Mother 32-based rack for beginner

Hey all,

I’ve been messing a lot with VCV Rack lately and I think it’s time for me to dip my toes into the world of eurorack. I told myself I wouldn’t let myself get into this but I’ve been selling a lot of guitar pedals lately so I have some funds kicking around. I’ll give you some background and then I’ll get to the questions that are bugging me at the moment:

So far, it’s looking like it will be based on a Mother 32, due to there being a few available on local classifieds and I like the two-tier rack that is sold just for them. The 60hp size also feels like a good amount to work with for a beginner. Another plus is that I own a Sub Phatty, so I’m familiar with Moog interfaces.

I’ll need a power supply of some sort, I’ve been looking at the Tip Top uZeus and the 4ms Row Power. Some other modules that have piqued my interest are the Make Noise Maths, the Expert Sleepers Distings mk4, and almost all of the Mutable lineup (especially Rings and Plaits!).

Now, here are some of the questions I have:

-Based on this setup, are there any shortcomings I’ll need to deal with?

-Are there any modules that you feel compliment Mother 32 well?

-I’ve read that most of the in’s and out’s of the Mother 32 are MAX +5/-5V, what would be the best way to prevent other modules from sending too much voltage?

-Is it worth getting a mixer module or is it most likely that i’ll be routing everything through the output of the Mother 32?

-Is it worth having an external sequencer? There’s a Korg SQ-1 and a Arturia BeatStep available on my local classifieds at the moment.

-If you had a Mother 32 and a spare 60hp to work with, how would you fill it and why?

Any help with the questions above would be appreciated greatly. Thanks in advance!

That’s exactly what I did a few months back, I bought a dfam,the three tier and the 60hp case and thought that’ll do. I filled it pretty quick and a Metropolis on eBay soon meant I had to take out all but one module and leave them on the shelf until I’d chosen and sourced a new case. Rings and Plaits really interested me too but it was the Karplus Strong sounds that I was after and I got those in 2hp thanks to pluck. I would get a mixer as routing any signal through the M32 means it get’s filtered, the LFO applied etc, there are ways around this but they’re a pain. I’ve not had an issue with voltages so far but Erica do the M-scale specifically for this. My Metropolis purchase probably answers your sequencer question, the M32’s isn’t the most intuitive sequencer due to the lack of visual feedback and the number of shift commands, multi button simultaneous presses and LED combinations to remember. A Pamela’s new workout is next on the list and I wish it had been a first purchase when the funds were available so I’d definitely get a good dividing clock generator and modulator in there sooner rather than later. My biggest regret is the 60hp case though, not that I mightn’t have added it at a later date when I had a better idea of how to fill it for maximum efficiency, but starting out get the most HP you can for your money, the Moog case and stands ain’t cheap for what they are. You’ll get 84hp, power and adapter with the tip-top happy endings for fractionally more than the Moog gear, I went with the u-Zeus and was a bit miffed to discover It didn’t come with the wallwart- another 20 quid and three day wait to get up and running and immediately wished I’d gone with the happy endings. Hope that helps.

That’s exactly what I did a few months back, I bought a dfam,the three tier and the 60hp case and thought that’ll do. I filled it pretty quick and a Metropolis on eBay soon meant I had to take out all but one module and leave them on the shelf until I’d chosen and sourced a new case. Rings and Plaits really interested me too but it was the Karplus Strong sounds that I was after and I got those in 2hp thanks to pluck. I would get a mixer as routing any signal through the M32 means it get’s filtered, the LFO applied etc, there are ways around this but they’re a pain. I’ve not had an issue with voltages so far but Erica do the M-scale specifically for this. My Metropolis purchase probably answers your sequencer question, the M32’s isn’t the most intuitive sequencer due to the lack of visual feedback and the number of shift commands, multi button simultaneous presses and LED combinations to remember. A Pamela’s new workout is next on the list and I wish it had been a first purchase when the funds were available so I’d definitely get a good dividing clock generator and modulator in there sooner rather than later. My biggest regret is the 60hp case though, not that I mightn’t have added it at a later date when I had a better idea of how to fill it for maximum efficiency, but starting out get the most HP you can for your money, the Moog case and stands ain’t cheap for what they are. You’ll get 84hp, power and adapter with the tip-top happy endings for fractionally more than the Moog gear, I went with the u-Zeus and was a bit miffed to discover It didn’t come with the wallwart- another 20 quid and three day wait to get up and running and immediately wished I’d gone with the happy endings. Hope that helps.
-- Dom78

Wow, tons of knowledge here! I'm gonna have to read through this a few more times and take some notes, haha.

If I went with the Happy Ending, that would mean the Mother 32 would have to live outside the rack, or else I would just have 24hp left to play with. Not the end of the world, but I would prefer if everything was condensed into one case.

It's looking like I'll be picking up the Mother 32 today and I'll hold off on a case for now until I do more research. I was originally married to the idea because one guy was selling the M-32 with the two-tier case as a pretty good package deal. But luckily, a local music store has a bunch of used M-32's on for cheap due to Black Friday.

Thanks again for your help!

No worries, just to clarify though I meant keep the Mother free standing and have the full 84hp free. Enjoy the M32- if you haven’t already check out Loopop’s YouTube videos on it, really good for getting the most out of it.