Looking for some feedback

I am new to Eurorack but create (electronic) music since 15 years, so I am not new to music creation.

The last weeks I started to think about a modular system that could be a long term goal for me.
Of course I will not buy all the listed modules at once. All I would like to know is, if this system could work out well in this composition or if it is unbalanced and important parts are missing.

The goals of the system are:
- it should work in cooperation with a daw for further processing and control but also standalone
- it should have tools for generative and random sound creation (but with control over the musicality)
- it should be able to create complete tracks (drums, bassline, synth, percussive stuff, .. )
- it should be flexible and make fun for as long as possible, so that there is no quick reason to expand :)

I would really appreciate your advice on my first attempt.
Thanks in advance!

you have mixed up 1u tiles - either pulp logic or intellijel style not both - if you are buying an intellijel case (which I suspect you are) then only intellijel sized 1u modules will fit - if anything else it'll probably be pulp logic - intellijel sized 1u will fit but not properly! - if you are DIYing it depends on the rails you buy, but in this case the rails etc will cost the same as for a 3u row - I'd go for the 3u personally - there's nothing particularly special about any 1u module that can't be done in way less hp in 3u, of course space may be a concern, but it's 10cm or so!!

your goals - my thoughts

SUMMARY: trying to do too much in too small a space with too many big feature modules and not enough support modules

• it should work in cooperation with a daw for further processing and control but also standalone

es9 ok - generative only standalone ok - I'd want at least some sort of programmable sequencer - something like a BeatStep Pro is always useful - or better yet - pick one to start and maybe save the others for case 2 or 3

• it should have tools for generative and random sound creation (but with control over the musicality)

ok - you've got some random (Bloom) and a function generator (falistri) but no real way of combining and altering them so they are more interesting (kinks and matrix mixer) - and only 1 vca (I bet you didn't realise that they are useful if not near essential for modulation as well as audio!)

• it should be able to create complete tracks (drums, bassline, synth, percussive stuff, .. )

you can't really do that all at once with this, can you? possibly everything separately, but definitely not at once - if you want to do this get smaller oscillators or get a bigger case

drums/percussive - modules or patch from scratch? patch from scratch is more modular, modules are smaller - neither is cheaper than a drum machine!!! - add a sub mixer (panning) for drums - get some low pass gates (buchla bongos)

maybe you are thinking of using the disting for this - I would buy this module early so that it leads you towards modules that you need, by exploring it's functionality - I usually want a kick, a snare and open/closed hats as a minimal drum/percussion system - probably won't get that from a single disting (even an EX)

bassline/lead/pad - yeah you can do 2 out of 3 - unless disting - see above

• it should be flexible and make fun for as long as possible, so that there is no quick reason to expand :)

that is a question only you can really answer and only when the case is full!

Other thoughts

Rainmaker is huge - there are plenty of other delay modules that are a lot smaller and just as good, if a little different - I would replace this so that you have room for a few more modules - Chronoblob2, Magneto etc all worth looking at

consider replacing the 2hp logic and s&h with a kinks - you get a rectifier as well - very useful!!

I think data is also quite big in a case this size! maybe for case no2 - also consider a smaller osc module - o'tool+ for example - or use the es9 to send whatever so you can use say vcvracks oscilloscopes when attached to the computer - if you need something to tune with get a pedal or use the disting!

(for a beginner) I would always recommend Maths over falistri - check out the maths illustrated manual online to see why

you don't need a buffered mult - really only needed for copying pitch?

consider the expander for the odessa

Mixing - do you want to have mono or stereo final mix output to the intellijel built in outputs via the 1u module?
if you want stereo and you want to mix in the rack - you need to take another look at your mixing solution - maybe you can use the es9 when standalone - would prefer a mixer with knobs on myself!

good to go slow!!!!

I would strongly suggest a minimum viable synth (a sound source, a sound modifier, a modulation source, a way to play, a way to listen) maybe 2 or 3 other modules (one of which should be a disting!!!!) at most and learn each module and how to play with them together - when you find yourself reaching for something that you don't have - or disting is stuck on buchla converter mode, for example, then is the time to buy the module you need not necessarily the one you want!

Thanks for your quick and detailled reply! That helped me a lot to orientate myself :)

I tried to address your feedback and started a second rack version:

Just a sidenote: I already have an Arturia Keystep Pro that I plan to use as an alternative to the ES-9 if there is no laptop available.

For me it looks way more ballanced now, but I am still not sure, if there is something essential missing?
So it would be really nice, if you could again have a look at it. Thanks in advance!

EDITED Sep 11th 2020, 08:39

it's a little better

throws up questions though:

how are you expecting to do final mixing/monitoring - always through the es9 or with an external mixer?

I would drop the tritone and compressor

kick hat snare are next to each other - so very cramped - each of those modules is 1.16cm wide - you may want to spread them out a bit in reality

I would swap the doepfer matrix mixer for something a bit smaller - AISynthesis does a 10hp one!!

spread the vcas about

unless you are smitten with the Milky Way I would swap in an fx aid xl - more options for effects - similar hardware

how are you expecting to do final mixing/monitoring - always through the es9 or with an external mixer?

Good question...
I added a Erica Synth Links so that I can use an external mixer, too.

I would drop the tritone and compressor

Why?
I think I will need the sidechain of the compressor and I am also looking for a way to saturate signals.

kick hat snare are next to each other - so very cramped - each of those modules is 1.16cm wide - you may want to spread them out a bit in reality

Yeah I almost thought so :)

I would swap the doepfer matrix mixer for something a bit smaller - AISynthesis does a 10hp one!!

Thanks for the hint!

spread the vcas about

What do you mean ? You mean I should also spread them like the drum modules?

unless you are smitten with the Milky Way I would swap in an fx aid xl - more options for effects - similar hardware

Thanks again! Did not stumble upon this module yet.

Here is the updated rack.
As stated in the first post, the system is a first idea for the future and I wanted to get a feeling for a balanced system.
So does this look good now?

EDITED Sep 11th 2020, 10:31

how are you expecting to do final mixing/monitoring - always through the es9 or with an external mixer?

Good question...
I added a Erica Synth Links so that I can use an external mixer, too.

I would try without this first - you may or may not need it or passive attenuators to do this

I would drop the tritone and compressor

Why?
I think I will need the sidechain of the compressor and I am also looking for a way to saturate signals.

VCAs - you could just use vcas to do both of these roles - but you may want to swap to different vcas then - for example one that actually amplifies rather than attenuates - veils and intellijel quad definitely do this - side chaining can be done very easily with vcas - mix an envelope with an inverted copy of the signal you want to use to sidechain and send that to the vca

kick hat snare are next to each other - so very cramped - each of those modules is 1.16cm wide - you may want to spread them out a bit in reality

Yeah I almost thought so :)

I would swap the doepfer matrix mixer for something a bit smaller - AISynthesis does a 10hp one!!

Thanks for the hint!

spread the vcas about

What do you mean ? You mean I should also spread them like the drum modules?

vcas are useful throughout the system for modulation as well audio - so maybe 1 top left, 1 bottom right for example

unless you are smitten with the Milky Way I would swap in an fx aid xl - more options for effects - similar hardware

Thanks again! Did not stumble upon this module yet.

Here is the updated rack.
As stated in the first post, the system is a first idea for the future and I wanted to get a feeling for a balanced system.
So does this look good now?

-- le_tmp

it's looking better - not sure of the purpose of the 2hp TM - you probably need to add a quantizer to get it to do what you want - provide another v/oct channel - if this is the case you may be better off with marbles instead of bloom

I would stop stressing about it and just start with a minimum viable synth as outlined above - the plan will always change no matter what once you start patching

One idea is to get an external sequencer that has the ability to sample and use drums like Elektron Octatrack via MIDI to CV or perhaps an Elektron Analog 4 MK3 that has CV in/out to sequence and modulate the entire modular system. I do that with mine and it works great and leaves space for interesting modules and utilities. Plus way cheaper than full on modular drums and FX as you can layer the effects from Elektron to modular quite easily. Just a thought :-)

Thanks again for your feedback!

I distributed the VCAs in the rack and exchanged the hexmix with the quad vca. So I count 9 VCAs now.
I also added planar 2 as it seems to be a very interesting tool for me.

Still something crucial missing ?

@sacguy71:
I want to use the ES-9 for that and I already have an Arturia Keystep Pro with lots of cv output possibilites. But thanks for your idea!

other than ergonomics - no - but they are very personal - go slowly and expand slowly (with what you need, not just what you want) is the key to getting a playable and interesting modular

One last question:
Do you have a recommendation which modules I should definitely start with?

Thanks again for your help!

one sound source - any of the VCOs
one modulation source - maths
one sound modifier - a filter
a way to play - either use the BSP you already have or get the es9 - up to you
a way to listen - quad vca

maybe add kinks to this

learn everything inside and out

add one module at a time - unless you realise you need more utilities to make it work properly - and repeat....