All Posts

Chords and polyphony in this build size just ain't happening. You could get a psuedo-chord memory-ish thing going with a few oscillators, but you can't possibly jam everything needed into a cab even twice this size. Or rather, you COULD...but the resulting control surface would be a nightmare!

I would suggest not looking at "voices" here. Instead, treat the entire thing as a "voice" of its own sort in amongst the rest of your production. Also, redundancy isn't a bad thing...it just depends on which modules you're talking about. 2-3 VCOs = good. 2-3 filters = OK. 2-3 Marbles = don't do that. Anything that you can detune or tamper with works nicely here (hence the multiple VCO suggestion). But in the end, systems like this are best for creating the "backdrop" for tracks...the atmospherics and such that "glue" a production together.

So...I banged around with this for a bit, see what you think. The idea here was to fill the cab out with supporting modules, and in the process a couple of the top row modules got bumped, mainly due to the picks being less useful than...well, have a look:

TOP: With the exception of the Ochd at the left end (that was where it had to go), this is all audio. Two Plaits, for the reason mentioned above. Then I added a Veils for VCA control over the oscillator outs, which is also useful in that the module's mixbus can be "broken" into 1 + 3 or 2 + 2 configurations, depending on what you're cooking up. This then has a choice of VCFs: either the Ripples clone or the Rings clone. Or run one into the other. No real rules on that. The VCFs sum via the Doepfer mixer, then this feeds the LEFT in on the Beads, which can generate a stereo result from a mono input. And that stereo goes out to the Befaco OUT, which has your isolated 1/4" outputs plus your headphone preamp and your overall stereo output level.

BOTTOM: First up, better MIDI interface that still takes MIDI and USB, but has a more comprehensive feature set AND less depth than the original Doepfer module. Then Pam's. Pam's lets you tamper with overlapping gates and such, which is why the Deep Thought is after this to provide alternate clocking signals, etc derived from Boolean operators working with the overlapping gate functions. Then Marbles, which is a primary "generative" device that can work on/with random inputs, ordering those into coherent CV streams. Maths follows, then a Frap 321 and a Doepfer A-130-2 dual VCA so that you have the ability to mix, modify, and level control your modulation signals. Then I put in a Zadar as the primary EG; no room for the Nin expander, but that should be OK here. Then a 1 hp blank followed by a KonstantLabs PWRchekr which lets you see the health of your DC rails.

By splitting the row functions, this gives you a very clear left-to-right flow for your audio path. Then modulation signals can come up from the lower row to affect that. Very clean, easy to sort out...which should be the way you WANT this to turn out. True, this might be better done in a 2 x 104 hp cab like a Mantis, but for right now...and since you've apparently got some hardware already, let's see how this feels.

EDITED Apr 22nd 2022, 02:01

I like the DB-01 a lot; it's great fun all by itself. I don't think you need the Pexp-1 just for that; the DB-01 is based on a Eurorack module, and takes clock in (just a regular Pam's channel), as well as pitch, gate, and filter CV in. Its output is hot enough for Eurorack and doesn't need boosting, if you want to take the signal back into the rack. I don't have experience with the other things you mentioned, though people seem to like the Beebo a lot.

+1 on that Trogotronic P/S. It might be spendy, but it's capable of powering a HUGE system...or a small one with very little load and, ergo, little heat due to the load vs. capacity. You could easily power several rows of 104 hp with that!

Hi guys,

I just made another buy spree, bought a Poly effects Beebo, an Erica synth DB-01, a Midi breakout (to use with the ES9), a PEPX1 (to sync the DB01), a Launch control XL and a Joranalogue Receive 2 (for a mic).

The idea was to build a section just like a regular interface, so I'll be able to program midi synths (via ableton and push2) with the breakout, input a mic or whatever with the receive 2 and sync everything with the PEPX1. Besides that use the Launch control XL to MIX the albeton grid.

The Beebo will be the core effects and the guitar processor, it has 4 ins and 4 outs, can be used for 4 mono or 2 stereos (bought the Y cables to connect everything). I love the 303 kind of bass sound (I'm using the vst for long time), so de db01 can do that and more, besides the fact that I enjoyed the sequence possibilities.

What you guys think? I think I can return for credit if I made a bad decision. Looking now, I have too much modulation (3 from the multi LFO and a bunch with the Pamelas), I'll suffer with VCAs probably?? I feel that 1 VCF is too little too.

I was thinking in left the 28 HP empty for the future, to be honest I bought a lot of things with too many manuals and menu diving...

Man i have more money on this than sense... god!! To make the situation worse, i work with Biochemistry, don't even make money with this. Writing all that was pure suffering hahahahaha

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1861530.jpg?1650589206

EDITED Apr 22nd 2022, 01:00

ooops yep sorry

They’re in Australia actually.

EDITED Apr 21st 2022, 15:07

Tho' I liked it in pink.. But I was looking for black plates for the Antidote of the same brand before to finally sold it here! Thanks for the link, I will check what they do (brands/modules). Oops, they are in Canada, can't order there from EU (taxes etc..).

Doesn't have to be!

https://www.facebook.com/audioparasites/photos/pcb.1001852220419845/1001851137086620/

I've ordered from these guys, their plates are killer.
-- murmurant

EDITED Apr 21st 2022, 14:45

good value :

• Ataxia (but it's pink)

-- -ADR-

Doesn't have to be!

https://www.facebook.com/audioparasites/photos/pcb.1001852220419845/1001851137086620/

I've ordered from these guys, their plates are killer.

my tastes went to

EG
- Peaks (it does a lot and is great to work with, shapes are a bit different than most EG).
- Delta V (fully featured, with VCA and Slew)
- FEG (price, fast, loopable, inverted output)

good value :

• Ataxia (but it's pink)

VCA
- Tallin of XAOC for how many differents "colors" it can bring and the 2 curves av. on each section.

EDITED Apr 21st 2022, 14:45

Erica Synths has a series of educational modules for learning about electronic music generation. I’ll be doing all three, and we start with their EDU oscillator. Even if you don’t buy the kit, I recommend you download the user manual, it’s a great practical guide to electronics in music.
Erica VCO build

Thanks for the fast replies!

Yeah I wasn't really sure if the quantizer is really needed or not. Also, would it make sense to get marbles and the ornament & crime? They could both be used to generate random sequenzes in kind of a similar matter from what I understood.

I am also not sure about pams. Would I really need a master clock or are there other functions it has that make it so attractive?
-- CharlyD

Pams can also quantize external 2 channels as well as as many internal random melodies as you'd want

'overlap' or 'redundancy' is not a bad thing in modular - especially with multifunction modules - which these are to a greater or lesser extent... you can only get O&C to do 1 or 2 things at once (with hemispheres)

don't know if O&C can be used as a clock as I don't have one and have only skimmed the manual for hemispheres - but it has a lot more functionality that you might want on top of what both Pams and Marbles can do...

Marbles can work as a master clock - just mult the t2 output... and use your ears for setting the clock speed - and it can also act as a clock divider...

Pams can do a lot of things, but it's very easy to run out of channels very quickly - especially if you are using it primarily as a clock divider and then modulation and generative melodies (but that can be said for all of these)

probably all 3 are overkill in this size case - think about what you want them for and remove 1 or 2 - for me it would be O&C - but that's probably because I have Marbles and Pams - but in a much bigger case (think 8ish * the size)

I'd get one first and then once you know your way round that consider one of the others too - you my find that in a small case, with only 2-3 voices and no percussion, such as this, that one is enough

if you primarily want a clock and generative melodies, gates that match notes and a random source - then Marbles first, if you primarily want a clock and synced trigger, gates and modulation - then Pams first, if you want lots of different things to play with 1 or 2 at a time - then O&C first, etc etc

EDITED Apr 20th 2022, 19:37

Thanks for the fast replies!

Yeah I wasn't really sure if the quantizer is really needed or not. Also, would it make sense to get marbles and the ornament & crime? They could both be used to generate random sequenzes in kind of a similar matter from what I understood.

I am also not sure about pams. Would I really need a master clock or are there other functions it has that make it so attractive?

Not sure if you need the quantizer, marbles sends out quantized cv, and I think Pams does as well? But there are also smaller quantizers available to save space.

VCAs, while not 100% for audio in this set up, with the built in aspect of plaits and rings, are still valuable for modulation.
Using an LFO to control volume for long cross fades, etc.

2 voices (3 at most) seems about right in this size case - any more and there's not enough room for the support modules that are needed to make the most of them - see my signature!

right now I'd buy beads of all the granular type modules - sooner or later they will be gone...

the quantizer looks superfluous to me - your midi->cv output(s) will be quantized already as are those from Marbles...

a decent reverb and delay will go a long way

if you want chords - either be prepared to have a really crappy way of sequencing them (you have this already in plaits) - or for it to cost a lot (especially if you want to have everything stay in key) and take up a lot more space than is free in this small case - or just get a cheapish polysynth along side the modular

more modulation (something that can go really slow - zadar for example), more utilities (especially vcas - veils is great and possibly a sample and hold), maybe a filter or 2, maybe a matrix mixer (or 2) for combining modulation sources and using as send/return for the effects etc

patching advice - send outputs to inputs - download the 'maths illustrated supplement' (if you haven't) it's a good jumping off point for Maths

Hello Everyone!

I'm fairly new to the world of modular and need your advice for the generative ambient rack I want to build. This is my current setup:

The modules on the upper row are the ones I already own and the ones on the bottom row are modules I was thinking might be worth getting.

So far I used the A-190 to send a random sequence from ableton into the rack and some FXs Plug-Ins to make up for the current lack of Reverb, etc. in my system.

I definetly want to have at least two voices, but I am not entirely sure if I want to be able to use chords or not and if I do, then I'm not sure about the options i got. I also really love the sound of granular textures so I am planning to get either the Monsoon or Beads. I also found the Arbhar from Intstruo, but I'm not entirely sure if it would be worth getting considering the price difference compared to the other granular processors.

The only real restrictions I have are the size of the case and the power supply, which can do a max of 2800mA on +12V and 500mA on -12V. Modules that are kinda heavy on the -12V side are maybe not an option because of that.

I really need some suggestions and recommendations for generative ambient essentials, modules and maybe even some patch ideas! If you can recommend another forum thread that already talked about this topic that would also be great!

Thanks in advance!

have you tried checking the include other/unknown option? I found 2 2hp modules that match the description TelexN and TelexB very quickly this way!
-- JimHowell1970

Thanks!! I hadn't taken note of that button before.

have you tried checking the include other/unknown option? I found 2 2hp modules that match the description TelexN and TelexB very quickly this way!

Taken from an IG post from 20 Apr, 2022 of her "setup". I can't find the TXb and TXn modules from BPC Music in the MG database to fill the couple 2hp holes in there. Oh well. Still, this will help me remember and fantasize.

I keep on hard refreshing (Ctrl-F5) both the rack page and the screenshot image page, but nothing is resulting in a capture of the current state of the rack.
-- sibilant

I think that might be Shift-F5 (perhaps also CTRL-R) in Chrome, which for me does refresh "screenshots" when they're not updating. Perhaps try it in Command Centre view first, also the "refresh" pop-up button that appears when you mouse-over the layouts in Command Centre View.

-- AndyQ

It is Ctrl-F5, but more importantly thank you because going to the Command Centre view helped. Now the view has been updated. Much appreciated!

Thanks, everyone, for your feedback :)
@Arrandan yep, the hats came out a little too harsh, so I have made a new mixdown as this piece will be on my next release. Thank again!

I keep on hard refreshing (Ctrl-F5) both the rack page and the screenshot image page, but nothing is resulting in a capture of the current state of the rack.
-- sibilant

I think that might be Shift-F5 (perhaps also CTRL-R) in Chrome, which for me does refresh "screenshots" when they're not updating. Perhaps try it in Command Centre view first, also the "refresh" pop-up button that appears when you mouse-over the layouts in Command Centre View.

Nice one! It starts with a sound that I have also been using, but then changes into this bleepy-bloopy jungley thing that at once is quite typical for trackers, yet not cliche. Quite entertaining to listen to!

There is an interesting discussion about having a musical vision on gearspace which got me thinking (I hope it's ok to cross-post to other forums). I created this track about a breakdown I had 10 years ago, when I was stuck and saw no way out. It's the first time I started with the vision first and applied musical ideas to convey it. Listening back after a good night's rest, I can find several issues. But it conveys what I wanted, which isn't bad for a one-track-per-day track. Patch info in the video description with a summary in the subtitles.

Very nice indeed. Very atmospheric. The high hats are a bit sharp on my speakers, but I'm really nitpicking!

I have a new bug report. I have been trying for over 24 hours to get a refreshed screenshot image of one of my current racks, but the link to the image keeps showing a state of the rack from over a week ago.

I keep on hard refreshing (Ctrl-F5) both the rack page and the screenshot image page, but nothing is resulting in a capture of the current state of the rack.

EDITED Apr 20th 2022, 02:10

Ah ... brings back memories of when I started in ... "84 HP is going to be plenty!" Such innocent times. The best financial advice you can give someone getting into euro is probably "don't do it!"

Glad the rack is working out though. It does become an obsession, and I often wish I could go back to when I started to emphasize a few things, most of which has already been said and some of which it sounds like you're beyond at this point, but just to add my version of agreement(s):

• Don't waste money on a fancy case, unless you need to be mobile and are going to gig or something. All you need are rails, something to mount them on, and a way to have busboards behind the units. I paid like $400 for a "custom" 2x 84HP case with a shitty PSU. Waste of money.
• Don't skimp on space itself, though -- if you think you need 104 HP, get 3 rows of 104 HP. A Synthrotek Cheeks of Steel isn't a bad place to start. You'll thank yourself later.
• Don't skimp on power. Get an m/15 from Trogotronic with 3 busboards right out the gate. It's actually a very competitively priced PSU and it'll take you a while to catch up with all the power it offers.
• Get a Mordax DATA. I almost didn't, but so glad I did - it is such a useful tool in terms of really getting your head around what the modules are doing, if you're a visual learner -- especially EGs and the like. Absolutely worth it just for the oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, and voltage monitors, but it has VCOs and clocks and stuff too. Can't go wrong.

Beyond that, the usual stuff that's easy to forget or not see the value of: offsets and attenuators, inverters and polarizers, mixers (both DC and AC), VCAs, and lots of mults.

I have three -- maybe four if we count a Patching Panda Punch. A 4MS PEG, a Make Noise Maths, and a Velectronic AEnvelope. I also briefly used a Befaco Rampage, but had the option to keep that or the PEG, and chose the PEG because it seemed a little clearer and I liked the layout better.

The Maths I picked up pretty recently and am still warming up to it. It's perfectly fine and I like it.

But as a general EG that gets talked about less, I've always really loved and still love my 4MS PEG. It has a lot of overlap with the Maths, but has its own depth, and it's a much more intuitive, clearly-laid-out, easy-to-get-into module. For me the Maths definitely doesn't replace it, but does offer a different (if somewhat more convoluted) take on similar functionality. You can probably go a little deeper with Maths due to the inclusion of the OR/SUM/INV section, the 4 available channels, and the inclusion of onboard voltage offsets. But then again, the fact the PEG has a pair of onboard quantized clock multiplier/dividers has always been a pretty great feature, to me, particularly if you have a QCD, which the PEG will sync to without any patching if it's on the same bus. There's also more variety to the curve shapes you can apply to the envelopes of the PEG, and either channel can be independently selected to be unipolar or bipolar, with an additional unipolar +5V out dupe. And while the PEG retails for more than the Maths, secondhand you can often get them cheaper than Maths.

I think a Zadar could be super interesting, but I feel like I wouldn't get on with its digital, menu-driven nature. I did some of that with an O&C and never cared for it much, though I'm sure the Zadar can do way more. Where the Maths seems kind of opaque until you get used to it, the Zadar seems too menu-reliant. (Just for my own taste -- I've never used one, so I'm not sure, and Xaoc makes some good stuff). If your primary concern is being able to create very specific envelope shapes straight from the module, and you don't mind little menus, Zadar is probably a good pick. Coming back to the PEG again, though, I really like the balance it strikes between being (relatively) easy to "read" (and thus patch/manipulate), while still being primarily tactile and knob-driven. The Maths I have to kind of pump myself up to utilize, at least right now as I'm still getting to know it, where the PEG I've always just immediately and intuitively reached for. If I didn't have a DATA to better visualize what Maths was outputting, I don't think I'd be too crazy about it. It helps with the PEG too -- a DATA is great all around to have, really -- but doubly so with Maths.

And as for the AEnvelope by Velectronic, I absolutely love that thing, too. It's kinda niche, fairly expensive, and not unlike Maths, takes a bit of work (and tutorial viewing) to get your head around -- but once it all clicks into place and you get the feel of using it, it's really great. It's actually pretty easy to use once you walk through its features, and I don't feel the need to pipe it through my DATA as much as the others -- it's just a little intimidating at first blush. My only nitpick really would be that I always find myself wishing the second row of outputs were inverted or polarized outs -- that would make them more useful to me. But it's a minor quibble. And aesthetically speaking, there's no contest, it's a truly beautifully designed module.

And while we're talking ADSRs, I also had a Doepfer A-141-2v that I've always vaguely regretted selling. It only offers one envelope, which in my experience wasn't the snappiest in the world, but you get a lot of control over that envelope, with some interesting self-patching options. It was actually pretty interesting as a weird oscillator when self-patched. I've tried that with my PEG as well, but I feel like the Doepfer rolled with the audio-rate abuse a little better than the PEG does, you could really get it to sound like its own voice. I imagine like other Doepfer ADSRs you can get these fairly cheap, I know I sold mine at a pretty big loss secondhand, which is one of the reasons I regret selling it. And while I've never used them, the Doepfer A-140-2 and A-143-2 both seem like tremendously good values relatively to what you can get them for secondhand (or even firsthand, really).

I can also recommend the Soundforce Dual ADSR, which was what my AEnvelope replaced. I'm 100% happy with my choice, but the Soundforce was perfect while I had it -- nothing too fancy too it, but always absolutely clear at a glance with its dual slider set, good responsive envelopes, good support from the company. It's a bit big for what it does, but if space isn't at a premium and you just want something useful and easy, it fits that bill nicely.

EDITED Apr 20th 2022, 00:33

Ah THAT thing ;-)
One thing that immediately put me off was the fact that the 2mm banana connectors do not fully insert into the jacks.
I can't help but figure how I snap those with my elbow. That's only me of course.

Here is a long talk from Hainbach with Prof. Bernd Ulmann, one of the project's initiators, and Hans Kulk of Willem Twee Studios. FF to 10:30 for appearance of the guests.

Is there a way to filter the marketplace offers with a specific EU country? (France in my case)

No, you cannot select specific EU countries but you can select EU.

You could certainly do some amount of stuff with this, but you're not gonna be able to build many things capable of CV with just two analog multipliers; maybe a simple oscillator, but not one with any tracking. You're also definitely not gonna be having CV over any chaotic systems; they require too many multipliers. In addition, most chaotic systems only work at speeds too high to be useful for anything in the context of modular besides slightly tonal noise. They're very cool, don't get me wrong. In fact I'd love to have one myself, but you should temper your expectations a bit.

https://the-analog-thing.org/

Yeah, an analog computer. A brand NEW one, too. Now, for some time I've been holding onto some semi-working surplus Systron-Donner 3300s, with the idea that I might be able to use them with some major modifications, building ONE functioning machine out of all three. But this had issues...the most disturbing one being that these had a +/-100V operating level. Plug that into a Eurorack module and watch the fireworks!

The Analog Thing, however, has a +/-10V level. This means that not only will it play nice with Eurorack, etc, it'll allow me to make the computer directly interact with my modular gear, with only some proto-pin to 3.5mm cables needed (and yes, a common ground). You want it to "talk" to something like Maths? Yeah, it'll do that. Want a VCO (yes, it appears to even be capable of CV control!) based on Chua's circuit or a Lorenz attractor? No prob, doodz. Just keep an attenuator on hand so that you can tighten up the voltage span, and you're live with that.

And now, I'm going to make you, the reader, have a total conniption fit:

It's only EUR 299. And yes, they ship and handle purchases internationally, so if you're not in the EU, you can still get on this thing. Extra cables? They got 'em...about EUR 25 for a sizable pack.

This thing is such a no-brainer for heavy-duty modular guys...but even those with smaller systems can jump on this. And if you want to constrain the voltages to a 0-5V for things like my AE, you can snag one of Soundmachines' NS-1 Nanobridges and use that to clamp things into the right ranges for that. Gamechanger, more or less!

Oh, and if you want to save a sequence of voltage curves, you've got Expert Sleepers' modules, which should handle this machine's outputs like a champ. Or work out something for its internal "hybrid I/O", which allows direct connection to a digital computer; IMHO, this just SCREAMS "Max for Live abuse".

Amazing times...I'd NEVER expected to see something like this! Should arrive in late May, so after some basics to get used to it, it's going right into the modular "sandbox".

EDITED Apr 19th 2022, 01:13

As for function generator, definitely check out the Joranalogue Countour 1. I sent my maths back and got 4 Countour 1s and a Morph4. More expensive but incomparably better both in features, quality and usefuleness. The new Veils looks good for a quad vca, replaced my intellijel quad vca to it (the bottom most pots were difficult to access when the jacks are plugged and the layout is weird anyway)

I’ll definitely look deeper into Maths, but I always disliked the almost illegible font - i guess that’s probably why I’ve steered away from it for so long. I hope I can find a Grayscale version/faceplate of it. Are there any other versions of Maths you recommend (if any)?

-- Avesta

I feel you...the Make Noise "edgy" look is kind of annoying. I prefer modules that clearly show what's being done instead of rockin' some graphics that only wind up confusing/annoying the user. This is why I don't think much about effects pedals that have overdone, elaborate graphics (see here for an example: https://reverb.com/item/53789313-digitech-dirty-robot) that makes it more difficult to see knob positions, etc due to all of the busy artwork on the case. So, yeah...get the Grayscale panel.

Now, as for Maths-ish devices, there's the direct predecessor of that, the Serge Dual Universal Slope Gen. Several years ago, I would've told you that if you wanted one in Eurorack, you'd be screwed. But these days, Random*Source over in...Sweden, I think?...has many of the Serge circuits adapted to Eurorack. So here's their version of the DUSG: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/random-source-serge-dual-universal-slope-generator-dusg-mk2 With these, you don't need an entire Serge panel or half-panel...you can get JUST the module, which is also rather un-Serge-like. No, not cheap...but still far cheaper than if you had to buy one in the "old manner".

As for the Tangle Quartet...there's a workaround for that if you want to use them for audio, and that would be an exponential envelope gen. And it does appear that the Zadar is capable of generating those, so not only would this be a decent EG for the rig, it would "correct" the VCAs so that they behave exponentially even with them being linear VCAs. DEFINITELY get the Nin expander, though...it's got some assignable CV ins and a four button direct selector for the envelope generator in only 3 hp.

Actually, the site's there somewhere...the Internet simply can't find and/or get to it at present. Wait several hours and hit it again. The problem probably stems from the ongoing Ukraine/Russia war; remember, not all of the fighting is being done with tanks and missiles as there's also a LOT of Internet "warfare" going on with a wider "theater of conflict" than just what you see on TV.

Yes! Really enjoyed that. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks everyone for the replies. I’ll definitely check out your suggestions.
I ordered the Zadar envelope and bought the ALM Tangle Quartet for now (heard it’s very clean) until I get my hands on a Intellijel Quad VCA or Veils.

I’ll definitely look deeper into Maths, but I always disliked the almost illegible font - i guess that’s probably why I’ve steered away from it for so long. I hope I can find a Grayscale version/faceplate of it. Are there any other versions of Maths you recommend (if any)?

EDITED Apr 18th 2022, 19:17

I've been looking at the Rangoon from Calsynth,
it's converted to sliders for most controls, same form factor as a Monsoon.
may help with tuning stability/ not nudging the tuning out of place

Excellent :)

A darkish mid-tempo piece, basic patch details in the video description, thanks for watching.

A nice demo of the waveshaping/mangling/manipulator of Modulaire Maritime.

Hello dear all, I've spent a good month recolting 10 patches done on the new Black K-Phaser of Erica Synths. I've compiled them in a short video. You'll see a lot of changes on the euro-racks filmed. The module threats Manis Iteritas, TS-L, Plaits and more. Happy watching :)

EDITED May 8th 2022, 02:20

And of course, a tiny drop in that sample rate might just yield a musical benefit...a touch of "crunch" that doesn't screw up the signal but adds a bit of "character" instead. Sort of like why an older Yamaha SPX90 sounds so musical, even with its lower sampling rate and bandwidth limits.

There is always something you could add to the feature list of modules.

The Vortices could almost do with being upside down. Lots of tendrils cables.

I had Vortices on my short list for a long time. I ultimately chose a different route for similar types of sounds. I was planning on pairing it with the Worng Soundstage. I thought that might give me the best of both worlds. Only issue with the Soundstage is the lack of integrated individual VCAs, but that's easily handled upstream in a larger rack.
I know what you mean about the Vortices cable spaghetti. I suppose it's a good design if you are looking to save space, but if space isn't an issue it becomes an ergonomic concern. I have mixers at the bottom right of my rack, and had planned to put Vortices there even with the funky I/O setup.
Good luck finding a spot for it.

This is one for owners of the Steady State Fate Vortices mixer
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/steady-state-fate-vortices

It feels like a mixer that should or could live right in the middle of the rack as you end up with a load of patch leads heading to it from all angles. So where do you have yours?

Also does anyone have any suggestions of another mixer that would pair well with the Vortices?

I've recorded this jam with Tsl as a main lead, using a crossfade (instruo 1[f]) to mix PWM and Square waves. Each output has its own envelope (to vca and the same for filter) generated by Rampage and filter PWM thru Prism, and Square thru C4rbn.
BIA plays kicks and Plonk plays hats.
FX AID adds delay to square waves; Prism adds delay and desmodus reverb to PWM.
Sequenced by Hermod, and mixed with Jumble Henge.

I've found interesting to mix odd length melodies with 4/4 tempo signature, doing some kind evolving and hypnotic vibe.

EDITED Apr 17th 2022, 16:28

In fact, I tried to build many functions for different patches or applications into the case. It will primarily be used at home, for experimentation or to learn basic modular things. I'm sure that in the learning process, some modules will be exchanged for others. I think that's unavoidable and probably normal in this way of making music. I chose the limitation to this size because I already own the case and I think that there is no module in the plan that I could not use when switching to a larger case in the future because in my opinion there are not really special or only are application-oriented modules in the plan