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Thanks Garfield, the deep tone is straight out of the sine wave output on the Make Noise STO with slow clocked Turing Machine taking gates from the Noise Engineering Bin Seq and straight to mixer on a mono channel. No midi keyboard or anything.

I should have Tamed the levels a bit before recording!!

Hey Wishbonebrewery,

Oh my goodness, that deep bass sound! It's something I almost want to kneel down for, that good and that deep :-)

By the way, how do you create your tones, using a MIDI keyboard? Or somehow randomised?

Pity you got at a few moments of a bit of a noise-crackling sound over the song, otherwise I enjoyed it very much.

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Rookie,

I personally don't have experience yet with the Ladik brand so I can't comment much on it. I would like you to advise to try this module out at your dealer or in case your dealer doesn't have this module, you might just want to give it a try, the module doesn't seem to be overly expensive.

Good luck and please keep me updated, Garfield.

This is a cool idea. There's now a DSO188 Mini kit that would make this even easier.

Thank you both for your time responding to my post. I know you have lots of insight as demonstrated on other threads so it is of value to me. I think I was possibly not clear in my first post - this is actually my rack - I was given the 'rack' itself and a number of other modules and already had the System 1m (which I really love) hence it lives in there, but as you can see I am out of room. Not an issue as such as I am slowly learning what I have and am not in a rush to expand. As you noticed I entirely agreed with the point that the 1m need not be in there, but your points regards the Autobot and M303 are well made. They were bought several years ago on something of a whim and sat awaiting the rack. I do love them but if they take up room that is not required then it is a fair point well made.

On the other hand as I already have this rack and the System 1m removal frees up some space, perhaps my asking what could be of value to you in the space it leaves would be a fair question?

Thanks again - a pleasure getting to know you all.

Paul

EDITED Mar 11th 2020, 19:52

The Mimetic is a $260 module. So it's not terribly expensive. But if the funds aren't there... understandable. I watch a lot of Ricky as well. He is great about making a lot of music out of a tiny amount of kit.

No point making another thread to post this new Patch...

Yep I've got the 2hp Euclid at work too, it just needs a bit of gentle modulation to keep it evolving. I think the first thing I did when I racked up the Bin Seq was drive it from the Euclid, I guess something like the Befaco VC Slew would be nice for sliding between the pitches along with the Bin Seq.
I'm going to say that Mimetic Digitalis is a little out of my price range at the moment though i have been watching a few Ricky Tinez videos with it in.

Cheers :)

I don't wanna get into why one would want/need any of those devices.
It just so happens that I use an OT, an A4 and a modular rack. Both Elektron devices offer unique ways to control a modular. It depends on your modules and what sparks/stifles your creativity on which approach is best for you.
A4 not only offers note CV, gates and sequenced manual cv, but also LFOs and envelopes. All of them plockable. Really cool.
The OT needs a Midi to CV module (like Garfield mentioned). There's no need for an 8 channel interface. You can absolutely use the OT to control just one or two channels. It's hard to recommend a single interface without knowing what should be controlled. Multiple voices using just note cv+gate? Or rather one voice with lots of midi CC to CV? The expert sleepers FH-2 is very flexible, but requires quite a bit of setup time and planning. Something like LPZW's Tram8 offers 8 gates plus 8 CVs (in a special OT optimized firmware), but no note CV at all - might be totally sufficient for a drum rack, or for sequencing eurorack sequencers via OT.

The Behringer 303 clone is $150 and comes with Eurorack patch points. It won't bolt to a Eurorack case... but for that price... not a bad option.

For the limited space that you have, putting gear into the rack that already has its own case is a very expensive and limiting option. They are eating up your entire case... as well as the huge, retro sequencer that doesn't really offer all that much in terms of size vs. functionality.

Which modules do you already own? I noticed the old build of the Tip Top ADSR in the rack.

The Disting makes for a good assortment of programs. If you're really loving the clockable LFO, I'd suggest getting an LFO module that supports that.

Check out the Euclidean mode on the Disting. If you're having fun with Turing and the Bin Seq, a Euclidean sequencer might be your cup of tea as well as the Tip Top Trigger Riot.
EDIT: just saw the Euclid 2HP module in the rack... you know this already.

You may also want to check out the Mimetic Digitalis from Noise Engineering. It pairs well with trigger/gate sequencers.

EDITED Mar 11th 2020, 16:40

You guys are so awesome for helping out us newbies design our first modular synth. Thank you!

Thanks Lugia for taking the time to comment! I don't have the synchro/cyclebox + expanders, or plog yet so there is space to spare and balance with some modulation sources. I thought Pam's was a good start for this but I will look into the EGs, you are right. There is a small 1u VCA in the top row but I had also thought of an Intellijel Linix, then that space could be used for another line out module giving 4 outs from the 7u case.
Do you have any thoughts on logic?

Would like to hear some breakcore from it :)

Oh yeah, the "Breakcore" one is the fantasy one that I've planned the most, "My Actual Eurorack" Is the one that is real and that I use currently.

I've just had one of those moments where something feels to click into place with the direction you want to go in Eurorack, this is probably coupled with me reorganising my rack into a second TipTop Happy Ending kit, getting a Make Noise STO and the brilliant little Noise Engineering Bin Seq which is letting me have long gate lengths and slow note changes when clocking the Turing Machine (2hp TM) with the long tied notes from the Bin Seq.

Next steps are toward more modulation, probably an Ochd, so I can leave the Disting on Sample playing duty, though I do like the Clockable LFO on the Disting, the Noise Engineering Clep Diaz does do a nice job of clocked/stepped/LFO.

Its nice that I've managed to creep closer to my aims, thanks to reading the internet and watching Youtube :)

EDITED Mar 11th 2020, 15:54

You seem to have many racks though. I guess they are not all physical realities yet?

Definitely, seems pretty perfectionist. I feel like these kind of racks are a meta for eurorack in general. Mine is pretty similar, except I went a bit more down the Monome / Mannequins / OD path.

Thanks. Certainly is a bitch to get right. So much ocd with this thing :)

Awesome + Inspirational rack

An EG with AHDSR seems to be the solution!
Most of the modules I find only have Hold times in a few seconds but Ladik C-215 AHDSR
seems to have Hold time for hours? But I’m not sure as the information about the module is not very precise.
But one of the labels is ”hours” but I am not sure if that even refers to Hold time.
What do you think?

Good thing you're already down with removing the System-1m. Devices that have their own cabs and power don't belong in a case that's intended for things which don't have them. It also sneakily increases the cost of your System-1m, as you're now housing and powering it twice.

I've spent a hot minute here looking at this build, sorting out what bugs me about it. And then it hit me...that 303 sequencer. First of all, it takes up about 1/4th of the entire build. Second, it's sort of an anachronism...it's something from the period where there were no decent TB-303 emulations or reissues, and while the voicing had been sorted out by that point in time, the sequencer was still defying redesign. And third, it costs half a grand, which I suppose is cheap when compared to a $3k original Roland 303, but which is dumb as hell when you can get Cyclone Analogic's TT-303 mkii for $300-350 street, brand new. And yeah, it emulates the original device almost perfectly. It would make a lot more sense to me to outboard one of those, then have a suitable MIDI interface in a smaller build overall (maybe as small as 1 x 104, even) so that you can pass note data from the TT-303 to the modular. Want to filter it further? Then add a Doepfer A-119 for an input pre + envelope follower. And THIS way, you can build a more general-purpose modular that 1) costs less, 2) isn't so huge because of huge modules, and 3) dovetails nicely with anything laying around the studio, instead of being mission-specific.

Np...feel free to PM me if you'd like a little assist in the search. After all, I just dropped a huge 48-frame Soundcraft into my own studio back in January, and that sucker only ran me $750 + whatever it took to transport and move it from Indy to here.

Hello everyone. New member here, so nice to meet you all. As a long-time synthesist with a history dating back to my Roland HS60 purchased in 1986 I have only recently taken the road of the modular and am finding it very interesting although am still very much the student, learning as I go.

Here's my rack below. At some point I am sure the System 1 is going to sprout wooden cheeks and sit atop the rack at which time I shall be putting other units in the hole where it once sat. Would be interested to hear what you might add yourselves over time?

Oh and yes, I am partial to Acid and classic Techno. Thanks for your time.

Thx, Lugia! I'll keep a look out on eBay for one of those.

I'd have to disagree about the MG06X here...it has effects, and as a rule you're better off using higher-quality outboard effects or doing your processing in your DAW. Also, it's missing the big draw for the Yamaha mixers: the one-knob compressor. Normally, these are useless for music...but for voiceover, now, that's different. You'll want your voice levels to stay in place against your background...and while the real device needed here is a ducker, compression on the voiceover goes some of the way to fixing your mix. Instead of the MG06X, I'd suggest the MG10...it doesn't have the onboard effects, but like I said, you're better off using something else, plus great rack processors are dimes on the dollar right now on the used market. And the '10 DOES have the compressors on two inputs for voiceovers, plus it's only $40 more than the 06.

Now, how to implement this...step one, get a decent ducker. Again, cheap rackmount stuff on the likes of Reverb or eBay are your best bets here, and something like a Symetrix 522 would run you $100-125. You'd sidechain this from your AUX off of the mic ins, and this would be able to lower your music bed if you run it through the ducker before the mixer. Perfect voiceovers! Then, if you want to add a bit more dynamic control, you could send your stereo output through a second stereo comp/limiter and smooth out the dynamics further, which also works nicely to keep your sound for picture nice and hot while not getting too punchy.

You have to have the Audio I/O, yes. The reason there is because your incoming audio signals need to be boosted up from line-level to synth-level, and then back down again at the output. It's a decent interface for this sort of use, but you need to keep in mind that its inputs don't have envelope followers, so if you wanted to patch up something dynamics-dependant, you either have to add a couple of these or jettison the Audio I/O and go with separate inputs that have the envelope follower (the Doepfer A-119 is sort of the bog standard here) and then a stereo output with transformer isolation. That last bit is useful to keep noise and crud from passing from the synth to your mixer and vice-versa.
-- Lugia

Thanks for this advise Lugia! Hadn’t even considered that so very much appreciated. Is it possible to add a module that does this specifically after the Audio I / O?

-- TMR1984

Do you mean the output isolation or the envelope follower? If the former, there's no point...you'd be feeding an output module into yet another output module. No point to that whatsoever, as it wastes space and adds nothing.

Now, as for the envelope follower...yes, there ARE separate envelope follower modules, and you'll find them in their pulldown category. But the issue there gets back to "real estate"...would it make more sense to have a dedicated input module with the envelope follower in 8 hp, or to take another 4-8 hp for an extra module whose function would be covered by the former example? As long as you're in a smaller build scale like this, panel space needs to be treated like it was made of platinum.

The problem I see isn't with a lack of processing. Rather, this build is really short on modulation sources. You only have the Maths, Contour, and Benjolin here, which makes up one complex LFO, one envelope source (really?), and the randomness that is a Benjolin. No VCAs here, either; I'm not counting the Optomix, as that's really a pair of lowpass gates, and neither a proper VCA nor mixer. Your observation about excess audio sources is spot-on, actually, but the excess is really cramping you here.

Things to lose immediately: the DPO and the very discontinued Cyclebox and its expander. You have a full WMD Synchrodyne setup here, which makes both of those rather superfluous. That's pretty much a modular in of itself...but it DOES need more modulation sources to really do what it's capable of. Even so, it's powerful enough that it would admirably make for this build's "core". Also, given that this module pair is 36 hp, you need as much free space as you can snag, since that's quite a chunk of real estate...so delete whatever is possible, and shrink whatever's left. The Contour, for example...one ADSR in 8 hp, and you desperately need more EGs. While you might have that module on hand, it's not space-efficient here; you could drop in a Doepfer A-141-4 and have four ADSRs under common CVs in the same space, which strikes me as more effective for experimentation purposes. Again, scrunch EVERYTHING down as best you can. Even if you have modules on hand, they're not going to be useful if they take up huge amounts of space when you're in need of other functions that have to be addressed to optimize this.

Yeah, I'm having trouble with the mix. I plan to buy a mixer. My Tascam DR-40 is doing some funky things. I eventually had to run it in MS decoder mode to get both channel running anything at all. I bought the stereo out module and well other module, but they won't be in for a while. Also I plan to buy a Yamaha MS06X mixer. Bewteen the new modules and the new mixer, it should make it up to par on the sound.

I just received two 3.5mm jack to XLR cable to run into the Tascam, but somehow the level drop. Hopefully a preamp on the Yamaha mixer will fix much of this whenever I get it in.

I plan to save my patches and record them later this year for an album on BandCamp. For now I'll just patch, tweak, refine and advance until I get it sounds exactly the way I want. That's how my videos go to where they are.

Hi Rookie,

Yes of course you are right on the size and the expense of the Sinfonion, it was just an idea.

Did you tried it with an AHDSR envelope? That might do the trick too, perhaps not up till the 100% you are looking for but should give you a good start into the right direction, isn't it? Put Attack to something of your liking and set the Hold to the maximum. Depending on the AHDSR module this might work (or not...).

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Funbun,

Wow! You barely got your AE Modular Starter 2 synth and you produce already your first video with guiding music, nice! Beautiful river, but I think I mentioned that already :-)

You managed your music nice subtle yet impressive! One little feedback though (or was this just me?): I only heard your music on the right stereo channel, I don't think it was audible on the left channel, that makes my left ear missing something. Perhaps for your next video you can take care of both of my ears? :-D

Keep the nice work up and thanks a lot in advance for your next video/music, I barely can wait!

Kind regards, Garfield.

Sinfonion looks great but is a little bit to large and expensive for me :-(
And chords is not the main purpose for my goal. Just an example of what I wish to achive.
I guess there is no easy way to get what I want as only you have proposed any suggestion.
But I will try to find out a way. And that kind of work is one of the great things with modular. Even if I don’t achive what I want I’m sure I will learn a lot on the way :-)

I got a chance to get on the river yesterday, but the conditions were far too dangerous for fishing. I used a little of my latest patch in the video: "The Barge." This was recorded using an AE Modular Starter 2.

Haha, yeah already making changes on your suggestion.

As for what is currently in the rack, it’s just the z-dsp and the Intellijel Audio I/O. The Pro 3 is arriving in the next few weeks. My initial thought was just as you suggest, to use the Pro 3 to cut my teeth a bit and use the z-dsp to start my modular journey by using the rack as an effects rig then to slowly add modules that would allow the rack the potential to live a bit more on its own as I get more comfortable with eurorack and the theory behind it.

For the time being my intention is just to use the Pro 3 with the z-dsp. My question therefore is do I need to keep the Intellijel Audio I/O in the case or only when syncing with external synths without cv connections? Sorry if there is a completely obvious answer to this, just pretty new to all this. :/

-- TMR1984

Lugia answered the question about keeping the I/O. Yes, simple answer: Eurorack level is hotter than line level (where your synth and other gear works). So you will want something that can boost and cut for the in and outs respectively.

Something that I've recommended before is to buy a synth voice. A synth voice is basically all of the elements of a simple synth in one Eurorack module. The individual portions are usually accessible via patch cable. Intellijel makes the Atlantis as an example of a synth voice. Another idea would be to buy something like the Moog Grandmother. It's under $1000 and is a stand-alone synth but with some nice patch points. It's getting away from your rack. But I'm thinking more of an entry point then you can use the rack to supplement your Pro-3 and Moog Grandmother. Eventually, it can become its own standalone synth. But I get the feeling that you're a keyboard (black and white keys) guy and Grandmother is a nice platform for some real-time controlling.

These are just ideas and I can be completely wrong. But there are tons of possibilities with Eurorack.

-- Ronin1973

Thanks Ronin! Yeah, been more of a key guy for awhile and I guess that’s what has brought be to eurorack, those endless possibilities, it’s just getting to grips with the basic building blocks down first. Good shout on the synth voice. Another that I was considering was the Intellijel Atlantis. Moves me more into the modular realm but seems a solid place to build from. Ronin / Lugia, thoughts on this?

You have to have the Audio I/O, yes. The reason there is because your incoming audio signals need to be boosted up from line-level to synth-level, and then back down again at the output. It's a decent interface for this sort of use, but you need to keep in mind that its inputs don't have envelope followers, so if you wanted to patch up something dynamics-dependant, you either have to add a couple of these or jettison the Audio I/O and go with separate inputs that have the envelope follower (the Doepfer A-119 is sort of the bog standard here) and then a stereo output with transformer isolation. That last bit is useful to keep noise and crud from passing from the synth to your mixer and vice-versa.
-- Lugia

Thanks for this advise Lugia! Hadn’t even considered that so very much appreciated. Is it possible to add a module that does this specifically after the Audio I / O?

Before building your own. I'd see when Behringer is going to drop their massive case. It'll probably be priced right as well. I'd have gone that route if I hadn't invested in Intellijel.

Haha, yeah already making changes on your suggestion.

As for what is currently in the rack, it’s just the z-dsp and the Intellijel Audio I/O. The Pro 3 is arriving in the next few weeks. My initial thought was just as you suggest, to use the Pro 3 to cut my teeth a bit and use the z-dsp to start my modular journey by using the rack as an effects rig then to slowly add modules that would allow the rack the potential to live a bit more on its own as I get more comfortable with eurorack and the theory behind it.

For the time being my intention is just to use the Pro 3 with the z-dsp. My question therefore is do I need to keep the Intellijel Audio I/O in the case or only when syncing with external synths without cv connections? Sorry if there is a completely obvious answer to this, just pretty new to all this. :/

-- TMR1984

Lugia answered the question about keeping the I/O. Yes, simple answer: Eurorack level is hotter than line level (where your synth and other gear works). So you will want something that can boost and cut for the in and outs respectively.

Something that I've recommended before is to buy a synth voice. A synth voice is basically all of the elements of a simple synth in one Eurorack module. The individual portions are usually accessible via patch cable. Intellijel makes the Atlantis as an example of a synth voice. Another idea would be to buy something like the Moog Grandmother. It's under $1000 and is a stand-alone synth but with some nice patch points. It's getting away from your rack. But I'm thinking more of an entry point then you can use the rack to supplement your Pro-3 and Moog Grandmother. Eventually, it can become its own standalone synth. But I get the feeling that you're a keyboard (black and white keys) guy and Grandmother is a nice platform for some real-time controlling.

These are just ideas and I can be completely wrong. But there are tons of possibilities with Eurorack.

It would be great to get any comments on this!
I have other boxes for "regular" production so I see this rack as more for experimentation. Sequences and external clock if used will come from Octatrack. So far I have the MN row, Benjolin and Plague Bearer. My choice of wanted modules is probably more idealogical than practical. I wonder if there are too many sound sources and not enough processing power. Still I can also send in other cv from the Octa via 1u MIDI. I'll look for the Pam's next, then probably the synchrodyne or cycle box with their expanders. It will be a while before I can finish the rack!

Hi GarfieldModular and Ronin1973,
Thank you for you feedback. I am planning to build the case myself (I have tools and skills to do it) since they are really expensive (overpriced I’d say...).
I considered building a 7U case but I find Intellijel 1U modules offering less functionalities compared to other 3U modules (of course there is the benefit of having a smaller footprint).
Which ones would you recommend?
I was also thinking I may add the 1 U row later on (if I keep the 104hp length then I should only replace the lateral parts of the cases with 2 longer ones and buy the 2 additional rails).

Last question, if I may: which modules should I buy first to start having something useable? Of course Power, I/O, Plaits but then what else? 1 VCF and ADSR at least?

There are a lot of VSTs that emulate the behavior of tape machines, transformers, etc. But keep in mind that these are going to have a certain degree of inaccuracy to them...miniscule, in the case of the best plugs...because modeling hysteresis behavior is a bitch-and-a-half in digital coding. You can get VERY close...but never spot-on, since hysteresis curves are far better modeled in continuous analog voltage curves and not discrete digital steps. And it's a fussy enough principle that a little difference like that WILL make an audible difference, if done badly.

Funny...I still remember back in the 1970s and 80s when console makers touted the superiority of their transformerless circuits, especially the mic pres. But those were SO clean and SO exacting that they sounded dead as hell. Fact is, we LIKE a little bit of dirt in our sound; it's like ghost peppers, though...you only need a TINY amount.

Now, early digital...that's a bit different. Not only did you have different sample rates, you also had different bit depths AND you had a lot of different codec schemes besides PCM, and a lot of that early digital "character" comes from all of those things together. While we have the ability to easily sample-crush these days, we don't have any plug-ins that can emulate the different codec schemes to get that last ingredient in there. At least, none I'm aware of...

You have to have the Audio I/O, yes. The reason there is because your incoming audio signals need to be boosted up from line-level to synth-level, and then back down again at the output. It's a decent interface for this sort of use, but you need to keep in mind that its inputs don't have envelope followers, so if you wanted to patch up something dynamics-dependant, you either have to add a couple of these or jettison the Audio I/O and go with separate inputs that have the envelope follower (the Doepfer A-119 is sort of the bog standard here) and then a stereo output with transformer isolation. That last bit is useful to keep noise and crud from passing from the synth to your mixer and vice-versa.

Yeah, the sound is a real throwback to the classic 1970s analogs. It's got the character and grit that you'd expect out of some of the better modulars/patchables of the time. Fact is, some of what I hear there reminds me a lot of that dirty, weird, and alien sound you'd find with EML gear...although their "NYLE" VCF really nails the Synthacon sound. It's dirty as sin, it'll scream at you, and makes for leads that rip thru a mix like Jason Voorhees with a Poulan. They did that filter redux right. It's everything I remember about my own Steiner, too.

Also...if you read my long post/rant below, you'll note that I'm very fussy about what makes for a decent teaching synth. And since the AE distills everything down to the straightforward basics, it might actually be the best teaching system out right now. No superfluous functions, no excess. Just sound production all the day long, and everything makes perfect sense...Bauhaus-simple graphics, no bizarre decorations, etc. Just the facts, like Sgt. Friday asks for...

EDITED Mar 10th 2020, 03:25

Probably not the place to ask this, but I'm too lazy to search through gearslutz and see if anybody else has asked. Are there any methods of digital recording or processing that introduced colouration to tracks, like what happens with transformers, tubes, tape, etc? Was just wondering. edit to clarify, would there be anything apart from sample rate reduction? Any early digital gear from the 80s/90s that somehow introduced coloration? Or would sample rate reduction really be the only thing? EDIT 2: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO I really can't get this right. Coloration from the early digital gear probably would have been from a low sample rate. I'd like to pretend I know what I'm talking about. Would anything else in the gear have done anything? An imperfect digital to audio converter?

EDITED Mar 9th 2020, 23:51

Hi Rookie,

In worst case scenario you need then 3 of those "kind of modules/functions", one for each notes, 3 notes, 3 modules...

Did you had a look into Sinfonion from ACL if that can helps you out? Check their manual for this module especially the chord section and the sequencer section, with a combination of both of these (chords & sequencer) you might get close, but perhaps not exactly what you need.

Good luck with the search and if you find the answer please let us know, it's quite interesting :-)

Kind regards, Garfield.

Haha, yeah already making changes on your suggestion.

As for what is currently in the rack, it’s just the z-dsp and the Intellijel Audio I/O. The Pro 3 is arriving in the next few weeks. My initial thought was just as you suggest, to use the Pro 3 to cut my teeth a bit and use the z-dsp to start my modular journey by using the rack as an effects rig then to slowly add modules that would allow the rack the potential to live a bit more on its own as I get more comfortable with eurorack and the theory behind it.

For the time being my intention is just to use the Pro 3 with the z-dsp. My question therefore is do I need to keep the Intellijel Audio I/O in the case or only when syncing with external synths without cv connections? Sorry if there is a completely obvious answer to this, just pretty new to all this. :/

I read up a little on the Pro-3 and its CV outs. It has 3 CV outs and a dedicated gate out. Have you been using them with your Z-DSP to modulate any of its settings? The Pro-3 also has an internal sequencer.

While having your sequencer in your Pro-3 is not the most optimum solution, it's a great starting point... especially since it can reach your rack through the CV and gate outputs.

If you have the patch cords, I would definitely start modulating that Z-DSP along with the Pro-3. The CV outs can be assigned to just about anything... so get wicked with it.

I know the end goal is to have a self-contained system. But don't overlook what you have as a good bench to get some experience. You could save a bit of money upfront using the Pro-3 instead of your Eloquencer. Get it eventually. But it's always best to be in a position to add more modules over time rather than everything at once and hope for the best.

My favorite VCA is the Intellijel Quad VCA. It covers almost all of the bases: it can do linear, exponential, as well as act as a simple mixer. I'm getting a little confused as to where you're at in the build because your rack doesn't match what's posted here. Seems that you already put one in there. :)

But definitely read up on the Pro-3 and that CV... nice synth by the way.

This is really helpful so thank you for taking the time to help me out especially because you must give this advise often. Still a bit to wrap my head around, but that’s exciting!

In terms of some VCAs, noise sources, attenuators/attenuverters, and mixers, what would you say are some good ones to start with?

Regarding your question about external synths, one has the ability to send and receive CV, the Dave Smith Pro 3, and the other is what I have been use it for ages, the microKorg, which cannot interface directly. And to better clarify the straight forward sound, I like the sounds that LCD Soundsystem produces, both more straightforward a more weird flourishes they texture their songs with.

At the same time I like the idea of being able to also explore more ambient possibilities. I get the feeling that these may not be able to coexist in a rack the size I am working to but I could be wrong.

Also, is there anything that I should keep from this first stab?

EDITED Mar 9th 2020, 21:40

The Intellijel 7U case has two jacks for input and two jacks for output. However, you still need to buy an in-out module to make use of them. It doesn't come with any hardware to use the audio jacks or the USB connection. It just comes "ready" for them. The Intellijel 1u in-out should be fine and buy some room in the rest of the rack.

What external synths are you using? Are they Eurorack compatible or just your "normal" hardware synths?

You expressed interest in "straight forward" sound. But the modules that you have are sample-playback, a wavetable oscillator, and an additive source (even though analog). To me, a straight-forward synth sound would include two traditional VCO units somewhere in the mix. But that's my interpretation of that definition. You might want to clarify that.

What seems to be missing are the usual suspects: VCAs, noise sources, attenuators/attenuverters, and mixers of all varieties. Basically all of the boring stuff that makes the difference in modular that most people forget and start stacking up the cool/sexy modules in their rack.

Also, if you're only going to have one filter, I would pick something that can do more than just low-pass.

You have a lot of big modules in a relatively small rack and nothing that really "glues" them all together (boring modules). You might want to start all over and think about modulation first and then sound sources next. The brilliance of Eurorack is the modulation.

They do have a format grid to help you plan your setup. It's on the Tangible Waves Web site: http://grid.aemodular.com/