally wouldn't find in those.
This sometimes feels like a hardware version of Magic: The Gathering. The longer you play, the more different cards/modules you know about. And there are a lot of them. Surprisingly the prices are about the same as well if you want the good stuff.
-- chlb
Or Pokemon: "Gotta install 'em all!"
I've noticed this module as well...doing a bit of a closeup with it makes me think that this is sort of like the Serge Triple Waveshaper but with WAY more direct control (hand or CV) over what goes on behind the scenes. And a little more besides, such as the octave subdivider. Sheer brilliance!
The one thing I don't see is any sort of filter.
-- mog00DFAM, Subharmonicon and Manis have built-in filters, so I think I can work with those before I have a more refined taste on what I want in a filter. And if I get the Bitbox, it has a built-in filter for the samples as well.
-- chlb
Start with a dual filter, then. Something like the Intellijel Morgasmatron, which can work as a stereo VCF but which ALSO can work as two separate VCFs. You can also use this as a "mixer" to go from two sources to a post-filtered "sum" output. This is what I would suggest, as these filters have plenty of different modes as well as separate modulation paths...which, again, you can apply to BOTH filters if desired.
Well, for AUX send-return stuff, start here: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/ladik-m-053-3-ch-aux-mixer This allows you to return three different stereo processors to a single stereo AUX return. As for the send part, I would suggest using buffered mults here to keep your send levels up and close to identical for all processors.
Now, as for transitional links, one potential solution would be to use a Tiptop ONE player with some prerecorded material (or suitable loops) so that you're "covered" while changing the rest of the patch. This also gives your live set a "ground point" to start with between each piece, so that if (or more likely, when) things DO fuck up horribly, you can at least return to a sonic point where you can regroup.
However, I have a few issues with the build as it stands now. First up, that DFAM doesn't belong in there. It might be convenient that way, but the truth is that you're wasting 60 hp in this cab on a device that already has power and a housing. That space is FAR better used for things that have NO power and NO housing. Secondly, the cost...one thing that puzzles me is, if there's so many modules in here, why are there so few sources? I only see two: the Verbos Harmonic Oscillator and the E-RM Polygogo. And much of the rest of the space depends on these large, spendy modules that might work better as smaller and less-expensive alternatives. Lastly, keep in mind that we're finally getting actual Buchla Eurorack modules starting around Xmas, and these are quite different critters from the Verbos modules in a number of cases. Take the difference between the Dual Envelope at 22 hp for $479 and the Tiptop Quad Function Generator 281t with 28 hp for a projected street of $210. I know what I would rather have...and not merely due to the huge price difference!
Hmmm...I've never looked at stompboxes...any suggestions on where to start?
-- jb61264
CHINA!
Seriously, there's a plethora of stompboxes coming out of China these days that are utterly jaw-dropping, both in capabilities AND price! Fave brands are Aural Dream (especially their Breath Delay and Super Ring), Rowin (I've got PILES of these), Joyo (their "white flanger" kicks the old MXR AC-powered ones out the window, and their high-end stereo boxes are to die for), Cuvave (FUZZ!!!!!!), Sonicake (great little things, super-clean), Mooer (more high-end), and on and on.
Much of this is going on on Amazon, but my personal go-tos out there seem to be the Brantford Pedal Mafia up in Ontario, with their cross-border inventory making sure the US users get the same free shipping as their Canadian customers. Check here on Reverb: https://reverb.com/shop/andrews-gear-depot-553 and on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/str/music4pros?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 LOTS of stuff to sift through! And the prices are such that you can haul off a bushel of these little widgets for as much as some high-end devices.
One other more "pro" device that's worth having if you're going to dive into pedals is this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TriParMix--electro-harmonix-tri-parallel-mixer This thing is basically abuse potential turned into hardware! Just a look-see at this will give you ideas for weeks. It convinced me so strongly that I put together a parallel system for the studio's rack FX processors, using a Studio Technologies 1->8 stereo distro amp and a Rane SM 26B splitter/mixer for the summed return.
Not a fan, either. To me, using a modular that has these "cartoon" panels seems like the rough equivalent of going onstage with a purple plastic trumpet sort of akin to one of these: https://www.amazon.com/pBone-pTrumpet-Plastic-Mouthpieces-PTRUMPET1W/dp/B00MPRVQPY/ref=sr_1_97?crid=6ENFOKPGPGV8&dchild=1&keywords=trumpet&qid=1634687952&sprefix=trumpet%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-97 to wail on the solo for Arban's "Carnival of Venice". Some might dig that, sure, but I think they look effin' silly. Silly illustrations on panels can also make them harder to navigate, too...NOT fun in low light situations.
Not sure if this would ever be considered a viable module, unless you're into pyrotechnics.
However, the other two available Wildfire modules are DAMN interesting! One's a DTMF-based unstable oscillator, and the other is a CV controlled vactrol feedback loop. I can see quite a bit of abuse potential there; those into the Schlappi or Moffenzeef stuff needs to check these other two Wildfire modules, as they seem like good harsh noise/industrial candidates.
My tip for filling the remaining hp is to fill it with blank panels until you get to know the modules you have. As soon as you reach for a function that isn't available, that's the next module you should buy.
-- farkas
+1 on that! Konstant Labs has a series of "telescoping" blanks that let you vary the area covered. That way, you won't need to buy a pile of smaller panels with fixed spacing. These come in 24 to 48, 12 to 24, and 6 to 12 hp sizes.
You could also make better use of the "my modules" feature. This allows you to set up an individualized list of modules to compare.
Save for one issue: outputs.
The original Roland units had per-instrument outputs along with some trigger outs. The TR-8S doesn't offer these, instead going with a stem-like approach with three assignable output pairs. While this might seem convenient, the fact is that having the individual outputs offers MORE leeway in sound design, which both the RD-8 and 9 have. With that, it's possible to separately process each individual output if desired.
Go back to the build and pull down the "screenshot" selection from the "views" menu and refresh that. That fixes that earlier rack problem. As for the "what goes here" issue, how about this: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/bastl-instruments-hendrikson-- This lets you add a stompbox or three to the build, meaning that you can add more complexity via reverb, delay, chorus, et al pedals. Move the Ciao! to the right end of the skiff, then put the Hendrickson before that.
This is always a useful move when doing skiff builds. 4 or 5 hp can equal MANY hp by shunting the signal off to external devices.
First up, I don't think anyone here would advise you to GET a bigger case. Most of us do tend to stress that you START with a cab that's oversized when working things out on Modulargrid so that you can easily pick out what you can exclude. But buying a ginormous cab at the beginning and then populating it has an inherent risk of creating "too much", and it's NOT what we'd suggest. Last thing you'd want is to drop several grand and then be confronted with a large, confusing maze of patchpoints, knobs, and sliders!
Really, for a good starter, you should be able to cram everything required into a Mantis or similar sized case. Want more? Just add a second Mantis and the Tiptop hinge kit to couple 'em. Using a method of THAT sort means you can grow the synth over time and as needs dictate. But start with just ONE Mantis crammed with the modules for your "voice" and "modulation", so that by the time you feel that you need cab #2, you're very versed in what you DO need.
The TR-8S was on my studio refit list for a hot minute...but it got dropped. I didn't like the sound; I thought it lacked the impact of the original Rolands. TBH, "you-know-who" probably puts out the better techno machines at this point, as they're voiced with analog circuits and/or the mid-fi internal sample playback of the 909. However, the RD-8 mkii fixes some of the level matching issues that were on the first version; I'll be watching to see if they nail the RD-9, although there's already one serious stumble in the "save" function for patterns...something which Roland NEVER had on the TR-909. They'd better be working on a fix for that!
Here's an idea: have a look at the Doepfer "LC" cabs. These are 84hp, unfinished MDF. It seems to me that if you modify these so that you can add some extra wood on the ends and add something that fits the Arturia stand/handle, you'll have what you're looking for here.
If it has a case and it has power, it DOESN'T belong in a more expensive case with more expensive power. Not only does that DFAM waste space in the cab, you're also bumping the actual cost of the DFAM up by the amount of hp it occupies.
Let's see how that works. Let's say, for the sake of the example, that your cab costs $718 (2x Mantis as an example here) and holds a total of 416 hp:
718/416 = $1.73 This is the per-hp cost of housing/powering something in the cab.
60 x 1.73 = $103.80 added to the DFAM's cost.
So, not only does this cost more in the long run, you're also stealing spaces from modules that DO need power and housing...as you've likely noticed. Pull it, enjoy the extra 60 hp you get back, and just use the DFAM in its skiff where it'll be quite happy.
A note about overseas purchases via USPS...
DON'T use the USPS for any overseas shipping. We're STILL currently experiencing the various problems caused by Trump's Postmaster General's dismantling of the USPS because...well, Fred Durst said it succinctly: "Break Stuff". But our "First Class" these days is more akin to making sure things arrive AT ALL.
Simply put: use UPS, FedEx, DHL, whatever you want, because the USPS will get things there whenever they damn well feel like it now. Not reliable with anything of significant value!
CV Tools isn't a bad way to work, really. Since it's an Ableton plug in an Ableton DAW, the integration should be very easy with the ES-9.
But as for that rack...yep, go bigger. The REAL thing you want here is FX processing with what would essentially be the entire modulation section of a proper build, and that's not going to fit this "beauty case". But make sure to use this build for, as plragde notes, FX that your DAW can't exactly do with the same level of control you'll get manually with a FX build. One other change I'd recommend would be a much beefier power supply, since your build lives or dies depending on whether you get a hefty enough P/S. Always overspec the supply due to inrush currents; if your +12v rail has 1500 mA on it, you want a 2000 mA capacity on that rail. Go at least 25% higher in amperage than you appear to require, as most any circuit has a degree of inrush on power-up. It only lasts a few milliseconds, but it IS enough to pop the supply and shut down the rig in that tiny sliver of time.
In other words, the "fat sub" issue is maybe coming from your instrument, or maybe it is your speaker/room setup? Getting a good sub from your instrument really should not be problematic. The "fattest" subs are often primarily a sub sine, or sub triangle.
-- nickgreenberg
Very true. My actual fave subbass patch has actually caused physical damage...mind you, it was feeding into a 20 kW array of bassbins, which might have something to do with that. But what did I create this astonishing, pounding, tactile bass with, you ask?
A Casio CZ101.
Which pretty much proves another salient point: modular isn't always the right answer!
If you had mentioned the Sarah Belle Reid video as a motivation in your first post, the responses might have been different.
-- plragde
Ah, yes...I've seen that Sarah Belle Reid piece too. Had to turn it off as I personally don't like hurling projectiles at my TV. That gets expensive after a while.
One salient point to keep in mind here is that she has a very tight relationship with PC. And PC is in the business of selling hardware. Make of that little revelation what you will (I know what I make of it!).
So they're not going to keep going with the 100 modules? That's a damn shame, since they finally got those to play nice in Eurorack, and some of those 100 modules would pair really nicely with the 200 modules. Someone should poke Buchla USA over this, or maybe they could farm those out to Tiptop or someone else...?
That Ciao! should be just fine, compressor or not. Since they're planning to go direct from the Ciao's outs to the A/D, it would probably be better to apply a VST to the incoming signal in the DAW itself. That way, it's possible to futz around with compressor topologies, which may be necessary for different patches. For example, with sounds that tend toward percussives, you'd want to do some basic compression to mash that a bit and keep the peaks under control, but if you're wanting to slam the hell out of a source, then using a VST clone of an 1176 with the "four-button trick" would be perfect.
As for using TRS 1/4" to 3.5mm, that's a decent plan, but MAKE SURE not to try and do this with 3.5mm - 3.5mm TRS cables because, invariably, they'll get in with the rest of your patchcords and then when you NEED them, well... But at a pinch, you could use unbalanced TS cables, but that's sort of a kludge with certain drawbacks of its own. But as for the headphone-to-modular preamp idea...don't. Headphone signals are hotter than line-level, which is what the Ladik's expecting. A better idea for getting the Hydra in with other signals would be to run a small stereo mixer, connect all of the toys you want to run through the modular on that, then send the mixer's out to the Ladik inputs. Convenient and simple!
Poked at it, opted to go ahead and come up with a filled cab that used your initial module selection. The only thing that didn't make the cut was the output module, and you'll see how that got fixed in a bit. Here's the build:
This was a little tricky when I was trying to make a single voicing section work...because it didn't seem suitable. Instead, there's TWO paths in the voicing section, one for the Salmple and one for the Plaits'. Here's how it works...
Top row: Konstant Labs PWRchekr to keep an eye on your DC rails. Then there's a buffered mult, because this thing actually has up to SIX pitch CV destinations, and I didn't want to risk voltage sag. I put a manual stereo mixer after this to sum the separate track outputs down to a stereo pair. After that, TWO Plaits...because while one oscillator is good, two is BETTER. With that, you can do a bunch of detunings and make the Plaits sound huge, or use one as a "voice" and the other as an audio rate FM source, which the other Plaits can have a field day with. Then a Joranalogue wavefolder...which you'll note has dual inputs, so if you wanted to smash the audio from both Plaits at the same time to create something REALLY out there, you can. Veils is next...now, here's where it gets fun.
As I noted before, this has TWO voicing paths, and here's what controls BOTH. You would send the stereo mixer's out to a pair of the VCAs for stereo control, and patch those directly to the stereo Overseer VCF's inputs. Then the last two VCAs are for mixing the Plaits...for that, you'd use two VCA inputs, but only patch to the LAST VCA in that set. So if you have the Salmple on VCAs 1 and 2, then you'd patch those VCAs individually from the Veils' mixbus. But for the two Plaits inputs, you'd use VCAs 3 and 4, but only patch up output 4 so that VCAs 3 and 4 now act as a VC mixer to sum the Plaits down to mono. Pretty cool, pretty neat!
Anyway, the Overseer is a stereo VCF, specifically there for properly filtering the Salmple's post-VCA outs. Should work fantastically with the stereo signal coming off of the Veils. And the Forbidden Planet stays, because that's your "lead line" VCF; the Steiner Synthacon VCF has a rep for being extremely "out front", something I know first-hand! That gets fed by the summed Plaits output. After that, you'll see a Happy Nerding FX Aid XL, a really capable FX-1-based stereo processor, which can be used in a number of ways, then the stereo mixer at the end is a 4ms ListenFour 1/4. Remember what I said about the Intellijel output module? This mixer HAS the 1/4" outs and a headphone preamp built-in, in addition to having two pannable channels and two stereo paired channels (usable in mono by patching only the left input).
Bottom row: FH-2, Pam's, then an unbuffered mult for gate/trig signals that need splitting for, say, the Salmple, or aspects of the Marbles, and so on. After that, there's a Tesseract VC Logics, which gives you two channels of Boolean logic with CV over gate type on each. By using this with some "contrary" gate sources (via the Pam's, for example), you can arrive at even MORE different gate patterns from just two Pam's channels on each logic gate. Mimey Digits are next (yes, I routinely rip on NE for these schoolboy Latin names), but since it has no internal quantization, I dropped in a quad UNgated chromatic quantizer to deal with that AND to provide even more scalar tesselation CV results from things such as LFOs or EGs when you send those through the quantizer.
After that, an SSF Tool Box, because...SSF Tool Box. One of the best multi-utility modules, jams a buttload of functionality into a mere 6 hp. Then, there's your LFOs courtesy of a Batumi/Poti pair. Marbles follows this, and it now has a host of things to gnaw on for random results. After that is a great pairing: Happy Nerding's 3xVCA + Frap's 321. These are for tampering with your modulation behavior, as the VCAs can control level over modulation since they're DC-coupled linear VCAs -- unlike the Veils, on which you can change the VCA topology in a continuum between linear and exponential. And the Frap is a tiny minimatrix mixer coupled with a few other CV/mod tricks. And lastly, envelopes courtesy of a Quadrax/Qx combo; these can ALSO serve as looping envelopes (ie: LFO with CV over rise and fall, rather Maths-ish). The Qx, also, allows you to implement cascading between the four AR EGs in the Quadrax, or can also be used to trigger other events elsewhere on End Of Rise or End of Fall of any of the EGs.
Yeah, this is much farther along than the original build, but it's here also as a way to see how you can exploit the various aspects of the modules that were there by adding other complementary modules. Plus, take note of the multiple capabilities that many of the modules have; in a small build like this, you NEED to think multifunctionally so that you get your functionality optimized. Using multi-function modules like the ones all over the place in this version is KEY to making a smaller build work by making the space for a single-function module work for a LOT of things besides the desired module function. Not necessarily saying to run out and grab the whole thing at one time (unless, of course, you work like that and have the requisite dumpster full of money to allow that), but this is more to show how to really blow the lid off of a build from just a handful of starting modules. Still, if you DID opt to grab it all at once, you'd have a helluva modular in your hands!
We've even got these in the AE environment, thanks to a 3rd party builder in the UK. 3 x 3 matrix, 2 spaces, and like most all AE things, it's stoopid-cheap. Mine's mounted in the "control" cab (a single row, 20 space case...the rest of mine are dual row, 20 sp) alongside the joystick, since I tend to view matrix mixers as controllers. Nothing like using a couple of knobs to alter the behavior of an entire global patch!
Well, I'm not going to tell you to waste money on a Mantis cab. I'm going to tell you to get one because it WON'T BE a waste of money, as opposed to building a 1-row system that lacks space for proper functionality unless you do it all in 2-4 hp modules...at which point the build will be unplayable unless you've got toothpicks for fingers. I know people see these all the time on YouTube and think that "hey...I can do that too!"...and the simple fact is that the people doing those clips have been working with modular for a long time and while THEY can set up a workable build in some tiny cases, those builds tend to be "mission-specific" for a certain piece or specific gigs. They almost never result in a good, all-around system...which is what the goal SHOULD be.
Or a far better idea might be for you to snag a B.2600. Don't worry, NOBODY likes Uli Behringer, so don't feel guilty. Fact is, the ARP 2600 was and still IS one of the best teaching synths in existence, period, full-stop! It also comes in at $600-ish, while your build above is considerably higher in cost. No, it won't be a waste of money either, as that 2600 plays just fine with Eurorack, and once you get some modular experience with it, you can use it as a "core" device in a larger Eurorack setup. And thanks to Behringer's slavish replication of the original, their 2600 acts and sounds just right...and this is coming from someone who first used an ARP 2600 back in 1980. Tack on a basic sequencer like the Korg SQ-1, and you're golden!
Won't work. The Beast's Chalkboard is simply a DC offset generator coupled with an adder, with the offset adjustable only in 1V steps. It doesn't accept audio as such, although there might still be some "abuse potential" there inasmuch as you'll be shifting audio, but at the same time you'll run into the issues associated with having DC in your audio path, which you DO NOT WANT because...well:
Now, what you REALLY want here if you want waveform mangling AND suboctaves...that would be something like Tiptop's Fold processor, which does both admirably. Split your E352's audio out for the "clean" line and the "dirty", then use the Fold on the latter. This gets even MORE fun because you have separate outputs for the wavefolder and octave divider (which ALSO offers levels per suboctave!), meaning you can have THREE potential outputs from the E352 with different "flavors". Oh, and the Fold will also take two inputs and "mix" them through its circuits, sometime with really amazing results. Useful thing, really.
Ahhhh...I see the problem here. Xaoc seems to use that higher voltage figure for pitch because they're anticipating people using offset generators. For example, let's say you add an octave controller such as ALM's Beast's Chalkboard. What that is is a dual DC offset source with an internal precision adder, and each time you change octaves on the device downstream from it, you're changing the offset by 1V values per octave. So if you were at the top end of your keyboard controller and you still wanted to go up another octave, the Odessa will be able to make sense of that.
It's easy enough...grab a blank, cut up some white melamine and glue it to the blank, then use dry-erase markers. Pretty much the same sort of thing lives just above the faders on my desk, and yeah, it IS useful.
Definitely go with that higher amperage "brick". That'll push the uZeus up to 2000mA on the +12 rail.
The problem you're running into is "inrush loading". When you switch on any electronic device, there's always some sort of higher load for the first few milliseconds, and that can pop the supply if you've gotten the current spec too close to the quoted operating tolerances. To avoid this, don't let each summed current value on the build's DC rails exceed 3/4ths of the stated P/S's maximum current per rail. This is actually a pretty common rule of thumb with modulars, tbh.
As for consumption specs, the reason you don't see this inrush figure is that sometimes it's an important factor, and sometimes not. As you've noticed, yep, digital modules are notorious for inrush issues. With simple analog modules, not so much. So everyone pretty much agrees that the "normal load" current figure is the correct thing to cite, and you just keep that "3/4ths rule" and the total current per rail in mind during the build process as that ceiling can vary from module to module and P/S to P/S.
I think you'll especially dig that SCLPL in this sort of build. Since it's stereo, just send the SSM VCFs on to its left and right, and you'll have timbral morphing tricks for days while still maintaining that creamy SSM sound. My Kawai K3 uses those, so I know full-well how someone can get hooked on that particular sound.
http://www.gweep.net/~prefect/eng/reference/protocol/midispec.html
It's actually a bit more like what we have in ham radio with packet radio...digital bursts as specific "packets" with distinct destinations, other SYSEX data, and the note on/off/# that comprises most of it. And m00dawg's quite right about the optoisolators...they do a good job of compensating for voltage changes so that most any signal still gets converted back to a digital stream on "wire". And if you do something like, say, plugging the MIDI into a synth and a power outlet (not sure HOW, but I'm sure someone's tried), it'll blow the opto to kingdom come, but everything else stays more or less safe.
OK, I looked at the most recent iteration of this, and figured I could do better. After all, those B. 100M modules are honkin' big, and there's definitely ways to make better use of the cab space by adding more functionality by scaling some module sizes back. This take actually includes ALL of the functions you had...and a few new wrinkles.
Hoo boy...
Top row: A Konstant Labs PWRchekr is first...this lets you keep an eye on your DC rail performance. After that, I dropped in a Doepfer A-119 so that you not only have an external input, that input can also send envelope curves and gates generated by the incoming audio. Then the Plaits, as before...but all of the rest of the VCOs got yanked in deference to a pair of Klavis Twin Waves' present version. This is because the Twin Waves not only has two VCOs under the same panel, it can internally quantize incoming CVs. They're a little more akin to complex VCOs than just plain-jane single VCOs. And for more oscillator fun, I added a Joranalogue Fold 6 so further CV-able waveform mangling can be done. Then you've got a Veils for four VCAs to control oscillator and external audio levels prior to the filters. As for those, yep, there's a pair of SSM clones...albeit 2 hp smaller each. But next is something much more crazed...WMD's SCLPL, which is a five-band resonant stereo equalizer which also has the ability to morph between user-definable presets, of which there's nine. Then you've got Omsonic's Universal Panner, which gives you six inputs with unity gain and user-controllable spatialization. Then, now that your signal is in stereo, there's a Happy Nerding FX Aid XL...same Spin FV-1 chip as the Erica, but way smaller. Then out of that is your stereo out via a Happy Nerding Isolator, which can help a lot with noise and ground-loop issues, gives you a ganged stereo level control, and puts a pair of transformers into the audio path at the end. This means you can hit that module a little harder, and you'll get some nice transformer saturation to warm the sound up even more.
Bottom row: Your MIDI interface, followed by a buffered mult for splitting pitch CV to your VCOs. Since there's five of these now, adding this was a countermeasure against voltage sag. Next, your noise, random, and sample and hold, plus a track and hold function if desired. Then there's a pair of Voltatone LFOs with full CV control and a few other tricks, and this is followed by the usefulness that IS Maths. Following the Maths, you've got a 3xVCA from Happy Nerding and a 4ms SISM, which is a complex module for various sorts of modulation mixing and alterations. Then the EGs...Intellijel's Quadrax/Qx offers four loopable or cascadeable AR envelopes...another one of those ridiculously useful mod sources. And last, a Doepfer dual ADSR with some voltage control tricks as well.
Now, this really hits home. By eliminating the oversized B. modules and multi-functioning some aspects, you still have what you had, PLUS more. Much more controllable, too. The big drawback is the price, which has gone up by $1300...but you definitely get what you pay for with these improvements.
A better idea for a rename might be "4U-bananas only". Sure, it sounds silly, but if you're going to dive into an expensive format, "bananas" is a spot-on fit! And then, "4U-Buchla format" for the modules in 4U that use the dual-path typical of Buchla systems.
I don't plan on expanding forever...
-- JimHowell1970
Hm. Yeah. Right. We all know you're just as hooked as the rest of us.
+1, Jim. The Mutable stuff seems to me to fit into that "no-coast" zone...you can use it for typical subtractive synthesis, then in the next patch you can wander off into West Coast FM craziness. Control modules range from perfectly straightforward to pretty bonkers. Hands down, Mutable Instruments modules are going to be viewed as "classics" in future decades.
Actually, this seems like a potential problem. Even though they're both 4U format, Buchla and Serge are NOT ALIKE. They have different methods of powering, the Serge uses a single "plane" of control and audio signals while the Buchlas have their audio and control paths separated and with rather different levels (save for the Eurorack versions, according to Tiptop), and they don't exactly have the same "space unit" size. The issue is sort of similar to the already-resolved 5U systems, where the MOTM format and the "MU" format have different widths even though they're similar, or how Eurorack and FracRack can talk to each other (as a rule) while they're not the same height and same power requirement, ergo no Frac modules in a Euro cab...although older Paia 2700 and 4700 series modules ALSO use the same split plane as Buchlas.
This is actually a problem that's about as old as modular synthesizers themselves. Over the years, there's been a LOT of different module formats...E-Mu had one, Wavemakers had one, then there's the ARP 2500 which requires the matrix switches along with the modules, and that list goes on and on and ON. Plus, loads of these synths would NOT play nice with each other. For example, you have EML's patchable systems, they take 1/4" patchcords, everything seems right...until you plug in a pitch CV and discover that wonderful EML CV standard of 1.2V/8va. If you don't like microtonality, don't DO THAT.
