Hi folks!
After watching a lot of demos, I've come up with the following rack, and I'm wondering if it'll do what I hope it will.
My goal is to be able to get off from work, get a patch going, and groove. I'm shooting for EDM sorts of sounds--a few drum sounds, a couple standard-ish synth voices, and the option for simple chord progressions if I really want to. I'd also like to be able to record my jams into a DAW.
do you have an audio interface? can it handle modular levels? if no to either question consider an expert sleepers es9
Personally I think you are trying to do too much in too small a rack - there is not really the space for the support modules that are really needed to make the most of the number of voices (including percussion) that you are trying to cram into such a small rack - it's often said 1 voice per row - although, just like "you can never have too many vcas", this should be taken lightly
you might also want to look at "controller" modules
I understand some of the joy of modular is going nuts and leaving more traditional synthesis, but for now, I'm just looking to get the hang of the modular workflow in general.
I'm also wondering how "playable" I might find this. What I mean is, are there enough immediate ways for me to directly influence the sound outside of patching to feel like I'm changing the music as it happens. Examples would include varying sequences, dropping an element that's playing, and otherwise keeping things fresh/building tension and release.
maybe, maybe not - probably tending towards probably not, tbh...
mutes. switched multiples and trigger combiners, possibly trigger delays etc - more mixing - I really like matrix mixers - doepfer do a nice inexpensive ergonomic one...
stay away from micro modules (there may be some actual mutable plaits still available)
I'm sure something like this has been posted a hundred times before, but I didn't have much finding what I wanted with the search function.
there are lots and lots of newbie rack questions - they're almost all applicable to you - you are not especially different in any way than any other newbie - read a load of those threads and learn!!!
take a look at my signature - it's a rough guide to getting the most out of a modular synthesizer, for the least amount of cash
I'd take your goal and set it aside as a more mid- to long- term goal - start with a minimum viable synth and learn how to use it properly before adding more voices and percussion
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities