It's time for utilities

I posted a few months back and got some good advice from JimHowell1970 and Lugia about how to get self-modulation and add randomness to what I felt was too structured and monotonous. This week I decided to purchase a second Mantis case. The first 3 rows are modules that I already own. The last row is an expansion of utility modules were either recommended to me, or that I think I need. I'm making mostly ambient stuff and acid and playing it over an external drum machine (TR8s) and a few other desktop synths. The oscilloscope is mainly to help me learn what is happening. I'm looking for holes in my plan. Is there anything I should have that's not here? Anything I should get rid of? I'm still pretty new to this - maybe a year in now.

Hi,

To be perfectly honest, it looks pretty solid! Maybe add a matrix cv mixer? I use a 4ms VCA Matrix mixer which gives me 16 VCA CV options plus mute controls and 4 CV inputs/outputs. Doepfer makes a great affordable matrix mixer and Livestock Electronics Maze mixer looks like a cool cv matrix mixer module as well.

i take it you mean the bottom row?

to me the quantizer and clock seem overkill when eloquencer will do both these

replace with mixers and quad cascading vcas (veils for example)

Correct. The bottom row. Thanks again! I'll have a look at some VCAs and matrix mixers.

Yea Jim’s right you don’t need a clock or quantizer if you already have the Eloquencer. Great sequencer by the way. I’m actually looking to get another matrix mixer in the future and more support modules like a comparator and another vca mixer.

more switches! they are so useful for automating transitions between different sections of a composition, or making live adjustments. Since you already have Boss Bow Two for sequential switching, Would consider some simpler bi-directional 1->2 (or 2 -> 1) switches. I just picked up the Instruo Tain and really love it. WMD S3lekt and Acid Rain Switchblade are also popular (although the switchblade isnt bi-directional).

more switches! they are so useful for automating transitions between different sections of a composition, or making live adjustments. Since you already have Boss Bow Two for sequential switching, Would consider some simpler bi-directional 1->2 (or 2 -> 1) switches. I just picked up the Instruo Tain and really love it. WMD S3lekt and Acid Rain Switchblade are also popular (although the switchblade isnt bi-directional).
-- stumblefoot

Thanks for this suggestion! I'm going to watch a few videos on the ones you mentioned and the Nonlinearcircuits Chopper.

Have a look at EMW's stuff, also...they have a matrix switch network for controlling things such as timing pulse destinations, etc.

Since your main interest is Ambient, a few ideas that come to me from quickly scanning your rig:

-- Joranalogue Morph 4 for blending / mixing signals in interesting ways. DivKid has a great video on that and his demonstration goes way way beyond what I would imagine the module could be used for.

-- maybe some of the "Chaos" modules from Nonlinear Circuits to add a bit of musical sloppiness to your patches?

-- some of the Rossum filters might be fun for you, like Linneaus and/or Morpheaus. The Rossum filters have really changed my idea of what a filter is -- e.g. it can be not only a filter in the classical sense, but also a more complex waveshaper or part of the soundsource depending on how you patch it.

-- for me, a lot of the joy of modular is in complex oscillators (like Make Noise DPO, Instruo C-sl, etc.) and waveshapers. These might not make a ton of sense in an Ambient setup? But when I see a larger modular setup (like yours) that doesn't already have a couple modules like that, I think "why not add some if you have room and $s"? For waveshapers, I particularly like Intellijel Bifold; Joranalogue Fold 6 and Instruo's shapers are also nice. All of those are probably a bit more controlled than the Plasma Drive (the PD I'm familiar with only through some videos).

My responses above are very much "free association," not at all a disciplined list of "must have" adds. And I know your post is UTILITIES focused; my list above is ideas across any module type. But I would hope at least 1 of these ideas above is interesting or useful for you.

Cheers!

Nicholas

EDITED Jun 12th 2021, 21:55