Very cool. I really like Elby's chaos and wave shaping and folding stuff too.
As far as sampling goes, it seems to me you've got a great representation of different modules, but check out what Rossum Electro just announced: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/rossum-electro-music-assimil8or. I don't think there's ever been a polyphonic euro sampler?! Also it appears to me it can record input to it's SD card as well as do playback?
@penrose_riots sold me a XAOC Sewastopol. Prompt delivery, well packed and excellent condition! Looking forward to the next deal with him.
Yeah! The Elby EuroSerge and Panther lines are incredibly interesting but sadly a bit under the radar. I'm glad I turned you onto them though! They have full kits too if you're into building.
Wooahhhhhh! How did I overlook this VCO?! Its essentially a wavetable synth where instead of loading the single cycles from memory, you draw their crests and troughs with faders, and the module samples or interpolates a wave shape out of that. That is really, really cool. Damn it! I "just finished" my rack and this is really tempting. Very much in the spirit of additive. I'm curious if the core oscillator is analog....I've heard it is hard to find stable analog oscillators that go super-aural, or at least not cheap.
I forgot to mention: the A-151 seq switch is bi-directional, but the WMD SSM is not.
Hey - thanks for the info! I love the idea of switches as well, especially with something like the Dynamic Destiny which is bi-directional (1 to 4 or 4 to 1).
The use guide for the Elby oscillator can probably explain its function better than I ever can. Basically you "draw" the wavform of the oscillator with the faders. I've just been self-patching it, listening to A while patching B into the FM inputs, and vice versa. It sounds amazing. At the lowest frequency (LFO-ish territory) you can actually use it as a very basic 10-step sequencer. You can set the resolution of each oscillator differently and get two sequences playing at different speeds. The thing sounds amazing.
http://www.elby-designs.com/webtek/panther/if112-double-deka/if112-guide.pdf
Looks fantastic, I think you've got just the right amount of logic and utility modules.
Thanks! Yeah switches- I love them because they are one of those "building block" modules that has a simple function which can lego together with pretty much anything. A few ways I use the Doepfer A-151:
Have them switch through four different modulators routed to the pitch or root in on metropolis, and then clock the switch so that every time metropolis finishes a pattern it's root is sequentiallay changed.
Set them to 50/50, two possible outputs, and trigger the switch with the URA or sloth for true random switching.
Run them at audio rate and do nasty waveshaping.
Make the WMD sequential switch matrix a 64 step 1 channel sequencer.
Route multiple waveshapes out of an VCO into Warps, i.e switch between saw, tri, etc. rather than just one.
Flip between two totally different 1v/o CVs into a VCO, completely changing a melody.
Basically with switches it is awesome when you are feed something modulation X, and while you're listening to that, modulation Y is being changed. Then you flip back to listen to modulation Y, and now modulation signal X is being altered in the background. If that makes sense! In other words, if you are into self playing/automation type stuff then you want switching.
In general I find them cheap and indispensable! I really love WMD's Sequential Matrix because it lets you step through pages of matrix connections, and even randomize them! Super under appreciated module IMO.
I'm not familiar with the VCO by Elby, but I like their stuff. What's it's premise of operation? It looks very additive, interesting.
Hey there, thanks for the comment! And not bad yourself - powerful system you have. It's actually going to be 5 rows of 72hp, but I don't have a Unicorn account to show the last row (see "Last Row" rack, which are more odd stuff.
Can I ask how you use all your switches? (I've got a Dynamic Destiny in repair)
Very cool design.....I'm thinking a skiff for on the couch playing right?
You can check this Quadrature LFO out at SuperBooth or Schneiders Laden.
Distribution: AleX4
http://www.alex4.de/index.php?LANG=DE&DETAIL=1001203
You can check this Dual Delay out at SuperBooth Berlin.
Distribution: Alex4
You can heck the Dual SVF at SUPERBOOTH Berlin out.
Oh yeah... I could totally fuck strangers while listening to this beast play!
Now with more dollars and less sense!
many thanks!
NEW EP: https://fastus.bandcamp.com/album/terra-incognito
Latest works: https://soundcloud.com/fastus
Modular studies & sketches: https://soundcloud.com/problivion
Oh my god, hearing this beast in action is giving me such a hardon! runs off to a corner to go synthsturbate
Now with more dollars and less sense!
Made some arrangement changes and updated to accurately reflect what is currently installed in the case. Still waiting for my Mordax Data to arrive, but it should be shipping soon. Most recent changes were replacing echo/delay and reverb with Erbe-Verb and Chronoblob (both really good choices, they are solid modules).
Check out some of what I've done with it on soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lifeaftersocialmedia
I mostly use my modular for lead type riffs, but I've been having fun experimenting with other stuff, just trying to figure out the best way to implement it into a coherent song.
Although they are still too small to hold a complete selection of EuroSerge modules, the Intermediate Serge configurations delve deep into the full Serge design concept including sequencing and non-subtractive signal processing.
Intermediate Serge 2
http://www.elby-designs.com/contents/en-us/d58_ES_-_Euro_Serge.html
Phonogene and the ADDAC 111 were some of the last things i ordered. Just when I was feeling like I had voltage controlled sampling squared away in a decent amount of HP and cost, Rossum Electro uploads a new module, the Assimil8tor. Sure enough, its a EIGHT VOICE POLYPHONIC MULTI TIMBRAL SAMPLER. Damn near eurorack octatrack (not quite)....
Looks awesome. Any audio we can hear?
Bought a Doepfer Xtreme filter from @sceledra. Shipped really fast and works great. Thanks!
I'm done building my rack!
My Beginner Serge
(
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and Starter Serge
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EuroSerge configurations expand the Teaser Serge
(
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by adding Serge VCOs, VCF and VCAs to the same enclosure. Start with one box and an exploratory configuration and end up with a moderately full, one-voice system.
Doug Lynner
http://www.elby-designs.com/contents/en-us/d81_Systems_01.html
My Starter Serge and Beginner Serge () EuroSerge configurations expand the Teaser Serge () by adding Serge VCOs, VCF and VCAs to the same enclosure. Start with one box and an exploratory configuration and end up with a moderately full, one-voice system.
Doug Lynner
http://www.elby-designs.com/contents/en-us/d81_Systems_01.html
lovely little module, so much fun and girth, no brainer, bang for the buck is amazing!
in terms of what fits on the eprom - shorts sounds like hats or rims work well and sound almost like the original.
if you want to use the pitch in a way that makes sense, musically speaking, i´d tune up my own samples (if you order your own soundchips), in order to have a more useful range overall. bassdrums sound very raw and in a certain way nice for jamming or live use, but loose too much attack and punch due to the conversion. anyways - a must have!
getting lots of corrupt files...sometimes it works sometimes it simply doesnt and it´s just digital noise.
anyone have an idea what /why? guess i´ve decoded correctly, since there are files that work, but especially drum sounds or short sounds dont work most of the time.
handy little module! but > important info on the side...it says 6hp, but it´s 32mm, which is in between 6 & 7 hp...
took me ages to find a spot in my racks where it would fit in, you could buy the 1.5 spacers from doepfer or make a new plexi faceplate, probably gonna do that.
I designed this Elby EuroSerge configuration to introduce the new user to the unique Serge concept of Patch Programmability. Patch Programmability allows for multiple functions from a single module depending on how the module is patched.
The Teaser Serge intentionally leaves out traditional modules such as VCOs, VCFs and VCAs but it is still an amazingly powerful grouping of modules because of Patch Programmability. For instance, in The Teaser Serge there are 4 modules that can be used as VCOs, 2 modules that can be used as VCFs, 2 modules that can be used as VCAs, 2 modules that can perform frequency division, 3 modules that can provide portamento, 4 modules that can be used as LFOs, 3 modules can provide traditional envelopes.
More selected functions that Patch Programmability provides in this system are S/H, random voltages, zero crossing detection, pulse delay, sidechaining and envelope following. Enjoy this Patch Programming Laboratory!
Doug Lynner
thanks very much to @bemerritt for the make noise echophon. fast delivery, well packed and excellent condition!
Thanks yet again starkwether. Following your post I went off and did some research on the modules you mentioned. I found a few useful videos on YouTube on Warps, Peg and Maths. I can see how easily a planned 'small modular system' could quickly get out of hand, haha. Still, budgetary restrictions in my case are probably a good thing - I can't immediately build a huge system that would be very difficult to get my head around at first.
I also discovered a new Doepfer module that I think would come in useful, being a combination of various functions, details as follows: A-184-1 Ring Modulator / S&H/T&H / Slew Limiter Combo. Still not quite ready to pull the trigger yet though!
Here is as link to the Mystery Serge - the inspiration for this system. http://serge.synth.net/gallery/dl/
Hi, I would really appreciate some feedback on this potential rack. I want to get the Atlantis + Metropolis action going with the possibility to add some effects and additional synth voice. Anything missing? Any module that should be replaced by some other?
I want to use this together with my Elektron gear.
Here is the first glimpse at one of ten EuroSerge system configurations that I have created for Elby Designs. Their new EuroSerge is a full, classic Serge Analog Modular Synthesizer, including the entire catalog of first generation Serge modules in a truly modular format, reimagined for the 3u format. This configuration is based on my Mystery Serge, the first "commercial" Serge. The configuration will give new adapters a well used system from which to explore their own configurations. Following I will be publishing systems of all sizes for a wide range of users. It has been my pleasure to work together on this with Serge Tcherepnin, and Laurie Biddulph and I hope that you enjoy this new opportunity to include official Serge designs in your 3u system.
Doug Lynner
@martin Doepfer LPG delievered safe and sound with no issues. Great comms. Highly recommended!
Don't sell yourself short, man! You haven't made the noob mistake of not buying utility modules to support your oscillators.
I do think you'd benefit from a complex envelope/function/slew to really animate those wavetables. The typical suggestions are the excellent PEG and of course Maths.
However both represent a significant financial investment and are American. Don't forget you might find them used in Europe with a little luck. An alternative might be something like the A-171-2, which is easy on the wallet and HP count, and does lin/log. Nothing wrong with lots of Doepfer at all!
Here are some "fun" suggestions which I think could really expand your NW-1. Note they're not essentials and are US in origin:
Warps is a bunch of cool modulation algorithms for smashing either two separate signals, or a single signal with it's onboard utility OSC. It might be cool to mess with incoming audio and then dump it into the NW-1. Did I mention it has several vocoders....vocal wavetables? Warps can really open up some timbral options that filters can't quite do.
A joystick like the Planar or cheaper Choices are a TON of fun for wiggling wavetables, a method known as vector synthesis.
Hope that gives you some ideas! Check those used listings, you can have modular grid alert you when someone puts a module on the used market.
Hi starkwether, thanks for your comments! Don't be fooled by my choice of a couple of interesting modules though, I really have almost no clue what I'm doing (yet!)
Mega Mega Mega!!!, very wise words.
I have been using the Atlantis for a few months now and it's a bit like a pimped 101. The Maths/PEG have been used to modulate the AUX inputs of the Metropolis to get sequence variations.(not sure if these modules are best used for this purpose but hey I'm learning.
DIVKID is great and have been seduced by his fantastic videos!
The one thing I will say is the video themselves can be misleading due to what isn't in the frame, giving you the impression that the module featured is producing all those tasks, similarly can be said for Richard Devine's Patches when one case is in view but 200 cables are spilling out of shot into other cases!
In principal the Atlantis (except the VCA part) is fairly logical but when attempting to build a complete synth voice it becomes more complicated due to the overwhelming volume of options out there and especially when you watch distracting videos made by the above!
Also I think the reason for acquiring specific modules changes which effects their purpose in the chain.
Ah, I understand totally. A lot of times I work intuitively too, that's why I'm into modular and hardware in general. Being able to physically turn a knob and hear the effect instantly...software, menus and mice kill my creativity! Whether you work with your right or left hemisphere or both, do what gets you the best results!
So I think that no, you don't have to become an electrical engineer and understand how the underlying circuitry makes your sound, and you totally don't have to read sheet music. However, IMHO modular synth is building complex stuff from simple blocks and if you don't understand the function of the simple blocks, I think you're due to hit a wall.
Sorry if I'm telling you stuff you already know now but I'd for sure try to reverse engineer the basics of Atlantis. Then you can think: "hey Atlantis is cool but basic....I wish I had a synth voice with an oscillator that sounded like this, into a filter like that" If you're a visual learner, skip the manuals and check out channels like divkid, he's great. For sure listen to modules...people can describe in text how something sounds only so well.
So I guess if I'm like a Jazz Sax improv master, I don't care about reading music, but I have to know what all the buttons and levers on my sax do. Then I can unleash raw intuitive right hemisphere organized chaos on it, which is as much as an art form as writing classical sheet music for an orchestra. Like abstract expressionist painting vs hyper real portraits. They're both admirable and meaningful to me.
Another blinding reply!!! keep them coming.
Thanks again for your input.
Truth be told I would like to think I know what I am doing but my knowledge of synthesis is more along the lines of 'can play,can't read Music.'
The choice of modules has been subconsciously driven by other people's ratings which in turn could be because of 'coolness' as I don't really know what they actually do so couldn't be sure if they are cool or not!
These are the main reasons for the choices being made:
1. Buy a module, discover that another module is required, see rack space, fill.
2. try and find a module that achieves maximum functionality in the smallest foot print as possible to avoid buying more modules and in turn, a bigger case.
They are probably logical reasons due to space and finance but not to synthesis, does that make sense?
I already have vintage synths,/drum machines but thought rather than buying a prophet 5/ Jupiter 8 Modular synthesis seemed like a truly 'New' way of working and getting the Atlantis was a way into eurorack.
Maybe a bad choice as it has encouraged cutting corners which otherwise may have led me to a better understanding of Modular.
Hmmm no envelopes? You want to sweep through wavetables with complex envelopes!! Also no exponential/log VCAs for your audio?
The A-119 is a great combo with the NW-1 I'd think. For those who don't know, the NW-1 can sample, slice and load external input into user wavetables. Very slick. I like the rest of it, very cool so far.
Glad to help :)
Let us break down the descriptions of Frames, Linix and Quadra but first, do you have a good understanding of envelope stages Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release (ADSR)? Its vital that you grasp of these.
Also here is a great breakdown of Maths which I did not make: https://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=63068 , I know you were having trouble with it, no worries, its insanely deep. I'd advise tackling it later. Check out the DL-able PDF.
Here's the description of the Quadra: "Quad Envelope / Function Generator". Check out its tags and manual too.
So the Linix is a VCA mixer, cool. Let's look at the description and make sure we understand its function to avoid disappointment and wasted time. Hmm right off the bat, its described as a solely Linear VCA. Why does that matter again?
Frames is indeed a VCA but like most of Mutable's stuff its a digital Swiss Army knife loaded with alternate modes and functions. Its a bit complicated for a rack with no simple utility VCAs, IMHO. Undoubtedly a cool module, but I get the feeling you are picking these modules because they are cool and rated well, not because you understand what they do.
Since your rack has changed too, let me start from square one. You've got a really good place to start with Atlantis. Remember Atlantis is a complete pre-made voice in a box. It has all the basic building blocks of (subtractive) synthesis: Oscillator (VCO), filter (VCF), VCA and Envelope. Also the MOD or LFO section. Therefore, its the perfect thing to teach yourself why each component is important. Experimentation + Google and I am confident you'll make sense of this in no time, especially since you have made it this far.
Otherwise I'm afraid if you keep buying cool stuff without understanding it you'll end up with an empty wallet and a meh synth. Don't worry though! You can resell modules for only a little loss.
So to start, patch this:
Metropolis gate out -> Atlantis envelope gate in.
Metrop pitch out -> Atlantis VCO 1v/oct in.
Atlantis final out goes to uJack in, which goes to headphones/speakers.
A sequence running on the Metrop will now gate the Atlantis' ENVs and send pitch per step. Funky time!
You're ready to go. Do some googling and have fun with it. I think if you stick with just the Atlantis and understand it you will begin to see what your rack needs next. Read descriptions, download manuals and watch youtube and soundcloud demos! Good luck and keep asking questions when you get stuck!!!
Absolutely Phenomenal reply!!! thank you for taking the time.
The Quadra is an envelope not a VCA right? I was looking a MI frames of Intellijel Linix for VCA duties would either of these work and do I need the quadra also?
Really thanks again!,
