Gotta agree here...this is a little too 'undercooked' at this point. 'Take it slow' is wise advice, to which I would add 'look at other examples', which is another great asset of MG, although you need to be careful to check ones done by the numerous users on here who've got some experience rather than using random examples.

As for sequencing...for something rather tight on space, you might even consider going outboard, since sequencers are usually space-hungry things. Have a look-see at the KOMA Komplex; that, in combination with a Monome setup, would be downright scary.

External processors aren't a bad idea, either (would let you lose the Magneto and free up buttloads of hp!), but remember that the right way to use them, in most cases, is to employ some sort of send/return module(s) that step down the signal to the effect, then step its output back up to re-insert it into the modular's signal level. Also, not a bad idea having that 1U tile row there, but keep in mind that Intellijel's tile format locks out all of the other tile choices, whereas you can kindasorta fudge Intellijel tiles into the 'conventional' format with a little ingenuity (and a bit of hacksawing on the mounting holes on their tiles).
-- Lugia

Hey thanks for the reply.

Why do you think its under cooked?

My approach is to keep it simple, not really into making new crazy sounds. Hence I would like to focus on making good melodies. Some might argue I wouldn't need to go Eurorack for this... and this is also what I have asked myself.

I will be sequencing with the grid and ansible. I think the pair can already do A LOT in terms of pattern creation along with shifty to create new melodic ideas. It can also do modulations on the fx processing side with the magneto & cloud working with the pamala's workout & chance. I'm planning to use the seq switch & T43 for different wave & octave variations.

I agree a LFO module would probably be good as what jburzy01 have suggested.

I'm planning to have some sort of sampler in there for live instrumental improvisation in the future.

EDITED Feb 20th 2018, 03:40

About the only thing I can see that's missing is some sort of randomizing source, which is a shame since you've got the Noise Rainbow, which makes for an excellent weighted noise source for all sorts of random signal generators. This could be as simple as a couple of S&Hs (actually, Ladik's dual 4 hp one also gives you track-and-hold options) or something more complex and variable like a Doepfer A-149-1, which gets you into Buchla-esque Source of Uncertainty territory. Otherwise, this is pretty spot-on. Don't get rid of the Mother32, though...sidecar it, maybe team it with a DFAM in a double-tier Moog rack, but keep it handy. It does so much for so cheap...very much a 'keeper'.

Not too shabby! I think you might want to tinker a bit with the layout if this is intended for live use, so that you can get a little better 'flow' for the signal paths and make the setup a bit more intuitive. The only thing I would change out, to be honest, is the uJack...it's great if you're using Intellijel's mixers because it can directly interface with those, but with the Befaco it's just expensive and no better than a lot of other stereo-out modules. Have a look (under the 'Other' manufacturers) at Olitronik's PRO Out...gives you everything in the same space that the Intellijel does, but throws in metering and comes out saving some cash.

As regards the Keystep: yes. That really sums it up. I use one with my Digisound 80 rig, and just love the hell out of it. Also, if/when you jump up to the MB 2s, do consider adding one of the Rackbrutes. It's just a no-brainer move, lets you augment the MiniBrute 2s easily, and also ties into the above nicely. Arturia's really going to have an impact with their both-feet-first entry into Eurorack; this was, I think, a genius move by them.

Gotta agree here...this is a little too 'undercooked' at this point. 'Take it slow' is wise advice, to which I would add 'look at other examples', which is another great asset of MG, although you need to be careful to check ones done by the numerous users on here who've got some experience rather than using random examples.

As for sequencing...for something rather tight on space, you might even consider going outboard, since sequencers are usually space-hungry things. Have a look-see at the KOMA Komplex; that, in combination with a Monome setup, would be downright scary.

External processors aren't a bad idea, either (would let you lose the Magneto and free up buttloads of hp!), but remember that the right way to use them, in most cases, is to employ some sort of send/return module(s) that step down the signal to the effect, then step its output back up to re-insert it into the modular's signal level. Also, not a bad idea having that 1U tile row there, but keep in mind that Intellijel's tile format locks out all of the other tile choices, whereas you can kindasorta fudge Intellijel tiles into the 'conventional' format with a little ingenuity (and a bit of hacksawing on the mounting holes on their tiles).

Oh, hell, yes....those morphing VCOs they've concocted are wonderful if you've got the space. I've heard a number of recordings of experiments and demos with that and its bigger sibling, the E370, and everything I've heard has been really nice. Subtle to extreme seems possible, too, so there's a lot of latitude to play with in terms of coming up with suitable sounds.

I think that my future plans have more or less settled around this rack. So far I have about half of these modules and I am looking to expand over the next few months. Before I do I wanted to post here to get some feedback. Do you see any obvious holes that I am missing? I will probably eventually move the Mother 32 out but I really do love the filter and I like having everything all together.

Current modules in my rack:

Intellijel uJack, Dixie ii+, MI Tides, 2hp Mix, Bastl Quattro Figaro, Erica mix/split, Erica VC Clock, Sys. 80 Jove, Sys. 80 850, Beast Dirty Glitch, Synthrotek VCA, Befaco VC ADSR

Next 5 (in order):

Maths, Disting, Ears, Phonogene, Fuzz Factory

Modules I want/have in this system and how I think I'll use them

(I'm gonna keep adding onto this section)

Sequencers – SQ-1, Keystep, Minibrute2S, PO Metal series
-SQ-1 I already own and find really intuitive and easy to use for creating a simple pattern.
-Keystep seems like an extremely useful tool for chord progressions and live performance.
-Metal series POs are the latest and greatest portable 16 step sequencers with the ability to add new sounds via sampling and some software. I own the PO-32 already and love it for adding an evolving drum beat and synth bass to my currently bland SQ-1 sequences.

External interaction/modulation – Ears, Phonogene, Hendrikson, Spring Reverb:
-Ears will probably be used for delayed percussive sounds using the cables I'm performing on the teleplexer with to scrape the surface. It's also good for guitars apparently, and I can use it to bring pocket operators up to modular level and not waste a VCA (ty DivKid)
-Using phonogene I'll probably sample an old vinyl and modulate the sound till I get some weird rhythmic thing going.
-Hendrikson will be my primary guitar interface unless there's something I'm missing that makes ears better for that. It's also a good stompbox FX send, I can't wait to hear eurorack sounds thru some Earthquaker pedals.
-Spring Reverb isn't really external (I mean kinda?) but I can just smack it for that classic springs clashing explosion/gun sound. Put thru fuzz factory it'd probably sound mad. It's 2hp less than the Intellijel one also which is cool.

EDITED Feb 20th 2018, 05:48

After months of looking at modules, hunting demos, and reading manuals to understand the intricacies of every module in this rack, I think I'm finally ready to start a thread on it. First few posts I'll go over modules in chunks, and give my rationale for why I think I want them, and how they'll work within the rack. So far I own some of these modules, and I have a KORG SQ-1 which I find very useful for sequencing my 104HP of modules. I'm thinking of expanding to a Minibrute 2s when the rack is finished, and getting another SQ-1 or keystep along the way to sequence and play lead sounds. I'm going to use the Pocket operator metal series to sample and create interesting drum lines/vocal&bass sounds. All in all, what I'm looking to get out of this system is a decent tool to live perform on, interact with real world sounds and instruments, and sample.

EDITED Feb 19th 2018, 20:47

You say you are looking for lots of sequencing options yet I don't see a sequencer? Are you using a monome grid to sequence? Right now, that A151 isn't doing you much good. For that you will need multiple sequencer channels to switch between. You could send two different random voltage outs from Pam's into the disting to quantize them, then into the A151, but I think you would benefit from a dedicated sequencer like the voltage block or metropolis. Also, where are your LFOs? SurePam's has LFOs but they are clocked and not all that fun to mess around with. I would get a Batumi, or swap out the Dual ADSR for a Maths which has looping envelopes. Next, my suggestion would be to add more filter options. I think you will get bored of only having the A-105. Maybe a less conventional filter with lots of options like Belgrad. Other than that this seems like a good start. However, what I really recommend is to take it slow and add modules as you see fit. If you went out and bought all these modules chances are half of them won't do what you had in mind. Take it slow, but most importantly, have fun!

Thanks! I was thinking about adding a Synthesis Technology E352 to the rack too?

So this is the build I'm envisioning!

I'm really looking for simple sounds (traditional mono synth) with lots of sequencing options to create melodic ideas.

I also have outboard fx I'm looking to integrate into the setup.

Any suggestions ?

EDITED Feb 19th 2018, 12:24

Nifty! It's sort of what might happen if a clavichord died and came back as an upright grand.

Kinda...the problem I have with some of the Moon stuff is that, fully-implemented, it's space-hungry. I went instead with the Dotcom Mix++ modules, both to mix/invert/distro VCO audio signals as well as to do the same with modulation sources. They do a lot of the heavy lifting there, but don't require extra routing, etc expanders. Although, I do like their Quad Reversable Attenuator module. It's turned up in some other build sketches I've done in MU as a convenient and cost-effective attenuverter bank, as has the 592...but the 592 tends to get 'evaluated out' because of the space vs cost issue, while the QRA always seems to make it thru to the final refinements.

On the other hand, the more I see of the Grove Audio modules, the more jazzed I get about their features in small spaces aspect. You'll notice quite a bit of their devices in the above layout, and their appearances have actually been something of a growing trend as I slog toward an eventual budget-commit final version. Their 1-space Quad VCA/mixer is frickin' brilliant, IMHO, and that new Quad VCA stereo mixer is turning into a 'given' in some further refinements of the above.

Ultimately, while a portable cab version is the 'optimal', the real fact is that I'll likely go with something like this:

...if only for cost-savings. It cuts down the module compliment to something a little more fiscally-rational, and the Studio cabs do bring the price down incrementally. Still comes out to roughly $22.5k, which is...spendy, but I like the functionality vs space issues this refined version gives. FYI, the bottom 'row' actually denotes two Box4 enclosures that attach to either end of a QKB37, and these get filled with eight (yep, eight!) wheels to give me some expression CVs that can be sent back upward to other destinations in the synth. Costs a bit more, but that's a functionality tradeoff I like.

EDITED Feb 19th 2018, 05:43

Do you guys know about the Una Corda?

A fantastic, odd piano with a sound to die for. If you want to go with a pure hardware setup you can get one for no more than 14 000€ + VAT.

thanks to @richc90 for my newly acquired a-138d. Communications, payment and delivery went smoothly. great seller!

Actually, is there a MG rule on that? I'm never sure if I should put a module that was DIY'd into a different format under the manufacturer of the "guts" or if it should be under Other/Unknown??
-- JohnLRice

It's a bit tricky. While DIYers want to show respect by labeling their builds with the inventors brand, some manufacturers don't want to have DIY modules labeled with their brand. Our suggestion is to better not label DIY builds because if manufacturers complain we remove them anyway.
-- modulargrid

Thanks! :-)

I think that Synth Tech MU modules were in Other/Unknown because they never manufactured any MU modules. Any of the ones in ModularGrid are DIY hacks by individuals, at least that I can recall. I'm not saying to do it one way or another, I'm just saying. ;-)

Ah John, you're right.

Actually, is there a MG rule on that? I'm never sure if I should put a module that was DIY'd into a different format under the manufacturer of the "guts" or if it should be under Other/Unknown??
-- JohnLRice

It's a bit tricky. While DIYers want to show respect by labeling their builds with the inventors brand, some manufacturers don't want to have DIY modules labeled with their brand. Our suggestion is to better not label DIY builds because if manufacturers complain we remove them anyway.

My pleasure.

I also try to help keep things maintained by marking any custom modules I create as "private" and sometimes contacting people who have posted duplicates to let them know about the previous version and how to delete the one they created etc

Sometimes I don't take the time though . . . .

I see! :-) After I posted I wonder if maybe you were doing lots of modulation and didn't need so many mixers.

Although, have you considered the Moon 592 Modulation Matrix? Might be handy for combining modulation sources and routing them to destinations during a live performance?
http://www.lunar-experience.com/assets/downloads/592_2s.pdf

Hi David,

I think what I did was to take an image of any standard 5U tall module that is the same number of units/hp wide as the CP image I wanted to create and then placed the perfectly trimmed CP image over the top of it. I then selected everything below the CP image and replaced it with the solid color. The hardest part is just proportionally resizing one or the other image so that they are exactly the same width.

One sad thing to note, not all CP panels are the same height! :-/ Details are in the thread below, basically COTK CP modules are a little taller then how everyone else makes their CP modules.
https://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=120103

But if you use the method I described, you wont have to worry about the height measurements since the U/hp widths are consistent.

Hi John

Yeah, I figured the newest model was a newer iteration of the older Braids version.

As a devoted minimalist, I have a militant view against clutter but it's difficult to discern what's what with all the DIY stuff, alternate versions, etc. ModularGrid has been a valuable and pleasurable resource for me while re-acquainting myself with the modular world (all MU this time! Yeah baby!) so I like to help in maintaining its value for myself as well as others.

And I certainly understand sleazing over modules for their looks! I dig Corsynth's aesthetic and some of STG's stuff. I'm extra enthused regarding jacks labeled with graphical representations of waveforms instead of their names spelled out.

Thanks again for the informative reply.

Cheers,
David

Hi John

Thanks for this.

How did you know how much black to add in your Moon 551 image? Is there a minimum size standard I should be aware of?

I prefer black as well!

Cheers,
David

Not so much...some of the VCOs are intended for AF-domain modulation of either VCAs or direct FM to other VCOs. I tend to do a lot of that...this one thing I just got done tracking on a few minutes ago (decompressing post-overdubbing!) has a massive amount of that going on, albeit in this case on an Arturia ARP 2600V (works about the same as the actual one I had, in fact...no major regrets there) using strange cross-modulations that eventually get out into a huge processing cascade, with the result (once I get up tomorrow and apply some band-selective filtering to it) that I have this perpetually-evolving sound wash that'll sound like moving through a forest by a stream, complete with intricate spatialization partly done with a Lorenz attractor device in MAX. Frickin' beautiful, in fact.

But sometimes, ya just got to have knobs and wires to grab onto...so something this, ah, expansive (or should that 'a' be an 'e'?) is what I'd feel comfortable with, particularly if the eventual plan is to get out and do more live work. And that IS the plan...eventually...

Haha, looks pretty impressive! :-)

I didn't look at it for too long but it seems pretty light on mixers for that many VCOs?

Thanks so much for the flip option! I have been meaning to suggest it be added to the modules ever since I started using PedalGrid! ;-) I had to hunt down this thread so I could bestow my thanks. And yes, like ParanormalPatroler I now have to delete all my hidden upside down versions! lol

There is a slight bug with the spinner icon that I noticed in PedalGrid and it exists for the module spinner icon as well. It's no big deal but if I turn the Popover off, the spinner icon doesn't disappear along with the Info and Trash icons. A workaround is to refresh the browser which makes it disappear. Probably a tiny bit of code to change or a flag box to check? ;-)

I think that Synth Tech MU modules were in Other/Unknown because they never manufactured any MU modules. Any of the ones in ModularGrid are DIY hacks by individuals, at least that I can recall. I'm not saying to do it one way or another, I'm just saying. ;-)

Actually, is there a MG rule on that? I'm never sure if I should put a module that was DIY'd into a different format under the manufacturer of the "guts" or if it should be under Other/Unknown??

Hi again ;-)

That one user, balpirol, has uploaded sever images incorrectly. Like this one https://www.modulargrid.net/d/club-of-the-knobs-cp1c

Anyways, unfortunately ModularGrid doesn't support CP sized modules in the way that 1U modules are supported for Eurorack (hint hint? ;-) so there needs to be a blank section photoshopped in to take up the extra height so that it works correctly in a 5U row. Some people have used white blank space but I prefer black or "module color" dark grey.

I've made up several CP module images for MG and I started out by taking the image of one that already works in MG and then pasting the new module image over the top. Here's one of mine for reference, https://www.modulargrid.net/d/moon-modular-551cp

Hi,

The first two you listed "may" be duplicates, I didn't look at the listings very close, but the one on the FreeState FX is a different version.

The first two listed were 5U conversions they did from Braids eurorack modules by just replacing the panel and adding 1/4" jacks. So it's basically a eurorack module behind a 5u panel. It does have Moog standard panel coloring though.

The newest one on their site is a full redesign, where they took the Braids schematics and made up totally new printed circuit boards to accommodate the 5U format better. It's a gorgeous module and I G.A.S. over it just because of it's looks! ;-) This one has a deviation from Moog standard panel coloring since it's solid black with no white/silver vertical lines on the outer edges.

Hey all, I recently purchased a modular synth that has most of the modules in my rack - some patch suggestions would be nice :)
The rack is option no.2

Greetings

This module:

https://www.modulargrid.net/d/free-state-fx-macro-digital-oscillator

Appears to be a duplicate of this one:

https://www.modulargrid.net/d/free-state-fx-fsfx-101-macro-digital-oscillator-aka-braids

In addition, neither module image reflects the current image on FSFX's website:

https://freestatefx.com/collections/free-state-fx-modules/products/101

So I am unsure if first two module above are V1's with third module listed as V2. Or, is third module an entirely new product though it shares FSFX 101 module name with second module above. If second module is same as third module but simply needs revised image as displayed on FXFX site, I'd be happy to execute that.

Yay decluttering
Cheers

Greetings

Module images for Club of the Knobs CP8 (link below) is displaying too much white space in grid view which also appears on its module page when you click to enlarge panel image. I downloaded a new image from CotK's official site, properly cropped/converted/exported, then uploaded a new image but it's still displaying that extra white space. I tried this process twice different ways to no avail.

A bug perhaps?

https://www.modulargrid.net/d/club-of-the-knobs-cp8

CotK CP2 seems to be having the same white space issue. I didn't work on that image though.

Cheers

Great advice, thank you :)

I think this is a great way to get me started with Eurorack. I don't mind paying a bit more and not worrying about power / case balancing, etc.

A little (literally!) something...two Frap 42hp rows + vertical cab ends. I sorta felt that a vocoder should be a separate device so that it can go inline with most anything. Bottom row is Frap's new Fumana module. Top row...ok, the mic preamp/envelope follower on the left gets its audio patched to the VCA, while the gate from the envelope follower goes to the AHDSR...this enables some shaped noise gating, allows only the proper level signals from the mic to pass to the Fumana. Mono limiter to even out the inputted carrier input signal, EQ before the output to tweak timbre a little before the line-out. This way, the device can easily be patched into anything from a modular rig to line-level I/O signals for both the modulator (with its own mic/line in) and the carrier.

Not too shabby! Hopefully a few folks will get some ideas from this, because that Fumana module looks to be extremely cool, almost a competitor for an EMS 5000 with the fully routable analysis-to-synthesis patching. And at gazillion$ less!

EDITED Feb 16th 2018, 07:05

Oh, yeah...it definitely needs some sort of stereo output module. Even just putting the Clouds (or something like it) last in the signal chain screams 'stereo output'. Get something with a ganged stereo level pot, though; I've been a bit enthralled lately with this one Olitronik output...1/4" balanced outs, metering, headphone preamp, and only 6 hp. Not spendy, either, and the ganged stereo control lets you easily maintain the spatialization coming out of the system. Happy Nerding also has a nifty and inexpensive output, this time with transformer-balanced outs, and having some nice iron in your audio path is always a help, as transformers tend to emphasize even harmonics, making signals processed that way a bit more 'euphonious'.

Yeah, that thing was a bitch to patch; the dope sheet for the patch for the ARP 2600 and Digisound tandemmed was 2 1/2 pages long. How it worked, though, was brilliant: the piece depended on a continuum of non-repeating, dynamically-shifting voltage curves that then got fed back out in all directions, with differing polarities and phases. Key to it was two things:

1) Eight attenuverters on the Digisound. These were the 'steering' controls. All of the various modulation signals fed into these and they functioned as a sort of 'network', in which incremental, small changes would knock the whole system out of, and back into, equilibrium. But that process had a lot of 'lag' built into it, so a change of one pot would perhaps take 10-20 seconds to make the resulting change sonically. That, plus the point that the modular system was fed into a long processor cascade, made any change done manually take a LONG time to finally reach a new stable state.

2) A shortwave receiver fed into three different audio frequency bands. This is the 'not under control' part. I used a fairly broad bandpass filter to rein in the sonics, and this was fed into the audio of the modular system at a very low level. Then out of that, two other 1/10th octave passband filters took 'slices' of that audio spectra and these were sent to the envelope followers on the ARP and Digisound, where their levels were converted into CVs and fed into the modulation 'network'. Since shortwave signals constantly fluctuate in phase, level, etc, there was no controlling what any of this would do at all. And, of course, it too is constantly dis-aligning the modulation curves.

The only other things on the track are an MS-20, which stays constant to provide a 'pivot sound' around which the rest of the sonic architecture moves, and a theremin which appears at points. When that happens, also, the keyboard controller gets used to 'dive' the modular's general pitch downward to 'window' the theremin solos. As for how I got the theremin to 'feed back' at that one solo's end...well, some things must remain a secret, heh, heh, heh...

This loses Temps Utile, Chance, Optomix, and O/A/x2 but moves the sequencing in-case via Meadowphysics and White Whale.

Thanks for the hint, I have corrected it.
Cheers ... and welcome!

Knut

Do you think I should get a uJack or something similar?

Original Clouds power consumption
120 mA +12V
10 mA -12V
0 mA 5V

Hi there

New registrant to this site and first post so forgive if incorrect location or protocol.

Synthesis Technology is available in Eurorack manufacturer dropdown list but not MU where they are currently attributed as "other/unknown" for their respective modules in that format. Synth Tech have been quite legit for a while, I think. ;-)

Cheers

I worked like a b*tch to get this one just right.

Any comments are welcome. Send me some love or offend me deeply, I'll take it any way it comes.

Fair request. I always go with the pricier option just to make sure, but that's just the way I think. Let's see what other people think.

Nice, dreamy bells Synnic!

And Lugia, wow! This is a full on live set for an art museum och a similar venue. Creeping evolution, restrained, strong. Very impressive!

PSU = +12V/1200mA, -12V/1200mA

PSU = +12V/1200mA, -12V/1200mA

Mucho brilliant, gang...thanks! Should cut down on dupe modules. I saw the rotator on the stompbox category and had been hoping it might get adapted for everything else.

Just another little thing that makes MG the 'gold standard' reference for modular...

Hey, it works, that's awesome. Thank you much.

New challenge competitor:
https://www.native-instruments.com/de/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/11869/

Now to remove all the duplicates :D :D :D
This is great!

Flip Modules

There are people who like their modules mounted upside down for ergonomic reasons.
With the new flip function you can rotate module by 180°. There is also the keyboard shortcut f available.