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I like Pressure Points as an interactive way to add some humanity into my rack. Often, sequences sound a bit too rigid or robotic, so I like to do chord changes on the fly or trigger percussive sounds or add some modulation to something with my imperfect timing. It's not a substitute for a keyboard by any means, but I'm not much of a keyboard player anyway so PP is just a fun way to switch up a static patch. I've been patching two pitch sequences to an Acid Rain Technology Switchblade (switch) and using the gate outs of PP to switch between sequences while taking the CV outs to other modules.

There is a mini Shimmery mk2 on Juno, and a mk1 on reverb
https://reverb.com/item/32380425-blue-lantern-mini-shimmery-generator-2019-black

A low pass gate is from the "West Coast" synthesis style, and serves as sort of a combination filter and VCA. You can open the LPG in Plaits all the way, so drones are possible, or you can set the LPG to a short response (like a simple Decay envelope) for more percussive sounds if you want to send a gate/trigger to the Trig input. When you do this, both the amplitude and tone are affected with brighter frequencies more apparent at higher amplitudes, sort of like a filter opening in tandem with a VCA opening.
Plaits is cool because it combines this pseudo-filter/VCA behavior within the voice module itself so you aren't strictly limited to drones. It's fairly versatile with many different synthesis types and sounds, though with this being modular, nothing is all that fun without other modules. You will need something external to manipulate pitch: Keystep/Beatstep/SQ1/etc., so ultimately a single module in isolation still requires something else to operate.
A better solution to learn synthesis would be one of the more versatile semi-modular offerings like the Moog Mother 32 or Behringer Crave. They offer a single oscillator, filter, VCA, LFO, and sequencer in one patchable package that can be integrated later with a modular setup. To get much out of modular, one single module alone in a rack defeats the whole purpose of specialized modules, and is not really going to help you learn (or be very fun).
Have fun and good luck!

yes thanks, their mini shimmery is not there tho :(

guess I have to order from USA-seller.

(To put it another way: I don't understand what role the LPG plays in Plaits.)

@farkas Thanks! I'm also learning about LPGs and I'm confused about how those would help with drones/ambient; based on my reading about what LPGs do, wouldn't they be useful for shorter sounds like plucks or percussion?

Absolutely @kel_ !

Hmmm... Plaits, maybe? Has a wide variety of sounds suitable for drones and ambient with a built in LPG.

Hi all,

As a newcomer to modular, I've seen many folks offer the same advice: start small, build up slowly as you discover what you need.

So I ask: if I have an empty case and can buy only one module to start with, and if my goal is (ultimately) to be able to have lots of modulation and play around with making ambient/drone/evolving sounds with lots of texture, what do you recommend as a starting sound source module? (Assume I have audio I/O for the case as well as a MIDI/CV interface.)

Ideally it'd be something I could start playing with by itself to start learning it and get some fun out of it before having to build up the rest of the signal path.

EDITED Jun 4th 2020, 02:14

Taken a pretty good beating (virtual) today for taking the knee!

... people don't understand!! They think it is weak!!

But it's about showing respect and accepting others as equal human beings - simple!

... in return you get millions of people showing you respect in return - it is not weak - it is powerful!

Take the knee!!

Thought I'd update everyone with the current state of things:

Some early thoughts/questions:

Overall I have to say I'm thrilled and this is a pretty incredible format, so thanks to to you @farkas for your help. It's fascinating making sound in such a different way (which is its own question I guess: how the heck do you actually get a working process with these?!! => instead of just noodling, but I'll save that for another day) and this site and all the great content here made the leap a lot easier.
Challenge-wise, I'm not sure the Pressure Points is working out as I'd hoped, though that's probably partially because I'm missing a quantizer. That said, I'm thinking I'd rather have an Arturia KeyStep. I'm curious how other people use the PP and if it's a lasting feature of a lot of people's racks as I could definitely be missing something?
What's next? I definitely want another oscillator and I'm thinking about getting a Serge NTO. Do these live up to the hype? They're expensive and use up a lot of HP, but a lot of artists I respect seem to be Serge fanatics (not necessarily because of the NTO, but still), so I'm thinking it'd be fun to try. Would love to hear anyone's thoughts on this one.

Thanks as always for any help, and hope folks are staying safe (and protesting too!).

NerdSeq is likely the deepest and most versatile sequencer available for the money and HP (excluding using a DAW with stuff like the FH-2). You have a highly manipulable sequencing environment, a very capable little sampler, and (especially with the LaunchPad integration) an extremely powerful performance tool with its Ableton-style pattern launching. The UI is extremely well thought out, and even though you can go extremely deep with it, I never feel like I'm diving deep into menus or forced to remember too many esoteric input combinations. Just about anything I can think of, I can find a way to accomplish with the NerdSeq, often without involving any other modules.

That said: I occasionally find myself considering selling it. It's not due to any fault of the sequencer itself, but rather that because it's so deep, concessions have to be made in regards to workflow. I'm an avid tracker user, with Renoise as my DAW of choice, but it can be extremely frustrating having to set up menu options and perform a bunch of inputs to accomplish something I could have done in a couple button presses or knob turns on another sequencer. The LaunchPad integration does help immensely with this, but it is still a persistent source of frustration.

My issues with the NerdSeq largely stem from my philosophy around modular. I prefer to treat my patches less as realization of a cohesive musical idea, but rather a meditative exploration that may or may not grow into something more. I hold on to the NerdSeq in hopes firmware updates, expanders, and creative patching solutions will offer new promise, but I do seriously wonder if I'd be happier with a Metron and a couple Volteras. If you're the kind of person with a really thoughtful and prescriptive approach to composition, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better tool than the NerdSeq.

If you like "tracker style sequencing" then go for it. Thing has nearly endless options, midi capabilities if needed, low price for fully fledged small footprint with man cv outputs by default. You can read the manual in advance to see what you get.

Got my UK one yesterday, tis very good :)

Color is at least a part of the modular landscape, though
-- Lugia

My visual æsthetics are monochromatic; my musical æsthetics polychromatic
But very interesting to hear that those designs are neither random nor the work of a young Design Intern.

EDITED Jun 3rd 2020, 17:40

Color is at least a part of the modular landscape, though...that dates back to Don Buchla, and really takes off when Serge Tcherepnin comes up with his system at CalArts a few years later. You also see color-coded connections in devices such as analog computers to denote the various functions of patchpoints.

The elusive Ochd just became available at Control for anyone in the US who has been waiting. Not sure how fast they will sell out.

ES-9:
Output 1: gate (kick)
Output 2: fast envelope (for kick FM) - synced to gate
Output 3: slower envelope (for kick AM) - synced to gate

Note:
The gate/pulse on Godeater's input (in addition to the normal kick sound), pushes it to some weird state in which it picks up really low noise from I don't know where, probably everywhere, and amplifies it for a short time not unlike a noisy "swoosh" effect. The length of the gate will alter the length of this swoosh. For 133bpm, 11.9ms sounded nice for a techno feel. Now the (more) interesting part: due to some leakage either from ES-9 or an unavoidable electromagnetic one (leakage from ES-9 is worrying but it might just be that Godeater really amplifies every little thing it can around it - anyway, I don't notice any leaks if I unplug the gate), inputs on the ES-9 will leak to the noisy "swoooshing" giving it some harmonics, if these exist on that said input!

You're appreciation makes me even happier :)))

We are all one!!!

Wish I could be in Korea right now!!

UK is a disaster zone :(

Your voice sounds fine to me and I understand every word, yes, you have an accent, but everyone does - so what?

The truth:

Some people will love your voice, some people won't care and just be interested in what you have to say, some people won't like your voice.

I doubt it will happen, but if anyone gives you a hard time about it, the problem is theirs and you should just ignore them - simple!

Be free - spread your wings and fly :)

Thank for making the video, it's something I have done a long time ago, but nice to see this idea again!
-- Kel_

I really appreciate what you say on your comment:)

I don't know how to say my heart in English haha, because I am really good at Korean and I have thousands of thanks in my mind in Korean.
I really appreciate your comment, you make me I can believe the world is still warm and full of love.
Thanks

https://www.juno.co.uk/search/?facet%5Bbrand_facet%5D%5B%5D=blue+lantern+modules&hide_forthcoming=0

https://modemmodular.pl/category/blue-lantern/page/1

I think you can find what you want here.

EDITED Jun 3rd 2020, 11:25

Does anyone have experience with them?

I'm looking at that Mini Shimmery for a long time. But it seems no European store can offer them.

Why are they so underrated? They seem really affordable as well...

Why does none of the major EU-stores sell em??

https://www.bluelanternstore.com/

Oh hey, the lead voice with that sliding tone is from a Pittsburgh Modular Oscillator where I manually change the pitch with the fine adjustment knob, slowly turning up and down for that glissando effect. It's one of my most beloved modules... but they stopped to build them that way. I think it was the first module I bought after getting the Doepfer A100-standart setup in 2015...

And Plaits yes, very very versatile...

Have a good time :)

EDITED Jun 3rd 2020, 07:28

Gotta say: I'm with farkas.
The design of some MN modules confuses the crap out of me. Also, somehow I find Eurorack is 'serious business' (don't know how to put it) and some Mutable Instruments and TipTop modules are just too colorful.
:)

Hi there wigglers and gridders,

if you've had any experience with this module please let me know what you think! pros and cons!

I've been looking for a sequencer with plenty of cv and gates and this seems like its capable of lot more in a small HP too, not to mention all the expandable options. There are great videos like cuckoo's, look mum no computer, and the extensive tutorials series from SonicVoltage but i would love to know your opinions or if there's anything else to recommend.

The thought of a tracker sequencer intrigues me but also intimidates me a little since I compose mainly on a keyboard but from what I've watched and read it seems like you can get the hang of it in about 20 minutes or so. what was your learning curve like? with the midi expander could i still compose on the keyboard or DAW either mono or ploy and have it on the nerdseq?

I've been going back and forth from the Nerdseq to the Hermod and even the Eloquencer and i know they're all very different workflows but are able to sequence up to 8 sources (even though 2 tracks of the Nerdseq are for samples). The Eloquencer seems to be very fast and intuitive to use but takes up too much HP and i may get stuck and tired of the XoX style. Hermod is great with its I/O, no need for midi expander, small HP, and all those videos of people playing classical pieces via DAW is priceless but the screen size and no cv/tigger expansion is a bummer.

All that being said i always end up back at the Nerdseq, It has almost all the bells and whistles you'd want, and i could probably sequence an entire album but with all this depth and option, would i be too overwhelmed?

Sorry for the long post, and thank you for reading!

Ciao Mebitek,

He, he, the good old 70's :-) Nice video demo with your music. Didn't know that people where doing modular synths on a boat and that under quite stormy weather ;-) (Just teasing you)

Thanks a lot for the sound details how you build your voices, interesting to read!

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

Hi Sunchylde,

Ha, ha, yes, another nice demo from you, thank you! I love that sound trick you do a bit before 4:00 and then a bit after 4:00 as well with that large knob and module in the middle of the lower row, what module is that? That was a fantastic sound you got there! Further down in your track again, lovely sound, please tell me what module that is? :-D

By the way, do I see there two Plaits next to each other? I just got one and that's already lovely. Having two, that must be heaven :-)

I look forward in hearing your JM Jarre influenced upcoming new album! Kind regards, Garfield.

Definitely. And naturally, there's no reason to not try it. You might also try feeding an audio-frequency signal to the expression input and see what that does. You might find some twisted new AM method!

I'd like to pick up a Fourses one of these days.

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/modules/browser?SearchName=&SearchVendor=292&SearchFunction=&SearchSecondaryfunction=&SearchHeight=&SearchTe=&SearchTemethod=max&SearchBuildtype=&SearchLifecycle=&SearchSet=all&SearchMarketplace=&SearchIsmodeled=0&SearchShowothers=0&order=newest&direction=asc

Just a thought I had. Even if it didn't work in a synth voice, it could make for an interesting tremolo I guess.

Thank you so much @Lugia and @toodee - I didn't know about the 1U formats and I will definitely look into the 3xVCA!

Check out the Ieaskul F. Mobenthey modules for some wild chaotic stuff. I have a Zlob Diode Chaos that I like. It’s pretty similar to a Sloth.

That's so funny. The Noise Engineering panels don't bother me in the slightest. The Make Noise panels on the other hand...

In the build above, I'm pretty sure the Atten-B are not compatible with a Palette case, and I have my doubts about the Unity Mixer as well.
-- toodee

That would be correct, actually. Intellijel tile rows CANNOT fit "original" format tiles, only Intellijel's version. Both Pulplogic tiles as well as the Unity Mixer won't work here.

Frankly, if you're doing a Palette case build, you should look into Plum Audio's Intellijel-format tile versions of devices like the Ornament & Crime, which fits very well into the scheme of things that Mutable's modules are part of. And while I'm shocked to be saying it, there may well be too many VCAs in here for the build's scale. A better choice would be Happy Nerding's 3xVCA, which gives you enough VCAs in a splittable configuration that also allows for some simple VCA-controlled mixing.

Sort...of. It would depend on how the Supro's circuit responds to a CV. The idea is sound, but the question would really be what sort of response curve the pedal is likely to have to linear and/or exponential CVs. Also, will 0V actually result in a full level shutdown, or does the audio level being controlled that way only go down to a certain threshold?

Noise Engineering stuff, although I should note that I'm not a fan of their obtuse/eye-wrecking panel marking scheme

:-) Agree. The NE Modules are one of the worst out there when it comes to Design. I really don't understand what People think when they make these "Designs"
-- Quantum_Eraser

Yep. Their panels look to me like a bottle of India ink threw up on a sheet of aluminum. And the ultra-tiny script that they use to fit into that mess is just horrible...if you're in any sort of low-light situation (such as a live gig), you're going to have a lot of trouble reading those. And while I'm sure the defense of "well...eventually you just know what those are" might be legit-ish, I still don't think there's any excuse for this. Sure, I get that there's a "design sensibility" there, as there is with a number of other makers who also like to do visually-obtuse panels...but it's worth noting that Greyscale does a decent business in making sensible panels for modules that look like crap.

Howdy, looking for chaos CV generators. Have a triple sloths from NLC, thinking about their Hyper Chaos and Hypster, but wondering what else is out there.

Thanks!

Rack envisioned only for 4ms ensemble vco, sequencing melodic lines. Someone mentioned the Usta sequencer is not recommended for sequencing polyphonic notes ( I assume, as long as the vco is not spitting polyphonic signals...)

What do you think about this rack and what would you use for that 2hp left?

Thank you!

Hi !

Just jumping in to attract your attention to the 1U formats that exist: there are 2 competing formats, Pulp Logic tiles and Intellijel. The Palette case is made for the Intellijel format, it is not compatible with Pulp Logic sized module.
In the build above, I'm pretty sure the Atten-B are not compatible with a Palette case, and I have my doubts about the Unity Mixer as well. An Intellijel Quadratt (or Duatt) provides mixing and attenuation in the Intellijel format, and I also know of Transient Modules who are also making Intellijel compatible 1U modules, including a mixer.

Hope this help :)

I tried to make a little jam based on a dance electronic music classic from the 1977 with my eurorack modular synthetizer, Supernature by Cerrone, after I recenlty watched Climax, a great 2018 movie directed by Gaspar Noé.
The video has been recorded in one take with a GoPro cam and edited with some parts of the Climax movie as a little tribute to both movie and music.
never stop modular experimentation
Patch notes:
- Drums: Telharmonic N out (snare), Pico Drum (kick & hit-hats)
- Sequencer: beatstep (lead), rené (bass)
- Main Voice: Loquelic Iteritas through QPAS
- Second Voice: DPO final out
- FX: morphagene custom reel through Antumbra SMOG
- reverb: Erb-verb
- additional modulations: Maths, Zone BF, Function, Wooglebug, micro o_C
feedbacks and comments welcome

Correct me if I'm wrong, could you take an ALM S.B.G. with it's expression output, and then connect that to a boost pedal with expression in, say, the Supro boost, and create a VCA by sending an envelope through the S.B.G. into the pedal?

If you're still considering mixers, I recommend you check the ADDAC802. It is a VCA mixer with great utility in a compact space. Sounds great. 6 VCAs. Independent outs on each channel, two independent/assignable mix outputs. I'll be honest, I don't love the red color, but you can order any color you like for extra $.

Noise Engineering stuff, although I should note that I'm not a fan of their obtuse/eye-wrecking panel marking scheme

:-) Agree. The NE Modules are one of the worst out there when it comes to Design. I really don't understand what People think when they make these "Designs"

One more before I'll take a little break also because I'm changing cases ;) ...

Regarding family and job, yes that's the point why I have all that time I guess ...

If you like Krautrock there's much to discover in my albums and EPs, tho not all strictly modular synthesizer.

My next album will be exclusively synthwave/Jean-michel-Jarre influenced... to be released next month and I always record stuff anyways ;)

Will post a bit more here in the future too...

Have a nice time!

I ordered a HEXa(s)r from Perfect Circuit and can confirm that it is 10 HP, not 9 HP.

Hi Sunchylde,

Oh my Lord! That above link of your video a few weeks ago, yes! That's really cool.

I love your "live Krautrock jam session style", though me as a "Grobschnitt" fan, it can't be Krautrock enough for me ;-)

So how about your next challenge? Make an instrumental-hard-core-Krautrock album? ;-) Just teasing (but.... would be nice if you still did, he, he)

Regarding your bandcamp link, I will check that another time: you do realise I have a family to attend to (at least once and a while) and I got a job I have to take care off, right? ;-)

Thanks a lot for sharing and kind regards, Garfield.

Edit: Removed typo.

EDITED Jun 1st 2020, 21:43

I did not have this problem (sold it anyway). It was powered by my Pittsburgh EP-360. So i guess I was lucky with a functional unit or the Power supply is exceptionally good (got no noise floor at all and my case is nearly full)...

Have a look into 4ms ensemble osc and xaoc odessa, they are the osc i bought in a while und they are very versatile, for ambient anyway!

Hi Mowse,

I like the way you steal a few minutes in the studio before your dinner ;-)

Kind regards, Garfield.