Roast my rack

All jokes aside, I’d love to have feedback from senior modular producers and performers. I’ve been producing with DAWs mostly and recently committed to modular after getting hooked on the OXI One and learning about its CV modulation features.

I’ve always wanted to build a live set that relies on ad hoc creation of sequences, focusing on the more “generative” side of techno. The OXI One helps me do that, and I’ve built a setup with an Analog Rytm for the drums, a Syntakt, and an Analog Four for other sounds like textures, drones, pads, and leads. It all routes to an Octatrack (yes, big Elektron fanboy), which I use mainly for master effects. Initially, I thought about using the Octatrack’s looping feature but haven’t needed it (yet).

Now that I’ve caught the modular bug, I’m moving many of my Elektron duties to my rack and wouldn’t be surprised if I eventually ditch most of my Elektron gear in this setup. I recently started using a DAW again with the ES-9. The Analog Four got replaced by a BIA and Coral, and I’ve significantly reduced the number of voices coming from the Syntakt. I still love it, but the sounds I’m getting from the BIA are incredible and the patching is too much fun currently. The mix is now done in the DAW so I got rid of the Octa too. Surely saved a lot of space.

What do you think of this rack? I’ve already own the BIA, Coral, Ghost, ES-9, and an attenuator. I plan to use this rack to generate loops on the fly while also using the OXI One to send gate and pitch for certain voices (and maybe swap between auto generated stuff and user generated). Since it's quite voice heavy, I might drop the Bassline and replace it with a pair of Clep Diaz's or such.

Ultimately, it should be performative, allowing me to create cool sounds through trial and error while minimizing menu diving.

p.s. Disregard the bottom row for now. At some point, I might also move drum duty from the Rytm to the rack but I love the Rytm for that. The sound from the Battering Ram did surprise me last time I played with it in my friends studio.

Appreciate the effort and thanks for reading :)

EDITED Friday June 21, 08:11

This rack yeah?

Just paste in the browser link ;-)

i think that you planned too many voices and effects, and thatbyou are seriously missing utilities.

you want to add vcas.
and adding other utilities will make your rack performative. i would add a quad lfo (doepfer ?), a clock divider, many vcas, a good filter (maybe two depending on the amount of voices that you keep in) and envelopes. maybe a math or rampage.

i wouod advise that you do not purchase all voices, to build slow and learn the process first.

This rack yeah?

Just paste in the browser link ;-)
-- wishbonebrewery

Oops thanks for the tip, edited the post and updated the link.

i think that you planned too many voices and effects, and thatbyou are seriously missing utilities.

you want to add vcas.
and adding other utilities will make your rack performative. i would add a quad lfo (doepfer ?), a clock divider, many vcas, a good filter (maybe two depending on the amount of voices that you keep in) and envelopes. maybe a math or rampage.

i wouod advise that you do not purchase all voices, to build slow and learn the process first.

-- Slim

Gotcha. Thanks for this!

It's so tempting to simply stick all those voices in there.

Got my eye on a Javelin and the clock divider from Noise Engineering. Will prioritise that and Clep over a few voices.

Currently, I have multiple LFOs in my DAW that are patched through the ES-9 and also a few from the Oxi One. figured that was enough or am I missing on something by not getting a dedicated module for it?

Well I guess that LFO with knobs are much more performative, but this is a matter of taste.
I have a Doepfer A-145-4 in each rack.

Also, for you system, considering a simple VCO to be used for audio rate modulation duties would open many possibilities. I suggest very simple modules such as a Doepfer A-111-3 or an Intellijel Dixie 2+

Im not quiet familiar with the Oxi. (Im testing one at the moment for the first time)
But I guess you can do much like lfos, envelopes + logic gates and stuff with the oxi.
So its just a question of taste and workflow.
But in general, maybe you could focus on a more modular experience instead of just dropping voices to control it with the oxi. (Which is also fine, if this is what you want)

Your rack looks a bit shuffeled and incoherent to me. Seems to be a approach to become a groovebox rack .
A few good standard picks, almost everybody does like (BIA+Mimetic Digitalis+Lapsus Os) but not much coherence and context.

Maybe think about, which exact role your rack should take.
What does it need, what should it do?
If you go hybrid or with semi-modular stuff, a rack focused on utility could be useful.
If you use it with a analog rhytm - do you need a dedicated kickdrum?
So maybe focus on more standard building blocks.

Do you just want to replace the elektron stuff with a groovebox rack you patched once and set and forget?
Do you want to do complex patches and discover modular?
Do you really need the modular for generative stuff or is your oxi + elektron gear enough?

If you just do the same stuff with you modular as you do with the other gear, it could be a expensive toy at the end.

Forgive me if this is too obvious or you're already doing this, but with the ES9 you can do a ton with VCV rack. There are many copies of existing hardware modules available in VCV rack for free, which can help you get to know the workflow and determine what types of things you gravitate toward to decide what you want to invest in on the hardware side. Cheers!

Forgive me if this is too obvious or you're already doing this, but with the ES9 you can do a ton with VCV rack. There are many copies of existing hardware modules available in VCV rack for free, which can help you get to know the workflow and determine what types of things you gravitate toward to decide what you want to invest in on the hardware side. Cheers!
-- Progspiration

I was just about to look into VCV too. Will definately do that, thanks for the tip!

Im not quiet familiar with the Oxi. (Im testing one at the moment for the first time)
But I guess you can do much like lfos, envelopes + logic gates and stuff with the oxi.
So its just a question of taste and workflow.
But in general, maybe you could focus on a more modular experience instead of just dropping voices to control it with the oxi. (Which is also fine, if this is what you want)

Your rack looks a bit shuffeled and incoherent to me. Seems to be a approach to become a groovebox rack .
A few good standard picks, almost everybody does like (BIA+Mimetic Digitalis+Lapsus Os) but not much coherence and context.

Maybe think about, which exact role your rack should take.
What does it need, what should it do?
If you go hybrid or with semi-modular stuff, a rack focused on utility could be useful.
If you use it with a analog rhytm - do you need a dedicated kickdrum?
So maybe focus on more standard building blocks.

Do you just want to replace the elektron stuff with a groovebox rack you patched once and set and forget?
Do you want to do complex patches and discover modular?
Do you really need the modular for generative stuff or is your oxi + elektron gear enough?

If you just do the same stuff with you modular as you do with the other gear, it could be a expensive toy at the end.

-- VONDENFUNKEN

Solid words here too. Indeed, I’ve tried to create an extensive techno groovebox—something that can create sequences with controlled randomness that come to life with modulation and 'minimal' changes over time. I’d say my style is not too experimental, and I enjoy putting in a simple lead or melody hook. That said, I want to explore ‘complex’ patching, but the rack should be playable with many sweet spots since I plan to take it on stage and perform with it rather than noodling in my studio at home.

I understand lots of practice is required to find those sweet spots, but I also think certain modules are more playable and encourage trying new things while still creating solid grooves.

Regarding the OXI and generating stuff, yes, the OXI can definitely do a lot by itself. However, I want to switch up the workflow of sequencing or maybe even combine methods now and then. The new Gamut Repetitor from Noise Engineering might do the trick and could be a better fit than the Turing Machine and its expanders.

From all the advice so far, I’ll probably drop the Bassline and Victor for now and replace them with utilities. Slim posted good advice before, which I’ll gladly take into account.

Lastly, please disregard the bottom row. I might replace the Rytm with dedicated drum modules at some point, but for now, I’d like to focus on a hybrid setup with the Rytm for drums, the rack as a modular groovebox, and a DAW. I mentioned it in my post, but it’s a long one, so I understand if you missed it.

EDITED Saturday June 22, 13:25

Quickly made a few updates. Going to research a few more interesting VCA options to replace Victor and uRipples with. Or maybe just Maths. Guess I need to get some try it out first to see what I'm missing.

EDITED Saturday June 22, 15:52

Are you still doing a third row?

If you do a third row, it should be entirely utilities/modulation/VCAs/attenuverting. Maths is a good one (though it's not a VCA). Free-running LFOs, envelope generators, sample and holds, random modules, and more will give you interesting freeform contrast to the more steady rhythms from the sequencers. These are all cool sound sources, and if you perform with an Analog Rytm and/or Syntakt as well, this should just about work, but you need more stuff to make it all move. More than anything else, moving voices and sounds around freely and uniquely with modulation is what makes modular sound special relative to regular complete synths and grooveboxes.

I would also take a look at bigger, more playable filters. Big cutoff knobs. Or at least put those near the ends so they're easily accessible.

You don't need dedicated drum modules unless there's a specific one that does something you love and can't do any other way. The BIA is actually a good one for a tightly packed case like this since it basically operates standalone and is very flexible, doing way more than just standard drum sounds. Generally, though, it is just as easy to make drums from a basic synth setup (oscillator into VCA/filter opened and closed by an envelop or other CV) as it is to make a synth sound with them, and modulation/clever patching can help you blur the line in unique ways. You can even get a matrix mixer to help you smoothly move and combine modulation in your rack to change stuff from melodic to percussive.

EDITED Saturday June 22, 21:25

I actually didn't plan to fill the third row, yet, and thought about a drum rack if I would.

However, I'm more inclined to keep the Rytm on foundational drum duty and let the rack focus on grooves and other voices.

More than anything else, moving voices and sounds around freely and uniquely with modulation is what makes modular sound special relative to regular complete synths and grooveboxes.
-- Zacksname

Well said. This is exactly what Im discovering lately. There are so many ways to modulate and I've probably just scratched to surface.

Will try to use freerunning LFOs from my DAW (controlled via MIDI controllers) for now. This will save HP and money so I can focus on live performance oriented utilties. Not sure how that's going to fit in 6U though :)

Thank you for your insights!

EDITED Sunday June 23, 12:12

There. Probably need to sacrifice the OXI Pipe. Will put in the hours to jam and see which next module makes sense to add first. Surely not going to buy everything at once but let this be a blueprint for the journey that lies ahead.

EDITED Sunday June 23, 12:12