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You can also use a floating ring cable to connect pedals to your modular, or just buy a pedal/effects unit with CV inputs/outputs (there are some really good ones - I have a Finegear Dust Collector that I use on everything, and it even came with LFOs for extra modulation). You don't necessarily need a special module in the rack to interface with pedals.

(Edit: this next part is now irrelevant, apparently. I was incorrect.) Honestly, I wasn't going to comment on oscillators (or the Behringer thing) since it's so personal, but if Brains can't have the new firmware, I also agree that a different Plaits clone that can do the new DX7 patch thing would notably expand your sonic palette in this rack.

EDITED Feb 21st 2024, 12:50

cool textures, love it !

Anyone ever tried using it as tube preamp for electric guitar?

I started with a very small rack and one thing I learned was that a small case was a viable setup as long as it's very focused in its purpose. Especially if you are learning and exploring I would recommend you start with only 2-3 modules you really like, and then figure out what else you need through patching.

Going through the proposed rack left to right:
The ethics of Behringer products aside, an uPlaits might be a better choice due to its smaller size (hp is at a premium here), plus it can load Emilie's final firware, whereas I understand that Brains cannot. The MCO is fine I guess, I know many people like it. You might also wanna consider a Twin Waves for your first oscillator, again smaller than Brains, mutli-algo and you can use the second output as a noise source/lfo.
Forbidden planet is an interesting choice here, but I think a dual/stereo filter or one with multiple outs will do more for you here in the same real estate (frex, the ADDAC dual filter, Dual Dagger, Ikarie or one of the dual Ripples clones).

Maths (Abbacus ) is a fine modulator, but when people wax poetic about it it's usually for its snappy, percussive envelopes, not exactly a hallmark of ambient. It can do a lot more of course (at least Maths can, I don't know how faithful of a clone Abbacus is). Anyway, tl;dr: I feel you definitely need more modulation options and utilities like a CV mixer/attenuverter. Like a poster above said, ambient is about texture and that means subtle but complex modulation of timbre, fiters, panning, etc.

Tallin is a great VCA, no notes. Dual FX I'm not that familiar with, but again, since space is at a premium here, a FX Aid or MFX might fit better in here. Another option is to eschew in-rack effects and just add a pedal integrator module, as mentioned above (although I'm personally not a fan of that option).

Scales is good, but what are you feeding it with? Could use one of the Maths outputs I suppose, but again, some sort of extra modulation source, S&H, random source would be most welcome. Perhaps even a small rudimentary sequencer like a Tirana or Ryo Penta so you can add some intent to your music. Mixup is good.

Final question is how are you taking this out to your speakers/computer? Do you already have an outboard mixer that can take eurorack levels? Otherwise I'd recommend an output/euro-to-line module, or those Mixup knobs are going to be pretty much at minimum all the time.

tl;dr: 1. rethink your oscillator and fx choices to save space, add more utilities and modulation (especially to feed scales and modulate parameters on your voices and filter)
2. optionally look into a more versatile filter and (depending on your situation) an output module

I'm not going to necessarily disagree with the person above, since your open-ended goal will almost undoubtedly lead you to think about more stuff. A Mantis case is not a bad idea for an ambient situation, and even if you don't fill it completely, throwing some blanks in there and calling it a day will make it nice and spacious so things are easier to access.

However, I am a believer in small setups if they are focused, and I did not go the large interwoven case route (yet). There can be advantages to different smaller systems if you're organized about it.

My main suggestion is to not bother with in-rack effects in a synth setup this small. Save that space for LFOs, maybe a Sample and Hold, and an attenuverter/polarizer. Maybe another VCA that's more for CV. Focus on the stuff that makes modular modular for now and then just get outside effects. If a pedal or something has an expression or tempo input, you may even be able to modulate the pedal with CV if you're careful and look up the proper methods.

My other suggestion is to go all out on your filter. If you love the Forbidden Planet, go for it, but it's a bit workmanlike for an ambient setup, where texture makes a huge difference.

the racksize is much to small -
you need space for utilities

Better dont start under 104 hp 6u

Dual fx is not so cool for ambient stuff in my opinion

check out qubit and bastl, make noise and intellijel

what about a sequencer, sample and hold, lfo, envelopes, attenuverter....

bastl neo trinity has much of these in 8 hp with 6 outputs - for small systems

drop the dual fx, scales, mixup and talin

Here is a suggestion to start:
Later you could add a matrix mixer and more stuff in the empty top row .....

EDITED Feb 21st 2024, 01:37

mutable instruments Plaits,,or clone of it,,great multi sound oscillator..

The first module in my rack the Behringer Brains is a clone of Plaits..

My main question is: Does this case make sense? or is it a nonsense case? I am very unsure whether the modules fit together well and make sense

Mutable instruments marbles,,or a clone would be great,,random sampler like...Disting mark 4,,multi function module well usefull..mutable instruments Plaits,,or clone of it,,great multi sound oscillator..

Hi Guys

Im new in modular and even didnt start..
Im watching YT and try to deal with it, but its very hard to understand everything. So i wanna give a chance to modular to learning by doing.. i want a small case to start and i need some help go get the best for the bucks.

i wanna use it for ambient music and for learning and exploring.. (no techno machine or something)

i would be very happy if some guys can help me with some good decisions

all the best

EDITED Feb 20th 2024, 21:22

nut buffers are cool.

I've made the payment but there has been no response for 10 days so far. I feel compelled to report this as a potential theft incident on Modular Grid. His name is Mikel . Take care.

I've made the payment but there has been no response for 10 days so far. I feel compelled to report this as a potential theft incident on Modular Grid. His name is Mikel .

Obviously they have two strike inputs, but I haven't used them for that. I'll experiment 8').

Super happy with my purchase of Peaks from @niko_masson
Friendly and helpful communication, great packaging and the module is working perfectly. Recommended!

Thanks Arrandan, yes this stays fairly rooted on the F minor chord. I did try transposing the sequence via the root input but I decided I preferred the sense of stasis!

Currently we have a problem with the email server, because the hoster has introduced a new quota/limit for emails. That means you might not get emails or they are delayed. We are on it ...

Hello, Thanks for your reply. In fact I mean Optomix can be just a envellope generator: strike and you gate a envellope and them you can use it in a other module like your favorite VCA for example. So you have a fast bango enveloppe, but without the low pass thing. Not sure you can do the same with DXG.

Retro game and other bleep and bloop sound module.
Straightforward build, though there was an incorrect part that I had to replace (Synthrotek offered to replace, but I had already ordered a replacement, they offered me a discount on next kit, which was nice).
Fun sounds, not melodic but could be effects or accents in a piece.

Build

@Mikel I paied > Hi, there is a user contacted me for a module, he wanted me to make him a certain price, I did not accept and he put me a negative vote, I think it is not correct to be able to vote if you have not completed the transaction, thanks

-- Mikel

Hello Mikel,

I'd like to discuss our recent transaction regarding the module. I made the payment through PayPal Friends and Family, but it's been about two weeks since we last communicated. I'm quite concerned about this situation. I hope we can resolve this amicably. Could you please refund my payment as soon as possible? I'd really appreciate your prompt attention to this matter to avoid further complications.

Thank you for your understanding.

Hi,
Couple of questions regarding the module:
1) The 3 OUTPUTS all the way down are the ACCENTS OUT?
2) The next 3 up are the "normal" TRIGS OUT?
3) The next 3 INPUTS up are the FILLS?
4) The last next 3 INPUTS up are the CVs for X, Y and Chaos?

Finally CLOCK is on the left or right of the little logo?
The RESET IN takes a basic trigger to reset?
Thanks for any info and advice.
All the best,

Classy & industrial modular technoid art :) Cheers!
-- Sweelinck

Thanks for your response, Sweelinck.
Cheers.

What a groundbreaking idea!
So many questions...
Will you be producing them for sale?
What kind of power do they take up?
Are they noisy?
What video editing software do they require?
Are they networked?
Oh the possibilities...
Great work!
-- AEROCATONE

Thank you for your enthusiasm.

The magic panels will not be produced for sale because its very cheap and easy to make.
They made off 3 mm thick cardboard covered with green screen.
The hardest part is to caputure the scene with a good light source and a reasonable video cam.
The magic starts in a video editing software with a powerfull computer.

-- Cem79

AHHHHH! hahaha
I suppose I was hoping for programmable panels. hahaha
ya got me!

cheers

Please bring this module back to life. I have one and would love to have another one.

You can send an envelope into the aux and aux in, but that would only make it an envelope follower, so to speak.
Just got it recently, so still playing around with it, but, as it is described, it is just an lpg and mixer.

Good morning,

Optomix is an envelope generator in addition to being a low pass gate, which allows you to send the generated envelope into a VCA if you want. What about DXG? I feel like there is some ambiguity about this?
Thanks for your ideas :)

Classy & industrial modular technoid art :) Cheers!

They are really awsome.
Loving the tune as well.
-- Traxam

Good to hear that you like the tune.
Stay tuned because the next videoclip will be crazier.

What a groundbreaking idea!
So many questions...
Will you be producing them for sale?
What kind of power do they take up?
Are they noisy?
What video editing software do they require?
Are they networked?
Oh the possibilities...
Great work!
-- AEROCATONE

Thank you for your enthusiasm.

The magic panels will not be produced for sale because its very cheap and easy to make.
They made off 3 mm thick cardboard covered with green screen.
The hardest part is to caputure the scene with a good light source and a reasonable video cam.
The magic starts in a video editing software with a powerfull computer.

So I'm slowly filling out this rack here. Just about filled up one row right now (pam, cs-l, Baths, Belgrad, doepfer VCA and disting).

The main aim for it would be psytrance. Juicy FM leads, squelches, bubbly sounds, atmos, crazy FX etc. Basically looking for good sound design possibilities and to have at least two voices playing different things at once. Right now it's quite capable, but obvioisly adding plaits, Ripples, marbles, varigate, peaks, Batumi clone, and the rest will push it a good deal forward. It will mostly be controlled with Ableton Push 3 (can output 4 cv or gate signals) but will have some light sequencing by way of varigate and marbles. I tried to strike a good balance between voices, modulation, sequencing and utilities. I don't care much about effects since I do most of that in Live, but really want to have that clouds in there.

Am I doing something obviously wrong in this rack? Do I have enough utilities like vcas and attenuverters? Do I have enough or too much modulation? Happy to hear your thoughts.

EDITED Feb 17th 2024, 15:54

This may be related to https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/12651

I shared a link on Discord to a rack I had duplicated from another rack. The preview image displayed was an image of the parent rack from which I had changed significantly. Perhaps the metadata in the HTML head is not updated properly?

hi Zacks

i am going to change a lot of modules...

your help is very appreciate

many thanks for all

i will completely rethink every modules

They are really awsome.
Loving the tune as well.

Hi
Here is a small retex of my (really cool) first order to Bizarre Jezabel.
Hope it’ll help anyone who’d like to do so.

1. I ordered by email to Ivan.
Ivan is a trustworthy, friendly and very direct guy, who won't make small talk with you but gets to the point and responds to messages promptly. Amazingly promptly.

2. If you live in Europe, I strongly advise to use Wise and to enter the whole bank details of BJ
I live in France, and the payment was the hardest part of this order.
My mistake was wanting to make a transfer from my usual bank. But Ivan is in Georgia, outside the SEPA system. So my bank made me fill out a paper form, like in the 1980s. To scan. Then, it took them more than a week to ask me for an "official RIB" from Bizarre Jezabel, who cannot provide that because he does everything online... I spent two weeks trying to explain this to my bank and telling them that they live in the Middle Ages, but they wouldn't listen.
... Well perhaps your bank won't be that stupid...
In desperation, I resigned myself to payment by Wise. You have to create your account, it goes quite quickly, and you pay a (not so heavy) fee as soon as you sneeze, but the fact is that all you had to do was enter Ivan's bank details online and it was done.
Be careful though: you should not just enter the email address of bizarre Jezabel. This leads to a Bizarre Jezabel Wise-account that Ivan created but which does not work. You have to fiddle a little bit to find where to enter all the details of Ivan’s bank account, and then it works.

3. In practice, shipping and customs fees are less painful than I feared.
Moreover, shipping was shotrter than expected. With the number provided by Ivan, you can follow the route at https://parcelsapp.com. For me, the package was posted on January 30 and I got it on February 16.

4. If you get a rainbow cable to plug your BJ module, use it.
Don’t do what I did. Usual grey cable with the red stripe won’t work.

5. Enjoy.
I ordered an Chloe stereo MK2, and it’s a wild beast. It’ll sure need some time trying to master it, and yes, as another user said in another thread, some pots are quite small and not that ergonomic ; they are really not ; but as far as I’m concerned, this magic and these functions in such a dense module, well, that’s ok for me 😊

In total, I was a little anxious at the start with this order in Georgia in a “tense” international context, but I am very satisfied and I am seriously considering other purchases from BJmodular.

cheers

EDITED Feb 17th 2024, 17:59

I can give you specific suggestions, though I hope you'll also keep looking at other stuff to make it your own.

Sample and Hold: Divkid RND STEP is a good one that offers a lot of function in a small amount of space. You can easily just get the 2hp one as well - this doesn't need to be a complicated circuit to be cool - but then you always need outside modulation.

Envelope/Function Generator: Most of my favorite modules like this are big (Buchla 281t, Maths, Doepfer A-143-1 and 143-2). If you can spare the space, modules like this can make your system really come alive. However, Vostok (the Atlas company) makes an envelope generator that is smaller but gives you tons of loopable envelopes for modulation.

VCA/Attenuators: This is a category where you should do your own research and find out what works best. However, the various clones of Mutable Veils, such as After Later Audio's Cloaks, are popular and have lots of options. I have a Frap Tools 321, an attenuverter, which is very different but works great for me. Learning the differences between these two will help you better understand what works best, but they're both well-liked and popular, and that reliability is a good sign you can use them to learn about this stuff.

Multiple: Definitely get a mult or two. If you want to multiply audio or pitch CV, get a buffered mult (whichever's most popular). If you don't want to do that - and with this many oscillators, I don't know if you would - I'd just say look at 0hp options like the Qu-bit Splitter or the Intellijel Hub. Cheap and easy.

You have a lot of effects in this rack. It is nice to have effects that talk to your modular stuff, but it does take up space for stuff that can be done outside the rack pretty easily. I do think the Versio modules are interesting because of all the different firmwares, though, and keeping one (or both if you're set on them) might be a good way to explore a lot of stuff in one module.

Honestly, you may also want to think about something like a 1010 Music Bluebox standalone (or another mixer that can handle eurorack levels as well). You're going to have a hard time getting a module in that rack to handle 7 audio sources gracefully and ergonomically (especially for techno, where you'll be happier if you can mute stuff and do effects sends). Plus it frees up your Doepfer Quad VCA for more experimental purposes. I don't really understand the way you have it currently with separate mixers for drums and oscillators and then a single stereo out. If you have a reason for it being that way, then that's different, of course, but I think mixing is just one of those things that's hard to do in the rack without a whole new row for this stuff.

I don't know how you like to play this stuff, so you may choose modules that have different sizes or interfaces to these ones to highlight what you like more. Even that big Vermona module could be very useful if you thought you'd get a lot out of having big luxurious knobs and lots of space/options for your LFOs - it just depends on where you want your hands to spend the most time and what parts of your music you want to have control over in the moment. These suggestions are just me trying to add simple functions to what you already have and not change your original vision too much.

EDITED Feb 17th 2024, 16:52

hi Zacks

many thanks for reply

Vermona LFO x 4 is too big : too much space lost

Can you tell me what modules too cancel and to replace ?? if you have name. ?? you say not enought modulations...

i want to patch only 3 drums modules & 4 oscillators

i am lost for connect 3 drums modules and 4 oscillators....

tell what you do with this rack..

thanks again

EDITED Feb 17th 2024, 01:59

Too many voices and not enough modulation - at least for a setup this size. I would consider taking a look at more envelopes or even a nice function generator, as well as another VCA/attenuator to specifically facilitate modulations of modulation. A module like the Zadar really shines with a VCA or attenuverter alongside it to have more hands-on control of the voltage amounts.

You have a few particularly huge modules in here, and while I think that's actually a good idea ergonomically, it hasn't left you with much room for more modulation with all the voices in there as well. Nevertheless, things like sample and hold or other simple modulation sources will do you a lot of good (and you can get a small sample and hold without much trouble, since they don't really need controls right on the module).

How many voices do you see yourself patching together at one time (drums included)? If it's only 3 or 4, you should be a bit better off, but might still need a couple amenities like what I mentioned above. If you want to run them all at once and really work them, you probably want a fair bit more modulation.

Do you have the standalone case thing for the Ground Control? That extra space could be great for modulation, and it probably makes the sequencer/keyboard more accessible. I understand if you're keen on having it in the rack, but if not, that's valuable real estate.

In terms of voices and sound sources, you definitely want the stuff that speaks to you, but with modulation, it's honestly the stuff that sounds boring, overly technical, or obvious in modular that ends up being the most fun and unique. I would take a look at some Serge and Buchla modules if I were you - not so much to buy them, but just to see how the basic plumbing of modular can help your techno stand out from more rigid and standardized DAW creations (I would also watch some tutorials on Maths, which is not only a great module but a great teaching tool for showing how flexible basic circuits can be). They really illustrate how dense the simple stuff can get and demonstrate how to use one or two voices to make a full and compelling arrangement. Modular techno doesn't have to be minimalist, but it's a lot more fun if it's efficient and all the parts are being pushed.

Hello everyone

I decided to get into modular

I made a special techno rack with:

• 4 oscillators
• 3 drum box modules
• 1 “keyboard” sequencer
• 1 LFO x 4
• 1 envelope x 4
• 1 filter x 4
• 1 reverb & 1 delay
• 1 quad VCA/mixer for the 4 oscillators
• 1 mixer x 3 for percussion
• 1 audio output
• 1 MIDI/ CV

before I start; tell me if this rack seems understandable to you where everything can be connected to make music, if something essential is missing??

don't hesitate

THANKS

Cores from FRANCE

What a groundbreaking idea!
So many questions...
Will you be producing them for sale?
What kind of power do they take up?
Are they noisy?
What video editing software do they require?
Are they networked?
Oh the possibilities...
Great work!

Nice work.
-- wishbonebrewery

Thanks, cheers.

Nice work.

Hello MODULAR People,

After months experimenting with basic eurorack modules and video editing software i created the magic panels.
Panels with graphic motion. It was hard working but the results are very creative and inspiring.
All the sounds are done in the box. Basic mastering in a DAW.
If you recommend me a module that brings movement in my patch, please let me now.

Enjoy the trip.

works for me on macOS Sonoma with firefox...

what OS/Browser are you using?

FYI - it's almost always better to share the url of your public rack... especially if you want help/recommendations etc (click through and mouse over infomatics are really useful)...

I just tried again this morning and it's working again. Thanks to whoever fixed it up on the back end!

apparently, the Multiples in this module are not buffered.

EDITED Feb 20th 2024, 17:47

really happy with this

Hi folks
I'm using amazing EuroPi module from Alllen-Synth https://www.modulargrid.net/e/allen-synthesis-europi for connect my MIDI controller (pad or keyboard) to my modular by WI-Fi replacing raspberry Pico with raspberry Pico W.
The schema is so easy
MIDI control on USB -> Laptop/raspberry Zero -> EuroPi.

1- Connect midi controlller to PC
2- Open terminal and run miniMonitor.js (this script sniff the message on MIDI stream)
3- Open a second terminal and lance the server script
4 - Configure your controller by CLI
5- Connect to EuroPi Access Point
6- Start to stream by UDP message and value to Europi
7- Patch 6 Cvout and Play

Here you can find the first release of the script tested on Mac OSx Somona 14.2.1.
Inside micropPython folder you can found the script to upload on raspberry Pico W.
The forst release accept only one MIDI controller
https://github.com/glitched0xff/Midi2euroPiW
The script is in Js and need NodeJs installed on your PC.

If someone will try let me know how you think about.
I'm working also on MQTT/OSC -> Europi bridge by Wifi.
A good solution to work without laptop is to install on raspberry Zero with powerbank :)

Thanks
Glitched0xff

Thanks for sharing!

I'll receive the Befaco Stmix this week so between that, the Cloaks and the external mixer I should be nearly covered in terms of routing the semi-modulars and the modular signals.

I found out that headphones level is hotter that line level, so my second option with ALM HPO is not relevant. And then I found this module that does exactly what I need for 2HP so it's on my watchlist now.

And yes, I can always expand... I'll try to keep it this compact for now but it's already iching :)
I had a look at your other racks @halbroome, the Endless Processor looks like a really nice tool!

It eventually times out and I get the same error message in both cases: "An Internal Error Has Occurred. Error: An Internal Error Has Occurred."

I tried both Show > Screenshot as well as the Copy screenshot URL button and neither one of them ever loads. This has worked in the past. Is something amiss with this feature?

Thanks!
Mark