Hello YunYun,

Nice to hear from you again, this is a great and beautiful track. Well done! Lovely to listen at your track, I just hit the play button again, can't stop listening at it :-) Ha, ha, I love those kilos of reverb at the end of your track :-D

I am sorry to hear that you are stopping with producing music, after such great track and then leave us in the dark :-( May I hope on your return soon? :-) Or was it perhaps a typo that you wrote "My last patch..." and did you meant to write "My latest patch...", hopefully it's a typo? ;-)

Good luck and I hope to hear somehow from you in the (near) future again, kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


Hi Lugia, and Oldan,

Why not simply use the ground of your house's electric circuits? If that one has been done properly (since about the '60s or '70s that should have been done properly), I actually don't see an issue here. It wonders me actually that it happened at all... perhaps some issue with the electricity wiring within the house/apartment? It might be worth testing the ground within the building since this seems a pretty important matter to me... unless I am missing here something?

Kind regards and good luck with the troubleshooting, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


I wonder what module one would use to replicate the inherently-defective power circuitry in the Fizmo...?

Seriously, that's why they're rare. Ensoniq did such a lousy job of hardware design that they more or less sabotaged this synth. The power circuitry was VERY prone to failure, and that failure would cascade throughout the entire synth when it happened, basically destroying it.

But duplicating that synth? That'd be a tall order. Ensoniq's "transwave" system was, admittedly, a variant on scanned wavetable synthesis (which Ensoniq was the only other manufacturer to use at that time aside of PPG), and while there are a few modules that use this, you wouldn't get the exact "transwave" sound and feel. 'Fraid solitud's dead-on point about that...


That's a ground loop. Your synth's P/S is trying to ground to a different ground than the equipment the synth is hooked up to, and this then allows AC to get onto the audio lines where the synth is finding an "easier" ground.

There's several possible fixes. The most immediate would be to use this: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/happy-nerding-isolator Transformer isolation with ground-lifts per channel and a useful ganged stereo level.

The BEST, however, is to implement a "star ground". Star grounds are called that because they're an array of wired ground lines that all connect to the same grounding point, usually on the mixing desk. What you'd need is a spool of 16ga stranded and insulated wire. Use that to connect ALL of the chassis, racks, instruments, etc etc in such a way that all of that winds up at your "star point"; in my studio, I have a number of 19" racks, and to connect those I'll simply hook a short bit of wire between each rack until I get to the point where I have to run the wire to the star ground. Time-consuming, but VERY effective. Implement that + the Isolator, and there should be ZERO noise problems after a tad of tweaking.


Hi Systasis,

Great, thanks a lot for the details and the rack overview, looks great to me :-)

How do you like the Filter 8 from Joranalogue? I don't have any modules from this brand and I was thinking of perhaps that Filter 8 or another module from them, is it worth the investment?

3 am and I still want to work on a review report... Thank you, good night too ;-) Kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


I wouldn't worry about pairings for the Plonk. 48 hp will NOT be enough space for this to work. Either you'll have to resort to a pile of very slim modules that are no fun to work with long-term, or you'll have to compromise on something essential.

Given the importance of MIDI here, my suggestion would be to get an Intellijel Palette...104 hp, preferably. With that, you can locate the MIDI interface in the cab's tile row (along with a number of useful utilities) and use the cab's USB for connection between it and your DAW, controller, etc. With more space, you can then avoid the super-tight spacings common with "Beauty Case" builds AND you'll get to have proper sections for sound generation, control, and modification.


Its ok to have big nodules in your small case as long as you are planning on buying more space down the line.

I hate cre8audio so I'll help you. Do what I did and buy these 3 module from dreadbox. His stuff is quality compared to the cheap rubbish you will buy from cre8.

ModularGrid Rack


Thank you all for your feedback. I agree that this set up lacks modulation and sufficient mixing capabilities. Lots of food for thought. Thanks!


Hi Matteo,

I’m having a similar issue. Was this something you were able to resolve?


Thank you @centzminger!!

I took your idea to heart and updated. That was smart, I actually get room for another 2hp this way and I wont have to reach as hi atm! (time for a 2hp quantizer for the DFAM?)

This is the rack I got as well, so ya, 4 tier (1.8k ouch!) anyways, mixer in the middle now for central location, all the percussion and mess with me things on the bottom. Maths was the center piece, but now it the mid top so that's a compromise. I am too OCD not to have everything filled out (the empty row already giving me GAS lol)

Open to more ideas, and to this forum and site credit, thank GOD I can plan out here instead of the real word, what a blessing!

Ok, so what other modules would you want? I think I have all the bases covered...but that ES black hole dsp2 looks like candy..

*on another note, do they make stereo patch cables? My MPC live 2 has 4 stereo ports. Thinking of adding it in the mix as the ES black seq only has 4 track. Just a side note.

So am I in the big boy rack club now? Or do I have to buy all the mutable stuff as well lol. Cant wait to post real life pics!!

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/synth/1633825


If you want to avoid spending money on R*S I may be the wrong person to talk to @toodee! I'm a huge fan of the Res EQ and would probably suggest that as the place to start with them, particularly if you're looking for a unique module that can really spice up a patch, especially drones, feedback patches, or things based on field recordings.

Re: my personal 303 one example of it patched up would be like so:
Metropolis CV => NTO
Metropolis Gate => Maths Trigger 1
Metropolis Clock => Algorhythm Clock
Algorhythm Channel 1 => Maths Trigger 2
Maths Trigger 1 => Quad VCA CV 1 (cascades to CV 2)
NTO Variable => Quad VCA channel 1
(optional) NTO Square => NCOM => Quad VCA channel 2
Maths Trigger 2 => VCFS or VCFQ CV, Q, or Slope in
Quad VCA channel 2 (mix of 1 and 2) => VCFS or VCFQ audio in
VCFS or VCFQ => out or to effects

There's a ton of variations that can work from there but basically you have a sequencer with a multi osc voice (though it's integer ratio subharmonic) through a filter that you can then add accents to. In the tunes posted here I'm using the M303, but in other tunes on my bandcamp, in particular Live Jams for Scotland, all the synth sounds basically follow the guide above.


I have no idea how to do a Fizmo in modular but I had to chuckle because the first rack ever created on ModularGrid is my poor attempt to build a modular Wavestation/Microwave including a discussion about that on the page that wiggled muffs at that time.
Whatever you will do chances are it will not be much cheaper than that Fizmo and it also will only have two voices ...


this user has left ModularGrid

Hello! Welcome to the internet :)

Other than trial and error and just seeing what feels right to you, I've seen a lot of trends on racks keeping the sequencing things, the controller things, and the stuff you tweak the most the "furthest down the rack" usually closer to you if you've got a two tiered rack or something. I'd try to position things to minimize patch cable distance and to group common type modules together.

Aesthetically, I moved all the Moogs ontop of each other so that it looks cool and all the patchbays line up. If you have a 4 row case, I'd move the neutron over ontop or below the moog stack to line up all the patch bays. That will probably result in the least number of headaches. Moved the mult to the middle area to jump modulation sources from one side of the rack to the other. Sequencer, mixer, and joystick towards the bottom, they've got a lot of their outputs on the top of the module as well so that when fully patched you can access the knobs easy. Then I fit in everything else in the space provided. Put the model D in the top right because it has the last number of patch points. Circling the red neutron looks cool to me also with it being center.

ModularGrid Rack

Cheers!

Edit: if you put the DFAM on the bottom, that's mostly a row of percussion, the middle row Mother32 that's like two subtractive synths next to each other, then the top row is like, other stuff, seems to click in my head. The midi jack on the right of the mother also all the way to the left seems to be a good spot for it. There's a DFAM to midi module someone made recently that you might be interested in if you'd like to connect your DFAM to a DAW or something. https://www.modulargrid.net/e/sonoclast-mafd-2hp-midi-adapter-for-dfam


Hello

I'm having noise issues on an Erica Synths Case.
Case specs are 1.25A per rail (2.5A total), internal PSU specs are OUT ±12VDC / 1250mA, AC adapter power cord specs are 12V 3.34A 40W.
If I have the case turned off and with balanced 1/4 jacks from the Ciao line output into my line in audio interface I can hear the noise in the link below. Its like you can hear data voltage.
If I disconnect the power cable the noise is gone, so that makes me think the problem is not coming from any of the modules.
The noise is audible in the background when the modules are playing.
Any ideas on how can I sort this? Different power supply? DI Box with ground lift?

Eurorack Noise MP3


Hello,

I am very shy and never post about my work, but I read and read and love the community of modular and synth people like you. Having said that, here is what I have on the way this weekend. I already owned all the semi-modular stuff, and yes, I understand that they should maybe not be in this case, but I want to build this system around what I already know and love while adding in all the other items on my wish list. Besides, the semi stuff is very immediate and ready to go anytime.

If this was yours, how would you place everything?

HELP lol Really considering the patch paths I need to take to be efficient and keep things somewhat orderly. So mixer, sequencer, modulation placement, voice placement, things like this. Want it to be clean and easy to patch :) BTW, I already paid for all of it, just waiting on delivery, so there is no going back. I hope I am as smart as my other personalities think I am.

Any thoughts on my concept would also be nice...

I already feel this is common sense:
-Behringer is evil and yes, I carry shame with that brand in my case. But, no one I know in real life will ever understand and I have no online cred anyway, so who cares. I have the only 2 I will ever buy!
-The case is really voiced and focused by the Moog sound. I'm so in love, and this case is a result of my passion for the triple Moog threat.
-I do not want to fill up the bottom row yet. I am saving the 164 HP for expansion as I further understand this case and evolve.

Side note. I also have Zoia and Poly Beebo on the side as sends (for now) and they can CV with some effort on my part. So, that's a huge consideration as those two pedals alone could probable serve as this entire rack, so my intention is to use them and just pull in the modules I need this way and maybe send there functions out as needed. Very much an open space :)

I will entertain all suggestions. If VCV rack has your module in it, I will try it tonight and learn from your suggestion.
Be gentle on me please, this is my first ever post on the internets and I have too much grey hair for a mid40's nerd.

-Love,
Shadowsaun

ModularGrid Rack


As a lover of the ensoniq fizmo synth, a synth I always wanted but the price of them I a bit high for me.
Anyone got some suggestions how to get a eurorack setup that can mimic the fizmo?
Many thanks Rickard


Hey there. Building my first rack and trying to follow the advice: build with a purpose. I have the intention to create percussive sounds with my build that I can sample / play / control in general with my Digitakt. I've found Plonk (looks rad) and I know I'll need some midi connections. Any suggestions for the rest of my Doepfer A-100 LC1 Low Cost Case - 3U (48hp)? I started to fill it up with an envelope, lfo, filter, etc, but figured I'd ask if any one has recommendations on plonk pairings.

Thank you.


Thread: Nani Kore?

Ha! Many thanks for the kind, but clearly over exaggerated, comments. ;-) Modular has definitely sparked a lot of musical activity in me, and I’m grateful that that this place exists to learn from and share. Cheers.


Plaits or Braids are great modules if you need bread-n-butter sounds in your case. They can do more. But to quickly dial in a bass or lead sound without reinventing the wheel is really helpful in live situations.

If you're buying digital modules for percussion, you might as well get something like a 1010 Music BitBox 2. You can play back up to 16 different sounds as well as RECORD IN SYNC. You can find them used in the range of around $400-500US. If you're not modulating your drums that much, it's worth it.


Hello !
My latest patch and a lot of Mannequins Mangrove

Some patch notes on my video !


It's not going to happen. Eurorack is expensive to begin with.

You expressed interest in jamming with your group. How do you intend to stay in sync with them and in key with them? Speaking of key... how are you going to generate pitches? You would need to add something like a KeyStep controller to this.

+1 on all of Jim's comments. You'd be better off spending $300 on a Behringer Neutron and a Kestep or KeyStep Pro.


@gridless - or at least one of his older accounts - has been involved in scamming back in 2019. Be careful.


As far as I could read, this has surprisingly never been requested before but would be a big scroll/click saver for forum users: I don't see a way to jump to the last post of a thread on the forum, would it be possible to transform the [time] section of the "Today, [time] by [user] in [Forum Index]" message into a link leading to the last message, similar to what we can see on other forums ?

PS: lots of love for MG ❤️❤️❤️ - I make my own hearts now :-)

--- Voltage control all the things ---


Yes, I am right there with you. My synth adventure began in ernest about 18 months ago and I've hardly touched any of my guitars or basses or my drum set since. I sold off a bunch of stringed stuff (and a Ducati) to pay for synths, and I have absolutely no regrets about how synths and subsequently modular have affected my life, my musical tastes, my composition and my production. It's been the most awesome musical journey I have ever taken. You are so right that it can be all-consuming and I have to be conscious that it's a hobby and restrict play-time to after hours (or before-hours). But that's not always easy (it's 9:40 am and I should be working...).

Love your videos and the performance on the SH09 is excellent! Stay the course! Embrace the Crisis!


Hey Modularfriends,

here's a update on the Skiff. Thank you again for your recommendations now, and when I started out:


Small DIY Kit Rewiew:

Frequency Central Seismograf SD (Snare Drum):
- Full Kit ordered from https://www.exploding-shed.com/
- Came with all parts and pre programmed snaredrum chip
- Build Guide is a litte rough around the edges, at the end I was not sure how in which direction the control PCB is connected with the main PCB. I did look up some builds on instagram to verify my setup
- Aluminum panel has nice sharp white screenprint but a little chipped at the side. No issue for me but might be from interest.
- I switched out the knured nuts for Befaco Bananuts, looks dope!
- Sound and functionality are top notch. Putting in an audio rate square wave in the gate input is lots of fun.

I might get a second one with the Kick Drum chip.


Haha. I hate computer recording too. Burnt myself out on that around 2005. I think that’s why I focus on one-take experiments now. Believe it or not, I just use GarageBand and don’t use any VSTs or external plug-ins, just the compressor and eq included. I don’t even have the GarageBand sound library installed. I really just use it as a glorified tape recorder. I’m using some automation in the thing I’m working on now, but that’s about as far as I care to go.


record quiet and compress heavily
-- farkas

I tried to use the same technique a couple of times, but ended up heavy-handing stuff because I work too fast (I loathe using my computer for music) and it sounded like noise farts. You motivated me to give it another try though, I can't be always relying on "lazy people's VST's" that make things sound lo-fi with a single click :-)

--- Voltage control all the things ---


BTW, how did you get to that delicious Lo-Fi sound with the track on SoundCloud ?

-- toodee

I ran the Prophet Rev 2 through the overdrive (just barely noticeable) on the Data Bender into one input on the DLD, and ran the output of the DLD's first channel into the QPAS filter with just a small bit of movement into the second input of the DLD. I recorded the track pretty quiet and then slammed the hell out of the compressor in my DAW and EQ'ed just a tiny bit. I think that was all I did on that one. I get kind of a Boards of Canada-style "dustiness" that I like when I record quiet and compress heavily. I always like just a bit of noise mixed into the pads on the Prophet too.
I do have an Orange Kongpressor pedal that I run some stuff through, but I don't think I used it on that track.
Thanks again for checking it out. It's nice to have like-minded folks to bounce stuff off of!


self-absorbed Dadaist art project
-- farkas

It's pretty much the only reason for me to make music as well, between mediation and creation. I chose to believe there's nothing wrong with that. And given the output of your self-absorbed sonic wandering, I am super glad you decided to share it, this second video is a super cool throwback at the 90's Jungle/D&B stuff I still love to this day ! MG now has its own Adam F

BTW, how did you get to that delicious Lo-Fi sound with the track on SoundCloud ?

Take care ❤️

--- Voltage control all the things ---


Great! Love the evolving ambient layers of sound with your expressive keyboard playing on top. Very alive and organic.


Thanks systasis. I've been working on a more structured multi-track project, but keep finding the more improvisational and meandering music of chance is what I enjoy most. It's rarely interesting for the listener as it's more of a self-absorbed Dadaist art project. Haha. I figure I might as well put it out there in the world anyway. Thanks for listening!


Hey GarfieldModular. Thanks for your kind comments.

Ha! Remember that you should be getting at least 8 hours sleep a night for good health ;)

All of the tracks are recorded live on my modular in one take. I like the challenge of seeing what the synth can do as a stand alone entity and capturing a performance. You can see my modular here: ModularGrid Rack
The only external device I have is a Strymon Volante delay pedal (which I love!)

Best wishes and sweet dreams


Hi TumeniKnobs, thanks for taking the time to listen and give feedback. Much appreciated!


Nice! I really enjoyed listening to this. I found it very hypnotic and was transported to another place. The looping rhythmical sequence, dusty sonic textures and meandering 'flute' melodies....just my thing!


Where would you mix your 10 or so audio channels?


how are you going to play this?

how are you going to listen to this?

modular drums are horrifically expensive and/or poor substitutes for drum machines

virtually no modulation or utilities - the most important modules in lots of ways

there are lots of manufacturers in the same price range as nifty for vcos and filters - and mostly with better reps - & yes I know that the vco and filter are a collab with a known manufacturer

"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia

Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities


Where is this panel available?


@toodee I went on a real Serge tear awhile back and that's a big part of the why, but the more proximate cause is that I really super love the VCFS (which I had first) but find it also has a pretty distinctive sound, and one that's kind of smooth rather than aggressive and super resonant. So, I wanted to have another filter to mix it up for when I'm building my own 303 (instead of relying on the M303) and to get a little more intense and a darker vibe. That said, I was looking at the rack today and wondering if a Plaits or a 4MS Ensemble Oscillator might make more sense over the VCFQ there, especially if I could sneak in something like a WMD C4RBN. Future plans, TBD!

Stepping back and putting aside my particular acid journey, they are both really unique and interesting filters that don't quite sound like anything else I've used, so if you're curious I would definitely recommend them both, and I have a ton of love for the R*S modules in general too. Hope that helps!
-- troux

Thank you very much for those explanations ! I'm really afraid of R*S because I think that if I start with that brand (the Res EQ has been on my radar for quite a while) I'd probably end up spending more than I should, they do offer very nice designs though, IMO a very nice balance of space and unique functionality. The only issue I have is that for this type of module and design (variable Q or slope is not something I'm used to) is that I would have to try them before buying and I have no way of doing that currently or for the foreseeable future. It's probably for the (financial) best...
I've also been trying my best to ignore that Sound Stage of yours, and the recent WMD designs because the part of my garden where I grow money has suffered from the summer droughts 😅

What are the parts composing your personal 303 ?

PS: now I'll just copy yours from this thread ❤️

--- Voltage control all the things ---


I listened to another 4 tracks last night too, all good, ambient relaxation :)

Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.

https://youtube.com/@wishbonebrewery


Hi all,

I'm heading to visit a friend in Texas soon and I decided to take a pile of sequencers with me to spend some more time with while I am there. But for tonight i thought i'd give the rig a little rundown now that I figured out a few things with the big sequencer in the middle. You will find a simple jam that is sequenced by the five-12 seq, playing the Ts-L (sounds awesome and it is new to me), running through the C4BON filter (one of my favorite), and going through the bubblesound hex mix/vca combo running in ASR mode. The drum sounds are from the BIA, and the effects are the Happy Nerding FX Aid (so good). :)

Here is a link to the very basic jam... but hey, it's nice to get this device patching! :)

Hope you enjoy.
Brett


ModularGrid Rack

Hi all. I'm new to all this and would very much appreciate your opinions. Basically, I'm on a very tight budget and trying to set up a portable rack for groove/ ambient purposes and live jamming with my group.

I'm sure I must be overlooking some fundamentals. Thanks for any feedback!

  • Pam's for clocking
  • New Cre8audio modules (bang for buck)
  • Envelopes, Amp & Mixing in the middle
  • Pico drum set in the middle
  • Mutable (enough said)


Hi ModLifeCrisis,

Ha, ha, I love your videos, especially those introduction videos where you provide us first with a great introduction and then some cool sounds. Both video is funny and great and then those old Roland sounds, wow, to die for! Seriously nice to listen at :-)

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

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


Hi Systasis,

Oh wow! This is something special. I am almost kind of speechless, that great :-) Did you manage to do this by modular only or did you had help from some external devices/instruments? Either way, very impressive!

I am going for the 2nd track of your album, starts impressive too, can't wait for the rest of your album, though I am afraid I have to wait till tomorrow since it's getting here not too far off from 5 am and I still want to catch some sleep ;-) Already now at the 3rd track, can't leave this, I must hear more, less sleep then but this is great! :-)

Thank you very much for sharing such a beautiful music with us and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


Hi Wishbonebrewery,

Wow, yes! A jam that's longer than two hours, you certainly got qualified for the 17+ minute rule from Troux ;-)

Though I haven't listen at the entire 2+ hours, I have listen here and there quite a bit of it and I can hear your happiness while being busy :-) I sometimes also experience that you just can't stop, it's just too much fun to continue

He, he, I like those voice-samples you are using around 1h9m and 1h10m, fits great and gives a nice touch and variation to your track.

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


And of course, there's also THIS: https://vcvrack.com/ Best modular "explainerizer" ever. In VCV, it's impossible to wreck things. The worst you'll see are "spitty" outputs due to the package overtaxing your CPU and crashes...and those crashes also tend to happen for the same reason. As long as you keep an eye on the CPU load (VCV has the ability to meter each module!), you're golden. But VCV works pretty much like Eurorack...there's even VCV versions of a bunch of the more notable Eurorack modules in there.

Oh...and it's FREE.


Thanks for listening, and for the welcome back @GarfieldModular!


Hi Steve,

Nice long, relaxing track, yet great to listen at! Can you do more of this please? :-)

Glad to hear you are back with us together with your creativity! :-) Thanks a lot for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


Direct audio to the Fireface UCX? Sure, you can do that, but you won't need all those Tethers and Links since the UCX has no D-Sub audio I/O. But since the UCX also has lightpipe I/O, you could later attach an ADAT lightpipe interface that has the DC-coupled I/O that Silent Way/CV Tools/Volta/etc wants to use, and go back to that idea when it's a better fit. In that case, my suggestion would be the ES-8, with four inputs and eight outputs. But right now, you can just tie your audio outs directly into the Fireface UCX although I STRONGLY suggest you have an attenuatable stereo output module so that you can avoid clips due to the level mismatch between synth and pro audio levels. Something like, say, the Happy Nerding Isolator, which has the ganged stereo control and also has transformer isolation to help deal with hum and noise.


@farkas, nice, I'll give that some thought and let you know.

@TumeniKnobs, thanks! On this tune the bass and snare (or clap, I forget right now) are the Salmple and the hi-hats are the Hexinverter Mutant Hi-Hats whose sound I just can't get away from, I love em. The Salmple has a ton of different banks though so if you want another example you could check out this other tune I made a few days ago, same rack but different bank.

https://stevehand.bandcamp.com/album/poolside-acid


Thread: Nani Kore?

Hi TumeniKnobs,

Sorry that I was being away on such a great day you released a track of capacities like this! Wow, this is good and pretty serious stuff :-) When did you say your concert tour started and leave us here alone because you have no longer time to share your professional music with us? ;-)

I hope you will show us more of this kind of great compositions! Thank you very much and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads