Beginner in need of help/advice

So ive been watching tutorials and reading forums like ModWiggler and r/modular, but i still have unanswered questions. So, let me begin by stating that I did get a pretty bad case of shiny new module syndrome and purchased modules without giving a ton of thought about what type of sound i wanted to create. I realize now, that was my first problem. My goal with this whole setup was and still is to create cinematic soundscapes with swelling waveforms, resonation, reverb, and basically create a droning enveloping sound that builds, waxes and wanes. Also, something dark and verging on industrial. Very ambient with little rhythm. I basically want to emulate a lot of the scores that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have composed. Now that could change in the future, but thats where i want to start. I should add that I am trying to control my modular synth with the Arturia Microfreak and am considering the Squarp Hermod as my midi interface as it has a lot of functionality built in. Now, knowing all of this and seeing what i already have invested in (in terms of modules), what modules would you suggest I keep, which ones are superfluous or otherwise could be sold/traded out, which ones could be useful to achieving my goal, and finally, which ones are vital to overall sound production? My link that im including is what i currently have (or have on the way in the mail) and I have a budget of about $500 USD more to invest in more modules that will help me attain the sound im searching for. I did recently watch a youtube video where a musician created almost exactly the sound I am looking to create. In his video he listed the modules he was using to get his sound: Qu-Bit's Bloom, Mutable's Peaks, Mutable's Rings clone, and Qu-Bit's Prism. After searching those specific modules on Reverb, they are a tad more than i want to spend. So if any of you modular veterans have suggestions for modules that can produce similar effects as the afforementioned ones for a better price, I'm all ears. I'm also open to any of you building patches using my rack as I am a buge visual learner and that type of input would greatly help me in understanding how sound is routed in a modular system in general. Thank you all in advance for your constructive criticism and helpful suggestions. Those of you that came just to poke fun or leave disparaging comments, well, I cant stop you, but I mean, youre only wasting your own time and energy.

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2725653.jpg

EDITED Monday January 13, 04:39

Check out:
Befaco Oneiroi - synth voice, looper, filter, fxs, reverb, delay, resonator, internal modulation

https://modulargrid.net/e/befaco-oneiroi

or

-a Make Noise Strega? experimental synth voice, delay, lots of magic for soundscapes
-maybe just add something like a MI Beads? gives your granular, delay, reverb .... all in one.
-or a Mimeophon? Delay, Feedback, looper, Reverb. = Fun

but check out the Oneiroi. could be what you are looking for

In his video he listed the modules he was using to get his sound: Qu-Bit's Bloom, Mutable's Peaks, Mutable's Rings clone, and Qu-Bit's Prism. ... So if any of you modular veterans have suggestions for modules that can produce similar effects as the afforementioned ones for a better price, I'm all ears.

Ok, I'm writing this from the perspective of trying to save you money instead of "hey look at this cool thing that will totally save your music":
-Qu-Bit Bloom: is just a semi-generative sequencer. Sure it has some fancy "fractal" morphing of sequences but you can get simmilar results using the Microfreak's sequencer and arpeggiator and the Spice and Dice parameters. In addition, your Pams can effectively function as a sequencer for secondary melodies and voices. I would still recommend getting a dedicated sequencer in the rack eventually but hold off on Bloom unless you're sure it's exactly what you need. Ditto on Squarp. I'd say it's too huge and power hungry for a rack this size, you don't have 8 voices to sequence and there are more efficient (smaller and chaper) MIDI to CV modules available if you decide to sequence externally.

-Peaks: can be many things including a drum, but at its core it's a dual envelope/lfo. You already have the Erica EG, the ADSR, the Doepfer DLFO and Pams for modulation. You don't need Peaks. It can do other things but unless you've identified those specific functions as necessary it's superfluous to your system (and even then there are other modules that can probably do drums etc. better than Peaks). That said, you have two ADSR envelopes which are more typically used with keyboards, Function Generators or (loopable) AD and ASR envelopes are more common in Euro and if you find yourself lacking space down the line I'd consider swapping one of those out for a more versatile envelope/modulation source (not gonna name modules because the goal isn't to make you buy more stuff).

-Mutable Rings: Plaits has the Karplus algo which covers one of the three modes of Rings. You microfreak also has both a Karplus and a Modal algorithm. One thing that's missing is using Rings as a resonator for external audio inputs but that's not necessarily what you need. Still, if you decide to go down that route, there are many clones of Rings available out there, but experiment more with the Peaks and Microfreak algos first.

-Prism is an interesting module but at the end of the day it's a filter, delay and bit-crusher rolled into one. You have the filter and delay covered in Wasp and Nostalgia. You might either invest in a smaller bitcrusher or another effect, or maybe trade the Nostalgia (unless you're attached to it) for a Prism. Of all the modules listed that would probably add the most to your system right now.

tl;dr: You don't really need any of the modules you listed.

In your intro you said:

My goal with this whole setup was and still is to create cinematic soundscapes with swelling waveforms, resonation, reverb, and basically create a droning enveloping sound that builds, waxes and wanes.

For that, I would say you need more VCAs (currently just one, though the Plaits has one built in, kinda). Don't think of VCAs just as "thing that makes sound go loud or quier", depending on which ones you use, they can also modulate CV, creating more complex modulations, be patched as crossfaders, waveshapers, automated attenuators for any kind of parameter etc. If you want your sound to move, swell, wax and wane, VCAs are your bread and butter.

The second thing here is reverb. You don't have one in your rack, nor is it on your list of modules above. Reverbs can easily smear and stuff and make it "cinematic" or glue a bunch of sounds together in a droning space.

Resonators you kinda have as your sound sources (Plaits, Microfreak), but you might look into them some more. Not sure about Nostalgia but many delays can also resonate at very fast speeds (which is the essence of the Karplus-Strong synthesis also found in Plaits and MF).

In conclusion, you don't really need more modules at this stage, although you're lacking a reverb (unless you're adding it externally) and more VCAs (and other utilities) would be beneficial to have. Work on your technique, experiment, take notes, study the music you want to make. Jameson Nathan Jones has a lot of composition-oriented videos on his youtube channel and works with modulars, Omri Cohen does modular ambient and also has a ton of visual tutorials, mostly in VCV rack, which is a good way to experiment and learn without necessarily buying more modules.

I'm not exactly an eurorack veteran (I've been at this for about two years) but happy to try and answer any more questions you might have.

Good luck!