Either that, or maybe Lurch is giving up the harpsichord and going modular.
Hmmm...this IS weird. The listing is apparently from 4ms themselves, as it has their manufacturer lock on it and shows it as available, but 4ms's site doesn't list it, nor do my usual 'go-to' retailers.
My suggestion: Ladik's A-545 input and A-540 output. 2 hp more, but it splits up your input and output for a bit better cable routing, and has pretty much the same functionality. The Happy Nerding Isolator (also 4 hp) might also be suitable for the output module as well.
KICK ASS!!! for September 2018
...in which I rummage through the latest offerings in the perpetual deluge of Eurorack modules to pick out a few things that you, the reader, might find useful. Let's do this...
1) Patching Panda shuby: These guys again...and this time, they've tossed out a really neat noisemaker for the chiptune/noise crowd. This module reminds me of a controllable, repeatable version of what you'd get with an old Atari 2600 game console when you'd crash it, sometimes resulting in weird screen glitches and various flavors of sonic racket ranging from odd square-wave tone combinations to grinding sheets of noise. Of course, this version is minus the video mayhem, but sonically, it gets you into that pocket. $118-ish, 4 hp.
2) Vinicius Elektrik OverFolder: Who couldn't use a wavefolder? Better still, who couldn't use a wavefolder with loads of CV parameters over the various folding functions? The OverFolder is a five-stage circuit that allows a second wavefold over the initial fold, resulting in some really interesting results that normally would require two entire typical wavefolder modules. And you get CV over that, the initial fold, and the wave symmetry, all allowing lots of CV-driven timbral capability. $179, 6 hp.
3) Tiptop Audio Forbidden Planet: I've always had a real soft spot for the Steiner Synthacon filter. It has all sorts of behavioral quirks that lend themselves to a wide variety of uses, everything from stonkin' fat basses to ear-splintering Merzbow-style screeches, and a wide latitude of choices in between. Nyle did this thing right...and Tiptop does it here for the low, low price of $120. It's the classic architecture...three different inputs, internal gain + resonance...yeah! You ought to be able to find 8 hp to jam one of these babies in...you won't regret it!
4) Majella Audio VVCA: On first glance, pretty simple stuff: two linear, DC-coupled VCAs. Then you notice that second CV input on each one, labelled VEL. Yep...two CVs, one for the usual control signal, but a second for an additional modulator! And you don't have to use a velocity signal, either; any secondary modulation signal is fair game here. Very smart idea, this; those looking for more expressivity in a performance-type modular really need a look-see at this. About $78, 4 hp.
5) VOID Modular M+Mixer: I like that this is a six-input mixer. I also really like the extra inverted output. But I really like the mute system. Yeah...each input has a pushbutton mute control! This is another one for the live performance set, but really, anyone should be able to make use of something like this. It's a really smart, simple and cost-effective (yeah, even with the mutes) idea that pretty much anyone looking for a compact DC-coupled mixer ought to jump on. $80, 8 hp.
6) Konstant Lab PWR Checker: When these guys say that this is “...the most useful 1HP panel”, they aren't lying! Three LEDs monitor your power rails; if these dim, you're undervoltage, and if they go off, you're either beyond 1V under or the rail in question has dropped power altogether. THIS IS USEFUL! If your build has 1 hp free and you have no front-panel power rail indicators, you need this. Period! And at $21, it's a no-brainer of epic proportions!
7) Tokyo Tape Music Center Dual Square Wave Generator Model 144: After Catalyst's reissue of some of the core Buchla 100 modules a while back, I figured that there might be more popping up in this direction. And sure enough, here we are...Tokyo Tape Music Center not only offers the same five 100-series modules as Catalyst, but this one as well, the 144. As opposed to the 158, this is a pure square-wave dual generator, with the usual FM and AM modulation inputs, tandemmable pitch CV and the like. Currently listing as 'out of stock' on their website, I certainly hope there's more of these in the pipeline...as well as more retreads of the classic Buchla 100 on the way! $330, 14 hp.
8) Schlappi Engineering Angle Grinder: Aw sh*t, son...Schlappi's back! And they've got yet another highly quirky and amazingly useful offering, their Angle Grinder, a simultaneous quadrature sine VCO and state-variable VCF. And if that were all there was about it...well, suffice to say, there's way more to this little 18 hp monster. The architecture of this craaaaaazy thing is such that loads of sequenceable waveshaping can be done, timbral modulation mayhem galore, and loads of outright strangeness that seems to redefine the whole notion of what a 'complex VCO' is. Sheer brilliance! And a VCO so complex in of itself that you could get away with _just this_ as an oscillator in a build and nothing more! I can't do this justice in this post; go and see the video, and be mind-boggled. $310.
9) 2 hp Vowel: Whoda thunk it? The minaturization whiz-kids at 2 hp have managed to leave a formant oscillator in the dryer long enough to shrink it down to their preferred size! And this is a nifty little (very little) thing, sporting two different formant algorithms and full CV over pitch, formant index, and overall vowel shaping. Nuts! Lots of 2 hp's devices are more on the basic side, but this is a real twist-and-a-half, and worth checking out. $149.
And that pretty much finishes off this month's installment of things that really caught my attention. Not as saturated as last month's list, but there's still plenty of interesting and build-worthy toys popping up on the radar. Get busy, folks!
Easy-peasy. Doepfer A-171-2 VCS (half of a Maths, more or less) and Konstant Labs' new power rail monitor 1 hp module. At least, that's what I would do for those sort of musical purposes.
Seemed OK for a basic translation to English, but...OK. Should be more readable now.
No, actually, this makes a lot of sense, particularly if you retain the Clouds. Selling that would sort of cripple the idea that seems to be going on here.
Flame has a couple of things worth looking at for those purposes...both use manual controllers with internal sequencers to store controller actions. EMW, also, has a couple of devices: a pot-action single channel recorder plus a gesture recorder that uses something akin to Roland's D-Beam controller. If they're still around/available, those might be worth checking out.
OK...I think this might work better. Case is an Erica Aluminum Travel Case, 2 x 104 hp, fully powered, and I checked it against typical ATA carryon restrictions and it fits perfectly. Here we go:
There are definitely some differences here. First up, I kept the ES-8, but then combined the clocking and logic with an Intellijel Plog. Turing Machine was eliminated in favor of just the Permutation, and the Wogglebug was changed to Make Noise's current version, which saved a few hp. ANA is still in place, but the Maths was changed out in favor of a pair of Doepfer A 171-2 VC Slope gens...which, basically, gives you the same functionality as a Maths, but saves another 4 hp.
Added a pair of Erica PICO EGs, then the oscillators were totally changed in favor of a Mutable Plaits (the revised version of the Braids) and a Doepfer A-111-4 Quad VCO, which gives you your 'drone bank', but also allows for CV control over all four VCOs in various useful ways, as well as submixing down to a single output. Two Erica PICO VCFs were added: a Polivoks state-variable and a regular 4-pole LPF.
Bottom row starts with a Konstant Labs bus indicator in 1 hp. There was a single hp space, and...believe me...having indicator pilots on your bus voltages is very useful, especially in a travel rig that sees a lot of moving around. Drums: kept the Tea Kick and Plonk, but went with a pair of Moffenzeef Dial-Ups...glitch-based percussives...and a 2 hp Pluck, which gives you a Karplus-Strong modeled percussive/plucked-string voice. Added a Bastl ABC to submix drums down to one or two voices as needed. Also, the Tea Kick was switched to a metal plate version; wood's nice in the studio, but you need to keep durability in mind here if this is going to be used on gigs.
Rene mk2 was retained. Then, there's a mono-in, stereo-out digital effects unit, which I chose to tandem up with the same AUX send capabilities on the Qu-bit Mixology. This stereo mixer gives you VCA control over levels, panning, and AUX send levels across four inputs. Last, there's an Erica PICO OUT, which drops your synth level audio down to line level via a stereo 3.5mm TRS jack.
I think this should fit the bill. It interfaces directly with Ableton via either Silent Way (PC or Mac) or Volta (Mac). Everything is very straightforward, very controllable, which you want if you're also working on a live instrument at the same time. As for multiples, get several in-line multiple widgets instead of having them in-panel...this also saves space. And lastly, this was all checked against Perfect Circuit's catalog; even if they don't have something in stock, you can still purchase it while there and PC will ship the module to you when it's in stock.
Good luck!
Yeah, definitely a bad thing, since VCAs are what's used to control amplitude levels. Exponential VCAs tend to be used with audio signals, while linears work well for both audio and CVs, although to process CVs the VCA has to be DC-coupled. AC-coupled VCAs are only for use with audio signals. VCAs are one of the essential parts, basically.
Here's an idea: swap out the A-138 mixer for a Bubblesound VCA4p. This fits in the same space, but it gives you four VCAs, switchable between linear and exponential, with mixing capabilities plus the ability to use the VCAs independently of the mix function. Since you have a minimal amount of audio paths here, you could jumper this to be a two-input mixer on VCAs 3/4 and have VCAs 1/2 set up as independent VCAs for processing CVs. That way, you retain your mixing function AND get VCA control over CV modulation.
I think you've potentially outgrown your cab. This is a decent array of modules, but to do some stranger timing actions, you'll need more space for more modules that can really make that hum. Ronin1973's suggestion is a good one, one I'd suggest tandemming with this: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/joranalogue-audio-design-compare-2 as well as some additional logic, Ladik's probabalistic skipper as well as their gate/trigger delay. The Dual Window Comparator I listed the link to will allow you to extract repeating/semi-repeating gate/trig pulses from modulation curves, such as ones from the Maths and/or Wogglebug (I also assume you have these already, since those are older versions of MakeNoise's current ones), and then you can use those alongside the Euclidean patterns and logic to generate extremely complex gate/trig patterns, potentially non-repeating yet suitably metrical.
Also, if you don't have these modules already, consider changing the MIDI interface to an Expert Sleepers ES-8, which will allow you to run software such as Silent Way or Volta so that you can integrate computer-generated CV/gates using complex software functions from something such as Max, pd, etc along with the analog functions in the modular.
One last module to investigate might be the Mystic Circuits ANA, which is an arithmetical function module that acts on/transforms incoming CVs into new derived functions. Combining this with the Rene and, say, the Wogglebug would result in some interestingly-complex CV behavior.
Looking decent, yep...maybe next, some linear VCAs, so that you can use your modulation sources to control CV-type levels. If you're not averse to DIY, there's this new dual VCA from Majella Audio that not only has the usual in/out/CV points, but also a second 'velocity' CV point which can also be used for any sort of secondary modulation signal, making it possible to easily add an extra amplitude modulation layer to CVs (or audio) in addition to the usual one. Spare attenuverters of some sort would be a good idea as well, so you can scale CVs as well as invert things such as envelopes, etc. In both cases, these would play nicely with the whole rig, not merely the Euro cab itself.
A drum machine, actually. But barring that, it seems like there should be a solution in drum sequencer modules such as Acidlab's Robokop, Twisted Electrons' Crazy8 Beats, or Erica's Drum Sequencer, all of which are specifically designed to function like drum machine sequencers. While I like and use the BSPs for various things, with one exception (triggering an ancient MXR Drum Computer with a blown sequencer section) I tend to use these as step sequencers, particularly in situations where I want multiple monophonic lines in asynchrony.
Yeah...I think that for the space vs function issues it deals with, the Erogenous Tones stuff raises the bar on function density in 3U. A combo of the VC8 + RADAR/BLIP provides pretty much everything you'd want in signal control in 54 hp. That sounds like a lot of space, but considering what gets dealt with, it's a great tradeoff. This can deal with both audio and CV simultaneously, can be made to function in a number of more elaborate envelope sequenced methods and, if you take another 10 hp for the Levit8, mixing for 4 channels each of audio and CV, or individual attenuation for any and/or all of that. Add the extra perks like inverters, offset gens, etc...these seem to wind up in all of my builds and build sketches in recent times for very real reasons!
How could you NOT be happy with the ambient sound with this setup? I mean, hell, it's as ambient as it gets!
Had a look at Erogenous Tones' stuff lately? That might give you a few ideas...
Yeah, the MScale is definitely a must for controlling the M32 with the Eurorack and vice-versa. Next, I think beefing up the modulation capabilities is key here. Doepfer's A-143-1 gives a lot of options for that, plus it comes in very cheaply at 169EUR, which takes us to 229EUR.
Then, I think something that allows you to beef up the M32's sound is going to be critical, namely another VCO. Sticking with Doepfer (best value for function if you're in Europe, I think), the A-110-1 at 117EUR is a decent choice. You don't need anything super-fancy, really, just some different waveforms, sync, and CV mods. So, 346EUR, within your budget frame.
And yeah, Doepfer stuff is just fine. It's rather basic, but when you need basic, it more than fills the bill. Dieter did these things right...so right, that they're what kicked all of this modular craziness back into gear some 20+ years ago!
Lots missing here: modulation sources (envelopes, function gens, LFOs), extra VCOs to thicken up the M32's VCO sound, VCAs (both linear for CV work and exponential for audio), perhaps a reverb (not counting Clouds here, but something like a spring), some expansion to the sequencing as well as more clock modulation/logic to create variation.
I'd strongly suggest that move #1 be the removal of the M32 from the cab, though...put it back in its own skiff, if you have it handy. The build you're doing here is in a cab that's really too small to support 60 hp of it being taken up by that one device. Open that space up for more, then I think a lot of the options I and others have mentioned will happen a lot more smoothly.
You could...if you could get one. While I know Foxtone's scrambling to get Buchla's production back on track after the Aussie fiasco, there's still supply issues with Buchla products that make them tricky to get in some locales. The price is also up: $5k, more or less, with shipping for the traditional Easel with the Model 218 controller and without any extra Easel Cards.
First up, check out Bitwig. I've been hearing a lot of praise for it as something of a 'simpler Ableton', plus it's competitively priced. Also, while Reason seems attractive, I still hear occasional gripes about timing issues from users, although my bet on their problems are that they stem from a computer issue and not necessarily the software. Even so, the tendency makes me a bit jinky of Reason. Bitwig also gives you a more traditional DAW framework, allowing smooth VST integration, which gets into the next part...
Get Silent Way and an Expert Sleepers ES-8. This would then allow you to directly address the modular from within the DAW in CV/gate/trig terms, plus allow four return channels for audio and/or control 'feedback' to the DAW of synth activity. In a small rig with this much architectural complexity, the ES-8 would prove very useful, especially with its ability to reconfigure on the fly via Silent Way + DAW calls.
That's not bad for starters...
OK...makes sense to me. A lot of what I was hearing earlier sounded like the usual "I wanna be X"-type of stuff, which was a bit worrying. Those are the people who buy in massively, then suddenly realize "my god...what have I gotten myself into!?", and that's never a fun position to be in. I like to warn people off of finding themselves in that sort of hyperexpensive quandry, as it does them no good, does the craft of musicmaking no good, and so on. So, yes, I get blunt...but that bluntness has reasons. However, you do seem to know the hole you're digging, and why, so...
So...first four critiques above still apply. Then the next would be: think smaller. 2 x 104 is actually a pretty crampy space, and dropping big hp-count modules in unless they're utterly essential (Maths) isn't the best way to utilize limited space. So, go back to the individual module types and look into how you can get close to the functionality you have but with a smaller footprint in the rack. Or...go bigger. Granted, the Intellijel 7U is a pretty ubiquitous case, but in a similar price range, there ARE others. So...the 7U is $650-ish street, with 208hp in 3U and 104 in Intellijel tiles. But then...here's this case from Erica for the same price, street, but you'd have 378 hp (126 x 9U), fully powered as well with 1.25A on the 12 volt rails per row. Plus, it's expandable, and since you have later expansion in mind, this makes it easy as all you'd need is a second cab, plus the dual-cab cheeks from Erica, to then have a nice angled rig. Yes, you lose your tile row. But when you have far more 3U space, that's not going to matter as you can easily replicate the tile functions in that format and still have room left to go.
Given that you mention later expansion, my choice would clearly be the Erica. Also, it's easier to 'hack'...let's say you want a couple of deep rows in addition to the two 64mm depth cases. Easy enough: just get hold of a woodworker who can make you the appropriate cheeks to mount all your 126hp-width stuff together as a unit. Need more? More woodwork. And woodwork is cheap compared to trying to expand into bigger and bigger racks each time you want to grow. Just grab another Erica 126hp, send the specs to your cabinet guy, get the cheeks back, and bolt away. Theoretically, that could go on for quite some time. Plus: you can stay with bigger footprint modules like you have here AND get the room you need to keep on going. Then, with that space, going with more signal paths becomes a reality, and you get way closer to the sort of complex device you need from your descriptions of usage.
So, my first suggestion at this point: tear it down, start over, go larger and with a modular case concept that you can get from the Erica gear. As for portability, that's simple enough, too: just keep your cabs separate, with separate cheeks, and get cases for each such as the ones you can get custom-built from Thomann for not a hellacious amount of $$$. Takes up more space in the studio, but gives you pretty smashproof cartage options. You'd really need to try hard to fubar an ATA case.
Looking at the actual build (which will show if you go back into the designer, select 'snapshot view', then refresh until the correct version loads), there are some very glaring problems:
1) Do you have a Clouds? If not, and if you can't source a used one, then you'll have to either go with a third-party build, a DIY version, or consider something else.
2) The Doepfer A-138p is great...as long as you have its output module. Otherwise, it's input-only; you shouldn't think that you can backside-connect it to the Intellijel Line Output tile. Best advice here: try something else stereo...and make sure it has outputs.
3) That's an expensive quantizer you've got there, with four channels...and only two VCOs, which really should be paired together in the same voice. Basically, that ADDAC quantizer isn't appropriate for a small build like this; if you had something like 8 or more VCOs to feed, it would be a lot more sensible.
4) You have a lowpass filter and another lowpass filter. Yes, they're different, but not that different. Plus, since you'll obtain a much more interesting and fuller sound by tandemming the VCOs, why not just one filter? And for that matter, why not a multimode so that you can get some different filter topologies to use other than the 1 1/2 that's there now?
5)...ok, just stop. Hold it. Are you sure this is a rabbit hole you want to dive into? Modular is expensive. It's quite complicated. You might think it can solve a lot of musical issues, but if you're running Ableton (which I do, as well) with all of its capabilities, especially due to MAX for Live, and its extendability...do you need this device? Sure, you want it, and you want to sound like these other people (which I think is a really stupid, stupid, STUPID reason for plunking down big buxxx for gear, frankly; learn to sound like YOU do first!), but on something that's as much as a blank slate as a modular synthesizer really is, you probably haven't got a lot of hope of pulling that magical transformation into these other artists' clone off without a metric f**kton of practice and...especially...research beforehand to ascertain the best way to do this (which, again, I think isn't anything approximating a good idea).
From my experience in music, I can tell you that there's a pile of other people who want to do what you want to do here, too. This doesn't mean that you should do the same. That's not creative, nor would it be anything indicative of who YOU are as a musician. You'd just be a clone...among other clones...in a zone awash in clones. Which will, believe me, suck more than you know because the results won't fool anyone.
If you feel that you have exhausted the possibilities of Ableton plus the patchables you have now...well, you're a better man than I, Gunga Din. But my guess is that you haven't. Having worked in electronic music for some 40 years now, I can tell you that there's not a day that goes by that some new wrinkle doesn't pop out of the musical framework for me to mess with, even with devices I've had since the 1980s. So, my advice...ultimately...would be to stop, soberly take a look at your musical situation and development minus the "I want" attachment thing, and really consider what you're doing. First. THEN...and only then...if you think this is what you need to do, again...stop, do research that helps you understand what a good electronic instrument is about, and THEN...and only then, again...start building on MG toward a final build. Expect to fail at this about...oh, eleventy-billion times, but eventually you'll arrive at something you just know is correct. But by doing this this way, you're not simply building a shopping list and/or future debt, you'll be taking assessment of who you are as a musician...and this is infinitely more important than any piece of gear you can buy! Trust me on that.
Worse still, it wouldn't be just that one module. What would happen is that, due to the excess load on the 5V line in that ribbon, it could overheat and catch the ribbon itself on fire. This would then lead to a bunch of cross connections and shorts, leading to circuit damage and more fire. This would, due to the tight quarters inside the cab, catch even MORE things on fire inside of it...module boards, components, ribbon cables, etc. About this point, the amount of smoke coming from any opening would be apparent...but then, given that we're talking about a sequence of events that might take about 15-30 seconds, by the time that smoke's streaming out of the case, everything inside would be pretty royally boned. Plus, if you have no open panel spaces, putting this flaming monstrosity out would be difficult; yanking the power would stop the electrical aspect, but by that point the materials themselves would be on fire.
Some power supplies and/or modules actually do have overamperage cutouts...but not many that I can think of offhand. So, the hard and fast rule is that you have to know your wire gauges inside the ribbons, know your current draws per module, and never exceed the wire's current handling capacity. Doing so gets expensive.
Check this: https://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm
Now, given that the gauge of individual conductors in a ribbon cable is going to be rather small...28 ga is fairly typical, as can be 26 ga...the given maximum safe amperage (sometimes called 'ampacity') is 1400 mA for 28, 2200 mA for 26. YOU DO NOT WANT TO EXCEED THESE VALUES...because it ain't pretty when you do. We're talking electrical fire here, people! Yeah, even at 5 volts!
So the A-183-9 is limited to a maximum of 1A across its four USB ports for that exact reason. Product liability, basically. Dieter clearly doesn't endorse the idea of flaming gear!
It can be an interesting goal, though. I've done generative-type patches on some not-too-huge systems that involved less internal variation, but which used external processing variations to create all of the complexity. The key thing to remember is that your 'instrument' in electronic music isn't limited to the particular boxes in question, but is in fact made up of everything you've interconnected. Hence the entire 'studio-as-instrument' concept which you first start seeing with the likes of Brian Eno et al. Once the gear starts to get hooked to each other, the lines between where one device stops and another starts get very blurry.
Best way of conceiving of generative systems is the 'orders of control' concept which I'd first encountered in academia. Take a single LFO and patch it to a VCO to use it as a modulation source. That's 'one order'. Then take a second LFO, modulate the first LFO with it, and you get two. But the fun starts at 'two orders', because these can either be linear (like the above example) or they can involve feedback paths, such as sending part of the VCO's signal back to the LFO and making use of it to FM the LFO, which then affects how the VCO behaves, which then etc etc etc. Get on up into third orders and beyond, and this can get really involved and interesting.
Another way to break out of straight-up sequencing is to make use of generative variables in your DAW. Ableton Live, these days, is rife with possibilities invoving algorithmic, random, psuedorandom, arithmetical and even more mojoistic methods of generative structuring. Couple some of this with, say, Silent Way and an ES-8 interface in the modular, and then you can even bring these things directly into play in the synth itself...or since the ES-8 has four return lines, just take that 'feedback loop' concept above to utterly insane heights!
Randomization doesn't equal generative, per se. It's a part of it, to generate variation, but you can't make up a decent generative structure out of pure randomness.
A better idea, and this actually would be generative:
-Take a series of LFOs. Four of these feed modally-set quantizers and cycle through their waveforms at slightly different periods. -Now, feed these four LFOs with differently-timed quadrature LFO signals, so that one of each pair of the first LFOs is offset by 90 degrees phase from the other.
-Next, feed these two quadrature LFOs with a single master LFO at a very low rate of change. Also, one of those feeds should go through a CV-able polarizer, which is being controlled by one of the quadrature LFOs (reverse-feedback control structure, more or less).
-Now, add comparators. These step the quantizers, and also provide trigger/gates for VCAs, VCFs, down the line, in the voice structure. We'll just deal with the control structure here, tho. Each comparator is paralleled to the initial LFO outputs via mults, but each one's trig/gate output affects a different voice than the originating LFO/quantizer pair controls the pitch of.
-Patch each of the quantizer outputs to a VCO in the voice chain, and then keep patching as normal for voicing.
Notice that, while the summed behavior of the output pitches is also, in a sense, random...it's actually not. Instead, what you hear is the result of a rather complex algorithm of voltage curves, smoothed into pitches through the use of quantizing. But given that there are constraints present in the various LFO rates and waveforms, the comparator settings, the quantizer modalities, the VCO tunings that allow each of these a randomness within a range of N actions (N being the factor of constraint created by the settings as well as control inputs), it's technically NOT random. Instead, the result is generative...a constantly-spun pattern of notes in four-voice polyphony, non-repeating, but constrained in such a way that there is a seeming predictability to the result, despite the fact that there is no actual proper 'control' applied. A better way to think of it is to look at it as a 'chaotic' process; not random, but certainly not linear, either.
Actually, the 'full-time producer with a well-equipped studio' part is the most perplexing thing here, given that you're just NOW getting a rather basic analog patchable. I detect hyperbole.
Anyway, the point of modular is this: when you've exhausted the normal potentialities of existing synth architectures, this allows you to toss all of that out the window and start with your own definitions about how to generate and manipulate sound. Even with the plethora of buttons and knobs that a Sub37 has, you're still dealing with a fixed sound generation path. But when there's no fixed path, you're free to define all of that yourself. Now, if you know synthesis methods pretty well, this isn't a problem. But if not...well, there's potentially a BIG problem.
Consider: two different model kits. One, you have step-by-step directions, plastic parts that snap together, a tube of glue, and decals. The other consists of a number of appropriately-sized pieces of wood, a picture of the end-result, and you're expected to have your own tools, paint, and glue/fasteners. Modular is like the second example. You have the parts...but you have to make them into something. Whereas prebuilds give you the parts, the basics, and all you have to do is twist knobs and such. Most anyone can build the former kit. The latter one is for when you've mastered the former variety and know exactly how to turn those basics into something amazing.
Granted, it wasn't always this way, since back when all of this started, the only choice was modular, period. And this is part of the problem, because modular has this 'cachet' from that history that makes it 'sexier'. But it doesn't make it necessary, because these days, for a large percentage of applications, it's not. I use both modular and non-modular synths, myself...some work perfectly for certain tasks, others are perfect for others.
If you want to know 'why modular?', go back and study the history of synthesizers, back into the pre-synth 'classical studio' period first. Know why they were developed in the first place. And then why the first prebuilts came into existence. And how the first polysynths were developed out of those. And so on. And then, why people DIDN'T use them for quite a while...which is also very important. Understand your instrument...which, as a 'full-time producer', is technically the studio but unless you understand its origins, and the origins of key subcomponents, you're not either. Anyone can say that; walk it, instead. Just sayin'.
Marbles is more of a random-function type of device, though...a sample and hold on major 'roids, mainly for working with random variable signals. To get the scalar stepping, you need a quantizer, which is also sort of a sample and hold, but one which outputs very specific scalar CV intervals...or which, in many iterations, can simply rescale incoming CVs without the need for a stepping clock signal to 'fire' a sample-step.
Gotta say, tho...Marbles is a killer random-manipulator module. Anyone doing generative work of any sort can benefit by having one of these in the rack.
CV-able waveshaping, perhaps? Tiptop's Fold is a nice choice, plus it gives you some suboctave dividers to add more low-end to the drone textures. And I have to agree about the multiple attenuverter...it'll come in handy for more than just the E350, too. Happy Nerding's 3X MIA might not be a bad choice, as it can also use its three attenuverter sections as separate 2-1 mixers, and each section can also do offsets, all in 6 hp.
Actually, this is way more on the right track than you think...add a dual quantizer, such as Doepfer's A-156, then feed that from the DFAM's two channels, and then the DFAM can control the base pitches for the M32's sequencers and do sequenced transpositions. A clock dividing/tinkering area might be a good idea for this, as well. That'll get you into something of a Berlin-school polysequencer-type zone, at least for starters.
Price per HP, for me, is more of a way to avoid price 'traps'. For example, if there's two modules that have similar functionality, but one actually works out cheaper in price per HP when space isn't a primary concern, then that's a decider. But when space becomes a key criteria, then price per HP can slide a bit. For example, I know that two Doepfer A-171-2s come in at a higher price per HP each than does a MakeNoise Maths, which is essentially the same setup with a couple of extra bells and whistles. But if 16hp gets the priority over 20hp, then the Doepfers get the nod. Conversely, if I can fit 20hp, then the lower cost rules. It's not a hard/fast rule that gets followed when I do a build, but more of an indicator of potential directions and, often enough, a way to whittle down possible choices among similar modules.
A patchable wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Something like an Arturia Minibrute 2, which has both patchpoints and the ability to expand into Eurorack via their Rackbrute expanders, might not be a bad choice. A Moog M32/DFAM pair, which also seems like a popular starting choice, is another.
Yep, that sounds like the problem, then...but using the Ears to preamp the contact mic should work to send the signal on to a Time Bandit, which then outputs a trigger pulse that'll work most anywhere. I also remembered that Bastl makes a similar device (the KLIK), but it's solely a click-to-trig converter, whereas the Truetone Time Bandit can also function as a stand-alone clock source.
10/10. Your experience definitely pays off here. The only thing I think I would do differently would be the placement on the Tiptop Fold, with my preference for that being between the Rubicon2 and Morgasmatron. Dual QuadrATTs is also a good touch on the tile row. You did build this as a 104 hp rig, though...right?
The envelope follower on the Ears probably isn't quite right for the sound level and/or transient behavior. It would probably work better if you had a fully-variable threshold control instead of the jumpered presets on that module. Another idea would be to try a Time Bandit, which is a stompbox-style click-to-trigger audio extractor, provided it can get enough volume from the contact mic alone or if you have some sort of preamp for it.
Moog's site lists the depth at 1.9", or (more or less) 48mm. Keep in mind that they list this as 'up to 1.9"' and that the case's inner dimensions are actually sort of irregular. Your best bet is to stay under 40mm, actually.
The Hyrlo probably has a hot left and right and cold common ground audio connection, yes. And sure, the Cockpit seems like it would be L+gnd and R+gnd...but what if it's not? Also, what if one module likes to see something like line-level at its expansion, but the other sends synth-level? Or if there's a big impedance mismatch? That'll sound quite awful.
Best thing you can do, unless you're working with either kit builds that you know the signal paths/levels on, or both companies say "yep, and this is how you do it...", just don't. Even if it doesn't result in catastrophic failure, it's still best left in the 'don't mess' category.
Hmmm...with this sort of gearpile, you might want to look at Mordax's GXN when it's out. My pref would be to lose the 4ms DLD for it, but finding a place anywhere for that 20hp chunk of granular trouble, in your case, could be worth it.
Seems right, although my preference for a final mixer tends toward VCA mixers that allow CV control over elements like level, panning, AUXes, etc. Plus, you might consider a stereo balanced output stage to step down your synth level signals to line level and isolate the instrument from potential ground loop issues, etc. Toppobrillo's Stereomix fits into the same 24 hp space, but would allow more sequencer/modulator control of your mix + processing. As for the stereo out, you could easily lose the Links and use inline multiple 'widgets', leaving you 4 hp open for something like a Malekko Output, Happy Nerding Isolator, or Ladik A-540. Everything else, though, seems to be spot-on!
DON'T do this! Unless you know the exact pin-outs for both modules' expansion ports, you could be looking at an expensive, module-frying mistake! Consider: if the Cockpit or Hyrlo have any pins that send rail voltages (they're both powered modules), and they do so into an audio circuit, or do so in reversed polarity, or a few other potentially disastrous things, the resulting connection could literally blow up BOTH modules as well as doing potential damage to your power system and other modules in the process.
Only do this if both manufacturers say it's possible. But the best rule of thumb is to believe that anything going on BEHIND the panel aside of power and Eurorack-standard bus connections is going to be proprietary between manufacturers, and always presume that you can't expand Company A's module with one from Company B. Again, I'm sure there's exceptions...but find out what they are directly from the manufacturers AND find out if those connections might void your modules' warranties before even considering this.
It was a wonderful day when I figured out to factor cost-per-hp as a choice criteria, to be sure. And when you start seeing how a $489 module actually becomes cheaper than a $109 one through this, it really opens up your eyes as to how to choose modules that both deliver on function and price when factored as part of a whole build.
Just a note on how to cut $1000 out of the rack: there's a little math trick that helps with this quite a bit. Simply divide the price of a given module by its width in hp. That resulting number is the 'price per hp', and the lower you can make that per each function you want, the cheaper the build gets...pretty quick, in fact.
For instance, let's take TZFM VCOs. Scrolling through the VCOs, we come across:
Cynthia Zeroscillator: $1195 @ 36 hp.
Eowave Orage: $185 @ 10 hp.
Schippmann CS-8 Omega-Phi: $1159 @ 24 hp.
Doepfer A-110-6: $250 @ 12 hp.
Dannysound EN129: $239 @ 12 hp.
Intellijel Rubicon II: $399 @ 20 hp.
Hexinverter Mindphaser: $599 @ 30 hp.
Harvestman Hertz Donut Mkii: $475 @ 17 hp.
OK...from this, the choice seems like the Eowave, right? Lowest price...but...
Zeroscillator: 33.19
Orage: 18.50
CS-8: 48.29
A-110-6: 20.83
EN129: 19.91
Rubicon II: 19.95
Mindphaser: 19.96
Hertz Donut: 27.94
Those are dollar costs per hp covered by each module. Now, the Eowave still comes out ahead...but using this method to compare, it doesn't do so by much. Fact is, it's the bottom number in a cluster of price-per-hps centered around $19.50. So then the question becomes: how many functions/uses can you get for each different module? And the Eowave is pretty minimally featured, designed more to be used in a group of other VCOs than as a sole standalone. The EN129 is a bit better, but it's a kit and if you're not kit-savvy, it's not an option because having it built will add to the cost overall. That pares your sensible choices down to the Rubicon II, the Mindphaser, and the A-110-6, and you'll notice only a penny's difference in the price-per-hp of the first two. So...which one suits you better?
That's how I settle a lot of module vs. price conflicts. And sometimes, you get surprised. Let's take another example from your build: the reverb, which you're wondering about. Here's five:
2hp Verb: $109 @ 2 hp = $54.50.
Intellijel Springray II: $239 @ 10 hp = $23.90
MakeNoise Erbe-verb: $489 @ 20 hp = $24.45
Purrtronics Purrvrrb: $130 @ 8 hp = $16.25
Doepfer A-199: $180 @ 8 hp = $22.50
Ohhhh SNAP! In this case, the choice certainly ISN'T the 2hp module! Mind you, their stuff is awesome if you have a gap that you'd rather fill with a function instead of a blank...that's a huge strong point for their stuff...but if you have space for something bigger, then no and HELL no. And with the glaringly-obvious price-per-hp advantage, you should be looking at the Purrvrrb instead.
Anyway, that's just another tool to work with...but I've found that it's a damn useful one for whittling down choices or, in cases such as the reverbs above, finding the best cost-effective solution. Give it a try!
KICK ASS!!! for August 2018.
Well, the summer's winding down, and that means Knobcon's soon to happen. So, yep, there's some neat stuff popping up on the MG radar, along with an uptick in general in new offerings. Without further ado, let's plunge right into the the niftiness...
1) VoicAs MixVert8r and 2^4^8. Right out of the gate, this company impresses. The MixVert8r is a bit of a different take on the mixer/polarizer, offering switchable reponses (unipolar or bipolar) per input, which allows you to mix both normal and selectively-inverted signals to a single...and also attentuated...output. DC coupling allows for a great deal of flexibility here, making this suitable for pretty much any mix-to-1 application you can think of. The big win, though, is the price: $100 is a cheap ticket for this sort of flexibility. And VoicAs' 2^4^8 is a great one-stop take on a VCA module, offering six inputs, two of which feed a stereo pair for panning, etc, and no mixing so these individual VCAs can be slotted into anywhere they're needed. This is pretty smart, actually, as a good system can never have too many VCAs for either audio or CV uses, and VoicAs's module here offers up a nice pile of 'em in just 12 hp for $200.
2) ReBach Catch STV. $38 or so gets you this: a trigger inverter, which can interchange negative (or S-trig) triggers to positive, or vice-versa. Now, for me and a lot of other people, that 'vice-versa' part is important, as there are a goodly number of vintage and modern (the Korg MS-20 being both!) synths out there that require a negative trigger pulse, and if you want to lock them up rhythmically to the rest of your sync in the modular...well, that can get messy. But this solves that issue, and does so for a stoopid-cheap price! Also, if you have an old Moog 960-type sequencer or a Korg SQ-10, this is your fix for using those as the 'primary' clock to drive the rest of your timing. Very smart, useful, and space-efficient at only 4 hp.
3) Metasonix RK6 Resonant Lowpass Filter. Eric Barbour is a weird dude. His modules speak for him. In this case, he's re-envisioning what a resonant LPF and/or LPG (yes, it does that too) might act like if it had been concocted in the days before Don or Bob set the solid-state standard for these circuits...and created something that floats in a strange zone between the test gear complements of the 'classic' studios and the voltage control era that began in the mid-1960s. Using transformer coupling (always a very euphonic plus) and a 17JK8 dual triode, this isn't intended to sound like a 'typical' LPF...but something closer to the old-school electronic music sound, rife with neat nonlinearities. But fear not! It runs on no more than 200 mA (at startup) on the +12V rail, which means that it can play nicely with lots of the typical Eurorack power setups. Smart design, strange idea, neat module worth checking out! $299.
4) Funkstill Filter Threek 13700. While we're talking filters, this is a strangely-implemented pile of 'em. It says it's a “3-pole VC-Morphing Filter”...but that's really an undersell of what this concoction's about. With a very dense control-set, plus its morphing capabilities, it also can serve as a waveshaping-type device and, if the morphing is done at audio rates while the filter is resonating, it turns into this psycho-grade source of morphing timbral OH HELL NO-type abuse! The manufacturer's website has a video that should explain what I'm talking about there most adequately. At $358, it's not cheap...but in a small rig that only has space for a single and wildly-versatile VCF, this wuld be a primo choice, especially since it not only does the above, but offers multiple response-curve outputs, too.
5) Mystic Circuits ANA. This refers to itself as a 'logic' module, but that's not exactly right as logic tends to refer to on/off trigger/gate operations in the modular synth world. Instead, what the ANA is is an arithmetical operator. Think about things such as the discontinued Buchla 257, and you're more in the ballpark of what's going on behind this panel. The ANA takes in CVs, and crossmodulates these according to specific arithmetical functions, along with a few normal logic functions via a three-step comparator. It's a very deep module, capable of ring modulation in several manners, waveshaping, controllably altering CV behaviors, and so on. For those into the various flavors of generative music, you need to look at this thing. And for everyone else...well, it's got a zillion uses, when you start considering what it does in only 6 hp. $180.
6) Flamingo Break3. 3 hp, $28, and really simple...but one of those things you wish you had when you need it. Three 'break' switches that go inline in a patch. Looks kinda...well, meh, right? Nonoooo...there are all sorts of reasons you might want to have an inline 'cut', ranging from switching VCOs back and forth from controlled to drone states, muting CVs, muting audio, altering how other modules behave on the fly...the list goes on, especially for the live performance set. Just because it's simple doesn't mean it can't KICK ASS!!!
7) Noise Reap Audio Mixer. An inexpensive 3-in DC-coupled mixer...with a surprise! What's that, you ask? Well, it's that fourth input, marked AUX, which can be jumpered over to a line-level input for a quick and easy audio input at a fixed level. For those putting together small builds where you'll want an audio-in, but you just don't want to allocate the precious space needed for a dedicated line-in module and you also don't need something like an envelope follower...well, you DO need mixers, and this happens to have that neat “Easter egg” built right in. Smart! $64...also, smart money!
8) Erica Synths LINK. Another “how can something this simple KICK ASS?” type thing...and yet, it does, while offering something dirt-simple that you know you need. Five 3.5mm inputs, five 1/4” outputs, and in between, a passive attenuator per line at a fixed level to evenly drop synth-level signals down to line-level. For those wanting to use a small external mixer to mix down their modular signals instead of a modular final mixer....this is the exact, precise thing you've been looking for. Loads of people can make use of this to drop their synth audio down to line so they can mix several different voice chains on a more finger-friendly mixing surface. It strikes me as something that would appeal especially to the live performance crowd again, plus makes a good way to avoid the larger space a modular performance mixer requires in a small skiff-type rig. And at $62, plus the lesser price of an outboard desktop mixer, how can you go wrong?
9) Motovilo zLFO. Complex LFOs...with their onboard LFO-modulating-LFO architecture...tend to be pricey and large. Add to that the ability to make that second LFO a morphable wavetable oscillator, and then you're really talking ca$h. Not so much here, though...think of something sort of like half of a Cyclebox jammed into 8 hp for only $190. This thing screams abuse potential. Plus, it can be patched all sorts of other ways externally in addition to its internal architecture. It looks small, but the fact is that this is a prime power-user's perfect little modulation source.
10) Error Instruments RAW DATA!. Ever screw around with an Atari 2600 game system, deliberately crashing it in various ways to get a panoply of screechy, grindy, gnarly chip-glitch fun, but had no real way to control that? Error Instruments has your solution. The RAW DATA! is 6 hp of digital lo-bit racket and trouble...still not 100% in control, but workable enough for your power electronics and industrial purposes. Check their video...if you do NOISE, you need one! $88.
11) Klavis Logica XT. We talked about logic modules earlier, and while this is more in the traditional Boolean-type operator mode, it offers a few surprises, too...like a weightable coin-toss algorithm, gate multiplication, sample-and-hold, and user-storable settings. Again, this is one of those “you need to see it”-things, as it does enough that I can't fit all of its goodness in one of these short blurbs. Anyone doing a lot of timing-specific work needs to look into what this might do for you, especially (again) those contemplating smaller builds but who need rhythmic/sequential complexity. 5 hp, $139.
12) Analog Sound Devices Valvetron. Two tube devices this month...but this one is rather different from Metasonix's. Instead of test-gear strangeness, this is a more straight-up LPF...but drenched in ACIEEEED!!! Incorporating the very cool Soviet-era 1Ж24Б microtube plus an overdrive circuit, the main thrust of this is squelchy, yowley, naaaaasty acid tastiness. Plus, with three mixable inputs, it's super-convenient as a VCO mixer, to boot. If Frank Zappa's guitar wants to kill your mama, this VCF wants to burn the house down afterward! 7 hp, $170, and yes, it's Euro-current friendly at a mere 50 mA on the +12 rail.
13) Feedback STATIC and HI-FUSION VCF. First of all, the neglected HPF...which it shouldn't be. After all, if you want to patch up band-pass or band-reject configurations, you've got to have one. Plus, it's a secret key in a lot of synths for their particular sound (think Roland Jupiter-8 or the venerable Yamaha CS-80/60). If you like to do a lot of subtractive work on your sound, there's not been a lot of dedicated high-pass filters to choose from, so a new one like this is a welcome addition to the fold. 10 hp, $101. And not only that from Feedback, but they've also given us a comprehensive noise source with a lot of potential source behaviors and colors, plus the only “TROUT” jack I know of in synthesizers, period! The price for all of this flexibility is super-stoopid, too: $78, and at 10 hp this could become a new “go-to” noise source for lots of different users out there.
So...if this is any indication of what we'll be seeing all shiny-new at Knobcon, that's going to be a neat event, since the Eurorack denizens are cooking up some nifty contraptions for everyone to check out. For now, check these out here on MG. Until next month...
The Prizma also appears to need a clock to step it. Try this instead:
Tides: Set up an LFO frequency waveform with a hard leading edge ('slope' to full-left). Patch UNI to CLK on the Prizma. Your clock speed is now controlled via the FREQUENCY on the Tides.
Prizma: Patch CV to V/OCT on Braids. Patch your TR outs to TRIG1 on Peaks and GATE on the ADSR.
Braids: Patch OUT to IN on Ripples.
Peaks: Patch OUT1 to ADSR on the Erica VCA. The Peaks' envelope settings now control the overall amplitude contour of the patch.
ADSR: Patch OUT to FREQ on Ripples. The ADSR now controls the timbral contour. Since this and the Synthrotek ADSR are being triggered synchronously, it's now possible to have different amplitude and timbral changes as part of the single event being triggered, like one has on a Minimoog, etc.
Ripples: Patch whichever output you like to the INPUT on the VCA. The VCA's OUTs are now sending your patch's audio at synth level, and this can either go out of the synth (after stepping it down somehow to line level) or on to the Clouds and/or PRE/KM for further processing.
...at least, that's where the wires all should go. Once that's established, though, some judicious exploration of the various control settings will yield a massive amount of timbral, temporal, and amplitude variation just from this simple sequencer patch. Good luck!
Not exactly. For example, there's a ring modulator...but you need two sources to make those work, and there's only one VCO. Other bits are sort of superfluous, such as Clouds (which doesn't exist anymore, anyway, except as a third-party build or used) or a six-channel mixer where you only really have a single voice chain.
Stop for a minute and go and research some of the 'classic' analog synths, most notably the ARP 2600 or Odyssey, the (still being made, it's that useful) Korg MS-20, or the venerable EML 101. See how those are put together and how they can be varied via patching. THEN come back to MG with that info under your belt and start building again.
I can't stress how important research like this is. While MG is an unparallelled resource for creating mockups of builds, data sets, and the like, it's also a mass of pitfalls for those who have no modular or patchable experience. By doing some careful examination of the older synths and discovering why those designs are prized right down to the present day (and, as noted, still in production with the MS-20 and, also, the Odyssey), lots of mistakes can be avoided, less time wasted, and better results obtained. Of course, it's also worth noting that your first several builds will suck...but by doing them, you start to notice patterns in the parts that intuitively work well together, and eventually this process yields results. It's sort of like building musical capability through practice; you might WANT to play Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier' sonata, but you're going to have to get there through a lot of other stuff first!
The DixieII is a bit limiting, compared to the II+. However, my sugestion would be to sidestep these altogether and look at a Doepfer A-110-6 instead. This gives you TZFM, both LFO and VCO operation, and quadrature outputs so that you can have synced but phase-different LFO curves. Complex, both as a modulation and audio source. As for the rest of the Intellijel stuff, makes sense to me. Another modulation suggestion might be the Doepfer A-171-2, which is more or less half of a Maths and is derived from the classic Serge VCS...this would give you CVable waveshape/duration from LFO range up into audio and it can also act well as a two-stage EG. Not a bad compliment to a Maths at all.
Tides is nice due to the long cyclical periods available. Another useful modulation generator for long, generative work is the 4ms PEG which can have a great deal of variance in cycle duration/phase, plus there's a lot to be said for the various iterations of the Serge VCS (ie: Maths, Doepfer A-171-2, etc) for similar work, especially in tandem with the others. That module can also double as a user-definable-waveshape oscillator/LFO with the waveshape under CV.
As for ambient sounds, I tend to stay away from simple sine waves, since they have no harmonics that allow them to 'rise' in the mix. Instead, if I can make use of more complex waveforms and then slowly modulate their spectra via subtractive methods or, if using digital generation, by modulating the different formants themselves, this tends to give me a result that catches the ear better. It tends to mean more work in terms of programming effective sounds, but the final result is that I can have simpler compositional structures that more effectively draw a listener into the patterning, and with the gradual timbral shifting, this can be played out over rather long durations. Plus, it's worth noting that one of the most effective and beloved ambient works, Brian Eno's "1/1", has very little in the way of time-based processing aside of some basic 'room' reverberance. There's loads of different ways to approach ambient music.
The ES-8 needs to come in early on, too...not only so you can start exploring how to integrate Silent Way or Volta into the DAW, but so you can also determine if you want to add an output expander for more CV/gate/trig control as well. So, that and everything left of the RCD. As for an audio interface, since the ES-8 can feed audio at modular levels, you can go with something simpler; my suggestion would be a Happy Nerding Isolator, because with all of this odd interconnection, having transformer isolation on the analog audio outs might be advantageous to help avoid ground loop issues.
Decent start, I think...but be very careful about module depths with the Moog skiffs. They aren't exactly symmetrical, bottom-wise, and that can restrict the possible choices of modules. Best rule of thumb with those is to stay under 35mm depth (I think you get 40 or so, maximum, in practical terms). Alternately, consider going to a different housing and use the Moogs in a double-tier configuration alongside.
As for the Korg, the only direct interconnection options you have with the modular is via the SYNC ports, which use a positive 'click' sync. This isn't exactly the same as what the Moogs use, which is a positive-going 5V pulse. However, they might still sync nicely via this, given that the threshold value for the Moogs is 3.2V and they react (according to the docs) to anything in that range having a 1msec leading edge. Still, it may make more sense to sync via MIDI clock between the Korg and Moogs, and then use the Moogs to 'translate' trigger/gate functions for the rest of the Eurorack modules. The Korg would also make for a better controller overall, instead of the M32's 'chiclet' keys.
