Oh, I sure as HELL hope he does. Some of those Moffenzeefs are ones I pointed new builders at when they'd say they wanted some "interesting" percussion. And that stuff was nothing if not INTERESTING.
You DID get the special expander for the ORBIT, right? The one with the half-kilogram of plutonium that sits behind the panel...the tone quality definitely makes up for the impending death from cancer!
You've got the uModII already? Well, don't let it go! I've thought for a while that that was a superior piece of gear, especially due to the separate "SUM" and "DIFF" functions. Most ring mods don't let you go there, and if you can find a quadrature VCO to pair with it, you can get fairly close in behavior to a Bode Frequency Shifter. Not spot-on, but pretty close.
+1 for the VC8. Not only is it a one-stop for linear VCAs, you can break out the mixing capability in a number of different ways for routings and CV/mod mixing.
I'm going to miss Moffenzeef.... He had a very unique vision that will be sorely missed.
-- farkas
Yep...but is he really done, or is his store just going online only? Losing someone with that warped a vision of electronic percussion is going to hurt if he's out of the game.
Another maker to look at if you're shooting for percussives would be Moffenzeef, hands down. NONE of their modules does anything...ah..."sensible" with the sound, but what they DO do is just off the chain.
Don't do this. You're majorly painting yourself into a corner by using a cab that's FAR too small to accommodate all of the functionality you're aiming for. For one thing, if you have to jam ALL of one function's voicing into a bunch of 2hp modules (which are a pain to adjust in the configuration your actual build has), you're doing something wrong.
Generative ambient...besides not really being very percussion-centric...really requires a lot of control manipulation subsystems that you don't have room for here. Think more along the lines of a machine that has a nonrepeating patch program, and once it's set into motion, it continues to create without performer interaction. THAT is "generative ambient".
I would stop right now if I were you, and go and get a copy of VCV Rack. You need to see firsthand how this should work, and what it really requires, and without the intermediary of VCV Rack, it's going to be far more difficult to pick up on this. Right now, you're building a money hole. You don't want to do that. LEARN the proper functionality requirements, THEN move to hardware...otherwise, this sort of thing gets real spendy real fast.
First up, the uMod II is discontinued, so unless you have one or can source one, it's probably best to remove it from the build.
Secondly, don't do the drums in here! This build is TOO SMALL to support lots of different functions; you're already missing a lot of what should be there just to support basic synth functionality.
Third: Richie uses a lot of bespoke devices and software. And without these, you won't replicate his workflow. Not that you should, anyway...if you check your driver's license, and it's not from Ontario and doesn't say Richard Hawtin, you probably shouldn't be trying to replicate his setup. Given that there are SO MANY possibilities for individual builds in Eurorack alone, it's far easier to find your OWN sound than lifting someone else's.
Now, as for the build itself...first up, jettison the small cab. If you insist on using the Circadian Rhythms, well, that takes up a HUGE plot of panel real estate, and it would work better in a 2 x 104...not this. Next: drums...just get a proper drum machine. Something like a Digitakt, etc would actually be MORE flexible in the end than trying to sacrifice part of the modular for a function that's better left to a stand-alone device. And in fact, you SHOULD be building in a much larger cab to start with...then you should pare down from there to arrive at the right case form factor.
Next, utility modules aren't a luxury...they're a NECESSITY. If there's none of them (like right now, for example), then trying to get the maximum horsepower out of the expensive crap will be an exercise in frustration. If you lack VCAs, attenuverters, logic (ESPECIALLY if you're doing major sequencing!), and so on, your rig will suck like an Electrolux! And you WILL come to loathe it. FYI, you'll notice I'm not including the Invy here; $100 for a dual attenuverter/offset is a tad much, and you should be able to get into something with identical functionality for less.
As for things that're right here...the FH-1 is a very good pick, and frankly, you might find that sequencing in software and then piping that to the modular via the FH-1 would be a better choice. It definitely cuts back your space usage. And the White Gallop would make for a great internal clock gen/mod, but this would be improved by a couple of orders of magnitude by adding some Boolean logic so that you can massively screw with the sequential timing. As for the rest, though...this is more of a "do over". Try some of the suggestions above (especially expanding the case size), and see what you think.
That doesn't necessarily sound digital in nature...I'm more inclined to think that there might be some sort of CV latching issue with the module, as it sounds like reaching a certain change amount locks up the latch. IF, of course, there's a CV latch in there.
Exactly, Ronin...the Filter8, to me, has always seemed more of an asset to tinkering with modulation signals for that phase shift aspect. It IS a "filter", but like its forebear, the Mankato VCF, the other uses are WAY too compelling.
Been learning how to use my new Doepfer A100 Basic System 1 that came with a few modules including two weird ones that are not common: the delay LFO called VCDLFO and the VCS Serge type Slew Processor/Generation module. I read the Doepfer manuals but they were confusing at best and lack patch examples. Unable to find anything on how to use these. Any ideas?
-- sacguy71
Jim got the VCDLFO sorted. But one thing that's worth mentioning about the 171-2 is that it's basically 1/2 of a Maths. Same initial design, too: the Serge DUSG, in this case a variant of Ken Stone's version of the circuit. See https://www.modulargrid.net/e/elby-designs-es75-vcs
It's not a bad idea...as such, you don't have to have a complete voice in this, since it's just a "sidecar" for the Moogs. However, you're missing a KEY PART...an Erica MScale, which is a bidirectional I/O for the Moog CVs which can be somewhat different from standard Eurorack. Take the mult out (you should get some inline mults instead...this system is too small for dedicated panel mults) and put that in instead.
Agree if I was building a large setup like this Levit8, VC8, and Radar would be on my shopping list for key ingredients as well as a good performance mixer like the WMD Performance mixer.
-- sacguy71
Yeah, that little ecosystem that Erogenous Tones came up with for those three modules is super-potent! If it was smaller, it would be even better...but for larger systems, adding the entire subsystem above is a quick and easy way to drop power into things. As for WMD's mixer...it's definitely comprehensive, but a bit much. I like Toppobrillo's Stereomix II instead...smaller, but still quite powerful due to its many CV control points.
Thanks for the suggestions. I certainly wasn’t expecting that a another filter would be a good thing to pair up with a Filter8. Something to think about when I’ve got a decent delay installed.
-- SJ900
Yeah, but the Filter8's capability for phase-shifting waveforms has loads of abuse potential. For example, let's say you have three filters that you want phasing at the same rate, but not the same phasing position. With the Filter8, you can open it up so it's not filtering and then use that phase network to turn ONE single LFO into THREE that do exactly that. Take your outputs from the 0, 120, and 240 degree points, and there you are! For modulating things like effects (triple chorus, anyone?), this is a big asset.
Mmmm...the Just Friends is a formant-based VCF. Are you sure you don't mean the Cold Mac for clock manipulation?
Well, when you look at this, there's definitely some shortcomings. For one thing, using the ADSR/VCAs isn't an economical use of space; it would make MUCH more sense to add several linear VCAs on a single module, then solve the other problem present here by adding some more modulation sources to mess with them. I think you're also concentrating too much on distortion effects here...you really only need A distortion device, but a wavefolder somewhere up the signal chain would actually make sense so that you can get more elaborate and controllable (and yes, distorted) waveforms that way, so DO keep the Wavefolder. And there's other issues as well...a lack of controlling modules such as attenuverters will hurt you here, for example.
I think the big problem here is that the Erica drum functionality is overriding the ability of the top two rows to be used both as a complement to the Erica modules and as a self-contained synth on its own. This is why I tend to tell people to NOT build a Eurorack drum machine...the modules for each drum voice are never space-economical and the operating needs of that modular setup are often fairly divergent from what a modular SYNTH has to have to really open up. You might want to remove all of that from the build before continuing so you can get a clearer idea of what those top two rows SHOULD be.
Levit8 is the way to go for a larger build like this. The little switches you see on it offer a lot of alternate signal routings, plus you can easily split it into 2 x 4 channels. Some of my larger build experiments relied on these for CV/mod routing and adjustment.
The Filter 8 is a modulation hog...throwing some more LFOs/envelopes at it would be useful. Also, the Filter 8 is pretty much the same thing as the STG Mankato, so it also outputs signals with different degrees of phasing. This makes it useful as a device for generating cancellation signals as well as a VCF. It's worth having, but my choice for ultra-screwy filtering has to go to the Intellijel Morgasmatron. First up, it's a filter pair, sort of like the Sallen-Keys on the MS-20. Secondly, it has some very interesting patchpoints, notably CV over resonance which I'd like to see more of out there. Another "sleeper" filter is Doepfer's A-106-1...another Sallen-Key pair version, but in THIS case it offers an insert point in the resonance path, allowing you to screw around with processing the filter signal ONLY. These pair wonderfully with delays; you could have the 106-1 causing the delay to degrade in quality with every single repeat, for example.
Honestly, you might find the Filter 8 and 106-1 to be a pretty excellent combo, given what each has as their "special trick".
You might already have one. Check your attenuators without an input to them to see if they output CV offsets in that state, as many active attenuator modules double as offset gens.
Change nothing. I know there's always that naggy little voice in the back of your skull, questioning things, but this is really spot on. I would take this to hardware with no regrets.
There's a bunch of issues here. First up, if you're looking to lose something, lose the drum modules. These days, the drum machines we're getting don't have many disadvantages over modular drums, so my suggestion would be to get a standalone. DO make sure it has clock in and clock out, though, as there'll be times you'll want to drive the Pam's with it, and at other times you'll need to drive the drum machine's clock with something in the cab. Also...noise module. Very necessary if you're trying to design your own percussives.
Next up...of the Joranalogues, I'd lose the Contour. As you'd suspected, Maths fits MUCH better here. The Dual comparator and the CV processor are super-useful for a number of things...the latter, modulation tampering and the former, if you add some Boolean logic, is a fantastic way to screw with clocking behavior by using freerunning slow LFOs to shut down and/or turn on different voicepaths.
BORG filter, not the Boogie. Rationale here is that the Borg gives you two VCF/gates with variable response. And this means you can have screwy things like a bandpass gate or a highpass gate in addition to the typical LPG thing, or you can couple both up together for weird filter curves.
I would also consider adding some dedicated ADSR envelopes for your main VCF, main VCA, and the like. The Zadar is awesome (esp. with its expander; the Batumi has one as well) but it seems more like the proper implement for all sorts of other modulation sources that you can implement all over the place in this build. Have a look at Doepfer's A-140-2...it also gives you some CV over envelope parameters, and it's only 8 hp.
The VCOs need a submixer. Since it's a set-n-forget module as a rule, a 2hp one will work here. BTW, since you really only have the three VCOs here, you can toss the Buffered Mult. These come in handy when you get above a certain amount of splits in a single CV and you want to avoid detuning from voltage sag...but three isn't quite in that area yet. More like five (or more) works with these. And you don't need buffering for anything else, so I'd suggest keeping some inline mults handy so that you can regain space you'd lose to mults.
Last thing I'd consider here would be to reorder the rack so that the signal flow makes more sense. As an example, right now you've got the Diode Chaos in the upper right...and the Select2, which has your sample and hold capability, is bottom-middle. These really need to be co-located, and there's plenty of other spots that need this, too. Try and envision what you're doing here as building up functional "blocks"...random sources here, VCOs there, filters in...well, you get the idea. Grouping by function really snaps a modular's capabilities into focus.
I'd have to +1 for a larger case as well. Having done live techno back in the 1990s (without a DAW, I should note), one method that I found very workable with my Digisound/ARP 2600 combo that I was using at the time was to set up multiple parallel "instruments" within the modular architecture. New track? Just fade in another mixer channel and fade out the one I was on. While the hardware might be rather different here, the method is still quite solid, but it does take a bit bigger build to accommodate several separate audio paths...plus having all of these intersect at a proper stereo performance mixer (which I didn't have back then) is super-helpful.
One module I suggest on occasion as a "Maths substitute" is Doepfer's A-171-2, provided you install a pair of them. This doesn't work in many skiff cabs, though, as the 171-2 is 60mm deep. However, it does save a whopping 4 hp. Or a not whopping 4 hp...depends on how you look at it.
On the other hand, we could just all accept that Tony nailed the design of this thing with the current revision and plan for a 20 hp hole that has to be there for it. It's 100% one of those things where the designer makes something so ideal that it would be difficult to totally replace it, like Moog's transistor ladder VCF design.
Yeah, logic and related clock modulators are the key to sequential voodoo. I include in that things such as pulse delays, as well, since that also shifts timing. Logic modules are infamous for looking boring as hell while ALSO unlocking plenty of rhythmic trickery, so they get the short end of the Sexy Module stick like a lot of other things...and this is a mistake.
F'rinstance, if you'd like to just play the last note of a triplet for a bit of polyrhythm. Normally, this would be a bit of a hassle. But if you have a Boolean module, it's easy...just use a NAND gate. Then send it your triplet pulses plus a pulse that covers up at least half of a beat. When both signals are present...nothing. But when only the triplet pulse is there at the end, THEN you'll get a pulse out of the gate that can fire things for JUST that note. Way easier than trying to gin up a second sequencer on a wholly different timing.
Der Plan is excellent. For a more avant-garde take out of them, look for the soundtrack they did for the ZDF film "Die Letzte Rache"...which was ALSO partly their production as well. VERY Residential. "Funf Jahre", if you can find it, is a great overview of their synth dadaism.
The Rosie got me with the send in/out but the matrix mixer could do it too. I'll dig the output modules.
-- BousierMort
I'm not big on the Rosie or the X-Pan, either. The Rosie just seems like a concession to DJs, while the X-Pan is an expensive solution to a somewhat simpler problem set.
But, if you're really jazzed on the idea of having FX send/return capabilities...you DO know that you can CV that as well, right? Have a look at a few smaller performance mixers...Qu-bit has the Mixology, Toppobrillo has their Stereomix mkii, and so on. What THESE mixers offer are features such as muting, cue sends, CV over level (ie: AC-coupled exponential VCAs), pan and FX send, and the like. Much more capable, and if you toss a Happy Nerding OUT in after it, you then have a second stereo return for FX on that module, too.
This build is on a scale where something of that sort could be very beneficial, even with the (slightly, over the pair of Make Noise modules) expanded size of those. It'll free up VCAs for CV/mod uses, for one thing, plus it adds a bunch of internal "primitives" that, if they were separate modules, would take up far more space than the mixer would in of itself.
@GarfieldModular Words cannot express how much I love this. How would you order the list if you were to rank them by importance, instead of alphabetically? And how many of each would you say meets the criteria of sufficient?
-- TeslianCowboy
It's not a bad list of suggestions at all. But trying to categorize specific modules as more or less "important" is sorta pointless. Instead, you should look at a modular NOT as a collection of parts, but a bespoke SYSTEM that you've assembled, which has functions specific to your music. But if I answered the question literally, I'd say it was the power supply...and beyond that, the "importance" of modules really is something between you, your music, and the device itself.
oooooooooo KURT DAHLKE!!!!...or Pyrolator, if you prefer. His stuff is so much fun (as is his band, Der Plan) while at the same time, if you dive deep into it, you start noticing the complexity there. Der Plan was part of the whole Neue Deutsche Welle scene, but also had a real interest in noise and trouble. They sort of get tagged as Germany's answer to The Residents, but that's way too simplistic an analysis.
Problem with utilities (and I'm using a wide definition here that includes things like VCAs, mixers, attenuverters, etc) is that they SEEM optional, while those of us here on the other side of the looking glass know that they're not. So, in addition to a list of important ute modules, some explanation for WHY these matter as much as they do (with examples!) would probably also go a long way to curtailing (some) the Sexy Module Syndrome.
Nice recommendations @Lugia, I'll check em out. Would those take euro voltages, or would I need to send and receive at line out level? 🤔
-- troux
I would strongly suggest getting some sort of balanced output module for your build. My faves for a while have been two different Happy Nerding ones...the 4hp Isolator and the 6hp OUT. The former is rather basic...just I/O and a stereo level control. But the second one is VERY nice if your case can handle the depth. The OUT offers metering, headphone out, stereo output level control, the same sort of I/O...but it ALSO has a second mixable stereo input, which makes it great for parallelling-in another FX process inside the synth, or you could simply have two separate global mixes and switch back and forth via the OUT. But you want one of those, and you'll want to run 1/4" TRS cables from the modular to the FMR since it also uses these.
Y'know, I'm not jazzed on the Quadrax, either. I thought that Intellijel had the formula right with the Quadra, which you could use on its own just as four two-stage EGs, or you could couple the Expander with it. That arrangement gave you CV over either rise OR fall, not a single CV input for both, plus you had a few other tricks there that don't seem to have made it to the Quadrax. Yeah, it's a simpler module, but not everyone wants (or needs!) simpler.
Gonna fix this compressor thing right now, too. Don't put it IN the cab. Instead, what you want is THIS: https://fmraudio.com/products.html That's right...not one, not two, but THREE excellent pro-grade choices in a tiny, inobtrusive 1/3-rackspace box. While the RNC might be the one that jumps out at you, the REAL solution is the RNLA, which works less like a VCA compressor and more like an opto limiter, like the LA-2A and, more recently, the ART ProVLA (which I should note that I have TWO of, because they kick ass!). It 'smooths' out the peaks, but allows you to go up to your threshold while banging away furiously, then it adds a nice bit of color once you cross it. This should work MUCH better than most affordable Eurorack compressor modules while still not being a huge thing that takes up space.
Very much not AIIICEED. However, it's not bad at all for minimal techno...sort of in the Surgeon/Oliver Ho vein...
AE Modular, baybee! Gotta love what Robert's sleepy-looking machine has to offer...
I also don't see the purpose of using a Palette here, either. They're useful little sidecars...say you'd like to run a couple of Maths alongside a different modular. Well, that's what the Palettes are for. I'd never consider them to be the right solution for a full system.
Pricing, also, should come into consideration. A 62 hp Palette = $299 street. Tiptop Mantis = $335. Both are powered. Both are portable (you can even get a gigbag for the Mantis...see HERE: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MantisTrBag--tiptop-audio-trans-mantis-express-bag). But while the Palette has 62 hp, the Mantis offers 208 and can easily be the core of a larger system in addition to being a stick-it-in-the-bag-and-go gigging instrument. To sum that up, 1 hp in a Palette costs you $4.82, while the Mantis comes in at $1.61. So even though it's slightly more, in the end it'll be cheaper since you won't have to get something else to expand beyond 62 hp. And in the end, this also more or less negates the need for that tile row.
+1 on the multiples issue here. In a small build they're really cripplers, since they take up valuable panel space that NEEDS to be filled with functionality. And the only reason you'd ever need a buffered mult is if you're trying to split the same signal to many sources, usually four or more. It's not an 'everyday' module, but one with a very specific use.
I never recommend using multiple modules in smaller-sized builds. It makes much more sense to have several passive mult "widgets" on hand instead, as those can go anywhere in a patch without causing weird routing issues and more cable tangles.
Aim for this: sound up, control down. Try and get your entire audio chain into ONE tier, preferably the top one due to the P/S issue. By putting your modulation, control, etc in the LOWER row, you avoid the P/S noise issue, since induced noise on those modules doesn't really have any consequences to speak of. Also, try and keep your flow left to right up top, and co-locate the modulation sources in the bottom row. For example, if you know you'll be using a certain EG with your VCF quite a bit of the time, then have the EG in close proximity below the filter.
Yeah, it's an effin' puzzle, I know. But it IS the right way to make things work. Go look at an ARP 2600 and you'll see what I mean.
A couple of things...
1) Clouds = N'existez pas. Long gone. Unless you have one on hand or know a solid source for one, take it out and replace it with a 3rd party build...which will also conceivably save you space OR allow you to put in an expanded version, such as a Monsoon.
2) A Behringer P/S? No. If there's one specific part you should NEVER, EVER skimp on in a modular synth, it's the POWER. There are too many screwy things that a cheap, inadequate P/S can do to/with a modular synth, especially a switching supply. This is why the hardcore types...along with some companies, such as Synthesizers.com...use LINEAR supplies, sometimes external. They're clunky and heavy...but output NO ripple, no RF hash, none of that. And I would NEVER trust anything Uli was responsible for enough to make it a mission-critical device.
Last thing...unless you have a very, very specific reason for jamming everything into one UNpowered 104 hp skiff, don't. Instead, get some more SPACE here, maybe consider moving up to a Mantis or something similar that's already powered properly. You're gonna feel awfully cramped trying to much of anything in just 104 hp, especially if the aim is to build something versatile.
Nice noisemakers in there...too bad there's not really a way to get them to really cut loose.
As noted above, start with a MUCH larger cab than you know you want. In other words, get stoopid! You may, in fact, find that the case wasn't as small as you'd thought! Starting larger also lets you lay out ideas such as module subsystems...you can discover groups of modules that work very synergistically that way, and once you've found something that works as a "system core" along those lines, THEN you'll know what case size to shoot for.
Also...and this is IMPORTANT...don't fill your build out with "sexy modules" while doing this exploration. Utility modules might not look all that jazzy, but they're 100% KEY to making a modular do what you'd expect out of it. F'rinstance, let's put in something utterly ridiculously expensive...a Cwejman RES-4 quad resonant filter. Wow! $800 of filter! Can I input just a little bit of LFO on one band's CV? Welllllll...do you have the cheapo external attenuator for that? Coz the Cwejman's not got ANY input attenuators.
That's one example. I could think of enough, though, that I would risk a brain aneurysm. If you leave those elements out, you ain't got crap...except for a very spendy box with some twiddly electronic noisemakers.
Since you also have VCV Rack, I'd suggest doing a little MG exploration with it. How? Simple...put up two windows. Work on your MG build in one...but in the other, put up VCV and "play along" as you build by building up...as close as you can...what you're assembling in the MG window. No, there's not a 1:1 equivalency there, but you'll have a really good handle on how, what, and where utilities work in the context of a patch, and this can help a lot when finally working out how much of a hole you want to burn in the Magic Plastic.
Jim's spot-on regarding the utilities. It's obvious that this was built according to "sexy module" standards...and you've figured out why we hammer so much on that! "One-patch wonders" are very much the sort of thing that Sexy Module Syndrome leads to!
OK...for starters, there's only two VCAs in here. And this thing needs LOADS of modulation to make it kick...but without adequate VCAs, you're not going to get those amazing, changing-while-played sounds. Here's how to paint yourself into that corner...see if this sounds familiar...
So, you've got two channels of audio being controlled by your Pitt VCAs. But on one channel, you want this pitch vibrato to also come up slowly as each note is played. Good luck with that!...coz it ain't happening in THIS rig. You'd need another VCA to get that level change + modulation increase. THIS is why we all repeat "You can't have enough VCAs"...because they're simple tools that SEEM boring, but which allow some astonishing things to be patched.
Step 1: OK, those Moogs need to go. Yeah, they're convenient there. They're also more expensive when you take them out of their powered cab and put them in yet another powered cab. And they're currently preventing you from adding the things this build needs.
Step 2: check Jim's "shopping list" above. In fact, spend a veritable BUTTLOAD of time researching those things. They're NOT "optional", as some new synthesists seem to think.
Step 3: how about some more FILTERS? You've got a Wasp and a Ripples...but nothing that really screws with audio hard. Note that I'm NOT counting the Roland Aira module here, as it's less of a module that fits IN a patch and much more akin to an effects device that goes at the END of the patch. Look into something that allows utterly weird routings, that has double filtering, maybe even a resonance path insert. All of those exist...and much more...and allow loads more timbral variety.
Step 4: you might consider a complex oscillator. The only sources here (and I'm not including the Moogs here...seriously, they don't belong in here!) are a Plaits and a Dreadbox Hysteria. Plaits is good, the Dreadbox VCO has quantizing...but nothing here can do really complex internal crossmodulation. And without more VCOs with which to do that, trying to sacrifice either VCO for that purpose won't sound all that good. Even if you just doubled the Plaits and Hysteria, that would be a huge improvement.
This build might look pretty full...but the truth is that it's got some way to go and some mistakes to correct. Not unsalvageable, tho...
Regarding VCV Rack, is there a way to use that with modular via a MIDI CV interface? I will have to do some digging to see how that works. Love VCV Rack it helped me get into modular after the 0-coast.
-- sacguy71
There should be, if you're running Ableton. VCV has a VST module, and I would think it should be doable to route signals to and from it to Ableton's CV Tools and a suitable interface for direct modular control. Might need some sort of M4L widget, but it doesn't seem impossible. And older MOTU interfaces are cheap; I use a MOTU 828FW mkii for this, which cost me a whopping $120.
If you look back at the "classic" TD period between "Atem" and "Encore", it's worth noticing the division of labor going on. Check to see this in action. Froese would mainly stick to leads, while Franke and Baumann are working out the complex backdrop with sequencers and polys. Franke's rig was primarily Moog, while Baumann used a composite of Moog and PPG modules. Also, they almost certainly have a central clocking system for all of their synths, given that this was definitely in use by the time of "Encore" as it appears in that album's credits.
In the present day, this is actually a lot EASIER than one might think...but you gotta know your tech! Fact is, you can cobble up just as complex a sequencer system in VCV or with VSTs in a DAW, and by using some method of sending CV/gate/triggers to your synths, you can have this for far less than a pile of Moog 960s. Or make it happen in VCV, if your machine's up to the task.
Some VCAs do leak. But most decent-quality modern ones (like what Erica uses) don't...at least, not without a reason. Another thing worth checking is whether there's an accidental low-level offset voltage getting into the control side, as this will definitely cause audio leakage from the VCAs not being able to fully close down. It doesn't take MUCH...just a tiny fraction of a volt.
Another possibility could be voltage from an outside source. Case in point: many years back, I was working with our local community radio station in several capacities. One of these was maintenance. One evening after close-down, I and another engineer were trying to figure out why the station's Harrison AIR7 would suddenly switch channels off or on without warning. It was definitely a primo radio console in its day (hell, I've used Harrison desks as far back as my first year of undergrad), so the behavior was downright weird. But it's also worth noting that, when it was installed, they also put in the remote-start lines...but then never connected them to the turntables, cart decks, etc. So they were just hanging there...cables to nowhere, only a few feet long.
At the same time, we also had an FM station dead-smack in the center of town, pumping out 10 kW. I knew already that it had an annoying tendency to creep into audio lines both at our station and at other broadcast facilities in the area. So, how could that be an issue here?
Well, it so happened that, after a bit of antenna length calculation on my part, the disconnected remote-start lines...which, of course, also connected to each channel's ON/OFF logic...were cut so that they were all around a quarter-wave's length at 92.5 MHz, which was the other station's operating frequency. After I cut all of those (as they weren't in use anyway), the "ghost" of the AIR7 was successfully exorcised.
So what the hell was going on? Simple. There was enough induced voltage on each wire that it would send voltage back to the board's ON/OFF logic for each strip. And when there was a particularly loud signal on the one station, it would "hi-state" the strip's logic...which in this case, was being interpreted as an OFF signal.
So you might check around for sources of RF in addition to the typical synth bugaboos. After all, it doesn't take very much voltage to open a VCA a tiny bit...even less than I had to chase down in the story above.
Well...it certainly seems expensive...and probably pointlessly so.
All of your Moogs are already in powered cabs. And the Moog 3-tier accessory will work just fine at assembling those into a single unit. So it makes no sense whatsoever to decase the Moogs and reload them into Arturia RackBrute cabs. It might SEEM "convenient", but the real truth here is that you're contemplating spending a lot of money with little return.
A far smarter move...and certainly CHEAPER...would be to keep the Moogs in their cabs, use the 3-tier bracket there, then add something like a Tiptop Mantis at the very base of the Moog rig so that you can have your additional modules there. Even though a Mantis costs $335 street, when you add up the cost of the additional Arturia cases, the cost of the unused Moog cabs, and the extra Arturia P/Ss, this definitely exceeds the cost of the Mantis by a sizable chunk.
One other point, also...what the Moogs need isn't so much additional expensive modules, but more akin to UNsexy stuff...attenuators, logic, a clock manipulation setup to really make their sequencers go nuts, additional utilities of that sort. Sure, some FX and the MScales are definitely called for here. But if you do this RIGHT, with a PROPER additional cab, you'll then have plenty of cheap room in which to build up a more comprehensive "sidecar" for the Moogs than you have currently. Plus, you could just as easily add a fourth "voice" in the additional cab.
+1 on Garfield's comments here. People shouldn't be trying to feed synth-level signals to outboard devices. OF COURSE it'll sound like it's leaking...because you're taking about signals that can swing up to +/- 10V, and feeding these into something that either wants to see 1.4 or .775V. Since you're an audio tech, I shouldn't have to explain why this doesn't work, and also why an isolated, balanced output will improve matters as well.
My take on this...it's unusable. There's no mixers, attenuators, only ONE thing I could refer to as a VCA, and there's a mult in this tiny build where something FUNCTIONAL could have gone. Worse still, it's EXPENSIVE unusable.
The Cwejman and Schippmann modules on this site are really on here mainly as reference. No one in their right mind uses these unless they're capable of pooping Krugerrands.
Follow sacguy71's advice and get a copy of VCV Rack. With that, you can build up something very much like the above...and find out why you'll hate it literally in SECONDS if you made the capital mistake of actually building it. And conversely, you'll find out how to alter the above with the "boring" modules to actually arrive at a workable result...which you desperately need here, because all you've got at present is a boxful of expensiveness.
Not workable. There's too many utilities missing here, which is ironic since many of these expensive modules need those unsexy, cheap ones to do what they do.
Tear this down, and start over in a larger cab. MUCH larger. Build what you think SHOULD work...then start paring that down while continuing to make sure you've got the basic functionalities you need.
One other point: this actually DOES NOT have enough VCAs. The three present are fine for CV/mod work, given that they're linear, plus you can use the module for mixing these. However, this also needs VCAs for the audio path to control levels and impose envelopes. A proper performance mixer can fix this, plus potentially add CV over panning, FX, and so on. Also, if you feel like you need to compress the audio, do this externally. You don't have the requisite space in this build to sacrifice other functions for something that'll be done easier via an external processor on the synth's output.
I should note that it's far more difficult to create a successful small build than a larger one. You have to understand what you want the instrument to do in terms of your own music...preferably before building!...and know how to fit those functions into a small cab with suitably-sized modules. But there's also the point that it's actually pretty EASY to use a small cab to create something that simply won't work...or, at least, it's easy without a proper knowledge of what you're trying to accomplish.
Also, get a copy of VCV Rack. Spend some time (as in quite a bit) in there and make the information somewhat innate so that, when you transfer the ideas from VCV to hardware, you already will have a build that works and, also, which you might be able to fit into 2 x 84 hp. VCV Rack makes it MUCH easier to see what extra widgets are needed in a given build as well as offering different ideas on what you might want to do. https://vcvrack.com/
Yeah, I'm down, Jim. 100% on dumping the Cwejman stuff. F'rinstance, if you really have to have something along the lines of an ARP 2500 Filtamp, just get two of the B. ones.
Oh, wait...you'll have to do that anyway, as that specific Cwejman module isn't actually available. Even so...two B. Filtamps = $178. One Cwejman whatever = second mortgage.
Then the L1 mixer. Uhhhhhhh...why, exactly? It's actually a crippled version of what you have in the Mutable Veils or Intellijel Quad VCA; you have every bit of the functionality the L1 does, but these two offer a variable response curve as opposed to the L1's fixed two-position selection. It's also honkin' big, and in 2 x 104, MINIMIZING things (within reason...don't make a boxful of 2hp, for example) is critical. Dropping down to a 8 hp Veils clone would actually HALF the real estate in use here, still cost less than the L1, and give you better functionality.
But I'm down with Jim here...this build seems like a black hole for money, but won't yield results. My solution is probably different from Jim's, but we're solid on a major rethink here. Fact is, you DON'T need high-cost stuff to get good results. F'rinstance, MY main modular synth (set up for integration with everything else in the "modular sandbox" here) doesn't have a single module that cost more than $100...because my main modular synth is actually an AE. 160 spaces...and it still comes in at less than the above. It's not as sexy...but y'know, I give exactly the amount of f**ks about that as there are pages in that famous tome "Famous Antarctic Television Personalities of the 16th Century". The SOUND is what matters...not the price tag.
An extra row or longer rows really would be the solution here. One thing I noticed while reworking this was that there was too much "oversizing" going on, which is why some things got changed out to shrink them and open up more space. But 84 hp rows really do put a clamp on what you can do; add one large module to a row, and that row is pretty much locked into what that module does. The Tiptops are a little large, but when you look at the functionality (and price!) they offer, they're worth it. The MISO, for example...basically a CV manipulation toolbox. And the Fold also adds an audio subdivider to things, besides the CVable waveshaping.
But yeah, I get that. I'd much rather try and get this build's functionality into something larger so that a few more useful widgets can be added. More logic comes to mind, plus clock manipulators. But I figured it was best to stick with the OP's original form factor and basics for clarity.
The second one. Reason for this is that you can always add some sort of expression controller, especially since you have the FH-2 in there, allowing anything with USB Host requirements to jack right in. This also means that you can use the modular "upright" instead of laying flat, which should improve the ergonomics. As for module complement, the only problems I see are the presence of the Links (this build is too small for dedicated mults...you need to maximize space functionality in these, meaning that it makes more sense in this size to use stackcables or inline mults) and the filter complement, which is just two LPFs, meaning that you're missing out on the potential of any of the other filter topologies.
The workflow here, though...hm...this needs tinkering...
OK...loads of tweaks, as it turned out...but the game is definitely upped.
Upper row is mainly the "voicing", lower is control and modulation...again, mostly.
I changed out quite a few things here. In some case, it was to clear space for essentials (like the noise/S&H and Ladik Dual Lag) and in others, there simply was a better solution (such as the Doepfer VCF...which gives you 16 different topologies which you can also access simultaneously). But loads of additions here...
Top row: power, FH-2, then there's a WMD Toolbox, which has a bunch of little tricks up its sleeve. After this is a noise/S&H, then a dual slew gen with selectable glide-on-direction response. I replaced the Shapeshifter with Dove's new Wavetable VCO, which saved some money and space, and also provides a more straightforward "PPG-ish" wavetable oscillator. Your Ensemble Oscillator is next, then there's a quad VCA (Codex Modulex's clone of the Veils module) and mixer to sum down the oscillators and/or sampler. That Xpander VCF is next...yes, it's Dieter's version of the Oberheim Xpander filter. Then the Bitbox and another VCA/mixer for your final summing; this then goes down to the right end of the bottom for FX and output isolation.
Bottom row: power, Pams's, Steppy, Frap sequencer. Then two more dual-response VCAs, placed specifically for modulation signal processing. Codex's "Tides" clone is next up, followed by the Maths, then there's a dual ADSR which should come in handy for VCF and VCA control. Happy Nerding's new FX Aid gives you Spin FX-1 algorithms in stereo next, and last comes their Isolator, which provides transformer isolation/balancing for better audio and a single master level control for your output.
This seems more solid. For one thing, it has the "little bits" put in that allow the main modules to really cut loose. Functionally, this is WAY more dense and open-ended, and there's loads of "tricks" hidden throughout the build to up the programmability. The sole concern I have now is about the depth, which maxes at 50mm in this version, and the majority (but not all!) of dual 104hp cabs start having trouble at around 45mm. However, you might take a peek at Erica's 2 x 104hp portable case, which offers a 67mm max depth AND a kickass power supply with 2.5A on both 12V rails, and another Amp on +5V. The current headroom, all totalled, would be about an Amp, so the likelihood of overdrawing the P/S is pretty much zero. Also, this would negate the need for the 4ms ROW POWER 45s, so you'd wind up with another 4 hp per row for more twiddling, although at present the build still has these.
Yeah, I pulled those two because...
...with the LFO, the Stages is far more flexible. You can literally define the modulation curve via the sliders, tamper with the behavior while it's running, and if you need an extra sequencer, it does that too...besides having a crap-pile of other useful tricks. And remember, that Tiptop MISO is purpose-built for tinkering with modulation and CV signals, making it yet another key to what the Stages is capable of. And...
...the VCF was too...ah, basic. Sure, it might have an SSM circuit in it, but in the end, it's still just a lowpass VCF with some extra skirt taps. The Morgasmatron, though, is clearly the product of a brilliant but deranged mind. You can run it as a single filter pair (like an MS-20), or split the pair out to be two separate multimode VCFs (yes, with CV over resonance!), OR run this as a stereo filter pair. Or you could just let the two filters in there duke it out for sonic mangling supremacy via its internal crossroutings. Plus, now that there's a proper CVable waveshaper there AND a ringmod, you've got the complete kit for timbral screwing-around. Also, keep in mind that even though the "flow" here is left-to-right, that's not a hard and fast rule; you might find it super-twisty to feed the two sides of the Morgasmatron back into the dual Fold inputs to see what THAT might spit out.
Also, that Hermod can also serve as a MIDI interface for a controller that needs a USB Host connection...meaning that you could strap an Arturia Keystep Pro to this thing and get even MORE sequencing channels! Or if complex expression control work sounds right, it'll be great with a ROLI.
If you construct this build, my bet is that you won't feel a pressing need for anything new for a hot minute. At least. You'll be finding new tricks for YEARS. Or so I hope...
