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Welcome and I just built a mobile techno focused system with drums, bass and so forth in a 4u Intellijel Palette case. So far it works great. Here is what I put together to help you as a guideline:
First, some advice.
Ditch the larger Desmodus Versio and get the smaller Happy Nerding FX Aid unless you plan on a larger case. Also get rid of the Clep Diaz, Mimetic Digitalis, Horologic Solum, and 2HP LFO. Get a Pamela New Workout instead as it takes up less space, has 8 triggers and greatest clock in eurorack and good euclidian sequencer plus logic and random options for modular and great for drums.
Get a decent quad VCA and thank me later as well. I know that you like Noise Engineering but their modules tend to be on the larger side and not idea for a small case. I also recommend a larger mobile case like Intellijel 7u case that is still portable or a Tiptop Mantis case.
This is something I would like to see IF people making listings can't be bothered to tell which format their tiles are in the original listings. Some do...you see some listings that clearly note that they're Intellijel format or Pulplogic format. And then, quite a few don't.
Frankly, what I would prefer to see is something like XODES's solution: a universal-sized tile panel with large U-cuts for screws instead of the little holes one normally sees. They did that right! If this could become the de facto tile panel standard, not only would it be convenient, it would put the final nail in this tile format dispute.
I had a few Erica Synths modules and big 20% discount this week made it great time to finish my Erica focused rack to fill my empty Doepfer 6u case to use with the 4u palette Endorphin.es case and my other two small cases. My build so far:
I already had an extra Pamela New Workout, Maths and WMD attenuator and the Black Wavetable oscillator and Polivoks filter so now can work as a great supplement or stand alone. Sweet spot for small rigs is two rows of 84-104HP to get basics needed (clocks, sequencer, VCA, attenuators, mixers, etc). Any smaller than that you miss the key essentials.
I don't know, man... 10 buffered mults? Two Pam's?
The folks that commented before are definitely pointing you in the right direction, especially for a case this size. Everyone is going to do this modular thing differently, for sure, but I can't imagine this is the best use of the limited space you are giving yourself. Are you planning on using the PNWs as your main sequencer, or do you have something external to sequence pitch more effectively?
I'm not a Maths disciple, but since you brought it up twice, it is excellent as Jim said for grasping and accessing the fundamentals of MODULAR synthesis. You may have years of experience with synthesis, but trying to cram all of the functionality of a fixed architecture synth into the small euro case you have selected is very difficult (impossible?), hence the Maths love. Need a mixer? Need a subharmonic generator? Need to attenuvert four different envelopes? Need a basic logic function? Need to create a weird shifting bouncing ball envelope? Maths... It doesn't have to be a complex signal chain. It just gives you all of the stuff you are ultimately going to need more than 10 buffered mults.
The PanMix is euro level. You probably won't need an external output module.
Have fun and good luck!
-- farkas
Forget the mults - bloody hell :-D
Version 1.2
Mults are gone, Freak is gone, 8HP of space to grow into.
Erm, I'm confused. Either you miss-typed or I'm missing something. The PanMix IS Euro level? Surely that means I DO need a drop it down to line level before hitting external gear. No? That was the idea behind the PAnMix and Cockpit combo. My intention was to use the PanMix to for things that don't need to be panned hard left and right by default (eg Rample and Plaits) and then use the Cockpit as a stereo summing mixer for all the effects.
Assuming I'm right about the PanMix, really, between it, the Cockpit (plugged into the Intellijel case output and the additional Mosaic output, the routing options are very flexible.
For all conventional sequencing duties I have a Keystep Pro. I have a Keylab MkII for control and expression purposes. I also have a midi foot pedal by DataLooper that I plan to plug into the Intellijel case midi input. Had I mentioned that before this case might have made a little more sense haha :-)
The two PAms and the O_C are there solely to create and mess around with tempo-locked gates and pitch-quantised self-modulating modulation sources - many of which will be required bring this case to life. If you factor in the number of modules in this case that require clock and pitch and time locked CV and gates, my choice of modulation sources makes sense
I don't know, man... 10 buffered mults? Two Pam's?
The folks that commented before are definitely pointing you in the right direction, especially for a case this size. Everyone is going to do this modular thing differently, for sure, but I can't imagine this is the best use of the limited space you are giving yourself. Are you planning on using the PNWs as your main sequencer, or do you have something external to sequence pitch more effectively?
I'm not a Maths disciple, but since you brought it up twice, it is excellent as Jim said for grasping and accessing the fundamentals of MODULAR synthesis. You may have years of experience with synthesis, but trying to cram all of the functionality of a fixed architecture synth into the small euro case you have selected is very difficult (impossible?), hence the Maths love. Need a mixer? Need a subharmonic generator? Need to attenuvert four different envelopes? Need a basic logic function? Need to create a weird shifting bouncing ball envelope? Maths... It doesn't have to be a complex signal chain. It just gives you all of the stuff you are ultimately going to need more than 10 buffered mults.
The PanMix is euro level. You probably won't need an external output module.
Have fun and good luck!
So I am recently diving into the whole modular synth world and man, its cool! But also quite overwhelming.
I hope I can get some advice from you so that I don't throw away my money onto some fantasy that cannot work out.
Let me give you some background so that you better understand where I would like to go with this. I am a guitarist, play in a band and love atmospheric stuff with delay/reverb pedals and also hard riffs with a fuzz. Before you think I am looking for something where I can plug my guitar in, thats not the case. I want to have my own additional instrument with which I can create music, maybe in a band setting, maybe just by myself, but it should be something with which I could perform live. A few month back I bought my first desktop synth (Behringer Crave) and a Digitakt (love it and it would definitely be my drummachine).
When you look at the rack I put together it looks a lot like the one from Ricky Tinez in one of his videos. Thing is, I love these Noise Engineering modules already! So what do I want? Like I said, it should be able to perform live or in a jam. Second, I want something that can be hard (strong bass, a bit 303 style) but also sometimes melodic, with some melancholic atmosphere. I also was thinking about the size and I understand that 4U 62 HP is rather small and I know you will tell me to go bigger, but keep in mind that I want to be able to bring this thing around. And I am a minimalist personality-wise ;)
As a side note, before I started looking into modular synths I almost bought the Erica Synth Bassline because damn that thing has a great sound. If I could have something in this direction with a bit more weird stuff going on when I want to I think I found my dream instrument.
Anyways, your help and advice is so much appreciated!!
That is the current setup and I am happy to throw things out or replace them with something crucial that is missing. The order is not really fixed here and is an issue I approach once I have the core moduls I need in it.
I tested the 1u Endorphin.es compressor and it is good so far and love the mutes. I wanted the 1u cockpit mixer but it is not available yet anyplace. Maybe later on. I did add a Ladik dual delay and micro O&C to the build once they arrive:
I have a Cockpit 2 mixer in my Endorphin.es Shuttle System that will be used in the future with this palette travel case. With Furthrrrr Generator and Acid Lab Chainsaw that gives me two voices plus the seven drum voices on the Queen of Pentacles.
Thanks for that :) I've been pulling this together for a week or so, from the fairly random noise and filter ping effects to working on the beats and getting away from the 4-on-the-floor structure I too easily drop into, then figuring out places in the rack I could 'perform' with it. I think I managed to give it a beginning and an end and the annoying middle-fake-end ;-)
Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.
I've also been interested in Three Sisters.
-- new_moon
Three Sisters, like Just Friends and W/, is currently unobtainable, unless you pay well above list price for a second-hand one. There are lots of choices of filters; again, it comes down to your taste.
Does anyone know whether the main L/R output on the PanMix is line level or Eurorack level? I'm hoping/expecting it to be Eurorack level so I can plug it into the Cockpit or Mosaic output module.
Long version; I really really really really reeeeeeally want to avoid stackable cables or any other cable-based means of multiplying where possible. I find them to be very messy and reckon they're just asking to get broken, or to break the things they're plugged into if knocked. No doubt, they'll still end up being used here and there.
In any event, I can always take the mults out to make space, but I can't add them in if my case is full.
Re the Pams and efficiency:
Agreed - inefficient... And somewhat fiddly in use. The same can be said for the O_C. But they are all there for good reason.
Maximum efficiency at this stage is not my aim. Packing in all the functionality I'm inspired to experiment with, is. Between the Keystep Pro, two Pams, O_C, Zadar and the various utils, I've pretty much got that covered. Logic, Euclidean rhythms, Turing machine stuff, quantization, complex envelopes etc. It's all in there somewhere and it fits in the case with room to spare. The only small-footprint multi-function module I'm aware of that comes anywhere close to the versatility and footprint of the Pams (other than the O_C) is the Disting EX. But the Disting in all its incarnations - unlike the O_C and Pams - is a module that I have not found inspiring.
From what I've read and seen in the intertubez, two Pams synced together equals a sum far greater than its parts. Together they can do more stuff that I wanna do than any other module combination in the same square-footage. I suppose, following that logic, I should swap them out for two more O_Cs (which are even more powerful). But intuition told me that would be unwise. As and when I've figured out my workflow; what functions I want more accessible and which ones not, I can purchase dedicated modules to cater for those needs.
This design has been settled upon after a great deal of thought and research. I have also considered availability of stock. For example, The ever-so-slightly-more compact panning VCA solution Lucia suggested in an earlier incarnation of this design uses modules that seem to be completely unavailable at the time of writing this. The PanMix is only 1HP larger and slightly less flexible. For this same reason I have also since removed the the Freak filter. I just can't find anywhere with any stock.
As a starting point for trying stuff out, this design covers everything I want - albeit in a convoluted way. The next step is to see how it works in the real world and go form there. In any event, Pams is an eternally popular module. I'm sure there will be no problems selling it on if I deem one of them unnecessary.
Re Maths:
.......... .............
Is this some weird running Earorack joke?
Seriously though, with decades of experience with synthesizers, audio processing and signal routing under my belt, I'm no stranger to creating complex modulated patches and signal chains. In other words, I'm somewhat past learning the fundamentals of synthesis. Thus Maths - in the context of this case layout and intended purpose - makes no sense to me. As a learning tool, what's here caters far better to the gaps in my knowledge and methods of composition I have yet to try. If and when I change this design or get a bigger case, sure - I'll get a Maths. :-)
Here endeth the essay
PS I have no idea why half of this post in in italics nor can I figure out how to fix it. Soz :-{
I'm amazed by how helpful everyone here is. Thank you very much.
quadratt is a quad attenuator - not a vca - veils is an excellent choice btw - not only is it actually a voltage controlled amplifier - most vcas are technically voltage controlled attenuators (in that their maximum gain is 1) - it has so much potential gain that it can be used to amplify external signals up to modular levels...
The recent revision of Veils is currently unavailable (a worldwide chip shortage is affecting the industry and others as well), but fresh supplies are expected in the next few months.
Very helpful. Particularly for handling external signals which is something I'd like to do eventually.
I really think you're going to want a filter.
Wasp seems like a good choice. I've also been interested in Three Sisters. I'm guessing this is a one-or-the-other sort of thing at this stage?
Hot damn...OK, here's what I cooked up
This is incredibly nice of you, thanks so much for putting this together.
OK...this got upped by me into a 7U Intellijel Performance cab, because trying to do what you wanted here definitely requires more space.
I'm convinced I need more space lol. Looking at a 9U Doepfer A-100 as I like the look and don't expect this to ever leave my studio. I need to spend some time studying at the individual modules you've included but thank you so much for laying them out. I suspect I'll be back with questions :)
Its an evolution from the controlling a patch with noise, obviously this is clocked for the beats, bass and Synth wash that comes from the Chainsaw heading through the Moon Phase filter before going into the Disting's Stereo Tape Delay and then washed out in Clouds reverb.
Hope you enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed making it :) Recorded live to Youtube in one take.
Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.
I found this video useful. Sampling a mult-ed pitch CV to a separate oscillator or chord module (like Plaits or Chord Organ) allows you to have a related note with a longer envelope ring out underneath a melody line. I use this trick a lot.
Hi mowse,
Glad you like.
Yes I guess this kind of "DAW arrangement feeling" is thanks to Hermod which is so powerful, but I'm just use a minimal part of its potential. Anyway, I like the fact you could attach a midi controller, and record the notes into it for sending them to differents modules. Even you could record several sequences... but I'm too lazy for that kind of complex arrangement, and only record one sequence with differents tracks and playing with mutes for building a structure in live context.
Even more, I like to patch plonk for playing fills manually, around switches, offsets, attenuverter, crossfaders or whatever in this direction to send manually a specific voltage, or just modify the original voltage sequence from hermod. This allows me keep into the patch, and more important is so fun :D
I played it tonite and instant house and techno beats. Sounds amazing and fun to play. I have two O&C on the way one for this case and another for my larger case. I’m going to use my modular to record a bunch of tracks to remix later in my DAW to create some music. Really enjoying the Endorphin.es modules they are the closest I’ve heard yet to real techno and house music for Eurorack.
Yeah, really nice textures and modulation going on here. A Mother 32 and the Waldorf Iridium with Skylab and Microcosm is kind of an ambient perfect storm. Drop in a bunch of offset, wandering LFO’s and let it ride.
Case size for what you want to do...uhhh, no. Also, mixing Intellijel and Pulplogic tiles on the same row...also no. Hmmmmm......
Ah...that graphic isn't a link. However, I looked at the other builds you've got, and I've got a pretty good idea as to how to make this work...let's see now...
(Later): Hot damn...OK, here's what I cooked up. Notice the absence of the Mordax...if you're going to use this as a teaching tool, it makes far more sense to use an external dual-trace scope so that everyone can clearly see what's going on. The Mordax screen is just too small to do this effectively; been there, done that.
OK...this got upped by me into a 7U Intellijel Performance cab, because trying to do what you wanted here definitely requires more space. I put the "utility bar" in, also, so you can see the adders and buffered mults while sorting out what this will do.
Tile row: Stereo input (and output, also) comes in via the 1/4" jacks, of which there's four. Intellijel's input and output tiles all come with cables to internally connect those to the 1/4" jacks, so 1 and 2 could be your inputs, and 3 and 4 your stereo outs. The MIDI module goes after that, internally connected to the USB port. Then I put in a Noise Tools for noise, master clocking, slewing and sample and hold. QuadrATT is next for attenuverting, submixing, and the like. Then a Stereo VCA allows you to control the amplitude of an incoming stereo signal that would be patched to the Output Mixer's 1st pair, with a second (effects?) stereo in for a final "return" tap over the stereo mix, with the VCA controlling that return level.
First row: Now there's FOUR VCOs here...a pair of Klavis Twin Waves mkii dual oscillators, with internal quantizing and multiple methods of sound generation. Each VCO gets a Veils channel, then there's a digital complex VCO from Neutron Sound which gets two more Veils-topology VCAs. After all of that, there's a six channel stereo panning module for spatializing your oscillators. The stereo VCF is a Supercritical Neutron Flux, offering numerous filter topologies in one module. This is followed by a pair of LPGs, then we're into the effects with a Frequency Central Stasis Leak, which goes from a mono in to a stereo out for reverb, chorus, and a tap delay. After this is a Happy Nerding FX Aid, which is stereo in and out. The Stasis Leak is specifically intended for the Toppobrillo Stereomix2, as it also has (under CV control) a mono send and stereo return. You have CV over panning and level as well, making this your final set of audio path VCAs.
Second row: Rene with Tempi, hence no Pam's. Tempi and the mkii Rene have a backplane connection that makes them behave more like a single module while still allowing extra clock outs and the like. After the Rene is a Frequency Central Logic Bomb, which has CV-controlled Boolean gates. LFOs are via a 4ms Quad Pingable LFO, which is capable of working over a range from low-end audio down to crazy-long periods (as in 71 MINUTES)...that'll be super-useful in generative configurations. The Roti Pola and the second dual VCA provide mixing, inversion, and amplitude control over modulation signals. After that, we have the Quadrax + Qx combo, a Doepfer Dual ADSR, then a small clone of Clouds that can ALSO be patched into the audio path above.
This makes a lot more sense, I think. The bases are all present here, which you want in a teaching system. Plus the signal paths are a lot more sensible, with the separate row functions and the left-right flow. Not exactly the same design as before...but I think I managed to majorly improve on the first attempt.
I don't get the multiple buffered multiples, either. Or the need for two Pam's, as there's more potent methods for manipulating clocks and deriving Boolean gate sources to REALLY complicate the clock functionality.
As for the power question...yeah, this will be OK in that aspect. Note also that Eurorack uses three separate power rails: the + and -12V and the 5V rail which doesn't often come into play but is still necessary for certain digital modules. The only time the 12V rails MIGHT come together would be at a common P/S groundpoint, but they have different supplies on the "hot" side. But the rule of thumb for dealing with current inrush is that the P/S should be capable of supplying 20-25% MORE current than the module complement (roughly) requires, as getting too close to the current limit carries with it the danger that an inrush on switch-on could cause component damage.
One other point: this is really a rather small build, but there's a number of bigger modules in this. Naturally, this limits any further expansion in the case...but right now, it's locking you out of making adjustments to the module complement. This could be done a lot more effectively by trying to replicate the functions of those large modules in smaller ones...this should be possible. But also, some of this is simply redundant, like the thing with the Pams'.
Especially with the addition of the Tiptop-made Buchla stuff. Seriously, Don pretty much cooked up the idea of complex random signal generation/manipulation with the SoU, invented the LPG (back then, a wonderful and expressive mashup of a lowpass filter AND a VCA under optical control), and came up with the genesis of West Coast synthesis in general. Having those...plus the efforts to return the 100 series to use via Eurorack...majorly changes the Eurorack landscape.
Also, it's VERY possible here to break out "voices" from the top voicing row and then process them via the character filters alone, resulting in several more "voices" when you get to the mixer. And it's VERY oriented toward generative, if needed.
Wasps is a great filter value. I just got mine and it has a wild nature but can be tame. I’m using it with Acid lab chainsaw oscillator in my palette case and it’s really good.
I listened to the artists you're inspired by, very nice. I really think you're going to want a filter. For basic value it's hard to beat the Doepfer Wasp filter (I think it's A-124).
Using S&H with noise is common because it gives you a nice stepped-random, but you can use it on anything you like.
Here's a few ideas:
* Use S&H to sample a fast sequencer output slowly to produce a related slower sequence
* Use S&H to sample a LFO to get a stepped effect instead of smoothly sweeping whatever the LFO controls
* Use S&H on an audio signal triggered at audio rates (if the module can do so, not all can) for a "bit crush like" effect, except it's a crush in time resolution rather than amplitude resolution
Some noise modules will have S&H included (e.g. Doepfer A-118-2), but there are modules that provide S&H for arbitrary inputs (e.g. Joranalogue Select 2). Suppose you are generating pitch CV from an LFO or some complex combination of LFOs, maybe put through a quantizer. You want to hold the pitch for the duration of the envelope controlling amplitude. An S&H (triggered by the envelope's EOC output) can do that. The upcoming Joranalogue Step 8 is eight sample-and-hold circuits with various linking and control options. You can play a short sequence in by sampling at arbitrary points, and then play it back with a different rhythm entirely, and alter it on the fly.
@Lugia - I found a Hendrikson and bought since they are discontinued and I think the idea of using something like stompboxes in a live setting with my Minibrute2/Rackbrute3U setup is great...looking forward to 'expanding' the setup with some stompboxes...will probably go down that path of the Electro-Harmonix Tri Parallel Mixer as well :)
I'm a big fan of Klaus Schulze's "Body Love" soundtracks (the one with the white cover and a song called "Blanche" especially). Highly recommended.
-- farkas
I listened to the Body Love tracks today...really nice stuff! Enjoyed that alot
Wondering how many use sample and hold in their patches and how you use it...
Is it necessary to have a noise generating module in order to use sample and hold or can you use sample and hold with other things as well? Seems like the 2-3 videos I've watched always use it in conjunction with a noise signal, anybody use it with any other sort of signal? Is it that useful to have around in a smaller setup?
So, just to clarify, a VCA will replace the attenuator knob in a Quadratt channel with a CV input, so that one CV can control the amplitude of another signal. This is what you need to apply a volume envelope to an audio signal (the envelope "turning the knob"), but it is also useful for changing modulation signals in various ways. As stated above, some VCAs will amplify a signal beyond its original amplitude, which can be useful (for example, in bringing signals from other synths into Eurorack, which has different standard levels). The recent revision of Veils is currently unavailable (a worldwide chip shortage is affecting the industry and others as well), but fresh supplies are expected in the next few months. There are a number of alternates based on the older version available, notably the Intellijel Quad VCA, or you may get lucky on the used market.
Maths is very popular, but certainly not required, especially if you have Quadrax. You can wait and see if you want it or one of the alternatives. I suspect most users don't demand more from Maths than Quadrax can provide. It's also quite wide.
.... Oh and before anyone says anything: yeah- there's no Maths. Get over it
-- rextable
ok, but why not? it's a fantastic learning tool for anyone interested in modular synthesis - or do you just want to connect some modules together to make some sounds? have you taken a look at the 'maths illustrated supplement'?
also would be really surprised if you need so many buffered mults - they're only really needed for v/oct signals anything else a tiny bit of voltage droop will be unnoticeable
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
Maths is really great and I bought another one for my larger case. I would add perhaps get an Ornament & Crime as it does tons of useful things in small formats.
As before, top five rows are my main 15Ux84hp rack, the last three are smaller racks I keep for screwing around with stuff like Orca, generative music, &c.
This rearrangement was best described in a comment on an r/modular hangout thread. The TL;DR is that instead of sticking sound sources at the top, modulation in the middle, and control at the bottom (as everyone else does and as I have done for some time), I varied it a bit based on an explicit signal routing plan. I made the plan away from the rack and from MG, just focusing on how I wanted the signals to go; then, I planned the rack in MG, and used the patch tool to assess how cable usage. (This one planning exercise on 420hp of stuff more than justifies paying for Unicorn status, for me anyway.)
As of now, I have everything wired up, except for the 2hp mult (4 jacks for clock, 4 for reset) and Pam's, both of which should be here early next week
For the sake of completeness, and to keep you from having to click through, here's the full explanation from r/modular:
I'm rearranging my rack to make room for a new PNW. Pam's looks to be so versatile with LFO options that I'm taking a chance on moving my Batumi to the portable case.
It's not just for the Pam's, though. Last night I was having frustration with signal routing and which voices went to which effects loops. Later, I happened upon a video of DivKid and Chris Meyer where Meyer talked about the "backbone patch" in his portable case. That lit a fire under me, so I grabbed a legal pad, packed a bowl, took an inventory of my voices, effects, VCAs, and mixers, and mapped everything out. (Lesson: I could use a few more VCAs. Just a few. And maybe a Befaco Hexmix with expander. Not that I have room in my main rack for any of it.)
After that, I spent way too long on ModularGrid sorting out a new layout that optimized for short connections within my new signal routing scheme, then virtually patching up my backbone patch. It still has compromises (like running a pitch & gate cable bus from Eloquencer to SWN), but overall I'm looking forward to setting up a partial plumbing patch that will stay patched and let me focus on sound design and music instead of playing Signal Routing Puzzle Hour™.
I have learned things through this exercise:
Thinking it through in deeper detail than I have before, and understanding (through practice) how I want to use complex modules like the SWN, changed how I laid things out. I haven't completely broken away from the top-to-bottom sounds/filters/modulation/control paradigm, but I've done it a lot more thoughtfully, and in a way that makes the most of my rack.
I have a more balanced proportion of voices, modulators, and VCAs than I thought.
I now understand what the A-130-8 is for, and it's this. I was relegating it to CV mixing, but when I thought through my patch I saw how much I could do with the Octal VCA and a bucket of 3-inch patch cables next to a mixer, and then just leave it patched and forget about it. (I'll mix CV with Levit8, which is better for the purpose anyway.)
I had to be at this over a year to cultivate the knowledge of my instrument that would make planning 420hp + an outboard a worthwhile exercise. If I'd have tried this at the outset, the plan would have been trash. Trial & error experiments were the right way to proceed before; this was the right time to take a swing at a master plan.
This layout has other little advantages as well. For example, I have four percussion voices going through my Intellijel Quad VCA. The 6db boost switch and the Quad's ability to distort and add a little grit is perfect for making drums a little punchier. Making better use of the Octal VCA let me move the A-135-2 - my "clean" VCA/mixer - into position as my final mixer before going out. That position used to be held by the VCA Matrix, which is now much happier in its role as signal router and effect loop send.
I'll post back here if I wind up adjusting it substantially after playing.
Edit: you're going to need VCAs if you want to use those envelopes to shape sounds.
I had Veils in here but I pulled it out thinking the 1U Quadratt up top would handle things. Am I misunderstanding? Guessing that would be the justification for the bigger case.
-- new_moon
quadratt is a quad attenuator - not a vca - veils is an excellent choice btw - not only is it actually a voltage controlled amplifier - most vcas are technically voltage controlled attenuators (in that their maximum gain is 1) - it has so much potential gain that it can be used to amplify external signals up to modular levels - it also has 4 of them and they cascade so can be used as mixer (or mixers) - plus it has the ability to add an offset voltage on each channel, is dc-coupled in that it can be used for both audio and (just as importantly) modulation and is variable between linear (more useful for cv) and exponential (more useful for audio
I'll second get the bigger case - personally I would recommend a tiptop Mantis - 1u is seriously overrated imo
I'd also suggest Maths, if you can find one, as it has one of the best learning resources of any module - the 'maths illustrated supplement' which is probably the best primer for patch programming and modular patching in general
Data has a lot of added features, but you can only use one of them at a time (with the exception of fixed voltages, which you can use with other modes). So if you're using it as a clock, you have to stop doing that to use the oscilloscope, and then what you want to look at might be gone.
I somehow have not come upon this information. Really helpful to know, thank you.
Quadrax is a newer version of Quadra and is also very useful, though it takes some study to grasp the added features. You can pretty much use it like Quadra soon after installation, ignoring the more complicated stuff. That's also true for a more complicated oscillator (and I don't think Dixie II+ is much more complicated than STO). You don't have to use FM or flip sync until you want to. (And Data helps when you do.)
Super helpful as well. I'll read some more on these.
With a larger case you can get both Pam's and Data, but either way, get Pam's first (or at the same time). It's really useful and usable. Data has a lot of added features, but you can only use one of them at a time (with the exception of fixed voltages, which you can use with other modes). So if you're using it as a clock, you have to stop doing that to use the oscilloscope, and then what you want to look at might be gone.
Quadrax is a newer version of Quadra and is also very useful, though it takes some study to grasp the added features. You can pretty much use it like Quadra soon after installation, ignoring the more complicated stuff. That's also true for a more complicated oscillator (and I don't think Dixie II+ is much more complicated than STO). You don't have to use FM or flip sync until you want to. (And Data helps when you do.)
Appreciate the reply. It's nice to have feedback as I'm kind of making this up based on youtube videos and a history of signal processing in JavaScript.
Couple of followups, if you don't mind:
I agree that Data is educational and useful (I have one myself for those reasons) but you can't really afford the space. I would suggest Pam's New Workout, which gives you clocks and a whole lot more.
If I were to upgrade to a larger case, would you still suggest Pam's New Workout instead of Data? I've been under the impression that I would need to buy a clock - probably PNW - eventually but thought for my early explorations Data would get me where I'm going.
Quadrax instead of Quadra.
Is this a functionality suggestion, or am I misunderstanding what I'm going to get out of the Quadra?
I wouldn't choose Plaits and STO but you know the sound you're looking for. Maybe consider Dixie II+ instead of STO.
My thought is to have a fairly basic oscillator just so I can better understand what I'm doing. Would a Dixie II+ accomplish that? (What I really want Akemie's Castle but think I need to earn my way to that...)
Edit: you're going to need VCAs if you want to use those envelopes to shape sounds.
I had Veils in here but I pulled it out thinking the 1U Quadratt up top would handle things. Am I misunderstanding? Guessing that would be the justification for the bigger case.
Let me be the first to tell you to get a bigger case and take your time populating it.
I agree that Data is educational and useful (I have one myself for those reasons) but you can't really afford the space. I would suggest Pam's New Workout, which gives you clocks and a whole lot more. Either Pam's or Data can do the clock divisions of the A-160 on their regular clocks. If you have an irregular gate sequence you want divided, that's another matter. You should go for the A-160-2 instead of the A-160, and Quadrax instead of Quadra. Pam's can do basic logic, so hold off on the 1U logic tiles, maybe. I wouldn't choose Plaits and STO but you know the sound you're looking for. Maybe consider Dixie II+ instead of STO. Just Friends and W/ are unobtainable and probably will be for a while, and René is pretty hard to get hold of.
Edit: you're going to need VCAs if you want to use those envelopes to shape sounds.
