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Hi Sacguy71,

Oh nice! An OP-1 :-) Well, I guess you know what I am going to ask you next, right?

Please do provide us with one or more demo videos whereby you use the OP-1 in combination with your modular setup, would be nice to see! :-) Kind regards, Garfield.

Doepfer is solid- aside from their crappy MIDI to CV module, their other modules are good and easy to use and affordable for eurorack.

Thanks Garfield,

I modulated the CV on the Jomox with a Doepfer LFO and that really brings the drum alive with nice fade in/fade out for the distortion and compression. Mutant Hot Glue is a great percussion mixer and FX unit so user friendly and powerful. I got my OP-1 today and ALM Busy Circuits Super Coupe modular system so lots to learn and explore and use together.

Hi Sacguy71,

Nice demo of two large modules, nice work! Wow, that sound that you kick in at about 10:43, ho-ho-hooo, great sound :-)

Thanks a lot for this video and demo and kind regards, Garfield.

Doepfer is great. They have a revised line of modules meant to be smaller. A dual LFO and a dual ADSR envelope from them would be just fine.

The A-140-2 for the EG ($168) at 8HP and an Eowave Zone BF ($111) at 5HP look pretty tasty to me. That's an EG and an LFO in the same HP as the Batumi and Poti... at less than the price $350.

As far as a noise source, check around. Noise generators are often paired with sample & hold circuits as well as slew limiters. The ADDAC215 will do all of this in 6HP... and gives you TWO S&H circuits plus two slew limiters.

Per request some demos of the mighty Jomox bass drum module

Thanks for the tip re: posting and for the feedback on the rack. Good points to consider.

A number of the modules I have were deals on eBay (Function, Doepfer VCA, ring mod, Steppy, and both filters) before I had much idea where I wanted to go.

I have been looking at adding an attenuverter and a better filter choice and appreciate the confirmation on where to make changes.

I had thought the tides and function for envelopes but have been looking at something simpler - and agree that smaller LFO would help with space too.

I'll check out the Disting EX and add a noise source - opinions on which modules to check out? I have been leaning toward Doepfer for simplicity and size for EG, noise, LFO...

When posting your rack, don't post a JPG pic of it, post a link so people can review your set-up. Just copy the URL when viewing your rack. Like this.

Pam's New Workout has an optional MIDI expander. If you're working with MIDI hardware, that might be very useful for sync'ing.

Steppy is a gate sequencer. It doesn't output pitch information. You have a Beatstep Pro that offers gate AND pitch CV. What do you intend on doing with the Steppy?

You have the Intellijel Quad VCA. You also have a Doepfer Dual VCA. For the build, I think you would be safe getting rid of the Doepfer.

I like the Batumi and Poti expander. But this is a small case. Is there a dual LFO module to your like that's a lot smaller?

For your ring modular, I would go with Befaco's A*B+C. It's a dual ring modulator but has pots included for level control. That will be extra handy.

Speaking of pots... look up "attenuverter" You need a couple of those to change the polarity of your CV and attenuate it. Befaco also makes a great dual attenuverter.

Your choice of filters are a low-pass filter and a low-pass/band-pass filter. That's a lot of real estate for a small case. Unless there's a specific style of sound you're looking to get from your filters, I'd find a smaller multimode filter.

Do you have a noise source here?

Where are the envelope generators?

If you get rid of some of the fluff you don't need, you can also go with a Disting EX rather than a Mk4. You'll get much more use out of the EX.

You can also save space by purchasing smaller clones of the Mutable Instruments stuff. Again, in a small build, you might want to sacrifice a little convenience to get squeeze in more modules (more functionality).

Thanks Lugia, it's clearer now. I think I was confused by the fact that the Focusrite has also midi in and out, which I use to sync the desktop synth. The ES-8 doesn't have midi ports unless connected to some expanders, so basically with the ES-8 I would also need a module for midi. I guess I'll stick with the Focusrite for now.

Hey all - Here's what I've ended up with in my Arturia rackbrute case. I have other gear that I use (Digitakt, Waldorf Blofeld, Behringer TD-3, Korg Monolgue) and both a Keystep and Beatstep pro.

I like the random/generative ability of Marbles and the tonal possibilities from Plaits, Surface, and Chainsaw (and Tides) but wonder whether I should go for more basic oscillators (I also have a Tiptop Z3000 but wish it was smaller)

There's some duplication with the Steppy and Beatstep Pro for sequencing.

As far as my style, I like generative sounds, noise, ambient, but don't mind making straight beats as well (Digitakt probably best for this).

New to modular and hoping for some useful critique where I can add/subtract/substitute for a more useful system. Thanks!

FWIW, it isn’t so much that VnIcursal is cramped, it is that the ordering of the pots, in relation to their channels, is really unintuitive. Zoom in on one of the module images and you’ll see what I mean. :)

They’re both pretty great little modules, though. They just optimize for different things, as with all good modules large or small.

You’re welcome Garfield. Yeah Wogglebug is great. I made a cool trance house patch using it as a triple oscillator into modemix and optimix using Erbeverb and modulated by Maths. The Make Noise Shared System feels like a complete and portable modular instrument. I’m glad that I started on Doepfer basic modules before the Make Noise modular stuff.

Yeah, VnIcursal did look cramped, and given everything you guys mentioned, I think I'll avoid it for now.
Thanks a lot,
Jack

BSPs wouldn't be a bad idea. Or perhaps one of those and a Keystep Pro? That would give you much the same functionality AND also add a proper keyboard controller.

How do you make it portable? Easy-peasy. Go to a sporting goods place that carries more guns and gun supplies than the entirety of Delta Force, and find a suitable gun case. This might sound odd at first, but when you notice that at least one manufacturer of these ALSO makes music cases (ie: SKB), it all gets clearer. Find one that can fit the BSPs...or the BSP + KSP...and then modify the internal foam so that everything fits nice and snugly. In fact, quite a few gun cases have "cubed foam" so that you can modify the interior to your exact liking. Just take your gear measurements with you, do some rooting around, and you should find just the thing you need.

As for FX...you've got a big gap in the tile row. If this is 24 hp or wider, there's your FX module space; Intellijel has a tile that offers stereo reverb, chorus, and delay (https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-multi-fx-1u)...in short, the basics that are often part of sound design, albeit nothing overly complicated, either to use or in terms of sound. As for anything beyond that, you should do a deep dive on either eBay or Reverb and look at 1980s thru mid-90s rack processors. Back in the day, a Yamaha REV-7 would've set you back a hefty chunk of change...but the two right next to me in the rack only ran me about $350 (yes, together!)because they're "obsolete". They don't SOUND obsolete...they're just not the newer/shiner/faster model of reverb unit, which to me isn't even close to "obsolete".

The ES-8 is basically a multichannel digital audio interface crammed into a small Eurorack module. As such, it should function just like any other interface, save for the fact that it outputs CV and so forth as it's a DC-coupled device. In fact, some of us (myself included) use standalone DC-coupled interfaces from a number of years back. These would normally be considered "obsolete" for audio (except that they still sound fine), but given that some of them can also pass DC, they work great for this purpose. As for your DAW, it has the CV Tools device for using Ableton with something like an ES-8, MOTU 828 mkii (which I use) and such.

FYI, the smarter way to sync the DAW would be to use CV Tools to SEND clock information, since this will have much more stability than most modules offer. Taking your headphone from the mixer is also fine...it should have the same exact result as whatever's going into the ES-8, etc. But always rely on the most stable source for clocking, in this case the computer.

Hi Sacguy71,

Thanks a lot for your comments on complex oscillators, will check out those you mentioned!

Ha, ha, yeah I got a Wogglebug too, funny thing. I love to use it as a random generator ;-)

I think you would love the Sinfonion, it's a powerful beast! Looks like you have some good fun with your Shared System, keep up the good spirit and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Jtunes_ia,

Good comments by Jim and Mvdirty!

The main reason for me to choose the Veils over the VnIcursal would be the user interface. The Veils has, in my opinion, a better user interface, it looks calmer and I am sure with the Veils one would feel more comfortable in usage rather than the VnIcursal, when fully patched, having 18 cables going to a small 8 HP panel with 6 tiny potentiometers above those 18 cables... mwaaahhh.... Veils is the winner here for me.

Though I have to admit those 8 small potentiometers on the Veils is of a similar problem, at least the sliders make this module a bit more comfy to use though.

Now if you want a serious comfortable module to use, then you might want to look at the dual VCA called Waldorf - DVCA1 (look at my below website for a downloadable report in PDF format about the DVCA1), it's on offer right now and is one of the best (if not the best) VCAs I have come across so far. But... there is always a but... it is 20 HP wide, that's the downside of it; if HP usage is an issue that is.

Good luck with choosing a suitable (quad/dual) VCA and kind regards, Garfield.

Thanks Garfield,

I love the DPO however if I was choosing a new complex oscillator it would not be my top choice. I would consider Frap Tools Brenso, Instruo Saich, Verbos Harmonic Oscillator, or Hexinverter Mindphaser. But it came with Shared System and sounds massive for kicks and so forth. It is a dirty oscillator but can do more mild stuff as well. I will try feeding Morphagene into Mimeophon and see how it sounds. It sounds great thru Erbeverb and Echophon. Wogglebug is fantastic as well. Such a well designed modular system for experimental sound design! I also have an ALM Super Coupe and OP-1 on the way to use with it for my mobile modular rig. Saving for ACL Sinfonion and Assimil8or.

Hi Sacguy71,

Nice to hear the DPO. I am still hesitating about this module, is it really worth it?

Yeah, the Morphagene sounds like good fun. For some more crazy fun you could try to put it in series with Mimeophon that I guess you will have in your Shared System as well, right? Just connect the output of the Morphagene to the input of the Mimeophon and have fun :-) Kind regards, Garfield.

Hey guys, thanks a lot for your replies!

About the case I may add up one more row and go for a 9 or 10u / 104hp to get a bit more space to breath and add some more utility modules. And I think it would still be pretty much movable.

I never thought about a sequencial processor as nickgreenberg suggested but it seems like a great addition to this case, I'm looking that up.

And to answer Lugia I use my 2 Minibrute 2 as sequencers or additional voices when needed but it's definitely not the most portable setup. Actually swapping them for Beatsep Pros may be a pretty good idea.

Also, if I was to add one more row, what would you suggest to complement the actual setup?
I'm mainly thinking about Marbles that I've been looking up for a while. Maybe a second Veils and then some more utilities?
I also have a PEG, a Dual Looping Delay and an Erbe-Verb in my Rackbrute 3u. Should I add some of those in this setup?

With both VnIcursal and Veils 2020 side by side I can perhaps add a bit to Jim's answer above:

• VnIcursal is linear only, requiring lin/exp/adjustable upstream if you want that.
• Where VnIcursal has a seventh mix out, Veils has flexible submix normalling.
• Where Veils is pristine across essentially all ranges of input and control voltage, VnIcursal has some distortion character to it past certain voltages. You may want this. You may not. I like having both options around.
• VnIcursal's trimpot layout is, frankly, error-generating. Very easy to turn the wrong pot.
• And lastly there's the obvious channel count / HP density difference.

Thank you for the feedback everyone :)

So cool! Amazing stuff @aphew_goodman.

I won't sleep tonight now after the sensory deprivation ;-)

Good stuff, interesting stuff, I would love to hear a beat-driven version.

Wow, another nice track with some really well modeled sounds. I'm still finding inspiration from "treno" which you posted a couple months ago.

All the best.

Three things I wanted to address about my rack:

1) VCAs. The more the merrier right? My DIY Dual VCA is doing well, but I often find myself needing more control, both over audio signals and CV. Modules that I've been considering for this are Intellijel Quad VCA and Mutable Instruments Blinds.

Veils over Intellijel quad - veils has more gain (upto +20dB) and sliders + as @Lugia mentioned it;s smaller - which is sometimes a good thing - in this case it is

Blinds is bi-polar - which is useful - but makes it difficult to 0 - so if you want silence from your vcas then not so good

2) Random CV modulation. This is a big one for me. I've been on a quest to create quasi-random CV and LFOs for my ambient generative patches. I've been able to get away with it a bit using Tides and some CV mixing. I love randomly modulating the voices I use! From my research so far, I hear Mutable Instruments Marbles is great for this.

Marbles is like a triple TM with extras - really useful - also has gates and a fully random channel - I really like mine - used in every patch - might want to dump the tm and tune (I've got them too - and these would be the first 2 modules to sell if I decided I needed to)

3) Voices. To me, it seems that I don't have enough voices in this rack. I mostly find myself using Pluck, uPlaits and Rings, but is there another voice that sounds great ambient-wise, especially when passed through Clouds?

in this size case I think 3 voices is more than enough - as there is not enough space left over for the important things in modular

I try to think (very loosely):

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities

as this way you can get more variety for your money and hp

a single sound source can be processed by multiple sound modifiers etc NB a sound source can be multiple vcos etc hence loosely

things I would think about:

you probably need a bigger case (or maybe just another one) - I use 8 cases the smallest of which is 6u/72hp - most of which are diy - I really like the befaco excalibus for power - it's very quiet and doesn't take up racks space (and there's a diy kit version - which is easy but tedious)

fx aid xl - a great little multi-fx module - loads of algorithms for you to choose from - I particularly like the lofi one (stereo zvex lofi junkie) and a lot of reverbs and delays - I'd probably get a couple

long envelopes: xaoc zadar can do some seriously long and complex envelopes

mixing - you look like you need a stereo mixer (rings, plaits and clouds are all stereo (or dual mono) modules - some stereo spread may be good

a filter might be a good diea!

the obvious answer is to read both manuals...

veils has variable lin/exp, offset (I believe, new version I only have the original) and a lot of gain (which can be useful - definitely enough for line-> modular) and sliders - off the top of my head

no idea about vincursal

Thanks for your feedback, guys! :)

@sacguy71 the OP-1 is connected to an iConnectMIDI2 interface, which is connected to the Mutable Instrument Yarns MIDI-to-CV module. From
Yarns I can go on with pitch CV and gates anywhere. So you’ll
need at least one interface between the OP-1 and your rack (there may be modules with USB MIDI-to-CV capabilities) but possibly two, like in my case. I normally use the OP-1 as the master clock source. Hope this helps.

Hi, folks.

Through one of Lugia's rack reduxes, I was recently introduced to the Zlob Vnicursal VCA, which packs 6 VCAs into 8hp. I have it in all my rack designs, but I'm starting to second-guess myself, since many people here use MI Veils instead.

Are there reasons for choosing Veils over Vnicursal?

Thanks,
Jack

Houston, we have a problem....

And more interestingly what are the kick ass must have cool beep boop phantasmagorifiers that I should chuck in this rack?

-- padmasan

OK, hold up a second. Technically, there is NO SUCH THING as some sort of special uber global "phantasmagorifiers" in modular. OK, there's Maths, but...anyway, starting from this supposition is a microwave-quick recipe for an expensive disaster. We see lots of that, we point it out on here, then of course someone will, for I suppose contrarian reasons, deliberately avoid the Forum's suggestions...and then you hear from them several months later when they sell off the modu-mess they'd created.

Instead of proceeding this way, I would suggest looking for modules to create a build that's useful for the styles of music you create. For example: you mentioned Industrial...so I would naturally suggest a look at Schlappi's modules. But as excellent as Schlappi Engineering's sound-shredding circuits are, if you were doing some Newage sort of gig, that would be a waste of space in all likelihood. Without that MUSICAL aspect focused, the likelihood is that you'll end up with a box that does lots of things...but none of them really well.

The other danger there is that proceeding recklessly and chucking modules into the cab indiscriminately WITHOUT considering what attendant modules those would require to be at their best...well, this will do pretty much the same thing as far as your build is concerned.

What I would suggest is to stop considering this until you've gotten a much clearer idea of how modular works. And fortunately, there's a simple way to do that: VCV Rack. At https://vcvrack.com/ , you'll be able to snag a massive and FREE modular emulator that contains everything you need for the basics...and a LOT more for stepping beyond that. But also, this will give you a better idea of what's necessary in a proper build, as you can test the capabilities of your MG builds by replicating them as close as possible in VCV. If something isn't going to work in hardware, it won't work in software (as a rule), either.

Also, consider getting a B.2600. The ARP 2600, from experience, has to be the best "teaching synth" of all time, and since Uli's slavishly reproduced it (even with a few improvements), you can have one and use it as a "system core" device...with complete interconnectivity between it and Eurorack modules. I've had and used ARP 2600s an uncountable amount from 1980-2018, including every iteration except for the original (and very awful) "Blue Meanie", the first and rather buggy and hated iteration. Most people know 2600s from the big Tolexed case devices, and think the earliest of those is "v.1". Truth is, it's v.2, and as far as I'm concerned, the B.2600 is the REAL v.5...instead of vaporware and crippleware from a certain other manufacturer. And it doesn't cost $4000 or $1800...just a mere $650.

Also, instead of the Intellijel Quad VCA, I'd recommend the current iteration of Mutable's Veils. That frees up 2 hp, which might sound miniscule, but sometimes an extra 2 hp somewhere means you can fit another module into the cab somewhere else. And given that this is a rather small cab, you're going to need enough space (within reason...you don't want to build a "cactus" of tiny knobs and plugs that's not easily controllable) to get a better complement of utilities in there.

Also, don't underestimate what outboard sequencers can do for your modular build. Case in point: I did a live work a few years ago where I needed several unmatched tempi from a pair of Beatstep Pros. And that was super-easy. Since I was doing this with a digital synth via MIDI (Kawai K5m), I needed the BSPs and a MIDI merger. But the BSP allows you to uncouple its master clock from the different sequencer lanes, so I could easily set all four of the sequencer lines to the different tempi I'd envisioned. Pretty much the same thing will work with them in CV/gate territory, since they have two channels of that for the pitch sequencers.

Also, since they have that third "drum" lane...which is nothing but clock pulses...you can feed that rhythmic sequencer to some Boolean logic, and get even more crazy crossrhythmic action.

Hi there,
That is a very cool jam and setup! I subbed to your YT channel. Love the setup with Rene and the OP-1.
One question: how are you clocking the modular from the OP-1 synthesizer? The reason for my question is that I have an OP-1 on order to use with modular and portable jams. Like how to clock modular in sync with the OP-1? I have wanted an OP-1 for a long time since NIN and Depeche Mode use them and they also have tons of modular and synths plus runs batteries and portable.

EDITED Nov 16th 2021, 02:17

Some fun with Make Noise Morphagene

Good kick bass with DPO, hi hats/snare/clap from Erbeverb and madness with Morphagene.

Hi Gabor,

Great experimental track with a lovely ping-pong sound just before 1 minute that kicks in :-)

After all these years it's still a pleasure to see your setup together with the OP-1, nice set that is together! It's amazing what one can do with the OP-1.

Thank you very much for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

Thanks you two, and yes @TumeniKnobs, track 1 is pretty rad :)

This is pure suspense and noir. I loved it a lot.

In this patch all the 6 identity ouputs of Just Friends are connected to the Matrix Mixer running on Disting Ex, then routed on to various destinations. Beats by Plonk. Some
more info in the video description.

Nicely done. Congrats! I am partial to track 1, but maybe I am slightly biased there. :-)

Hmmm... that's a shame. I've had nothing but good luck with AJH modules.
Looks like you may have found your answer in that MW thread. Reach out to AJH and see if they can offer you some guidance.
Good luck.

I've been looking at the ES-8 as a replacement for my Focusrite, it seems more convenient to have the audio interface in the rack to save some space on the desk and move easily from one place to another, also sending CV from the computer to the modular would be a plus. However, I'm not sure how this module would work.

What I need is a way to sync and multi-track both external and modular gear with Ableton Live. Right now I'm doing that with a Focusrite audio interface, I just connect the external gear and the modular to the Focusrite inputs, connect it to the computer via USB and listen the main output with the Focusrite headphones or monitor outputs.

As I understand, the ES-8 could be connected to the computer via usb and that would allow me to sync the clock and multi-track from the 4 inputs. What I don't know is if I could use the ES-8 inputs for external gear too or if it works at modular levels only. Also, I'm not sure how I would listen to the main output, can a couple of the outputs on the ES-8 be used for that purpose? can the monitors be connected directly to that outputs? otherwise I could send the main lines to the MakeNoise XOH and use the headphones / line out from there, but I'm not sure if that would work.

Hi,

Bought an AJH Synth VCO here in MG and when it arrived i noticed a strange behavior. The VCO was completely unstable in terms of pitch.
I've started to make some test plugging it into different cases (doepfer psu3 and erica synth). Nothing changed. I've tried to send CV from different sources (3 or 4 sequencers), same story.

I've come across this last night, it's exactly my case: https://modwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=220598

Anyone had the same issue?

I think this module is defected.

Thanks

Sweelinck, thanks for the thoughtful description.

I am enjoying working through your Soundcloud page, lots of nice discoveries there.

Congratulations on the album! Nicely done.

Alright so I've had a go at filling out the rest of my system for future expansion, taking inspiration from @Lugia and @greenfly's builds:

Would love some feedback on this as a potential end-game system. Have I missed anything obvious?

Edits: Removed Braids, Kith Runin
Added: 4TTEN, A-132-3
move a few modules around

Thank you

EDITED Nov 15th 2021, 06:44

Hello Guru's

I've decided to start a eurorack build which I'd like to be part of my existing set up. My biggest obstacle is Wifey who wants to see a clear out of gear before anything new comes in. So far it's been a one way street of new in nothing out but that's not a sustainable situation ;)

Ok so I've ordered a Mantis and I've also picked up the included modules in a sale.

I currently own the digitakt and digitone. Also have the behringer neutron and 303, korg monologue, kawaii r100 drum machine and a boutique tr808.

I'm keeping the elektrons, the neutron and the Kawaii and I want to my rack to compliment and add stuff that these toys cannot do.

I like to make weird arpeggiated beats with atmospheric sound scapes (stuff to play to my mushrooms while they grow) and I love kick ass drum sounds. The R100 is sentimental to me but I own cause I'm a huge industrial music fan.

I'm interested to hear opinions on what the essentials are.
Do I need extra power?
Midi/CV inputs/outputs or will the Neutron cover this?
Amplifiers?

And more interestingly what are the kick ass must have cool beep boop phantasmagorifiers that I should chuck in this rack?

I look forward to your kind responses

Much love

Intellijel Quad VCA is great. I’m happy with it.
For random voltage take a look at Mutable Instruments Marbles and Make Noise Wogglebug. Both are fantastic but different approaches to generating randomness. Wogglebug can do some Buchla Richter type random voltage or work like an additional oscillator or random noise generator. Marbles has the ability to do Turing machine randomness which is fun. I have and like them both.

I have been experimenting with Morphagene and Erbeverb from Make Noise and can get some interesting textures. Same with Make Noise Mimeophon.

Soooooooo...where are the attenuverters? Yeah, I know...attenuators and the like are dull and boring and they've not got all the blinky lights and crap, but try using the "big stuff" without them and you'll discover the exercise in frustration that's waiting for you here.
-- Lugia

To be fair, Maths can serve as attenuverters, though you then get into the whole "but now you can't use all the neat functions Maths can do" argument. I always recommend the Happy Nerding 3xMIA for any and all racks regardless of size. Such a handy module.
Warm Star's The Bends is also a handy but overlooked module for CV controlled attenuverting and matrix mixing.

EDITED Nov 14th 2021, 12:20