Control Skiff - Is this really as crazy as it looks?

I mean... I would probably pay for a commercial controller product with this much power for about $1500. and it's basically the only justifiable usage for the lingering Niftycase. I could use the case I/O for main clock to the other case and a few cv/gate lanes for playing with the control skiff. And it would free up the remaining hp in the main rack for strictly sound production and signal processing/routing/logic. (Obviously, the easy thing to do with the NiftyCase is to sell it. This is just a fantasy that I think has become a long-term goal).

Now, there is the matter of the 2 Doepfer Joysticks being a bit overkill but... I want a modular cockpit one day just leave me alone :)

It's definitely a bit absurd and it would absolutely take me years to even begin putting modules in it. By then, who knows? Maybe there'll be DIY biometric interface builds for sub-$100 and something like this would seem rudimentary and yet still indulgent lol.

EDITED Dec 1st 2020, 23:17

BTW, this is what it would be controlling one day. Although this rack is still only half-built thus far and is also very likely to change by the time it gets built...

EDITED Dec 1st 2020, 23:14

This looks pretty awesome, honestly. If it were mine, I'd cut Kinks (and put it in your main rack) and substitute in a quad mute module (the DivKid one is the one I use... Happy Nerding also makes one). The DivKid module is very much a performance tool... three settings, and a very pleasing vatrol effect when muting channels... so it would make sense amongst other control tools.

I want to play Steel Battalion now :-)

I want to play Steel Battalion now :-)
-- Quantum_Eraser

This guy gets it

If it were mine, I'd cut Kinks (and put it in your main rack) and substitute in a quad mute module (the DivKid one is the one I use... Happy Nerding also makes one). The DivKid module is very much a performance tool... three settings, and a very pleasing vatrol effect when muting channels... so it would make sense amongst other control tools.
-- Shakespeare

Thanks! Good tip. I previously had two Ears modules in place of the Kinks/Links pair. a 4hp mutes is another good idea.

Better idea, I think: first yank the Kinks and Links and put them in the main cab. This opens 8 hp in the control skiff, into which I would suggest this: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/expert-sleepers-fh-2-factotum, probably placing it at the left end of the skiff to keep the cables out of the way...but to also allow the controls in the skiff to manipulate any of the CV, etc coming off of the FH-2. You could also pull the current MIDI interface in the larger cab in deference to the FH-2, plus you could easily drop the skiff in behind a small MIDI controller (Keystep, perhaps? the FH-2 is USB Host-compliant) and still get excellent ergonomics.

It also supplies some functions a basic MIDI interface doesn't do...check the listing for it. Alternately, one of Expert Sleepers' ES-8 USB interfaces (direct USB to/from CV/gate/trig) would work nicely here, PLUS you can use two "return" channels on it to track the modular directly with your DAW, since the ES-8 is a soundcard-type interface and can easily have two audio channels going back to the DAW while the DAW is busy controlling the synth parameters.

Would the FH-2 fit in the Niftycase? 48mm seems pretty tight.

Also, without wanting to divert the thread, would I be right in thinking "supports traditional 5-pin DIN MIDI" means the FH-2 could link early 90s synths and samplers into the Eurorack?

I'd cut Kinks (and put it in your main rack) and substitute in a quad mute module (the DivKid one is the one I use... Happy Nerding also makes one). The DivKid module is very much a performance tool... three settings, and a very pleasing vatrol effect when muting channels... so it would make sense amongst other control tools.
-- Shakespeare

I'm playing with the idea of a control case myself and DivKid's Mutes will definitely be moved there from my main rack. I'm also considering the idea of a CV recorder to pair with my F8R and potentially a joystick module. I also find I almost never use all the 8 faders on the F8R, maybe having two is a bit too much, but I guess it depends on how you like to play your modular.