Ladik C-041? Hey...why settle for two when four in the same space is even better! Or you can do one of those and still have room for one of their variations on ADSRs.
On that last bit: in theory, you can do that with the RCD, but your VCA envelope will simply be on/off, no contouring. To make that work optimally, find a couple of smallish EGs (two-stage would be just fine, IMHO) and trigger those with RCD clocks, then send the envelopes to the VCAs as control signals. You can lose the mult as well...I find them to be impractical in a small build like this, with inline mults and/or stackcables being preferable to losing 4 hp to a dedicated mult module where something active would make more sense.
Neither. If budget is a concern and you want maximum function, AUX send/returns, and an output, check out Ladik's M-175 mixer and M-053 AUX Mixer. With these, you get it all in 20 hp, for $147-ish + shipping. This gives you three mono AUX sends, four pannable mono mixer channels, plus two more stereo mixer channels suitable for AUX returns. And the mixer has dual 1/4" TRS outputs with a master level control. For this sort of thing on a budget, it doesn't get much better.
Ronin's got it...yeah, try and squish everything as much as you can if you intend to stay in this small a cab. You need to use both sizable modules that're jam-packed with functions like the Hermod or Toolbox, or try and shrink down your basics to as small as you can get while still keeping user interface functionality.
Yuppers...definitely bots. When you're refreshing the Forums window every 15 seconds and 2-3 more pop up, and the bandwidth of the site is so choked that it's halfway to being like a DDos, that's the only possible conclusion. Captcha time, I think...
KICK ASS!!! for March 2019
OK...now we're starting to percolate! March brings us a month closer to Superbooth, the festival of all things synth for Europe. April should see even more action, but for now, there's some nifty stuff that's peeked over the edge of the box in this past month's Eurorack offerings. So, let's dive in and have a look at some interesting picks...
Ladik L-122 Uncertain LFO – Ladik kicked a couple of LFOs out last month, too...but neither of those were as laden with Abuse Potential as this thing. Frankly, I'm surprised at what they crammed into 4 hp, but even moreso, amazed at the price of about $73! No mere LFO, this...it offers 36 fixed waveshapes, but the real excitement here has to be the randomized amplitude and waveshape change actions this module's got. This is no mere 'waveform-goes-up-and-down' LFO...it's a really complex and capable modulation source, and much too complicated to nail down here, so go check its listing!
G-Storm Electro Transistor-82 – And who doesn't like ticky, hissy, blonky analog drums? I know I do, and apparently G-Storm does as well. On first glance, you'd think this was simply a single voice-only module...but not so! With several modulation points to vary settings on the fly, you can sequence up a number of tasty analog beats and have 'em all coming out of this in a crazy, retro-beatbox style. Knobs on this beg to be twiddled on the fly, too. Those in search for way-cool electro-style drum sounds need to check this...especially G-Storm's short but very revealing video. 14 hp, $175.
Mutant Modular Fan Synth – It's a...fan? Yep, it's a fan, and it's not designed to make noise. Rather, it provides ample “suck” to pull cool air into your Eurorack cab, which you can then vent through some other vent panel or a couple of spare 1 hp “holes”. So...why this? OK, let's say you gig out with your rack, and it's summer, and the venue is a blazing 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, add that to the normal heat buildup inside the cab, and pretty soon, things are probably going to start misbehaving. Tunings get weird, timings slip, and all of those other no-fun thermal problem results. But with this cheap fix, you can now have forced-air cooling of the insides of the cab at all times, bringing down the thermal load on your power supply, stabilizing temperature-sensitive modules, and doing other similar thermal stress-relief things that your Eurorack will thank you for later. The only downside is that Mutant Modular doesn't offer a matching vent panel to go with this (would look snazzy, mind you), but that's just an aesthetics issue, not a functional one. 4 hp, approx $56.
West Oakland Music Systems Sinulator – Two tasty waveshaping functions in one! First, the Sinulator can take incoming saw or triangle waves and smooth 'em out to nice sine tones. But for the real bring-tha-crazy, it also can do up to six folds, letting you turn waveshapes from tame to insane inside this one module. And not only that, it's got an onboard VCA which allows the circuit to also function as a TZFM modulator. Waveshaping is CVable as well. Yep, this thing screams ABUUUUSE!!!!, plus the size and price are right for all of this waveshaping mayhem: 8 hp, $150.
VOID Modular Gravitational Waves – I have two problems with Buchla-esque complex VCOs in Eurorack. One, they tend to be pretty chunky, taking up a lot of panel space. And two, they're usually not cheap. Then along comes this thing...and it blows those issues all to hell! This module offers two cross-modulated and fully-featured triangle-core VCO/LFOs together with an onboard ring mod, in just that sort of configuration that insists on creating oscillational madness! And as the cherry on the cake, VOID put the “fine” tune control on the BIG knobs, meaning that you have some manual pitch-tweaking leeway here without throwing the whole thing out of tune immediately. Smart! But the big smarts are these: 18 hp, $250. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!
Rossum Electro-Music Panharmonium – Moving along from complex oscillators to crazy-as-hell oscillators, we find this. Technically, it is and isn't an oscillator. It has oscillators (33 of them, to be precise), but what they get used for is to sort of...ah...”reconstruct” an incoming sound. This is more than a little crazy in analog synthesis, because that functionality is much more something you'd find in the classic high-end digitals such as the Fairlight or the Synclavier, where this sort of thing is more commonly referred to as “resynthesis”. Dave Rossum uses that term here too, because...well, that basically is what it is. The Panharmonium analyzes and then resynthesizes incoming spectra, with ample opportunities to also screw around with the incoming and/or outgoing spectra. This is another one that simply does too much to go into in these short little blurbs, and I insist you check out the listing on MG to get the full-on skinny about this. Oh, and did I mention it was super skiff-friendly at a skimpy 25mm depth? That's a nice stat...but these are (given what this thing is capable of, which even I can't 100% speculate on...it's that function-deep) even better: 26 hp, $499.
Plum Audio Dazzle tile version – Only available as a DIY kit, this might be a worthwhile excuse to figure out how to solder. Plum Audio's got something neat here: a 1U (standard, not Intellijel) format tile that gives you some nifty functions derived from Mutable Instruments' Blinds. Panning, CVable polarization, and VCA pair all in one tiny but potent package. Frankly, it's not only a good argument for beefing up your construction skills, but for the worthwhile inclusion of a 1U row or two in your build, as those can take basic functions like these and move 'em out of the way, leaving you more space for the meat-n-potatoes stuff in your 3Us. 20 hp, $150.
So, not a monster haul of Euro goodness...yet! But if the sorts of things starting to pop up in this month's column are any indicator, there's going to be some brain-meltingly-amazing stuff in the pipeline for May and Superbooth. Keep watching!
OK...so in the end, it sounds like you're looking for something more complex than just a typical CV/gate sequencer, something that has some "theory savvy" to it, either in the sequencer itself or via a quantizer setup that can deal with the chordal functions. I would suggest looking at modules along the lines of the Squarp Hermod, Orthogonal's ER-101/102 pair, ACL's Sinfonion, Winter Modular's Eloquencer, Five12's Vector, 1010 Music's Toolbox, The Harvestman's Argos Bleak, or a third-party build of the Ornament and Crimes. Also, pairing this with something along the lines of an external controller that can also sequence or handle chordal duties would be a good idea; check out the very useful Arturia Keystep, Kilpatrick's Carbon, Squarp's Pyramid, Conductive Labs' NDLR, or the Future Retro Zillion.
Don't worry about aesthetics at this point. Keep in mind that you're going to want to go through numerous builds on MG before committing to the actual device. Also, using an overly-large cab in your MG build will help in that you can overbuild, then pare things down to something approximating your final result. But again...expect to do that a number of times before you start spending.
Anyway, by "inputting pitched sequences" do you mean that you want to play notes in and have them recorded as a sequence, or are you talking about more typical sequencer usage?
It's interesting, but it also seems a bit much like overkill and unnecessary expense. Wouldn't it be simpler to use an ALM Akemie's Castle as the core of this, instead of the discrete quadrature VCOs, etc?
Actually, Thomann UK is giving me a UK price for the Quad VCA of UKP 170.43, with VAT included. The same thing in EUR is 199. And when you switch those to $, you get 224.19 and 225.05 respectively. But if I use Thomann USA, then the same module is $188. So what gives?
Simple: there are going to be taxes and tariffs that vary from place to place. Intellijel, for example, is a Canadian firm. So let's look at Moog Audio (based in Montreal) where we find that module at CDN$ 250, which comes out to be $186.75. So...that's different, too. Therefore, it should be considerably more in the USA, right? Well...no, as Perfect Circuit has 'em at $189.
Sooooo...it's not merely the taxes and tariffs. In some cases, it comes down to an agreed-upon price for a module between manufacturers and retailers, too. Perfect Circuit is nowhere as huge as Sweetwater...but there, too, we find the Quad VCA in question at the same $189. And when you look further, you'll tend to see the same "street" prices from continent to continent. Looking at one place in Asia that has serious tariffs, we find that Clock Face (Tokyo) has that very same module for JPY 22,900, which comes out to $207.02.
This gets screwy all over the place. If you think you're getting overcharged for new Intellijel stuff, have a look at what new Doepfer gear costs at Schneidersladen...and then check the same things at Perfect Circuit or Analogue Haven. This problem is just an endemic effect of having manufacturers all over the planet.
A couple of points here: first of all, yes, lose the uZeus immediately. Never add a power supply to a powered rack (unless it's something for a specific module, such as for some tube modules). And more VCAs is good. The Optomix is actually a pair of low-pass gates, which consist of a tandemmed low-pass VCF and a VCA, and this is fine for controlling audio levels, but having a couple of linear, DC-coupled VCAs for controlling CV and modulation levels is also strongly advisable.
Beyond that, I would suggest looking into a couple of dedicated envelope generators, ADSRs in particular, plus a couple of LFOs. While the Maths can do both of these things, it's much better when it's used for complex modulation curves, using its own internal subsections to create complicated CV/modulation patterns that go beyond what basic EGs and LFOs do.
As for Rings and Clouds, keep in mind that Mutable discontinued Clouds quite some time ago, but they still make the Rings module. However, both are available as third-party builds from several manufacturers...which is a bit of a plus, as those companies offer these in smaller form factors than their originals.
Or maybe this: https://www.kvraudio.com/product/ctuner_by_c_plugs That offers you MIDI note, frequency counting, metering with deviation in cents, plus a per-cents calibration mode. The latter two features make this quite useable for microtonal work, as well.
NB: the markup syntax here sorta munges the URL above, but going to KVR and searching for CTuner should suffice.
That's a bit alarming, actually. What I think you should do is to get a device such as this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bender-Outlet-and-GFCI-Tester-GFI-3501/202867890 that works for your location's mains voltage and plug setup (if you're outside of North America) and then check your outlets to see if something's miswired. What you're describing certainly doesn't sound normal at this point, so I think that suspecting your AC circuits might be a logical next step.
This sounds like a ground loop issue. The problem probably isn't coming from the RackBrute's DC supply, but from a grounding issue with whatever you have the RackBrute connected to. The fix is to consolidate all of your AC connections onto the same ground plane. Probably the best way to do this is to star-ground everything to a central point that has an AC ground, such as your mixer. To do this, simply connect hookup wire between all of your equipment chassis and get those connections back to your mixer, which may well have a ground post for this exact purpose.
The next possibility is that something internal in the RackBrute isn't properly connected, and you're getting DC onto the chassis from an improperly-connected bus cable. If the issue persists after establishing a star-ground, then I would suggest opening up the cab and checking the bus cables to see if everything is properly seated on the busboard headers. If this is the problem, I would suggest keeping the star-ground connected anyway, as a good unified ground also helps to reduce overall noise issues in your system.
A note about the Rene and dropping the Pam's: have a look instead at Make Noise's Tempi. This is designed to interface directly with the Rene and provides a bunch of extra functions. Plus, the Tempi would be an apt replacement for the Pam's as far as that module's other functions go.
Or not even short on space, for that matter. Dip over to Thomann and look up the K&M 441/1...yep, slatwall-mounting keyboard forks, with angle and length adjustments, for a measly EUR 14. For small(ish) devices, going to this method frees up a LOT of tier space on main stands, table space, etc.
Try this: remove the Rings and substitute Codex Modulex's uRinks, which is an 8 hp version of the 14 hp Rings. Then take out the Optomix (8 hp) and put in a Make Noise LxD (4 hp) instead. This gives you 10 hp free, into which you can drop a Xaoc Zadar, which then gives you four EGs plus a bunch of other functionality. Then to place it properly, move the Audio I/O up to the right end of the top row in the version I laid out, and put the Zadar to the right of either the Maths or TM. This retains your signal flow, although you do have that down-then-up dip for your effects at the end of the audio chain.
Check Tiptop's Fold Processor out...very cost-effective. But if space is more of a concern, then West Oakland's new Sinulator (a six-fold wavefolder!) might be a better pick while still remaining relatively inexpensive. Also, eject the Doepfer A-148 dual S&H and look at their A-184-1 instead. In that, you get sample and hold, a slew gen, AND ring mod, all in a measly 4 hp!
This:
Sources are top-left, audio flows right thru filters and such. Maths and Turing Machine, plus P/S are lower-left to group mod sources, then the audio processing chain starts with the Freez to the Magneto. I/O is on lower right at the end of the processing set.
From my experience, following this sort of upward-on-left (control) and downward-on-right (audio) ordering method seems to work very well. You can clearly see the audio signal flow across the top row until it has to drop down to the processing and output, and the modulation is down and left so that it can reach "into" this path to affect the behavior of your sources and modifiers.
However, if you don't have a Clouds on hand already, you'll need to rethink that module, as it's been discontinued for quite some time. OTOH, removing it for a smaller third-party version would add some open space, and if that's the case, I strongly recommend adding some envelope gens to this alongside the Maths.
OK...have a look at this: https://www.specialtystoreservices.com/productchild.aspx?productid=15858&group=2663b&img=2663b.jpg&category=5501
Now, we've all seen these things in clothing stores and other retail establishments. They're pretty ubiquitous store fixtures, and you can get all sorts of attachments to put various shelves, posts, etc on them. They're pretty sturdy...and they're cheap...as you can see.
So? OK, here's so...let's say you have a bunch of 84 hp or 104 hp skiffs (or even a bit larger). With gridwall, you can get very cheap matching attachments such as shelves with lipped fronts that will hold these nicely. Some even have some angling to them, and other attachments can easily be adapted to hold controllers and such, also with angling in some cases. Then, start adding up the prices (which you can see typical examples of at the site above). Suddenly you have this way to make a CHEAP skiff holder that you can build into an easy-peasy 2'x6' synthwall over time. Need more width? Get more and link 'em together. And these not only look pretty decent and are durable, but with the open back you can easily dress cabling through the grid and keep things like power and audio connections out of the way. Plus, if it feels like the gridwall is getting tippy, just add a cheap shelf on the backside and put some bricks on it to act as a counterweight.
I'm going to be going to something like this for my smaller devices...CZ-101, SK-5, VSS-30, a couple of Boss DR-220s, the Microbrute, etc etc. But this also has a pile of uses for those doing Eurorack builds, especially those of you who are trying to build up a large system in smaller increments over time. Unlike some stand systems, there'll never be a discontinuation of gridwall, and it can be gotten from a lot of different store fixture companies located all over the place. Hopefully that's a useful tip!
Yep...actually, I'm partial to version #2, but here's a few tweak ideas there: first, if the M32 can function as MIDI-CV (which should be doable with the MScales), or the 0-Coast or System 1m, you can remove the A-190-2. Then if you remove the A-130 as well, you have ample space for an Intellijel Quad VCA, which not only gives you four VCAs (more VCAs = good) that have sweepable response curves, you also get some mixing functionality in the bargain, and this actually costs $10 less. Plus, pull the A-140 out and replace it with a Doepfer A-140-2 which, if you select the inverse envelope jumper function, then gives you positive and negative envelopes on each ADSR's output. Almost like having four ADSRs in the space currently filled by one for about $60 more. Not a bad tradeoff.
Mm-hmm! And don't forget the usefulness of adding randomization in that, such as probabilistic skippers and sequencers. Two that come to mind are Ladik's dual skipper and the Pithoprakta probabilistic sequencer. This is also where comparators get useful, too...having one on an LFO to "go high" when your modulation signal goes into a peak positive value on a slow LFO curve can be a great way to suddenly and automatically alter the behavior of the whole trig/gate setup in conjunction with some logic gating.
No. In fact, connecting a module P/S to a bus that's also being powered by another internal P/S can have disastrous results if one or the other has no reverse current protection.
Oh, I like effects just fine...when there's room for them. The problem is that many good ones take up a lot of hp, and in a small build that can be a problem, especially when the intent of the build is to create something with a lot of use options. In those cases, it's best to concentrate on synth function modules and leave FX as something for outboard, or to go with the smallest possible acceptable options. Even so, there's some killer small effects modules, like Purrtronics' Purrvrrb, Feedback's Chorus 106, the PICO DSP, etc with all of those going the extra distance to work as "stereoizing" modules for modulars which have primarily mono audio paths.
The big, most common no-no is probably the one involving using a multiple as a mixer. This won't work; it has the same effect as output-to-output patching. Multiples are always 1-in, many-out devices. To combine signals, you have to use a mixer, adder, OR combiner, etc depending on which signal is in play and/or what you want to do with the combination.
And while it's true that most modules these days have reverse signal protection on their outputs, you should always assume that they don't, and never patch an output to an output except in the few, ultra-rare cases where a manufacturer says there's a function that you can access by doing so. The reverse is fine, though...patching an input to an input is not only safe, it's what happens in a multiple.
A third patching mistake would be trying to patch a line-level (or worse, instrument-level) signal directly into a patch. This won't work well in varying degrees; external signals MUST be preamplified before they can be part of a modular synth patch. As for patching your output directly to a line input on a mixer, effects unit, amp, etc...this can be problematic if the input you're patching to isn't capable of handling the signal levels typical in a modular synth, which can range at peak from between 5 to 10 volts peak-to-peak. Some can deal with it, some can't, so it's best to have an output module of some sort, or even just an attenuator at the end of the patch to lower the level so that everything outside the synth is happy.
Patch mistake #4 involves patching one synth to another if they're not running on the same ground. This isn't as problematic for synths that run on DC via an external "wall-wart" or "brick" supply, but is very much a concern if the synth has an internal power supply on which the synth's groundplane is connected to the AC ground. If these sorts of synths aren't fed from the same AC outlets with the same grounding circuit, you run a very real risk of ground loops, which cause lots of hum and noise in audio paths and ripple currents in CV/modulation ones. The real and permanent fix to this, of course, is to star-ground everything in your studio to a single grounding point, usually on your mixer or A/D interface, but if you don't have that luxury, then making sure everything you're patching between is on a single AC circuit should work fine.
Actually, that was a rather nice haul. To make that an individual system, you'd need a VCF or two, some envelope generators, some more VCAs (preferably something with mixing capability, such as Intellijel's Quad VCA) and more modulation complexity, such as a Maths. The Waldorf + Elements pairing is super-enviable...wavetable/sampling paired with modelling will be a killer voicing combo.
Actually, Tiptop just dropped a new module that might be a key piece in manipulating modulation signals in the way you need. Have a look at their new MISO module, which is a complex arithmetical mixer intended for CV/mod use. Pairing that with something such as a Xaoc Batumi would make for an incredible and playable combo. Plus, a good complex drone VCO that you should be able to get some mileage out of would be the Synthesis Technology E352 Morphing Terrarium, a dual digital VCO with extensive timbral morph capabilities.
One note: unless you have a Clouds or are willing to find a used one, you'll need to use a third-party build of it, as Mutable discontinued production of it quite some time ago.
The latter...using the Disting and other modules to substitute for a relatively simple module such as a noise gen and sample & hold is sort of a waste of the more complex functions they're capable of. That's the real reason for them; leave basic functions to basic modules. Also, the thing about noise is that it comes in a number of different "colors", which are different distributions of noise levels across a given span of spectrum. For example, "blue" noise is weighted more toward higher frequencies, while "red" is heavier on low-end spectral components. When you use these as a source of randomly-distributed signals, these frequency differences translate into different types of behavior by sample & holds, when used as modulation signas, and the like. So while having a noise source is essential, it's also important to be able to control that "colored" distribution factor.
A buffered mult can technically be used for the same function as a passive mult, yes. But they're not the same, so if a given patch function relies on a voltage sag for some of its behavior, a buffered mult won't allow that to occur. And of course in all cases, you cannot mix via a mult -- they only function as one-in, many-out.
Pannable mixer? As of late, I really like Qu-bit's Mixology. It gives you CV over level, pan, AUX send per channel, has an effect send/return, metering, and mute and solo functions, all in 28 hp for $400, which is pretty reasonable as performance mixers go. There are probably cheaper methods, but they'd involve building up a mixer with discrete modules, plus you might not have all of the functionality the Mixology offers for its price.
So far, so good. My preference for an external input module is actually the Doepfer A-119, as it gives you a better choice of external connections. Another thing you should consider would be some modules to extend the capabilities of the sequencers, such as logic, clock modulators, divide/multipliers and so on. These will let you create some rather complex interactions between the hardware sequencers you already have. You might also double down on some basic modules here, such as VCAs, EGs and LFOs to add some modulation complexity, plus the use of linear VCAs to control/change CV/mod signal levels as needed. Last, look at getting one or two Erica PICO MScales so you can easily translate back and forth between the M32 and DFAM CVs and everything else, keeping everyone in the proper scaling.
For starters, you need to change your case width. The Mantis is 2 x 104 hp. Once this is the right size, then you should have a much better idea about remaining space.
1) Lose the Multiplicity XV. You won't need it. A massive buffered mult like that is great if you're talking about a 15+ VCO rig, but this isn't going to ever come close to that. Right now, your build shows a DixieII+ and a Plaits, and you can send a CV to both with a plain old passive inline mult with no risk of CV sag. I know you already have this on hand, but it's way off in the overkill zone for a small build and you're losing hp to it.
2) Lose the Quad Invert. Your Triatt has attenuverters already. Plus, it's always better to have attenuverter control over inverse signal levels than dedicated inverters unless there's a specific reason they need to be there (such as providing four inverters for a quad envelope gen).
3) Consider losing the OR module. I don't see enough gate sources here (Pam's notwithstanding) to warrant it.
4) This NEEDS some noise/random source, sample & hold, ring modulation, waveshaping, and especially envelope generators to be a functional, proper synth. You also need some sort of stereo mixer, otherwise the capabilities of that Pitt output module are wasted.
5) Consider doing your effects outboard for the sake of hp. An Erbeverb is a nice thing...provided you have 20 hp to spare and with what's missing here for your stated purpose, you don't have that much space to blow. You might also consider going to a much smaller reverb such as Purrtronics' spring emulator which would also help you "stereoize" your output signal if you find you don't have the room for a proper pannable stereo mixer.
6) Consider using an Optomix instead of the LXD. This way, you have manual level and LPG frequency controls in addition to the regular CV ins, which then makes this a better/more controllable candidate for mixing the two LPG signals to a mono out.
7) Lastly, add a more complex VCF than just the Wasp. It's a great filter, sure, but you'll want more. My suggestion would be Tiptop's Forbidden Planet, something of a Steiner Synthacon VCF clone. Very capable and very interesting-sounding, plus you have multiple filter responses rather than just the lowpass the Wasp offers.
Nope, this won't work. There's a lot of essential items missing here: no VCAs, no envelope gens, no LFO, nothing random, no noise sources, no mixers, no attenuators, and there's unnecessary things in here (Rainmaker, Ears). Plus, if you're trying to do decent sound design and ambient work, you're either going to have to resort to very small modules (6 hp and down) or expand the case, or (better) both.
Let's think ahead, also. You will want to expand this eventually. This means that your case situation needs to be thought out for this in advance. My take on this is that you should look into Intellijel's 4U x 104 hp case, a rather sturdy aluminum skiff-type cab which comes fully-powered for $319, and which can easily be added to later via Intellijel's joiner plates and more of their cabs. The other reason for 4U here is that you can take some of the basic functions and put them into the 1U tile row. You're limited to Intellijel's tiles (the 1U row here doesn't take the "standard" tiles) but they offer most of your necessary basics (ie: MIDI, mixing, sample & hold/noise/clock, audio I/O, etc).
Next, shrink the hell out of things in the 3U row. Don't use single-function modules if you can help it, and keep the module widths as low as you can. Even if this raises the cost some, the end result will be more function packed into the build, which means more capability for what you want/need. Also, limit what goes into this to pure functionality; if you can move 3U functions to the 1U row via a tile, do so. Avoid mult modules since they waste space in smaller builds and use stackcables or inline mults. See how far you can go without compromising ergonomics and playability (which, if you go too small, you run a real risk of doing). Plus, if you can do anything outboard (such as effects processing), do so...leave the space in the cab strictly for things which cannot be replicated outside of it.
Lastly, remember that a synth has to have aspects of these four functions: generators (VCOs, noise, etc), modifiers (VCFs, VCAs, ring mods, waveshapers, etc), controllers (mixers, MIDI interfaces, joysticks, clocking, sequencers, etc) and modulators (LFOs, envelope gens, sample & holds, etc). If your build doesn't have parts from all four of these synth "food groups", it's not going to function well.
Problem is, that's not all tape does. When you hit it with a loud signal, for example, tape can saturate, which tends to create a nice, warm, low-level distortion aspect. Also, do you want to emulate brand new Ampex 499, or a crusty 40 year old Echoplex loop? This will also make a difference, as the latter will have physical degradation that adds "character" to a sound. Overbiasing ups your highs, some tapes have more noise than others, then there's motor noise/hum from certain tape delays, and so on. Short of ponying up big bucks for an actual tape delay, my suggestion would be to look into some VST emulators of these devices as the best possible solution. There's quite a few out there (some are freeware, even), and some do a very convincing job of sounding like their physical counterparts. Otherwise, well, this might not be a thing that can be made to work 100% in a modular synth, since some of the things you're expecting from the sound just don't have module counterparts.
Yes, it's necessary. Your synth's line-out will either be at .775 or 1.4V maximum, and in practical terms lower than that. Audio signal voltages in modular synths, however, run anywhere from 5 to 10V peak-to-peak. The result without an input preamp will probably wind up not being all that useful, noisy, etc. Also, if you want the sound to do any control functions (ie: envelope following, gating, etc) you'll need an input module that allows for this by having a built-in envelope follower. This would allow you to do "auto-wah"-type processing by patching the envelope follower to the VCF cutoff.
As for something on the output side...if your mixer can handle the levels noted above, it should be OK. But at the same time, you're connecting a lot of different devices here, and every time you add a new one, your risk of ground loops and noise goes up. It's always best to send your output signal to the outside world via an output module that both attenuates the signal back down to proper line levels AND also isolates the mixer and modular from each other to prevent those noise issues.
One other note, also...if the input module's envelope follower also outputs a gate signal on the input reaching a certain level, you could then use that gate to trigger an envelope generator to impose an envelope on the VCF. For example, the EG could then control the cutoff, and the envelope follower output itself could then do something like contouring your VCF's resonance -- the louder the signal gets, the more the resonance increases, etc. That can be pretty useful, and another argument for using a proper input module.
Ah-HAH! Yep, that's quite different from a typical CRT display. It reminds me of my days back years ago as a broadcast control engineer; the TV control had a number of displays which would show the spectral content or something of that sort (I worked in radio...not my department as such) which looked sort of like this might as viewed from the side. Very strange...I did do some experimentation with video feedback and oscillator injection techniques back in the late 1970s, trying to shoot for some of the ideas that I'd seen as a kid when PBS was showing some early video synthesis art circa 1970-71-ish. I know they had footage generated by the Paik/Abe rig at WGBH in that, plus some Dan Sandin and Steven Beck clips, etc. Eventually, it's something I'd like to get back toward as budget allows.
100% on the pricey part. Let's say you used a fairly basic VCO such as a Doepfer A-110-1 so that you can have sync and proper FM. Now, that streets for $200, more or less. So 12 of those is $2400 right there, if you keep following the 4-voice, 3-VCO example from my post above. Plus you also need four mixers; we'll use the Doepfer A-138b, keep it in the family. 4 x $80 = $320. Now we're at $2720...and we're not even to the VCF yet, nor do we have any LFOs for VCO modulation! Keep going along the same lines, and even a paraphonic 3-VCO 4-voice is going to wind up closing in on the Moog One 8-voice's price pretty soon. Might not hit it, but it'll still overshoot the vast majority of polysynths on the market right now.
I agree with Ronin here. Doing a true polyphonic modular build is going to result in something very large and very, VERY spendy. Let's say you're talking a four-voice system. This means you need 12 VCOs if you want three per voice, four mixers to sum each set to their respective VCFs (also four of those), four exponential VCAs for just the audio level processing, EIGHT envelope generators (one each for the VCFs, one each for the VCAs), a one-to-four buffered mult per voice to allow you to send buffered CV to each VCO plus the VCF cutoff, 12 LFOs so that you can have discrete modulation sources for the VCO sets, VCFs, and VCAs to get pitch, timbral, and dynamic modulation, a four-voice MIDI converter unless you have a four-voice analog keyboard laying around, and some sort of stereo mixer to give you a stereo spread of your voices. Plus, if you want CV panning per voice, then you'll need four MORE LFOs, or perhaps looping AD envelope gens to make that happen, plus a CVable pan per channel on the mixer. And that doesn't even cover such things as clocking for sequencing/arpeggiation (the latter being quite useful with a polysynth) and the necessary module(s) for those two functions, FX processing, a stereo output module, and ultimately, a case with the space and amperage to deal with all of that.
OTOH, an 8-voice Moog One costs $6k. Same architecture (3 VCO analog) with a lot more going on, program storage, built-in controllers, MIDI, all the usual fun stuff. And while $6k sounds like a pile, consider what the four-voice iteration above would wind up costing, with which you wouldn't get half the programming functionality. And far less clunky to tote around, given that the Moog fits in a case, and the modular would be in a cab about the size of a medium-sized HDTV.
Moral of the story: polysynths should be polysynths unless you have the space and budget of Junkie XL, and modulars don't make good polysynths for the typical user.
I'd suggest dropping the HP 1340A altogether. Instead, check some of the Eurorack LCD displays that can be mounted as a normal module. This would give you a smaller screen, but since this also means a smaller objective for the feedback cam, you can then use a smaller surveillance-type camera and mount this closer to the front panel for better ergonomics. Go with something bigger for your external mix monitor (again, LCD is better, especially if you want portability here, since a CRT monitor won't like being hauled around all that much), and then consider something like a Tektronix 1740A to monitor your image vectoring for diagnostics.
Better still, drop the mults (use inline ones instead...the build's too small to afford space for modules) and look into some clock modulation and logic modules. This way, you can actually manipulate the behavior of clocking in a lot of ways rather than just redistributing the same pulsetrain. Consider a skipper such as Ladik's S-090 and/or some sort of algorithmic/probabilistic trigger sequencer like Iron Ether Pithoprakta, as well.
Damn, that's pretty...I especially like the look of the base module; the structural and decorative aspects really click there.
But yeah, especially if he's going to do something like this, which would effectively pick up the ball that KAHNCO dropped and potentially change the Eurorack cab game quite a bit, he needs to get more info up, start talking numbers, and so on. I note he's got a bit on there about inquiring about distribution/sales agents, but until he can start pitching something concrete, I can't see the various shops beating a path to his door...which they will do once this is ready to hit the door, but given the market saturation in Eurorack now, they're apt to be jinky until/unless something's clearly happening.
BTW, about the only other enclosures I can think of on this level, when it comes to internal depth and mounting especially, would be Knurr's DACOBAS Mini Distributor Racks...but since Knurr/Extron only ever deals with industrial or government ISM clients (apparently), getting per-piece pricing info out of them proved impossible when I tried it some months ago. No habla customer service, apparently. Geeklapeeno could literally carve his own niche here, provided he gets onto doing so.
Wellll...not just mod sources, tho. Knowing the oscillator (or better, "audio generator") compliment does go quite a bit of the way toward determining your modulation needs. Filters, VCA...those are sort of givens. But if you do a build with a pair of complex oscillators, these need different modulation schemes than would, say, a wavetable oscillator plus a very basic VCO for sound fattening. Or two (or three, or more) plain-jane VCOs in general. It's actually one of the stumbling blocks...when picking the audio gens, you do have to have part of your thought processes working a few steps ahead, and that's not always the easiest bit of multitasking.
Another nice thing about the Rene mkII + Tempi combo is that those two can work together in some exclusive functions that only that pairing is designed for. But yep, liquid_air is spot-on...going with a 7U Intellijel cab allows you to remove some basic functions to that 1U row, which then opens up more 3U space to functional modules. It also lets you move your external connections to the cab, taking a bit of spaghetti off of the jackfield itself.
Not bad for a basic runthru...now, I'd suggest starting to pare this down. See what you can remove but still arrive at essentially the same sort of functionality. Also, are there modules that allow you to consolidate the functions of several discrete ones in this build into one or two in the next? Can you increase the functional density, but reduce the physical? Start with those questions first.
As for substitutions outright, one I would strongly suggest would be to remove both the Vermona and Doepfer MIDI interfaces and, instead, install an Expert Sleepers FH-2 + the FHX-8 expanders. That drops your MIDI interface footprint from 30 hp down to 16...cutting the space needed by nearly half, while upping the outputs to eight CVs and gates, plus another eight assignable outputs and two inputs, adding internal pattern gens, arpeggiation, and two return channels to allow you to master-clock your DAW from the Eurorack. Now that's what _I'm talkin' about! Keep applying that sort of logic to module choices, and you can almost double what this could be capable of while making it maybe 1/3rd smaller!
Well, of those two, only the Optomix is a "true" LPG. It uses the vactrol design, which puts it into the same operational category as the original Buchla LPGs in that the decay aspects are going to have that "organic" envelope drop-off. Other versions that use a much faster/more responsive VCA+LPF combo (like the Dynamix) aren't going to have the blurring of contour that the vactrol designs tend to possess. So with those, you could easily shift to a VCA that's being fed via a lowpass VCF (or vice versa, if that works) controlled by similar envelopes...but you can't quite do a 1:1 replacement of a vactrol device like a LPG with that combo.
Another thing about the Codex Veils clone...you have that sweepable VCA response curve on it, which will offer you more flexibility than simply having either fixed linear or exponential responses. Very useful if you want a VCA to respond more or less aggressively, as the situation might dictate. Plus, if you want to break out VCA 1 on it, you can still mix the outs of VCAs 2-4, etc.
I would agree...up to a point. This would be a good course of action if MG didn't exist, and/or if dealing with a very limited build overall. However, given that we DO have this site as both a reference and a testbuild sandbox, there needs to be some prefatory points to that list...
1) Make your ModularGrid build bigger than you know it should be. This can then be pared down in size over time prior to making any move toward purchasing physical devices. Once you have that under control, then start considering cases, preferably ones that offer room to expand from your build's basic elements...because you're going to want to do that, eventually.
2) Two VCOs are always better, even if one is a simpler device and the other is more complex. The ability to detune, mix different waveforms, have one modulated and the other not, and the like results in a far richer palette of sounds. This doesn't necessarily require a separate mixer, also, as there are VCFs that have dual audio inputs available.
3) Some VCFs are not necessarily the ones you would start with. Your best bet is a state-variable VCF, which allows for low, high, and bandpass (and sometimes notching) in the same module, sometimes with separate outputs for each available simultaneously. Keep in mind that the VCF is the "timbral heart" of any synth, and that you will be playing it in of itself just as much as any other controller-connected device such as VCOs, etc.
4) When looking for envelope generators, there are actually two basic types: ADSR and AR (or AD, depending on how they treat incoming gates). Many of the latter have the ability to loop their envelope settings, also. It's also important that there are at least two EGs in a synth...one for applying to the filter for timbral modulation, and another for use with the main audio VCA for dynamic modulation. Technically, you can use one for both, but the results are far better with two separate ones under the same gate/trigger control.
5) VCAs: there are two types of these. Linear VCAs tend to be more useful for modulating the levels of CVs, modulating signals, and so on, and these also tend to be DC-coupled so that they can pass sub-audio signals. Exponential VCAs, however, are what's needed for best performance with audio, since human hearing responds to changes in apparent loudness as an exponential curve.
6) Modulation circuits come in more flavors than just simple LFOs. One can use looping AD envelope generators, which allows the user to define the rise and fall rates of the modulation curve. Then there are voltage-controlled slope generators, which are like those but which allow CV control over the rise and fall rates; these circuits are the backbone of such Eurorack staples as the Maths, for example. LFOs can also have delays, which allow the user to define the time needed for the LFO to reach full amplitude; this is useful to allow variable vibrato and/or tremolo effects depending on note length. This is also a situation where more than one is much better than just one, hence multiple-circuit modules such as the Maths, Batumi, et al.
7) Multiples are and AREN'T necessary...it depends on the build size. If you're only dealing with sending your pitch CV to two or three VCOs, you won't need a buffered mult. Those are useful when you have several VCOs (or other CV destinations) for the same CV and you'll need to regenerate that CV to prevent tuning issues due to voltage sags from the exponential converters in those modules. Also, if you have a small build and need every last hp for primary functionality, consider using inline multiples, stackcables, and so on instead of dedicated mult modules. But you'll invariably find that your build needs at least one multiple module, preferably something with at least a pair of 1 - 3 mults. And remember, you can't use multiples as mixers without a certain level of risk to any module that doesn't have diode protection on the output; mults are only designed to split outgoing signals, not to combine incoming ones.
8) You will need something at the end of your audio chain to attenuate your signal level. Synthesizer levels often exceed 5V peak-to-peak, and this is usually too hot for the front ends of many mixers. Either add a passive attenuator at that final point, or an output module that's designed for stepping the level down to proper 1.2 or .775V p-2-p line levels.
9) Colored patch cables are...pretty. And that's about it. As long as YOU know what you're doing in YOUR patch, it doesn't matter what color the patchcables are. This really only applies to systems such as Buchlas, where you have separate paths for audio and control signals...and in those cases, the cables are terminated differently anyway. Buy plenty of cables that you can afford, but don't splurge on decorative notions.
This is all based on some 40-ish years of experience of poking around with these things, across many years of their development...where some things have definitely changed, but many of these basics still remain the same.
Not a bad idea, although the king of delay functionality is probably the Intellijel Rainmaker. It's bigger...but you could conceivably fit it if you yanked the Dual VCA and the Dynamix for starters, replacing them with a Codex u4xVCA (8 hp clone of the Mutable Veils) in the Dynamix's spot. This would also open up 2 hp in the top, which could then allow you to put a Xaoc Zadar in for four EGs in the spot now occupied by the one EG in the Contour. More cost, perhaps, but much more functionality!
Not too complex, unless you want it to be, as in the example of a "window" comparator. This is a little something from nuclear instrumentation circuits, actually, although there's now a couple of adaptations for Eurorack (such as Joranalogue's). In that case, you can have three gates...a window comparator allows you to set a voltage "window" with an upper and lower limit, either as two separate levels or via a "width" control. With that, you can have a gate for "below", "in" and "above", and you can also potentially allow for triggers to be outputted on each limit-crossing. Another cool device, which Ladik makes a cheap 4 hp version of, is a "discriminator". This is a specialized comparator that detects CV movement, allowing you to output a gate or trigger for "rise", "fall", "steady" and "any change". Ladik's actually the king of these little 4 hp specialized logic-state devices...worth a look!
Hmmm...keep in mind that that contact mic is going to pick up every little bonk and scrape in the cab. You'd probably be better off using an actual one such as this: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/crank-sturgeon-classic-contact-mic.html and inputting it thru the A-119. The Ears is a great module...but it needs to be in a separate enclosure along with similar things, such as a small 4ms Pod or such, not where it'll pick up a lot of jostling around.
As for logic: look into adding a comparator or two. These can be a lot of fun, as they output a gate when a given voltage threshold is crossed. That way, you can use an AND gate to let an LFO switch a sequencer clock on and off by outputting the AND to a linear VCA that's passing the clock, and by inputting the AND with the comparator output and another gate signal, such as from a clock divider/counter. That's just one example.
Stereo mixer? Check Qu-bit's Mixology...gives you CV over level (VCA), pan, AUX send, plus you get a proper parallel FX send/return, and manual solo/mute switching. As of late, I think that might be the best bang-for-the-buck stereo performance mixer.
And they look awesome. The problem is that his sole point of online reference is that one website for the Cluster system, and it's literally not changed in years...which is why I dismissed it offhand. And I'm sure I'm not the only person who's thought that the project was dead for the same reasons, because when a project goes dark, pretty much what you're left with is a dead website, and the website does look pretty dead. Next time you're in touch w/ Geeklapeeno, you might want to let him know that zero progress reports and info updates on the site over about three years time is really not a good look, and if he's still working on making the Cluster system fly, it would probably inspire a lot more confidence in the product to maintain a lot of interaction there...otherwise, people will view this (as I did) pretty much like KAHNCO.
