I agree with ronin in that generating patterns in the modular would be much more interesting than with a digitakt

but that leads you to the problem of case size - forget the intellijel 4u and go directly to 6u or 9u - you will use it

I also think it's interesting to at least consider having some basic building blocks to roll your own drums if you are going to go this way - noise sources, filters, vcos, vcas, snappy envelopes - rather than just buying all pre-built modules that lots of other people have

Context:
Pairing with some outboard synths (Digitone, Digitakt), had initially planned to sequence and clock from the Digitakt.
I enjoy sampling, hence the purchase of the Morphagene.

I have about $500 to spend before I have to pump the brakes for awhile, trying to figure out what makes the most sense to gain maximum enjoyment from my case until I can afford to further expand.

I know I need a filter, an envelope, really attracted to Pam's because it does quite a bit that I think would bring the rest of the case to life. Rings is also attractive to me but I know there are other things I would probably benefit from acquiring first.

Currently own everything on the right, things I am considering on the left.

Thanks for the help.

Unfortunately space fills up fast if you use modules that are 20HP+.
-- SCALEBRAIN

or the case is just too small - these beauty cases are great for focused systems especially for experienced synthesists, but as starter cases they are poor imo

good starter case sizes are 6u/104hp (mantis for example) or 9u/84hp (doepfer lc9) - both economically priced and with decent and proven power

1st real critique - don't post links to jpegs - post links to public racks - then we can click through and help you better

I'd also generally agree with scalebrain

cases under 6u/84hp are best suited for a single voice - as there is not enough space to comfortably add the support modules that that are needed and often overlooked by beginners - although not that bad - take the b-company module out & everything to the right of morphagene and you've got a better start - personally I would recommend a bigger case to start with - there's a good chance that by the time you fill this case you will have realised that this is not a rack that you want to patch that much and that in order to get there you need more utility modules (and probably that 2nd voice) and are buying another case - when you could have just bought the right one in the first place for less

nb there are different types of sequencer - steppy is a trigger sequencer - scales has a melodic sequencer, but looks a little fiddly to be honest - if this is how you intend to program 'tunes' then I would consider looking elsewhere

it's often better to start with modules (or functions) that you want and work to the case from there - instead of starting with the case

it's also often better to start as simple as possible and grow organically from there rather than planning racks that may or may not work for you

get a bigger case (intellijel are quite premium - look nice but expensive for what they are) and just get a sound source, a modulation source, a sound modifier and a way to play and a way to listen (a quad cascading vca such as veils is an excellent choice for this)

get the ones you like the look/sound of most - so for example: dpo, maths, morphagene, veils and a decent sequencer (preferably that does gates as well as v/oct and preferably with an internal clock)

next up you should look at more utility modules and a decent filter and then more modulation before a second voice

this ratio seems to scale well for modulars to me:
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities (including sequencers and controllers)

EDITED Jul 21st 2021, 19:41

no the free space is 10hp not 8,the previous post stated that branches was 8hp not 6

I would personally opt for just one complex oscillator, on top of removing the 3u audio jacks in favour of utilizing a 1u outs module for that (or just get the headphone 1u module if you absolutely want phones connection).

whilst Maths is a serious modulator, I think you will quickly find a threshold for modulators if you need to use half for VCA control. I would personally choose the DPO over the Brains, however they are very different in execution. Complex timbres or lack thereof are great via the DPO sans a filter. The Brains being a Braids clone can handle lots of different styles of oscillator algorithms for output on top of drum engines built in.

If you just want a sick synth voice for bass/leads, I would pull the Brains, Filter, Steppy, Outs, and swap them for another complex modulator (maybe Mutable Stages - very handy for small cases). Scales is great, but the sequencing can become tedious compared to other sequencers (Sh101 style) so it may be something to consider with the extra space to check out something like the Muxlicer from Befaco or something with addressable steps that aren't super linear unless you want that. Theres so many great sequencers in modular, or the ability to create your own if clever.

The beauty of modular is the modulation/sequencing/switching schemes that result in complex tones/music accordingly. These modulations can still be done via hands somewhat, but you only have 2. The nice thing about the Morphagene is you can record passes of knob twists and layer on top, but you have to play that into your approach on any given patch.

X-Pan is a better mixer than VCA solution (it can be used as a general VCA, but somewhat overkill for what you need). I would swap that out for maybe a LxD or maybe Veils fader version for more VCA controls as needed. I would just feed that into the morphagene and feed the L/R directly to the outputs. The 1U VCAs are great for utility, but the lack of attenuation directly on them leave one wanting (same deal as LxD), you could use channels 2/3 on Maths for this I suppose.

I mocked up this skiff that I personally would rather see: More modulation options, attenuation/attenuverter options, focused on the main oscillator for tweaking. You have 4hp extra so in theory could throw a mutable marbles as the main sequencing option for more interesting/evolving patterns over time/modulation friendly. Unfortunately space fills up fast if you use modules that are 20HP+.

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1637313.jpg

Hello modulargrid community! I'm brand new to modular but not producing music, where I've been for 5 years. I based this design on the 4U Palette Case from Intellijel at 104 HP. I've really liked the sounds from the Brains and DPO and figured I could use Maths, Morphagene, and X-Pan to make some crazy bass sounds. I think one really nice addition to this rack would be Scales, and if I remove the F-110 filter bank and Outs module I'm pretty sure I'd have enough room to fit that module. The only problem is I'd have to sacrifice some of the 1U VCA modules or I could remove the Steppy module since Scales is already a sequencer. What do you guys think?

Please feel free to critique everything, I'm here to do this right the first time!

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1632521.jpg

The Digitalis is nice. But think about the sequencer section of a micro Ornaments & Crime. It's 8HP and will give you four channels of sequencing... plus a BOAT LOAD of other options... like quantizing, LFOs, etc. The savings is 2HP in space. It will play nicely with the Pam's New Workout.

I would find something else besides the Timiszoara. There are even smaller multi-effects modules out there that are slimmer. The Expert Sleepers Disting EX is 8 HP and will do a LOT more than just effects and it's a DUAL UNIT also. That will save you another 2HP

Twiigs is fine. But if you go with the original Mutable Instruments Branches, it's 8HP. Hey, another savings of 2HP.

The Doepfer A-139-2 is 6HP. It's ONLY a headphone amp. Noise Engineering's Sono Abitus is 4HP and comes with BALANCED 1/4" outputs PLUS a headphone amp. You save another 2HP

If you take those four suggestions, you now have 8HP of space available.

With that 8HP you might consider an audio mixer module or replacing Sono Abitus with a mixer with headphones out. A small filter would be nice in addition to the mixer and some utilities (attenuverter, noise, etc.)

-- Ronin1973

actually it's 10hp - branches is 6hp

-- JimHowell1970

Twiigs is listed as 8HP. Mutable's Branches is 6HP. Where are you seeing Twiigs as 10HP?

The Digitalis is nice. But think about the sequencer section of a micro Ornaments & Crime. It's 8HP and will give you four channels of sequencing... plus a BOAT LOAD of other options... like quantizing, LFOs, etc. The savings is 2HP in space. It will play nicely with the Pam's New Workout.

I would find something else besides the Timiszoara. There are even smaller multi-effects modules out there that are slimmer. The Expert Sleepers Disting EX is 8 HP and will do a LOT more than just effects and it's a DUAL UNIT also. That will save you another 2HP

Twiigs is fine. But if you go with the original Mutable Instruments Branches, it's 8HP. Hey, another savings of 2HP.

The Doepfer A-139-2 is 6HP. It's ONLY a headphone amp. Noise Engineering's Sono Abitus is 4HP and comes with BALANCED 1/4" outputs PLUS a headphone amp. You save another 2HP

If you take those four suggestions, you now have 8HP of space available.

With that 8HP you might consider an audio mixer module or replacing Sono Abitus with a mixer with headphones out. A small filter would be nice in addition to the mixer and some utilities (attenuverter, noise, etc.)

-- Ronin1973

actually it's 10hp - branches is 6hp

I have a Joranalogue Filter 8. It's compact for its functionality and all filter variants are simultaneously available... just plug a cable into the appropriate jack.
DivKid reviewed it. Here's a link to the Youtube video.

I don't think you're going to find too many percussion (one shot) sounds that you can build in an expensive Eurorack skiff that you can't build in a $60 DAW on your computer.

I think where you'll find an advantage is sync'ing your Digitakt to a Eurorack case and creating complicated patterns and modulations to elements that compliment your Digitakt sequences.

Thanks for the reply, I'll look into those you mentioned. Mainly lowpass filtering at the moment until I can get more space.

I really enjoy classic style filters like the AJH for a Moog style which you already have covered, the Mutable Instruments Ripples for a Roland style, and I've had my eye on the G-Storm Electro Oberheim clone. With that said, I have a few "character" filters too, and the Make Noise QPAS is my favorite. You could probably get into similar territory as the QPAS with the Belgrad or Bastl's Ikarie.
I've also been considering the 100 Grit, but it won't be right for every circumstance. I have the FSS Gristleizer filter which sounds great in a gnarly and disgusting way, but definitely doesn't fit into everything I do.
Will you mainly need low pass or will you need bandpass/high pass options as well?

The Digitalis is nice. But think about the sequencer section of a micro Ornaments & Crime. It's 8HP and will give you four channels of sequencing... plus a BOAT LOAD of other options... like quantizing, LFOs, etc. The savings is 2HP in space. It will play nicely with the Pam's New Workout.

I would find something else besides the Timiszoara. There are even smaller multi-effects modules out there that are slimmer. The Expert Sleepers Disting EX is 8 HP and will do a LOT more than just effects and it's a DUAL UNIT also. That will save you another 2HP

Twiigs is fine. It's 8HP. But if you go with the original Mutable Instruments Branches, it's 6HP. Hey, another savings of 2HP.

The Doepfer A-139-2 is 6HP. It's ONLY a headphone amp. Noise Engineering's Sono Abitus is 4HP and comes with BALANCED 1/4" outputs PLUS a headphone amp. You save another 2HP

If you take those four suggestions, you now have 8HP of space available.

With that 8HP you might consider an audio mixer module or replacing Sono Abitus with a mixer with headphones out. A small filter would be nice in addition to the mixer and some utilities (attenuverter, noise, etc.)

EDITED Jul 21st 2021, 17:06

Hi,

I remember i saw some videos in the past of a circadian r triggering tiptop drum modules without using cables. At the time i tought it was done via syncbus but i can't find this in the manual.
Anyone is connecting the CR to tiptop drum modules via syncbus? It this supported?
Thanks in advance,
Ciao

Hi, this is my current Rackbrute 6U layout. I'm a modular noob and I've tried to pick sensible modules to complement my synths and drum machines but after doing much research on Youtube there were some modules I just had to have as they seemed so perfect for my taste in music. I am totally addicted to this new hobby and have been creating (to me anyway) magical sounds with this kit so far. I do plan on buying a Pittsburgh Modular 420HP rack to go completely wild in the future as there is so much more to discover but for now I'm just concentrating on learning the ropes with this kit for now so to speak.
So, I have 16HP left which I want to fill up with a good filter or filters as I feel I need more for sound experimentation. I am leaning towards the Xaoc Belgrad as it seems multi-dimensional and very capable, but I also like the sound of the Schlappi Engineering 100 Grit but that seems a bit one dimensional so maybe better suited for when I get more HP.
Any other recommendations would be great.
My music preferences are for Techno, Hardcore/House/Disco type nonsense.
I also use alongside this a Moog DFAM and Mother32, Arturia BSP, Arturia Minibrute 2 and an Erica Synths Bassline DB-01

EDITED Jul 21st 2021, 16:00

thanks for your input!

Thanks for the reply. I’m happy you sorted it out.
Take care.

Hi Radtron,

Yes, i solved it by using a power adapter.
It looks like the problem appears when you run it over usb.
Hope this helps,
Ciao,
Matteo

Hey GarfieldModular,

The Filter 8 is fantastic! It sounds great and is a versatile module with it's filter, VCO and LFO capabilities. The build quality is very good also - highly recommended. I would like a Joranalogue Generate 3 at some point.

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/versions/view/52510

Am I assuming its ok to plug the outputs of this module using the level to turn down the level to the line in of my UAD Apollo twin?

just want to use my audio interface and modular without hooking up my laptop sometimes in which case I use the ES8

EDITED Jul 22nd 2021, 14:20

So this is try 2 of giving my NiftyCase some more oomph.

I will be starting from left to right:

Pams: Love it. So many possibilities from simple clock stuff to LFO duties, basic step sequencing, Random CVs, and many more this module is nuts and I will probably still find new ways to utilize it on a daily basis.

Steppy: Don't have it yet. I ordered a Robaux LL8 but unfortunately, one of the buttons wasn't working (still had some fun trying it out). The Steppy seems like the more mature version of the LL8 and 4 outputs vs the 8 of the LL8 will be plenty enough for a rack this size I guess.

Zadar: I heard lots of talk about me needing envelopes so I included the Zadar as 4x premium envelope control. It seems to fit the needs. I didn't order it yet as I am still stuck on the basics but it should make sense here no?

Doepfer VCAs: So as a beginner I was a little bit sceptical about VCAs. Modulating modulations seemed a bit redundant to me. Now that I own these 2 dual VCAs things are clearing up for me. Really like playing around with them in all kind of ways. I went for the switchable ones as I couldn't really decide on the whole linear vs. exponential debate. So yeah I got both covered(suck it internet ppl who keep arguing about which is better :D). The question is: Are 4 enough? I mean clearly, I could see myself using more (like a lot more) but I still need some room for other stuff right?

Twiigs: Yeah I know you guys hated the idea of having a Twiigs in a rack that small and yeah I kinda start feeling the same way. A lot of the modules already have randomization options and it definitely is the least used module I own so far. So yeah it might get kicked out in the future (any recommendations on filling another 8hp?)

Plaits: Main voice - ordered - nuff said ... or maybe not?

Rings: Big fan - nice sound - will never leave this case

Digitalis: As Steppy covers the step sequencing side the Digitalis is here to give me control over the cv sequencing. I haven't ordered it yet but it's high up on my "Things to get" list.

Timiszoara: Yeah it is not out yet but a dual effect processor really seems to check a lot of boxes for a dual voiced mini rack. Arguably could be exchanged with other effect or filter modules.

Doepfer Headphone amp: 2 ins and finally something I can plugin my headphone to not always have to use an external headphone amp - Yeah totally fits my bill for the last 6hp of this case (not bought yet)

Oh yeah and for multiples, I use some Black Market Monomults so far. I don't really feel like "wasting" rack space for that even though a buffered mult could come in handy maybe (idk never had one never missed it I guess)

My main focus is to create an enjoyable musical experience that works standalone.
So what are we thinking? Any recommendations? Any arguments to cut certain modules?

As always thank you for your suggestions.

EDITED Jul 21st 2021, 10:30

Just a heads up, the 2nd row has that model D out of bounds by 2hp so you haven't actually got a spare 2hp from this set up~

If you already have the case and want to just put everything into one box, then I'd say continue with the arrangement, but there are definitely cheaper and more efficient ways to "put everything together" onto one slab if that's of interest. Like stacking all the semi-modulars together outside of the case and getting a 2 row rack for the rest of the modules. Idk much about the mpc live 2, but you'd probably need some way to convert from line to eurorack levels, using some external type modules. I like the 4ms listen for this kind of job.

Thanks a lot ! Ahahah I had a lot of fun with this end ! Desmodus is wild !
Oh huge mistake ! I don’t plan to stop music !
Latest is better indeed !
Best

-- Lugia

Thank you so much for helping!
In where I live, I already have a lot of trouble finding modules, cases, and any things related. Any things I can find will alway be behringer. I will have to find modules in other countries market, which will be difficult and expensive. So this is gonna be a long long way.
Therefore, I want to collect a basic set up so I can learn for a year or two before making any further step. Thank a lot for your efforts. It will take me a long time to fill that 9U 84hp case.

Do you know anywhere that I can find documents about Ambient music and composing? I want to read that while learning my modular too.
I will be back here for more informations, advices, ideas and visions.
Thank all you kindly people that helping me out!

Thanks greenfly. Those Dreadbox modules do look great! I have been lusting after the Typon for a good while now, too. :)

Hi Lugia,

Hmm interesting and weird at the same time :-) I wasn't aware of that there seems to be a difference in the powering system (electricity I mean here) between let's simplify this to European (balanced?) system and the North American (unbalanced?) system. Is this applicable to Canada as well? I am asking since there is perhaps a very small chance that I might consider to move to Canada, but this unbalanced power thing might keep me away from doing so, sounds pretty bad to me and sorry to hear that you "suffer" from an unbalanced system. It seriously doesn't sound good to me, one must be able to rely on a good and properly grounded (electrical) system, in my humble opinion.

Though I have studied electricity circuits, I can't say I ever came across this balanced and unbalanced difference :-( Now that has been almost 30 years ago and professionally I haven't done much with that what I learned about that study, still I think I should call that educational institution and ask my money back ;-)

But here in Europe, at least those countries I know and I am aware of, we use here for most of the electricity "power connections" the 3-wire system. Same for most South-East Asian countries where I have lived too (afaik). One ground wire usually coded as yellow/green wire. Then you have a brown wire (we call it the phase wire; one of the three phases of which 3-phase AC electricity connection in the house from the "street connection" has been used from) that's as you called the hot wire, or simply the AC wire and we have a blue wire that's the zero or null wire, is that your neutral wire then? So to me it sounds pretty much the same as what you have in the USA? The ground wire is connected with a quite thick copper or nowadays even thicker aluminium (since that's cheaper than copper) metal bar that has been drilled or hammered down into the ground under or next to the house, to make sure you have a good "ground to the earth".

There is for small electrical devices, a two-wire system as well, then you only have a brown wire for the (AC) phase and a blue wire for the zero wire, there is no ground wire then. Most systems (critical but even less critical systems, for example, computers, audio devices, or whatsoever) usually use 3-wire plugs though and for those few small devices that don't have the ground then it is usually not too critical that it doesn't have the ground.

Now if I remember my electricity study well, it's highly forbidden (at least here in Europe from a safety and an electricity installation point of view) to have more than one ground, you must make sure when you do an electricity installation in a building that the ground is every where "the same" so to speak. Are you saying that you have more than one ground? Each electric circuit has it's "own" ground? If your answer to that is yes, then that seriously sucks ;-) If your answer to that is no, then I don't understand it at all ;-) Because then you have one ground as well and then it shouldn't be an issue.

If one connects all ground wires of all the electric circuits to that ground that leads into the earth (which is usually the case very nearby or even in the circuitry board/casing), i.e. the real "ground" or earth or whatever one likes to call it, then one shouldn't have any issues. But do I understand this correctly that you don't have a "real" ground in the USA (and perhaps in Canada)? Then how are you ever going to have a grounded system? To me that sounds like pretty dangerous too?

Interesting matter but extremely close to unbelievable as well, at least here from sitting in Europe point of view ;-)

By the way, you wrote this about the electrical system here in Europe: "There's no "neutral", but instead you have two legs at 1/2 of the total mains voltage that are referenced to ground, which gives you the proper 230V for the device in question."

That's however not correct, please refer to my above-explained 3-wire system we use here in Europe. We have the full 230 V on that phase wire as we call it (the brown wire) and then a zero or null wire (blue). Beside that, the ground wire (yellow/green). So there are no two wires that each provide half of the 230 V, that doesn't exist here, it wouldn't be AC then, it would than be rather DC.

Kind regards, Garfield.

oh @Lugia your very correct and I agree with you all the way 100%. Thing is, the value I feel, is in what I don't have to deal with anymore. I already have the 3 tier rack for the moogs, and a very nice 2 tier for the shiet. But, with this A-100 case, I can leave all the power supplies behind, have nothing running to a huge analogue or digital mixer, and have everything in one ready to go case, while also have a more elegant presentation for my brain. Not to mention instant gratification as the base of all patch's? The separation and block style of my current rig (the way you suggest) will be gone, and I feel like I can be mobile (and get a workout lol) with this case, and ya, 164 hp to grow (at a proper cost of 2.75 per hp + circuit boards). I loved your price per HP point, that shit is unarguable!

I am a long term planner, and when (not if) I evolve out of these semies, they WILL go back in there case and power supply for free, while I add to my fn dope case. So, considering all this, if you can help me with my arrangement I would love that!

Lastly...
"Ok..no." was the first thought I had making this rig so its really funny!! Ill let you know how I do for sure with it, and back it up with some dope ass sounds. (btw, analyst for a living, human as a hobby) Better is subjective, helpful is not.

Love,

Shadowsaun

TL;DR

After some playing around in VCVRack (very fun!), I came up with another design.

Same goals as before, sans portability. Forget that. Waaaaaaay too limiting.

What could I do better?

Overall Design

I realized that trying to fit all my modulators on one row wasn't going to work, so I organized my rack something like this.

Row 1: Modulators - Sound Sources - Sound Modifiers
Row 2: Modulators - Sound Modifiers - Sound Modifiers
Row 3: Sequencers - Quantizers - Output

Row By Row

Row 1

This row is designed as the start of the signal chain. Blinds, Links, and Buff Mult, aside from interacting with Maths, can also channel modulation from below. I also included a sequential switch for arps. For voices, I chose Michigan Synth's Beehive (mini Plaits), Acid Rain's Chainsaw (for huge basses) , and Instruo's Ts-L v2. On to the filters: Erica's Polivoks VCF (also for basses), Endorphines' Squawk Dirty To Me, and Tiptop's Forbidden Planet. Add Dreadbox's Euphoria for some richness, and wrap it up with Veils.

Row 2

This row adds the finishing touches to the sound before sending it down to the mixer. But first, we have Intellijel's Quadrax and Michigan Synth's Pique (mini Peaks) running through Xaoc's Samara II and Blinds. (I think Blinds is my favorite module. Why does it have to be so big?) Then we have some ways to break sound. Qu-Bit's Data Bender for digital breakage, and Schlappi's 100 Grit for analog grinding. After Veils, we have a few spatial effects: Noise Engineering's Desmodus Versio for delay/reverb, and Mutable's Beads for ambient magic.

Row 3

This row is all about control. For a master clock, I used a 4MS QCD. For CV sequencing, I chose Malekko's Voltage Block, because it has a lot of channels. For trigger sequencing, I chose Intellijel's Steppy, because, again, it has a lot of channels. Throw in Erica's Mix/Split for sharing the clock, Acid Rain's Switchblade for a little bit of live control, and Michigan Synth's Pachinko (mini Marbles) for some randomness. Instruo's Harmonaig can be used with the sequential switch for arps, or with Chainsaw for chords. I added DivKid's ochd and Blinds (again!!), in case I forgot to modulate anything. I chose the 4MS Listen Four as a mixer. Finally, there's the tiny Monome Crow. I added that because I like the idea of programming my synth, and I'd like to try it someday.

All the best,
Jack

EDITED Jul 21st 2021, 02:30

Hi Zuggamasta,

Nice to see you at work again in your latest video :-) I thought you considered to buy a second case, did you do that already or not yet? I see now two rows, isn't it, I remember before you just had one row?

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

Multiple sequencers are a kick and a half! My AE has several...three CV sequencers as well as a couple of trigger sequencer devices.

The big key to REALLY making multiple sequencers skip-n-jump is to dive into the world of clock modulators and Boolean logic. By having Boolean logic modules, you can take two gates and combine them in various ways to create different gate signals altogether. Pulse dividers/multipliers allow mathematical clock changes. Trigger sequencers such as Euclideans can add elements of stochastics to this, as can pulse skippers. And pulse delays can shift the overlaps between different gate signals, which then gives the Boolean gates even MORE to gnaw on. There's even a clock gen (from Evaton) that employs logic between two different clock generators to make the clocking more complex, too. And then you can ALSO use modules such as comparators and discriminators to "read" modulation signals and generate gate pulses from them as well. Lastly, pulse integrators (also known as "diode ORs") allow you to "mix" gates to create composite signals from those. And so on...LOTS of "so on", in fact...

Hi Brett,

Nice to hear from you again, that has been awhile! He, he, listening at your track it sounds that you had a lot of fun! :-)

I love the sound of the main voice, really nice and interesting sound! Thanks a lot for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

Actually, this results from house electrics already. When you have a typical unbalanced AC line, you get a "hot", "neutral" and "ground", and those go back to the main breaker panel. What the noise sounds like is that the modular is trying to ground itself to a different circuit, ground-wise. So what's going on is that the other AC circuit is flowing THROUGH the modular and getting into the audio, probably through it being connected to a mixer, etc that's on a different circuit than it is, which allows the AC into the audio.

This doesn't happen much in Europe, because European (and a lot of other) power systems provide BALANCED power. There's no "neutral", but instead you have two legs at 1/2 of the total mains voltage that are referenced to ground, which gives you the proper 230V for the device in question. But with OUR goofy power (and anywhere else there's unbalanced AC), that "neutral" and the associated ground line can provide a path for groundloops if you don't have either isolation to kill the loop or don't have a proper star ground. Sure, you can have balanced AC in the USA as well...but it's on YOU to put in the balancing toroids (imagine a 40 lb bundt cake...now imagine several of them, one per circuit). Very messy, expensive, and labor-intensive.

EDITED Jul 21st 2021, 01:39

OK...no, having the already-cased synths in the Eurorack case is a BAD idea. For one thing, it's incredibly wasteful. So, let's look at your case for a second, which is apparently a 4-row Doepfer "Monster".

That case has 672 hp available, and it's already powered. Street price on it at present = $1849. 1849/672=$2.75 (approximately) is the cost per hp for housing something in there.

You have 330 hp of this covered by synths that HAVE cases and HAVE power already. That 330 hp = $907.50. This is how much it costs YOU to house them there. So, break that six ways, and this means you've effectively added just over $150 to the cost of each one of those by doing this.

Yes, I get it...this is for convenience, etc. But there's definitely better ways to do this, such as a triple-tier Moog stand for those alone. By avoiding this, you're also keeping space open for devices that don't have power or cases already...such as the vast majority of Eurorack modules.

Hi folks,

I've been in modular a few months now -- got a nice setup (thanks to a lot of forum feedback and ideas), and I am having a lot of fun going deeper into it.

As I think about the future of my setup, one thing I'm considering is MULTIPLE SEQUENCERS. I have Five12 Vector sequencer with expansion presently, like it a lot, and still have plenty more to learn about it (and harnessing its power with the expansion). But I am thinking "well what if I add Make Noise Rene 2" when available? What if over time my rig evolves to have 2-4 sequencers playing various roles?

This is a topic I've really not gotten deep on yet, so I wanted to ask some advice from around the Forum:
-- are you using multiple sequencers? If so, what for? Percussion vs. pitched tracks are an obvious possibility. Are there other interesting "complex sequencing" or "compound sequencing" tasks you're performing?
-- what types of useful techniques and patching do multiple sequencers open up to you that you couldn't just do with a single good one?
-- what capabilities did you want from your "compound sequencing" setup? What are the important "supporting" modules you needed to add, that aren't themselves sequencers, but were needed to get the compound array working as you desired?
-- are there any great videos, posts or threads you would point me towards? For any references, let's try to focus more on "compound / complex sequencing" and less on broad "generative" topics (see below).

I'm not currently interested in a full "generative" setup BUT my thinking is certainly influenced by that stuff. Basically I would like some sequencing that takes advantage of the powers and freedoms inherent to the modular domain, beyond sequencing that is a mirror image of general DAW sequencing or ~80s hardware.

Ideas? Comments?

Thanks!!

Nicholas

Hello YunYun,

Nice to hear from you again, this is a great and beautiful track. Well done! Lovely to listen at your track, I just hit the play button again, can't stop listening at it :-) Ha, ha, I love those kilos of reverb at the end of your track :-D

I am sorry to hear that you are stopping with producing music, after such great track and then leave us in the dark :-( May I hope on your return soon? :-) Or was it perhaps a typo that you wrote "My last patch..." and did you meant to write "My latest patch...", hopefully it's a typo? ;-)

Good luck and I hope to hear somehow from you in the (near) future again, kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Lugia, and Oldan,

Why not simply use the ground of your house's electric circuits? If that one has been done properly (since about the '60s or '70s that should have been done properly), I actually don't see an issue here. It wonders me actually that it happened at all... perhaps some issue with the electricity wiring within the house/apartment? It might be worth testing the ground within the building since this seems a pretty important matter to me... unless I am missing here something?

Kind regards and good luck with the troubleshooting, Garfield.

I wonder what module one would use to replicate the inherently-defective power circuitry in the Fizmo...?

Seriously, that's why they're rare. Ensoniq did such a lousy job of hardware design that they more or less sabotaged this synth. The power circuitry was VERY prone to failure, and that failure would cascade throughout the entire synth when it happened, basically destroying it.

But duplicating that synth? That'd be a tall order. Ensoniq's "transwave" system was, admittedly, a variant on scanned wavetable synthesis (which Ensoniq was the only other manufacturer to use at that time aside of PPG), and while there are a few modules that use this, you wouldn't get the exact "transwave" sound and feel. 'Fraid solitud's dead-on point about that...

That's a ground loop. Your synth's P/S is trying to ground to a different ground than the equipment the synth is hooked up to, and this then allows AC to get onto the audio lines where the synth is finding an "easier" ground.

There's several possible fixes. The most immediate would be to use this: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/happy-nerding-isolator Transformer isolation with ground-lifts per channel and a useful ganged stereo level.

The BEST, however, is to implement a "star ground". Star grounds are called that because they're an array of wired ground lines that all connect to the same grounding point, usually on the mixing desk. What you'd need is a spool of 16ga stranded and insulated wire. Use that to connect ALL of the chassis, racks, instruments, etc etc in such a way that all of that winds up at your "star point"; in my studio, I have a number of 19" racks, and to connect those I'll simply hook a short bit of wire between each rack until I get to the point where I have to run the wire to the star ground. Time-consuming, but VERY effective. Implement that + the Isolator, and there should be ZERO noise problems after a tad of tweaking.

Hi Systasis,

Great, thanks a lot for the details and the rack overview, looks great to me :-)

How do you like the Filter 8 from Joranalogue? I don't have any modules from this brand and I was thinking of perhaps that Filter 8 or another module from them, is it worth the investment?

3 am and I still want to work on a review report... Thank you, good night too ;-) Kind regards, Garfield.

I wouldn't worry about pairings for the Plonk. 48 hp will NOT be enough space for this to work. Either you'll have to resort to a pile of very slim modules that are no fun to work with long-term, or you'll have to compromise on something essential.

Given the importance of MIDI here, my suggestion would be to get an Intellijel Palette...104 hp, preferably. With that, you can locate the MIDI interface in the cab's tile row (along with a number of useful utilities) and use the cab's USB for connection between it and your DAW, controller, etc. With more space, you can then avoid the super-tight spacings common with "Beauty Case" builds AND you'll get to have proper sections for sound generation, control, and modification.

Its ok to have big nodules in your small case as long as you are planning on buying more space down the line.

I hate cre8audio so I'll help you. Do what I did and buy these 3 module from dreadbox. His stuff is quality compared to the cheap rubbish you will buy from cre8.

Thank you all for your feedback. I agree that this set up lacks modulation and sufficient mixing capabilities. Lots of food for thought. Thanks!

Hi Matteo,

I’m having a similar issue. Was this something you were able to resolve?

Thank you @centzminger!!

I took your idea to heart and updated. That was smart, I actually get room for another 2hp this way and I wont have to reach as hi atm! (time for a 2hp quantizer for the DFAM?)

This is the rack I got as well, so ya, 4 tier (1.8k ouch!) anyways, mixer in the middle now for central location, all the percussion and mess with me things on the bottom. Maths was the center piece, but now it the mid top so that's a compromise. I am too OCD not to have everything filled out (the empty row already giving me GAS lol)

Open to more ideas, and to this forum and site credit, thank GOD I can plan out here instead of the real word, what a blessing!

Ok, so what other modules would you want? I think I have all the bases covered...but that ES black hole dsp2 looks like candy..

*on another note, do they make stereo patch cables? My MPC live 2 has 4 stereo ports. Thinking of adding it in the mix as the ES black seq only has 4 track. Just a side note.

So am I in the big boy rack club now? Or do I have to buy all the mutable stuff as well lol. Cant wait to post real life pics!!

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/synth/1633825

EDITED Jul 20th 2021, 22:16

If you want to avoid spending money on R*S I may be the wrong person to talk to @toodee! I'm a huge fan of the Res EQ and would probably suggest that as the place to start with them, particularly if you're looking for a unique module that can really spice up a patch, especially drones, feedback patches, or things based on field recordings.

Re: my personal 303 one example of it patched up would be like so:
Metropolis CV => NTO
Metropolis Gate => Maths Trigger 1
Metropolis Clock => Algorhythm Clock
Algorhythm Channel 1 => Maths Trigger 2
Maths Trigger 1 => Quad VCA CV 1 (cascades to CV 2)
NTO Variable => Quad VCA channel 1
(optional) NTO Square => NCOM => Quad VCA channel 2
Maths Trigger 2 => VCFS or VCFQ CV, Q, or Slope in
Quad VCA channel 2 (mix of 1 and 2) => VCFS or VCFQ audio in
VCFS or VCFQ => out or to effects

There's a ton of variations that can work from there but basically you have a sequencer with a multi osc voice (though it's integer ratio subharmonic) through a filter that you can then add accents to. In the tunes posted here I'm using the M303, but in other tunes on my bandcamp, in particular Live Jams for Scotland, all the synth sounds basically follow the guide above.

EDITED Jul 21st 2021, 05:05

I have no idea how to do a Fizmo in modular but I had to chuckle because the first rack ever created on ModularGrid is my poor attempt to build a modular Wavestation/Microwave including a discussion about that on the page that wiggled muffs at that time.
Whatever you will do chances are it will not be much cheaper than that Fizmo and it also will only have two voices ...

Hello! Welcome to the internet :)

Other than trial and error and just seeing what feels right to you, I've seen a lot of trends on racks keeping the sequencing things, the controller things, and the stuff you tweak the most the "furthest down the rack" usually closer to you if you've got a two tiered rack or something. I'd try to position things to minimize patch cable distance and to group common type modules together.

Aesthetically, I moved all the Moogs ontop of each other so that it looks cool and all the patchbays line up. If you have a 4 row case, I'd move the neutron over ontop or below the moog stack to line up all the patch bays. That will probably result in the least number of headaches. Moved the mult to the middle area to jump modulation sources from one side of the rack to the other. Sequencer, mixer, and joystick towards the bottom, they've got a lot of their outputs on the top of the module as well so that when fully patched you can access the knobs easy. Then I fit in everything else in the space provided. Put the model D in the top right because it has the last number of patch points. Circling the red neutron looks cool to me also with it being center.

Cheers!

Edit: if you put the DFAM on the bottom, that's mostly a row of percussion, the middle row Mother32 that's like two subtractive synths next to each other, then the top row is like, other stuff, seems to click in my head. The midi jack on the right of the mother also all the way to the left seems to be a good spot for it. There's a DFAM to midi module someone made recently that you might be interested in if you'd like to connect your DFAM to a DAW or something. https://www.modulargrid.net/e/sonoclast-mafd-2hp-midi-adapter-for-dfam

EDITED Jul 20th 2021, 20:06

Hello

I'm having noise issues on an Erica Synths Case.
Case specs are 1.25A per rail (2.5A total), internal PSU specs are OUT ±12VDC / 1250mA, AC adapter power cord specs are 12V 3.34A 40W.
If I have the case turned off and with balanced 1/4 jacks from the Ciao line output into my line in audio interface I can hear the noise in the link below. Its like you can hear data voltage.
If I disconnect the power cable the noise is gone, so that makes me think the problem is not coming from any of the modules.
The noise is audible in the background when the modules are playing.
Any ideas on how can I sort this? Different power supply? DI Box with ground lift?

Eurorack Noise MP3

Hello,

I am very shy and never post about my work, but I read and read and love the community of modular and synth people like you. Having said that, here is what I have on the way this weekend. I already owned all the semi-modular stuff, and yes, I understand that they should maybe not be in this case, but I want to build this system around what I already know and love while adding in all the other items on my wish list. Besides, the semi stuff is very immediate and ready to go anytime.

If this was yours, how would you place everything?

HELP lol Really considering the patch paths I need to take to be efficient and keep things somewhat orderly. So mixer, sequencer, modulation placement, voice placement, things like this. Want it to be clean and easy to patch :) BTW, I already paid for all of it, just waiting on delivery, so there is no going back. I hope I am as smart as my other personalities think I am.

Any thoughts on my concept would also be nice...

I already feel this is common sense:
-Behringer is evil and yes, I carry shame with that brand in my case. But, no one I know in real life will ever understand and I have no online cred anyway, so who cares. I have the only 2 I will ever buy!
-The case is really voiced and focused by the Moog sound. I'm so in love, and this case is a result of my passion for the triple Moog threat.
-I do not want to fill up the bottom row yet. I am saving the 164 HP for expansion as I further understand this case and evolve.

Side note. I also have Zoia and Poly Beebo on the side as sends (for now) and they can CV with some effort on my part. So, that's a huge consideration as those two pedals alone could probable serve as this entire rack, so my intention is to use them and just pull in the modules I need this way and maybe send there functions out as needed. Very much an open space :)

I will entertain all suggestions. If VCV rack has your module in it, I will try it tonight and learn from your suggestion.
Be gentle on me please, this is my first ever post on the internets and I have too much grey hair for a mid40's nerd.

-Love,
Shadowsaun