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Hopefully their corporate practices are entirely different in Australia. It's ground shipping in the US plus the "last mile" that we're all moaning about. Perfect Circuit at least has good tracking information. Two of my shipments from them have gone through the Navajo Nation, which is at least interesting.

Thanks! Might end up going with the Behringer Crave + a module or two unless another member has a different solution.

Eh, I don't have any guidance for you there (aside from maybe Plaits if that is the right sound for you). I've already kind of given the best advice I have for you. Maybe some of the other members would like to chime in on specific low-cost modules/options.
Have fun and good luck.

Well I've just ordered some modules from Perfect Circuit and Control Voltage who use Fedex and UPS respectively, so fingers crossed how this turns out, all shipped on the same day (I'm in the AU), let the race begin...

Okay, thanks for the help. For the sake of the idea, lets not take the case into account. It seems like it is possible to find or build a small case for relatively cheap… if I need I could find an extra $100-$200 for that.

I’m just interested in what combinations of low cost modules have the most versatility - yield a variety of different sound possibilities.

I started with a used 104hp powered Make Noise skiff for about $200 plus tax. If you want something versatile, Mutable Instruments' Plaits is a good place to start looking, and you might be able to find a used one for about $200... and there's your budget.
But what about all of the other stuff to actually make it work? Cables, filters, LFOs, a sequencer, envelopes, effects, blind panels so you don't accidentally touch a cable to a power header and short everything out...
If you really think that getting into modular is the right direction for you, spend your $400 on a decent powered case (TipTop Mantis or small Doepfer for example), and then save up again until you can afford your first module. Then save up again for your next module. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I don't know your financial situation, but it may take a considerable amount of time until you have a useable system. Whatever you do, don't go into a large amount of debt.

That is fair, and I have done a lot of research already. Although my goal is to own a large rack sometime in the future, I don’t plan on buying a large case/power supply in anticipation of that. I am going to start with a very small and inexpensive case, size based on the solution I go with (plus room for a couple new modules). Potentially portable, and then it might still have use after I buy a larger case.

I don’t necessarily need simultaneous voices with the small rack, as more than one or two would definitely limit my options in terms of what I can accomplish with it. I hope to eventually be able to compose full tracks in eurorack alone, but I don’t see that happening with such a small budget, so again that will be a future rack.

The main goal for the synth is to have access to a wide variety of sounds that I can sequence within the eurorack (unless an external sequencer is a better option). Mainly techno/edm, and sound design within the score.

So when I say versatility, I mean that it has lots of versatility in sound with a small amount of onboard sequencing. I would then record straight into logic.

Well, it will be important for you to do a considerable amount of research for your individual needs. What is "versatile" to you may not be very useful for me. You will need to plan out exactly how large of a case and power supply you will need in the long run (not just right now). Are you interested in manipulating samples in your rack, or do you just need a good monosynth built to your specs? How many simultaneous voices do you need? Are you just wanting to sample the sounds of your rack into Logic, or do you hope to perform fleshed out compositions?
What exact problem do you see eurorack solving for you that you can't achieve now?

Thanks for the answer!

Yes, I know the functionality will be limited. Right now I compose for film using mainly sample libraries in Logic Pro. I own a Roland JD-XI, which I mainly use as a midi controller, as well as a few mics, pedals, etc. Nothing specifically eurorack compatible.

The Behringer Crave looks like a good option, and that might be the way I’ll go if there aren’t any possibilities with strictly eurorack.

Still curious as to what a $400-$500 eurorack option could look like with or without a semi modular as a base. What can I get out of a limited amount of modules? What modules are most versatile?

He's a fairly famous DJ/producer/composer. He recently liquidated a massive amount of gear that had been gathering dust in his studio.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkie_XL

Hi Ethan. This is going to be near impossible at your current budget. You can easily blow through $400 on a case and cables. Any modules that you can squeeze into that budget will be severely limited in their usefulness, as you likely won't be able to fit in all of the most basic components of a functioning synthesizer. I would highly recommend saving up AT LEAST a thousand dollars/euros/etc. to get close to something that is a bit more than a single oscillator and filter with onboard VCA. Save up for what you really want and buy those modules one at a time if necessary, and don't just buy something because it's an affordable alternative.
The Behringer Crave is a good inexpensive semi-modular alternative for under $400. It has everything you need to get started making some sound and you can incorporate it later on when you start building a rack.
What equipment do you currently have to use with a eurorack setup?

EDITED Aug 17th 2021, 19:44

Hi everyone,

Looking to put together a small modular system with just a few modules to start, and grow from there. I can’t afford a full system right now, what options are there for low cost, but versatile modules?

I know eurorack is generally expensive, but I plan on continuing to collect modules for a larger system - so I do want to go the eurorack route as opposed to other synths, etc.

In terms of style, I will be using this for scoring films, with an edm/techno twist - so lots of sound possibilities is important. Obviously that doesn’t make sense with such a small budget, but that is the eventual goal. Short term, I’m looking to have something I can mess around with while I work towards a larger budget synth.

Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

what exactly are you trying to do?

what do you mean by redundant? "functional duplication" in modular is often a very good thing

currently you seem to be quite modulation heavy - tetrapad/tete/quadrax/planar, melodic sequencer and adsr channel heavy - metropolix is I think 2 channels (and you only have one vco!) and you may not need adsr envelopes = the intellijel dual adsr is huge compared to similar modules from other brands

no vcas????

rainmaker is too big, imo, in a single rack like this unless some compromise is made with other modules being smaller than they should be (and I don't think you can do this in solely intellijel)

so you almost definitely need to add a quad vca and another vco - which means 20hp+ if you want to stay intellijel only (personally I wouldn't - I hate constraints)

-- JimHowell1970

a art dream machine that can do sounds above your imagination but also minimal techno or ambient shit :D
i think that should work^^

other module builder dont fit in the esthetic... maybe mutabel instruments and alm buiscuit....

So I’m still relatively new to this as a hobby and this might be a really stupid question, but after spending a lot of time scouring Reverb listings, I have to ask … who exactly is JunkieXL and why would I care that something was owned by him?

EDITED Aug 17th 2021, 18:02

thanks so far fellow humans. i re build it and made a few changes... what do you now think?

i know that the limit that set i me with the idea to only use Intellijel is a little bit for the ass but on the other site.. thats the challenge and its fancy :P

EDITED Aug 17th 2021, 18:05

I must have fluked those Dynamics ;-) Cheers

@TumeniKnobs @farkas
Thanks for listening and your feedback.

Wow! I love the seemingly off-kilter scales/notes/progression in this. It somehow sounds like it shouldn't work, but it really does. I went back and listened to a bunch of your more ambient tracks and again really loved Pandorum. You have a great Kenji Kawai - Ghost in the Shell soundtrack thing going on. Subbed. :-)
-- TumeniKnobs

I guess what do you mean. I like to make complex arp/melodies... but it's difficult always fit them in random stuff or pseudo random. But if you keep the same scale in all elements, it somehow to keep on scale/on tone. I've tried go ahead in this direction, and I like to experiment around this concept. Sometimes seems works, sometimes it's catastrophic :).
And sure I've hard inspired in general with cyberpunk/space/sci-fi content. I've lost the count of my GITS' views.

EDITED Aug 17th 2021, 17:47

use fixed filter bank to create feedback within afterneath. Optionally use frequency in sv-1b to regulate input. All other basic parameters don't matter

EDITED Aug 17th 2021, 17:33

Something to consider as well. If you're in Europe, there are probably plenty of places to pick up modules on holiday. You can always swap some stuff out as you travel if you want to make some modifications.

Beautiful! Very impressive.

Wow! I love the seemingly off-kilter scales/notes/progression in this. It somehow sounds like it shouldn't work, but it really does. I went back and listened to a bunch of your more ambient tracks and again really loved Pandorum. You have a great Kenji Kawai - Ghost in the Shell soundtrack thing going on. Subbed. :-)

I love how this evolves and has great dynamics. That's something I am still struggling with. Great sounds and sound quality too. Nicely done!

I removed the Roland 531 and a MN Pan Mix to get the PM in the rack. I was going to sell them, but I think I am going to keep them for the utility that sub-mixers provide and the inevitable expansion. ;-) Yeah, I deliberated for a long time before I bought the PM and looked at a load of the alternatives. Ultimately I choose the PM as offering the most bang for the buck with a reputable manufacturer. It is not the ultimate mixer for all racks, but that module doesn't exist.

Alright, I've made some changes to the 1U tile!

First, I replaced the stereo VCA by a Ritual Electronics Pointeuse.

you can use an out from the Stasis Leak AND from the SCLPL and then use that dual VCA to let one fade in/out against the other.

Although I won't be able to fade in/out anymore, I really dig the idea of being able to switch both manually and from a gate signal. Also thanks to its internal flip-flop, it can act as a clock divider and a square sub-oscillator (perfect for the Mangrove). I'd take 2 if I could :)

This forces me to ditch the Noise tools. Fortunately Ritual Electronics will be releasing a 4HP noise source which, combined with the Pointeuse will still allow me to generate random pulses. I’m loosing the S&H ans slew limiter but get more hands-on fun and immediacy (I think). Also, my skiff is already in desperation of any sort of VCA so this feels like the right choice to replace it with a single trigger.

Lastly, this gives room for the guillotine. I really dig your idea of inserting a stereo effect at some point in the signal flow. This will work really well in pair with the Statis and is perfect with the Pointeuse already. Also, this will help beefing up the Sclpl when I get rid of the Resonant Equaliser!

I’l pull the trigger this afternoon :D
What do you think?

hi Nick

I use an es8 as an audio interface and I use an audio track with an impulse that was on the make noise site to send clock (impulse on every 16th note) and send that out to Pams (Pams is set up so that run is start/stopped by the incoming clock) - works for me

Its something I want to try more of, and remove the beats altogether.

Cheers for listening :)

This started as an experiment with some new modules – Qu-bit Bloom, WMD Performance Mixer and Mutable Instruments Beads. It turned into something I liked so I figured I’d try another video (but I didn’t actually use Beads in this recording). I spent a ton of time balancing the voices, so I'm curious if the mix sounds decent.

I'm really liking the PM and the extra channels and bells/whistles vs the Roland 531. The aux outs and ins are awesome, so I no longer have to wash the whole mix in reverb just to get reverb on tracks that I think want it – no more swimmy bass lines. ;-)

Bloom sits nicely between Rene 2 and Marbles. I haven’t had time to deep dive with it yet, but it was easy to immediately get cool sequences going. It kinda feels more like an arpeggiator than a sequencer, but that’s great for this rack.

Full routing description is in the video comments.

EDITED Aug 17th 2021, 13:41

I'll see your 50 and raise you 5. Oop...lookit that...two pair, Stockhausens and Martiranos, with a Rosenboom high card.

So, yeah, been in this tiny laundromat for a long while, too.

Hi Wishbonebrewery,

This is an interesting and a bit different track from your usual "line". I like it, a bit magical too and some new sounds haven't heard before. Yeah, I like this style! :-) I wouldn't mind to listen to more of this. Keep it coming!

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

Detroit Modular ships USPS to me in NYC. Despite recent attempts to destroy and privatize it, it remains fast and reliable, much more so than the "free" shipping done by the private carriers. I wish more suppliers offered this option.

Thanks again for all the ideas and recommendations above guys!

Update: after a lot of looking I found ES-3 & ES-6 available (from 2 different vendors). I think that will be a strong solution for me because:
-- lightpipe (ADAT) I/O to my interface will spare me the "2 interfaces" issue noted above, and I have spare ADAT lanes on my interface to use for that. It should be a tight integration
-- I don't need a ton of I/O between the modular and DAW, I'm hoping ES-3&6 will be enough, but I could add some more "to modular" I/O with ES-5 and expanders if needed. The "to Daw" signal maxes out at 8 channels with ES-6 and its expander. I imagine I could get a 2nd pair of ES-3&6 if I really really needed more I/O, assuming I had the ADAT lanes to spare.
-- I like that ES is a premier brand in this space. I'm hoping by going with a trusted provider that I will have no stability / synch problems.
-- Motu828 (mentioned above) seemed like another plausible solution. But ES-3&6 costs less and has fewer hard to access (rear panel) connections for my particular setup. So I would consider that going forward if really needing more I/O, but for now ES-3&6 seems like a better pick for me.

I may be back with more questions / comments. One thing I've not figured out yet (and haven't tried because my modules haven't all arrived yet) is how to synchronize DAW & modular transport / clocking? Let's say I'm sending transport "play/stop" signals from my DAW, and clock from my DAW. That goes to modular, gets my clock/sequencer chain going. Then modular is sending audio, CV and gate back into DAW for recording. I'm hoping to synch/slave that all so that it's not a total chaos and mess; and so I don't have a ton of cleanup to do on the recordings in the DAW (e.g. if a lot of recorded tracks ended up off the metrical grid due to lack of clock&transport synch). Of course, suggestions on these points would be welcomed.

Shipping to Minneapolis (from Sweetwater or anyone else) was generally fine for me pre-pandemic. 2020+ it's all out the window. ETA means "sometime". "Signature required" means "whatever we feel like." My Erica Techno system was left at my neighbor's place yet "signed" by me -- really!? That is not a cheap mistake. Luckily, I saw the package, just grabbed it -- it did have my name on it.

My expectations of the delivery services are now close to zero; SO I make sure to work with vendors that are either well insured, or I know will make things up to me if there's a problem. My Sweetwater guy will fix any issue; as a result he's gotten a lot of business from me.

Perfect Circuit ships FedEx to me from CA. My packages run into black holes around LA and around Chicago. Some strange unknown cosmological process then decides when the package emerges again. I've got a room full of monkeys and Fermilab in a race to figure that out. I'm not holding my breath. FedEx does suck.

Maybe in 2022+ the shipping will again be "reliable"? Who knows. But for now, it's anything goes.

BTW anything I order from Patchworks (Seattle) shows up super fast and on schedule or ahead of it. Maybe I'm getting lucky where I am? Anyway they seem like a good bunch; I'd be happy to send 'em a bit more business.

great experience with @Tommodtom and @jdd12 buying samplers and filters. Thank you! Marek

The 3xVCA should actually be easier to get in the EU than elsewhere, given that they're in Germany.

Happy Nerding is actually from Ukraine, when info is correct. As Ukraine is not part of the EU, reorders can be complicated and take some time. Thus, every now and then it can happen, that the devices might not be available inside the EU.

I do have the space guides on, this works okay but it would be nice to not have to select a module just use mouse over event in empty space to show the guides.

Have you got the space guides feature turned off, maybe? It doesn't seem to work on iPads. But it works rather well on my desktop.

If would be really helpful to highlight the hp count for empty blocks. It can be hard to see how much hp you have available between modules or at the end of a row. Much like having the info when you mouse over a module displaying the hp it would be nice to display the hp available in empty spaces. My eyes aren't what they seem and I find myself trying to count the hp and that gets tedious after about 6 hp.

Yeah I'm blind. Sorry for that!

But the expander has some nifty addons! ;)

Thanks @Zuggamasta for your reply.

I'm pretty sure Praga has a mix out in the middle bottom of the Module, no Expander needed for that.

Many thanks to you both for your replies. I am very grateful to be able to ask these questions here!

Thanks again for your comments, Jim! Point taken re LFO and functions.

I agree with you regarding the Neutron space hog issue, jb. Actually, it's a 'gas stop' until I can start filling the bottom rack;)

Many thanks again!

this is a very good point racking semi-modulars that cpme with cases drastically increases the cost of the semi-, but as a starting point with fewer modules actually in the case I think they can be useful in suppressing gas!
-- JimHowell1970

Suppression of GAS is a good point…I certainly am guilty of GAS, but did do a lot of research and asking questions here beforehand…GAS certainly affects your ability to get proficient at any one or two modules..:my first purchase was Maths and that is a whole lot of learning right there…lol

this is a very good point racking semi-modulars that cpme with cases drastically increases the cost of the semi-, but as a starting point with fewer modules actually in the case I think they can be useful in suppressing gas!

Personally I wouldn’t waste all they good HP space on the Neutron..I have a similar setup with Minibrute 2 and Rackbrute 6U, but I have an ASM Hydrasynth and bought a cool little separate stand for it and have it setting next to the Minibrute 2/Rackbrute 6U…not that I could mount the Hydrasynth in the 6U if I wanted to but even if I could, there’s no way I would when I can easily have a separate case for it…then you have your portability with the 6U/Minibrute 2 and a case carrying your Neutron

This is my idea for my updated Dark Ambient Rack

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1182461.jpg?1629113780

There are some nice things in your build but I'm not sure how far you'd come with it. And you still need the HRAD "main section" to go with the PRAGA. As it doesn't have any way to out put it's mix without the HRAD.

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/xaoc-devices-hrad-

Just recieved a 2hp Pluck,thinking about getting the 2hp TM too

wow, thanks for the input..... that's a bit to chew on, but will def. research your suggestions ~ happy wiggling!

lfos are not utilities - they are modulation sources

utilities are things like (but not limited to) vcas, mixers, mults, switches, attenuators, offsets...

whilst maths does have some of these functions integrated into it, I find that it is best to see maths as it's own thing (the sum of the whole is more than the total of the parts - see the maths illustrated supplement for details) and duplicate the utility parts (attenuversion/basic mixing) as you will need them sooner or later - they are inexpensive, especially if you buy doepfer for example

Just a quick feature request. When swapping things around in my rack, it might be nice at a glance to know what other modules are the same HP as the module I want to swap. In other words, either have a little text box that takes an HP width or maybe just use the HP of a selected module, then highlight all of the other modules in the rack that are the same HP.

Thoughts?

EDITED Aug 17th 2021, 06:37

G'day Lugia,

thanks for your concern over the rig I was throwing together on here just to see how much space I would eventually need, and how much dough I would be set back with a full blown Make Noise system. Which goes to show, you should never take too seriously everything you see on the internet. I need a third row with all the rest, but then I have to fit it into an already overflowing home studio. I've been in this game for over over 50 years, so a bit of fun has to be included. Cheers.