All Posts

Hi everyone

I recently picked up a Mother-32 and now I'm hooked. I've been trying to build up a rack, have acquired a few 2nd hand modules and now I'm looking for some feedback.

What I already have:

• Disting mk4
• Pams
• Maths
• 2x Electro-smith VCAs (Only 1 in rack atm)
• Mother-32 (Not in rack)

Also:

• MIDI controller
• Microcosm Hologram (granular, reverb, looper pedal)

What I'm considering as a setup in a Doepfer Low cost base rack:

The story so far...

The idea is to create a semi-generative system for noodling; maybe something like a high quality Buddha box. I'm in no way a professionel musician, nor do I harbor aspirations to be one, I just really enjoy the sounds coming from especially the mutable instrument modules and would like to create a system capable of playing these outside VCV. Like almost everyone else on the planet, I work with computers for a living, so I would love to be able to create something simple and flow-state conducive to coding and writing. Ideally, I'd like a system I could "play" or tweak in between blocks of code or when struggling with writer's block... I suppose a room with a view and a fireplace to tend would be perfect, but that's not in my budget, so naturally I looked into the second-most expensive thing next to buying a house, i.e. building a eurorack setup.

Module walkthrough

Pamela's NEW workout Been reading a lot of beginner guides to modular and going through a few courses in VCV. A clock seems somewhat essential, Pams was on my list of clocks and so when a used one cropped up on a local exchange, I picked it up as my first proper module, as it seemed like a safe bet.
MI Marbles Had a little trouble distingising this from Pams, but playing with VCV I finally worked out that it's sorta one module split into 2, where the two play/trigger(?) in relation to one another. If I were to add this to my rack, it would be as a more "playable" clock, if that makes sense?
MI Ears Wanted a Make Noise Morphagene, but couldn't quite justify the cost. Found this instead for adding external sound sources into the eurorack. The contact mic is a fun bonus, but I doubt I'll use it much. External sources aren't on the top of my list, but I worked in radio documentaries in another life and fear I'll end up wanting to add some backdrops (rain, fire, cracking ice, birds, etc) from my recorder at one point or another.
MI Plaits Another safe-ish bet. This is one of the first modules I played around with in VCV and it seems an incredibly flexible sound source. Instead of this, I was considering the 4MS Ensemble Oscillator, since I don't think I'll be utilising the percussive aspects of Plaits much, except perhaps to play with the ears contact mic. I'm still kinda in between the two or even considering both.
MI Rings & MI Beads The way these two sound together is just incredible to me. The hope is I'd be able to achieve something I'd consider soothing and melodic quite easily, so that I could always return to these two when frustrated with all the other modules. I've considered clones of all the MI stuff, but ultimately I wanted to support the author and the commitment to opensource.
Make Noise Maths Already purchased this. I intend to use it as a mixer while learning the other modules and then do a deep dive into it later.
Disting MK4 Since this is a small system and I'm just beginning to dip my toe into the modular waters, I saw this used and picked it up immediately as a stand-in for what might be missing on this list.
Behringer 305 EQ/Mixer/Output This was one of the toughest calls for me. An output module. There are so many! I narrowed down what I need to a) headphone output, b) TS or TRS output for my effect pedal and c) a simple mixer. Tho this module is very expensive in HP, it is comparatively cheap in cold, hard cash.
Mother-32 Nearly forgot to add this! The hope is I can trigger the mother irregularly for some moogish bass beneath the plinky-plonk of the MI modules.
A few comments on my audio setup I own no external mixers or usb audio interfaces. The idea is to run the Mother-32 alongside the rest of the system, then use Maths and the 305 to mix and finally output to the microcosm hologram. I went for the microcosm over a pure reverb, because the microcosm can be a pure reverb, but the added looper appears an "easy fix" for quickly changing things.

So, there it is...

Will it work? I don't know. I'm sure I haven't thought of everything. There are no filters (Doepfer wasp?) for instance, barely any LFOs, nor any FX modules? Any and all comments are more than welcome. This is one of the more daunting shopping sprees of my life and even a little reassurance would go a long way.

Hey Jim,

what utility modules.. would you recommend.

I like mixers (particularly matrix mixers and sub mixers with offset and possibly inversion), logic and sequential switches - there are many many examples of all of these available - some modules that you might want to look at adding - wmd/ssf toolbox, mutable kinks & links, happy nerding 3*mia, doepfer matrix mixer & sequential switch

how are 4 voice to many..? would you 1/2 it..?

yes I would only really have about one voice per row, because there's not enough space left over for the modules that are really needed to support them - it's not the number of voices, per se, it's the size of the case... admittedly when some of that is 'percussion' then it may change slightly, as there isn't necessarily the need for filters and other effects for each 'voice', but there is then need for more fully featured sub-mixing, with panning and send/return and effects/filters to use with the send/return

again - look at my signature - the formula there is aimed at getting the most versatility from the least expenditure... it scales well from small systems to much larger systems - as the larger you get the more you want/need different layers of control

EDITED Apr 2nd 2022, 15:21

Hey Jim,

rack did not load...
re-loaded of rack...
finger crossed it loads now

EDITED Apr 2nd 2022, 13:00

Hey Jim,

what utility modules.. would you recommend.
how are 4 voice to many..? would you 1/2 it..?
2 drum style modules (kick -snare) .
1 percussive glitch thang,
something for a B-line & a sampler for loops stabs & lost shit.

Hey Peeps,

Do any of you follow a flow path when setting up modules in a rack..?

VCO's on the left VCA's on the right...etc.etc.. that kinda thing..

i've got things moving along nice but i feel my layout could be better...

Also for feed back, is there something that is lacking..??
got 4 main voices, 2-3 modulation sources , some filters & EFXs.

only got 20HP to play with at this point!

thanks in advance.
BB

here is my set up.

I think there's no need to worry much about flow in small cases, such as this, 'normal' length cables are enough to patch anything anywhere

I think you've got too many voices

I think you should look at different utility modules to add versatility

I think you should try to figure out the formula in my signature

Hey Peeps,

Do any of you follow a flow path when setting up modules in a rack..?

VCO's on the left VCA's on the right...etc.etc.. that kinda thing..

i've got things moving along nice but i feel my layout could be better...

Also for feed back, is there something that is lacking..??
got 4 main voices, 2-3 modulation sources , some filters & EFXs.

only got 20HP to play with at this point!

thanks in advance.
BB

here is my set up.

Added Imagenes, uSt and Wogglebug, removed A-138 mixer, A-115 Audio Divider, A-118 Random Noise, A-145 LFO…

Then I tore the whole thing apart and threw some new stuff in and… current build looks like:

• Peaks: (Momomodular; 149)
• Make Noise Telharmonic (already purchased)
• Doepfer A-184-1 (already purchased)
• Mutable instruments Shelves (already purchased)
• Rings (already purchased)
• Twist (already purchased)
• Clouds (already purchased)
• Frap 333 (already purchased)
• Doepfer A-138s (already purchased)
• Erica Synths LINK (already purchased)
• DivKid ochd (already purchased)
• Intellijel Triplatt (Patchwerks; 109)
• Intellijel Quad VCA (Patchwerks; 189)
• Marbles Mutable (momomodular; 249)
• ALM Squid Salmple (already purchased)
• Doepfer 1u spacer (already purchased)
• Endorphin.es Ground Control (already purchased)
• Moog Music Inc. Subharmonicon (already purchased)
• Strymon Magneto (599; out-of-stock)
• Make Noise Mimeophon (399; out-of-stock)
• CalSynth uPeaks (Silver) CalSynth uPeaks (Silver)
• Tiptop Buchla 281t (210; out-of stock)
• Tiptop Buchla 258t (200; out-of-stock)
• Olivella Modular IMÁGENES (250E, ~276; Schneidersladen)
• Intellijel Morgasmatron (327E, Schneidersladen)
• Doepfer A-145-4 (67E, Schneidersladen)
• Doepfer A-160-2 (already own)
• Intellijel Unity Mixer (67E; Schneidersladen)
• Intellijel OR (40E; Schneidersladen)
• Intellijel Mixup (80E; Schneidersladen)
• Olivella Modular μSt (99E; Schneidersladen)
• Mantis case red (already purchased)
• Mantis case blue (335; Ground Control)

Remaining 🔥💵🔥 this synth 2439 Dollars + 930 Euro = ~3467 dollars

Awesome. Have fun!

Oh yeah Bionic Lester MK3 is super fun and crazy good. I use it with my Hertz Donut MK3 a lot.

Moogah Sem - among the barrage of clones going for this, comparing to my old sems, i feel this is the most faithful and best sounding implementation in euro.

Am Synths am8109- silky, bubbly Roland cascaded ota sound, that came with beginning of the new decade (Jup8, Juno 60,,,). this version has original IR3109.

Livewire Frequensteiner (Synthasystem) and Elby CGS735 (Synthacon) - two Steiner filter variants. vintage, almost archaic tone at times. can be liquidy, characterful, edgy, as well as go dark side of the moon, falling apart when you crank the resonance.

Wiard Borg 1 - MS20 Sallen Key realized with vactrols. works as wonderful slow lpg, and when you move into vcf mode and crank the resonance, Id comes out.. perhaps one of the true classics from the early eurorack era

micro Hadron Collider - dual SVF with distortion and industrial deep in its dna. works great with harvestman osc.

EDITED Jul 4th 2023, 10:30

Hi,

I'd like to share some experiences now that I'm one month into modular. Before ordering, I spent 3-4 weeks researching and having the discussion above. I then moved to VCV Rack to try out the ideas before commiting to the purchase. It was very much worth the time and the effort. Looking back, I really didn't know what I was getting into

This is my current rack. The Melotus Versio is on the side because it's been ordered but hasn't arrived yet.

Some thoughts on what I built.

• I have three mixers. Actually, four, if you count the octuple Doepfer VCA, which can do summing as well. Just today, I was using 4 channels of Veils with 3 channels of Quadratt and three of the Ladik. The octuple Doepfer is very useful when I use noise for beats. As Zadar allows me to lower the voltage, I can do attenuation in there anyway. So yes, more VCAs are better.
• I have only two possibly melodic sources: Plaits and the bOSC. I absolutely love both of them, but it's limiting. I'm eyeing a Klavis Twin Waves mkii next.
• I spent a bit more money on envelopes and drums, getting Zadar and Rample. I regret neither. They are both incredible modules. And I haven't even put my own samples on Rample yet!
• One LFO only, but with multiple outputs. Also, I use Zadar as an LFO from time to time. It's unipolar, but hey, set the start point at the bottom instead of in the middle and it works just fine. Great to have complex LFOs when I want them! Ochd sounds nice, but it's not on my urgent list.
• I thought I would save some money getting the Feedback modules. Really, they aren't bad. Static has a lovely variety of noise sources and Lo-Fusion is a nice analogue filter. But looking back, I regret not spending a bit more. I really miss a V-Oct for the chip noise and a hi pass filter. A different selection would've gotten me those immediately.
• The Versio. I lusted for a Ruina Versio from the beginning, but my focus has shifted away from distortion. The Electus looked nice too but wasn't in stock. I can try it any time by flashing the firmware, but I'll definitely get to know the Melotus well before I flash it to something else.
• Next up will be a Joranalogue Select 2 S/T&H and a Pamela to clock it. There's a random CV on the Static that I can use with this. Pamela will definitely be a great addition in the long run.
• I'm currently using my BeatStep Pro for sequencing but I've been running into its limitations pretty quickly. Try long 3/4 (or any non-4/4) patterns, for example. So I ordered a Teensy to try out a Dirtywave M8 headless and if that works fine, I'll get a real unit. I worked quite a bit in ScreamTracker and FastTracker 2 so the workflow feels familiar.
• I'm working on integrating the modular with my iPad, step by step. I bought an IK iRig Pro Duo to get a dual (stereo) input for recording, tuning and scope. Unfortunately, it hasn't been working well. I think it conflicts with the Motu M4 that's connected to the same USB hub. It's gone back and I'm eyeing an ES-9 next. Later on, AUM and Borderlands.

I've been really enjoying this setup so far. I like the limitations, as they force me to be creative. Some things turned out really well, some a bit less. You live and learn. To keep myself committed, I started a project where I do patching from scratch and publish a track after a jam every day. I just started a YouTube channel for this, you can find the link in my signature. I'm catching up the previous 2 weeks still, but the last few days are there. For the full list, check my SoundCloud playlist. Sorry for the blatant self-promotion, but it's more a request for review. Let me know if I should post that in another part of the forum!

Thanks for all your help here! I couldn't have done it without you

I love ModularGrid for planning out racks, but the one thing that keeps getting me is the panel versions feature.

It seems that whenever someone uploads a new image for a module, it also updates racks that already had the old primary panel version. Admittedly this is cosmetic, but it's a bit frustrating to come back to a rack and find that modules have changed color or design because someone else uploaded new images.

It wouldn't be such a big deal except that selecting an alternate panel doesn't actually seem to work most of the time. If I open a rack, get info on a module, and click an alternate panel, it does add that panel to one of my racks, but it's usually not the one the module was actually in. This would be a big change so please consider it a feature request, but it seems like it would solve several problems here to add panel versions to the module finder.

Ideally, when adding a module to a rack, ModularGrid should remember which panel was used so that new panel images don't automatically apply to existing racks. When deleting a module, the module should be archived rather than removed from existing racks. HP and 1U properties should also probably not be editable after a module is created.

And, at the very least, starting from a rack, clicking the "i" button on a module, and then selecting an alternate panel should always return to the same rack. (Usually I'm returned to a different rack with the module added there.)

EDITED Apr 1st 2022, 06:22

Hi Everyone,

I have added some more free downloadable review reports of Eurorack modules in PDF format on my website, please refer below my signature for the link:

ACL: Multi II
ADDAC: 200b Buffered Multiples
Doepfer: A-106-5 SEM filter, A-110-1 VCO, A-124 Wasp filter, A-130-1 Linear VCA, A-131-1 Exp. VCA, A-140-1 ADSR, A-145-1 LFO and A-180-3 Dual Buffered Multiple
Erica Synths: Black 8 Mult, Pico Multi v1.2, Pico Switch and Black VCA v2
Frequency Central: Dual XVCA
Hikari Instruments: Quad Switch
Intellijel: Audio I/O
Make Noise: Multiple and STO
Patching Panda: Punch v1
Waldorf: DVCA1
Xaoc Devices: Tallin and Warna II

Quick guide: Read chapter 2, that's all you need to know if you suffer from TL;DR symptoms ;-) Or read the entire report if you don't. For those who want more detailed information on the parameters and characteristics used in these review reports you can go to my website and at the top right click on "Other documents" then click on the latest Review_report_appendices_version link to download the Appendices, the Glossary and the Change Log that goes with the above mentioned review report.

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Philippepad,

I had the Doepfer A-190-5 and it disappointed me and you might notice that I usually like (or rather love) Doepfer modules, I am quite a fan of Doepfer modules. The exception are those A-190-x modules though, I didn't like to work with the A-190-5, not very logical, menu-diving and the lot and worst of all no manual available.

So I took the Vermona - qMI2 module instead, also 4 MIDI channels module and I love the module for it's simplicity in usage, it just does what it needs to do. I can recommend the qMI2 module instead of a Doepfer A-190-x module.

Depending on what you want to do with your computer towards your modular system, you might want to have a look into Expert Sleepers modules if you need more than that recommended qMI2 module can do.

Good luck with the search for a good MIDI module and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Funbun,

Great video and nicely "guided" with your synth music :-)

Thanks a lot for sharing with us and kind regards, Garfield.

Edit: Removed typo.

EDITED Mar 31st 2022, 23:41

Wow, thanks a lot for the effort. That looks to me like a setup with a lot of possibilities. The miso seems like a simple useful module. Could you give me an application example? I can use it to sum modulation sources, invert them, etc. Is that correct?
-- FWGW

And more besides. MISO can also supply DC offsets, scalar changes, modulation signal waveshaping...it's a Swiss Army Knife for modulation sections. And coupled with some VCAs, that can get REALLY wild because you can tandem those functions with the VCAs in linear mode to control modulation amplitudes. For example, there's this: https://i.discogs.com/tR56UmH3E9cR204H0-eIzMI6F_IEF1KrxwiiiEp8bZM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUwMjAz/LTEyMjExNzgxOTMu/anBlZw.jpeg Note how the amplitude there is increasing over the scope's time window? That takes a VCA to accomplish. So, yeah...MISO + VCAs, or if space is limited, a Frap 321 + a smaller set of VCAs, which does a lot of similar things but being a 6 hp module, it's not got the panel space that the MISO has, ergo a bit less control.

EDITED Mar 31st 2022, 22:47

Duplicate submission. This WMD/SSF collab is listed under Steady State Fate ADSRVCA at https://www.modulargrid.net/e/steady-state-fate-adsrvca

Lugia:

I already own Shelves.

The nice thing about modular is you can move modules around once you have a clearer picture of how you will use them.

Regards,
Johana

I liked the Twinkly bits :)

Wow, thanks a lot for the effort. That looks to me like a setup with a lot of possibilities. The miso seems like a simple useful module. Could you give me an application example? I can use it to sum modulation sources, invert them, etc. Is that correct? I didn't know about the stasis leak. Does anyone have experience with it? In terms of usability and audio quality? I'm just wondering if morphagene and beads make sense together in the final state. Beads has a nice reverb and can also be used as a delay. The granular possibilities are also very interesting from what I've seen so far. Couldn't Morphagene and Stasis Leak replace Beads?

This has some very serious issues. For one thing, there's only four VCAs for this entire honkin' big build. That's not going to work out very well. You also have discontinued modules in here, the Shelves being one of those, so if you don't either have one or can't find one on the used market, you're not going to have one. The Moog should NOT be in here, since it's got its own cab and power, and using case space (which should be for actual modules that don't have those) that makes the Moog more expensive doesn't seem to me to be fiscally sensible. If you doubt that one, try this:

Cost of case / hp count. This yields a "cost-per-hp" amount for the cab. Then...

Cost-per-hp x 60. This is the actual cost to house the Moog in the cab. Then...

Actual cost figure + Moog price. Kinda spendy. Ouch...

The layout is pretty confusional as well. You might try laying this out so that you have similar-function modules grouped together, and then pushing those into cogent signal paths overall. Right now, the build's a trainwreck...definitely NOT something I would want to use. And a lot of that's because the panel's going to vanish beneath a mat of patchcords that go all over the place needlessly. Plus, you could stand to lose maybe a third of the modules that's there, especially the 4 hp and down ones, especially if you can consolidate the various one-function modules into a couple of slightly larger ones. That'll help clean up the panel as well; have a look at THIS for an example of what I'm talking about: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/steady-state-fate-tool-box

Wishing is good, but like the old saying says, "be careful what you wish for". This has an awful lot of operational booby-traps as it is; you might consider being a little more methodical with the module complement instead of dumping piles of "feature" modules into the cab. You have enough of those (plus the Moog) that you're in a position to build an uncontrollable mess, so don't do that.

Had a bash at this one...

You'll notice that I upped the size of the cab from 84 to 104, and added a tile row. This is designed with an Intellijel 7U x 104 in mind, which helps with a number of things, such as pedal interfacing, power, and so on as well as simply providing more SPACE in which to push the build a bit further. Went ahead and filled it on out, as well.

Oh, crap...what have I done here? Welllllllll....

TOP: Konstant Labs PWRchekr, so you can keep an eye on your DC rails, then a 1 hp blank to help the PWRchekr stand out a bit better and to fill a 1 hp hole, natch. Then, TWO Plaits (since two oscillators allows for a lot more in the way of things such as audio-rate modulation, FM, and so on) which are followed by a Veils. Then that HUGE black thing there is G-Storm's redux of the famous Synton Syrinx filter, which is one of the most expressive VCFs out there. It works on vocal formants (and a bunch of other methods!), so the output has a rather voice-like contour to the timbre...provided you use it that way, as there's a lot of other things it'll do, filter-wise...especially with the expression pedals! Then Rings, Beads...and a Tesseract TexMix setup with four mono ins + the master module. The TexMix gives you VCAs for audio levels per input, dual FX sends and dual stereo returns, panning, your outputs and a headphone preamp.

MIDDLE: Manikk quad freerun LFOs with symmetry control over the square and triangle wave outs. Then Maths, and after that is a Tiptop MISO for manipulating/merging/messing with modulation signals, and a second Veils for VCA control over modulation signals. An Intellijel Quadrax/Qx combo handles basic AR envelopes, but also a bunch of other sorts of mayhem since the Qx can be used as a "cascader" for the EGs there, offering EOR and EOF outs. Then for more "normal" envelopes, a Doepfer A-140-2 Dual ADSR. After that are effects...the Morphagene, a Frequency Central Stasis Leak, giving tap delay, chorus, and reverb and stereoization, and a Happy Nerding FX Aid XL for all of the other onboard FX.

TILES: This is where it gets fun. First up is the stereo input module, which connects to the dual input 1/4" jacks on the cab. Then after that are two expression pedal interfaces, a third that uses a pedal switch to flip between A and B signal paths, and two sets of Intellijel external FX interfaces that let you add two loops of mono I/O pedals to the fray. Then the stereo out, which fixes the output module question as it connects, like the input module, to the output jacks on the cab.

Now, if you know the Intellijel cabs, you'll notice that this is built "upside-down". This is very deliberate, as it brings all of the external 1/4" jacks for pedals, stompboxes, and the synth's I/O plus the power switch close together so that you don't have 1/4" cables hanging all over the modular, and this will make using the pedal complement much easier. So you have to tote it around upside-down...eh, not an issue, really. This build effectively eliminates the original's power supply module, fixing that issue, plus it deals with the audio I/O question AND allows the build to be much more guitar-centric via the tile row's interfaces.

EDITED Mar 31st 2022, 02:14

Added Imagenes, uSt and Wogglebug, removed A-138 mixer, A-115 Audio Divider, A-118 Random Noise, A-145 LFO

Removed Subharmonicon, added Mixup, Function, VCDLFO, uVCO, Intellijel Or and Unity Mixer, uVCF, Triplatt, and Morgasmatron.

Pulled out Doepfer VCDLFO, Intellijel Mixup; Plopped in Tides. This would be a clone built by MomoModular.

EDITED Apr 1st 2022, 03:11

Yes,
but it s a mistake on the picture.

I have an amalgamod case and can vouch for the quality of the case (all parts replaceable), the power supply (each header is filtered, and external transformer makes swapping plugs easy) and customer service (I bought mine second-hand with some issues, sorted out without issue or cost). 100% worth the money and I’d happy buy a second if needed, I’m a very happy customer.

Thank you for the answers. I will deal with utility modules a bit more and see what I really need or not

This rack is based on my current set, plus a few wish list items, plus a Doepfer Basic System 2 thrown in for good measure.

Removed 190-4, Doepfer's midi module, as its functionality can be performed with Ground Control

Removed A-110x2 as the TipTop Buchla and the Moog both provide oscillators.

Added Calsynths Clouds

Removed A-120, A-106-6, added Shelves for filtering.

Removed A-140x2, Added Recovery ADSR, Calsynth Peaks

Removed A-130, A-131; Added Intellijel Quad VCA.

Removed A-114, 170 (ring mod, slew limiter) as these functions are handled by the 184-1.

Replaced A-160 with A-160-2. (clock divider)

Added Telharmonic & Mimeophone

Added 2HP ADSR, the rack is now full.

EDITED Mar 30th 2022, 18:34

Thanks you for advices. No clouds in my setup in fact.
-- philippepad

What's that module in the upper left corner, then?

Ummmm...no. It's pretty and all, but it's going to be pretty useless like this. There's no individual VCAs (not counting the Optomix), you're using 76 hp for effects modules alone, and there's only three audio sources in the entire thing.

Modular synths aren't intended to be decorations. And yet, that's what this seems to be. I'd suggest rethinking the entire thing, scrapping the "one maker" idea (that pretty much NEVER works!), and proceed with a much wider module complement. You'll find that you can put more functionality into the build that way; I've only ever seen two "one maker" builds that I thought was worth a damn as an instrument. And yes, that includes things like the Moog modulars and the original ARP 2500. The two? Buchla and Serge...and these days, in both cases, you don't have to stick with the same maker in those formats anymore.

For example, if you tossed the DPO and STO, that would open up a 36 hp hole. Then you can fit a pair of Tiptop/Buchla 258ts into that hole, giving you FOUR VCOs. Pitch the Telharmonic, and you can add THREE of those 258s if you scrounge up another 14 hp from somewhere else. The three MN modules together = $1147. Three 258t modules = $600. So...six oscillators, more free space AND $547 back in your pocket? Yeah, I'd jump on that...as would most anyone else. That's just ONE example.

Listening now. Great stuff so far! I'd love to hear about your production methods. Whatever you care to share would be interesting to know. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

Most or all of the additions you've made are already in the database, why make new entries? You can add your images to the existing entries or simply make your additions private for personal use.

How does a shop get added to the list of such places that might sell a module?

-- DJMaytag

Sorry for late reply, this is an ad space we sell. I have send you a pm.

well more rack wart than underpowered I guess - the uZeus - it takes up rack space... & it's not a great power supply, can be noisy and is tbh a bit underpowered... but sufficient for the rack you have pictured...

I think mixers are incredibly useful - especially matrix mixers - for creating interesting modulation...

I don't think you really benefit from a clock divider that much in this rack - not a lot to trigger & marbles can do clock division...

possibly don't need the output module - I'd get attenuators instead... unless you need the headphone output - and then I'd get the ALM hpo as it's only 2hp - odd hp modules are a pita

sequential switches are useful

as I said above expression pedal and to some extent on/off pedal interfaces are really useful - especially if you are going to play guitar or bass into your modular

Thanks for the helpful tips and information

@Wiktorian
I've been thinking about jack converters or about a send and return module. I only know the knob.farm ferry. Unfortunately, this is not available for known reasons. Are there others with the same function?

@JimHowell1970
What do you mean with underpowered rack wart?
Maybe I'll start with Hermod first. The LFO, Random, Scale and Sequencer functions seem very useful when playing with the guitar.
Which utility modules do you think would be important? A clock divider seems extremely useful to me. An attenuator could also be an advantage for the high levels in the rack.
As a CV function generator, i have planned maths that I want to learn down to the smallest detail and then see what else I need

I saw a lot of racks with ornament and crime on modulargrid. Especially in small racks. The many functions, especially in the area of ​​CV modulation, are very impressive. But the module seems to me complicated, especially at the beginning

ok

EDITED Mar 28th 2022, 22:37

A looping ADSR from AI Synthesis. Good kit, a pretty easy build, the circuit board has lots of space and easy component installation. Good ADSR, though I can’t see how to control the pulse time for the loop, maybe feeding voltage into the retrigger jack will do that, but I can’t see it otherwise.
Good 2nd-3rd kit to build.
C.K. builds a looking envelope from AI Synthesis

with similar modules, yes, but not this one - it's a single channel midi->cv module

sound like you want something along the lines of the hex inverter mutant brain or befaco midi thing...

EDITED Mar 28th 2022, 19:02

Hi,

with this kind of module can i control multi midi output from my computer ?
a track for one module
a track for one BD module and so on

Thanks

ok I took a look:

underpowered rack wart... by the time you've sorted a case and rails and the power supply and the boost psu, you might as well have bought a mantis - better power, no rack wart and bigger...

I don't see the need for both pachinko and hermod - in this size case...

I'd throw out the ears and the 2hp loop - the loop because morphagene will do this and the ears because - at the moment for guitar/bass interface I would go for the sonicsmith ev1 - it's got the best pitch follower, and gas other features that are useful

as you're a guitar/bass player, with pedals, then I'd also get at least one pedal interface module (will make life easier) - whilst some pedals will work fine at modular levels - moogerfoogers for example, most won't and need attenuation on the way out and then boosting on the way back in - I'd also want at least one expression pedal interface - so that you can control the modular with your feet whilst playing the guitar - it really helps

I'd also want more utilities - think plumbing - for both audio and cv!

EDITED Mar 28th 2022, 15:14

Jdesole, planning racks is fun (I spend so many hours on ModGrid myself) but I suggest you log some hours and build up some experience with Modular on VCVRack2, maybe focus on the ‘real world’ modules available there, like Instruo, Mutable and Befaco. It’ll also solve all your mixing needs.

If you’re still early in your physical rack, get an Expert Sleepers ES9 so you can patch into VCV. It’s the first module I ever bought - invaluable for learning. Even if you want to be fully physical in your modular, unless you’re loaded and have immediate access to any module you want, it’ll be a long time before your rack is fully realized. You could learn with the ES9, help you make the right choices of what to purchase, then sell it later - they’re in constant demand.

-- Lugia

Thanks you for advices. No clouds in my setup in fact.
I am going to studdies more.
But my first result give me confidence and show me that the road will not be short

EDITED Mar 28th 2022, 22:39

I don't think you're missing anything important! Looks like a competent ambient guitar processing setup with possibilities to create new interesting timbres, even without an external instrument.

The only thing I can think about is maybe having some quality of life stuff regarding interfacing with your guitar and pedals. Maybe some jack converters etc?

looks like a decent start to me...

connect mac - do you really need midi or would you be better with native cv? which DAW are you using? which audio interface? for midi either the mutant brain or befaco midi thing look good to me - for cv - expert sleepers es9 may be the best option - or possibly the bored brain optx (depending on if your audio interface is dc-coupled or has adat i/o)

correct level for audio interface - do you need this? doesn't the Apollo x4 have a pad? if it doesn't or the pad is not enough - then you should be able to reduce the volume using the veils... and go straight from that... if you'd rather use a separate module try passive attenuators 1st (if you decide you still want a dedicated output module, then your clouds will thank you!!) use 1/4"->1/8" cables and not adapters...

headphone output - alm hpo?

Maths - ok it's a great module - download the 'maths illustrated supplement' and work your way through that a few times- it's a great starting point - try to think about why and what it's doing - not just blindly patching... why do you think you need an adsr? if you do feel you need one then maybe the doepfer vcadsr
-- JimHowell1970

Hi, thanks you for advice. In my setup there is no CLOUD !!
My first goal is to create new sound texture and record it. So i want to play with a midi keyboard.
Next I want to use my bass to tweak my rack. Next i want to include some Kick, Snare ... and FX and maybe a sequencer.
My appolo got PAD but it s not enough (except if i turn down my veils but without any CV modulations)

Hello,

maybe you could give me feedback on my planned system. I plan to go in the ambient direction. Other instruments used are guitar and bass with effect pedals. Plaits and Rings shall be the main voices. The melodies are said to come from Marbles and Hermod. The loop module is primarily intended to serve as a looper for a background bass guitar voice. In morphagene I want to record guitar sounds and then manipulate them. Milky Way and Beads for the effects section and Maths for many other functions.

What would you exchange or what is missing in principle?

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1867104.jpg?1648448989

EDITED Mar 28th 2022, 06:38

Ah, cool. I will remember that trick @segu.

Really cool!

Went ahead and did a fill-out of this, since there were some modules not in the rack itself that gave me some good ideas on how to proceed:

So, this has the audio on the top row, control/modulation on the bottom. This lets you run your audio path across the top, and then you bring the lower row signals up to the top when/where needed.

TOP: Starts with a Konstant Labs PWRchekr to keep an eye on your DC rail health. Then for the external input, I went with the ol' reliable Doepfer A-119. Sure, it's been around about 20+ years...but that's because Dieter designed it right and it became sort of the "gold standard" for good external inputs. It not only allows you to have that crucial step-up in voltage, you also get a comparator that fires a gate when a given level is exceeded, and a proper envelope follower to derive dynamic signals from the inputted audio. I doubled the Orage VCOs (one VCO good, two VCOs MUCH better!), and added Erica's PicoRing, which is a single ringmod with an internal carrier oscillator. This then goes to the Veils, which has four VCAs and allows you to split the mixbus; given the multiple waveforms of the Orage VCOs, it seemed like the combo of those + the Veils was a good fit to allow shifting between waveforms for more timbral variation. Chucked the 12 dB VCF in favor of something WAY more versatile and which also lets you go from mono to stereo...which you need for the Clouds. The Wiard reissue (from Malekko) of the Dual Borg not only gives you a pair of multimode VCFs, they can also work as gates...and not merely lowpass ones, either! Coming out of the Dual Borg, you hit an After Later dual VCA based on Veils topology. Then the Clouds, now fed with a stereo signal, feeds to the new version of Happy Nerding's output module, which also has a headphone preamp and also has your main output level control.

BOTTOM: For a decent and user-definable MIDI interface, I went with Hex's Mutant Brain. Then the new version of the Qu-bit Nanorand provides ample random signals for the Marbles to chew on. After that is a pair of CVable LFOs from Volt-a-tone and then, of course, Maths. I should note that Maths is one module that can be confusing at first, but once you decipher the way YOU want to use it, it becomes apparent that this module is majorly OP! After that, a Frap 321 and another After Later VCA pair gives you a pretty good modulation processing pair, then we get to the Quadrax...which now has its expander.

This isn't too shabby...fact is, it's a great basic small modular with loads of sound design possibilities, and every basic module you'd need (and then some!). One note: there aren't any mults here...which is what you want, as builds like this demand function in every panel HP. Use inline mults or stackcables here when needed for that. Also, keep the max depth of 45mm in mind here...some cabs don't tend to run that deep, although these days manufacturers are getting more savvy about their module depths.

interesting - not too many people have video modular... which I think is a shame as I love it... mines all combined with my audio - cos I use so many of the utilities and waveshapers for both...

but here's the link to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/jimhowell1970/

looks like a decent start to me...

connect mac - do you really need midi or would you be better with native cv? which DAW are you using? which audio interface? for midi either the mutant brain or befaco midi thing look good to me - for cv - expert sleepers es9 may be the best option - or possibly the bored brain optx (depending on if your audio interface is dc-coupled or has adat i/o)

correct level for audio interface - do you need this? doesn't the Apollo x4 have a pad? if it doesn't or the pad is not enough - then you should be able to reduce the volume using the veils... and go straight from that... if you'd rather use a separate module try passive attenuators 1st (if you decide you still want a dedicated output module, then your clouds will thank you!!) use 1/4"->1/8" cables and not adapters...

headphone output - alm hpo?

Maths - ok it's a great module - download the 'maths illustrated supplement' and work your way through that a few times- it's a great starting point - try to think about why and what it's doing - not just blindly patching... why do you think you need an adsr? if you do feel you need one then maybe the doepfer vcadsr