Hi Horpsnark,

I'm not familiar with all of these modules, but it seems to me there are no envelopes or (dedicated) LFO or VCAs or mixers in this system. In this case the Pico VCO will just sound like a continuous drone. There will also be no automated/continuous modulation in your filters or any other modules. Everything will be quite static.

How will you sequence notes or triggers? Do you have some external sequencer? I guess Marbles will sequence, but not in a really controlled way.

How will you output all of these instruments to make sound? Do you have an external mixer?

You have three instances of Drum2 in your system. Unless you really really like the Drum2, it's probably more fun and more creatively challenging to have different modules.

I like the Black Dual VCF personally, but it's quite huge. In such a small system as yours, I would probably pick another filter so you can use that space for other modules.

If I was making this, my first step from this point would be to have some external sequencer. I like the Beatstep Pro, it has two lanes of melody, velocity (can be used for other modulation) and gates. There's also 8 individual drum gates. You may need to get some extra cables to deal with the high voltage coming from the Beatstep gates. Then I would add something like NANO Quart or Intellijel Quadra or Mutable Instruments Stages (clone) to have some envelopes to work with. Envelopes can also be LFOs when put to loop.

Good luck!

EDITED Apr 28th, 12:33

If you know it's too cramped, why not get a bigger case? Branded cases are expensive, but have you thought about making your own? You don't need much knowledge about electronics to do this. You can find information on this online. A friend of mine has his eurorack in a second-hand metal briefcase. I have mine in a wooden case. The person at the hardware store cut the wood for me on the band saw and the only thing I had to do is put some nails in it and drill a hole for the power cord. That would open up your possible module choices tremendously, and give you a better user experience in the resulting system.

I also want to mention that Make Noise enjoys a legendary status but from a 'costs vs quality' or 'costs vs functions' perspective I'm not impressed with their modules.
Maths alternatives for half the price/A bit weird envelope generators: Befaco Rampage, Nano Arc, Cre8audio Function Junction.
I think you will really enjoy Schlappi Engineering Boundary Layer, it's slightly more expensive than Maths but has three channels and all kinds of logic functionalities, it also works as a chaotic oscillator and the envelopes are super tight.
Low Pass Filter alternatives: Takaab 2LPG, Erica Synths LPG, DUAL BORG. I recently used the DUAL BORG for the first time. It's a dual low, band and high pass KORG MS-20 with two built-in LPGs. Pretty good feature set.

You're running a mostly mono path right up to the MN X-pan and Beface Out. To take full advantage, either add more stereo stuff earlier in the path (stereo filter, stereo effects module) or swap out these modules for a quad VCA mixer or something like this. Depending on your setup, you can go straight out the VCAs without needing an extra output module.

Good luck, have fun.

I remember an interview with James Blake (I think it was on Mylarmelodies exceptional "Why We Bleep" podcast), where he talked about Mutable Instruments Yarns for some tempo detection via Midi
-- Progspiration

I was interested in this because I have MI Yarns and I watched this interview. It's indeed Why We Beep with James Blake and at time 1: 06 :00 they discuss the Yarns.

I paid 170 € including shipping for a second-hand Yarns last year and there's better deals here on Modular Grid at the moment.

EDITED Feb 18th, 17:07

Great, I hope you have fun in your journey!

I would humbly like to point out that there is nothing odd about using a low pass gate with a complex oscillator. This is literally one of the main building blocks of west coast style synthesis.
-- Zacksname

You're absolutely right with the historical connection. From the point of view of building a monosynth I still think a more 'normal'/east coast filter would be really good. Maybe get both! There's many small cheap LPGs available. My friend recently bought a Takaab 2LPG for just 20 €, it's tiny and sounds great. It has three responses/flavours. I have the Meng Qi DPLPG and it's also good but there's just one flavour. I paid about € 50 for it. Both are passive.

Based on your information the NiftyKeyz will send multiple melodies so you are sorted on that point, even without the mult. So either passive or buffered will work in your case. It also depends on whether you have enough power spots in the case to power all modules including the mult.

I don't think the decay out envelope on the LPG will be all that useful, since it's decay only, not even Attack/Decay. You probably want more complex movement in the filter and also outside it than just decay.

I think I would remove either the Frap Tools 321 or the Erica Synths Black CV Tools, they are kind of in the same ball park. And then use that space for another envelope. If you plan to play the keys a lot rather than just sequencing, you may want to add an ADSR for perfect control. You can then double it to the filter or use another envelope.

For filters, Erica Synths Black Multimode Filter, ThreeTom Modular Steve's MS-22, Tiptop Audio Forbidden Planet or System80 860 (MK1/MK2) are all good choices with the same or lower HP as the LPG at a somewhat similar (secondhand) price. They all have very different flavours.

There's two things that catch my attention here. Other than that, it seems well-rounded. The most-often made mistake with eurorack beginners is a disbalance between audio sources and audio manipulators. You did well on that part.

What I am mostly wondering about is your filter options. You have a LPG (low pass gate) rather than a LPF (low pass filter), a bit of an odd choice. There's videos on Youtube explaining both principles. A module that can do low pass, high pass and band pass filtering will give you more options to play with. But maybe you picked this one on purpose, I'm not familiar with the module and it seems like it can also do normal filtering. Something to think about. If Plaits and Mindphaser are ought to be processed individually, you probably want two filters.

If you really like spring reverb, then go for it. I would not find a great match between Mindphaser and a spring reverb. There's many (cheap or expensive) reverb pedal choices with more flavours of reverb than just springs. I have the Oceans 12 pedal which is the same price as a new assembled Befaco Spring Reverb. Maybe it's overkill for you. EHX Oceans 11 and TC Hall of Fame are cheaper but great options. If you want to keep it in eurorack, the multi-effect unit FX Aid is a popular choice and will give you much more than just reverberation.

One last thing, a passive mult will not copy v/oct melodies. The passiveness will cause a detune to the melody. So you can't mult it to both Mindphaser and Plaits. Maybe there's a solution on the NiftyKeyz, I have no experience with it.

I have a Eurorack. Every module I have bought second-hand. If there's ever any problem with a module, it's the mini pods that become scratchy and noisy. This AE Modular is mini pods start to end. I would worry.

Have you thought about …

If you want a large rack:
-VCV rack is free or cheap software, it can't break and doesn't break the bank

If you want hardware:
- Korg MS-20 Mini is very doom-like and you can still play with cables and signal paths and it will last a long time
- Korg Volca Modular is cheap and you can still play with cables and signal paths
- A small number of second-hand eurorack modules from fairly affordable brands like Doepfer, Erica Synths, Rides In The Storm, Dreadbox coloured modules

Thanks for pointing out the overabundance of mixers, thats because i never worked with stereo audio signals and since i would like to process and mix in the final output both the oscillators and the processed external audio at the same time i thought a certain amount of stereo mixer channels were required, but i inserted too many.

Okay, but let's say you have something awesome going on and you want to record this to make a track with it. Probably you're going to want to make the final sequencing and build-ups and touches in your DAW anyway, so why not first record your first voice and then your second voice and mix them together when you're making the track in your DAW. For jamming you can put all you sounds through a single stereo out and when it's time to get serious you record the voices separate. Then you only need one stereo pair out and you don't need to constantly use four inputs on your Audio Interface. Makes it also easier to jam with friends on a small mixer. It's up to you of course what you find important and how you spend your cash.

it has individual amplitude controls for every mono channel so maybe that could bring some light imbalance between the Right and Left signal of a stereo sound, does it makes sense to you? Thats another thing im not entirely sure of).

Don't worry about that, you can see it super accurately in your DAW and fix it there :). Maybe it even sounds better with imbalance. I have the Intellijel Triplatt myself and it's great for submixing and fixing/attenuating modulation stuff so I'm sure you will enjoy the Quadratt.

Still i don't understand how a mult could get a double L+R input into one output, i thought they are just replicating the signal inserted in the first patch point: are you saying they can mix 2 signals in a single output like in a mixer?

I just checked it on my eurorack because I confused myself a bit. If I have a 3 mult and I put in 2 oscillators and put the third socket in the Audio Interface then I hear both oscillators. The mult doesn't have real ins and outs. What you put in sockets comes out the other sockets. But here's the thing: in a melody and already enveloped situation I got the sound perfectly. But when I just take the full non-modulated oscillator sounds on the same octave in the mult there's this weird-but-cool noise-cancelation effect going on. So yeah, to be safe submix on the Quadratt and I think most of what you said will be fixed in the module when it outputs both channels to Left (mono). But you can definitely use the mult to put two modulation sources in and use them together at one destination and in a pinch the mult will also work as a equal gain mixer. I have a small eurorack and I like the noisy parts so for me I don't worry and it's 'sound design'.

EDITED Jan 4th, 00:49

Hi, I will try to answer your question as well as give some advice.

mono/stereo issue: most modules that have stereo outputs will go into mono if you only use one exit. Often the left output. Check the manuals how that works for the individual modules. So you can likely patch Monsoon Left into Grainity. and have all of the sound that was coming from the left and right input. Regardless of how you do it, after the mono Grainity the information will be mono. Running stereo into mono will always result in a mono (=both speakers the same) sound. The cable that you show has a stereo end, your mono modules will probably get no sound from that. I accidently bought some stereo big jack cables in the past and it often causes problems with Moog gear, with my bass guitar, with my effects etc. I'm sure it will be the same with 35 mm jacks.

I see you have three mults. I think you can probably suffice with two and I would also spread them through the system instead of keeping them in a corner for maximum effectiveness. The mults could get your double outputs into one input if the left mono implementation mentioned above is not in the module.

If you want a versatile and cheap LFO, the Eowave Zone B.F. Black Edition is now on Modular Grid for 46 €. That's half what I paid secondhand and frankly a great deal. Run a LFO at audio rate speed in any oscillator or VCA and you'll get interesting timbres. Please note that I'm not the seller and not responsible for the sell.

You have quite a bit of mixing modules at the end there. Mixers are sometimes optional. There is no problem going straight out from a VCA into your DAW/Audio interface if you keep the levels alright. Turning on 'pad' on your audio interface will keep the signal from overdriving. So maybe you can take one of those mixers out. Keep in mind that a Quad VCA is often also already a mixer, there is no rule on what the spot is where you take sounds in and out of your eurorack system. More VCAs is probably better than more mixers.

If you're planning on using the eurorack with the DAW always, then those two multi-effects modules might be a bit unnecessary and boring. You can apply simple end-of-chain effects in the DAW. I think it would be more fun to focus on eurorack effects with lots of modulation options, that would take advantage of the eurorack 'way of working' better.

Good luck!

EDITED Jan 3rd, 16:00

You mention that you don't want volume adjustment, but I think you actually need it to get the octatrack on the same level as your modular sounds. For example, if you would use the Octatrack sound as a modulation source without boosting, you would only get a fraction of modulation out of it. Every +3dB is double the volume, so +18dB is a lot.

The one Farkas mentions has much more ins and outs, and I think that's what you want. But here's the one I have: Mutable Instruments Ears, and I like that one. There is only one 'in' on it, but it has an Envelope Follower and pretty heavy extra gain if you want it, the overdrive is very tasty. So the mangling can already start at the input module. And of course you can still use that overdrive when you don't use external gear.

What makes you say that you are not happy with the current arrangement?

Your post made me laugh a bit, because I also was trying to have all the bottom jacks top row and top jacks bottom row. And I think I also spot another sin that I am guilty of: trying to keep all the modules in black and aluminium separated.

My tip would be to try to not care about the colours and the jack positions because you will always find some other module that does not fit your curated layout.

I now try to follow the usual signal path. In your case I would have Pamela Workout all the way on the left and work my way through oscillators, envelopes, LFO, Mult, filters, VCA, effects. That's ususally how it would be on a normal keyboard synthesizer like Juno etc.

If you're scared about the cables being in the way of your controls, I find that if you layout in a way that your favourite playable knobs (for me: filter cut off) are always ready and able you will be fine with it.

EDITED Sep 15th 2025, 16:35

I feel like people are sleeping on the MI Yarns. I bought it at the start of the year for 170 € (including shipping) and apart from being a 4-channel MIDI converter, it also works as a 4-channel stand-alone sequencer, digital oscillator, euclidiean sequencer and/or modulator. Maybe I'm missing something, but it should blow the µMIDI out of the water, giving you - apart from the midi channel you already have - 3 additional channels of notes, movements and gates.

More generally, modulators are always great. Think of MN Maths, Nano Arc, Befaco Rampage, Schlappi Boundary (Layer). Many others of course, these are some favourites.

EDITED Aug 24th 2025, 16:08

Looks pretty good. I just want to mention these two things in favour of affordability:
There are cheaper and just as good (or better?) options for Maths. Like Nano Arc ( https://modulargrid.net/e/nano-modules-arc ) and others.
Mutable Instruments modules have been cloned many times by different producers. Opting for clones can save you a lot of money.

Here's an practical idea, building on what teatine and HGsynth said.

Rather than getting the Erica Synths Bass Drum or Bassline, you can get any 'normal' VCO by Erica Synths, combine it with a envelope generator / modulator (NANO ARC, Make Noise Maths, others), an acid filter and a VCA to get the same result, but in this case you can also wire everything differently and get things you didn't think of when you were shopping for a bass drum. That's the area that Eurorack shines in, and it's difficult to do this with regular synths.

I agree with Max that the Doepfer A1116 is probably 'more of the same' for you and therefore not that useful. There's other types of voices out there like wavetable vcos that you may enjoy for techno. But maybe you have enough voices already, in techno there's usually a limited amount of voices, and a lot of space that is filled up with effects like delays.

You mention you want to travel with this system. Eurorack can be bulky, heavy, break easily. You will have to plug and unplug everything between rides. If travel is important to you, maybe other types of synthesizers are more interesting to you. For example, Elektron devices can do much more in a much smaller space and no cables as well. I doubt you'll be happily euroracking on a train with this system on your lap.

Nice that you managed to make a choice! Sure, would love to see what you eventually end up with and how you like it.

I just put my own rack to public. Maybe there's some inspiration for you to be found there. The goal of my rack is to make a big noisy ruckus, with fat analog bass and lots of knobs (hands-on control) to turn. I have it connected to an Arturia Minifreak and Ableton on the computer to get in additional sounds and sequencing.

I like all of the modules I bought. The Cellz is the only one that is not amazing but it's still fine because it's very cheap secondhand.

Hmm, it's difficult to make an oscillator choice for you. It's really personal. I think you should listen to as much material as is available for the Dixie, Sto and Buchla and choose based on that. I feel like the Sto is the 'weakest' choice here, it has the least amount of options and the least amount of knobs to turn, for the same price as the other two. But if you really like the sound of the Sto, then go for it.

The Wasp is cool and has a unique sound. It's a good choice. If stereo image is important to you, a stereo filter is a good choice. The modules you have selected now are not very focused on stereo. But if that's the way you want to move in the future it can help to go stereo on the filter. Even with a mono filter you can stack the oscillators in the mixer or the Quad VCA to filter more than one sound source at the same time.

For me, the module (it's a filter) that made me go 'wow, now I want a modular system' is the Schlappi Engineering Angle Grinder. In default settings it's a sweet sounding filter with low pass, high pass, band pass and notch, but once you start turning knobs, it will rip your ears off. For me, that is the sound I am looking for. I'm not sure if it's the module for you, but give it a listen on YouTube.

Hi, I'm quite new to this myself, but I think I can help you along a bit.

I see four oscillators (counting the Buchla as two), but not a single filter. Filters are very important for shaping your sound. Some say that filters are more important to your sound then an oscillator. There's some truth in this.

You mention you also have the Dark Energy and the O coast. That's six oscillators I guess. You don't have the amount of envelopes to have all of this stuff running at the same time.

A lot of power of modular synths comes from the ... modulations. I think you would benefit from a LFO. I was also thinking you need an attenuator, but I think Quad VCA with Maths has you covered there.

The Quad VCA will already mix four signals to the OUT 4. Will you need that Pico mixer in addition to this?

How will you sequence all of these oscillators? Maybe you have some outside device for this. If not, a sequencer or a midi to CV input will help you, depending on your outside setup.

Maybe you really want it, but I would think the ZeroScope is not that important in this small setup. You can hear the sound with your ears right? Do you need to see the waves? I see you can use it to tune, but you can tune on the computer or on your mobile phone with a free app. A scope is more of a luxury thing, for when you have so many modules that you can't remember how they work.

One last thing to think about, maybe it's even the most important thing. You mention you want West Coast and Experimental. Do you think you will achieve it with this setup? Is it maybe not too 'normal'? If you want something very specific, you should lean into this specific thing. If you're crazy about Buchla, get the Buchla oscillator and drop the Sto and Dixie (for now). Any full, non-modular, synth can go beep beep boop. You don't need an expensive modular system just to go beep beep boop.

I hope this helps you. Maybe you think I'm being too rude, but I'm just inviting you to do some critical thinking.