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Dave Jones is excellent, but I'm pretty happy with the vpmd Zero. I had a Mordax Data and it was absolutely overkill for my purposes, so I sold it on. Pretty sure the Zero fits your budge better than than the DJ.

Agreed with @stolmine, if this is what you're thinking I'd probably go with the System Coupe (it does a ton and yes it looks awesome) and then once you find you've mastered that consider supplementing it with another rack or skiff.

This doesn't seem like it has much of an advantage over the default System Coupe. It definitely won't look as nice! Pam's can accomplish essentially everything that Marbles can (and potentially more given the inter-channel logic and variety of waveshapes) if you're willing to do the work with the encoder. The hands on experience of using Marbles is the only plus to this IMO. I totally get why that would be attractive for someone who is new, though. With some patience you could use the CV ins on Pam's with the Quaid for interesting high level automation.

You might just consider getting a larger case if you want to come up with your own rack, it'll be cheaper than expanding in the future from a 3U 84hp.

EDITED Apr 26th 2021, 17:53

I would get the WMD Performance mixer if you have the budget. That is the mixer on my wish list as the ones I have thus far like Befaco Hexmix, Intellijel Mixup, and XAOC Devices Praga are so-so and not that great for larger modular drum setups. Well Befaco is great but needs the expansion add on to be great.

Very nice ModLifeCrisis, thanks for sharing.
How long did it take you, all in all?

Hey first post here and totally new to modular.

Really love what I'm seeing from the ALM folks and am pretty tempted to jump in on the System Coupe which looks like it has a lot of potential and a good start point out of the box for a newbie Want something that I can make tunes without needing MIDI or external sources. Hopefully everything from jungle to IDM to ambient stuff.

...But then again kind of tempted to build out something more custom? And got a recommendation for the Marbles to have something else to generate melodies.

So started sketching something out similar to the coupe but making some swaps and going up to 104HP. Megaslope for two Pip slopes. They don't make the Milton outside the system so I put in the Triplat instead, same for the MCF but I can't quite figure out a replacement, would love to swap for MUM 8 but its 1 hp to big.

Anyway, would love to hear any and all feedback! Very excited to get into this world.

Chris

Hi ModLifeCrisis,

Interesting one and nice to watch your video. Especially the beginning I like, quite funny while you patching the patch cables, nice touch!

Yes indeed, this part of the forum is meant for your videos and sounds ;-) Thank you very much for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.

Ukugene ;-)

Lovely :)

:), nice and calm!

Lovely

Thanks a lot :)

@Garfield: it's a filter resonance sweep into lots of reverb :)...

Best,
jingo

You're going to get some suggestions to get a bigger rack but I personally think this is an ok starting point, and you'd probably learn a lot (before you break down and do in fact get a bigger rack down the road). My one comment would be that I don't really see the need for the Lapsus Os here, you already have two attenuators on the Maths and that's 10HP you could instead use for other things, e.g.

1) a mini Marbles clone
2) a Turing Machine, either a 2HP TM or a mini Thonk one, alongside some extra modulation c.f. an Ochd, a Ladik Harmonic or Folding LFO, etc
3) another analog oscillator in small form factor like a Doepfer Precision VCO (4HP) plus some mixing or extra modulation as above
4) a Disting MK4 plus some combination of the above which'll let you try out a ton of new things and open up the possibilities for the rack a lot

EDITED Apr 25th 2021, 16:51

I've just realised I may have been posting my videos in the wrong section - Patches, which seems to be for pictures of how to patch up the modular and comments about it. I'm sorry about this. I've posted my latest video here instead. Seems to be a better place for it.

Hi everyone, this is my first post here, I hope it's appropriate.
I'm relatively new to modular and I'd be interested in getting some feedback on an Intellijel case I've been thinking about.
My idea is to have a compact modular to midi control via my Elektron Digitakt, comprising a granular synth, some modulation and a single analogue voice to play bass/do some sound design with.

I'd like to know if I missed some important module or things could be done in a more efficient way to achieve similar results.
I'm open to your suggestions :)
Have a nice day

hahahaha

:(

a blank panel

Hi, I moved stasis leak on another rack of effects, granular synth, utilities ecc that I'll build.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/image/1554719.jpg
With 4 hp I covered with Links that I use to control stages in adsr and quadrax which modulate respectively vco and vcf.
With the last 2 hp I think to add another tuner to regulate also the second vco of complex. In mixer usually I add also the vco of werkstatt.
What do you think of the idea on the two hp?
Thanks
FB

Pan Law, everything is better cooked in a Cast Iron Pan ;-)

I filled the current Gap with a Happy Nerding 4x Stereo Mix (for some more channels) and a Doepfer A138sv, there may be another A138sv on the horizon just for setting the positions of percussion. The more i read up the more I am drawn to the Befaco Hexmix and Hexpander.

Cheers for taking the time to put all that together.

Maybe replace clouds with a Mutable Stages and a WMD SCLPL? Sorry if that sounds a little random. That's just what came to mind as a couple things that would be very useful and different from what else is in the rack.

EDITED Apr 25th 2021, 07:25

Nice one, well done, enjoyed listening to it. Comical and a bit quirky at times :)

more vcas

So here's my latest system. I'm thinking about taking out clouds and replacing it with something(s) but I don't know what. Any suggestions? Thanks!

First up, you've got some discontinued modules in this. That Pitt output module is out of production, and the Tiptop EG has transitioned to another revision. Secondly, you won't need ANY mults in this, as the build is simply too small to give up functional space for something that should be dealt with in this case with inline mults. As for the need for a buffered mult...this only comes up when you're trying to send a scaled CV to so many VCOs that you get voltage sag, which throws the scaling/tuning out of whack. Not enough VCOs here to require that.

The way I see it, you've got two choices here...

First up, start in a bigger case. And I mean REALLY bigger. Then scale this back to a more practical result...but step on up to 2 x 104 or such.

Second option: shrink the modules. Do you actually NEED those large modules, or can you reduce the panel space by substituting other modules, smaller "clone" versions, etc?

In truth, BOTH of these options should be kept in mind while reworking this. Also, if you have a specific musical idea in mind here, look around MG for builds by others doing this...there's quite a few. The general idea you're on is right, but there's a lot of miscues here...such as the O/A/x2. It's $100 for a pair of offset gen/attenuverters. But for $9 more and 2 more hp, you can get Intellijel's Triplatt...which gives you those functions, adds one more attenuverter, then sums all of the inputs via a "breakable" summing bus, plus it also has a couple of "hidden" functions. Since the idea is to always push functionality, it makes far more sense to find those extra 2 hp to put one of THOSE in. But there's several points of that sort where it appears that a bit too much YouTube has crept into the build...and tbh, there's only a handful of YT presenters that I consider to be conversant enough about modular that I would listen to their (unpaid-for!) advice. It's far better to work these issues out here on MG among the "working modular stiffs" instead of watching a presenter with fairly "opaque motives" that might be telling you something based on getting some compensation such as a freebie module, and NOT on actual use and experience.

If you're looking for a mixer to do stereo audio panning, you also want to pay attention to whether or not the mixer supports pan law. Most of the ones I mentioned support it, but notably modules like the Make Noise X-Pan and the Verbos Scan and Pan do not. Without it, the sound will lurch between the channels a bit instead of doing a smooth sounding pan from left to right.

Hello!

I'm wondering if anyone can let me know if there might be anything glaring I'm missing here. Possibly more utilities? I know I should get a buff mult and mixer, but is there anything else that would be recommended? I'm looking to make ambient, sorta shoe gazy, experimental music. Any module suggestions I'd be grateful to receive!!

There's a paucity of mixers offering CV panning on 3 or more channels. The most compact is probably the Verbos (14hp) Scan and Pan, followed by PanMix (16hp), Praga (20hp), Stereomix 2 from Toppobrillo (24hp), Poltergeist (28hp), and finally WMD's 40hp Performance Mixer.

The Verbos is limited in that it has only 2 outputs. The PanMix also has only 2 outs, and you have to choose between VCA and panning on each channel. I think Praga hits the sweet spot with VCAs, independent outs, and CV panning on all 4 channels. It also has 2 aux sends, 2 stereo aux returns, and its expandable.

I think this is one of the biggest holes in the Eurorack module market. I think if Bastl ever upgraded their Quattro Figaro to do 4 channels of CV panning in 10hp they'd sell a ton.

You're very welcome @nickgreenberg.

Conceptually, for the mixer/VCA thing I was thinking about using the 20hp Praga in place of the Quad VCA and A-138s. You'd still have 8 ins and 8 outs with 4 VCAs (with boost), but it'd be more integrated and you'd add CV stereo panning and mute buttons which would get used constantly in performance. (I personally can't live without VC stereo panning.)

Similarly, the Joranalogue Mix 3 would do much of the same mixing as the A138n but you'd be adding a VCA on each mixer channel, and the LEDs and layout on the Mix 3 make it better for performance. (Perhaps you could use a WK1 or WK2 from LPZW in place of Links to free up 2hp.)

EDITED Apr 24th 2021, 23:50

I'll second the Dave Jones O'tool Plus, excellent module.

Hello,

Does anyone know the STG .VCO power consumption specs?

EDITED Apr 24th 2021, 22:33

Jesse,

Hey, this is VERY cool!

Thanks for the detailed response above. I CAN see the patching now (after I click on your rig).

Do you have video, Soundcloud, or something similar where it's possible to see / hear the results of your approach? I kind of imagine running this setup myself. But would be very interested to see / hear the results.

BTW when Aristotle is ready for purchase, do let us know!

I'll continue to think on this topic and will come back with a longer post if more interesting questions / comments pop up.

Cheers!

Nicholas

Thanks @Roaring_Butterfly I will keep those suggestions in mind!

I see this less as a "forever" rig then as a mobile rig with a solid core to it. That is to say, I plan on keeping 80-90% of the design somewhat stable over time, and just subbing in/out a module when there's one I want to learn in depth. So yes, the OSC2 is not the permanent big OSC, and something more like C-sl may very well take its spot.

I should take a closer look at the mixer/VCA situation as you suggested. My intention with the mixers was to do some parallel voicing chains plus some panning for stereo. But maybe there's a more efficient setup to do that than the current above.

Thanks for the ideas & comments!

Here is a simple stand alone DIY oscilloscope from China that was easy to assemble and works well. It costs about $25 including housing and shipment. It works well with my modular rack so I could really recommend it.
https://m.banggood.com/Original-JYETech-DSO138-DIY-Digital-Oscilloscope-Kit-SMD-Soldered-13803K-Version-With-Housing-p-1051616.html

I like where you’re going with this—especially with the Vector.

I think the Recombination Engine takes a really interesting approach—the waveforms on the scope are gorgeous—but in the end I think I'd got with an Instruō Cs-L to expand the palette of synthesis approaches. IMHO the Cs-L is even more versatile with its two oscillators with different cores, two different PWM circuits, two different wavefolders, and a VCA that can all be used independently, but they’re configured in just the right way to multiply their functionality many times over with hard and soft sync, ring mod, FM, etc. I expect it'd also make the FLD6 redundant.

With the 6hp I'd save I could add a Select 2 from Joranalogue if I wanted some audio rate switching like the Recombination Engine's "scissor" function. I could also add a different third oscillator like an MCO from ALM, or maybe a characterful filter like the Cinnamon from Bastl.

Also, if I had the Vector sequencer at the center of a rack this size, I’d definitely think hard about adding the Jack Expander to get the most out of it. I might also slide the Vector to the left side of the case to increase access to the big knob on the left side of the module that does so much of the work.

Lastly, for me the mixer/VCA situation seems a little disjunct with the Doepfer mixers and Quad VCA. Mixers with built-in VCAs can work double duty. Maybe look at good old Veils, the Joranalogue Mix 3, or ALT from Nano. But for a performance rack I'd start with the Xaoc Praga. It's a little larger but deceptively capable. It's actually got 8 ins (4 channels + 4 returns), 8 outs (2 main, 2 sends, and one on each channel), 4 VCAs, 4 stereo panners under CV control, switchable curves, and performable mutes.

EDITED Apr 24th 2021, 20:07

Here's one. DIY and completed. $155 USD. https://waveformmagazine.com/the-gateway-oscilloscope-waveform-diy-project-2-1/ I haven't used it but this particular oscilloscope screen can be found on numerous hobby sites. If you could save more, the Dave Jones O'tool Plus is totally worth it.

EDITED Apr 24th 2021, 15:19

I would like to have an oscilloscope, but at present only have 16 hp left in my rack and very little money, about £150.

Any suggestions, please ?. It doesn't have to be rack-mounted, could be a stand alone.

Thanks P

Maybe I misunderstand, but if you are patching the VCO outs directly into the delay, you probably won't get much -- just some weird phasing effect mostly. Sounds like what you are getting.

Put the an amp envelope between the VCO and the delay and see what happens. The VCA out of the M32 will probably do the trick.

Hey Nick,
Thanks for telling me about the patch, I had edited it and then hit the browser back arrow on accident so it got deleted. I repatched it above so hopefully that makes things easier to parse. The main pros are speed of programming, and playability. I basically compose in shapes, it's reactive rather than prescriptive, and with Metron, I can make a save with 5 parts planned out but the notes aren't set in stone, I set that with the mixer, I just have a rhythm and a structure mapped out. If I want to make a new pattern it's really easy to do in seconds, on the fly, and because I have the note pool already picked out with the mixer and quantizer, the change won't be jarring. I can then make changes to the note pool if needed, and prepare for another part change. It's great for playing with others and performing live.
The cons are that it won't be exactly the same two performances in a row. Since the mixer settings are manual it's pretty close to impossible to get them back where they were last time, but I actually like that aspect of it too, so not sure that's a con for everyone.

I've also designed another module around this concept, called Aristotle, however it uses a slightly different mechanism to get generate the patterns. Instead of gates in it takes triggers and creates melodies based on the pattern of the triggers. It's a little more akin to something like a cross between the method above and something like the Turing Machine. It's easy to create loops and then a small change in the trigger pattern coming in, creates a small variation on the CV pattern coming out, but if you completely change it up, you get a completely different pattern immediately as well. It's really fun. I am days away from finalizing the design and pulling the trigger on manufacturing, so they'll be available to buy soon!

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/other-unknown-aristotle

I love Nonlinear Circuits designs. I have the Neuron/Difference rectifier, the GENiE, Delay No More, Triple Sloths, and in addition, I modified the circuit for the Let's Splosh and made my own version that outputs all positive voltages, and dessert names that I had heard of before, (this one is my favorite).

I have yet to own any of Ladik's stuff but there are a number of them I have my eye on, and the ARC module is one I've been on the hunt for for years. I have used the Neural Network from the Hemispheres firmware of Ornament and Crimes extensively for such purposes, and it is remarkably powerful, but it takes a bit of time to get used to the interface. I am currently working on laying out a design for a serge inspired panel with Peak and Trough (analog OR and AND logic mixers), 5 channel mixer (2 with attenuverting), 4 comparators, a ring modulator, and 4 manual gate buttons. That will be going into another case from the one above, along with the NLC modules, that is geared more towards experimental wiggling, however.

Thanks again for checking it out,
Jesse

The 2hp module has since been returned. I still have the Pittsburgh. The source is the saw and pulse outputs of the patchbay of my moog mother 32. After the delay, the signal is fed back in through the external input jack with the moog mix knob set accordingly.
With the delay mix knob set to dry, the sound comes through just the way the moog made it. In all degrees of a wet mix, you begin to hear the distortion. It ranges from barely noticeable at short delay times, to like a pw modulation type effect at long delay times. I do hear some familiar sounds when the delay time is moved back and forth.
I have tried all logical settings for each knob involved and then some.

OK...well, for starters, those two delays are set up rather differently, with the Pitt having CV over only delay time, and the 2hp having CV over delay time, feedback depth, and wet/dry balance. Given that these aren't exactly alike, it would follow that both of these shouldn't manifest the same problem. One or the other might be malfunctioning, but both? Not likely.

So, let's look at potential user error. Put the 2hp back online and see if this is what you're doing:

1) Connect an audio source to the "IN". This MUST be a synth level audio source; if you're trying to input a LINE level, it won't work without stepping the audio UP to synth level. Line level audio is either .775Vrms (the "consumer" standard) or 1.4Vrms ("pro" standard), while synth audio in a modular typically runs between 5 - 10 Vrms depending on synth format, etc.
2) Set the "FDBK" to about 10 o'clock.
3) Set "MIX" to 12 o'clock.
4) Connect an audio destination (like a mixer input) to the "OUT"
5) Now, while listening to this, sweep the "TIME" control back and forth. If you're using a pulsed and/or rhythmic signal, you'll hear the change of echo time AND a pitch-shift as you sweep the knob. If you use a sustained sound, you might not hear the delay, but you should still hear the pitch-sweeps.

Actually, the_erc managed to nail the #4 solution...but I'm still puzzling over what a rig like this should wind up having and how it should be configured. Not a simple task, to be sure...give me several days, and let's see what I can toss out.

A month ago I bought the 2hp delay module. The best I could get from it was a blurring of the sound, whether I applied cv to the delay time or not. I figured it must be a result of buying a cheap piece. I just hooked up the Pittsburgh Modular lifeforms delay and I got the same thing. Internet searches have revealed that no one has ever encountered any problem with a delay module whatsoever. This is frustrating.

BTW, if you're not already familiar with the following modules, they may be very interesting for you. I've been looking at logic and semi-random CV lately, this stuff has piqued my interest:

-- Ladik modules, various http://ladik.ladik.eu/?page_id=7 ... scroll down for modules by category
-- Non Linear Circuits modules, esp the logic (neuron) and chaos ones: https://www.nonlinearcircuits.com/
-- this neural network module IMO would be a nice fit for your additive sequencing setup outlined above, see https://www.analogueresearch.com/product-page/artificial-neural-network ... they are not in stock now, but the maker said a next version is in the works and will be released before long

@the-erc, thanks for the technical ideas above. Yes, some switching + logic may work. I've also been considering if some combination of latching or latching switches plus logic would work. All told, I probably have to just mock up some draft patches IRL (when possible module-wise) or on VCVrack and test what I can get to actually work. Part of it is getting clear on the logic / signal aspects of it, which I could maybe work out with pen & paper (& beer & cats).

@Lugia, yes, the little Fux book is alongside a few prized others in the counterpoint section of my music library. I hadn't really thought about pedal point seriously for a while as it is not an obvious fit with my focus genres. But yes, not to be ignored. And I love it in the Bach and Hindemith organ works.... BTW, any other technical ideas / responses to my longer ("step 1-5") post above? I know you a day or two ago said you were mulling it over. Your ideas & draft rigs are always interesting food for thought.

Thanks folks!!!

I'm pretty happy with Cakewalk's Sonar, but Machete don't MIDI and I do very little editing. I'm a basic user. Caveat Emptor.

Gotcha, well I know Ableton the best of my DAW so will stick that. Plus I can figure out how to integrate my Ableton Push MIDI controller with modular.

i like it, also the minimalistic approach --- yes sometimes less is more :)

He, he, interesting video, looks like you have some video-head issues too ;-)

just the usual ;) ...

cheers

EDITED Apr 23rd 2021, 16:09

Yes but that's also a problem - especially amongst smaller 1-person manufacturers - they don't have time to check and update a lot of these things

The perfect example is York Modular - there's a request on the website somewhere, iirc, where someone asks him to update ModularGrid and he basically says he doesn't have the time or inclination

Mostly. There's still issues, though, most notably when a manufacturer discontinues a module and they don't bother to come back and change that module's MG listing. [...]

-- Lugia

Sure Lugia, I am aware of the problems. What users can do currently if they see a locked module with off specs:
Click on the Message the Manufacturer button besides the manufacturer stamp and remind the manufacturer to refine the data or unlock the module.