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"twistenknobs und blinkenlichts" I'm dead lol. Great post Lugia. When I talk to traditional instrumentalists, that seems to be the main idea they hold on this whole thing. It's downright satisfying when they look at me like I'm an alien after I start sperging out on the technical stuff. "Oh, so you're not in it for the pretty lights?" "If the lights serve no purpose I'd rather not have them". Devices with no control over the superfluous lights are a sensory nightmare lol

What is the purpose of this instrument?
What kind of sounds are you hoping to make, and for what style of music? This looks like a basic subtractive synth, and you could accomplish the same thing, with more features and less cost, using a semi-modular. You could integrate it with other cases later.

Are you buying all behringer just for cost reasons, or do you really love behringer that much? (not hating, I love behringer and don'tcare who knows it) 84hp isnt a lot of space and there are plenty of other low cost alternatives that wont eat up so much hp. It's good to budget, but you get what you pay for. (not a dig at behringers quality) Sure you're paying less but you also end up with less space, whereas you might pay a little more for a smaller module but you'll end up with more space to add things later on when budget isn't an issue and you figure out what you really need. You might want to add some flexibility to your budget to get flexibility in your case.

Do you specifically need a keystep pro for all 4/5 channels, or would a regular keystep work, after multiplying the cv and trig? It would save you money so you can buy more/better suited modules to acheive your goals. If you want to syncopate the osc you could use KS for ½ and the s&h circuit for the other ½.

I wouldn't plug headphones into your VCA for a variety of reasons. Mainly you could destroy the drivers, but also you'd likely only get sound on the left side since it's a mono output. Thats not as much of an issue for feeding your interface, but a dedicated output module will work better and save you a lot of trouble when trying to bridge the gap between eurorack and line level audio, but you need room for it in the case, and in your budget.

edit: I see you're using € instead of $, so I'm assuming you're in Europe somewhere, which opens up a lot of diy/built diy options to you depending on where you're located. I'm in the states, but have started ordering from pushermanproductions.com and thonk.co.uk for these reasons. Even with shipping, I'm getting more for less.

EDITED Dec 3rd 2022, 19:06

For me as a sound designer and sound explorer, I was tired of working ITB all the time with a laptop and VST plugins.
Friends that I jam with all had large modulars and that exposure peaked my curiosity five years ago. I was too broke at the time to buy into eurorack but saved up over time and started with a small Doepfer modular system. Other than time and cost, really no issue with modular world. I do appreciate the faster and easier workflow now with hardware synths like my Elektron boxes that let me save patterns and kits and easier recall for performances in small hardware box but I built a few small modular 4u-7u cases that have good sequencer/mixer and drum machine to take on the go.

Sometimes weeks and months when I have a patch that needs to be consistent until I have time to record and sample it.
I simplified my workflow with a 1010 Music Bluebox mixer/recorder that has been a real game changer for my life. Now I can record happy accidents so if I change patches at least the great accidents are saved forever.

Thoroughly dry and don't force it, like Arrandan says, before attempting to energize the circuitry. This should prevent shorts, as that's the main danger. Even though you can't use heat to help dry it a shitload of dessicant packs might help, especially if you can put them inside. The secondary danger is corrosion of the curcuitry. If you can access the internals and check for sticky build up, after drying you might be able to clean some of the the residue with 90% rubbing alcohol and q-tips. Just make sure the excess dries as well.

I learned booze and synths don't mix so well after twisting a knob off of an envelope generator. Thankfully it was just a round pot shaft that had the knob glued on, but still scared me enough to stick to traditional instruments and move the electronics to a safe location, if inspiration hits after a few. Not to tell you how to live your life or anything, I just know that's a bad feeling that can be easily avoided

Thanks for that! If I recall, it was the Microfreak running through the Arturia fragments. All the best with your projects.

Let it dry, then try it. Of you can't see if it's really dry, 2 days should be enough. Don'ttry to force it with hair dryers etc, which may damage it. I've seen coke end up on a keyboard and after drying, it worked again (though the keys were very sticky with all the sugar)

hi....,

Embarrassed to admit this is my second ever post, about my first ever module (which I will one day disclose its identity if it survives the ensuing...).

Asides from increasingly (one may say) dabbling in synths for the last year, I have been learning to play the drums for the previous 3 years. More recently, I've been attempting to make less unpleasant noises with my synth (i.e. my one single semi-modular), and my very recently acquired powered (and thankfully unconnected at the time of this incident) board, along with an (equally unconnected) first-ever module. Whilst practicing the drums, I accidentally knocked over a freshly-opened, pint-sized can of beer. Said can sadly projectiled an, again thankfully, smallish..yet considerable.. amount of foamy frothy beer such that it moderately lightly covered at least part of my truly cherished module... and to a smaller degree, also to the board I mentioned.

They were fairly quickly wiped off of any excess liquid and did not appear to... well, look any different. Curious if anyone can suggest any methods or strategies to minimize the odds of damage and/or mitigate my acute sense of... unwiseness? Would be greatly appreciated!

Can't comment on how they'd compare, or sound quality, but it looks like it would be super useful for voices in a live case, before tying in with your drumage. She thicc, but probably less hp (and less $,€,£) than if you had separate modules for all the functions. Looks very practical and utilitarian.

EDITED Dec 2nd 2022, 23:37

Hi, I’m new to real modular synths but I know my way around in VCV Rack. Planning to take step to the real deal now. I set myself a €1000 budget cap but that should also include a (second-hand) Keystep Pro.

After a lot of browsing and searching on this site I ended up with a 100% Behringer setup, which just gives a lot of bang for buck. Am I missing something obvious? I chose the Four Play over the System 100 dual VCA, because I figured I could use 2 channels to patch osc out with envelopes and the two other ones as a basic end mixer. I don’t know if that makes sense. I read somewhere you can just plug headphones in the VCA mix out, is that correct? I also plan to add an audio interface to my Mac so I can run the two voices into VCV Rack to add more voices and/or FX, until I expand with more modules.

For case I chose a €111 bare metal rack enclosure from Behringer, 84HP with supply shown in rack here. So that makes about €650, plus €350 for (used) KSP and a 2x2 audio IO is €1100. Any suggestions to improve on this or save money somewhere would be highly appreciated!

EDITED Dec 3rd 2022, 06:36

I'm going to remove the sto so that I only have the honda piston and the Plaits. I'm going to remove the overdrive, I think it's a bit of a whim. And inquire for utilities. do you have modules in mind ?

Fantastic/.
-- VOW3LLtheVAMPIRE

Big thanks! Means a lot.

Very curious how this compares to the "industry standard" Intellijel. That I personally never liked all that much, but not much is similar. Obviously no lin/exp switches here. Not sure if it sounds cleaner. It's a bit space hungry, but I commend them on keeping the density down so you can reach the controls.

EDITED Dec 2nd 2022, 21:14

You need way more utilities and half the oscillators. Think Mixers, Logic, Offset, Attenuators/Attenuverters. Also just because eurorack has he same mounting and power requirements doesn't mean that everything will work best with each other, as everything has a different voltage range that it works best in (for instance maths puts out 10v slopes while the 4ms puts out 5 volt slopes.

If you're just starting I'd pick one company to make a system that's AT LEAST a third smaller than what you have.

If you're just starting I'd really spend at least a year with a Make Noise O-Coast and an O-Control (and maybe a really nice delay/reverb pedal) and ONLY think about a full rack after you've mastered those things. You'll have a LOT of fun with that set up.

I speak from experience, your knowledge and research is worth way more than a rack full of reddit favorites that you don't know how to use yet.

EDITED Feb 27th 2023, 07:24

You are missing some VCAs, thats my first impression...

my two sound sources Plaits and rings
-- Rjsounds

Just thought I'd mention I see at least 2 more that can be used relatively easily:

1. Beads: if you remove cables from the 2 inputs and wait a few seconds, the module turns into a wavetable synth. Seeding grains still works, so does the reverb.
2. Quadrax: by selecting the bipolar LFO mode and turning up the rate, it turns into an oscillator with pretty cool waveform control and it will track 1volt/oct.

-- toodee

Re: number 1 - I was aware of this feature, but you know, I've never really played around with it. I'll give that a shot, Thanks!!

Re: number 2: Thanks for this idea, But I actually don't own a quadrax, or ochd, or fxaid... I had removed those ages ago but clearly i didn't save my rack properly. I definitely want to get one though as that would be a great source for lfos and envelopes!

Cheers!

Method 1: Send White Noise into Rings, not a trigger. You can get Filtered White Noise from Plaits. It's the second red mode. And then to Veils with a Long Attack/Release stage envelope.

Method 2: Trigger Rings as you would. Ting. Adjust Damping to make it decay a little longer and send it to Beads with the Reverb Fully Wet. Tinnnnng. Then to Veils with a long attack. You won't hear much of the initial ting from Rings, only the tail—a long, ethereal smear. nnnnnnnnnnng.

Method 3: Trigger Rings or excite it with white noise. Send it to Beads and press Freeze when it gets to a good spot in the decay. You now have a pad or drone sound. Or use the cv input to gate the Freeze button so you can sequence it as you please.
-- Toccata

WOW!! Thank you!! It had never occurred to me to send a signal that had already been affected by something into the VCA and then to send an envelope into the VCA.... I suppose that's a fairly trivial patch but it's just not something I've tried before, Thank you! Those are all really cool ideas that I'll explore!

Hi All,

Here is my plan :
Half of the time this case will be used to create soundtracks for some short experimental videos.
The other half of the time this case will serve my personal entertainment.

• I have sold almost all my effects pedals and want to have most of "modulation" effects in the modular (hence the Sewastopol II for guitar input and all these FX modules).
• I want to be able to play some "ambient", aka slow evolving soundscapes / droning
• I want to be able to play some basic techno, aka rhythmic and groovy simple melodies

The modules on the picture are organized by "functions" to share my plan with you.

-Yarns : allows me to plug a small keyboard or MPC for sending pitch/gate of melodies I composed previously
-Pamela's Workout : Clock everything + LFOs + occasional euclidian sequence
-Marbles : Sequence for ambiant
-Black Sequencer : Sequencer for everything
-Voltage Block : I see it as a 8 Chanel fader bank / macro controller / modulation sequencer. Splitting one signal allows to control multiple parameters on multiple modules at the same time. As this signal can be sequenced, it feels like a pretty powerful tool.
-Links & Kinks : utilities
-Magneto + Beads + Data Bender : nice creative effects
-ADM11 (chorus) + FX Aid XL + Zverb : nice effects
-Chords V2 (+sequential switch) + Elements + Plaits : voices
-Quadrax (+QX extender) + Quad VCA + Veils + 3xMia : enveloppes / modulation
-Grids + Queen of Pentacles + Peaks : drums (sequences and voices)
-Quad LFO + Maths : Functions
-Qpas + Ripple : Filters
-Dual Drive : Overdrive
-PanMix : 6 voices mixer (4 mono + 2 stereo) with pan CV
-Sewastopol II : Interface for guitars and ext. synths

I feel that this can be a pretty comprehensive system, allowing different use cases in a single "instrument".
I feel that by cramping all these themes (ambiant + techno + guitar effects) in a single enclosure does not allow to push things to their extremes. I think it might be a nice way to start this system and then expand one theme if I understand that I feel more engaged with it (add switches / matrixes for ambiant etc…).

I feel very excited when thinking that most of my desktop + rack + pedalboard gear can be replaced by this (big) eurorack case.

100% of the system is funded by selling my current gear.
100% of the system is purchased second-hand (Mutable Instruments clones, when bought second-hand, can be pretty cheap).

Do you guys have an opinion on this rack ?

EDITED Dec 2nd 2022, 15:20

my two sound sources Plaits and rings
-- Rjsounds

Just thought I'd mention I see at least 2 more that can be used relatively easily:

1. Beads: if you remove cables from the 2 inputs and wait a few seconds, the module turns into a wavetable synth. Seeding grains still works, so does the reverb.
2. Quadrax: by selecting the bipolar LFO mode and turning up the rate, it turns into an oscillator with pretty cool waveform control and it will track 1volt/oct.

Method 1: Send White Noise into Rings, not a trigger. You can get Filtered White Noise from Plaits. It's the second red mode. And then to Veils with a Long Attack/Release stage envelope.

Method 2: Trigger Rings as you would. Ting. Adjust Damping to make it decay a little longer and send it to Beads with the Reverb Fully Wet. Tinnnnng. Then to Veils with a long attack. You won't hear much of the initial ting from Rings, only the tail—a long, ethereal smear. nnnnnnnnnnng.

Method 3: Trigger Rings or excite it with white noise. Send it to Beads and press Freeze when it gets to a good spot in the decay. You now have a pad or drone sound. Or use the cv input to gate the Freeze button so you can sequence it as you please.

EDITED Dec 2nd 2022, 09:08

Rack:

Hi! So I'm having some trouble understanding how to utilize envelopes in order to turn my two sound sources Plaits and rings, into pads. I understand ADSR envelopes and how they work, but I'm struggling to use them to actually make pad sounds.

First I know I'm lacking a dedicated envelope module, so I'm using the adsr in uO_c.

Right now Plaits seems to be the more straight forward one - Pam's or Marbles sends a trigger into uO_c, the adsr then goes into the level of Plaits. Boom, there's my envelope / pad sound right?

How do you achieve that with Rings? There's no level input... So would I send the output of rings into Veils, then send an Envelope into the CV of Veils to treat it as a volume knob? I feel like it hasn't worked for me, unless I'm doing something wrong.

If anyone has any advice for my current setup, that would be great! And I suppose any recommendations for finishing my case as well would be awesome - I primarily make ambient / melodic stuff but am getting a little tired of the plucks... Need more pads! Thank you!

EDITED Dec 2nd 2022, 08:10

It was a rainy day, so I made this. Truth is, I like making these walk through videos because they force me to consider how best to communicate about synthesis.

Very interesting, thanks.

Also, cool track! How did you get the light, bouncy runs that pan back and forth throughout the piece?

Behringer has a big case that's pretty reasonable. "Behringer Eurorack Go Mobile 2x140 HP Eurorack Case" https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EuroRackGo--behringer-eurorack-go-mobile-2x140-hp-eurorack-case
I just ordered one from Sweetwater.

EDITED Dec 6th 2022, 14:22

OK. I will look. Black Output is too expensive, so I'm looking for another output/mixer.
-- timtoum93
Take a look to Tesseract Modular modules.
I have these combination
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/tesseract-modular-tex-mix-master-section
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/tesseract-modular-tex-mix-4-mono-channels
-4 mono channels with pan, mutes, cv and two send/return controls for each channel.
-Phones output and send /return section.
-Chainable modules
BR

OK. I will look. Black Output is too expensive, so I'm looking for another output/mixer.

EDITED Dec 1st 2022, 15:45

Hi,
If you have you have enough space, an "extra" oscillator is never superfluous, and the STO is a very good module. I would remove the Fold 6, one of the strengths of the Piston Honda is the wavefolder circuit.
I would add some mutes before the mixer, but that's because I really like "mutes".
Here you have some without "clicks", with vactrols.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/divkid-mutes
Perhaps I would also add another Triplatt, it is quite cheap and you have a lot of modulation signal, sometimes it is interesting to mix them.

EDITED Dec 1st 2022, 15:38

Ok i’ll take the Black Output.
And i add a Piston Honda.

do you think I still need the sto and the Fold 6?

Thank you very much :)

Diy vco doesnt track great, still useful for filt fm

Interesting topic! Yeah, I generally have the approach of unpatching after I catch something on 'tape'. The process and approach my vary depending on the size of the system, though.

Also, I don't intend to gig with my 'full' system, so moving on from a tune always feels like a breath of fresh air.

All the best!

Here's a recent one that emerged from such a quick repatch.

EDITED Dec 1st 2022, 07:50

I'm actually trying to get to a position where I can have the minimal number of modules that have the greatest versatility. I have somewhere around 100+ modules so it gets a bit frustrating knowing that I have any handful of modules that will accomplish the same things. I like making music way more than I like fiddling around with my rack setups and wiring!

-- frankdog

True that. I have a smaller rig (at least at the moment, fingers crossed that changes), but to be honest, I find I push myself in more interesting directions when I limit myself to only a few choice modules. I still think the best modular piece I've made so far was with nothing more than the Minibrute 2s, Veils, and O_c. Somehow now that I have many more modules than that, I can't seem to recreate what I did. Which I guess hits on your other point of making notes/recordings of patches.

@Arrandan, very cool. Things in 5 just have a certain funk to them, don't they. I'm definitely going to attempt your approach of aiming for regular, disciplined recording of jams and then moving on to a new patch. At least until I build a better understanding of my modular system and have a critical mass of modules that allows for longer-term exploration of a patch.

EDITED Nov 30th 2022, 23:28

Ladik also has the Composer N which is one of my favourite modules. I can heartily recommend it. I do think Sebsongs will also offer prebuilt units at some point in the future, if I am not mistaken.
-- ParanormalPatroler
I didn't know it, very interesting, and cheap.

This one is the good one :
My humble newbie observations:
-Mixer. I would change Rosie and 2HP mixer for an output/mixer module, with returns and mutes. An affordable option could be:
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/tesseract-modular-tex-mix-master-section --Master
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/tesseract-modular-tex-mix-4-mono-channels --4 channels mixer
-Another filter, a multimode filter, more or less aggressive depending on the type of music you want to make.
-More and more ergonomic VCA's, you have room for them. A cheap option.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/doepfer-a-130-2
-A sequential switch is a very useful basic to route signals.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/doepfer-a-151
and a matrix mixer, for example
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/ai-synthesis-ai008-matrix-mixer-black

hello! There seem to be a few instances of default/template text when sending PMs or emails to other users where it says "herr" as the default honorific in the subject line. This is often incorrect or awkward when users forget to update the text and it should be removed. Thank you!

I hadn’t cleaned my mess.
This one is the good one :

But maybe that's still the case.

EDITED Nov 30th 2022, 17:18

Too big.
Too much assorted stuff.
Too many voices. Not enough Filter/Attenuation.
Why is there a Data/Scope?
It's not wrong to have multiple copies of the same module.
Don't fill space just to fill space.
Don't use 2hp/pico modules except where absolutely necessary/designed.

Tell us what you want to perform, and describe how you think a typical patch setup would look like.

Copied and rebuilt and cleaned up by stripping and building from center-out, bottom up, thinking about where you'd want to manipulate most (center, bottom) and least (sides, top).

EDITED Nov 30th 2022, 21:26

Thank you for your answer. I also have the moog sound studio, so dfam for percussion and an analog rytm. My intention was, at the base, to extend the set up that I already had. I got slightly lost in the multiple modules I came across ^^ I wonder if I'm missing something important or if on the contrary I'm doing too much.

Ladik also has the Composer N which is one of my favourite modules. I can heartily recommend it. I do think Sebsongs will also offer prebuilt units at some point in the future, if I am not mistaken.

Hey, I modified your upload a bit and merged previous versions together. Thanks for the upload!

The discussion on MW is pretty cool, and it is looking to be a cool module. I am considering supporting it as I like the visuals. Hope they include some of the suggested modes (wink wink).

Hi, it would be helpful if you could tell us what kind of music you intend to do.
IMO, I would set up a mixer with at least 4 channels just for audio, and I would leave the triplatt for modulation. I don't see any percussion, are you going to use any external equipment for rhythms? Are you going to use rhythms? ;-)

I start the modular. I need feedback on what I want. Can you give me your opinion ?
thank you

I ordered a Intellijel TRIATT to @timoka and everything as described.
Well packaged and a fast delivery.
Highly recommended seller.

I just added this module to ModularGrid:
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/other-unknown-bela-io-gliss-

I found the discussion on MW where it's getting a lot of interest. The developer is really listening to what people have to say. For example, some found issue with the connectors at the bottom on a controller. The developer decided to implement an upside-down usage mode. Consider me interested as well!

Great question!

For me it depends on what I'm doing in the studio in general. I have a lot of equipment and I write with modular gear based on if it fits with the composition or not. That said, I have a fairly good sized set of racks (check my racks, they're all public) and I find that sometimes I'll leave a patch I really like wired up for a long time (never for months). If I need to move on, I snap photos of the patch, and make a video recording so I know what it was about the sound that I liked. It's also a good way to see the patch wiring, the knob positions and so on. That way if I want to attempt to recreate it alter, it's way easier.

I'm actually trying to get to a position where I can have the minimal number of modules that have the greatest versatility. I have somewhere around 100+ modules so it gets a bit frustrating knowing that I have any handful of modules that will accomplish the same things. I like making music way more than I like fiddling around with my rack setups and wiring!

That's a hell of a disciplined way to learn, wow. Those are cool tracks, by the way!

Thanks! It takes a bit of discipline, yes, but the reward is very large indeed. It also buys me a lot of freedom as I hardly feel any attachment to what I make. Which allows me to do crazy stuff, like today's experiment with a 5-beat rhythm. That's completely new for me, so a quick track later I know a bit more of the possibilities.

For some occasions, I leave the patch a bit longer. For example, there was a modular meet on Sunday. I started the patch I presented there on Thursday and worked on it until Saturday, leaving it intact for the day after. That's something I've been considering exploring more of. Building up a number of elements, then recording it as a jam. I notice it allows me to explore more complex patches and song structure.

hello to all here, my first post in the forum;)=

as stated on modwiggler and as you know, the OFFSET function on the Metropolix works as this:

example pattern: active stages 1-2-3-4 with modulations -> OFFSET +2 -> active stages then 3-4-5-6

Wouldn't it make much more sense if the result is after OFFSET +2 -> active stages 3-4-1-2
which means, the starting point of your pattern has rotated 2 stages to the right but WITHIN your pattern,
so you can adjust it to other sequencers etc ?
As it is now, you lose your pattern or have to re-program it, but what's the point then with an OFFSET ?

(also it would be nice, if the modulation lanes like ACCUMULATOR, RATCHET, etc could be (CV-)rotated
seperately, without the stages, but that would be another thing)

EDITED Nov 29th 2022, 21:10

BD-Z drum module kit from Patching Panda build and demo
A bass drum module from Patching Panda with lots of modifiers. Excellent sounding unit, and flexible.
Not a lot of electronic building, this I primarily a surface mount kit with all the SMD components pre-installed.
But still lots of knobs and jacks to put on.

Build

I start the modular. I need feedback on what I want. Can you give me your opinion ?
thank you

@RTFM: highly recommended. Bought a Turing Machine with expanders. Since then, he's helped me a lot with DIY. Great guy to deal with.

I ordered a NONLINEARCIRCUITS Dual LFO/VCO to @RTFM and everything went perfectly.
Well packaged and a fast delivery.
Highly recommended seller.
-- ferranadsr