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I hear that. The Mother takes up a lot room but I enjoy it racked sentimentally and for traveling patched up. This rig used to travel quite a bit, so with that slowed down putting the M32 back in the case would open up some room:)
I appreciate a fresh perspective!

This turned out kinda ok, bit of a boring bass line though.

I'm basically just playing around with the Patching Panda Hatz kit I soldered the other day.

Hi Nicholas

some thoughts that might help!!!

keep percussion out of the rack - ie use a drum machine

for a 9u 84hp consider 3 or 4 voices as a decent target - and in that size case I find it hard to justify more than 1 type of sequencing - pick midi-cv, a dc coupled audio interface (cv direct from computer, eg expert sleepers es8 or 9), a traditional sequencer (metropolis or the like) or generative (something like bloom or marbles) - if you must have more than 1 then consider 1 of them being outside the rack - a beatstep pro for example, or an sq1, or cv.ocd

in 252hp you have enough space to ignore small modules as much as possible and go for ergonomics over trying to cram stuff in

a single voice may be made up of some vcos - if more than one (or more than 1 output on a single vco) then a sub mixer will probably also be needed, some audio modifiers (filters, delays, reverbs, wavefolders etc etc) and the modulation and utility modules that are needed to support those modules

NB you can also get some modules that are complete voices - for example plaits can be used as a complete voice as it has an internal lpg (combination of vca and filter) or you can choose to bypass those and use external ones

then there are the modules that are needed to support these voices together - more mixers and other utility modules - possibly more effects - end of chain reverb is nice as a minimum to bring everything together

vcas are probably one of the most important types of utility module - get more than you think you need - make sure you have both linear and exponential (possibly in the same module) - linear is good for cv, exponential is good for audio - and audio can easily eat up 2 vcas per voice - one to open and close it and one to increase gain over time, perhaps - modulation can eat up a lot of vcas too - say you decide to use 2 modulation sources - you may want to modulate both of these modulation sources so that they do not happen all the time - another 2 vcas are needed for that - want to patch an auto-panner so that a mono signal is panned across the stereo field over time - mult the audio signal to 2 vcas (one outputs to L, one outputs to R) and use an lfo and an inversion of that lfo to open and close them - vcas can also be used with other utility modules to patch compressors

matrix mixers are a great way of expanding modulation sources - take mults of modulation sources and patch to modulation mixer, you now have 4 more related modulation sources (that can be mixed to your taste) - I'm in the use fewer modulation sources and more utilities to get more, complex modulation camp, as opposed to the more modulation sources and less utilities for the same thing camp - modulation and utility should take up about 50% of the rack (if you want a balanced rack imo)

a good starter set is - a sound source (a vco), a sound modifier (a filter or delay), a modulation source (I really like maths as a starter modulation source - as it is a great learning tool - see illustrated manual for more details), a way to play (see above) and a way to listen (I would use a quad cascading vca for this - and whatever adapter cables you need to take to the output from that to whatever you want to listen with - to a mixer, headphones, audio interface etc etc basically whatever you have already!) - and a basic starter set of utilities - I like links, kinks and shades as a relatively inexpensive and fully functional start - although any combination of modules with their functions will do nicely

I'd recommend starting slowly and then growing organically from there - ie some of what you want/some of what you need and only getting new modules after learning what you already have - experiment with and reesearch the modules you have and are thinking of buying - maybe a second filter before a second vco - because some filters can self-oscillate and so be used as a vco

after that I would look to adding a second voice (you can integrate one piece at time easily using mults and mixers)

at this point I strongly recommend getting a tuner - either on your phone or a guitar pedal or in rack - so that the 2 voices can be in tune with each other - instead of discordant - unless that is what you want - you may want this earlier if for example you are playing with other instruments - or have perfect pitch and find out of tune notes jarring

and then an end of chain mixer (possibly out of the rack) and some more effects - before adding any more sound generation options

I would also consider buying the book Patch and Tweak - as it is a good starting resource for learning about modular (and modules)

EDITED Feb 28th 2021, 13:56

I couldn't agree more with Jim's point #7. Get the module that does the thing(s) you need it to do. The only bad purchases I've made are the ones where I thought I could get by with half of the features I knew I actually needed. I thought, "Oh, I can make this work for now..." Instant buyer's remorse, AND I delayed getting the right module for weeks while I tried to learn and incorporate the wrong one.

1 what is your use case for an output module? most people do not need these - if you need balanced output or a headphone output - then get something that specifically does that - otherwise simple attenuators and adapter cables work perfectly in most cases - and are always a better starting point than an output module - worst case is you end up with an output module and some attneuators - which is no bad thing - attenuators are always useful

2 if you are intending to expand the number of voices - it may be an idea to look at either bloom or marbles instead of a turing machine - both have more channels and have built in quantizers - marbles also has a lot of gate features and a random source -all useful in a small system and this would mean you can put off a separate quantizer, potentially indefinitely - if you intend to use the mimetic digetalis to record tracks and replay them then the

3 I would go with veils or intellijel over the doepfer vca - because they are slightly less cramped and offer more features

4 I would start with a more fully featured modulation source - by that I really mean less cramped and more easily controllable - personally I recommend Maths as a good first modulation source - not only because it is a classic and is reasonably well laid out, but also because the unofficial illustrated manual elevates it to being one of the best documented modules and it is an excellent resource for learning about how modular synthesizers function and techniques such as patch programming - invaluable

5 I feel this system is quite unbalanced - way too much sequencing and not enough of everything else - I would start with 1 sequencing/modulation option - pnw or marbles - the bia - veils and then add maths and some sort of effect - either an anaolg filter or something like an fx aid xl and then the utilities that are needed to make the most of these modules - I always suggest links, kinks, shades as a good starter utility package - and then another voice - and then whichever of pnw or marbles I hadn't bought eearlier

6 if you have a more expanded 'dream' rack that this is a stepping stone towards - then I would share that as well - it may be that a better path is possible to it

7 don't buy modules just because they are cheap - or affordable - buy them because they are the modules that you need - if the quantizer that fits all your requirements is 2 times the price of the cheap quantizer that fits 80% of you requirements - then save for the more expensive one (or dig deeper in your pocket) - because you probably will end up with it down the line after getting frustrated because feature x is missing

Thank you @Lugia for your detailed answer.

Just so that I understood everything correctly:
It is normal that the "Inject" button produces this noise at the output when turning it?!?

Because if there is an input signal at the "in" (e.g. a simple sine wave) the identical noise is also produced at the output (when turning the "Inject" button).

Thanks in advance.

Hi all,
It's been a crazy day of just jamming away and making some music.
Here is the latest:

Things I want to work on:
1) better transitions (had a few early ones that were not as good as i'd like)
2) smoother in/out with the drums/hats
3) leaving more space in the lower energy parts

Any all feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for the feedback, greatly appreciated!

Haven't had much time lately, but here's a quick jam on the Moog stack with support from the modular synthesizer.

Took the modular out to the rooftop for this one... ran into the red at parts, but a bit of clipping never killed anyone, right?

Patch Notes:
Instruo Ts-l into Serpens Sirius as bassline
Calsynth Rangoon as melody
Eowave titan as kick drum
Erica Pico Drums as high hat
Dreadbox Splash as reverb
Mutable Instruments Stages as envelope generator and LFOs
Doboz XIIO as arpeggiator and note controller.
Robaux LL8 as gate sequencer
Super Vcas as vca, inverter and sidechain.
Synthrotek MIXIV as mixer
Music Thing Startup as mixer and clock generator.
Takaab LPG as low pass gates.
XODES TP8 as manual modulation

Hello, I want to get the most out of the BIA. I hope to build this out but was wondering if I would be making a mistake starting with only the BIA, Pamela's new work out, and outs intellijel. With Pamela's euclidian and LFO menu diving nature I believe I will be able to both trigger and modulate the BIA.

The next step would be either be the (Mimetic Digitalis)[https://www.modulargrid.net/e/noise-engineering-mimetic-digitalis-black-] or the (Clep Diaz)[https://www.modulargrid.net/e/noise-engineering-clep-diaz-black-w-jacks-leds] leading up to the (turning machine and the expanders)[https://www.modulargrid.net/e/music-thing-modular-turing-machine-mk-ii] and a quantizer. But I am waiting for an affordable quad quantizer so I don't need to buy more as I get another voice/drone. however, I am not sure what order to get the (A-135-2 Quad VCA / VC Mixer)[https://www.modulargrid.net/e/doepfer-a-135-2-quad-vca-vc-mixer] or the (Lapsus Os)[https://www.modulargrid.net/e/noise-engineering-lapsus-os-black]. I almost think it would be better and get the remaining 5(7 with expanders) modules all at the same time. In my goal system, I planned on including a multi-modular with stackable cables and other off rack mults, sample and hold module, quad (cv) attenuverter, disting, and other utilities.

Hi folks,

I'm new to modular and ModularGrid, but I'm a longtime musician, and familiar with VST-based synthesis.

I have a couple questions I would love to hear advice on from you experienced modular synthesists!

My near-term goal with modular is to have a system that will be deep and fun to use for making interesting EDM bass and lead sounds -- sounds with a lot of intrinsic appeal and interest AND subtle change to them over time that can keep interest or be used structurally in a song (as in the case of an evolving lead that reaches its "fullest" version at the "drop"). As a musical example, think of some of Deadmau5's feature sounds.

***Questions: what types of modules would you recommend for a system like this? What is a good ratio of modules (e.g. OSC vs. filters vs. control signals vs. VCAs, etc.) in this type of system? (And last, less importantly but I'm still curious about this) are there favorite modules that you might recommend for a system like this?

For reference, we can imagine a 9U 84HP rig (~252 total HP) as a likely case setup.

I'm asking these questions because as a modular newbie:
-- I'm concerned I may wayyyyyy over-index on certain module types, especially oscillators and filters
-- I'm concerned I may miss certain important module types (things important to modular but that I wouldn't immediately think of, having come from software synthesis)
-- more broadly, I don't want my approach and experience with modular to be dominated (and limited) by my prior experience with soft-synths; I want to get into what makes modular great

My base-case assumptions are I would need:
-- 1 or more interesting Oscillator module
-- 1 or more interesting filter
-- CV sources including envelope, LFO, and random
-- a reasonable # of VCAs, mixers, and mults
-- modules for MIDI in (or sequencer) and audio out

To me, this thread is an interesting question: what module types and #s to include to get the most sound-design depth and power out of a total ~252HP rig for EDM bass and leads? I hope you also find this interesting and look forward to reading your replies.

Thanks!!

Nicholas

Interesting...it's worth noting that Serge offered (and still sort of does) several sequencers of various lengths...including some odd-numbered lengths like 7 or 5. Most of the time, these come in handy for making sequenced transpositions, with the sequencer being clocked by a divided clock signal to slow the "odd" sequencer down for that purpose. However, they can also provide things such as envelope timing variations to change articulations, sequence-specific modulation, and so forth.

Not when pairing stuff with Maths. That module is a modulation Swiss Army Knife...does everything, works anywhere with anything. It's truly one of the most important and useful modules to have come along in ANY format.

Yeah, it's a glitch. Some browsers don't exactly "speak" what MG gives them to work with, so you get glitches like that. It seems like Firefox (Mozilla) based browsers have this the worst...but as Jim notes, just refresh the page, and everything should snap back to where it belongs.

Normal, actually. When you turn the "Inject" control up, you're adding a DC offset to whatever signal is there. And if there's no signal present, the wavefolder is trying to make something out of the DC offset...which is what you're hearing. The key to avoiding this is to keep the "Inject" down for most uses, unless you're trying to shift the waveform above or below the zero-crossing line. In those cases, that would be when you'll use the DC offset to "push" the waveform to where it needs to go.

Also, some fairly aggressive wavefolders can create waveform deformation to such a degree that it would SEEM as if there's noise present in the signal, but the issue really stems from some sort of very tight and very high-amplitude "scrunch" that's going on in part of the waveform. Ultimately, the "fix" is to simply note where the "don't" position is on the "Inject", then don't put the knob there...unless you WANT the noise, in which case...

Hi Farkas,

Good that you mentioned it (again), Future Sound Systems I mean, wasn't on my watchlist yet, now it is :-)

Thank you and kind regards, Garfield.

Thanks for checking it out. Yes, if you’re referring to the weird “vocal” sound a few minutes in, I just had to do something with it. I haven’t mastered the Future Sound Systems modules yet, so when I stumble across an interesting sound I try to record it. Those modules are unpredictable and deceptively deep. Such an underrated company.
Have a great weekend.

Hi Farkas,

He, he, I love those funny sounds you use as the kind of lead-voice, great stuff :-)

Yes indeed, David Sylvian seems to be concentrated in looking at your jam, he's watching over you ;-)

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

Listening now. Great work, Brett. Your melodic transitions and layering are really fun to listen to.
Keep sharing!

Hi all,

I decided to see if I could just do a longer jam today as it is something i'm trying to achieve.
There are some good parts, and parts to improve, but all up - I wanted to do a longer jam and share it:

Any/all feedback is welcome!
Brett

Was messing with the FSS Recombination Engine last night and decided to record a little live improv jam. Took me a minute to find a groove but I was digging the hypnotic (to me at least, haha), four on the floor, dark, dub techno vibes as David Sylvian looks on.
Enjoy. Thanks for your time.

There are wigglers who don't have a Unicorn account?

First thing I advise anyone serious about modular synths to do... so much good value, it terrifies me to think it may not live to see another day because people didn't support it enough! It's only a few bucks, there's no excuse really! I haven't worked since March last year, nearly a whole year (argh... argh... argh!!!) but I still managed to find enough to cover the subs for this year!

Thank you for all your efforts, I don't like ads, but the ones here seem to be fine ;)

Looks fun, nice to see you bleep'in @Nabroc!

LOL

@ural, nice yeah I am trying to decide between the Erica Synths Black Sequencer and Vector with expander for my next modular sequencer. I really like the workflow of my Winter Eloquencer and being able to see 8 tracks at once of patterns and quickly change them on the fly instantly as well as save presets, chain songs, and so forth.
-- sacguy71

never used Vector. tried Eloquencer for some days while ago - didn't like it.

in terms of workflow Black Sequencer is more spontanous than Nerdseq - less menu diving etc.

Nerdseq has more channels and built-in basic sampler and simple FM synth. i like tracker concept very much, but of course you can't compare Nerdseq with modern trackers.

if i like sequence Eurorack I'd prefer Black Seq now, if I like to do "serious" sequencing - then Cirklon. If I like to use tracker - it is Renoise.

EDITED Feb 27th 2021, 19:40

I've just bought Make Noise- Maths. Which it seems, so has everyone else on here and was pleased to find it in a shop in Bristol.
Is there anything I should avoid buying, which is similar to Maths or wouldn't compliment it ?.

Moral of the story: noise chasing isn't the easiest thing, and often the solution is far from intuitive. Had I NOT had a long background of working with amateur radio, shortwave listening, and such, I probably wouldn't have figured out what was happening, as you'd never expect an RFI issue like that.
-- Lugia

Ha nice story! I also read at muffwiggler about someone who had signals in his modular caused by the plasma lamp next door :D

anyway, my problem seems to be system related or better to say system related in connection with the beads.
others have exactly the same problem. someone else started a thread in the mi community
https://forum.mutable-instruments.net/t/beads-constant-high-pitched-noise-on-outputs/18263/17

But the nature of hardware is that it has a noise floor undeniable. would be interesting to have something that takes that out a bit before hand.
Need to wrap my head around this. Because its something that sometimes gets on my nerves, fo example when I am processing the signal afterwards

Big question is, do I need to buy any patch cables to get any noise out of this “expensive waste of a rack”? I can’t seem to get any sound out of it by just racking and looking at them, trying to match black and silver and so worried about HP and the cool new version of clouds 😂. Thanks guys. Guess I have a new forum to mess around on.

-- Analogryan123

hahahahahahaha

what happens when you refresh the page after this happens?

I think I've had the same thing happen and refreshing hte page generally fixes the issue for me

thanks very much, I will keep that in mind.

Either way, welcome to the forum/conversation. I think we're all so used to people sharing their racks here for the sole purpose of starting a conversation and getting guidance.
Branches might be neat for adding some random variation to your triggers, and something like the Klavis Mixwitch might be worth a look if you do decide to invest in a switch. The Mixwitch does a few different things in a small footprint. I've been amazed with the sounds I get out of QPAS if you decide to add another filter. I may have overlooked it, but something like a Doepfer A119 envelope follower might be useful if you are incorporating external drum machines... Just one of those utilities I didn't think I would use as much as I do.
Have fun and good luck.
-- farkas

Hey Farkas thanks for the warm welcome! Yeah I totally overlooked what people are using the forum for or that a forum existed for that matter lol. I do want some variation with my triggers and will look into branches. Regarding the Qpas, I decided to go with the SSF stereo dipole. It’s an amazing filer that has similar idea but fucjing dirty! I was hesitant to purchase based off descriptions and videos. Made it seem like qpas was the filthy grimy quad filter and stereo dipole the more tame. So glad I had the chance to play with the dipole in person!!. Regarding the Doepfer envelope follower... that has always been on my list and it’s cheap and useful.

Jim... I get it now with the utility modules. All I had to do was finally rack my Mordax. Ha. Yeah I need to stop only thinking about audio routing and have some good cv routing and mixing tools. I’m slowly learning but I’m stoked since day one I’ve been happy with what I can get out of my system. Big question is, do I need to buy any patch cables to get any noise out of this “expensive waste of a rack”? I can’t seem to get any sound out of it by just racking and looking at them, trying to match black and silver and so worried about HP and the cool new version of clouds 😂. Thanks guys. Guess I have a new forum to mess around on.

I'm noticing when browsing modules to add to my rack, I will scroll back up to my rack to find several modules have disappeared. I have shortcut keys turned off. This happens to me frequently on IE, so I've been maintaining backup copies of my racks. Is this a known bug?

EDITED Feb 27th 2021, 09:07

exactly - worst case scenario is you need some utilities to get everything to play nicely together - you could even use a couple of mults or stackcables and do both!!!

I've not seen many nonlinearcircuits modules around - I built a triple sloths which i use a lot - a nice easy smd build iirc - did you build it or buy it?
-- JimHowell1970

I use a precision adder like the Doepfer or T43 to combine the pitch voltages coming from the sequencers. Also, a couple of clock dividers (VC over factor is nice) and some logic and a switch/router to jumble things around.

I did not build my Bindubba, our own @RTFM did that.

To get back to the complex sequencer topic: For me a complex sequencer can be as simple as a 4-step sequencer with a reset jack (ok more than one). What makes it complex is what other modules are patched around it, and how.

ok cool - it's great to hear that!!!!

now stop seeing the 3 cases as separate instruments and see a single modular synthesizer - then combine sequencers!!! - I'd use the euclidian circles to clock nearly everything including the sequencers!
-- JimHowell1970

Indeed and once I get moved into my new studio space, then I will have my setups organized and connected better. I plan to have a large wall of modular! Then I can sequence my sequencers from all three racks in harmony. Maybe get the large 14u doepfer monster case to put on top of my base case and then I won't run out of room for at least another year. Probably add a few smaller palette cases and another 7U case for travel jams. I do like what I see in the new Erica Synths Black Sequencer, Vector and new Intellijel Metropolix sequencers that offer different things.

Hello,

I bought the TipTop Audio - Fold Processor and while testing it, I discoverd, that without an input signal and when I turn the "Inject"-Knob there came some noise on the out, not very loud, but absolutely audible and a little bit anoying.

My question is:
Is this a normal/default behaviour or is it a production/manufacturer error?

Because, if i send a signal thru the Fold Processor and I have an unfavorable "Inject"-Knob position, the noise is clearly audible in the input signal on the out; on another position, it is there is no noise audible, but I think this may not be valid behavior.

Please help me out.

Thanks in advance.

I'm pretty sure that if you put the M32 back in the case it belongs in, you'll start to get a much better picture of how the cab is supposed to be set up. For one thing, you'll be able to jam a lot of the skiff modules into the Mantis, and you can easily cook up a gig bag that can accommodate both the M32 and Mantis. It'll also make what can be done with the Eloquencer a lot more obvious by having more modules for it to act on in close proximity.

Also, don't stick the Neutron in the Eurorack cab. This is a VERY common build error, with the end result being that you're using your expensive Eurorack hp and power for a device that already has a cab and power. Keep the Eurorack cab for Eurorack modules only.

Otherwise, yes...if it's Eurorack-format, it'll go in any Eurorack-format case. Like Jim said, though, be VERY careful about your current draws, and try and keep these to at least 3/4ths of the total amperage capacity of the case's P/S. DON'T run the current values up to the case's limit, as many modules have an inrush current for a fraction of a second on power-up that exceeds the rated current draw for that module. I'd suggest a value even lower, perhaps 2/3rds of the cab's capacity at max...also, this helps your P/S live longer, as a "loafing" P/S tends to generate less component heat, and that heat is the enemy of ALL electronic components over time.

At least it's just a problem in the Eurorack cab itself. This reminds me of a much more confusing "noise" issue I ran into in the studio back in the mid-80s...

I was setting up some mics on a piano. I'd put up a stereo pair of AKG 414s overhead for the overall sound, a couple of AKG 451s aimed inside the piano, and I put a Shure SM81 underneath to capture more of the cabinet resonance. Walked back into the control room, ran up the channels to check for room tone issues...and waaaaaay down low, I could hear a...piano?

OK, there wasn't anyone playing it at this point. Piano's still there, though...so I pushed the input pre and fader to the max to see what in the hell this could be. And I heard the same four chords being repeated...and a voice saying "Radio Canada International" in English and French. And I knew EXACTLY what that was. It was only on that Shure, though...

I went back out, swapped the SM81 for a different pencil condenser, went back into the control room...no piano noise.

So what WAS that, anyway? Well...somehow, the SM81 was picking up a shortwave broadcast transmitted from Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada on Radio Canada. Now, if I lived right down the road from this, it might make sense. But this was out in the Nashville burbs, over 1000 miles distant. Suffice to say, I tagged the mic for the studio tech to deal with, and since then I've got a rule that I DO NOT use Shure condenser mics, period.

Moral of the story: noise chasing isn't the easiest thing, and often the solution is far from intuitive. Had I NOT had a long background of working with amateur radio, shortwave listening, and such, I probably wouldn't have figured out what was happening, as you'd never expect an RFI issue like that.

Yep...you're on track. Now, it's just a matter of experimentation...

The process actually reminds me of how I first learned piano, over 55 years back. You'd start with "middle C", get used to where it is, how the piano action affects how your playing sounds...then you'd move on to adding a "D", a "B", etc. Eventually, the primary book would end, but you had the location of the notes on the keyboard relative to the dots-n-lines of the music DOWN by the time you got there. Learning modular is kinda the same...start basic, add stuff, take notes about what does what, what you like, what you don't, etc. Even in my undergrad, my electronic music (and composition) prof taught us that the only thing you don't do is to connect outputs to outputs and inputs to inputs...otherwise, it's solvitur ambulando turf.

At the slim chance that any one ever reads this, the point of this case has always been for quick and improv sessions.
The actual 'rack' is a mantis case plus a makenoise skiff, nicely the same size.
The skiff has been nice for the portability, but I've often wanted what was in the mantis case with me with the exception of the Eloquencer. So, until I have a 4 row case built, this is what I have to work with and the reasoning behind the re-adjusting that constantly goes on.

Hi Farkas,

You are welcome! :-)

Kind regards and have a good weekend, Garfield.

Thank you so much for your thoughts on these cases. Your setup (LMB & LMS9) is exactly the combination I am considering. They are incredibly economical and available at one of the modular shops I usually order from. I definitely do need to go through my planned rack to break down the power consumption per row. Thanks for the reminder and details about the LMS9 power supplies.
I'll probably invest in these new cases in May, so I'll let you know if I have any more questions in the meantime.
I know what you mean about packing the racks with modules so quickly. After looking through your module reviews, I'll probably buy a few more. ;)
Thanks again for all of your input, and for making the modular community a welcoming place.

Purpose:

Not really a unit for making sound on it's own but more like "experimental toolbox" to use with with VCV Rack and 8in/8out DC coupled interface ESI ESP1010.
As well as to use with semi-modular Behringers. Neutron, Crave and some TD-3, although most of it should stay on "classic MIDI" with Novation Bassstation II.
And most importantly having fun and figuring out what I need.

Start:

I got 88hp rubadub case with Bastl Cinnamon in early 2020 and another very cheap already built total DIY project by cool Slovakian Architect. It's power supply with 6U ~78HP case built on merkur skeleton (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkur_(toy)) and wooden box.

Then covid hit, had to move, unexpected loss of income for few months, but 6 months later I finally saved for some gear and started getting DIY kits.
I also decided to spend on tiptop uzeus power supply to keep everything tidy in 88hp rubadub and avoid it's imperfect PSU (loud tiny fan on voltage regulator).
Built Sonic Potions Mal-2 random generator and Bastl Tromsø, the multi VCO/Comparator/Sample&Hold/Analogue downsampler.
3 modules were fine, but I decided to invest more and build more.

Boom:

So I opened shop again and as I plan to build Lyra-8 I wanted to source parts for other modules. Noise Kitchen (Bastl's shop) sells PCB+panels and they provide enough info about parts or supply programmed chips.

Also started snooping on second sales and started getting some bellow 100 eur modules I found interesting or rare (Bastl's wooden pannels for example, new aluminum is fine and thin, but the wood is what I recall I had my mind blown from.

Current status:

Sorting orders regarding parts for Quattro Figaro, Popcorn + Exts and Sense, which I am most excited to use with some real world sensors probably helping via OMSynth (breadboard with utility PCB) or even Bastl Kastle.

Future:

I installed big piece of wood as a blank probably 60HP wide and hoped to be sane and get only what I think I would really use and fill up the case after a year soonest.
But two weeks later and now it's full case.

I got the 84hp rails from tiptop's happy-ending kit and I'll probably put it on in ideally 7u aluminum toolbox for hopefully some future easy transportation, will see.
There is still merkur box to "park" extra modules to.

Hi Ivo,

Nice fun music, I like it!

Thanks a lot for sharing and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Farkas,

Ha, ha, thank you :-) Well... I wouldn't go as far as calling it a dissertation however... yes indeed besides (in my other life) my usual architect role in IT & telecommunication industry, usually large, solutions and setups, I am a technical document writer as well, hence that kind of setup of the review reports ;-)

What exactly would you like to know about the Doepfer monster cases? I mean, if I am going to write a review report about that you have to read another 20 pages ;-) Just kidding, I am not going to write a review report about cases... oh ooooh... having just said that... perhaps in the far future but not for now.

Roughly there are two types of Doepfer monster cases, the "cheap" series or "economy" monster cases, meaning the case has been made of simple but, at least that's how I experience it, still nice plywood or the "suitcase" style and better looking monster racks/cases.

The simple ones are the A-100 LMB(V) and A-100 LMS9(V) and the better looking ones (suitcase + cover) are the A-100 PMB, A-100PMS6, A-100PMS9 and A-100PMS12. I have myself a set of A-100 LMB and A-100 LMS9 whereby the LMS9 stands on top of the LMB and that's just a great set together. It's very economically as well, at least here in Europe, it's the most economical rack available, at least the LMS9 that is, the lowest price per HP.

The LMS9 has 3 rows of each 168 HP. The 9 stands for 9 U. The B stands for base; I guess but I might have read it somewhere as well. The V indicates a black painted plywood case (I have the non-V variant though, that's just plain and not painted plywood version). From a power supply point of view you have to be a little bit careful if you have power-hungry modules however if you have the combination of LMB (relatively more power per HP) and the LMS9 (relatively less power per HP) then you should be fine, you can then put the more power-hungry modules in the LMB rack and the less power consuming modules in the LMS9. In that way, I haven't faced any power consumption issue yet. Easy for me to say because...

For my own usage, I made a spreadsheet that contains a list of all the Euro rack modules I have with tons of information in it, power consumption on all power rails are parts of that. I then created names for the Euro racks I have and add a name of such rack behind the module I own. Then with some spreadsheet calculations it's easy to see your power consumption on a per PSU (Power Supply Unit) basis of each rack. So for example that LMS9 has two PSUs, so I call that rack LMS9-1 (for the left PSU in that LMS9 rack) and LMS9-2 (for the right PSU in that LMS9 rack) for example and the LMB-1 and LMB-2 in that way you can keep track of the power consumption of all PSUs (and of course in combination with the racks).

But I am drifting off the subject of Doepfer monster cases ;-) So back to that subject:

I also own one of those more fancy looking monster cases. If I have to be honest, they look great but I wouldn't easily use them as a way of transporting my modules to another location and have there a jam with it. These PMS cases weight a ton (almost) and since I am not a bodybuilder or otherwise strong person, I will face difficulties in carrying such a case around the globe for fun ;-) I still might do it after the Covid but that would be rather the exceptional case than a regular and default solution. Perhaps on the long term I might consider an Intellijel 7U case for visiting people to jam together.

Coming back to that power consumption topic. The bases (i.e. A-100PMB and A-100LMB) have each two PSUs and for just two rows per case, that's really sufficient. However if you take the LMS9 it has 3 rows (of 168 HP) with also just two PSUs and that can be in certain cases a bit limiting. But as I already mentioned, if you combine an LMS9 with an LMB, you really should be fine, in my opinion.

The A-100PMS6 also has 2 PSUs, so again one PSU per row, thus fine and the PMS12 even got 4 PSUs, again one PSU per row, so totally fine. It's just that LMS9 case where you have to keep an eye on the power consumption, hence the interesting price for such rack.

At the backside per monster case you just have one power cable connection, no matter if you have a case with 2 or 4 PSUs, so you only have one power cable. The rubber feet under those monster cases are seriously stable and of course you can cause the case to tumble backwards but with some respectful handling of the case it stands actually very stable on those rubber feet.

For this LMB and LMS9 set I also bought the A-100MVG set of very thick iron (I guess it is iron) black painted plates. These plates are actually meant for the PMB and PMS racks and though it doesn't fit perfectly it still can be used for the LMB & LMS9 combination as well; which is what I am doing. Doepfer didn't really perfectly designed the LMB and LMS9 (in context with the A-100MVG set and yes I know this set was meant to be used for PMS series but still), on each of the cases one small screw is going to be covered a bit by those plates making it not perfect but it suits its purpose to keep the racks bundled together :-)

For my LMB & LMS9 set, I use those A-100MVG plates at the back side of the cases and at the more towards the front of the sides of those cases I added myself on each side one smaller plate to keep there the cases together as well. It's plywood so it's easy to drill a few small holes in there and tighten those metal plates with a few screws and nuts and then you got a rock-solid set of LMB & LMS9 and then those rubber feet of the LMB are sufficient enough to keep that rack-set into place without worrying that it might tumble unless you put your entire body weight against it, of course then it will :-)

Anything else that comes to my mind...? Not for the moment, I am really happy with this LMB & LMS9 set, so giving me 5 rows of each 168 HP = 840 HP. Plenty of space!

If you don't live in a Hobbit house hence your ceiling is not too low ;-) You can add even one more LMS9 rack on top of that giving you 8 rows * 168 = 1344 HP, even more space ;-)

The "only problem" I have with this LMB & LMS9 set isn't really Doepfer's mistake, it's rather my own caused "problem". That problem is...

That set of LMB & LMS9 is already near fully packed with modules :-( and of course ;-) It's so nice to use this combination of LMB & LMS9 and you might think: "Oh plenty of space", indeed but even then, there comes a time that even those racks are going to be fully packed with modules...

But yes, I can, without any hesitation, recommend the Doepfer monster racks, I really like them, especially those LMB & LMS9 ones since they are more affordable than those expensive (but nice looking) PMB & PMS racks.

Not sure if I covered everything, otherwise just let me know what you would like to know.

Edit: Oh yes, I forgot, another huge benefit of Doepfer cases is... I really don't bother to check the depth of modules because most likely it's going to fit ;-) Well I actually do check it most of the times but what I am trying to say is... if it doesn't fit in a Doepfer case it most likely isn't going to fit in any other case either ;-)

Kind regards, Garfield.

EDITED Feb 27th 2021, 00:51

So you gain a channel, but you lose the VCA. I have the Pusherman DIY version, and it actually says Popple right on the board.

Thank you to all of you guys for this.
I think that I am going to start with a really simple system of
VCO - Plaits
VCA - Veils
VCF - Ripples
LFO/ENV - Stages
DELAY - Mimeophon
SEQ - Bloom
+ Links and Kinks
and play with that for a few months to see what it can do.

This might not be the most adventurous set up in the world but I can put it all across the top line of a Mantis Case and have plenty of room to grow into and get a feel for what I might want next!
Thank you to everyone who posted you are all really kind to give your time to a newb like me. I hope that in years to come I may be able to offer future newbs sound advice in return.

Thanks very much.
I'll have a look at the suggestions.

Hi

good idea to get a big case - they are a lot more economical in the long term than the beauty cases so many people misguidedly seem to want to start with

yes the go case should be compatible with any eurorack module

you do however need to keep an eye on cumulative power draw - find the total power draw for your proposed modules by putting them in a rack here - mostly the power stats are ok

the draw should be at most 70-80% of the available power for each rail from thee pus- check this with in the manual for the case or online

this allows for incorrect stats and onrush issues - where some digital modules need much more power than advertised during their boot phase - but may not eliminate them altogether

as for first modules

Maths - it will add more modulation and envelop generation to the neutron and is an excellent learning tool for modular in general - see the illustrated manual, available online - 32 illustrated examples of patch programming it to do different useful functions in modular

a vco and filter - I like Doepfer or mutable instruments for these but if you want noisy then you may prefer Noise Engineering and Schlappi - pretty much anything can get noisy if you want it to!

a quad cascading vca - I specifically recommend veils for this role - especially if you want access to gain - also useful for modulation sources, external input and mixing

don't forget patch cables, maybe a good idea to pick up a few stackcables or headphone splitters for multing signals