It is excellent. It covers all the basic waveforms (sine, square, saw, etc.). It has an internal VCA and envelope generator (and low-pass gate emulator) that make it very immediate to patch. It has more advanced modes, such as a 2-operator FM, wavetable oscillator, harmonic oscillator, and various percussion and noise sounds. It is great for experimenting with all these different oscillators and modulations. No brainer. Go for it.
edited: typo
Someone else has been scammed by the user @StephenLarkin? Paid via PayPal FF (yes like a donkey).
Hello..
I'm new here too and I like modulars. I hate wage slavery so I try to do as little of that as possible, in other words, I hack shit and build my own.
Is this a good oscillator to start off a new rack ? Someone’s offering me one cheap , cheers
Dear all,
I would like to do a request to the creators of this amazing site.
What about a new option after modulars and pedal, the 19" racks, so we can plan and share our studios and how we integrate outboards in our productions and workflow.
I'm sure there could be a lot of people interested in it, from who use vintage gear to who use more updated versions of outboard as well as mixers, converters and so on.
It could be an interesting feature for this site? or I'm the only one interested?
Let me know what you think and maybe the great people behind modulargrid will take this in considerations.
Cheers!
Let the bass be with you!
For Dub, Ambient, Experimental & Crazy Space Sounds.
Unfortunately, I had a bad experience buying from LudwigWals. The module he sent me was broken due to the use.
He was saying that he barely used it and it was in amazing conditions.
Cheers guys :) Very helpful.
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.
Yes, chaining clock dividers can lead to some very long clock divisions. There really isn't a limit either, other than how long you want to wait. The technique is super useful for generating evolving sequences, you can take clock pulses off of different dividers and use those to trigger tempo_synced LFOs.
Now, I'm no EE guy, but I'd wager if the circuits are designed and built well, you should be able to construct an endless chain of clock dividers. Generally, all they're doing is counting the steps that are coming in, so you're not clocking a PLL or something like that that's attempting to keep pace with a steady signal. So if you're looking to get a bunch of subdivisions down to 1/4096, I wouldn't doubt that that would be possible
Probably an obvious question, is there a limit on how many clock dividers you could link up, so say you come out of the Div by 8 then that went into the Clk of another Clock divider and you divided the 8 from the first by 16.... you get the idea, then you go on and on!!
I'm guessing the answer is Yes, so its a way of pushing events further away via clock pulses.
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.
@modulargrid Would it be possible to add notes/comments under a patch without having to create a new thread in the forum? I'd like to keep some notes, or maybe a description, about a patch I'm making, but I don't necessarily want to make this public.
-- ParanormalPatroler
It's on the list to detach notes from the forum. That was not the brightest idea in the first place...
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
How can I upload modules so that they can be played with truegrid?
-- squire80513
Users cannot upload modules to TrueGrid. Development is halted because there are better options now.
Check out https://vcvrack.com/
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
@modulargrid Would it be possible to add notes/comments under a patch without having to create a new thread in the forum? I'd like to keep some notes, or maybe a description, about a patch I'm making, but I don't necessarily want to make this public.
I bought a module from @Hougaard in mint condition, he is a good communicator and packaged the gear as safe as possible. Top seller i hope to buy from again.
Thank you @wazou, great comms and speedy delivery - recommended!
Hi,
Just discovered this thread but I've had so many good experiences on this marketplace:
Thanks to @restlessboy for the DFAM - a big package to send, arrived quickly in perfect condition!
Also @wirlebenmarlene for the Erica Fusion VCA2
@nickolsen for the Make Noise Richter Wogglebug
@thisisprisma for the Make Noise Moddemix
@Jungleofwires for the Noise Engineering Sinclastic Empulatrix (awesome module)
...and all my purchasers
@Tillman-Jex (uOC Black and Gold)
@GGeb (Strymon Magneto)
and many more!
No hard feelings.
The Mother 32 and the 0-Coast are popular. A synth voice sounds right for you. Basically, a complete synth that's stand-alone (own power supply) or a Eurorack synth voice that only needs to be dropped in a case and powered to get a full sound from.
The Intellijel Atlantis, Dreadbox series, etc. are good examples. You can search in modules by type and select "synth voice." Be sure to research... especially using Youtube. There might be something that's more your style than M32 or 0-C. Most synth voices have normalized patching so you don't have to patch to make a sound. Of course things get interesting when you have access to a multitude of patch points.
If you're going one 3U, then yes... still go big. If you can accommodate 4U, the Intellijel 4U series gives you up to 104HP in full sized modules and the 1U of 104HP for any specialty modules that you would like. The cost is approximately $350 for that case.
Use your synth voice for a while and then you can carefully curate additional modules to go with it. The VCV Rack allows you to experiment with many, many different types of modules... so you can figure out what really stimulates your creativity and decide how you'd like to expand your limited space/budget.
I find a lot of DivKid videos very useful in module exploration... even self-patching. In my experience, you can plan your heart out but eventually you have to just buy something and hope for the best. But it's a journey. Don't be afraid to make mistakes.
Hi,
This is my first rack and I'm looking to expand. I'm new to modular, so would appreciate any suggestions about things I might be missing. I want my second rack to include some more modules to make some weird ambient, softer melodic sounds, and some additional controller options. I think I'll get some of the Mutable Instruments modules like Elements and Clouds, but curious what modules people like for this type of thing that are perhaps less well known.
Thanks!
gs
you have to filter modules by "playable in truegrid" when planning a truegrid rack. there are only about three dozen—it requires a lot of circuit modelling and stuff…I think.
How can I upload modules so that they can be played with truegrid? does this require modelling? Also, could we add a feature where there is a "request for TrueGrid" button, and the one with the most votes will be added (if users are unable to add their own) I would appreciate this!
Sorry guys, especially Ronin1973, I took some stuff in the wrong way and I should not have, my answer was dumb so I apologize. And thanks for your reply.
I built the systems in the original post by trying to follow a general template I found in most semi modular synths and pre made systems by various manufacturers I could found online. Stuff like 0-coast, mother 32, templates by reverb.com, perfect circuit 54hp and east/west coast series. That's why I had the feeling I had most of the modules I needed for them to work, or covered those that weren't there somehow, but obviously I missed some.
Also, I really want to focus on exploring a limited number of modules instead of allowing myself future expansions, if that makes sense. That's why I feel like only going for 3u of carefully picked modules would work better for me than buying a big case right away. I really like the idea of working within creative restrictions instead of allowing myself to buy more if I want to. It would also allow me to focus on the music while still having a very powerful tool to make cool sounds and experiment.
Moreover, 3u would fit on my desk, 6u would not, so in a way, I would use it much more if I keep it on the smaller side. I really believe that a few oscillators/modulators can already bring many exotic functionnalities compared to what I can do at the moment with what i have.
Anyway, sorry and thanks again. I think I'm gonna go for a 0-coast or a mother 32 (and maybe an SQ-1) for the moment and see if I need to build from there.
Recently bought modules from @WALKER_ and @Ayman59, smooth transaction.
I suggested the Z-DSP and Bitbox because of their flexibility. Of course you pay a price for that.
An alternative to the Z-DSP that's less expensive is the XAOC Devices TIMISZOARA. It uses the same 24–bit Spin FV1 DSP engine. However the Timiszoara is missing the analog feedback loop and clocking ability. Those features are planned for an expansion module. But once you purchase that, you'll probably wind up paying the same.
There are plenty of alternatives to Bitbox... but again you give up features and functionality.
The 2HP delay is okay. I own one. A better alternative would be the stereo Jelly Wobbler. But the 2HP will get the basic job done. The Bitbox has an alternative firmware (free) that turns it into an FX box.
You can try this one https://www.factmag.com/tag/modular-synths/
They've got a great section about modular synths
And few more interesting information is here http://www.synthtopia.com/?s=modular+synths
Instead of the Dopefer Attenuator you could go with the SSF Quad-Atten. Same HP but 4 Attenuators or geht 2x 2hp Trims.
Thanks to @Ridder for a great transaction, bought a Cwejman FSH-1 from him.
I'm looking forward to the day when I have enough Eurorack modules to actually make use of the "Sketch a Patch" feature on this site. I remember my college days and doing exactly this with patches for the Buchla Easel, except on paper of course because it was the '90's.
In the meantime, I do have a healthy collection of guitar pedals and have been working on an ideal pedalboard design, including pre-and-post-amp signal flow paths. Since some pedalboards can have multiple signal paths, I think there's enough complexity to warrant adding this feature to the Pedalboard views. If this feature were there, I'd be using it!
Thanks for providing such an excellent resource!
A decent alternative to the bit box for sample playing may be the teseract Nutella. It's a 16 channel sample player with multiple sample banks. Not the same flexibility /interactivity as the bit box but not the price either.
Thanks for good advice.
I did not mean that I can master a whole rack. Just that most of my individual modules functions are familiar for me exept Marbles, Plaits and a lot of Distings algorithms. But after some hours fiddling I think I now have a good understanding of Plaits.
Pretty much of my rack is a result of earlier tips from booth Lugia and Ronin1973.
I thougt Ripples would be a good extra filter but I maybe need a third one?
After your new advices I think my rack will look something like this:
(Bitbox and Z-DSP are for the moment a little bit to expensive. Are there some cheaper alternatives that you can suggest?)
FYI, my votes for both the extra filter and the waveshaper both go to Tiptop. Their Steiner clone (Forbidden Planet) is perhaps a tad more spot-on than Arturia's (and I own a MicroBrute plus did own a Synthacon for some time), and that wavefolder + divider module is pure usefulness. Plus, a third vote for yet another Tiptop device, the MISO...one of the better CV/mod router/modifiers in a while, at a stoopid-cheap price to boot. And yes, you're going to need that MISO, because generative involves a lot of tinkering with control signals, and that module makes it easy to work them "live", like a configurable controller.
Oh, and as modulation sources go, have a look-see about jamming a Maths in there. Yeah, everyone gets those...but it's because they work as advertised, plus pairing something that can do complex slopes with the Marbles...oh, yeah, classic generative stuff there.
Well... have you tried all the things you can do with modular that you can't do with desktop (non-Eurorack). Audio-rate modulation sounds like it would be in order.
Are you planning on doing anything with effects? The Disting is useful but it's a jack-of-all-trades. A Z-DSP and a Bitbox would go well in that empty black hole that's begging for your money. I didn't see a dedicated delay module either.
You might also reward yourself with an extra filter that doesn't offer what the MiniBrute has under the hood... waveshaper/waveform folder... oh... and a couple flavors of distortion/overdrive?
I'm sorry but it feels a bit cheap to get the default answer to this, my question was specific about which strategy you would chose to build your first system over time and all I got was "beginners - read this" answers that I know and are almost all taken into account in the setups in my post:
Don't be sorry. You're the one that will be shelling out thousands of dollars... good or bad.
- I'm only interested in one row because I don't have the room nor the budget for more but any of those I suggested will already be a real a significant step up from what I currently have
If the racks above are all that you can afford now then I'd wait and save a bit more money.
- All of the modules you talk about are in all the systems I included, and there is still room...
Show me the LFOs, traditional ADSR envelopes, attenuverters,etc... especially across all three examples. You have a sliver of HP left in each example... nowhere near enough to expand your systems once you realize the deficits in each.
I looked around a lot for answers to my question and found no answer, otherwise I wouldn't have posted it.
Ever think that your question can't be reasonably answered in a definitive way?
And I know there is not one right answer to this, but I wanted to have opinions from people who've been through that already.
I have been through it and advised several others. I'm not at the Lugia level. But I've spent 30 years around synthesizers, recording studios and DAWs... for a living.
So I'll rewrite the question more concisely:
What's the best strategy when you start out?
*Start small with a few small modules and build a more complex system from there?
*Start big to get more complex and interesting modules from the beginning?
*Start with a pre-build synth voice and add modules to it?
There is no best. There's only best for you. First and foremost what's your budget range? $3000US is a good start. $2000US is okay. And $1000US will get you in the door... but isn't really worth it for what you'll get out of it.
We're all friendly here and the advice is free and valuable. People will go to great lengths to design and redesign set-ups for you. No one is being flippant or dismissive of you. But I wouldn't call anyone's advice "cheap" and expect them or others to want to help you. However, if I felt insulted I just wouldn't reply. Let's make something.
thanks....
The mention of Rebirth and Reason is a way of saying I've been messing around with music from the mid/late 90's, I never hinted that they would be of any benefit to starting Modular. They are certainly not detrimental.
I've already been doing the VCV thing as it seemed sensible before I bought anything, and its shown me that I don't want an all-singing-all-dancing module, I'd agree with darkblooCV above that simple is best.
First off I wanted to ensure I had some Stereo Output so the Intellijel Mixup, then 2hp verb cos thats stereo too so I can get a bit of simple stereo field from the limited cash and modules, Pluck makes some lovely sound so I want that to be able to spit out something vaguely ordered (2hp Euclid, I can currently trig the Euclid from TR08/09 and use Pitch CV for notes from the SH01 and have it play along in the fills), eventually Quantised with a 2hp Tune and then push that through a bit of reverb and delay (delay will be Erica Pico DSP).
At this point its simply adding a new voice to the mix with the Roland Boutiques.
Then the plan after that is to start looking at Clocking, Clock Dividers, Mults, VCA/s, LFO, maybe a Random Gate source again another 2hp, then a couple more voices and how to start bringing it all together Like you say, the important-yet-boring. Power-wise it looks like the TipTop uZeus will have me covered with the addition of another Flying bus cable for the moment.
I'll go back and edit my dumb-ass question at the start and just say 'hi' instead;-)
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.
First of all, the best starting strategy immediately proceeds from the understanding that MODULAR IS EXPENSIVE. That's not even rule #1...it's more like a basic law of physics. A primary setup is going to cost a significant amount of money...period. Even going with the less expensive makers is going to cost a chunk, since they don't make everything you'll need and since you'll want a sturdy and properly-powered case to stuff everything in.
Also, instead of feeling butthurt about Ronin's advice above, I'd suggest going back and reading it again. It might BE a "default answer"...but that's because you're already falling into default traps. Points #1 and #2 are actually extremely important and not merely flip replies. That advice is 100% spot-on and you ignore/deprecate it at your own peril. Or peril to your credit rating, because you'll wind up spending a lot to get very little in return.
Lastly, if the focus here is sound design, you might consider two other options:
1) Get a vintage modular/patchable. Something like an ARP 2600 is expensive, true, but you'll wind up learning a lot more out of something that had researched design principles behind it, plus an undeniable sound quality. And if not that, a more recent patchable based on older paradigms (such as a Buchla Sound Easel, or Kilpatrick's Phenol, which is based on Serge concepts) would make just as much sense and probably be easier to maintain.
2) Consider whether you actually need a modular synth in the first place. Frankly...and this might sound heretical on MG...you may find more use in a large, modern polysynth like a Moog One or Waldorf Quantum as far as sound design is concerned than you'd get out of a modular system that's built without proper research, funding, and system discipline. Or stay in software; have you explored the possibilities of something such as Iris2, PPG Ultimate, etc in tandem with a good library of other processing plugins?
In either of the above cases, you'll potentially wind up spending pretty much the same amount of money as a properly-scaled modular system. But they're more likely to yield an immediate result. Modular isn't about immediate results; it's more of a long-term process between the user and the instrument, and if you want those immediate results, you'd probably be better off not frustrating yourself with modular.
Uhhhhhh...I foresee problems. First of all, modular synths tend to have a specific sort of architecture; they're not put together with a "throw modules that look cool in a box, hope for the best" mentality. In fact, there's a very high risk of falling into the "sexy module" issue...lots of cool looking stuff, blinkenlichts und tvistenknobs, but you'll have neglected a lot of boring but essential modules in the process, resulting in a totally useless build that's then cost a pile of money to yield no useful results. And there are a LOT of important-yet-boring modules that have to be part of any build: attenuators, interstage mixers, OR-type summers, buffered mults (if you have enough CV destinations to require them), VCAs and the like.
ReBirth and Reason are NOT good starting environments for understanding what has to go into a proper modular build, since neither has you working at the module level on signal flow. Before proceeding further, I strongly suggest you do the following:
1) Get VCV Rack. This is a virtual Eurorack-type environment, and while things don't work precisely like they do in hardware, they do show how a build has to be put together, since the same signal path and architectural rules apply there as in a hardware build.
2) Study some classic modular and/or patchable systems, such as the ARP 2600, Korg MS-20, Moog's IIIc and System 55, the Synthesizers.com and other manufacturers' prebuilt systems, Roland's System 100 and 700, etc. All of these are successful designs, and still sought-after because they were done right. Notice how the signal flow works, what modules are incorporated, and the like. Make special note of the ergonomics, also; it might seem as if some panel space is wasted on some of these, but there are very real reasons why the various controls are located where and how they are.
3) Stay off eBay, Reverb, etc for the time being. That's just "modular porn", and it won't help you understand what you're trying to do. MG does a far better job of explaining what things do, why you might want them, why you also might NOT want them, and to explore how a build would work for you before dropping stoopid-huge wads of cash. You also get user feedback here, such as on this forum; commerce sites just can't provide that.
No one module will get you "where you want to be". That's actually a dangerous idea. Look instead at how modules interact in subsystems, and how those subsystems' signals get handed off in a modular environment. Saying that a certain module will achieve everything you need is like thinking that if you just had this specific, bespoke, boutique key on your tenor sax, you too would suddenly become John Coltrane. Ain't gonna happen. Do the work; throwing money at a problem without doing the work beforehand is simply expensive foolishness.
Use QPAS Level as VCA, use 0-Coast Contour as ADSR, 0-Coast Slope Cycle turned on
Hello,
I’m thinking about experimental drum patterns.
I already got drum modules, delay, reverb and random units and i’d like to use a filter on final drum stereo outputs..what kind of filter can i use to have something of special?
At this time my choice is for a “Makenoise QPAS”..
Thanks a lot for your help!
Cheers
Sounds pretty good advice, I'll restrain myself on eBay! (even if some stuff is what i want to end up with eventually)
the 2hp Pluck, Bell and Vowel are all full voice modules, I think these sounds get me fairly close to where I want to be, I've atched enough Youtube vids to think so at least.
Cheers
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.
Hi everyone, I'm Ryan, from Pittsburgh. I first discovered modular via a Buchla 200 series in grad school, and finally had enough savings ~6 years later to start building my own (not Buchla). Still looking to expand and get a better case, but I'm starting to get a good sense of what I want my modular to be and why.
Music is more of a hobby right now, but I'm trying to find a project to work the modular into. In the meantime, you can hear some of my 'studies' on my YouTube channel.
Also, shout out to the modular community here, and on reddit, and elsewhere. The openness and understanding of the people I've encountered online is often uplifting and helpful, and is half of why I love this instrument. I wish other parts of life were so kind.
Hi everyone. I'm new here. Glad to be the part of this community
Well first of all you want to keep in mind that a case that small isn’t going to have that many power connections and you have like 16 modules. 2hp modules are great. Especially for the size. But you’re not gonna want to fill a whole case up with them.
As far as your question about buying modules on eBay when you see a good deal; I would say don’t. I don’t know what kind of music or sounds you’re looking to get out of your modular synth, but always keep that in mind. Also I would highly recommend buying a complete synth voice first. That way you can hear it, patch it, understand it better and really figure out where you want to go from there. That’s the best way to decide the next module or modules that you’re going to need.
(I had to learn this next one the hard way)
I would never recommend buying any modulars based on looks or hype unless you’re absolutely sure that it can help get you where you want to go. Or else you’re going to be selling it and losing money. Get modules based on what you ‘need’ or modules you think could really inspire or push your modular music further. My motto is that I like simpler modules. If it has a steep learning curve, then it has to be completely worth it to me or it’s a no go.
Anyways long story short. If you don’t know already, figure out exactly what you what want your modular to do at first and then expand from there. And do a lot of research. Like a shitload of research before diving in. It’s all very very worth it. But if you come into it unprepared, it can be a less the fun experience.
No out 3. Two out 4's.
-- Guitarsenal
It's a prototype, mistakes happen :)
For anyone still looking, Flame has a newer version of this module, with the same form factor.
Here you go...
Its a work in progress, the stuff to the RH side finishing at the TM is whats in my rack now, the oher bits are waiting for spare funds etc
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_976055.jpg
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.
I'm sorry but it feels a bit cheap to get the default answer to this, my question was specific about which strategy you would chose to build your first system over time and all I got was "beginners - read this" answers that I know and are almost all taken into account in the setups in my post:
I looked around a lot for answers to my question and found no answer, otherwise I wouldn't have posted it.
And I know there is not one right answer to this, but I wanted to have opinions from people who've been through that already.
So I'll rewrite the question more concisely:
What's the best strategy when you start out?
*Start small with a few small modules and build a more complex system from there?
*Start big to get more complex and interesting modules from the beginning?
*Start with a pre-build synth voice and add modules to it?
Can you share your rack that you’re wanting to put together?
