Damn, I had no idea he made Eurorack modules; I thought he only stuck to 5U!
This is the exact module I wanted but thought he just didn't make it in this format!
Quad Mixer/VCA would be my choice, given the space constraint. Adding a couple more linear-only DC-coupled VCAs for processing CVs is a good idea as well, plus these can be found in small sizes. As for the EG/LFO, I think you might get a little more in just 2 hp more by going with Intellijel's Quadra; the expander would be a little much to squeeze in, but the basic module alone gives you loads to work with, and two more than the Erica to boot. Plus, if you do go with a quad VCA/mixer, having the Quadra would set you right up with envelope control over each VCA.
Buffered mult? Naah...you're not going to be running so many devices on a CV line that you need to worry about voltage sag. Those things are for total lunatics (like myself!) that run a dozen or so VCOs and happen to want to stack every single one on the same CV line.
Another VCO? Loads to choose from in that general size range, with the STO being a pretty good pick among them. Of course, you could always try to shoehorn in something a bit bigger, and if so, my pick would be Doepfer's rather new A-110-6...TZFM in 12 hp for $250. But either/or there...STO gets you into the weird harmonic tilt area, A-110-6 gives you FM weirdness, either's a great pairing with the Braids. Or hey...split the difference, go to 10 hp and look at Mannequins' Mangrove. But yeah, adding one would be a good idea; the only issue then becomes what VCO to choose, and there's LOADS to pick from! Damn shame, all this potential sonic abundance...
Last, the Verb. Thanks to the mutants who're concocting the 2hp stuff, you can now cram both a stereo digital reverb AND a delay line with CV into the same 4 hp, and since these aren't things you might be apt to grab all the time, the tiny control size probably wouldn't be an issue. However, if it was, just park the 2hp modules in between a couple of others with more 'real estate' and then you should be able to get finger access pretty smoothly. Still, with the Erica, reverb seems to already be well in-hand...maybe a 2hp Freez looper could work? Or more perversely, they also make a Turing machine that was apparently left in the dryer too long, and connecting that shrunk-down thing with the RYK-185 (Metropolis) could get...interesting.
Don't sell these teensy-weensy modules short...they can make even as little as 8 hp of open space get pretty action-packed.
Right...it's designed as a 'scratchable' piezo mic module. Given what you want to do musically, make sure to get an external input that has an envelope follower. That way, you can extract the incoming amplitude envelope and use it as a CV elsewhere, such as on a filter cutoff or VCA CV. Been in love with that capability since way back, working with it on an ARP 2600 which has it in conjunction with its input preamp.
Bought a beautiful DIY Mutable Instruments Edges from @igorsv - good communication, fast shipping, superb build quality.
Thank Lugia,
Your feedback is very much appreciated. You're a treasure to this forum.
I'm working towards having an initial rack up and running soon.
Your meaningful advice helps me understand what I'm doing a little better.
Thanks,
Burousu
Burousu
Its more like a challenge. Like this one:
thanks Lugia! With Ears that was definitely my intention, thought i'd read somewhere that the input was line level but now i'm seeing it's a hi-z audio input.
Hi,
I am new to modular and would like to have some advice from this community.
These are the modules I already have: Intellijel Atlantis, Metropolis and uMidi, Studio Electronics SE88 filter, Mutable Instruments Braids and Erica Synths Black Hole DSP. See: 
This means I have 34hp left to fill, needing at the very least least some sort of envelope shaper, VCAs and probably an additional fx. I have a few specific questions.
*I was thinking of buying a Black Dual EG/LFO from Erica Synths for the shaper, good idea?
*Given my space constraints, does it make sense to take a mixer (like Manhattan Analog DTM) in addition to a VCA or would a quad VCA that also mixes do the job?
*For the extra effect, I was thinking of Synthrotek Verb, good choice?
*I am new to Modular, and was wondering if I need a buffered multiple?
*For what is left in terms of space, I would probably go for another VCO (the Make noise STO?)
Many thanks in advance.
Bart
Yes, shure, all true. I just wanted to see some interesting combinations.Just for fun. ;-) Maybe something like the cheapest combination or the closest-to-original.
Too much mixer in the mix there. Both the Lifeforms System Interface and the Erica module do (basically) the same thing. I'm inclined to say you should keep the Pittsburgh mixer, drop the Erica, and use that space for something else, as having those three more (albeit ganged) inputs on the Pittsburgh will be more handy for juggling several percussion sources. Not sure why you'd have the Dual Zeus, either...this is small enough that a single input/single PS setup should suffice.
Beats...well, changing out sound generators would be a start there. It'd make more sense to find something that's more in a rhythmic-element vein for the voicing rather than VCOs. One of those might just be sufficient here. Also, lots of electronic percussion utilizes what're called 'ringing filters'...filters set just below self-resonance and which 'ring' when some sort of impulse gets fed to them in various ways. Right now, there's just the 4075 in Studio's ARP 2600 redux, and that's likely to be a constraint.
DFAM: not bad. BeatStep Pro: better. Cheaper, too. And you get...lessee...(looking at one of mine)...eight drum gate outs, two channels of CV/gate/velocity, MIDI I/O, clock I/O, and a more complex and interactive sequencer for $250. No, it doesn't say MOOG on it, but what does a word sound like, really? The DFAM is more about what it can sound like, not so much its fairly-simplistic sequencer which won't go too far in doing elaborate rhythm patterns. Oh, and no memory for said patterns, also.
It's a start, tho...definitely needs honing in on the voicing, though. Fortunately, MG's got loads of Drum modules of all sorts and flavors to sort thru. One other thing, also...when starting out on design, always make the rack bigger than you think you need, because you'll gradually discover that you actually DO need it that big. Sort of a Law of Physics of some sort...
It's a nice setup, save for the one thing I always seem to be pet-peeving on: VCAs. Simple fix there would be to just swap the Blinds for a Veils or Intellijel's Quad VCA (same idea, same size, $10 cheaper). Also, you might find that switching out the Ears for some sort of line-level input could be useful, as that would then allow you to input external audio (field recordings, for example...good ambient element) into the processing part of the signal chain. Not sure about the Rings, also...with the Elements there, it's a little redundant, and you might find that some sort of more unconventional filter would be better suited while at the same time freeing up a tad more space. So far, so good, tho...
Thing is, it's kind of a simple device. I've got it specced for a setup that I may well go with in a few months, but my reasons for it have less to do with its percussion aspect and more due to the fact it provides a nice 8x2 sequencer and some extra things that I can patch into something more complex. It'd be easy enough, though...couple of VCOs, noise, mixer, lowpass VCF, couple of ADs with fixed attack and the sequencer. Hexinverter had the optimum 8x2 step sequencer for it a minute ago with the Orbitals, but it's discontinued.
Even with it being simple, tho...cooking up a 'clone' of it in discrete modules would probably be considerably more expensive than buying a DFAM off the shelf; it's more likely that someone with a larger, more general-purposed system would just patch up a DFAM configuration on their own rig, or just buy one outright like I'm considering.
i'm putting together an ambient system and would love some advice, input, thoughts about what i have planned so far. i'll be building this slowly over time as i am beginning my journey into modular. i've been working with massive, absynth, and many other DAWs and analog synths for a few years so it's not totally new to me but any help will be useful while i learn and put it together. let me know what you all think
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_536572.jpg?1517258847
Sold Doepfer A-110-2 to @Yochwired, very fast payment and good communication. Recommended buyer!
Perfect buy with Redukt. Fast shipped and great communication.
Hello,
My eurorack will be for generating beats and rhythms to back a singing guitarist.
Modular synths are new to me but I have technical and musical skills. The bottom row of the "BossTown Eurorack", generated on Modular Grid, is what I'm looking at as a starting point and the top row is more of a wish list. Also I'm likely to use MOOG (DFAM), and am considering MOOG Mother-32. Am I on the right track? I welcome any suggestions.
Thanks,
Burousu
Burousu
Would be nice to see any clones of the DFAM here. Any grids here, anyone...?
Lugia, thank you so much for your reply. I already own Clouds and Peaks
Yeah, it's not your typical modular synth. I'm using the 1U Output Mixer mainly for panning and mixing two stereo signals to channel through the Pico DSP, then through Ciao!.
I'll definitely keep your advice about the power supply in mind. The Ciao! also provides a cuing channel for the Morphogene (Turntable) and my line level out.
My case is Synthroteks Waterproof 104HP 6U + 1U Portable Eurorack Case which comes with filtered busboards
Thanks!
The problem is one I've dealt with at points over the past 40-ish years. It came up at the very beginning of my early 'garage-level' experiments in trying to concoct something that was both irritating AND listenable enough that the listener would experience the irritation...which is definitely a paradox!
Definitely and definitely a desirable goal to me. More so when I was younger, I'm a bit more mellow nowadays, but it still seeps through.
Not exactly a module per se, but I can see immediately how this could also fit into a smaller modular rig, especially one being used along with some Volcas. Three channels (one is stereo) with 3.5mms, AUX send/return, compressor, channel mutes, DC supply onboard for three other Volcas, stereo out plus onboard speakers. It's sort of a simpler take on KOMA's Field Kit without some of the more esoteric functions. But unlike the Field Kit, this device has a master clock for Volcas and, presumably, other devices that can sync to Korg's sync standard.
Apparently it just dropped this weekend at Winter NAMM. Those looking for a small-rig mixer, especially something portable, might want a peek at this thing. http://www.korg.com/us/products/dj/volca_mix/
Grrrrrrrr...had a much longer and more in-depth reply to this, but MG logged me out before I could hit 'Submit' and it got trashed.
Basically, tho...have a look at the following categories on here: "Clock Modulation", "CV Modulation", "Utilities", "Attenuators" and one I always go off on, "VCAs". None of these are particularly sexy areas, but it's through judicious inclusion and use of stuff in these categories of modules that a lot of subtilty and nuance in programming a modular comes to the fore. While exploring VCV Rack, also keep referring back to MG to see how the hardware implementations of the same concepts being modeled are done, especially when you run into an idea that you can't do in VCV. There's probably a hardware solution, and that'll help you sort out which of those you might need later on when tossing Big Money around.
Also, I'd again stress that getting and learning a patchable hardware synth is critical when moving from a software synth situation, because it's important to learn that hardware controls might not always react the same way in a given patch as software emulations would. Case in point: filter Q, especially setting it to just below resonant 'break-thru'. Fact is that even these days, analog devices may vary from one to another of the same device; back in the 1970s, it was a 'thing' to seek out certain Minimoogs that were perceived to be more 'musical' than other Minimoogs, because tiny variations in circuit components, calibration, control behavior, etc from unit to unit were rather unavoidable and it was felt that there was a certain 'sweet spot' where a Minimoog needed to be with respect to these tolerance variations to make it sound better. One hardware device I forgot to mention in the last reply, and which dovetails nicely into a future Eurorack setup, is the Soundmachines Modulor114, since its panel and power connection are compliant with the Eurorack standard and you can easily remove it from its own skiff and integrate it into a larger system in the future. More expensive than the MS-20 Mini...but it's a rather different creature, too and ultimately not as spendy as going full-in on a Eurorack system right off the bat.
It’s just shocking. At least you have restored the producer. They give you guarantee and that’s what guarantee is for. However, you should try building some kit yourself, it's large amusing.It's funny and try this SpamFuck to increased knowledge in your life.
I have deleted the Spamaccount. That was the message @Lugia was answering to :)
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
Wow this response was so informative, thanks so much! Starting virtual definitely makes a lot of sense and I'm gonna have to force myself to do it before I get my hands on those beautiful (and tactile) knobs. As an aside, are there any modules that you would recommend (control modifiers as you say) to add to the rack to suit my sonic needs?
Well, yank the Clouds first, unless you've got a line on a used one, since Mutable discontinued it (grrrrr...) very recently. Thankfully, there's third-party builds of it turning up, and those are only 8 hp as a rule, so, more free space for the invariable M0AR!
Otherwise, mmmm...it's not too 'instrument-like'. A good rule of thumb is to group functions together, especially if you want to gig with the synth. Makes things a lot clearer, more intuitive and in the end, more playable. So I would do some shuffling if I were you, grouping all the controllers together, audio generators together, etc etc. It'll make for a panel that's a lot quicker to get around on, help disentangle patch cable snarls, and 'flow' better.
Not sure about having both a Ciao! and the 1U Output Mixer, unless you plan on having two different output sections. Also, while it's a DC device, I'd still find some way of getting that power input away from an audio output module just in case there's some unfiltered crud that comes in on your DC feed that might leak into the lower-level line output side of the Ciao! Might not be a problem, but at the same time keeping ANY power inputs or supplies away from devices that make use of lower voltage signals is a rule of thumb that's worth following, because even if induced hum, etc from AC line voltage isn't an issue, there can still be little bits of electrical 'uncleanliness' that can creep into your line-level outputs, inputs, and send/returns.
Good touch adding that Synthwerks USB supply, tho...self-contains things, no need to use (and eventually misplace at the most irritating time possible) an extra USB charger adapter for that BSP. It's also safe by audio signal stuff, since it's actually on the 'clean' side of your busboards (you ARE using filtered busboards, yes?).
Not too shabby! Now drop a 2 hp mult into that hole you've got left ('coz you need one!) and bust out the soldering iron!
Hmmm...well, from experience, this is sort of sparse for what you're intending. Yes, the Phonogene and Erbeverb fit well, the MATHS is pretty much a given, and the Morphing Terrarium is right. But in order to get into the "subtle, dark, and varied micro-movement" zone really well, plus have a lot of options for change-versus-time, you're going to need quite a bit more, especially in the way of control modifiers, to get that 'varied' thing and make it stick in listeners' heads.
I would suggest two ideas here before going too much further:
1) VCV Rack. Since you're apparently accustomed to software synths, but want to head into modular hardware, this is a good (and cheap, as it's free!) place to start, because it's actually BOTH. VCV Rack is a software version of Eurorack modular synth building, although unlike MG, it doesn't have the thousands on thousands of modules to screw around with. It does, however, have a huge base of built-in and third-party modules, some of which are models of some of the very same things you'll find here on MG. It works like you'd expect: you add virtual synth modules to a virtual cab, use virtual patchcabling to set up signal paths, and the whole thing behaves much as you'd expect a Eurorack system to work. I'm quite jazzed on this application and its community of module creators, because it gives you a very clear insight into how the MUCH more expensive hardware works before you drop buttloads of ca$h on it and then find out that, hey, this doesn't do what I need! It also allows you to learn the basics of all the different layers of programming, such as audio signals, CV signals, clock/gate/trig signals and the like, plus how to make a gain structure work in a modular, which is key to making sonically-effective patches.
2) A patchable synth. There's certainly reasons you see ARP 2600s and EML rigs in teaching labs, even to this day...and the biggest reason is that these synths, and others like them, let you get a feel for how signal flow works AND give you the option of working out your own patch architecture once you've figured out your way around and what (in general) sounds right to you. Now, those two synths there are spendy things; they're not made anymore, so examples are rather old AND very sought-after, so they command nosebleed-range prices. However, one synth from that early era still is around, is realtively cheap, and also makes for a good analog synthesis learning environment: the Korg MS-20, now in its 'mini' form. It, and its companion SQ-1 analog sequencer, can be had brand-new for cheap ($600-ish, max) and they offer an outstanding way to get used to synth hardware that both works in its factory configuration and which can be repatched to create different ones. The 'mini' also integrates really nicely into a computer-based environment since it offers both USB and MIDI interfacing.
Once you've dove headfirst into those, THEN start concocting modular ideas. And definitely keep looking at MG during all of this, studying other peoples' racks who're working in similar directions to glean some ideas about how you yourself can make use of the Eurorack environment when it's time to drop money.
Modular ain't cheap. And while these days its so much easier to get into (thanks, Dieter!!!), it's not necessarily a universal starting point, and can get you in way over your head at the start. But just as it was decades ago when I got sucked into this bizarre world of noisemaking, the best way to learn (with the excellent addition of VCV Rack) is the same ol' way I did. Get used to the world of patchcords and gearmadness the easier route FIRST...and then take that spendy flying leap! Good luck!
Hey guys, I'm a Eurorack amateur in need of some guidance. The title suggests the kind of atmospheres I like to create; specifically, I like big spaces with a lot subtle, dark, and varied micro-movements occurring within those spaces. Up until this point I've only used software. I love what Absynth's Aetherizer is able to do sonically and so I loosely structured my tentative rack around that sound. Any suggestions for modules would be much appreciated!
Tentative rack link: 
Here's the plan for a poly-duo-phonic; it's all DIY from full kits (ordered). I've also ordered the frequency central power from synthcube. I'm going to build the box too. I already own a makenoise 0-coast, a bastl kastle and an arturia keystep. Hope they play well together. (for some reason the cat didn't like my layout so she modified it to what's below, that's ok, I like cats)
Do you really need the FX loop on the Rosie? I would normally say an output module isn't necessary in a rack this size. Just my opinion, you can have lots of fun with this as it is though.
Designed around beat making, scratching, and fully utilizing a Beatstep Pro.
I swear, every few months it happens...I get this wild hair to cook up a 5U setup and rererereREconsider going with Eurorack yet again. This time, though, the results came out kinda interesting. Still fiddling with it a bit, but it's largely complete.
Kinda interesting how I managed to cram 18 VCOs in there. Normally, that gets prohibitively spendy, but these new, fairly cost-effective 1 and 2 unit VCOs from Grove actually sort of make this work. I started on this purely with Dotcom and then started in on trying to up either the module capability or function density and only kept a little bit of focus on the pricing, just to see where that strategy wound up. Interestingly, a lot of Dotcom remained in, especially Roger's newer modules like the EG++, LFO+, and so on. And as a new twist (since they seem to have some recent introductions), Grove Audio got a big foot in the door here as well. Prior attempts soared WAAAAAY out of a proper price range in the past, but this actually isn't that bad, considering.
Cabs are Dotcom: all portable series with single rows on top, duals for the next two below, and the bottom is a portable angle case with the panel at the flatter, shallow angle instead of the steeper one. PSU3s in the left and right, definitely making use of the multiple power taps on the backs of the angled cabs. For transport, the idea is to 'clamshell' the left and middle 2 row and top row cabs, lids for the other two.
As noted, this is usually something I wind up hemming and hawwing over until something else in the Euro realm gets me excited, but this time...I dunno. I kind of like this, plus with my near vision gradually going all to hell as aging does what it does, this might be a more sensible option...?
Usually, large amusing does tend to increased knowledge. I'm also shocking, and of course, what would a guarantee be for if it wasn't to give in the first place? Time for try building some kit, I suppose.
bought the stg.vca from @taifun. module is in perfect shape , the shipping was very fast.
also very friendly and responsive seller . recommended
Bought an uClouds from @PinPinKula. Fast shipping, excellently packaged. Always responded really fast to all of my (sometimes stupid) questions with patience and calmness. 10/10 experience, very good.
Well, then if that's the actual concept, it succeeds up to a point. It does accomplish that hectic/monotony thing quite well, but at the same time, maybe...ah, too much so?
The problem is one I've dealt with at points over the past 40-ish years. It came up at the very beginning of my early 'garage-level' experiments in trying to concoct something that was both irritating AND listenable enough that the listener would experience the irritation...which is definitely a paradox! And it persists to this day; in fact, once I'm done here on MG this evening, I have to fire up Ableton and rework a track for my next album which doesn't quite walk that musical tightrope between polar reactions the way it ought to for the duration of the piece. Thought I had the project in the can, but noooooo...
Like I said, this is a whole weird area: trying to draw in the listener to fully experience and appreciate a 'negative aesthetic value'. These days, you don't find people trying to hit that rather tricky mark very much; you'd have to wind the clock waaaaay back, I think, to things such as the inceptive acts in industrial music to see some really good examples of this trick being pulled off with real mastery. Not a bad reference point to look at, either, given that the more electronic-based examples of that are definitely great-great-grandparents of the sort of direction here. While they might be a pain to find, I'd suggest a couple of Cabaret Voltaire's earlier albums: "Voice of America" and "Red Mecca" as useful points of reference. Also a few other tracks: Throbbing Gristle's "What a Day" and "AB7A", "Warm Leatherette" by Daniel Miller aka The Normal (in this case), and also maybe SPK's "Desire" from their "Leichenschrei" album...which is an amazing and very oppressive listen in of itself. And one piece that I think nails this paradox is actually out of the 1960s choral repertoire: Robert Ashley's "She was a Visitor", which is more in a creeped-out ambientish vein but pulls this off masterfully.
But yes, it would be different, and you have a good point there! Kudos to you for trying to hit a pretty difficult target!
Many thanks for your thoughts on this!
Interesting thoughts too. I take them to heart. I can't help feeling that you disagree with the concept of the track, though. If I made it longer, less monotonous in each section but less hectic overall, retracted the tape stops and breaks a bit and beefed up the bass.. it would be a veery different track, wouldn't it?
@audiosphynx - Thanx for quick delivery and fast respons to my questions.
"...projects that are either difficult to build or difficult to find...." ... very sketchy indeed as Tom's Radio Music is neither hard to find nor difficult to build ...
Eurorack can be a daunting thing, true. If it weren't for MG, however, it would be a LOT worse. I can remember quite a few years back, working all of this crap out on quadrille paper, and even though at the time there were a lot less choices, it was brain-scrambling to sort out even a basic layout. MG's ability to sort by primary categories simplifies a lot; in fact, that one feature makes coming up with proper apportionments of necessary modules a snap! Plus, it keeps you thinking along the lines of 'ok, now I need x, y, & z devices' while you're working a few steps back from those stages where x, y, & z would come into play.
Looking at tried-and-true designs definitely helps prior to using MG, too. There are a lot of modular and patchable synths that have been made over the years, and while some designs don't work as well as they could, others are timeless and their design is part of the reason why they command the prices they do these days. Instruments like the ARP 2600, Moog IIIc, Korg MS-series, EML 101 and 200, Aries III, EMS VCS3 etc all possess qualities to their layout and signal flow that make them instruments, as opposed to designs that are more confusional and specialized. True, some of those command huge prices today too, but given the choice between a Steiner-Parker Synthacon and an ARP 2600, I'll take the latter...and DID, since that was a trade I made a couple of decades back. The Synthacon may be rarer, sure, but the ARP is just as sonically capable AND, as someone pointed out in Mark Vail's book, it's 'the only synth I can program while drunk'.
I tend to stick with a rule of thumb that goes: 'up-left; down-right'. Control signals go upward on the left side, through the section of modulation sources. They then get to the top rows where the audio generation happens, then flow back down through the right side through waveshaping, filtering, processors, and to the final mixer at the bottom right. This places the waveshaping and filtering contiguous to the modulation sources, processors are close at hand to the mixing, and to the left of this are the initial control signal manipulators for CVs, clocks, and so on. Stick a controller of your preferred flavor in front of the bottom row, and you're good to go! And this has the added plus of letting you see how each subsection is filling out and what preferable interactions you can have as each section fills up. About the only recent time I've violated this, in fact, is in the 'DAMN YOU, ARTURIA!' rack (see the forum under 'racks') where the primary 'heavy lifting' is done with a pair of Arturia Minibrute 2s and a pair of Moogs (Mother32 and DFAM) and this necessitated a strategy where the flow goes toward the center-bottom where the main mixer is located, allowing me to take advantage of the gaps between the Minibrute 2s and the Rackbrute cabs for cable routing. But even there, you still see a gathering of functions into 'blocks' so that there's a particular cohesiveness to the signal flow pattern.
So, really it only looks like rocket science. Kinda-sorta. Eventually, it gets pretty easy. Just takes practice and experience, and some judicious research and an eye for finding those atypical bits in modules that open possibilities up in interesting and unexpected directions. Take the Doepfer A-132-4. This is the most dishwater-dull-looking module, really. But when you look at the raw power hidden under that snoozefest of a panel, all sorts of ideas should be popping into your head. It's four exponential VCAs. Or it's a 4-1 audio mixer. Or you can screw around with the jumpers in the back and have a couple of free-floating VCAs and a 2-channel audio combiner. Use CV1 for level and CV2 for signal vibrato. And so on. Not bad for a boring-looking thing like that. Plus, it's pretty tiny (6 hp), so you get bang for your space-expenditure buck. These are the sort of things you should keep an eye out for. Even tiny little things can equal big crazy when paired with something else. Going back to the rack I mentioned above, you'll note a quad LFO next to a little Malekko DC-coupled mixer. The LFOs alone aren't quite so capable, since they have no CVs nor an onboard mix output. But by adding that little 3hp mixer, I can combine the outputs and then manually 'play' all sorts of variations in LFO curves which can then be fed...well, who knows where? At that point, the quad LFO and mixer stop being what they are alone and become something of a 'variable manual modulation controller' as a combination, hence why they're near the middle where the core of Moogs and the WMD Performance Mixer are. And while each on their own is sort of meh, combining them skyrockets their 'abuse potential'.
Again, it takes a while of exploring and practice to get to a point where ideas like this come naturally as you're doing a layout, but it's achievable with time and practice and, as noted, some research. You'll get there...
A little sample of the production E370 - patch notes on the Soundcloud page
NEW EP: https://fastus.bandcamp.com/album/terra-incognito
Latest works: https://soundcloud.com/fastus
Modular studies & sketches: https://soundcloud.com/problivion
Hey, thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I posted this in r/modular as well and pretty much got a lot of the same feedback...although in less detail than you have laid out here. It's a bit daunting to begin with Eurorack, but I'm slowly chipping away at it...and getting pieces of info like this from people with more experience is priceless. I am super thankful for modulargrid.net and have started to build out a larger case just as you recommended. And thanks for the ARP 2600 reference, just glancing at it online and that signal flow makes a ton of sense. Hopefully I'll have a more thought out case to post up here sometime soon!
Timbrally, it kicks. However, it doesn't seem to 'breathe'; overall, it's kind of the same throughout and we don't get to hear anything like development and change in the texture created by the different elements. Maybe getting less happening at points, allowing certain parts to carry sections and doing some change-ups with those parts in their respective sections would work and then allow more overall length while providing internal variety that prevents the track from being so uniform.
Breakdown at the mixpoint is...eh. Could be longer, play with the listener's expectations more. Do unexpected things with it.
Careful with elements that 'jump out' and don't overuse them. Case in point: that speed-drop sound. It's all over the place and whenever it came up, it went right to the forefront and got distracting. I'm not sure if it was my imagination, also, but sometimes when that sound came up, there seemed to be a timing issue that lagged the overall pulse a tiny bit.
Last thing I would do would be to beef that bass up, but again, maybe just in certain sections. Doubling the line an octave down, either via a divider or running a parallel voice, would pump that up really nicely and make it pound harder. Going back to the 'contrast' idea, this might not be something to use everywhere, but I'd definitely put it thru the whole play-out after the break. Make 'em HURT!
Well, first up: if this is a rig that'll be spending a lot of its time processing external audio, I would reconsider that input stage in favor of getting something that has an envelope follower. That way, you can use dynamic levels from your incoming sounds as yet another modulation source, plus if the input also has a trigger/gate comparator with a settable threshold level on that incoming signal, that can have a number of uses for starting envelopes, sequencing, etc etc etc. While it's mono, still have a look at the venerable Doepfer A-119; Dieter got that thing right the first time, and that's why it's been around since around the beginnings of Eurorack.
Annoying that Mutable's chucking out some of their best and most prized module designs, yep...but like the Braids, look around for some of the open-source builds of the Clouds which have started popping up. What I've seen of these also give you some space-savings, so adding more functionality is possible if you go that route.
Also, this rack contains the typical 'if it's not sexy-looking, why do I need it?' issues...VCAs, mixers, panners, etc just aren't there. Again, if the task is processing, you definitely want things that can process dynamics in addition to timbre and so forth. Mults are missing, too; they're a must if you're going to branch process-control signals to several audio processing-type modules so that you can get some sort of parallel behavior going. Probably the best thing here is that, given this is MG, you don't have to drop the $$$ then have that 'oh, sh*t' moment when you realize you left things out that you needed. What I would suggest is that now that you have an initial idea of what might work for some of your tasks, toss this rack entirely while making note of these things (ie: print a spec sheet) then start over in a much bigger rack, perhaps twice this size or more. This tactic of 'build something bigger than _you think you need_' is important, because it lets you easily slip in all the 'unsexy' modules along with your previous specs...and then you start to realize that, hey presto, that _was_ what you needed!
Also, as processing goes, look for things that offer loads of modulation and strange routing possibilities. F'rinstance, have a look at the boring-appearing Doepfer A-106-1. Just looks like a filter, right? Ahhh...not so. There's a lot of weirdness there, such as an insert point into the resonance circuit, adjustments for tinkering with the paralleling of the two filters (yeaaaah!) there, a polarizing CV input. No, not a lot of flashy lights and zazzy graphics, but that module has lots of what I like to call 'abuse potential'. So it looks boring? That 'boredom' is only skin-deep. But this points out that stepping back and looking at other options, and by looking I mean not at what it looks like (the 'twistenknobs und blinkenlights' factor), but looking at the functionality indicated by the panel markings and control capabilities, is key to creating a system that clicks from the first power-up which'll avoid lots of module-swapping and the like. Might be a bit more tedious, but careful work where Eurorack's concerned yields definite results!
Lastly, module layout. Step back in time a bit, and look at some classic patchables that're still coveted to this day, and observe how their signal flows proceed across the patch panel. You tend to find designs which gather primary functions into specific areas...modulators in their area, oscillators all together, filters and then VCAs, etc. I still say the best example of how 'flow' works can be found on the ARP 2600; you always know where signals start and where they go to eventually, and when going outside the prepatched configuration and using the patchpoints, the resulting patches still tend to flow the way the prepatch does. Your above rack is going to be a pain in the ass to make decisions at a glance on, since patching is going to be all sorts of back-and-forth from and back to the audio interface, which will wind up with signals flowing both ways across the panel. Not fun!...and certainly not 'intuitive', which is what a good musical instrument should be.
So...step back, think bigger and more carefully. First attempts in an environment as possibility-rich as Eurorack NEVER come out right, but as I pointed out, careful work yields big gains and definite results. Good luck!
Got some well deserved critique regarding the mixing.
A new version has now replaced the old one in the first post. Does it sound nice?
Hello, I've been spending a lot time on modulargrid.net and slowly putting together what I think is an ideal first time eurorack with modules that accomplish what I'd like to do. I've been watching tones of videos on these modules and trying to get as good a sense of each of them as I can, but at this point wanted to get feedback from people more experienced.
I plan to use this rack with my DAW quite heavily. I work on TV promos and movie trailers, so a lot of my song structure will start in the computer. I'd also like to have a workflow that allows me to send audio out of the DAW into the rack quite easily. I've added the I/O and MIDI modules to help with these workflow concerns. My goal is to spark new ideas while I work and have some fun learning modular at the same time. I'll need to make some accessible sounds, but also want tons of room for experimenting. Sonically if I could get some heavy bass lines, interesting synths and process drums and other sounds out of the DAW...i'd be very happy!
Most of the modules are fairly obvious as they seem to be quite popular options for their functions. I'm on the fence about both Clouds and Braids as they are now discontinued, but they seem to be big favorites in the community. I'd like to process audio through the rack and Clouds seems like a fun option for that. I was trying to work in the DPO, but rack space became an issue so I went with a combination of Braids and SPO...any suggestions or opinions on that would be awesome. Maths seems like a no brainer. Everything else is mostly for modulating and effects. It's hard for me not to envision wanting some reverb/delay/distortion etc...so again if anyone has an opinion on how I could better accomplish having that in this rack, I'm open to other modules. I had a few HP left and snuck in the Buff Mult and Pico VCF-1. Without much experience I'm not totally positive how much I'd need the Buff Mult, but it felt like a utility like that module would be useful...or no?
And lastly I was hoping to get feedback on the layout. Does anything seem oddly placed in the rack? Should I switch anything around for a more convenient layout?
Thanks in advance for any help on this. Really excited about building this out and getting started!
Hey everyone!
First of all, I want to express thanks to all the people involved in running Modulargrid, this helps me (and others, for sure) to plan and sort out all the modular things. You guys rock!
Also, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Oleg and I am running a German-based experimental project, which creates music by the process of conducting jam sessions, improvising during these sessions, recording them, and then using best parts from those sessions to generate so called "Jam session sections"; these are generally raw sound clips that are mostly left unprocessed apart from using a simple cross-fade in order to tie two or more clips together, or occasional compressing. These clips then are uploaded to Soundcloud and are usually free for download.
I am fairly new to Eurorack and (like yours) my rack is slowly but constantly growing, so that I am able more and more to use solely Eurorack modules, for example the latest upload:
Since I have a lot to learn, I would love to receive constructive criticism. You don't have to follow me or like my uploads, but I'd encourage you to leave a comment, especially if you have suggestions for improvement!
