Spectres collide

Alright. My initial rack broke (the board fried ... NiftyCase in case you're curious) so I just "had" to get a new rack. So I doubled my HP. The 84 HP on the bottom are, at time of writing, modules I don't have (yet). I really want the Collide 4 so the rest should center around that. I do have other racks (and a KSP, etc) so racks aren't in isolation here but...I do feel a rack should be a musical instrument by itself.

What do you think about my proposed bottom row? The top row I already have.

• The QPAS is more HP thank I'd like...but I'm pretty sure its the filter I want
• I found it hard to add enough clock + rhythm to the rack. I'm basically using CLK and the 4ms RCD. Not great, but HP is in demand! I thought about getting Euclidean circles, but its too big and I still need a clock :( If I could just free up 2 more HP... https://busycircuits.com/pages/alm034
• Never enough LFOs! I do have the Vampire LFO and thought expert sleepers Otterley and Stages/Steps could be as best as I can do for the space I have
• And I need a drum. Crater was the one I wanted the last time I filled up a rack.

What are you sequencing this with? Pam's? The Keystep Pro? Both?

That Erica Synths ring mod is very big for a case like this. It'll also be hard to find currently. If you know of one you can get and really want it, I can't stop you. I would definitely look at something simpler and smaller there. I'm a big fan of ring modulation as an effect that is well-suited to hardware and Eurorack, but you're trying to fit a lot of sounds and effects in a tight space, and that's space that could be used for attenuverters or something to control signals coming out of modules like the Pam's or the Pons without independent controls for all of them (I would say that's a bigger priority than more VCAs, which can be nice but is not always the best way to manipulate a signal). A module like the Doepfer A-133-2 or the Make Noise Moddemix would free up some much needed HP while still being valuable for both audio and CV processing (after all, ring mods are kind of just bipolar VCAs). I think this might ultimately be a more productive and playable setup than the Ringfade and the 2hp VCA. 2hp modules can be kind of a headache unless they're simple ones without knobs. Ultimately, it's up to you, but when I think that you already have the top row and you particularly want the other two sound sources, the Ringfade and 2hp VCA are the first places I would look to open up some room for a quality of life module like an attenuverter or switch or something else that helps you move signals and ideas through your rack.

The Otterly is not a bad choice. For 8hp, in a system this dense with sound makers and effects, an Ochd plus the expander is also worth considering (24 outputs with a good variety vs. 5 with a bit of flexibility). Either one will do fun and crazy things if you feed the one of the outputs back into the modulation input, so make sure to do that with whichever you choose.

I tend to think 1 sound source and one effect vs modulation and utilities is usually about right in terms of how to allocate space in a rack, but not everyone, including me, follows this in every rack concept. You'll have to decide as time goes on whether or not you've got the right ratio for yourself. Hopefully my suggestions either help you get where you're going regardless of whether it's the places I suggested.

You have an external mixer that can handle this stuff, right? I presume you do if you have the stuff in the first row, but it's worth asking. In-rack mixing is cool for CV and stuff, but unless you get hit bad with the special Eurorack mixer bug, I wouldn't recommend it.

Hi Zachsname!

Firstly, regarding the dual xfade ringmod....I actually bought this because it was on clearance at Erica Synth's site. So hard to find? It wasn't for me. A bit big? Perhaps, but now its definitely going in for better or worse :). But really, you're right, it is a bit big for what it is, but hopefully it'll be worth it.

For sequencing, this will mostly be the KSP and the SQ-1 secondarily (I also got a Rene). It makes me a little sad that there won't really be any on board melody source or sequencer....but at the end of the day, it was a sacrifice that I think has to be for the sake of HP.

I do have a fair amount of external mixer: I have three sputnik 6 channel mixers (see ) and a small 6 channel post-eurorack standalone mixer. So yes, I got the eurorack mixer bug...one of the sputnik mixers was in the first 5 modules I bought (for better or worse). I also often use veils/cloaks as a 4 channel mixer (or 2x2 channel mixer) before offloading to a "closer to main" mixer. (And yes, I do have all of the top row modules. Old rack broke...using this as an excuse to get more HP. Why not get a large rack for everything and have even more HP? Well, I don't own a home yet so I'm trying to moderate myself until that happens...)

I do want lots LFO + envelopes and CV manipulators. You mentioned 0chd...I just found out about this module (I know, where have I been?). Does this exist yet? While I love the idea of the Otterley, this could be even better...in less HP! Do you have it yet? How do you like it? How about the expander...is it worth it? I'd love to know your thoughts...

I'll probably keep the QPAS. It is a unique filter and its stereo, though ... 18 HP :( (I would love another Maths too but 20hp! Sheesh!). So What's really up for grabs is probably Kinks + the 2HP VCA (=6HP) and then maybe Otterley vs the 0chd if that can be gotten. Oh, and I want a drum...so probably the crater as its not huge and sounds great. I have the BIA in another rack, so I wanted to try something different.

Thanks a bunch for the input!

We've all got the bug in some way. It's why we're here. If you already have the Ringfade, then you might as well put it to use. I also have QPAS and Maths, so I have no complaints about them. Sometimes a big idea needs a big module.

I have the Ochd and the expander. I enjoy them quite a bit. The variety is good, and it can often act as a sort of ambient "sequencer" using the expander's triggers and the slow-stepped noise generators. The lack of knobs isn't as much of a problem as it seems. It's also a nice way to bind lots of things that aren't necessarily related and make them move together. It is also great for feedbacking into itself and making the modulation more unstable and unique. Otterly looks good too, but all these sound sources are going to be very thirsty for modulation, so getting more will be good.

Sounds like things are coming together well.

I have the Ochd and the expander. I enjoy them quite a bit. The variety is good, and it can often act as a sort of ambient "sequencer" using the expander's triggers and the slow-stepped noise generators. The lack of knobs isn't as much of a problem as it seems. It's also a nice way to bind lots of things that aren't necessarily related and make them move together. It is also great for feedbacking into itself and making the modulation more unstable and unique. Otterly looks good too, but all these sound sources are going to be very thirsty for modulation, so getting more will be good.

Sounds like things are coming together well.
-- Zacksname

Indeed! It looks like the 0chd is not available at this time but I mailed Instruo so fingers crossed!

So 0chd does exist, just out of stock at Perfect Circuit. I wonder if I could replace Otterley with this? That frees up 4hp for even more LFO (unless I do the crazy expander for even more more LFO!). The greedy part of me looks at this rack and says: "Hmmm....well I did really want the Instruo Arbhar" ....but its 18 HP so realistically that ain't going to happen. So it's probably one of:

• Otterley + Kinks + some 2hp module (maybe dual vca...maybe logic)
• Otterley + Makenoise Channel Saver
• (my current inclination) 0chd + Channel Saver + Kinks
• (0chd + expander) + Kinks + 2hp module
• (0chd + expander) + Channel Saver.

The burden and power of choice! Luckily I'm in no hurry to buy this yet.

Opinions welcome!