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Keystep @GarfieldModular, still pretty nice feature wise but I don't know all the comparisons.

Hi,
I am looking online but can't find a real solution to get CV Gate into / out of Teensy without soldering SMD components.
Does anyone have a tutorial on how to archieve this without smd or are there any kits for this?
Cheers,
Jens

My short experience with a keystep pro is dont touch this with a ten foot pole.

Pitch or Gate randomly stops working.
Unable to use the mod strip with CV, only aftertouch was working.
Maybe a bad unit but some comments on muffwiggler thread convince me that I was not alone with many problems so I returned it.

But I still appreciate the original keystep.

EDITED Jul 22nd 2020, 11:23

Edit: system updated

I have started a new thread as completely redesigned my initial idea based on realisation of the need for more utilities but would welcome feedback on this new idea with the emphasis on experimentation of sound and techno. I would like to sync this to some of my external gear including drum machine so have included the midi outs/ins.

I have included the pico drums and Tiptop One sample module as although I have a Roland TR8S drum machine, it would be nice to have the option of this as a standalone unit. They are also cheaper than the Morphagene I was initially thinking of!

This will be my first system getting into modular outside of semi modular synths so any advice is greatly appreciated. Also anything else you would add or remove? I was thinking of including a sequencer but for now think some interesting rythms could be generated with what is there.

Quick question: Do I need anything else for audio out to my external mixer for connecting to speakers?

Edits about difficult to find modules in the UK/internet:

1. Circuit Abbey Invy seems to have been discontinued/out of stock everywhere - is there a similar alternative Dual Attenuverter & Offset to recommend?

2. Folktek Alter 2 fx modules seems to be US only with a waiting list of about 16 weeks - is there something similar that could work? Although must admit I do like the design of this!

3. AI Synthesis AI008 also seems to be US only and with shipping works out $151 which is a bit expensive and I dont fancy the DIY kit as have no soldering gear - is there an alternative or could I live without it in this setup?

Finally - how would I connect a Beatstep Pro as an external sequencer to this setup which would also sync tempo (either in/ or out depending on the situation) with other external gear and my computer?

EDITED Jul 23rd 2020, 02:55

The indispensable Pamela's New Workout, with the Pexp-1 expander. I use it even when I'm not using the modular! (It's my best option for clocking my other hardware.)

Hi Marc,

I am rather new into modular synths myself too, so I haven't much published yet, only one track that you can find here in the below post in our forum under the same You section:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/8749

I totally agree with you that with modular synths anything can happen and will happen! :-)

Have fun with modular and kind regards, Garfield.

The Keystep or the Keystep Pro? I am still hesitating between the Keystep Pro and the earlier mentioned Ground Control from Endorphin.es.

Hi Modulargrid,

I am so sorry, never really noticed that

Thank you very much and kind regards, Garfield.

Thanks Garfield!

I hope so too, I want to find out where this journey could take me. What fascinates me about making music with modular synths is that anything can happen :)

Did you upload your music somewhere? I would like to listen, or maybe you can point me to a post where you already shared the music and some details on how you made it.

Hi All. In February I bought a Mother 32 on a whim and it opened my eyes to the wide world of modular. I Immediately bought a DFAM to go with it and since then have been filling up a rack with modules. I've always used software synths in the past but the process of researching and building an instrument specific to me has been exciting. My problem is I want all the modules! I could definitely use some guidance on what modules would go best with my current setup and space.

I have a mantis and rackbrute 3u. Outside of that I have a drumbrute impact and keystep along with the Moogs. I've been relying on the drumbrute for drums but would like to replace it with drum modules eventually. Before that though I feel like I have a couple big holes. The clock divider on the uO_C (running hemisphere) is inadequate. I was thinking of getting a Pams next but maybe a straight clock divider would be sufficient? I also feel the need for a gate sequencer to go with the voltage block. I've been getting by using the M32 sequencer and uO_C trigseq but the varigate 4+ seems like a logical combo. Really intrigued by the Rene 2 but I'm thinking it will take up too much space. Also on the lookout for a good envelope generator (4ms PEG?). Maths does the job for now but I'd like more options. The disting ex is still on order so it may fill in some of these holes.

I'd like to have more of a 'live' instrument. I can get some really cool sequences and grooves going with what I have but then I get stuck on how to transition to something else. Maybe some mutes and a sequential switch would help? I'm also looking strongly at getting a Mimeophon. I just love washed out delays as a sort of 'wall of sound' I can play sequences over. I can somewhat get that from the uBurst but it spins out of control too easily.

I tend towards noisy industrial sounds but would like to be able to create more melodic danceable techno. I always loved 90s era trance music.

I've read through a lot of other threads here, I know you guys give great advice. Eager to hear what you have to say.

Thanks!

Good list @GarfieldModular.

Thanks for the kind words, Garfield. I'm glad you enjoyed them!

decided to get the sq-1 as a starting point to get to know the modules,i can always upgrade

When you write a post click on the Emoticons button bottom right near the Submit button.

I meant to tell you that I got a Keystep recently and it's pretty nice. I'm just scratching the surface but I can tell it's going to be a useful one.

Hi Baltergeist,

Oh wow! Yes nice "stuff" you got there :-) My favourite is "The Invocation" though the Ridden is (very) nice too, somehow The Invocation doesn't want to let me go. I keep listening at it, clustered at my speakers, not really able to move much and just listening, enjoying, listening, enjoying, listening...

Yeah keep on coming with the good stuff :-) Thanks a lot for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Marc,

Sorry to hear that it didn't went the smooth way for you. I hope you will find a more comfortable way into the modular synth world. It can be actually very enjoyable, that's at least my experience. On the other hand, it's easy said from my side because I never managed to come up with great music like yours so perhaps I would be struggling a bit more than too :-)

Just keep the spirit up and I look forward to seeing and especially hearing more from you in the (near-) future. Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Troux,

Ha, ha, yeah let's do more "no notes into the system" based tracks ;-)

Though I said that indeed for my shared track but I used the Sinfonion module from ACL and actually the Sinfonion is creating the tones/notes... so it's just only partly correct from my side. What I meant though was, that I didn't use a keyboard, MIDI input device or any other kind of input device (other than the Sinfonion).

Having all said that, I still can't wait for the Endorphin.es - Ground Control module to become available. It's a sequencer with a kind of mini-keyboard. I really hope this module is going to be released "soon" (waiting more than a year for it) and as good as I am hoping for.

Thank you and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Troux,

Modules that make me really happy are:

Mutable Instruments - Plaits
Make Noise - STO
Make Noise - Tempi (clock)
Xaoc Devices - Warna (buffered multiple)
Xaoc Devices - Tirana II (step sequencer, 4 steps)
Hikari Instruments - Triple AD
Hikari Instruments - Atten(uator)/Mixer
Waldorf - DVCA1
Shakmat Modular - Time Wizard (clock multiplier/divider + logic)
Doepfer - A-124 (Wasp filter)
Doepfer - A-138o & A-138p (mixer combination)
Doepfer - A-145-1 (LFO)
Intellijel - Audio I/O
Intellijel - Springray II (spring reverb)
ACL - Sinfonion (complicated thing ;-) )
Bastl Instruments - Tea Kick (percussion)
Erica Synths - Black Dual VCF
Erica Synths - Black Octasource (crazy LFO)
Synthesis Technology - E330 (Multimode VCO)
Patching Panda - Punch (dual VCA)

Of course there are many more nice modules but the above I am most happy with at the moment, my top 20 :-)

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Modulargrid,

How to get/use those troll faces?

Thanks a lot in advance and kind regards, Garfield.

NOTE TO SELF:

It appears Ripples can provide up to 14dB of gain. Maybe this can be used in combination with the 12dB of gain possible with Morphagene to amplify my recordings. I will have to verify Ripples actually provides this much gain. The manual says a gain of 5, which I assume is volts, which translates to about 14dB. I also wonder whether I can output a signal with just the gain and no filtering. This also frees up 2HP for another module or the Mutant Modular Preamp, which would provide all the gain I need, if that turns out to be really important.

I should also consider the WMD Overseer as an alternate to Three Sisters because it is a true stereo filter in 8HP. I could combine that with the Mutant Modular Preamp, but of course the recordings I bring into the system via the pre-amp would be mono.

Thanks all - helpful and given me some good points to think about. I think I am going to start small with a few modules and really try and understand them

Hi Garfield Modular,

Thanks for listening and for your comment, I'm glad that you found it enjoyable :)

I wasn't. When I started this release I already had a small system but it was insufficient, even for multitracking on a DAW. I'm relatively new to modular synths, I started my rack around 2017 and I learned how important it is to plan in advance the hard way. I bought six or seven modules I liked but had a hard time deciding in which direction I wanted to go. At the beginning I was looking for oscillators and sequencers and it didn't fit my way of working. I need modules that add some creative features or that can process samples on an interesting way. This is why now I'm using my rack mainly to achieve certain textures instead of a sound generator. I'm also using Ableton Live and the CV Tools pack makes the connection very straightforward.

I have been trying to create a drone/ambient "lab" in conjunction with other machines I have, but it is work in progress at the moment. I'm really looking forward to expand my rack and detach from the computer screen every now and then when needed.

One common theme when looking at starter systems is the need for more utilities, and for a better balance. As a newcomer myself I can say though that it's a bit challenging at times as there's a handful that always come up (Links, Kinks, Maths) but I feel like a nice comprehensive list would really help people to better understand the importance of these, the proper weight they should have in a rack, and how you as a newcomer will benefit from them. So I thought I'd throw this question out there: what would your top utility suggestion be in a new system, excluding the tried and true favorites above. I can even start it off by saying the secret Utility MVP in my racks so far has been the Intellijel Quad VCA (thank you @farkas again!), the cascading functions in particular are just sooooooo useful.

Anyway, curious what other people might think or have to share about this topic!

Wow...hm, a lot of this needs to be a lot smaller. As in, your VCF and modulation source take up 42 hp in a 104 hp row, which means that two basic functions require over 1/3rd of that row. This makes no sense.

If you've got a Doepfer Monster Case, then yes, I could see justifying that sort of attitude toward panel space. But this is a build in a small cab, where you simply DO NOT have the luxury of spreading out like that if you're trying to make a very capable modular. Plus, some of this might not be the right sort of gear for what you want, which includes "Atmospheric sounds, experimentation"; the Fusion Modulator's trapezoid gens actually are fairly FAST for the sort of very slowly developing sounds that work as drifty, atmospheric bits. And with all of the tube circuitry...did you check your current draws? Do these work with a Mantis? While that cab has a 3A +12V rail, note that this is broken up into three 1A "zones", and those tubes are sucking up a lot of current.

And here's another "warning flag": "any you would recommend that aesthetically look nice". OK...go look at a saxophone for a hot minute. While we all know the shape and such, because it's easy to use as an iconic form...the network of keys, levers, pads, cams, shafts, etc etc all over this form isn't exactly very "aesthetically nice", no matter how the builder tries to nice it up. It still looks like some mechanical engineer's worst fever dream. But all of that IS what makes the sax work.

In short, don't worry about what the build LOOKS like. In all likelihood, that front panel will be smothered in multicolored patchcord wirebarf anyway. Focus on FUNCTION. Sure, an all-black modular might look snazzy...but when you record it, does the blackness of that front panel influence the sound? No? Then don't bother with that aspect. Optimize the sonic capabilities while, at the same time, reducing the cost. F'rinstance, the Fusion VCO2s...OK, fine, they're black, they have tubes. But they take up 28 hp between them, plus tubes in the VCO...ah...really, you want to introduce those nonlinearities further down the signal chain, and have rather precise waveforms at generation. And together, they're $672 for just two VCOs. But at the same time, you could drop $15 more and get three Pittsburgh Lifeforms Primarys...which are more capable in terms of waveform manipulation, modulation capabilities, etc. No, they're NOT black. No, they DON'T look like any of the other modules. But none of that really should matter; you're making a musical instrument, not a movie prop, and visual aspects really should NEVER be a prime concern in that process, especially if they force you into a poorer functionality choice. This is just one example here; there are others, if you start looking.

Honestly, I'd tear this down and chalk it up as a learning experience. Some useful things to remember with MG, btw...

1) Your initial builds will NEVER work. Nobody does one-shots and nails the result. Nobody. Creating a modular build you'll want to use and live with for years takes time and a significant refinement process; fast results only yield crap that we'll be seeing chopped up and put on Reverb/eBay in several months' time.

2) Don't define the case FIRST. Instead, start with a much larger cab. Either you'll...a: find that the case WASN'T "too big", or b: you'll be paring the build down to eventually arrive at your desired build size, with ample space in which to do that.

3) MG isn't a video game. There's no score here. It's not a timed exercise. Get used to the notion of exploring the site in deeper ways, studying modules, existing builds by knowledgeable users, and the concepts behind modular synthesis. Trying to rush this is a good recipe for wasting money.

4) Understand that a good result WILL involve certain amounts of technical compromises. You simply won't be able to cram in every single function you want, so it's important that you sort out how to arrive at those compromises within the "box" of how you work on your music.

5) The amount of f**ks given about what a build looks like should be precisely concomitant with the page count of that storied tome "Famous Antarctic Television Personalities of the 16th Century" (ie: zero). And...

6) The boring-looking stuff is what makes the sexy-looking stuff WORK. Add unlimited snazzy modules at your peril!

Got an SQ-1, also. However, the best cheap external sequencer I can think of (and which I have two of, plus a Keystep and Keystep Pro) would be the Beatstep Pro. Very ample control, especially in live situations. Plus, you get two analog sequencer channels plus the trigger sequencer and its individual outputs.

"I also added in another VCO"
I would do the opposite

well I'd want multiple delays - but maybe that's just me
other things i'd want -
some sort of expression pedal adapter - Bastl Clutch, addac expression pedal adapter, 7 dials cv express etc
and an fx pedal adapter for adding n pedals
maybe something to do pitch to cv - disting does this and a few others

Nice one @mowse, really dug the voice intro at 4:50 or so, well done and very artful!

Working up pieces for another album. These both still need some tweaks, but I like them so far.

The background sound in Ridden is from my C-L Cocoquantus playing back and processing some Tetrax and a shaken half-full jar of water. The rhythm track on Invocation is my tongue drum sampled by Morphagene and then modulated by either a Nonlinear Circuits Triple Sloths running as fast as possible or a Hypster running slow. I can't remember. [edited] It was definitely the Triple Sloths, because that's also modulating Plaits in chord mode.

EDITED Jul 24th 2020, 12:56

Nice to know, thanks!

The database is utf8mb4 that means you can just copy/paste all the 🐶 🐱 🐭 🐨 🐯 🦁 🐷 🐽 😂😭🥺🤣❤️✨😍🙏from the web

They are nice, but we need more

@GarfieldModular, I actually meant to tell you, I was thinking of this as a "Garfield Patch" in my head since there's a lot of tonal and dynamic variation going on, and I'm basically just responding to that and tweaking a few knobs, "no notes into the system" as you say! Somehow it did get somewhere though, I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you as always for giving it a listen!

The SQ1 is fun. I actually just sold mine though. It was definitely a very cost effective solution as I was starting out. I found that I wanted a lot more sequencing power very quickly, but everyone has different approaches.

The Varigate 4+ is a cool sequencer for a small rack because it has options for 4 gates, 4 CVs, or 2 gates/2 CVs, and you could always add a Voltage Block later for 8 16-step CV sequences.
-- farkas

another sequencing option could be a korg sq-1.but dont know if that would limit me

for some reason i cant see the reply?
-- Broken-Form

The post was auto flagged as spam for whatever reason. Changed that.

That's the whole request, would be a nice addition. Thank you!
-- troux

What's with those troll faces we have ?

The Varigate 4+ is a cool sequencer for a small rack because it has options for 4 gates, 4 CVs, or 2 gates/2 CVs, and you could always add a Voltage Block later for 8 16-step CV sequences.

for some reason i cant see the reply?

Hi Troux,

Oh yes, I did enjoy it :-) Thank you very much for sharing!

It's nice relaxing, I just came back from a weekend away from home and just before going to sleep listening at your track. relaxes me and with kind of spacious dreams I will look forward to my bed/space ship ;-)

With your previous track you took me to Alpha Centauri, now with this track no idea where I will end up but for sure even more further away :-)

I can't wait for more space-adventures from you and I am sure you will have a few more nice surprise for us :-) Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Mowse,

Yes, I saw your picture of your EP-420, looks great indeed. It's a bit difficult to get here (Germany) Pittsburgh casing or modules at all, so I hope that will change in the future and will keep in mind the Pittsburgh casings, they certainly have a nice touch!

I look forward to hearing more nice stuff from you :-) Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Farkas,

Ah, I am so happy you are still around :-) Yes, nice one indeed. Very recognisable that's you :-)

Keep it coming, I wouldn't mind it, thanks a lot for sharing and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Marc Oller,

Oh this is nice music, what a long track :-) I enjoyed every minute of it and the nice video is a good added value!

Have you managed to do all the music by modular synths?

Thanks a lot for sharing and kind regards, Garfield Modular.

regarding sequencing,would something like the varigate 4 work?

After one year I have now filled the last hole in my rack. It happends to be with the Monsoon from Michigan Synth Works.
I just want to thank all of you that have helped me chosing the right modules by your comments to my posts.
A special thanks to GarfieldModular, Lugia and Ronin1974!

I have also learned a lot from the Youtube channels:
DivKid:
https://tinyurl.com/y3ddkxcj

Loopop:
https://tinyurl.com/y3j5gxqb

MylarMelodies:
https://tinyurl.com/yy8c9o6k

3 Modules:
https://tinyurl.com/y3mzmx5a

My own choice for just three module are Marbles, Plaits and Maths.
I think you can create incredible patches with just theese 3 modules plus the standard utilities.
Kind regards,
Rookie

thanks for all the suggestions guys,got alot to research

just noticing that i have two delays in there-- the Lyra and the Sound of Shadows. I'd rather keep the SoS, especially given its VCA. So I'm looking to fill up that last bit, if there's any ideas.

hi all, I'm developing a second rack specifically for processing guitar (and other electrical inputs), and this is what I've got so far: . I'm not worried about LFOs, since I have 6+ on my main rack that I can patch in, and I already have an output module there as well. What should I add for the final 7HP, and what seems unnecessary / redundant? Thanks!

Thanks for the reply - I have updated the rack based on your suggestions. I also added in another VCO of the Tabo Mirror as like the drone it puts it out - but not sure if overloading or if the space could have been used for something else?

Another thing I was considering but I don't know if a better idea or not, is to just get a pre built system like the Erica Synths Fusion 2 and just add things to it in a separate rack?

EDITED Jul 19th 2020, 04:54