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This wonderfully unexpensive module has arrived in the lab, so I gave it a few hours of funny tests condensed onto a video

If this is going on a pedalboard, then I would DEFINITELY remove the DFAM. Those little controls stand a rather high possibility of getting broken down there. Plus, it's also a good idea to go larger, as well as adding the necessary support modules for this...

[pause for screwing around with build]

OK...I figured that if you can mash a Make Noise 104 skiff on there, it would be just about as easy to fit an Intellijel Palette 104. And that one change REALLY changes things up...

The tile row on this is largely taken up with pedal interface modules. You've got a stereo input, then two Ritual Electronics Pointeuses with their 1/4" input jacks. These can output triggers with a momentary ON pedal, allowing you to fire triggers at the LFOs or EGs at will. Next to those is the first of several Flexibilite expression pedal inputs, this one being paired with an attenuator for restricting the range for more precise control. It, and the four others after the attenuator, are the "meat" here...in total, you've got four strictly for controlling VCA output pairs so that you can mix the effects manually without having to mess with the controls while playing. And the stereo out after those, natch.

On the 3u row, things get interesting. First up is an envelope follower so that you can extract gate, trigger, and amplitude CV from incoming audio and route those most anywhere. I then added a Zadar/Nin so that you've got four envelopes...all of which will fire on receiving a trigger pulse. That feature works together with the Pointeuses so that you can fire envelopes at will, while keeping two other EGs in reserve for any other use. The MISO then lets you take modulation signals and mess with them...inversion, offsets, mixing, etc. I then slapped the Disting back into that zone, and followed it with a pair of Antumbra dual VCAs...these use the Veils topology which gives you an adjustable response range from linear to exponential, and there's several others in here, as you can see. Last of the modulation section is a Batumi/Poti set...and yes, the Pointeuses can work here, too, to reset LFO sync.

Then the fun begins. The very first Antumbra pair there is for your dry signal, then you've got a Beads for reverb or other granular weirdnesses. This one module is why I put in that extra Flexibilite expression pedal interface...loads of main controls there that can benefit from that. Then another dual VCA, followed by Alright's Chronoblob2, which is a stereo delay line with one weird trick: an insert point in the regen path. So, if you wanted, you could send/return another effect through that to alter the delay's behavior. Another Antumbra dual VCA, then Xaoc's new frequency shifter...that's super-optimal for phasing, flanging, tremolo, and to just mangle the crap out of signals. And again, dual VCA...and next to that is the mixer, which has four stereo inputs.

So how this works is as follows: your guitar signal comes in via the 1/4" jacks on the utility row (splitting a mono signal is a good idea here, if you need to), then the L goes to one mult in the ute row, and R goes to another. From these, you can split out your signal sends to the individual DSP modules. Then by using the four main Flexibilite pedals, you can MIX the different DSPs by foot by using the expression pedals as "faders" that control the dual VCAs. Then the signal passes through those VCAs and on to the quad stereo mixer at the end, where you've set your "overall" levels...so you'd have a stereo pair for "dry", one for the Beads, one for the Chronoblob2, and one more for the frequency shifter.

Now, if you need anything such as a fuzz, OD, and so forth, I'd recommend that those be actual stompboxes so that you can opt to place them UPstream from the Palette rig here, then you can attenuate that signal back down at the stereo input. This should also play nicely with any devices you want to put DOWNstream from this rig. Or better still, have a look at THIS: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TriParMix--electro-harmonix-tri-parallel-mixer I've got one of those...and it's pretty damn mind-blowing! The ability to parallel effects is...well, sorta different. And with that PLUS this build, you can have two other processors on that parallel bus AND still work the Palette via its expression controllers for what'll be a very complex pedalboard setup once completed.

EDITED Aug 21st 2022, 05:15

Right now im using delta v as a vca but need for sure a dedicated vca. What other utilitys would you suggest?
-- Don_Simo

Well, it needs to be ones with that "Veils topology"...that variable response curve has piles of abuse potential. My suggestion, since Emilie is leaving the building, would be to grab a good Veils clone (I kinda like the Codex Modulex version). That way, you get four VCAs plus that "breakable mixbus" that lets you break out VCAs when needed. Going to rework this, give me a hot minute...

OK...what happened here...? Well, for one thing I've reordered the build so that the division between rows is a LOT easier to deal with. Some modules were also swapped out for smaller versions of the same thing. And then there were some "fixes"...

TOP: The Miso Cornflakes replaces the Qu-bit sampler/looper. Same idea, smaller space. Kept the Cloud Terrarium...it's a good choice, despite being quite huge. Then you see the Codex Modulex Veils clone...and here's how to split it: send your "lefts" to VCAs 1 and 2, "rights" to 3 and 4, then take the summed results from outputs 2 and 4. Voila!...stereo. Next, I swapped the Beograd out for a similar (but more bonkers) Bastl filter, their Ikarie stereo multimode...but if you look it up, there's a LOT more going on behind the panel than you had with the Xaoc one. I put in a pair of VCAs after that with the intent there being to control amplitudes going on to the Beads from the Ikarie. You can use that dual VCA for input level control over the Beads in general as well. Then Beads...followed by Frequency Central's Stasis Leak, which is a mono-in/stereo-out reverb/tap tempo delay/chorus. I went with that because it fits perfectly with the TEXMIX send/return architecture. The FX Aid XL can also take a mono signal in the left input and stereoize that, so it works with the TEXMIX as well as being a true stereo thruput if needed.

BOTTOM: Pam's, Moskva, then I added a Batumi/Poti combo for your LFOs, a Frap 321 and After Later dual "Veils" VCA, and a Zadar/Nin for envelopes. The modules in between (the 321 and dual VCA) are for modifying/altering/mangling your modulation signals, with the result being even wilder modulation signals for use all over the build. And last is the TEXMIX, but I changed out the stereo input with a mono one, since you've got a build here that's got two potential main stereo ins. Because of that, you can just pan the inputs hard left and hard right, and now you've actually got VCA control over levels from two stereo sources. Perfect!

So, yeah...some squishing was necessary, but now the result is a MUCH more potent build since you've now got the VCAs and modulation that can get this build to really cut loose. You actually get to use the TEXMIX's send/return capabilities as well, since the right sort of FX are present. And in the end, I think this came out pretty solid. Oh...and as for the Cornflakes input, you can conceivably use your headphone preamp on the TEXMIX to feed stereo back to it for live sampling. Just make sure you've crammed a big enough microSD in it!

EDITED Aug 21st 2022, 03:32

Acid Rain Switchblade seems to do what you're looking for. It's discontinued now, but you may still be able to track down a used one.

Hi folks,

I am looking for a module that can do the following:
-- take several (let's say 2 to 8) DC or AC signal inputs and route them to 1 (or more) outputs
-- have signal pass behavior driven by trigger inputs, such as from any normal trigger sequencer
-- triggers would "latch" causing the last triggered channel to be routed to the output

What this would let me do is to use trigger (percussion-type) sequencers to sequence other CV or audio. This would be different from normal switches in that i) it would accommodate lots of channels ii) it would not be "sequential" but rather trigger-per-channel selectable iii) switching would be driven by triggers (e.g. not continuous CV signal in like an LFO).

Any suggestions for a module that would work in this instance? I have looked around online and not seen a good solution for this.

Appreciate any ideas you may have!

Nicholas

i did offer to take the module back and refund "studioB" but that wasen't nessesary/ he refused
bought on the 3the october 21 and asking a refund on 19 august 22
sorry but that i won't do,
sorry for the disconfort/bad expirience
greets Filip
-- filipl

Elektro engeneer of my find out that he use old capisitors he exchange that for new one and now the module dint not burn out anymore. C1 and C3 i think. I just want to make clear that i dint not use the module jet (no time alot of work ;( )

i did offer to take the module back and refund "studioB" but that wasen't nessesary/ he refused
bought on the 3the october 21 and asking a refund on 19 august 22
sorry but that i won't do,
sorry for the disconfort/bad expirience
greets Filip

I habe to report @filipl. Care about his diy modules. Build quality is bad. I order one notone and it burns out sone of the diodes (not the korg ones) after only siting in my rack.

Thanks Garfield. All my rhythm stuff is made on the MPC. It allowed me to sell about €2.5k of drum and drum sequencing modules. It's not too complicated to set up with your rack. The MPC sequencer is powerful and gives you a lot of fine control. You lose that unique feeling of making music in modular, but it has so much flexibility as a sampler and sequencer that it pays off. Akai update the firmware every year and just added probability and some other things. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the MPC workflow. Cheers!

Figured would throw this out there as found it useful. Hopefully someone else will too :)

FH-2 (48mm) is a little too deep for an Intellijel Palette case (45.5mm), so I used a 3D printed riser that a kind internet user designed and made available for free. It cost about €4 to print (I found a hobbiest who would 3D print small items at low cost on my local buy & sell site - Craigslist / Gumtree equivalent). Works great and no HP lost. There’s a screw on the left hand side of the case that prevents mounting it there, but otherwise is a perfect fit.

3D printing spec is here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4956132

EDITED Aug 20th 2022, 12:53

Sakura is the Japanese name for the cherry blossoms: from the first rays of sunlight that melt the ice, the first leaves that appear and grow into colourful blossoms on all the trees, birds singing and nesting... until the end of spring and a new life cycle begins.

A modular synthesizer allows me to freely and creatively translate and shape my inspiration into a melody, harmony and counterpoint, rhythm and sounds.

This piece was composed during two days in August 22 in my studio and recorded in one take as a live performance.

Take some time, sit back and enjoy this piece of music.

Thanks for listening,

Dries

Bandcamp: https://driesgeusens.bandcamp.com/album/sakura

EDITED Aug 20th 2022, 10:15

amazing guys, keep 'em coming

It can be if you're manually dragging the modules. But the other mode is quick and works like you'd want here. Hover the cursor over a module, then hit either "," or "." to move it left or right respectively. Even if you have a pile of little stuff in a row, this can be dealt with in seconds by using those shortcuts.

-- Lugia

That's awesome. Those shortcuts should be added to the help page with the other keyboard shortcuts: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/2

Hi Gumbo23,

That's a nice album you got there! :-) My favourites start from about track 6, it becomes relaxed to listen at, ideal for a weekend to rest after a week of hard work! The rhythm you got in Aurora, I like that. I guess that's done with the MPC?

I am still wondering if I want an MPC next to my racks and I think with your album, you answered that question :-) I really need to think about an MPC :-)

Thank you very much for sharing your new album with us and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Lugia,

Ha, ha, ha! Yeah, order from every length a bundle of 50 pieces, so 200 pieces in total and that will do for a while, till another rack is full with modules ;-)

Not too sure about the quality though... Interesting though! Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Funbun,

Great large album you got there! Fantastic ambient, so nice and relaxing, this is going to be a great weekend for me listening your music!

Thank you very much for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

Hey Lugia! Thank you for the input! I see your point and it all makes sense. Much of it I have considered too.
I however wasn't totally clear it seems. The thing is that this system will be part of a pedalboard where I have the MPC, the DFAM, two pedals and an acoustic noise machine. You see, it happens to be so that I have just enough space (exactly enough) to fit a 104 make noise skiff on the pedalboard. The pedalboard will be complemented by the grandmother, vocals and two poly synths.

In the future l will expand with a bigger case for a more thorough system, but this is made mostly to expand the DFAM for live use. So, do you think it would work well or do you have any ideas on what to expand the DFAM with?

Thank you again and all the best

A VCO from Patching Panda. Really a good one, lots of waveforms, lots of mod inputs, lots of cross-collaboration in the unit. And it sounds really good too. I went long on the test/demo section because I was having fun just playing with it.
Hybrid boards, many surface mount components pre-installed but plenty to solder. Good build, though some soldering is tight and very close to SMD components so care is advised. Not a beginner kit.

Build

I second the 4ms DLD suggestion. This is a very interesting effect module. Each side has a feedback loop and adding any sound modifier in the loops opens many possibilities. It can do a lot, from gentle and clean sound design to pure madness.

some recommendations:

mungo stuff like g0 d0 c1
feedback modules 1 bit multitap
doepfer bbd modules
4ms DLD
LA67 LR4
doepfer quad poly ssm filter a-105-4
morphing preset programmer like livestock ellis / shakmat harlequin’s context

EDITED Aug 22nd 2022, 23:53

No don't have the data Bender and not gonna get it any time Soon. I have a Holemade case but could ude more space in near future.

Right now im using delta v as a vca but need for sure a dedicated vca. What other utilitys would you suggest?

Hello,
I have a same question about the very same topic.
I'm new to modular and started to get interested into this since few weeks, but have years of experience with guitars, pedals, synth, noise machines, etc.

My possible approach to a modular system would be to have something that I can both use stand alone (like in a drone/noise/ambient manner) or together with my guitar and synths and made so that I can implement/interface it also with instruments levels so that I can rout it thru my guitar pedalboard for example.

I did some experiments with VCV Rack, and found very powerful a combination of Plaits and a second VCO/oscillator combined with a quad LFO to generate sounds and drones.
After talking with a friend and try out few his modules, I also got very interested about Schlappi and Noise Engineering modules. For example I like a lot the Desmodus series, since the same module can be loaded with all firmwares available. Boundary looks like I swiss army knife that I can use as VCO, envelope, etc...
But I also find Doepfer modules to be super cool, simple and utile to what you need them for.

I would like to keep it as small and compact as possible, like 64HP. After few mindstorms, I came up with this first idea, pictured below.

My only concern at the moment is the Strymon AA.1: are there any other alternatives out there for such "guitar interfaces", so that, as said, I can insert my guitar (or another synth) into this system and then go out back into my pedalboard?
What modules to you use? Otherwise any other advices?

-- gila_crisis

Hi, have a look at the Bored brain injectr. It has a guitar preamp, envelop follower and Fx-loop for pedals.

As a manufacturer, how can I add the stores that sell my modules? Thanks in advance ;)
-- BlackNoiseModular

You cannot do that, the stores can do that, they have special accounts. Contact them.

As a manufacturer, how can I add the stores that sell my modules? Thanks in advance ;)

LOOK NO FURTHER!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2255800164534876.html
Ran across this while looking for some good deals on 3.5 to 3.5mm cables. No, they're not in candy-colors and such, just black. But DAAAAAMN are they cheap! Around $65 got me a bundle of 50 cm and a bundle of 100 cm cables, shipping included.

And if your modular is big enough to serve as an efficiency apartment, they even sell 'em in lots of 1000!

EDITED Aug 19th 2022, 03:06

Remove the DFAM. It's got a case, and it's got power already...so it doesn't need to be in the Eurorack case taking up room and crowding out modules that DON'T have a case or power. Already, you can see here that you've been forced into using some tiny (and therefore difficult to work with under many circumstances) modules that probably shouldn't be tiny. And then there's the CV issue...Moog's 60-hp-ers use a bipolar CV (both above and below 0v values are valid) where Eurorack uses CVs that run from 0v and upward. Erica has a fix for this with their MScale PICO module, but you don't have room for one, so...

In truth, I wouldn't go with a single row skiff here at all. They're sort of a "trap", because while it IS possible to build a rig in a single-row skiff, compromises have to be made and it takes some experience to know how to do that without screwing yourself over. Instead, get (and yes, I know you hear this constantly on here) a Tiptop Mantis which gives you 2 x 104 hp, has good power and ergonomics, and which costs (in the USA) less than $350. It's perhaps the best starter case out there. You can even expand it via joining brackets and add a second Mantis later on (or a third or fourth IF you have some external support for the top cabs).

As for the MPC...if there's a limitation to which channels can address the analog I/O but you can still assign things to MIDI outputs, it might make more sense to look into Expert Sleepers' interfaces, particularly the ones that incorporate a class-compliant MIDI port. These can be expanded as needed by dropping in more 4 hp width expansion modules, so you can literally dictate how many CV/gate/trig/clock/etc outs and ins (yep...you can transmit CV data back to your DAW with one of those!) you need.

And an example of why you need more space fits right in with your industrial noise stuff...go and have a look at the offerings from Moffenzeef and Schlappi Engineering that, at present, you can't fit into the build. Seriously...go bigger.

A 'slide' mode would be great. If I'm swapping out a 2hp module for a 3hp module, having to manually move every module down 1hp is really fiddly.
-- stogoshuffle

It can be if you're manually dragging the modules. But the other mode is quick and works like you'd want here. Hover the cursor over a module, then hit either "," or "." to move it left or right respectively. Even if you have a pile of little stuff in a row, this can be dealt with in seconds by using those shortcuts.

what, where did that Data Bender come from. It isn't permanent right, or?

-- cpaf

It'd better not be permanent, because right now you're missing pretty much ALL necessary utility modules, and some critical modules (such as a proper complement of VCAs) are nowhere to be seen.

If you've not gotten the A-100 cab already...don't. Tiptop's Mantis cases are bigger, have about the same power specs, and cost way less than Doepfer's cabs. The Doepfer stuff is great if you need depth, or if you're planning to take your rig on the road, but if the build is intended mainly for studio use or only occasional live work, it's just about perfect.

And yes, you can expand the Mantis via a link bracket to have two of them stacked. Plus, going to 2 x 104 gives you 40 more hp to put some of those modules I mentioned above into this so it'll work like a synthesizer and not like an expensive box of noisemakers.

HEY!
Planning my first deep dive into the sea of eurorack and I have a Moog DFAM and a Grandmother to start with.
My goal is to expand the DFAM and have something interesting to play with live. The music I make ranges from calm ambient to aggressive noise.
I'm using an MPC LIVE 2 with CV as my main sequencing unit.
Does anyone have any inputs or anything to add to this setup?
Every thought is appreciated

All the best

A 'slide' mode would be great. If I'm swapping out a 2hp module for a 3hp module, having to manually move every module down 1hp is really fiddly. It would be great if I could enable 'slide mode', and the modules already in the rack are 'locked', but I can slide them around and the modules 'push' eachother. Kinda like I do when I'm laying out my rack in real life before I plug/screw anything in.

@Lugia gave a great example of what you could do with the space freed up by the removal of the strega, also I completely agree about the size of the other modules (especially starlab) in this size build... just remember it's all just food for thought - going slowly and deciding what you really want (and what you actually need) in your case(s) over time is a very personal thing... but generally too many big modules (& needlessly racked semis) tend to push out other modules that are more useful

test reply - seems to be working again now - thanks!

EDITED Aug 18th 2022, 16:39

test, test, test, trying to reply from Firefox ...
Seems to work here, problem still persists?

EDITED Aug 18th 2022, 15:02

I have unlocked all the Dovemans modules and set them to discontinued.
You can always try to contact a manufacturer when you send them a private message by clicking on the link Message the Manufacturer near the manufacturer approved stamp.

Thank you for your time and thoughts about this, I do appreciate it. I think I got over my skis when I saw the black and gold system and thought I could jump in the deep end. I'll move slow, but I'll be mindful.

Thanks for the feedback.

what, where did that Data Bender come from. It isn't permanent right, or?

And damn, you are running out of space soon

EDITED Aug 18th 2022, 09:39

Okay cool, thank you so much! I've only recently been getting into the more technical aspects of modular so this info is very handy to have :)

As a general convention in Eurorack, clock pulses are +5v, but not vpp as clocks (and gates and triggers) are only positive-going from 0v. There are negative-going trigger/gates out there, but they're unusual, such as Behringer's use of the VERY EFFING ANNOYING Moog S-Trig standard in some of their Moog-alikes, or the various modules that invert the clock for synths that use that, such as the Korg MS-20. That adherence to the +5v standard is what allows you to run that module, clock an internal sequencer by some other manufacturer, send gates through Boolean logic, etc and have the whole mess work together...it's been that way since Dieter Doepfer came up with Ye Olde Eurorack Standard about 25-ish years ago.

EDITED Aug 18th 2022, 07:34

The reason for moving the Strega is because it has its own cab and power, and the Eurorack cab is for things (as a rule) that DON'T have those. So here, you're taking up a healthy chunk of hp for that, which now blocks adding modules.

The better solution would be to remove the Strega, then fill the space left with modules that can expand BOTH the Eurorack cab and the Strega, since there's no bar against patches that go "outside" of the case.

Plus, check what's NOT in the case due to the Strega. For example, modulars need VCAs...but all you've got of those here are the ones in the Strega. Not good. So take 8-12 hp for some proper VCAs right off the bat. No attenuverters, only one (DC-coupled) mixer with a mono output while there's piles of stereo path modules, and so on. Part of that can also be fixed by looking at SMALLER modules with the same functionality. For example, the Starlab. It takes up 28 hp, costs $650. So, instead of that, you could go with a Rings clone and a basic stereo reverb such as Purrtronix's spring reverb clone. For the Rings clone, my suggestion would be Oscillosaurus's version. Those two together fit in 22 hp (you get 6 back) and cost $304-ish. That's less than HALF of the Starlab's cost, and it replicates much of the primary functions that the Starlab has. The rest of the stuff, such as LFOs, etc, are already supposed to be in the build already for other functions...which, again, you're crowded out of having in here. And yes, I AM counting the Maths that's there, because using it just as an LFO is like buying a vintage Lamborghini Countach and just driving it to the grocery store.

...and so on. Fact is, there's NO ONE on here that can precisely nail a build on the very first try. The process of building one of these instruments requires a pile of thought and constant reconsiderations to arrive at a system that both fulfills your needs AND which has the necessary module complement to be an instrument that you'll use and grow with over years, instead of a noisemaker that'll wind up in a closet several months down the road. Plus, you also find ways to make it cheaper, like the above strategy. And even though I've done loads of builds on here for others that I can knock out pretty quickly, I'm doing that with 40+ years in electronic music to inform me as to how they should be built out. I might SEEM fast at that, but if you factor in that backlog of experience, you eventually realize that you have to factor the experience into the time outlay. Others on here also have similar background experience, and can do much the same thing...but it's due to their long backgrounds making things easier.

Gonna work out a build on this, in fact...I'll put the Strega in a blanked-up row at the bottom so you can see how it fits...

EDIT: OK, here we are. Thanks to Make Noise, we have this nifty "utility bar" in the middle of the case that'll come in handy.

UPPER: First thing there is a KonstantLabs PWRchekr, which lets you keep an eye on your DC rail health. Then instead of the XPOs, I opted for something even more over the top and put in a pair of Neutron Sound Dust of Time dual digital oscillators. Each one of those contains TWO oscillators for a total of four; in theory, you could actually use the build as a 4-voice paraphonic synth. The DoTs also have MIDI inputs, plus a pile of other surprises. And they can also receive updates as well as third-party oscillator models. Left the Moddemix by these in case you want to ring-mod the oscillators together. Then the first Codex Modulex quad VCA (a Veils clone) lets you maintain the stereo balance; just run the LEFT outputs to VCAs 1 and 2, then take output 2, and the RIGHT outs go to 3 and 4, with their output being on out 4. Feed outs 2 and 4 to the QPAS...but now, they're under VCA control.

QPAS, of course, is still in here...but with another Codex Modulex quad VCA after it. This is where things get even wackier, because you can now use TWO output pairs from the QPAS, with VCA control over both pairs. This set of VCAs can feed directly to the mixer in the lower row, but what I would suggest is to use that utility row and two of those mult busses to split the 2 and 4 outs from this VCA set and then feed them to the mixer AND the Beads in parallel. We'll see how those are dealt with in a sec. But anyway, the Beads (instead of just a stereo reverb) allows loads of granular screwing-around in addition to being a mere reverb. Now things get weird...

From the Beads, you can send its outputs on to the After Later VCA (or you can split its inputs off of that with mult busses 3 and 4) or it can go directly to the Doepfer mixer OR to the Happy Nerding 4x Stereo Mix. With that, you can run your mult busses as "aux"-like sends, and even split the last quad VCA out to feed the Beads and the VCAs simultaneously. Those VCAs, btw, give you level control over whatever is after them, and for the Rangoon's summing from stereo to its mono input. Or, or, or...suffice to say, I left that pretty open-ended so that you can adapt the mixbus and its send/returns however you like. And like I said, Rangoon is last, and it provides the physically-modeled resonator that's the Rings clone...with an extra trick or two.

LOWER: Your Tempi/Rene mkii stays where it is, and it's a great choice for both control AND sequencing. Then Ochd, Maths...and new stuff, in this case a Frap 321 and another After Later VCA pair. This is what I sometimes refer to (in its various forms) as your "modulation core"...it lets you modify your modulation signals in a pile of ways. After that, there's a Zadar + Nin for all of the envelope generation.

And then, the mixers. Plural. And this is so that, if desired, you can PARALLEL your effects processors via the 4x Stereo Mix by sending the Beads and the Rangoon's outputs to two stereo pairs, then take your synth feeds through the Doepfer mixer for panning and level adjustment. The Doepfer would then get sent on to the third or fourth 4x input pairs, and you can directly control the balance between FX and synth via that little thing. As for the Doepfer, it's got four mono ins with panning, so in theory you could go directly off of the second quad VCA's individual outs for both level control AND discrete mixing. Of course, I left lots of that rather open-ended so that you can easily vary the mixer/FX routing and balancing via a few different methods, not merely one fixed method. Last, the Strega is down below so you can get an idea of how it would fit into this; it's not actually in the build per se.

(TBH, as far as the Strega goes, I would strongly suggest getting the 0-Ctrl and 0-Coast to go with it, then cram them into THIS: https://reverb.com/item/39263230-3dwaves-triple-tier-stands-for-the-make-noise-0-coast-0-ctrl-strega-semi-modular-synthesizers That would give you a whole SECOND patchable system so that you can easily ping back and forth between it and this build...which would be just bonkers, really.)

So, yeah...at $5k+, it's certainly NOT what I would call "cheap"...but it IS capable of a hella lot of magic tricks.

EDITED Aug 18th 2022, 07:24

i have korg volca modular and wanto make pharao music like superb artist in video
what modules i need to make this music style?

-- esmeralda

More. That's what's needed.

Simply because you've got a modular (or rather, patchable; the Volca Modular isn't a true modular synth) synth doesn't mean that you've got the Golden Ticket to being a one-man backup band for the likes of Umm Kulthoum. Instead of looking at what this one artist uses to get at that sound, look instead at what the actual practitioners are using. For one thing, you'll find a lot of "home keyboard" like things that have this little extra keyboard (like this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Pa700OR--korg-pa700-oriental-61-key-arranger-workstation ...look below the left speaker) for doing all of the different scalar tunings that you find in the various Arabic stylings. And there's a BUNCH of those!

So, one problem right off is going to be some method to get at those microtonal bits. In a real modular, this is pretty easy, as there's quantizers out there that can do microtonality...some even take Scala files. But otherwise...not so much, as the majority of instruments in the West are designed for plain ol' dodecaphonic equal temperament, which is one thing I find rather annoying at times because I like Pythagorean-type "pure" tunings in my ambient work, but a perfect 5th isn't a pure 5th, so I have to resort to expression controllers, odd quantizer settings, etc to get at that reliably.

Then there's the instrumentation itself, which is pretty different from what we find in Western instruments. You're going to want to be able to get at simulacra of those with your electronics, so knowing what things like an 'Ud, Santur, Setar, Bendir, and so on sound like is also important here. And if that sounds like some beefy ethnomusicology shit...well, it is. Even to aim for that sound palette requires that you've got a handle on them, sound-wise.

So, yeah...I get it, but I also get what's necessary for that sound. Perhaps trying something like VCV Rack might make sense here, as I know for a fact that it's got microtonality-capable quantizers.

Nope.

No proper VCAs is a big no-no. Also, relying on JUST a Maths for all of your modulation duties is possibly asking too much of that one module alone.

A lot of this is happening because of the cab size. It's just too small. I know everyone wants to whip one of these things up, especially since you've got certain YouTube influencers showing these off as viable options for beginners. But they're not, because it takes way more experience and/or smarts to sort out how to cram ALL of the necessary modules into a single skiff of 104 hp or less (ESPECIALLY less!). Plus, with that Tempi in there, you're going to miss out on all of the cool stuff it can do when paired with a Rene mkii sequencer/touchplate controller because...well, space.

Rule of thumb in modular is to start with a case that you are 100% SURE is too big...because, invariably, it's not. Your build above could work fine in something like a Mantis, because that gives you the space to add all of the modulation, utilities, etc etc that can make those modules really cut loose. But in a single skiff, the results show some serious "sexy module syndrome", because you've got no room due to those "showcase" modules...which can't perform at their best without the utility, etc stuff. Sure, attenuverters and adders and so on aren't "sexy"...but they ARE essential.

One other VCA point: both Antumbra and After Later that I know of offer something of a "half-Veils"...two variable-topology VCAs in 4 hp with a summing buss that allows you to output them separately or together as a 2-into-1 mix. These can be VERY useful, especially for dropping into little spaces in your modulation complement so that you can futz around with modulation levels. Pair that with some small CV/mod mixer such as Frap's 321 or Tiptop's MISO, and you'll have a VERY powerful "modification core" solely for your LFOs, EGs, slope gens, etc.

Let's say I belive you, voice in my head: what, pray tell, should go in that slot if keep the stega out? I really love the strega and really want everything in one case to do the big reveal like a cheap magician, but it will come out if I can find good replacements. I'm an amateur with some extra dollars and interest, not an artist by any stretch.

I'd leave the Strega in it's case and use the space for more utilities...

I'm super new. Like "vcv since January" new. I feel like this could work, since the make noise case is powered (and out of stock). But I've caught the bug, and I want to get deeper.

He's using the modular but more as performing overdubs on the tracks he composed on other equipment - it's not just DJ pantomime stuff. You can see some of his modular-only performances on YouTube, like this one:

But to the OP, you'll need a lot more than a Volca Modular :) (the Volca is how I got sucked into the modular wormhole too)

EDITED Aug 17th 2022, 20:16

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2006291.jpg

Third iteration of this small build I centering around the tELHARMONIC. Looking for some feedback to see if I got this covered.

Anybody know if the clock output of the µMIDI is 5vpp? I want to make sure it's safe to sync my Pocket Operator to.

Also check out the alternate Firmware for the Batumi.

EDITED Aug 17th 2022, 17:40