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Hi Zucker and Kel_,

Zucker: Import VAT will be applied on everything above 20 EUR - so you have to add about 20 % to all prices.

May I ask where you get this from? As far as my knowledge goes, there had been made a "Christmas Eve" deal between the EU and the UK meaning that the trading stays under the same conditions, meaning again that there will be no VAT charges between EU countries and the UK.

So I am a bit puzzled by this, has the deal been changed?

Thank you and kind regards, Garfield.
-- GarfieldModular

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK covers (besides a lot of other things like transportation, police stuff and to whom the fish in the oceans belong if not to them selves) only international trade, no national taxes. It was aggreed on what can be traded between both civilisations and that generally no custum duties shall be applied on goods manufactured within each area.

Value Added Tax is a tax, not a duty. It is collected by the european states on basically everything that has a value and can be traded. It is added when you buy something within the Union or when something enters the Union for the first time. It does not matter then if it was purchased abroad or if it is a gift or a prize you won. If something is send abroad for a repair job and then sent back VAT is added to the value of the actual work done, even when it was not payed for.

So no, the deal has not be changed. It just does not cover this topic as it is not a bilateral problem. On a side note, I think the actual custom duty rate for synth stuff is abot 3 % for the EU - the main "issue" is import VAT and is important two distinguish both.

Doeper A-160-1 or A-160-2?

They don't have switches.

Perhaps I should have explained what I want it for. I need a reset for looping material which will be either 1, 2, 4, or 8 bars long. I don't want to repatch to change the length of the loop. I want to do it accurately and quickly with one hand while my focus (and other hand) is elsewhere.

To achieve this with a plain old clock divider I'd need to combine it with a 4-way switch or something like the Malekko Mute 4

??? I think you misunderstood what I meant. I am not suggesting to build a polyphonic modular.
-- Wavescape

Oh, I know...that part of the comment was directed at the thread's OP.

??? I think you misunderstood what I meant. I am not suggesting to build a polyphonic modular.

I meant you can use paraphonic / polyphonic synth as an ambient pad (with CV in / VCV Rack etc.). Then, use Eurorack in parallel to create a melody/timbral variations based on the harmony of the ambient pad. Especially, nowadays some synths like P6/OB6 are compatible w/ MIDI MPE, you can modulate the parameters of each voice instead of all voices. It also depends how you are trained too. For me, I prefer to play with a keyboard, instead of using a quantizer/chord generator. Eurorack to me is more about exploring timbre instead of harmony.

EDITED Jan 11th 2021, 07:00

...for trying to find a bridge between the current Intellijel vs Pulplogic tile mess! EVERYONE making tile modules needs to have a look at what they're doing here!

And I'll also point out: if XODES can come up with a full series of drum tiles, this could go some distance to fixing the "drums don't work with modular" issue. You could easily devote a tile row to this, along with the requisite mixers, etc, and this keeps these types of modules OUT of the 3U rows, meaning that you'd have the space for the intensive sequencing needed AND space for the rest of the build as well.

Awwwww ...now I'm disappointed. Here I was, expecting some sort of hybridization of Berlin School with the musical chainsaw craziness of Jackyl...

EDITED Jan 11th 2021, 06:39

Oh, yeah...you CAN have too many oscillators! When it gets to a point that trying to keep the rig in tune with itself is becoming a joyless and impossible task, you've got too many oscillators. But also keep in mind that that bar WILL change as you gain experience over years, and as you build up a system that fits your own expanding musical needs.

From my experience, I'd say that seven VCOs is a good stop-point. And this is from my own experiences of using my Digisound 80 (four oscillators) in tandem with my ARP 2600 (three oscillators). A good example of what results from this can be found in one of my works, "Beneath Puget" (https://daccrowell.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-puget); on that work, the only other "voices" consist of an MS-20 doing something very static, plus the "intrusions" from the theremin. It's also worth noting that this recording was "live in studio"...one pass for the whole thing.

Get a paraphonic / polyphonic synth and use Eurorack to create timbral variation of a harmony. Eurorack is not good at creating complex harmonies.
-- Wavescape

No disagreement here. Sure, you COULD build a polyphonic modular, but the resulting instrument would be QUITE huge, physically, and the patching complexity would border on total insanity. The ONLY setup I can think of like that would've been Toto's massive early-mid 1980s Polyfusion rig, which also used a Roland MC-8 clocked by a central timing device (my bet's on Garfield's MasterBeat being the device responsible) for control. And sure, Eurorack IS smaller...but you'll still wind up creating something huge and maddening to patch even in that format. You're far better off trying to set your build up as a multichannel set of potential mono/duophonic patches, then slotting those in and out via your main output mixer. Then if you want chords...there's loads of options with prebuilt polysynths.

As for 30-40 modules being a "large number", consider this: I learned modular (1980/81) on what I still say is the best teaching synth, the ARP 2600. And even though that looks to be just a big prepatched rig, the fact is that it contains 25 or so discrete "modules" within it, and you can break the prepatching just by plugging in patchcords where you see that little circled "interrupt" icon. So 30 - 40 is really kinda typical for module counts in a basic Eurorack system.

Listening now @farkas, fantastic ambiance and layering. Did you mix in the modular? If so I need to grab a copy of your mixer lol because the space here and how everything is both distinct and part of a whole is topnotch. And gotta say I loved the 80s synth vibes too. Looking forward to more like this.

LOLLLLLL @farkas, and yes @GarfieldModular I thought about ducking the kick but wasn't sure how that'd end up working out with the Mimeophon doing delays and decided I was too lazy. Maybe for round two...

Agree and at first I thought that they were overpriced and not worth getting since I started using a cheap external mixer. But after having a couple modular mixers that can blend audio and CV, they are super useful and fun. Mutes are very important to me as they let me punch in and punch out melody and beats rapidly. Also help my workflow to be way more productive in modular. Once I get the WMD Performance mixer will let you know. So far, WMD modules like Fracture, Chimera, Crater and Metron are superb! They were made for the live performing modular artist and I can feel the easier workflow. Praga is ok but more a pain to use and need the Hrad expander for that.

Farkas: Where's my glow stick?

I absolutely agree with you about the usefulness of Eurorack mixers!

That's the reason why I am looking into an additional Eurorack mixer :-)

Yeeeaaaahhhhh!!! Where's my glow stick?
Sounds great. I sort of regret selling the Chainsaw, but I needed to fund a keyboard. I'm glad to hear it in action here.
Keep sharing the acid.

Hi Troux,

Oh yes, you got some really nice & fun sounds in that track :-)

Yes you are right, the kick doesn't really shine through, for me as a non-techno guy that's fine but I can imagine you want to have a clear kick coming through :-) Ducking the rest of the sounds a little, would that help to show the kick a bit clearer in the mix?

I love that transaction period just before & around 04:30, lovely sounds there!

Thanks a lot for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.

Instead of being responsible and doing some work this evening I decided to give the Acid Rain Chainsaw a workout, inspiration to @Exposure for posting a sweet jam this morning. Check it out below:

https://stevehand.bandcamp.com/track/capricorn-acid

Immediate thoughts, the kick is a little weird in the mix, and maybe I start it off with too much craziness at the beginning (though I do dial it back later). Take two could be incoming... Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

Hi Garfield,

Sure will do that and just waiting until next major online sale this year. I have the Befaco Hexmixer/Hex VCA combo which is great and love the mutes and options and XAOC Devices Praga in my other case. Eurorack mixers are expensive but I find them super useful for modular performance and submixes.

Hi Sacguy71,

Let me know once you got the WMD Performance Mixer and if you like it, I am kind of considering that one too, but I am not sure yet. Not the cheapest mixer around there...

Kind regards, Garfield.

Thanks Garfield,

Yeah it is super fast to create lots of variations and chain them together into songs and then instantly punch in a dramatic change for variety on the Metron. Very immediate sequencer once you get the hang of it. The random and probability modes are tons of fun and you can create a lot of unique patterns and save them quickly. I am enjoying my Eloquencer as well and that has even more sequencer modes and features. Probably look at getting the new Erica Synths Black Sequencer and Vector with expander when I get an 18u studio case in few years but have more than enough to keep busy for 2021. I do plan to get mixer expanders and the WMD Performance mixer and the comparator that Lugia advised for my setups and more drum modules hehe.

Hi Farkas,

Wow, oh wow, oh man, oh wow! ;-) Restraint and tension exercise completely fulfilled!

Yes go on then, minimum 7.5 minutes for dark ambient and 17 minutes for drones ;-) Either way, this is beautifully done and I wouldn't have minded it if it indeed would have been 17 minutes.

I enjoyed every second of it and thanks a lot for sharing this, kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Sacguy71,

Oh yeah! Nice and cool rhythm you got yourself build there with the Metron. Nice to see in this video the Metron as well as its supporting modules.

Ha, ha, I like those sudden surprise sounds that kick in around 2:10.

It's still very enjoyable to watch you at work with your modular synth :-) Kind regards, Garfield.

I'll definitely put it together and let you know. It's been a goal of mine this year to make a modular system so you'll definitely be hearing back from me 😁

Hi Exposure,

No complains here about the rhythm, nicely done :-) I love the sonic discovery tour throughout your track, surprising us with several surprising & interesting sounds!

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi The-Erc,

If you look for a cheaper and simpler clock divider, then why don't look into Doeper A-160-1 or A-160-2? The A-160-5 is a mulitpler by the way. Saves you the DIY part ;-)

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Lugia,

Yes, fair enough about those two Noise Reaps. Still, it's same as with the VCAs, right? You never can have enough oscillators ;-)

And never can have enough filters ;-) Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Zucker and Kel_,

Zucker: Import VAT will be applied on everything above 20 EUR - so you have to add about 20 % to all prices.

May I ask where you get this from? As far as my knowledge goes, there had been made a "Christmas Eve" deal between the EU and the UK meaning that the trading stays under the same conditions, meaning again that there will be no VAT charges between EU countries and the UK.

So I am a bit puzzled by this, has the deal been changed?

Thank you and kind regards, Garfield.

Looking forward to giving it a listen @farkas

Clicked through to the newest rack and those are some nice additions @Nabroc. If you put this together let us know how it works out!

It doesn't meet the required 17 minute drone threshold for you folks, so I guess it's just a dark ambient track? :)
I was trying an exercise in restraint and tension. Sound sources are MiniMod VCOs, Recombination Engine, E352, QPAS, Crucible, and a Prophet Rev2. Hope someone might enjoy it. As always, thank you for your time.

Thanks Exposure! It is a very powerful live sequencer and once you get the hang of the workflow, very fast to program and save dozens of patterns and sequences chained together. I do wish idiots would quit down voting my YT channel videos. Not sure why they hate on my channel videos?

Ah, don't know - I think voter turnout was higher than with any british election before and I would also count not voting as not caring and beeing fine with any outcome, especially in this situation. That's what leaves me confident to say that it's what the majority voted for.

As far as I know it was only possible to state if the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union. Either or and pretty straight forward. So what else did they thought they voted for?

And it did not seem to be particulary difficult to acquire information about what this actually means if one wanted to. It's not that it was not obvious that nigel farage is a fascist dickhead. And being lied to is not the whole story as everyone had the choice whom they wanted to listen to.

So yes, the majority voted for following nationalism, throwing the Polish out of the country and making Brittania great again. Of course that is terrible for all other people and making this a referendum is a totally stupid if not ethically immoral idea, especially when one does it out of merely tactical considerations. But I guess this is not the place to discuss these things.

Unfortunately for eyeryone a UK category would make sense now. Of course one could still try to build a network with Irish modular freaks to get around this...
-- Zucker

Definitely not the place for this kind of trolling no!

Ah, don't know - I think voter turnout was higher than with any british election before and I would also count not voting as not caring and beeing fine with any outcome, especially in this situation. That's what leaves me confident to say that it's what the majority voted for.

As far as I know it was only possible to state if the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union. Either or and pretty straight forward. So what else did they thought they voted for?

And it did not seem to be particulary difficult to acquire information about what this actually means if one wanted to. It's not that it was not obvious that nigel farage is a fascist dickhead. And being lied to is not the whole story as everyone had the choice whom they wanted to listen to.

So yes, the majority voted for following nationalism, throwing the Polish out of the country and making Brittania great again. Of course that is terrible for all other people and making this a referendum is a totally stupid if not ethically immoral idea, especially when one does it out of merely tactical considerations. But I guess this is not the place to discuss these things.

Unfortunately for eyeryone a UK category would make sense now. Of course one could still try to build a network with Irish modular freaks to get around this...

I still have no actual reference for any of this stuff that makes sense!!

But yes... double down on the UK only please!! It is a stupid ridiculous thing to ask for...

I do disagree with he idea that the majority of people voted for it though

1) they were lied to and they voted for something else entirely (still crap - but the argument holds very strong)

2) By majority, you can only possibly mean the majority of people who voted

3) There are strong indicators that the vote was rigged, but this is highly dubious, sketchy, who knows?

It's awful!!!

once again, I apologise to everyone on behalf of the UK

Hi Kel_,

If I read and understand the news papers correctly (reading in Germany as well as in the Netherlands) then with this Brexit deal both ways (UK to EU and EU to UK) there will no import taxes apply (free good traffic, i.e. as it currently is). But then again with how many pages, 1200 or 1600 pages thick contract, who knows...

I guess time will tell :-)

Kind regards, Garfield.
-- GarfieldModular

Import VAT will be applied on everything above 20 EUR - so you have to add about 20 % to all prices. That will be a problem of course as VAT was already figured in the new price of any modules bought pre Brexit and buying from the UK would now result in basically paying the new price for European citizens. What is the VAT rate for Brittain now? In the US often there is no VAT applied so buying fomr there still makes sense if it is worth the shipping. But from the UK it seems that one would have to pay double VAT - one for the Queen and one for Europe...

Apart from that shipping is still a bit cumbersome. Also the DHL rate has increased from 14 EUR to 28 EUR and custom forms have to be filled in and attached to the parcel - just as with all other Non-European countries.

So I think it would really make sense to give the UK a seperate category. As sad and stupid this shit is. At least it's what the majority of the people did vote for on several occasions.

Well done @Exposure, this is excellent and also some inspiration to keep my bass lines simpler lol. And yes, the switch at about 6 minutes in is awesome. Looking forward to more from you!

This DIY module from yusynth is pretty close to what I''m looking for.
(Found via this thread at Muff's which has a few schematics for making clock dividers.)

@Garfield @Exposure

I really appreciate all the positive Feedback! I hope 2021 will be a good year for us all, remove the plague and enlighten us with wonderful tracks :)!

Stay healthy!
Best,
jingo

Nice! Especially when it switches up half way through. And those high hats sound perfect. Both thumbs up!

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I don't think either of those modules does what I'm looking for.

The Time Wizard does look very cool and is clearly overkill fro what I want. Having peered through the manual I don't see a straight forward way to even get the binary divisions I want. The switchable ratios are 1:1, 1:3, and 1:4. If that 3 was a 2 it would basically work, although it seems ridiculous to use such a large and powerful module for such a small task.

The Fractio Solum looks good also, but I want to be able to instantly change the ratio, which I doubt I can do with an encoder.

I expect that this would be easy to DIY, but otherwise it looks like basic clock divider + switch is the way to go.

Sounds great. I'm impressed with the Minibrute 2s bassline!
I actually just had to unplug my TD3 and hide it because I couldn't stop making acid tracks. Haha
I really enjoyed your track on the best of MG compilation that @troux put together. Well done.

This one was recorded live in one take, the original one lasted something around 20 minutes so I removed the boring parts with less variations and left almost 10 minutes.

The bassline is from the minibrite 2s, drums are drumbrute impact and the rest is from plaits.

That's a fantastic track Jingo with some great ambient / trance sounds indeed, well done!

That's a groovy one, well done!

The Metron seems like a beast for live performances, a really interesting module for drum sequences.

Let me give you a counter-suggestion instead:

Get a paraphonic / polyphonic synth and use Eurorack to create timbral variation of a harmony. Eurorack is not good at creating complex harmonies.

EDITED Jan 10th 2021, 10:17

Had fun learning my new WMD Metron sequencer and came up with fun creation tonite:

Finally getting the hang of the Metron sequencer it is super fun and powerful and great for on the fly changes to create dozens of variations and patterns on the fly in second! Can save for later recall as well.

I've been adding Noise Engineering's Fractio Solum for this sort of thing in some of the recent builds I've done. Works as desired...but ALSO adds clock multiplication in addition to division so that you could just as easily use it for ratcheting.

Oh, yeah...this is coming along. BTW, as for oscillators...there's actually the dual output from the Cloud Terrarium and the duo of dual crossmod-capable VCOs from Noise Reap. And in this build, the gap between the Noise Reaps is meant to have a Happy Nerding FM Aid, which can then tandem those into one OBSCENELY massive single, complex FM tonescaper. Yep, this is one of my designs, actually.

The point about adding another "relatively normal" VCF makes sense, though...hence the expansion space on the left end. MY vote there would be for something else complex...I was thinking about Doepfer's Xpander VCF, but mated with another of their little 4-in mixers so that it's possible to create "composite" filter responses. Best spot: between the Morgasmatron and Veils. The build's sort of a "every coast" design, so having things like that are an excellent fit...Buchla on the cheap!

So...melodics...here's a suggestion: feed just one VCO from one of the Noise Reaps into the Fold Processor, then instead of using a filter to mess with the timbre, feed the Fold's CV controls with some modulation sources (envelopes especially) so that you get a very in-your-face sound that has a shifting timbral "punctuation" at the attack of each note. Then send that right into one of the VCAs, no filtering, toneshaping purely done West Coast style with the Fold. There's a lot of that sort of thing lurking in there...explore and find MORE! Just don't connect outputs to outputs...but everything else is fair game.

EDITED Jan 10th 2021, 04:18

You can also push the resonator filters into near-oscillation with some of these, which lets you emulate resonant spaces...not just the resonances inherent in an instrument. Another fun thing: use a very short delay after the resonator's output...and CAREFULLY feed this back to the input. If the delay is short enough, it'll do "comb filtering", then you can "play" that with the resonator itself.