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Hi Marc,

Thank you :-) That arpeggio is done by the Sinfonion of ACL and the voice used for that is the Make Noise - STO (voice 5) and that through the Ventris Dual Reverb pedal from Audio Source. A bit more complicated then that but roughly like just described.

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Defragmenteur and Troux,

Troux: okay, looking at Defragmenteur's comment, the better choice :-)

Defragmenteur: Thanks a lot for sharing this, makes me pretty scared about this Pro thing... pity, on paper it looked so good... Or is it a matter of waiting a few more months to wait till all these kind of "starting problems" have been solved?

By the way, are you "touching" all your synthesizer stuff with a ten feet pole? If yes... poor synthesizers, might not be much left of them ;-) Hence, why I use my ten fingers to touch my modules ;-) Or is this because of Covid-19 and that's why you rather take a ten feet pole instead of using your fingers? ;-)

Thank you and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Logical Phallusy,

On one hand it's interesting to read your explanations (a bit like myself) on the other hand it's difficult to judge on what/where you need advice, input and/or feedback. Perhaps the best is that you summarise it in two maximum three lines and then below that mention the questions you have? I haven't come across any real question or did I overlook the questions of yours?

Some general information: I would add one extra row to the rack and keep that empty for adding modules in the (near) future. You still can stay within your 4k budget (going to be tough though) but you have at least the space to extend in case you need, and you will need that :-)

You mention the Rubicon 2 from Intellijel is expensive and indeed that's the case. I got this one myself and though it's certainly a good module but is it worth that kind of money? I am not sure about that, for less money and at least as much fun I enjoy my Make Noise - STO. Perhaps to keep in mind that larger/bigger/more expensive VCO/DCO modules doesn't mean automatically more fun to play with. Of course it depends a bit on what you want to do but your observation is right that the Rubicon 2 is (bloody) expensive and you might want to ask yourself if that's worth it for what it gives you. Best advice is to have it tested at your local dealer. Testing the modules before buying is the best what you can do; not always possible though.

Also generally I would advice to start with a simple setup of: 2 VCOs, 2 LFOs, 2 EGs, 2 filters, ring mod perhaps, noise?, VCAs, mixer and audio input/output module, that as a contrast to your choice of "quite sexy modules" ;-)

Good luck with your planning, as you mentioned it yourself already, start slowly with a few modules and build it up bit by bit, while gaining experience, that's indeed the most enjoyable way into modular. Have fun and kind regards, Garfield Modular.

Hi Humanoid01,

By the way, last week I met Humanoid03, a brother or cousin of yours? ;-) Just pulling your leg ;-)

Personally I feel you got a bit too many "sexy looking modules" ;-) Some of them are very nice, I will believe that, but perhaps you should keep that for later when you have more experience with your rack; up to you of course. Think of ditching the Mordax - Data (yes it's nice but straight away buying this one? Is a bit too early I believe), the Plasma drive from Erica Synths? It's pretty large and to start with in a rack, mwah... not so sure, keep that on your wish list, is my advice; and perhaps a few more of that kind of modules.

I would consider one more EG and you might want to consider one more filter to start with. Add also one more empty row to this rack to have some space for the (near) future.

It's easier and better to have an Audio I/O module to "export" your audio out of your rack to your external mixer. From the external mixer take one of the outputs to your speakers. Eurorack modules, the audio signals are of a higher level then audio line levels; so keep that in mind in case you decide not to go for an audio module. I am using the Intellijel Audio I/O and I am pretty happy with it, the only thing it doesn't have is a headphones output. If you need that consider the Befaco - Out v3.

That should do it for the beginning, after that build up experience, at just your opinion on certain matters and then see if those items I asked you to leave it out first, if you still want to have them added. Good luck with it and have fun with modular! Kind regards, Garfield Modular.

Hi Eonblue77,

How about going to a hotel room and playing around with your modular rack and using headphones, shut yourself off from the rest of the world and enjoy modular synthesizers? ;-)

But I guess that's not really what you wanted to know, "where to go with your rack" :-)

Okay then, regarding your rack, the size is kind of okay I think, for starters. It's good to keep some space free, keep roughly one row free, if possible a bit more because you will see that you need that free space in the (near) future. But that's what you already did, so that's good!

You might consider one more VCO/DCO, perhaps an EG more too beside the Maths? What I completely miss (or did I overlooked that?) are LFOs. Didn't really see them, not as such at least.

How are you going to "output" your sound from the modular rack to the outside world? An audio I/O module would be helpful here, if you take one with headphones output you can use your rack with headphones too (to go to that suggested hotel room). But of course you can use headphones via your external mixer too (that's what I do and feel is most practical but that's up to everyone's personal taste of doing things).

Good luck with the planning and have fun with modular :-) Kind regards, Garfield Modular.

[Edit: Scrapped all the delay line considerations because none of them can do short enough delays for my purposes, which is stuff like instrument body modeling (violin = .02ms for a 500hz resonance), karplus strong, etc. I replaced it with something I can program my own algorithms with in PureData. Also I'll be able to do stuff like modal synthesis in 'hardware' without needing to buy a dedicated module (or trust anyone else's implementation). I'll also be able to upload my custom talking vowel filter that I already have ready to go (5 formants deep!) :D. I just hope the processor is strong enough to keep up. The Salt has a better processor but both audio in and out are only 44.1hz which is fine for final products but not for stuff that's still being processed.]

Hello all, I've been lurking this site for quite a while now and am considering pulling the trigger on (starting) a build in the near future. My budget is set at 4k, but I know the general advice is to purchase modules slowly. I've been playing with synths, virtual modular programs, and things like CSound and PureData for over 10 years so I do have an idea what I'm doing, how things work, and what my goals are. I will be extending off a Behringer Neutron which I've had for around a year now. I love the immediate and tactile nature of it, and find it way more inspiring than clicking around on a computer. It's also far more performable, and I don't have to spend hours trying to patch up a MIDI control interface to interact with what I create -- the knobs are just there.

This is the build to work toward, and I've outlined my goals and potential solutions to them below. I'm looking for feedback! If you see anything important I've overlooked, know of a more efficient way, or see separate modules that may be reduced to one single module I haven't thought of please let me know!

(note: the bitbox is not going to be in the rack. It's a placeholder for the blackbox which costs exactly the same)

Goal:
Primary: Physical modeling, TZFM, Utility holes in Neutron
Secondary: Generative

What the primary goal requires:
1 TZFM oscillator
a way to model an instrument's body
cover the most frequent things I wish I had while patching the Neutron:
1 full wave rectifier (to pair with neutron slew for an envelope follower)
1+ VCA
1+ EG
9000 attenuverters

Secondary goal requires:
Clock toys
LFOs
Sequencers
Quantizer
etc.

Choices (*frontrunner, current choice):
TZFM osc:
FM ogre
Only does sin waves but has a 's

EDITED Jul 24th 2020, 07:55

Very cool. Nice work.
I got my Panharmonium last week, and it's a game changer for me. It seems to be a polarizing module over on MW, but I feel like you can fit it into almost any patch with some work.

Bought a dervish fx from @AThousandDetails. Very nice contact, secure shipping, thanks m8 :)!

Got my Panharmonium yesterday. That Module is wonderful. You can transform a Loop into something completely different.

It's not an Instant Ambient Machine, you really have to carefully peel out the Sounds from the Source Marterial.

I decided to make a few Demo Tracks, showing that you can turn crappy Loops into Ambient.

Here is my first "Everything is Ambient" Session with the Panharmonium.The Panharmonium is the only Soundsource (with Reverb from ZDSP). I fed the Panharmonium with a short Loop from NebulaeV2.

I start with only 1 Oscillator and slowly stacking up to 11 Oscillators.

A few seconds after the Track ends you can hear the Loop from Nebulae without Panharmonium and ZDSP.

Never knew a boolean operation having a result of '404'. Live and learn.

dogs are the best. the only logical deduction.

EDITED Jul 22nd 2020, 15:57

Hi,

First time posting, new to eurorack.

I bought a DIY braids and it worked fine at first. As i pressed the encoder the module reboots (I think). Pressing it a few times more the module shuts down. It's not starting up again... I've tried two nifty cases without succes.

Any ideas on how to fix?

THX!

A fun book that's related to those ideas and discusses them, is The KLF: Chaos, Magic, and the Band Who Burned a Million Pounds by John Higgs.

Voltage Block sends a random 1 volt through Intellijel Quad VCA (which receives a random gate at the CV input from Varigate 8+) to 333. 333 acts as Precision Adder as both quantized pitch CV from Varigate and VB’s 1volt meet there before they go to MiniMod oscillator 2. The result is a random 1 octave pitch change for the notes of Varigate’s sequence.

full patch here:
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/patches/view/65267

Garfield,

12 voices, wow! I like the arpeggio that starts around 4:00 min and just before 8:00 min too, lots of density in there. Also like how spacey the track sounds, nice selection of effects. Great! :)

Actually, there is purpose and meaning to those names, but it would be unreasonable to expect them to be apparent to everyone. In the case of these two pieces they relate to the invocation of a spirit and that spirit 'riding' an initiate. That is what the music suggested to me as I was creating it, and it relates to my interest in the realm of ideas and 'magic' as Alan Moore has discussed and David Lynch's concept of fishing for ideas.

EDITED Jul 22nd 2020, 15:16

EDITED May 2nd 2021, 13:41

One helpful feature would be to differentiate between owned modules and wanted modules. This way you could build a rack and then turn off owned modules to see remaining cost and power needs.

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!