I have Mindphaser and Cre8audios NiftyKeyz. I have loosely plannd the modules I would like to include in the rack with the goal of complimenting the Mindphaser and creating a playable instrument. My question to anyone with more experience than myself is. Am i achieving that goal with this set up? If not what am I missing that is obvious. I want to end up with a playable instrument that can cover most things a monosyth would thanks in advance
There's two things that catch my attention here. Other than that, it seems well-rounded. The most-often made mistake with eurorack beginners is a disbalance between audio sources and audio manipulators. You did well on that part.
What I am mostly wondering about is your filter options. You have a LPG (low pass gate) rather than a LPF (low pass filter), a bit of an odd choice. There's videos on Youtube explaining both principles. A module that can do low pass, high pass and band pass filtering will give you more options to play with. But maybe you picked this one on purpose, I'm not familiar with the module and it seems like it can also do normal filtering. Something to think about. If Plaits and Mindphaser are ought to be processed individually, you probably want two filters.
If you really like spring reverb, then go for it. I would not find a great match between Mindphaser and a spring reverb. There's many (cheap or expensive) reverb pedal choices with more flavours of reverb than just springs. I have the Oceans 12 pedal which is the same price as a new assembled Befaco Spring Reverb. Maybe it's overkill for you. EHX Oceans 11 and TC Hall of Fame are cheaper but great options. If you want to keep it in eurorack, the multi-effect unit FX Aid is a popular choice and will give you much more than just reverberation.
One last thing, a passive mult will not copy v/oct melodies. The passiveness will cause a detune to the melody. So you can't mult it to both Mindphaser and Plaits. Maybe there's a solution on the NiftyKeyz, I have no experience with it.
Hello! Thank you for the feedback. I’vehad such a hard time finding anyone near me to even talk modular. The spring reverb was a random choice because i had rented a MOOG from a loval shop that had a spring reverb in it (I think). I do think it was limiting and maybe not even useful in this set up. I swapped it out with the FX Aid. I swapped the passive mult for a buffered one by Erica Synths. I think that solved a problem or at least gained some functionality. I chose the LPG because it can be used as a VCA or VCF or BOTH.
It also has an envelope generator output for the decay if I understand it correctly. Though I do see the usefulness in a MMF and will do some reading in consideration of making a change there.
Heres a link to the updated layout.
I also included the specs below this for the niftykeyz if you cared to take a look at that.
Full size 49 key synth-action keybed with aftertouch
4x CV + gate outs - can be split by keyboard zone and used polyphonic or monophonic modes
Useable case area = 112hp for eurorack modules
Power output for modules
+12V - 1500mA
-12V - 1000mA
+5V - 1000mA
Multi-mode arpeggiator
Auto-chord function
Transpose function
Glide control
Swing control
Multi-mode LFO
Clock - internal and external with divider
2x buffered mults
Sustain pedal input controls MIDI and gates
Range of cv outs 1 through 4 = 0-10V
Voltage output gates 1 through 4 - off = 0 on = 5（off = 0 on = 4.65）
Voltage output modwheel/LFO = 1-10V switchable to 0-5V
Voltage output pitchwheel = 1-10V
Voltage output expression = 1-10V
Voltage output velocity = 1-10V switchable to 0-5V
Voltage output aftertouch = 1-10V switchable to 0-5V
Voltage output clock - off = 0 on = 5
Input voltage range of oscillator = 0-10V
Two volume controllable 1/4” ts mono outputs on its rear (mirrored 3.5mm outs on top)
Dedicated control for headphone out with 1/4” headphone jack on its rear
USB MIDI class-compliant - no drivers needed
MIDI in via USB and 5 pin Din
MIDI thru via 5 Pin Din and USB
Based on your information the NiftyKeyz will send multiple melodies so you are sorted on that point, even without the mult. So either passive or buffered will work in your case. It also depends on whether you have enough power spots in the case to power all modules including the mult.
I don't think the decay out envelope on the LPG will be all that useful, since it's decay only, not even Attack/Decay. You probably want more complex movement in the filter and also outside it than just decay.
I think I would remove either the Frap Tools 321 or the Erica Synths Black CV Tools, they are kind of in the same ball park. And then use that space for another envelope. If you plan to play the keys a lot rather than just sequencing, you may want to add an ADSR for perfect control. You can then double it to the filter or use another envelope.
For filters, Erica Synths Black Multimode Filter, ThreeTom Modular Steve's MS-22, Tiptop Audio Forbidden Planet or System80 860 (MK1/MK2) are all good choices with the same or lower HP as the LPG at a somewhat similar (secondhand) price. They all have very different flavours.
I would humbly like to point out that there is nothing odd about using a low pass gate with a complex oscillator. This is literally one of the main building blocks of west coast style synthesis. I own an Erica Synths Pico System III, and despite it being a compact "higher end of low-budget" synth, it also has two very enjoyable resonant low pass gates that I have found almost irreplacable. I don't know how similar they are to the Black LPG in terms of sound, but they seem similar in function. You should definitely look into multiple types of filter and LPG (including filters that feature a VCA and a filter but offer separate controls, which sounds like it may be something you're into), but the one you have now is theoretically perfectly fine since the complex oscillator offers a variety of timbrial variation options outside of subtractive filtering, and the Erica Synths module does that subtractive filtering anyway.
I agree that two attenuverter modules taking up much space is a lot. One module to consider here is the Happy Nerding 3xMIA, which is very similar to the 321 from Frap Tools except that it has two inputs for each channel, allowing you to either plug two signals in and mix them as well as invert and attenuate them, but still lets you do offsets with any channel that doesn't have a cable plugged in. I had a Frap Tools 321 and while I think it works good, the knobs aren't as fun as they could be and I found I often forgot what was what in terms of the more esoteric functions. The 3xMIA solved both of these things for me. Definitely keep an eye out for other options, though.
Your Befaco Rampage can be patched to be an ADSR, in addition to being two independent AR generators. If you clear out the Black CV Tools, you will have plenty of room to look at a dedicated envelope generator (or even a Mutable Peaks clone with lots of different options to play around with in 4-8 hp - highly recommended as something to look at). However, don't forget that part of the fun of a Rampage or a Maths or a similar Serge type module is that it can do lots of different jobs as long as you don't necessarily need them all at once. When I got my Maths I went through a big list I found of functions and patches for mine to get familiar, and it really keeps me from constantly drooling over modules that do stuff I already have in some form (or makes me more determined to get them once I find I can't get it quite how I want on the function generator).
Your plan works good. My plan might work good. Someone else's plan might work good. Right now, I think going for a filter/lpg and the Rampage (assuming I have understood correctly and you only have the Mindphaser and Niftykeyz currently) next would give you a fully functioning small setup that you could learn a surprising amount of modular basics on and have fun doing so. From there, determining your next move will be much easier, especially if you combine this with researching the different classic module types everyone says you need and figuring out which ones work the best.
I would humbly like to point out that there is nothing odd about using a low pass gate with a complex oscillator. This is literally one of the main building blocks of west coast style synthesis.
-- Zacksname
You're absolutely right with the historical connection. From the point of view of building a monosynth I still think a more 'normal'/east coast filter would be really good. Maybe get both! There's many small cheap LPGs available. My friend recently bought a Takaab 2LPG for just 20 €, it's tiny and sounds great. It has three responses/flavours. I have the Meng Qi DPLPG and it's also good but there's just one flavour. I paid about € 50 for it. Both are passive.
Thank you both for the insight. I’ve taken i to consideration the recommendations made here. I sat down with the two pieces I do have last night and got to figuring some things out for myself. What I think I know about how synthesizers work, gained from working with VSTs in DAWs. That being said I realize how I would benefit from different filters so an MMF keeps coming to mind I have 15 slots for modules in the case, so plenty of room. I do like the idea if going aftera filter and the rampage next, maybe even a dedicated ADSR type module. I find myself constantly tweaking those in software side of things. What a rabbit hole I’ve found. I have a version two of this rack with mindphaser as the central piece, it’s so easy to get sidetracked
