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Hi folks, any updates on ETA for Tiptop / Buchla modules to be available? I've done some internet search but haven't found any new info.

I'm expecting some holiday sales at my favorite US vendors. BUT if the Tiptop / Buchla stuff will be available soonish, I may wait and save $s to go to the Tiptop Eurorack Buchlas!

Thought I'd check around and ask if ya'll are hearing more than I have on this front. Thanks!

don't worry too much about plugging the power in - iirc uZeus comes with a flying busboard on which the headers are keyed - mostly power cables are the right way round - out of 60 or so bought modules only 1 was incorrect and that was an old doepfer module - with a non-standard power cable (power header on multiple pcbs)

but it's still a great idea to know how to check power cables

on modules that don't have keyed headers they should be marked with a stripe or -12v - this corresponds to the red stripe on a correctly made power cable

if the headers are keyed then the power cable should just plug in one way

power cables should be red stripe match up to a small triangle to the left of the key on the connector

NB some modules/power cables don't work like this but they are the exception and I don't think any of the modules that you have are in this group

re: swiss army knife modules - another one is fx aid (xl) - igor keeps adding more and more algorithms - there are over a hundred, of which 32 can be loaded at any one time - including - reverbs, delays, filters, drum sounds etc

Well, as long as the modules are plugged into power correctly, there shouldn't be an issue. Knowing about the red-stripe is day #1 knowledge. Getting your modules plugged in is very easy to do. It's also very easy to plug something in backwards if you're not paying attention and get over-confident.

It looks like your case is full. So after you've explored what you have and how it works, I would say the next evolution is to transplant your modules to a bigger, more useful case. The Tip Top Mantis seems to offer the most value for the money from what I'm seeing. You'll have lots of room for expansion.

As far as exploring new modules, multi-feature modules are great. The Swiss Army Knife type usually allow for exploration in functionality. The big three I can think of are Pamela's New Workout, Disting EX, and Ornaments & Crime. There are others that are nice to have as well. In my opinion, you'll probably keep these three modules as there always seems to be an application for them and for the price (less than $1000US) for all three, you'll get a LOT of use and learn a lot from them.

I've mentioned the big three in other posts. I hate sounding like a broken record. But the questions seem to be the same. :)

Personally I would remove the pittsburgh waveforms and get the ataxia from dreadbox.

I would remove the Pittsburgh stuff and create a separate voice around it in a new skiff. I like the dreadbox chromatic modules and will eventually buy all of them at some point - excellent starter modules.

Nice...the only thing that immediately comes to mind here is that the buffered mults aren't necessary. There's not enough CV destinations to justify them, and in something this small you'll want to use stackcables or inline mults instead. However, what I would suggest as a substitute is, as far as reverb goes, the sort of thing that fits into a Buchla-esque rig that's got tiles: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-multi-fx-1u It gives you a mono-in/stereo-out processor that does reverb, chorus, and delay. Chorus isn't so Buchla-y, but the other two...yeah.

Don't be afraid to plug it in, or in fact, to plug anything into anything else.
-- plragde

With the standard caveat that you probably don't want to plug an output into an output, of course.

I'm thinking this rack as a drone-y, noise-y a very sacrilegious inspiration of the Buchla Easel.

The MI Elements an the Quadrax with the athru are the main sound sources/shapers here, with the Quadrax acting as a complex voice and modulation. The veils acts as a cv mixer/vca. Following that is a bank of lpgs with the Bizarre Jezebel being the more unruly one of the two.

Below that there is a ton of sequencing and modulation with Pam's the Varigate, Maths, Stages and the ochd. The NLC Helvetica Scenario is a twin source of uncertainty with the uOC acting mostly for more modulation and some sequencing.

For FX Ive got the AFA Coma Reactor as a really wild distortion and which likes to misbehave along with MI Beads to process internal/ external sounds and the NE Desmodius Versio acting as a reverb though I'm also fairly interested in the alternate firmware especially the 12 tap delay. These modules along with the chloe can be patched in feedback loops as most of them are stereo (The Coma Reactor has send/return IO)

Apart from that I'm thinking of the steppy and the Laspus os are some more performative elements to the rack along with the 0 ctrl for some oddball external sequencing.

Thank you!

Lugia's build is also more attractive, aesthetically. Enjoy your rack! Don't be afraid to plug it in, or in fact, to plug anything into anything else. Experimentation is part of the reason to go this route.

I've got to agree with plragde above...explore what you have until you absolutely know where the gaps are. I did do a quick reordering of what you've got, though:

In this rework, I split the modulation off from the "voicing" path. For one thing, it puts the non-audio modules next to the uZeus, so that you won't have to worry about induced crud from the P/S getting into the audio end of things. Then the audio comes in with the Waveforms VCO and runs all the way down to the final mixer. Otherwise, this is how a small build can and should work. No surprises, no "Sexy" modules...just very basic stuff with nothing odd about it, with a good amount of usability for exploration AND learning.

I will...Igor replied to me that Cool Audio wasn't making their chips anymore

-- jb61264

OK, now THAT'S disturbing. Cool Audio is, basically, Uli. There's one of two possibilities...

1) Tribe is depending on the same chip fabs in China that ALSO have the production lines snarled for any number of things from cars to appliances. If this is the problem, then it's a big one.

2) Uli's squandering the chips for his own production lines since there ARE serious supply issues going on, and Tribe needs to keep their factories going.

My bet is that the truth consists of parts of both of those possibilities.

Then I think you should probably use them for a while, and see what you think you are missing, and what you aren't using.

You might let them know that it might be worth their time to dig around eBay for a while. It's possible that they can find some NOS ones...there's been a bunch of components on reels turning up as of late.
-- Lugia

I will...Igor replied to me that Cool Audio wasn't making their chips anymore...I'll let them know about the eBay potential.

I have all of them (got them cheap), and they are in a Tip Top Happy Ending.

I will probably split them up in the future, but they are what I have right now

EDITED Dec 21st 2021, 02:02

How many of these modules do you have already, and what case (if any) do you have?

Hi all

I'm very new to modular, and would love some feedback on my build:

Many of my modules are multi use (particularly the Dreadbox gear), so I think that I have everything needed to make some sound.

That being said, if there is something that I need, I'd be grateful for any suggestions. When you do suggest something, please state whether it is essential (E), useful (U), or just fun (F). As I said, I am new, and I am just trying to get a system up and working, and there is so much to consider!

Currently I am afraid to plug it in...

You might let them know that it might be worth their time to dig around eBay for a while. It's possible that they can find some NOS ones...there's been a bunch of components on reels turning up as of late.

I'd just trust the Doepfer's OEM supply. Dieter's worked for many years on working out the PERFECT Eurorack supply, and the current revision of his big supplies are pretty spiffy.

Plus, if you've got concerns about hum and switching supply noise, there's other ways to fix that...namely, ferrites.

Ferrites are small bits of formed iron (and other metals) that are used to kill crap on DC lines. They're more common in RF applications, but they're relevant here, too. Have a look: https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-csb31-275-10 Now, how you'd use these in a modular is to kill crud before it gets into the DC busses. So, with each DC leg coming off of the P/S, you would take that wire, loop it around the inside and outside a couple of times, then snap it closed. That'll kill switching noise as well as sizable amounts of DC ripple.

Now, to avoid the hum issue...in this case, this is important if you do any live gigs, where you don't know how the grounding circuits work (if at all!) in order to dodge ground loops. It's also useful for killing crud that might be sneaking in via the outputs from a mixer/faulty cable/god knows what. And that device is this, or something along the same lines: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/happy-nerding-isolator. This is perhaps the simplest implementation of that...but simple doesn't equate to unusable in this case. Rather, the internals in that module offer ground lifts, transformer isolation, and a ganged "master out" control. Mind you, if you do work in a studio in some place that has balanced power, this can still have some uses from hitting its transformers with a bit hotter signal, which then gives you some nice, warm, "big iron" saturation.

Lastly, your bus boards should be the filtered variety. Not only does this help with external crud, these can help keep module leakage signals under control to some extent. Granted, if you've got one rogue module that INSISTS on dumping RF junk into the rest of the synth, they're not apt to deal with that...but then, if you've got a module that IS doing that, you should probably have it looked at or swap it out for a different one.

And by now we all know that you don't like small systems.

-- Quantum_Eraser

Which isn't true. It's not that I "don't like small systems". What I don't like is the mistaken concept that you can cram an entire full-on modular into a small case...mainly because it's not true. Or rather, it CAN be true, but the build will require a pile of 4 hp and down modules. In theory, that could be playable, but the experience of playing it would be pretty awful due to having to snake your fingers around the patchcables, the tightly-placed knobs, and all of the plugs.

Fact is, I have a Palette 104 setup in my own builds on here, but it's a "mission specific" one for adding some more complex modulation + mod manipulation to other modular gear in here later on. Plus, the 104 hp + 104 hp of tiles is ample space to allow me to directly address module controls by having larger modules in that case. But by no means would I consider it a "complete modular system"...because it isn't, and isn't supposed to be that in the first place.

The "Point" is this: here on the forum, there's been a bunch of people who've put together these super-tight builds and then figure they'll be perfect for their every musical purpose. Then when these pop up, a number of us on the forums will let that user know the basic truth about this nearly-impossible thing. That's not a dislike...it's informing a user that their build isn't going to work as expected, and that they might want to rethink things before dropping $$$ on something they're almost certain to dislike after working with it for a while. Nothing about this being my "dislike" there; rather, it's just another way of putting across the point that it makes sense to "use a case that you're SURE is larger than you want the synth to be...because you'll find that it wasn't too large in the first place".

Sweet, DM me your tracks!

Option to lock SOME modules in the rack but not all of them.
Example: I know I want some sequencing and control in a specific layout. Then "Optimize Rack Space" command would shuffle what is not locked. Thanks for such a fun site / tool!!!

Hello all!

I'm wondering what is the highest quality rack and power supply to place inside a standard 19" rackmount desk or sidecar?

Are the Doepfer A100 G6 ok to have amultiple without hum and noise?

What else is out there, looking for the highest fidelity option.

Thanks!!

Looks really good and on wish list as well as the Dot sequencer. I probably should pick these up at some point.

Adding an offset to your signal requires its own attenuverter to be put in the chain with -5v to+5v available unless you stack more attenuverters together for greater offset
-- jmettlew

Without a source plugged into an input, each attenuverter generates its on static CV voltage. You can add an offset by summing two adjacent inputs together, like A&B. Run your source signal into A and adjust to taste in either uni or bipolar. Then take your output from B. Adjust B in bipolar mode to add an offset. I suppose if you want greater than five volts then to tap at C. B and C should sum...

Maybe I'm not understanding your statement or question.

I wrote Happy Nerding to ask when they may be releasing a new batch of the 3X VCA and received a reply that their chip supplier stopped making the chips that have been used...it looks like they will have to redesign for any chips that may be available going forward, but for now it sounds like goodbye to the 3X VCA :(

Just wow. Won't imagine how much work this takes.

Very impressive.

That famous Break at 4:00 (always see the Car Scene in Waynes World on my inner Eye) puts a smile on my Face.

I also would like to participate !! Totally missed that last year.

You're showing off a patch, but if I can't figure out what's going on because of all of the superfluous patch cords and stuff laying around, then that's likely to be a problem to someone with ZERO experience with these instruments.

I watched the Video and I didn't except it to be a Patch Breakdown Video. It's a Video to show what you can do with a small system and a Looper. And the Video shows me exactly that.

And what kind of argument is that someone with Zero Experience would have a Problem following what's going on with the Patch?
Does every Eurorack Video on YT needs to be suited for absolute Beginners?

And by now we all know that you don't like small systems.

I really can't se the Point for your rant

EDITED Dec 20th 2021, 11:20

Dope, ya that's what I was thinking too.

Well, I for one would be nowhere if it wasn't for the helpful YT videos of Mylar.Melodies, DivKid, Ricky Tinez, Red means Recording, Molten Modular, and that Calm Swedish guy who's name currently eludes me etc etc.
Having someone visually showing you on a YT video or demoing a Module, creative patching or even coming back to a comment you might make on their YT has been invaluable to me.
For me its about gleaning bits of knowledge, from the ordering of modules to learning what sounds I want, patch walk through's, learning what I don't want.

As I've said before though, my main driver in all this is FUN, my own personal entertainment.

Maybe I don't read too deeply into what I'm watching, I would think that would put me in the 'General viewer category'.

When I have the time and space to set up more elegantly I'll be 'Set Dressing' in my own ironic way, I'll be taking the Pi55 out of myself and all of YT, I'll be dressing it up with Post-it notes saying things like 'Succulent plant' 'spare cables' 'small skull' 'piece of bone' 'plastic dinosaur' 'coffee' 'Lego character' whatever ;-)

Yo how do you like the TipTop909 hats? I use the Erica Hats D at the moment.
-- obscuremachines

I’m a 909 lover.. I was thinking about Erica synths too.. but I think tiptop hats909 sounds more like the original one ☺️

Yo how do you like the TipTop909 hats? I use the Erica Hats D at the moment.

I'm down to throw down

@troux Great, will do my best and thanks for making this possible!

Thanks for spending the time to assemble that rack for me! It has a lot of elements I would not have thought of. The generative area looks really interesting. The typhoon on the aux loop is really cool too. The abundance of VCA’s is obvious to me now as well. I can tell the saying is true, you can never have enough VCA’s. I’ve been going over the build several times. I’ve got it saved for reference. Now I will plan on building a case. It’ll be a custom job. It’ll be a while before I get it completely filled but will pick a way at it. I can see you vision in it and will give me a good direction to aim for. It’s got me pretty fired up to get after it.
Thanks again. This is a really helpful community. Glad to have found my way here!

Within the next week or so @M10C, and that's awesome @farkas, looking forward to it.

Hi Oldan,

The Vermona - Fourmulator is a pingable modulator too, but a quad LFO, not an EG as such. Not sure if that's an option for you?

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hello Troux,

I sent you a private message, see details in that message. I look forward in hearing the compilation results and thanks a lot for your efforts for doing this for all of us :-) Kind regards, Garfield.

Well, there was a more to-the-point response to this, but MG's user login sabotage system ate it, so I'll try and paraphrase as best as possible.

Basically, go back and watch the first five minutes of your clip. Not from the mindset of the person who created it, but from that of some new-to-modular viewer. Is what you see going on something that clearly imparts the point you're trying to make, or is it something that's more likely to confuse them? And why I say only the first five minutes is very much related to how things work in the publishing and A&R realm: if you can't grab a listener by the ears with your track in 30 seconds or less, then you've got a problem.

See, you already know what you're doing. And that's fine...a lot of us do. But I see the importance of trying to educate beginners, and I know (from experience) that information imparted clearly is what's necessary when any of us put on that teacher hat. And what I saw simply wasn't accomplishing that. You're showing off a patch, but if I can't figure out what's going on because of all of the superfluous patch cords and stuff laying around, then that's likely to be a problem to someone with ZERO experience with these instruments.

Another thing that I think we all know is that it's impossible to build a complete system in a "beauty case", to borrow Dieter's term. You can certainly TRY...but either one of two things results: they either wind up with modular that DOES WORK, but which is an ergonomic nightmare, or they've spent sizable funds on something they thought they saw in a YouTube clip but which they've gotten wrong, so they've wound up with a costly noisemaker that's more likely to sit in a closet until the next geological epoch. And these tiny case builds are a huge issue on here, especially right now as there's a bunch of people who've seen YT videos, then think they can do this too, when in fact they can't. I think you'll agree that situations like that don't help either of us.

And there have been a lot of similar clips on the platform in the past year-plus, it would seem. Some are informational...but as a rule when the first thing that turns up is some tiny cab, this won't be about education. It's more of a "flex". And setting users off on an expensive tangent because they see a tiny build and they think they can build one, too...that's also not helpful. Sometimes, they DO ask for advice/help...but apply the "disgruntled customer" approach: for every one complaint you DO hear, there's nine that you DON'T.

So, YouTube. True, there's some very good presenters on there. But when I see a patch being demonstrated in a situation where there's a bunch of superfluous patchcords just laying around as visual clutter, that's annoying. To see it done without anything else in the clip is how you would approach this. Otherwise, what you have here is, at best, confusing; beginners shouldn't have to figure out what patchcords are "live" and which are "set dressing". And in a situation such as YouTube, where I know of one prolific YTer that was side-addressing an EV RE-20 in a number of their clips because...I guess?...they figured that you do that with ALL "big microphones", it's a good idea to look at a LOT of what's on there and ask:

"If I'm just beginning, does what I see help me or harm me?"

If there's any question about the latter, then it's probably time to retool what/how you're doing this. Especially if you're looking at the "harm me" part and questions DO arise.

Now, in my case, I came into that video clip cold. I try to work with a blank slate when checking these out. But when I saw a number of things right off the bat that tossed up quite a bit of what keeps turning up...and which I know causes problems for beginning modular users, of course I'm going to be displeased. But it's no "galaxy brain takedown", to use your words. Rather, it's concern for those starting out who might watch this and become convinced that they need one of those little modulars, so they DON'T get on MG and research...they get all amped up, then they hop on Perfect Circuit or whatever and buy stuff. Then they put it together, patch it up...and of course, nothing desirable happens. It's gotten better...but during parts of the last year, it seemed as if every day brought in someone else who'd gone in that direction and was now seeking a way to, in effect, "polish a turd". As noted above, this isn't musically productive nor useful.

I can understand that it's easier to present a concept in a distilled-down state. But given that many of these new users are actually looking for starter rigs, it would seem more sensible to present concepts on a proper (as in, in a Mantis or, at the bare minimum, a Palette104) build, if only to show what a beginning system can and should look like when you've patched the example up. Just a few onscreen graphics...if even that...would help to show what's going on, and if done right, you won't need to provide a link to the patch because it was presented in a clear and straightforward manner. And, hopefully, presented so that new users can see that the same patch can be taken in various other directions, and how that would work. That would be a method of realistically presenting that information, as opposed to a "special case" situation which could cause confusion for new users. And if you think there's no confusion about this...well, spend a couple of weeks on here over the holidays and see how often the "beauty case" problem rears its head. It's annoying and disturbing, and it does more to confuse than inform.

Again, when you or I or anyone presents a concept on YouTube, it's essential to put on your "teacher's hat". Keep asking yourself as the camera rolls whether you're helping or not. If not, that's why editing software exists. But it IS a dichotomy you (and others) need to remember when presenting something to viewers that might only have a skeletal view of what to do, so you need to approach this as if you have a class of students in front of you. That's pretty much the actual situation, anyway. And if I (or anyone else) click off your clips at 5-ish minutes, it's not "self-important judgement" that's at play, but me asking the same questions above and finding that, no, that's not exactly helpful. The big difference here is that you got to hear about my objections; how many objections do you not hear, however? Or worse, how many viewers came away with the wrong ideas in mind? That one, you don't and can't know.

Sure, I probably did get the wrong impression about your video. But then, how I arrived at that impression is what you need answered. So, re-read this in a more "neutral" mindset, put that hat on, and re-watch the clip in question. My objections should be pretty apparent pretty quickly.

EDITED Dec 19th 2021, 23:26

I’m planning on putting some new stuff together before the end of the year. I’ll be in touch.
Thanks for doing this again, @troux.

OK, I'll calm down. But also, the thumbnail for this YT clips screams "clickbait", and that alone should be sufficient warning. If someone on YT has something SUBSTANTIAL to post, they won't need clickbait to get attention for it. When I talk about NOT paying attention to YouTube for your information...this sort of thing is PRECISELY what I'm talking about.
-- Lugia

If you actually watch his videos, they're quite informative. And entertaining. Plus, he has a quite pleasant voice to listen to.

OK. Any closing date for this?

Got it @defragmenteur! @sacguy71 and @M10C send me a track via DM if you would so we get the best quality. Also send a link to your online presence so we can link back to you.

A captured jam of last year:

But I would be happy to make something new for this occasion.

How do we participate? I am working on several new tracks and here is a taste:

Fun experiment with new 7u build:

Hey Troux, check your private messages! ;-)

EDITED Jun 1st 2022, 01:41

Trying not to buy a Starlab. So I tried to emulate it, with the modules I have. Fun exercise (although I am not really into this kind of "ambient")

the thumbnail for this YT clips screams "clickbait", and that alone should be sufficient warning. If someone on YT has something SUBSTANTIAL to post, they won't need clickbait to get attention for it. When I talk about NOT paying attention to YouTube for your information...this sort of thing is PRECISELY what I'm talking about.
-- Lugia

Since you haven't actually watched what you pass such self-important judgement upon, I don't plan on taking notes from your galaxy brain takedowns, meight!

BTW folks here's a patch illustration to go with the vid (it...was linked in the description 😉): https://www.modulargrid.net/e/patches/view/86144

Thanks so much Jtunes_ia for sharing this and everyone (actually) watching it!

HiFi: https://dspkills.bandcamp.com/track/alwamachoc

EDITED Dec 19th 2021, 18:23