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OK...now you're thinking! Yes, you can drive the M32 with a BSP, but then you lose those sequencing channels to it. However, I do notice there's something missing, and it's probably the needed fix: a keyboard controller/sequencer. And Arturia has exactly that: the Keystep.
Looking at my Keystep and one of my BSPs, there are IN and OUT ports for clocking on both. And it's an easy step to daisy-chain or mult a single clock between them and the M32, since they all like positive-going pulses. So...here's what I suggest:
1) Get a Keystep. They're cheap. You're going to connect this to the M32 via MIDI. By doing this, the M32 will then accept the MIDI clock as its clock, then allowing you to use the M32's TEMPO as a clock divider for that MIDI clock. That's one of the M32's 'hidden' functions. The Keystep will allow you to either play the M32 directly OR use the Keystep's clocked arpeggiator OR the Keystep's internal sequencer, and then the M32's sequencer can be freed up to do things such as sequencing the M32's VCF, or doing onboard transpositions, etc etc etc. Basically, this opens up a lot of new avenues for a whopping $119. Now, you'll use its SYNC IN to lock it up with...
2) The Beatstep Pro. This is your master clock. Connect its sync out to the Keystep AND, via a mult, ALSO to the Pam's. This locks up everything. Plus, it now frees up the BSP's two sequencer channels to use on the modular via the CV/gate/velocity ports, AND you also have the onboard trigger sequencer if you want to make things (including the Pam's) behave in different rhythmic patterns, OR to feed these to some logic and set the Pam's patterns against them to generate more elaborate gating patterns.
Now that...that's a real solution, and one which opens up possibilities!
Well, to start with, if you're trying to implement something of a dual functionality, this is probably going to be too small. A better suggestion for a first rack is to start off too big, then pare the resulting mess down to the scale you're shooting for. Secondly, you probably should go back and examine iconic synths of both types. For example, if you examine a Buchla Music Easel, then compare and contrast that with a Minimoog, you're going to notice the similarities and differences much better than trying to keep track of "school of thought A" versus "school of thought B". That's simply too abstract, especially at the points where those two directions overlap (such as sequencing).
Yes, it's a costly purchase. Which is why you need to put some hard work and forethought into this, rather than simply trying to dash off a final result in the first try (which never, EVER works!). It's also something you're apt to be living and working with for at least a decade, given both the cost and the capabilities of a well-thought-out modular. It might seem like this is an easy off-the-rack sort of purchase decision...but it's actually anything but that. You should even be considering whether or not a modular synthesizer is even necessary; generally, those who make the best use of them are musicians who've exhausted the majority of other synthesis paradigms and who need the open architecture in order to keep pace with what's in their imaginations. It isn't a "you gotta have one!!!"-sort of device; thinking that way about building a system and then purchasing the result will likely end with your system up on Reverb or eBay in a year's time or so.
So, instead of buying a pile of trouble...take the time to research, consider, and rethink, and then do all of that again and again. Lather, rinse, repeat. Eventually you'll arrive at something that you really know is what you should buy, instead of trying to get permission for blowing money from others.
The Rainmaker is a very elaborate device: 16 taps, for starters. Each tap then has its own filter and also a granular pitch shifter, and then things start getting VERY crazy. Plus, it has a comb resonator with from 2 to 64 taps, which actually gives you one more voice in that you can use the comb resonator for Karplus-Strong "plucked string" modelling...or just use it as a tunable digital resonator which then can provide something like the Rings (which would then mean you could remove that too...more room!). Compared to the Strymon...well, it blows that out of the water, pretty much. The DLD, however, is not so much a delay as it is a dual looper...a delay with a buffer that loops, times two. The Rainmaker doesn't exactly do that, but it has a buffer "freeze" function, like the old one-shot delay/samplers of the early-mid 1980s, with control over buffer playback direction. If I were to sort of look at this simply, though...the DLD is a looper, the Magneto is a delay, and the Rainmaker is a time-domain instrument. More elaborate, ultimately, for only $40 more than the Strymon.
The reason for using the Mutant Brain lies in the fact that you have the same amount of CV/gate pairs as the Yarns...AND eight more gate outs, which means you can assign (via MIDI Sysex) those to other gates, clocks, etc whatever, as long as its a 0-+5 gate/trigger output. This then allows you to run all four voices and the clock...and more besides...as opposed to the Yarns, where you only have that set of four paired CV/gates. The drawback is in not having the internal control the Yarns has, but only up to a point. Consider: if you can alter the MB with sysex, and reconfigure it on the fly, you can load sysex messages from the Digitakt that can alter the MB's gate/trigger allocations/parameters as needed, or from a computer connected through the Digitakt. In short, it's actually got a feature set that lends itself more to a clock-driven system such as this.
If this is an 88 hp x 2 cab, I'm assuming it's an Arturia Rackbrute. And if I'm right...you have a very sizable problem here that renders this entire build pointless: no power supply. Remove everything, start over...as the power supply should ALWAYS be the first module you drop in. Its position determines where modules that are audio-critical go, given that the safe rule of thumb says you should always keep audio-only modules away from the P/S.
Secondly, if this is a first build attempt, then start with a cab that is too big, and reduce the module plan downward. You've already encountered the "why" behind this...too many modules in your head, too little space in the build. Go bigger, dump in EVERYTHING, then work backwards. Delete things, find smaller options, etc. By doing this, you'll start to see patterns of necessary module combos emerging from subsequent efforts. And note that there: "efforts". No one ever gets a build right on attempt #1. No one. If you're going to do this right, remember: this is your chance to make all of the mistakes for free because if you make mistakes with the hardware, it'll literally cost you. Calm down, slow down, and get used to the idea that, in order to get things 100% spot-on when it's time to whip out the plastic, you will spend a lot of time on Modulargrid working out what works.
Remember, this works like any other musical venture...and all of those need practice. You don't start off playing Beethoven's "Hammerklavier" sonata...that's where you get to eventually, after working up to it. Creating an effective build that you'll want to use as a primary instrument for, potentially, decades requires the same degree of practice.
"Why would anyone drop one of these into a typical build where you might only have 1000 mA to play with on the +12v rail..." is what I said. Not that there's 1A present in draw per se, but typical cases, on average, tend to have about that on the +12 V rail.
But my argument still stands. Go back, and you'll notice that I mention that these have inrush current issues. This means that for a fraction of a second on power-up, the AIRA and 1M modules draw more than their given rating. So when running, sure, a couple of AIRAs pull 900 mA, just as rated. But during that inrush, the current draw is significantly MORE. Now, add that momentary overage to any other draws and/or inrush issues other modules may have, and you might only have about 1 second to use your build before the P/S pops. Not very useful. So my suggestion still is that, if these things have their own cases and power supplies, use them. It frees up space for modules that don't have that convenience...and also for modules that don't suck current that hard and aren't that huge. Case in point: the Roland AIRA Bitrazer. This fits in 21 hp, draws 450 mA on the +12V rail, and consists of a bitcrusher and a VCF and goes for $300 (albeit not now, since it's discontinued). Now, compare that with a high-end Eurorack bitcrusher + timbral modifier; we're going to use the Harvestman's Malgorithm mkII.
With the Malgorithm mkII, you pay $31 more. But it fits in 10 hp and instead of a filter on the output (filters are pretty ubiquitous in modular builds anyway) it provides a digital waveshaper for timbral changes, in four stages. The sample reduction can also work in a "foldover" mode which causes "...a foldover of input frequencies exceeding one-half of the sampling frequency (the Nyquist limit). This sounds like a strange combination of filtering and ring modulation, with bidirectional foldover (forward from zero Hertz) occurring at extreme settings." And last but certainly not least, this more-elaborate and smaller bitcrusher's current draws come in at 140 mA on the +12, 20 mA on the -12.
And this gets back to my other point, that Roland jumped in on Eurorack before figuring out how to Eurorack. The AIRA modules were something of an embarassment for them, because they built something that didn't fit the accepted format. They had odd panel sizes, which were not as common when the AIRAs came out, they had that beastly current draw (which indicates some pretty inefficient design; note that the Malgorithm mkII is just as much, if not more, a digital module as is the Bitrazer), and people didn't adopt them because of some of the "surprises" such as the inrush issue, etc. You'll notice that, after that fiasco, when it came time to start doing the 500 series...they turned to Malekko to design and build these for Roland, which is about as clear of a "we screwed up!" admission as you're apt to get out of Roland. Seriously, just leave these stompboxes-posing-as-Eurorack-modules in their own housings, leave the 1M in its own housing where it should go or, better still, rackmount it by a main patchbay where you can throw a lot of different signals at it, and use the Eurorack cab space for modules that get what modular synthesis does right.
Several things here...first, if something's already in a housing, leave it there. Eurorack cab space, when you start figuring it up, is actually pretty spendy and needs to be dedicated to things that must be in there.
Second, Clouds is discontinued. Has been for quite some time. So unless you have one, you need to use a 3rd-party version or source a used one.
The problem with the Moog and BSP is quite real. The BSP only outputs 0-10 V, while the M32's VCO CV in wants to see +/- 5V. And it's not possible to change either one to make them play nicely with each other. Really, a lot of the blame here rests on Moog for using that not-so-compatible CV; it's sort of their 21st century "answer" to their wack S-Trig incompatibility from their early days. I suppose that now that they decided to do positive gate/triggers at last, they felt compelled to screw up on the pitch CVs. However, if you insist on having the M32 in your build, Erica has their PICO MScale module which provides bidirectional rescaling between Moog and everything else in just 3 hp.
Lastly, modulation source of what sort? There's not that much here to go on to figure out an apparent need.
Well...it's not exactly an SH-101 soundwise...the filter is very different, since the 101 had a "sort-of" 4-pole LPF, and the Atlantis is more of a "proper" 4-pole, albeit a multimode, plus it has that "boost" circuit. I'm actually shocked and amazed to say this...but if the SH-101 sound is what you need, that new Behringer clone actually nails the sound. I've been checking some of the NAMM videos of that, and it sounds exactly as I recall mine sounding...that same little bit of distortion in the suboctaves, the odd filter response nonlinearities as you open up either the cutoff or resonance, and so on. Plus it has the FM mod that a bunch of people added, and a much better sequencer. If that's the sound that appeals to you, it might make more sense to go there...plus you get a sequencer (with memories), arpeggiator, keyboard controller, and external main clock as well. And it's cheaper, and frees up 40 hp in the process.
Yeah...me, recommending Behringer. Asteroid impact in 5... 4... 3.........
But the other reason for doing that is a very different thing from Intellijel: the Rainmaker. Common to the Berlin school, ambient (especially ambient dub), IDM, and generative is the need for a versatile and complex delay. The Rainmaker isn't small...but it has the power and flexibility needed to straddle all of those genres. At 36 hp, if you removed the Atlantis for one of the Behringer 101 clones, you'd then regain 4 hp from the Atlantis being removed and replaced.
No, continue using the Digitakt...but considering the 101 idea, here's a plan of how that can work:
Digitakt: master sequencer and master clock. Drives Hexinverter Mutant Brain to derive 4 CV/gate pairs for modular + clock out.
Pam's: trigger sequences, drive from Digitakt clock via Mutant Brain.
101: Digitakt clock (via Mutant Brain) drives 101 clock via EXT CLK IN or Pam's drives the same with a trigger pattern. Manually play kybd for live arpeggiation or bring in extra sequencer line for live counterpoint against Digitakt's patterns.
This way, everything locks up to the same clock source, with an interesting option on how to clock/step that manual arpeggiator and/or extra monosynth line.
The other nice thing about the Expert Sleepers stuff is that you have a range of expanders, which allows you to configure their interfaces with extra CV/gate outputs as needed. But another option you might consider is not using the Varigate 4+, and instead putting in a Squarp Hermod, which offers a MIDI interface, 8-track sequencer, clocking, and plenty of I/O. By doing that, you then flip the equation around so that it controls the M32 (with a lot more capability than the M32's own sequencer) as well as quite a bit more in the build, with no need to kludge up some sort of interfacing between the M32 and the rest of the rig just to get all of the modules talking to each other properly.
It's good...but don't neglect some of the other (sometimes smaller, cheaper) performance mixers out there, such as Qu-bit's Mixology, Toppobrillo's Stereomix, KOMA's Poltergeist (quad!), Strange Science's M-4, Xaoc's Praga, ADDAC's 807 system, and Doepfer's A-138 system and its options. Definitely weigh the size vs function options here; if you're working out a smaller build, you might find that going with a similarly-featured 4-in mixer may be a better choice.
I absolutely suggest that you DO NOT do this! The Arturia Rackbrute P/S has a capacity of 1500 mA on its +12V rail. Each AIRA module has a draw of 450 mA under normal operation, and a momentary higher draw on power-up due to inrush factors. And the System-1m has a draw of 800 mA! Plug in two AIRAs and a 1m, or all of your AIRAs at the same time, and you're running a very real risk of trashing the Arturia P/S!
The power draws of the AIRA modules are one of the big reasons they never got much traction with the Eurorack community. Why would anyone drop one of these into a typical build where you might only have 1000 mA to play with on the +12v rail, where a typical Eurorack module has a draw closer to maybe 40-50 mA. One AIRA module would equal the draw of perhaps ten or so normal Eurorack modules!
Leave these things in their cases and on their own power supplies where they belong. And this should be a lesson: just because something fits in a Eurorack cab does not mean it belongs in one. Also, size isn't the only important thing in modular synths...current draw is perhaps as, if not more, important, because if you pop your power supply and it doesn't simply stop working altogether, you might get all sorts of electrical havoc for a fraction of a second that could spell the end of your entire system.
That's what it means, yep. In fact, what you see there is a lot of VCAs, not just the channel levels. The panning is under VCA control, as are your two AUX bus levels. Note, also, that you can sum before the VCAs on the mono strips by using the A+B to mix two incoming audio signals at a unity level. And while the mutes and master don't have VCA automation per se, it's easy enough to 1) send a gate to the VCA per strip and switch the gate on and off for muting, and 2) you can insert a stereo VCA into the main bus insert point and then put the stereo master level under VCA automation that way. Quite an intricate little device...
Any basic mult should work. You're not sending the CV to a bunch of different locations, so there's no worry of a voltage sag and no need for a buffered mult. I'd suggest using some inline mults; save your cab's room for actual functionality.
Well, several things come to mind. First up, is MIDI necessary here? If the idea is to mainly drive this with a Dark Time, you're better off connecting it via CV/gate to the modular and losing the A-190-4. Also keep in mind that the Dark Time, if I remember correctly, contains pretty much the same MIDI-CV converter, making the module redundant. Second, there are far better alternatives to that A-145 LFO that offer CV control...or even more LFOs...in about the same sort of space.
VCOs...OK, let's say you want to run the Dark Time in 2 x 8 mode. Now, having just one VCO is passable, but really you want two VCOs so that you can use techniques such as detuning, oscillator sync, and the like. So with two different lines at once, what you'll want is four VCOs...which might sound like a huge space-hog, but there are quad and/or dual VCOs out there that will give you what's really needed there in a decent amount of hp. In fact, a pair of Klavis Dual VCOs would do the trick and give you quantizing for your sequencer CVs all at the same time. After that, you'll need a mixer to sum your VCOs down; if you want full duophonic performance, you need a dual mixer to sum each pair separately, but if you're OK with feeding the two parts through the same filter (usually referred to as "paraphonic" voicing), one that can handle four inputs summed to one is just fine.
Filter choices aren't bad...the Wasp clone will have that dirty sound that the original was known for, and the SEM filter is sort of a clone of the original Oberheim state-variable. However, having just one envelope gen is a problem; with two different VCFs, you'll enjoy having a different envelope for each, so that the timbre can "morph" in a sense as EG 1 gives way to EG 2. But even with a single VCF, you'll still need more EGs because you'll certainly want different envelope curves for your VCF(s) and VCA(s).
Noise/random gen: good. But you'll want some sort of sample-and-hold module to make even better use of this, by 'freezing' random values as discrete CV levels to use elsewhere. If you go back to the middle part of ELP's "Karn Evil 9, Impression 1", that bubbling-on-one-pitch sound is done that way, by feeding a sample-and-hold to the filter that's in the patch. S&Hs have a lot of uses, and are very much as bread-and-butter module. You can also clock this via the Dark Time's clock, which would then sync up these randomized changes with your sequence timing.
Multiples: not in this. This build is too small; even a 2 hp mult will be better left out in order to make that 2 hp space available for some active functionality. Instead, use inline mult "widgets" that several manufacturers have available.
Lastly, the end of the chain. While the Quad VCA is a great choice for both mixing and enveloping the VCFs' outputs, plus leaving a couple of VCAs handy for altering CV/modulation levels (which is another reason for having more LFOs and EGs), that shouldn't be your final module. The output level will still be at synth levels, and optimally should be backed down to proper line level before leaving the cab. Also, you're missing any sort of reverb, etc at the end, post-VCA...this was a huge part of why the ARP 2600, as one example, sounded as cool as it did. No room for a proper spring here, so a spring emulator like the Purrtronics Purrvrrb would be ideal, as it's small, PLUS it's a mono-in, stereo-out device, giving you a nice, wide stereo image. Couple that with a stereo balanced out with a level control such as Happy Nerding's Isolator (which also has transformer balancing and isolation, helping to avoid noise issues, ground loops, and other annoyances), and there you are.
That altogether would be a lot more solid...and still, if done carefully, will fit just fine in the space you've allocated.
Nah, keep the Plaits...you've got it plus the Shapeshifter in this cab, and that gives you loads of digital sourcing. QCD + expander, definitely...loads of timing control potential with that. As for the Doepfer A-106-1, here's a sick and twisted idea: use its resonance insert, put the Chronoblob in it. Then take the Chronoblob's feedback insert and drop something in THAT...filter, some other processor, etc. That's what's fun about that thing, aside of the MS-20-type filter architecture. You could even set up feedback loops going back and forth from the Doepfer to the Chronoblob, and back again. Plenty of ambient drone/texture possibilities there.
Delay...here's an idea, albeit a bit spendy: Verbos's Multi-delay. Note the presence of envelope followers on each delay tap, which opens up a lot of strange amplitude-control possibilities elsewhere in the rig. And tap 8 has the reverb/octave shift on it, which has "ambient" written all over it. Same size as the Magneto, too.
Smart move with the Stages, btw...two is very much better than one there!
My take on the 4 hp and down world is that, when they have a function you need and space is limited, they're a blessing. Take Erica's mixer modules, for example; that would be about as small as I would think could work as a simple mixer. But when you start getting into shrunk-down versions of modules that have major functionality in their full-sized versions, I'm a lot more skeptical. For example, 2hp is great for things like their dual VCA, as you don't adjust a VCA all that much, and there's nothing complicated there: in, out, modulation. But I wouldn't consider their version of the Turing Machine to be a contender against a fully-blown Turing Machine, as there's a lot missing that really makes that module (module group, in truth) what it is. Small also works as "hole-fillers"...need an extra basic VCO to mix against a bigger, more featured one? Sure, drop in an Erica PICO if you've got 3 hp to spare. But I'd never use one as a primary VCO unless I was building something in the size of a single Moog 60 hp skiff or smaller.
And then there's manufacturers that specialize in small, aside of 2hp of course; one that comes to mind is Ladik. Ladik has things that fit in 4 hp that really don't exist anywhere else. In such cases, those ARE your primaries, and there's nothing wrong with using them to get that extra bit of functionality. One just ignores the fact that it's in a small footprint. One other one that comes to mind, also, is Konstant Labs' 1 hp power checker; if your cab has no power rail indicators and you do happen to have an extra 1 hp free, then I'd call that a "must-get". Slip it in on a row end, and you get valuable rail voltage info...again, tiny as hell, but tiny works in this case.
Otherwise, yes...if we're talking about something that needs a lot of interaction, like a VCF, then small probably isn't the way to go. But again, different builds and/or different users call for different things, and there's not really a hard and fast rule about size. If you've got Trump hands, then PICO might be the way to go!
That works, too...technically, you could take all VCF outs and send them to differing processing, then into separate VCAs controlled by different modulation signals, with the result being a constantly morphing sound (if you use LFOs) or a sound that changes across its duration (by using differently-set EGs from the same gate source).
If you're using a Minibrute 2S, why not use the Rackbrute cases? The 6U one comes with power, plus its stand connects to the 2S's frame to provide a fold-up portable situation. You can also, later on, connect two Rackbrute cases to each other in the same manner. Given that you'd get a lot more bang for your buck with these (as they have power + distros already installed, plus they're bigger), those would seem a lot more sensible.
Absolutely. This is one of the nice things about multiple outputs...you can use them + an audio mixer to tailor not only the filter's sound, but there's some response tricks that're possible as well. Some of what's possible will depend on the filter in question, of course.
Actually, that sequencer complement isn't all that different from what I presently have (2 x BSP, SQ-1 [for my own MS-20], Keystep) in addition to the various incorporated ones in other synths. And yes, they all play very nicely with each other. My plan for later this year is to cap this off with a Koma Komplex and use that as a 'hub' for all of the other hardware sequencers + direct interfacing with my modular. This'll then free up a BSP to use as a drum sequencer for an ancient MXR Drum Computer which has a blown sequencer but which recently received a trigger-in 'fan' for this exact purpose.
VCOs aren't the whole problem with how VCOs sound, btw. Very pure VCOs tend to sound rather meh, so by putting some things inline with them that introduce some nonlinearities, you can beef their sound. Also, just one VCO is probably two fewer than you need, because you want some slight detunings and waveform nonsynchrony to get a more interesting sound. The whole key to the Minimoog sound is, in fact, these two things; not only do the VCOs have a tendency to drift slightly even when warmed up, the Minimoog also contains the guts of the CP3 mixer for mixing these...and the CP3 isn't a very clean mixer, but it's not clean in a musical sort of way, if that makes sense. Feed that on to the classic LPF on there, and that's "that sound".
As for effects...unless you want something non-replicated in outboard (such as Intellijel's Rainmaker), my suggestion would be to grab some cheap outboard devices and a 1/4" patchbay for them, then have fun routing all sorts of processing cascades, insert loops, etc.
The Stillson Hammer mkII can definitely function effectively as a master clock. It even has a direct clock out with no division/multiplication as a normalized patchpoint. Given that, you could easily run a trigger sequencer such as a Four Bricks Rook, Circadian Rhythms, Knit Rider, etc from that to provide various rhythm patterns in sync to pass on to the MS-20, Juno, etc, plus most any sort of clock modulation module will work nicely for clock maths.
First up, the sequencer. If you're trying to do heavily-sequenced pattern-based stuff (Berlin school-ish), that little 8-stepper won't cut it. You need something that you can directly work with while it's in action, like how Chris Franke would literally play his banks of Moog 960s. I'd suggest something that internally quantizes, also. My inclination would be toward The Harvestman's Stillson Hammer mk II, but with that 8-step and some other trigger sequencing to increase the possible complexity by crosspatching them with the SHmkII. This wouldn't bring the MS20 into the mix, though.
Another possibility would be to go outboard, which is what I do with a pair of Arturia Beatstep Pros and a Keystep at present. This would then open your system up to some external control. The most extreme thing of this sort that comes to mind immediately would be the Koma Komplex. It's worth noting that the BSPs as well as the Komplex can be programmed to deal with the Korg's Hz/V scaling and inverse triggering...the BSPs require this be done in their PC software utility, while the Koma can be changed directly. Plus, if you use a Keystep or any other USB controller, Expert Sleepers' FH-2 can function in MIDI Host mode over USB, so those can be plugged directly into the modular there.
As for the Juno...that's more problematic. I assume you know that this requires either one of Roland's DCB-MIDI adapters or the JSQ-60 sequencer to link it in for pitches. However, you can send a clock pulse to the external trigger input to sync the arpeggiator, which would be a much simpler fix than hunting down esoteric Roland accessories and allow you to 'play' the arpeggiator as another sequencer channel.
As far as clocking goes, any modular trigger pulse will work on everything BUT the MS20. In that case, you need something like The Harvestman's English Tear, which is a bidirectional converter for Euro MS-20 signals. With that, though, you can then run the MS-20 alongside anything in the modular and it'll respond properly to Eurorack CV/gate/trig signals.
You need the VCA. That, in fact, is exactly why they exist. For audio, use an exponential so that the response behavior works in line with what we psychoacoustically expect as a "loudness curve". Or better still, plan ahead by adding something like an Intellijel Quad VCA, which not only gives you four to work with, but tailorable response curves as well, plus mixing capabilities. As your system grows, you WILL need more VCAs, both for audio as well as linear ones that're DC-coupled (which the Quad VCA ones are) for CV/modulation level control.
Also, if the VCO and EG are all you have at present, you're going to need a VCF so that you can use the EG to also vary the timbre. One I'd suggest as a great starter would be TipTop's Forbidden Planet, which is a clone of the Steiner Synthacon multimode VCF...and I can tell you from experience with the actual thing that that's a VCF with character for days. Plus, for what it is, it's quite cost and space-effective.
If it were me working on a build this small, I'd never put a mult module in. You need to pack function into that 4 hp (which is too big anyway), not just a jackfield. Use inline mults instead, and pull the mult to get those hp back. And then, you can implement what Ronin's talking about with a couple of 2hp's modules...filter (of whatever type looks tasty) and their dual linear VCA so you can have those to mess with CV/modulation levels.
Better still, scrap the idea of putting this into a 3U x 104 cab and go with a 6U or perhaps even a 7U instead. That way, you'd have ample room to meaningfully expand around some of the honkin' big modules that're in this build.
Have a look at this, particularly beginning on Page 31. Look familiar? Yep...3U Eurorack format, albeit with the lower fastener being taken up by a drop-in lipped rail instead of screw-in attachment points. These are rather fascinating, as they're part of a series of desks which would also allow for ample space for controllers, external effects, etc. And they can be stacked on vertical rails incorporated into said desks. Depth is 91 mm, plus you'll notice there's internal rails that can be used for attaching power supplies, distros, etc.
So...are you ready for 385 hp? Mind you, I'm betting they're not exactly bargain priced...but the possibilities for those looking to create genuinely MASSIVE builds do seem to point right there. If anyone can locate pricing data on these and their related components, do please post it.
Well, first we'd have to overcome an inherent flaw with some manufacturers' "official" listings. It seems as if once a module has been listed in such a way, the listing gets abandoned by the manufacturer. This leads to things such as the continuing confusion over modules such as Clouds, etc. If there was a way to allow at least mods to make suitable adjustments like this, it might help somewhat...but in truth, the manufacturers need to be more diligent about listing updates, also. Given the "reference standard" that ModularGrid has become over the years, making sure your listings are constantly updated seems like a prime idea.
Yeah, with Noise Reap being a small operation like it is, some things will go in and out of production. Best thing I can suggest is to try and source used ones or check to see if they might go back into production again in the future...which is always possible.
Yep...if you're more inclined toward "nasty", sound-wise, the Mysteron's the one to keep, to be sure. But there's another killer VCO you'll need to look at: cheap, small, and capable of some really crazed self-mod jazz, and that's Noise Reap's uBermuda. Just recommended them on another build for similar timbral reasons, in fact. A couple of those cost about the same as a typical big-name VCO, and for secondary audio sources (or even up front!), they're a bargain on $$ and hp. Cold Mac? Yeah, that actually makes some sense, but if you want some craziness to pair with it, ADDAC just dropped a very inexpensive device that might pair with it really well as a performance control: the 306 VC Transitions. Check that out. Combining the two of those would set up a very intricate CV morph capability that you can use to affect quite a bit, given what the Cold Mac's designed to do. And yes, the MakeNoise 7U case with the CV Bus is a truly nifty thing...that 1U row solves quite a bit of problems!
OK...one more shot here. I blew your budgeting all to hell, but I wanted to suggest what an instrument of the sort you were discussing could actually be. Here it is...
Now, you'll notice first off that the case is different. Instead of a Doepfer 84 single row, I went with an Intellijel 4U/104. This opened up a bit more space, plus added the Intellijel tile row for some extra functions, and it's fully-powered with Intellijel's excellent integrated supply/power bus. From left to right up there, you'll see your main clock, noise sources, a slew limiter, sample and hold (in the first tile alone, too!), a 4 x 64-step trigger sequencer for your drums as well as clock modulation/tinkering, a Quadratt which is your CV linear mixer/mult/inverter, then the line in/out which uses the Intellijel case's I/O jacks, already built in.
Bottom row, left to right again: the Permutations is a generative randomness sequencer based on the popular Turing Machine, sort of a 2nd-gen version of that. This provides loads of random and psuedorandom (at varying levels) CV possibilities. Next to this is a Toppobrillo Quantimator, a quantizer with scaling/tuning/chordal control via CVs, plus three outputs which can also be fed via an analog shift register, a sample-and-hold-type device which feeds CVs forward by a step on each clock pulse. These three outs are also your chord outputs, as well.
And with three outputs, you need three VCOs. I opted for the Noise Reap uBermuda here...very cost effective, plus they have a very crazed self-regen control that can drive the VCO waveforms into some really nasty shapes for lots of distortive harmonic fun. Audio mixer is next to these to sum your VCOs down.
The Delptronics LDB2 setup is next. This is a pair of modules (voices and CV expander) that offers analog sounds in the typical Roland 606/808-type family, with CV control over numerous parameters. Next is a pair of linear VCAs, to be used with CV/mod signals to control their levels. And for modulation, that's now fairly comprehensive: a Takaab triple LFO, Takaab CVable A/R envelope, and dual Doepfer ADSRs. Note the location, also...the Quadratt is directly above so that you can easily route your mod sources into it to combine them.
More Noise Reap...state-variable VCF with three frequency CVs, plus CVable resonance. Another audio mixer allows you to sum the outputs from this along with the mix out from the LDB2, if you choose. Right next to this is a switchable linear/exponential VCA with built-in AR envelope for your outgoing audio level control prior to the effects: 106 Chorus (again) which can stereoize your mono audio to feed direct to the uClouds SE for more processing, with the audio outputs directly above for convenience.
Yes, I know it's about $1500 more. However, this is the sort of thing you're actually pointing towards with the ideas you'd mentioned, so I thought you might like to see a reference of what this might entail. Oh, and as for the passive mults...there are none. In this tight a space, it's best to use inline mult widgets so you can maximize your active functions. And while there's buffering on the Quadratt output(s), there's no buffered mult because you won't be connecting CVs across so many modules that would cause voltage sag.
One other point is that if you're going to want all of those sound sources to track evenly on a single CV, you are definitely looking at adding a buffered mult in order to avoid CV voltage droop from trying to connect too many exponential converters to the same CV out. Going smaller means you've got room for one...even if it's just 2-3 hp, in a cab that small, space can get pretty dear pretty fast. As for passive mults...nah. If you're going smaller, like this, lay in a supply of in-line mult widgets instead. Jam as much function as you can get into the panel space; by using widgets, you get more functional space potential.
I hope that's not your actual module draw, because if it's that close to the rated maxes for the Doepfer PSU3, you're going to wreck that P/S. A sensible rule of thumb is to never exceed 2/3rds of the rated amperage per rail; this allows the P/S to run cooler, extending its life, and also reduces the likelihood that inrushes on power-up will momentarily exceed the P/S capacity. There's also a lot of other things not quite right here, but I'd like to know if you've pushed this build to a zone that's too close to P/S damage.
Well, problem #1 here seems to be that there's a lot of big footprints in a smaller-sized case. The Batumi addition is a better direction to go in, where you can have a lot of function in a much smaller hp count. As for this being "too heavy" on sources...hm...yes and no. Having plenty of VCOs is a good thing, however you make it fit. But having too many "showpiece" sources...not so much so. In this case, you've got three: the DPO, Cloud Terrarium, and Mysteron. The only "basic" VCO present is the STO...and this neglects the ability to have basic, boring, utilitarian VCOs as effective audio-frequency modulators, either as FM sources for other oscillators or as mixable audio sources to add to other oscillator signals with a bit of detuning and/or waveform difference to beef up basic sounds. This is something you might want to reconsider, perhaps losing the Mysteron in favor of a few very basic VCOs for those purposes.
Dynamix...no. You have a pair of proper vactrol LPGs in the Optomix already. What's needed are...yep...boring, dull, sleepy VCAs. Again, this goes toward sonic complexity. Dropping something like a Doepfer A-135-2 quad VCA into the Dynamix's space would then give you four DC-coupled linear VCAs which can then be used to process CVs, LFO and other modulation signals, as well as mixing these if desired. Yes, VCAs are boring. But they're also bread-and-butter devices when it comes to being able to create complex control paths.
Another glaring omission...and also boring stuff but necessary: mixers. I don't see any...and that's a crippling issue. You can't make really good use of all of those audio sources unless you also have the ability to mix some of them together. That last thing I suggest above, combining the STO output with some other source's...you actually don't have a good way to do that right now. Like VCAs, mixers are boring but 100% essential. You need ways to combine audio and CV/mod sources; the whole point of "synthesis" is to reach a sonic result by combining signals to create very complex and changing spectra. The DPO can do this...but that's the only thing here that can, and by leaving mixing out just for audio alone, you've hamstrung this build.
Some of your other module purchase ideas suggest the real problem, actually. There's always the temptation to go for the big-name, super-sexy modules...but if you do that, you're going to wind up totally screwed. Some of them are nice to have, but if you neglect the sleepy-looking parts like mixers, VCAs, envelope gens (only one in this...that's not going to cut it!) and on and on, you'll have a sexy-looking box that works like crap as a synth. Couple that with the space limits in your existing cab, and it doesn't surprise me at all that you've realized you're lacking flexibility. But to get that flexibility...big and sexy is not the answer. Spend some time looking at dull, boring things...consider how they might fit with your other modules, and which modules it might seem that can be removed in order to optimize the capabilties of the remaining ones. Those boring scut-worky modules are actually the key modules that make the pile of modules into a workable instrument...and without them, yep, you've got something expensive and lacking.
Yep...the Pam's is a rather different device, allowing for pattern programmability and loads of other tricks. It has major divide/multiply capabilities on clock rates, has Euclidean pattern sequencing and probabilistic skipping abilities (which fit great with your generative ideas), all sorts of internal swing and delay functions...aside of being a really excellent clock gen in of itself. It has everything you need (and more!) to wring every last bit of timing voodoo out of the Varigate, with plenty left for elsewhere in the build.
An oscilloscope has uses in the studio, to be sure...but visualizing waveforms is more of a 'toy' function, not essential. A good musician doesn't rely on whether a waveform looks suitably "textbook" or not, but instead they use their ears. Sometimes that which looks nice and "pure" doesn't have any musical use in a given situation. And yes, I do have an oscilloscope in my studio, but its main use for some time has been as an X-Y display for reading stereo phasing and diagnosing imaging problems, particularly below 200 Hz where there can be real detriments to the sound from misphased audio. I also use it to diagnose noise issues; at high gain levels, I can see any induced noise issues down at very low dB levels and this helps me diagnose noise sources and potential corrections.
Anyway, yeah, this looks great now...it'll be a good match with both the Odyssey and the M32, and if you get something such as TouellSkouarn Triglostek box, you can convert the 808's outgoing DINsync to a modular clock, letting you use the 808 as your master for pretty much the whole rig.
And if I might, I think I have the perfect solution for that open 6 hp: Feedback's 106 Chorus. An excellent addition to an ambient-focussed system, with mono in and stereo outs, based on the Juno-106 chorus circuit. Paired with the uBraids, that would nail the effect processing situation nicely!
One other thing, also...the Toolbox is a nice idea, but having just one oscillator really undertaxes it. Instead, jamming that space with 2hp modules would allow for three sources (VCOs, or a mix of VCOs and some of their other things like the Vowel or Pluck) and a 2hp Mix to sum that down to the MMF for a nice paraphonic-type voicing. Yes, a bit more spendy, but the capabilities would really jump up at that point. You could also drop the Z4000 and go with a couple of Ladik modules; a C-214 replaces the ADSR capability of the Z4000, then tossing in a C-041 adds two AD/AR envelopes that can also function as LFOs if they receive a constant pulse from the Toolbox.
It's pretty well thought out, actually...but there is one flaw: Clouds was discontinued some time back, and the best way to deal with that would be to get a third-party version, with Tall Dog's uClouds SE probably being your best bet on availability. This then opens up 10 hp, with a very good suggestion for 8 of those being a Pamela's NEW Workout. This would do quite a bit to address your clocking/pattern concerns, and it would play very nicely with the Varigate 4+. For the remaining 2 hp, given the sort of complex interconnection you're envisioning, I'd strongly suggest a regular multiple module of some sort...buffered isn't necessary, but making sure you can use this a few different ways is. SSSR has one which incorporates a switch to select either 2x4 or 1x8 modes, a function you might find useful.
As for the Intellijel line-in, yes, that'll work fine for incoming line-level audio, but you're going to need the corresponding Audio I/O 1u tile to make use of the cab's line-in and outputs. I would suggest removing the Pedal I/O tiles and the headphone tile so that that can fit, then consider removing the O'Tool and looking at Retro Mechanical Labs' GPI instead; not only would this restore the pedal I/O, but that module features two pedal interfaces, which would be a perfect complement to the Strymon pedals you have. These do require 3.5mm to 1/4" cables, but those are easily obtainable.
Actually, yeah, a couple of things come to mind. You might consider a VC Polarizer such as the Doepfer A-133 for changing envelope (and other) polarities in lock with other modulation. Might be very entertaining to have a filter envelope switching back and forth from positive to negative polarity in sequence, f'rinstance. Joranalogue's Dual Window Comparator is a nice fit with sequencing, also, allowing CVs above/below/in window to fire gates that can be used to add further complexity to sequencing. And a bit of Boolean Logic can work with that as well, turning things off and/or on depending on comparator vs clock states. And maybe one more filter, namely the Tiptop Forbidden Planet. The Steiner Synthacon had a wonderfully raucous filter, and this does a good job of nailing its feel in minimal hp.
Not 100% sold on the PanMix, tho...you only get CV over level on that. Have a look at the Toppobrillo Stereomix instead; the size is good, plus you have CV over level, pan, and FX send, and the 'Cue' function can be used as a second FX send, which would work well with a Happy Nerding OUT to mix that second FX return back into your stereo out. Only four ins, but adding a small submixer (if needed) would fix much of that.
Precisely, Ronin...some of the best work I've done started with simple patch-noodling. I'd hit a sound that suggested something, work toward that something, then something else gets into that and I head that direction. This then says "add these", and the compositional process is off and running. There does seem to be a certain set of synths that this is more prone to happening with, though; certainly my modular setup, but also my JP-6, CS-80, Wave 2.3 (when I had that) and MS-20 are all ones that've played a key role in several pieces apiece. When you have ALL the sonic variables at hand, so it seems, this method works well...perhaps not so much with the single-data-entry ones.
A better suggestion, from my long experience with amateur radio and dealing with hefty-amperage DC that it calls for coupled with quick, goof-proof, and sturdy gear requisites, would be to look at something we use called Anderson PowerPoles. Anderson Power Products sells direct via https://www.andersonpower.com/us/en.html , although their online catalog is rather new and lacks a lot of images. You can, however, have a better look at these and at tools for using them via DX Engineering: https://www.dxengineering.com/search/brand/anderson-power-products?autoview=SKU These provide DC connectivity that's sturdy, nearly-foolproof, and very beefy...way beyond normal Eurorack spec hardware, which is very much a good thing. While DX Engineering tends to offer only the inline versions, Anderson should also have some bulkhead versions available that would function nicely on a Eurorack panel. Plus, they come in color-coded sleeves, so you can easily use red for your +, black for -, and put your ground on a green connection for super-easy ID.
Honestly, these are THE way to deal with DC...very rugged, field-tested, and no possible way to confuse connections. I wish they were the standard in Eurorack.
Nothing new about this...the ARP 2600 shipped with several "dummy plugs" back in the day, which were open-circuit 3.5mm plugs without cabling, so that you could use those to completely "break" a prepatched routing, such as the CV sends to the VCOs and VCF. I keep several such 'open' plugs handy for similar uses. Best/easiest way to do these is to just get a few Switchcraft 740s and just use them right out of the bag, without attaching anything to the solder lugs.
FYI, that 1U row won't work. Intellijel uses a different 1U row spacing than the norm, so it's not possible to put both formats of 1U in the same tile row. However, if you stick with the original format, there's not only a larger pool of modules available, but Plum Audio has 1U versions of the Ornament and Crimes and Temps Utile, which are super-powerful multi-type control modules that would blow your build's functionality wide open.
Usually I have a fairly good idea of what a given patch needs to be. But then, I've been doing this a while.
Probably the best way to proceed is to start with a very simple signal chain: VCO -> VCF -> mixer. When you arrive at something that seems to suggest "add x" or "tweak y", then do so. Lather, rinse, repeat. As this process continues, you'll notice that the core sound you'd started with has grown in complexity, as has the patch itself. And while that sounds pretty simplistic, it does work; this is how I was taught to patch on my undergrad school's ARP 2600, more or less. Feed a VCO to the VCF, turn up the VCF's direct out, then start screwing around with that basic path by degrees. The other benefit of proceeding this way is that you get a really good overview of what the various modules can do, how you can make them behave in ways that work for you, and so on. Over time, you wind up with a really good mental picture of the synth, and you can patch pretty rapidly...and then going beyond that, you'll notice that you can structure the basics of a given patch in your head, before even picking up the first patchcord.
Takes time, though...like any other musical instrument, fluency implies practice.
Star grounding is perhaps the best solution for persistent noise problems, IMHO. This consists of running separate grounding wires from your various chassis grounds (on a Eurorack, just attaching the wire to a front panel screw should suffice) and running them to a central ground point, usually on the mixing console. This has the effect of creating a single, unified groundplane across all of your gear, and this quite often is a suitable fix for noise and garbage signals lurking in other subsystems within your studio or rig. Note that it's not 100% necessary to run individual wires from each device; for example, if you have a rack of processors mounted on metal rackrails, attaching a single wire from one of the mounting screws to your grounding point is sufficient. The key is to unify all of your chassis grounds, which gets any electronic garbage to drain off to a single point which is designed for that purpose. If you check the backplane of your Crest desk, you should see a ground-post on there...that's where everything should be wired to to make this work.
Are all of these devices being fed from the same AC source? Also, have you investigated a star-ground of your various devices to the mixer? A third question would be whether or not you have any excessive RF fields where you're working, as these can also bleed into power circuits and cause various degrees of mayhem.
Should be OK for now, but the best option is always to get some sort of output module, especially with proper isolated balanced outs. As for a basic input preamp with envelope follower, the trusty Doepfer A-119 has been the go-to for a long time now. There are certainly others, but Dieter's module is time-tested and pretty cost-effective.
Had to click on it, but did have a look...yeah, that's getting better. If you can get the Noise Reap stuff, it's likely worth it...typically, the Bermuda has a 'dirtier' audio profile, so that will add some bite to the bass. But if you can do two of them, that's even better, because mixing together a pair of very slightly detuned VCOs sounds quite huge when compared to just a single VCO by itself. And driving those into self-oscillation (which is the Bermuda's 'special trick') the waveforms get even crazier, which is something you can tweak live to good effect, not unlike screwing with the resonance on a TB-303 to get it to do the trademarked "acid squelch". But this would be more distortional and crazy...a very nasty, overdriven sound which you could really work in the bass ranges. Hopefully they'll be available, and given the size, not at all a difficult thing to ship from Portland, OR to the UK.
That's a helluva smart use of a really tiny space! Given what it'll be interfacing with, that should add a lot of bang to your rig. The Peaks is discontinued, so if that's a priority you'll have to source a used one or find a third-party version in 8 hp...but also, you might consider putting a Doepfer A-140-2 MicroADSR in instead to give you two envelopes, but with individual controls per each. Doepfer's got a few other 8 hp modulation source solutions, as well, like a VCS (the A-171-2), quad decay (schmitt trigger, basically), a quad ADSR (with a few control compromises, but still very viable) and the like.
You've just been lucky...inasmuch as the Morgasmatron has that input gain control and the passive mixer attenuated the output signal. Here's what happens when you feed line-level directly into a modular without a input preamp or some other sort of gain control...line level is actually extremely low when compared to synth levels. Typical line levels are .775V (-10) or 1.2V (+4) (although the actual peak-to-peak levels are different due to a bunch of impedence matching, math, and other forms of voodoo), whereas synth audio signals within a modular system can run at 8 to 10V peak-to-peak. So, without some sort of input preamp, the incoming line level signal is going to be far lower in amplitude than everything else going on.
Now, feeding a line level input with a synth directly...that's a little bit different. The most likely thing you'll run into is a majorly overloaded input on your line input device. Some devices, though, actually have enough headroom to deal with the higher synth levels and you can just attenuate as needed on those. But every once in a while, you'll run into something that really DOES NOT like anything too much hotter than a professional +4 dB line signal. Depending on what that device might be, you'll get a result ranging from massive distorted overloading to component-go-POP, which isn't fun. These days, there's not many things out there that can go pop when overloaded, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Case in point: we were running a guitar through an overdrive into my Biamp MR/140 spring on a session many years ago. Sounded AWESOME...for a couple of minutes. Then it didn't sound like anything. Turned out the spring transducer couldn't handle that much drive and it gave out, and that was that until I could get it serviced.
So, yeah...the best thing to do is to be ready for incoming and outgoing line levels by having some sort of input preamp (preferably with an envelope follower...very useful combo) for line-level inputs, and output modules (preferably with isolation and balanced line outs to quash possible noise/hum issues before they start) to step your synth level signals down to where they belong.
Modulatable buffered mults? Sure....look around for "adders", which is pretty much a buffered mult that can take other CVs in to create a composite CV signal. Tubbutec makes a 2 hp module called the Sumtiple, and it offers a three-input adder normalized to a 3 (technically 4) output buffered mult. Sounds like the very thing you're looking for.
Erbeverb's a good idea, yep...but I do see a problem with that Metropolis + Shifty call. For instance, you really need to have four signal sources to send the shift registers in the Shifty to, otherwise you're spending about $190 on something you won't get the full use of. And given that the Metropolis is pretty much a monophonic sequencer (albeit a very good one), that alone won't address the possible multiple voice use. Better idea: The Harvestman's Stillson Hammer mkII. This gives you four channels of easily-usable sequencing, plus per-channel quantization and a whole pile of other features for less than the cost of the Metropolis + Shifty combined. Plus, you get 8 hp back for some other use in the bargain!
