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Polyphony is the big one, right? Perhaps one isn't (shouldn't be?) trying to recreate a Jupiter 8, but having polyphony opens up some interesting sonic possibilities, especially if you're not just trying to map chords.

I've been working to create the simplest polyphonic modular group and I think I've done it with this example rack. I chose four VCOs over the usual three so to have the opportunity to play a triad chord and then have a remaining voice for lead lines, wherever they may fit in. The Bastl 1983, while functional, isn't perfect. It doesn't seem to track consistently and that may be the result of the Arturia Keystep 37 I'm using as a controller, but it works well enough. I'm still experimenting.

I've set this up to use it in two ways. First, as a four voice system using the VCOs patched directly through each input on the Doepfer modules and then the sum out from the A-132-8 goes off to the mixing desk. The second iteration takes two of the four voices into each of the two inputs on the 860s, which I then take the summed outputs on each to the Tallin VCA and then tracked to stereo using the Strymon line amp. It works really well, except that the 860s, while incredibly warm and well matched to the 3340s, don't really range far and wide in terms of waveshaping. They're straight up analog filters based on the Roland circuits used in the 80's-era Juno and Jupiter synths. The sound is really warm and juicy. I can get super F-A-T bassy notes out of it patched like that.

What do you think? Have you tried to create polyphony? Any other ideas for a MIDI or CV processor that will create and track notes across 7 octaves? I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on this interesting channel of modular synth building.

Winter Modular Eloquencer sequencer and Endorphin.es Queen of Pentacles is a good way to get modular techno easily.

Seems clear to me that you know what you’re doing and what you want.

Have you considered Clump by NLC for your matrix mixer? I’d be inclined to sacrifice the Mordax to free up the extra space and replace the Quadra with a Quadrax, especially if you’re interested in complex generative patches. I’d also add a slope detector and a probability skipper. Oh and I’d swap Beads for a Microcell - I just think it can do so much more.

Oh and maybe some offset/attenuvert next to the RND STEP

Looks like a great rig!

EDITED Oct 31st 2022, 20:41

Honestly, I wouldn't go spending until you've learned more. My recommedation would be to dive into VCV. My first module was an Expert Sleepers ES9 because it immediately opened up my physical rack with VCV and allowed to immediately supplement actual modules with absolutely anything I want in modular. It help me learn so much and helped my figure out what I actually need. My first Modulargrid is very very different from the last one I made!

Re: Disting EX. This is by far the best multiple purpose module out there. If you get an Expert Sleepers Mini Midi Breakout (2HP), you can then use something like a WIDI Jack to make it controllable by MIDI - then you can download an OSC Touch template and control the EX from an iPad - it is amazing to use it this way!
https://modwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=257083
-- Manbearpignick

EDITED Oct 31st 2022, 20:27

-- double post --

EDITED Oct 31st 2022, 20:26

I noticed that you seem to have quite a lot of experience with the Disting. I often see o_C being mentioned as having a similar use case, how do both of them compare?

In some ways the Disting and O_C are pretty similar in that they have a bunch of different algorithms for all sorts of different use cases. And yet, they are pretty different...

For one thing, the O_C's processor isn't as powerful as the Disting, so it generally doesn't handle audio signals well. It can do some audio, but it's fairly lo-fi (the audio is downsampled). For example there's a lo-fi tape delay effect in one of the firmwares but it "at a sampling rate of 2kHz for about one second. Incoming signals are down sampled to 8 bits of resolution." That might be what you want sometimes, but it's definitely not a "go to" delay. The Disting on the other hand handles audio no problem and can do higher quality effects, VCOs, and sample playback.

AFAIK most O_Cs can only output a specific 10V range, so to be able to do bipolar CVs (like LFOs) as well as unipolar (like envelopes) they had to compromise and at the hardware level set the total output range to something like -3V to 6V. Often LFOs are -5V to 5V and envelopes 0V to 8V-10V. So you never get as "deep" a modulation as you can typically get from other modulation sources. Typically this isn't a problem but I have noticed using it as an envelope tends to lead to quieter sounds and then you have to mix appropriately or use an amplifier.

To address that -3V to 6V limit, Plum Audio made an O_C with variable output range (VOR) that switches on-the-fly between -5V - 5V and 0V - 10V in the firmware depending on the algorithm, which makes it behave like a traditional CV source. I don't own one of these but it's a nice selling point so I'd definitely consider the VOR version of the module. However, not all firmware supports VOR (yet) so that's something you need to be aware of if you are trying out different firmwares.

The O_C is also open source and people have made various forks of the firmware, which has been fun to experiment with. I currently really like the Benispheres firmware. It's got a good selection of algorithms and they are all pretty straightforward and intuitive to use, generally without consulting the manual. The stock firmware is fairly complicated though, so expect to spend a lot of time looking at the manual and scratching your head, but there's some gems in there too so it's worth a try at some point. If you are into software development, you could even make your own fork of the firmware and make the O_C do something new.

With the Disting, you've got the slimmer mk4 version and the EX. I started with the mk4 and I don't regret it. I get a lot of mileage out of it but I have to say the mk4 is a pain to use. It's so much functionality squished into a small space with only one encoder and a rotary knob. The UI is basically a big compromise with tons of pressing and turning to dial in each parameter one by one. It's time consuming and tedious. Every patch I try to decide on the one thing it's going to do and set it up in the beginning so I don't have to worry about it mid-patching. Menu-diving into the disting mid-patch isn't much fun.

The EX is definitely a lot better in the usability regard with the nice screen and more knobs, but with both models there's so many algorithms and they all have so many features it's practically impossible to use without the manual right next to you. Eventually you find a few algorithms you really like and I remember enough of how they work I don't have to consult the manual for those anymore, but it was a big learning curve. Between the need to consult the manual a lot and the menu-diving, I can see why some people don't like the Disting. But for me it's been really great to try out new ideas and learn more about what you can do with modular.

The Distings are a closed platform though, so only Expert Sleepers (AFAIK) ever releases firmware for it. But it can do so much, especially the EX, so I don't really care.

So in summary:

O_C is focused on CV and not so good for audio. The CV output range is somewhat limited unless you get a VOR version. The Hemispheres-based firmwares are easy to use and you typically don't need a manual, so it's quick to dial in settings and "play" it on the fly. The stock firmware is interesting but suffers from the same sort of usability problems as the Disting.

The Distings are great with both CV and audio. The algorithms cover more territory (especially the EX which really does have an incredible amount of powerful functionality), but it is a lot harder to use (the manual is practically required) and not very hands-on the in the middle of a patch.

Honestly I recommend both and I probably won't ever sell off any of mine, but you probably should start with one and take it from there. Hopefully this info helps make a decision.

Is it worth considering the 4Robots plum audio module over the golden master, and get the intellijel line out?

Getting the 4Robots O_C (which has VOR) instead of the Golden Master seems reasonable if the O_C sounds like a good fit for you.

If you're getting an Intellijel performance case, I think it's really nice to get one of their 1U output modules and connect it directly to the jacks on the case so you use those for output. Note the Headphones 1U module does not connect to the case's output. You need to Stereo Line Out 1U or Stereo Mixer 1U (and I remember seeing in the manual you need a second-generation case or something, but unless you are buying older used equipment, I doubt you need to worry about that).

What do Klingons dream about?

Things that would send cold chills down your spine and wake you in the middle of the night. It is better you do not know...

Patch notes:

The vast majority of this patch is the amazing combo of the Stochastic Inspiration Generator driving 1v/o of Make Noise XPO into Schlappi Engineering's 100 Grit into Qu-bit Nautilus. Throw a load of modulation at those modules, add some Starlab and bingo! You've got semi-melodic, glitchy, droning madness. I wasn't sure if I'd like 100 Grit, but wow! it is so fun. Here I am using the Naultius' Sonar Out to drive the 100 Grit Cutoff in strange and unpredictable ways. There is also a stabby, panning, heavily modulated part provided by Brenso into Blades. There is a performance element to this patch as well - this was not a set it and forget it patch.

Then there's the great dialog. It's a great little scene from Deep Space 9 that I bookmarked ages ago thinking I might find a soundtrack to use with it. There are two audio tracks with that dialog. Both are created in Arturia Pigments. One is just samples of the dialog played randomly with some delay and reverb. Then there's another track that uses Pigments Granular processing to make it weird. Those two tracks then are fading in and out strategandomly with volume level automation in Studio One.

Then there are the visuals. Those are created in Artmatic Explorer. The $50 version. I got tired of hunting for cool public domain video to use and discovered that Eric Wenger is still at it. I was a Bryce user back in the 90s and I am very happy to rediscover this amazing software. I did not spend a ton of time creating these videos, but I still think they're cool. And huge acknowledgement to the dude/dudette that created that awesome Son of Moog mock album cover.

Cheers!

After weeks of looking up just about every video out there, this is what I've come up with

Yes, I do want to play some sick techno.

Is there anything missing? Do I have too many utility modules? is not having a dedicated VCA something I will deeply regret? Is having only one proper voice going to hold me back? No S&H?

I chose the Metropolix because I really wanted something that I could play as if it were an instrument, does that make sense?
-- ruciferno
Hi,
I'm also a beginner, and at first I thought that with a 3u case I had enough, luckily I paid attention to the messages on the forum and started with a 6U and it's already filling up.....I think it's the minimum for this kind of setups is a 6U or 7U case.

To get the most out of Metropolix, you'll want two pitched sound sources (i.e. VCOs). I only see the Manis Iteritas. You could use the Disting as a VCO, so that's an option, but you might want to use the Disting for other stuff. My point is, think through how you want to use the two sequencer tracks on the Metropolix. A dual oscillator like Twin Waves pairs really well with it IMO.

Not having a dedicated VCA... yeah seems like a problem. I assume you want to generate envelopes with Quadrax and not just use it for LFOs? How are you going to apply those envelopes? If you drive two VCOs with Metropolix, you'll often want the Metropolix gates to trigger two envelopes that are applied to those voices with a couple VCAs. Manis Iteritas has a built in envelope, so you technically don't need a VCA for it, but you might want to use Quadrax instead sometimes to get different envelope shapes (for example a burst envelope). And if you decide to get a second VCO for Metropolix, it might not have a built in envelope.

I think Steppy is good for drum triggering and will let you sequence up to four drum sounds. I see three dedicated drum modules. You could use the Disting for a fourth drum (via samples using the wave player algorithm) or you could use the Disting to combine two Steppy tracks with logic for more interesting rhythms. So you kind of have that covered but you might consider another dedicated drum sound source, or something more general/modular that could make drum sounds: If you had a source of white noise and a VCA, you can make hat sounds with a fast envelope from Quadrax. It's fun to have some different options like that so you can change things up from patch to patch.

The running theme of all my feedback so far is: Think about the two voices you can control with Metropolix + the four drum sounds with Steppy and plan for how you are going to patch it end-to-end including envelopes and mixing. If you end up with six total sound sources, you need to be able to mix them all together. Personally I'd go for a quad VCA that can mix four signals together and have another dedicated mixer.

A few other thoughts:

• You have a stereo mixer but no real source of stereo except that reverb, so the stereo mixer seems like a bit of a waste in a rack this size. You don't have a way to pan anything in the stereo field (again, the Disting could but you'll probably want it to do other stuff). You might want to focus on mono for now. Or for basic stereo you could get something like a Doepfer A-138s Mini Stereo Mixer and pan your drum sounds to different places in the stereo field.

• If you focus on mono, you can probably ditch that reverb and get a simpler mono reverb

• I like to change up FX, so I'd be looking at a multi-FX module instead of a dedicated reverb. Maybe you love reverb, so do whatever you want there. Dedicated FX modules often have more extensive modulation capabilities so that might be a reason to avoid multi-FX.

• The Golden Master seems like overkill in a rack this size. It has mid-side processing but as I was saying, you can't do a lot of stereo processing in this rack. Unless you really like squashing your sounds, you don't really need a compressor/limiter. And personally I would use filters over EQ in a modular rack, so I would opt for a second filter if it can fit.

• How are you getting audio out of this rack? I think a dedicated output module is a good idea. Technically you can run your final output directly to an external mixer or audio interface, but it will be much louder than the other equipment expects so you need to be really careful about your levels if you don't use a dedicated output module (always start with the volume all the way down!). Read up on this: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal/eurorack-line-level

And I'll leave you with the usual advice: If you are planning to fill this whole rack up relatively quickly, you need a bigger rack. Once you've spent time with this rack, you are going to get new ideas and want to expand. Unless you are sticking to a tight budget and are very disciplined, you'll end up running out of space and end up spending even more money (trust me, I know). Of course, a second rack is always an option but I think it ends up costing more in the long run. It's also a good idea to go slow: start with just enough modules to make some sound and slowly add more when you are sure you want the additional features. The Disting is a good way to try things out before you buy dedicated modules.

-- adamj

Adam, thank you so much for that detailed analysis. It has brought me much insight with respect to what should I ask myself in order to optimise it. I will also go for the 7U performance case as well.

I noticed that you seem to have quite a lot of experience with the Disting. I often see o_C being mentioned as having a similar use case, how do both of them compare? Is it worth considering the 4Robots plum audio module over the golden master, and get the intellijel line out?

Hello,

I would like to build a modular rack for making techno. I like the harder techno with lots of 303 sounds. My plans are to have an Oxi One as my sequencer, Roland TR6s as drums for now and eventually a RE-909 (got the kit, just need to build it). I put an ES9 to connect to Ableton.

This is my first go at this and i'm not sure if I have enough utilities or have got the output mixing right.

Appreciate any feedback

Thanks

Rample might be fun instead of BIA and the 2 other 2hp drum modules

Sanity check: for the price of this rack you could get several synths and drum machines

yo gotta complete signup so I can send you a PM

yo gotta complete signup so I can send you a PM

To get the most out of Metropolix, you'll want two pitched sound sources (i.e. VCOs). I only see the Manis Iteritas. You could use the Disting as a VCO, so that's an option, but you might want to use the Disting for other stuff. My point is, think through how you want to use the two sequencer tracks on the Metropolix. A dual oscillator like Twin Waves pairs really well with it IMO.

Not having a dedicated VCA... yeah seems like a problem. I assume you want to generate envelopes with Quadrax and not just use it for LFOs? How are you going to apply those envelopes? If you drive two VCOs with Metropolix, you'll often want the Metropolix gates to trigger two envelopes that are applied to those voices with a couple VCAs. Manis Iteritas has a built in envelope, so you technically don't need a VCA for it, but you might want to use Quadrax instead sometimes to get different envelope shapes (for example a burst envelope). And if you decide to get a second VCO for Metropolix, it might not have a built in envelope.

I think Steppy is good for drum triggering and will let you sequence up to four drum sounds. I see three dedicated drum modules. You could use the Disting for a fourth drum (via samples using the wave player algorithm) or you could use the Disting to combine two Steppy tracks with logic for more interesting rhythms. So you kind of have that covered but you might consider another dedicated drum sound source, or something more general/modular that could make drum sounds: If you had a source of white noise and a VCA, you can make hat sounds with a fast envelope from Quadrax. It's fun to have some different options like that so you can change things up from patch to patch.

The running theme of all my feedback so far is: Think about the two voices you can control with Metropolix + the four drum sounds with Steppy and plan for how you are going to patch it end-to-end including envelopes and mixing. If you end up with six total sound sources, you need to be able to mix them all together. Personally I'd go for a quad VCA that can mix four signals together and have another dedicated mixer.

A few other thoughts:

• You have a stereo mixer but no real source of stereo except that reverb, so the stereo mixer seems like a bit of a waste in a rack this size. You don't have a way to pan anything in the stereo field (again, the Disting could but you'll probably want it to do other stuff). You might want to focus on mono for now. Or for basic stereo you could get something like a Doepfer A-138s Mini Stereo Mixer and pan your drum sounds to different places in the stereo field.

• If you focus on mono, you can probably ditch that reverb and get a simpler mono reverb

• I like to change up FX, so I'd be looking at a multi-FX module instead of a dedicated reverb. Maybe you love reverb, so do whatever you want there. Dedicated FX modules often have more extensive modulation capabilities so that might be a reason to avoid multi-FX.

• The Golden Master seems like overkill in a rack this size. It has mid-side processing but as I was saying, you can't do a lot of stereo processing in this rack. Unless you really like squashing your sounds, you don't really need a compressor/limiter. And personally I would use filters over EQ in a modular rack, so I would opt for a second filter if it can fit.

• How are you getting audio out of this rack? I think a dedicated output module is a good idea. Technically you can run your final output directly to an external mixer or audio interface, but it will be much louder than the other equipment expects so you need to be really careful about your levels if you don't use a dedicated output module (always start with the volume all the way down!). Read up on this: https://www.perfectcircuit.com/signal/eurorack-line-level

And I'll leave you with the usual advice: If you are planning to fill this whole rack up relatively quickly, you need a bigger rack. Once you've spent time with this rack, you are going to get new ideas and want to expand. Unless you are sticking to a tight budget and are very disciplined, you'll end up running out of space and end up spending even more money (trust me, I know). Of course, a second rack is always an option but I think it ends up costing more in the long run. It's also a good idea to go slow: start with just enough modules to make some sound and slowly add more when you are sure you want the additional features. The Disting is a good way to try things out before you buy dedicated modules.

After weeks of looking up just about every video out there, this is what I've come up with

Yes, I do want to play some sick techno.

Is there anything missing? Do I have too many utility modules? is not having a dedicated VCA something I will deeply regret? Is having only one proper voice going to hold me back? No S&H?

I chose the Metropolix because I really wanted something that I could play as if it were an instrument, does that make sense?

EDITED Oct 30th 2022, 20:37

An interesting sequencer from Frequency Central. Sliders for note values, knobs for divisions per beat, and a number of presets for different modes. Most of which can be controlled externally.
Not sure how often I'll be using this one, but you might find it very useful
Straightforward build.

Build

I'm currently running out of rack space so I'm toying with the idea of mounting some of my 3U modules sideways in my 1U row with an adapter. It'd be nice to allow for 90 degree rotation so I can include rotated modules in my power draw/overall view. I'd also like to have an optional "stackable" property for these adapters, since they're designed to hold other modules. For instance: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/abyss-devices-3u-to-1u-adapter-pulp-logic

There's a bit of discussion about this idea in this thread, where the idea of 180 degree rotation first came up:
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/840

If there's an open-source repo for modulargrid, I could try to implement this myself. Any feedback would be appreciated, thank you!
-- dreamsmasher

I came here to request this exact thing.

please post the url of your public rack - jpgs are shit for getting us to help you!!!

I'd consider a tiptop mantis - slightly smaller than the intellijel as no 1u row - but don't get me started on them (I'm not a fan) - it's portable - mine has been in planes, trains, buses and cars quite a bit with no problems - even in the basic padded case - there are also briefcase sty;e hard cases available if needed

do you have too many utilities? almost definitely not - see my signature - I'd say 30%+ of your rack being utilities is where you want to be... probably more - but I do include both sequencers and controllers as 'utilities'

EDITED Oct 29th 2022, 10:04

Hi,

Is there a way to find a list of the factory presets?

thanks

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/happy-nerding-fx-aid-black

Edit : found sorry : https://happynerding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/FX-List.pdf

EDITED Oct 28th 2022, 09:41

maybe a property like "pedal", "foot operated" or "floor device" that can be activated in the search filter would make sense!?
-- modular01

Yeah. 👍 Maybe a checkbox like there is for "Show other/unknown" but instead would say something like "Show other devices" and would be unchecked by default. And then there would be a property in the submit/edit pedal options that reads "This is not a foot pedal" to put them in the category of "other device"?

I suppose to get the ball rolling if that option was added MG could use a script to check the "This is not a foot pedal" for all entries that are not from known pedal manufacturers? Of course some will get checked that shouldn't be and vice versa but it should catch most?

...There are things in there that really, REALLY don't belong...such as iPads, DJ mixers, entire synths...
-- Lugia

.

Simple fix: Name it "Pedals and more"...
-- zuggamasta

maybe a property like "pedal", "foot operated" or "floor device" that can be activated in the search filter would make sense!?

EDITED Oct 28th 2022, 06:52

the EricaSynths case looks like a good one

https://www.ericasynths.lv/shop/enclosures/travel/travel-case/

This thing has grown in part from some modules donated (pip slope and O/A/X2) where after I got myself Plaits and the Doepfer VCA. The rack also currently has two other donated units, a Behringer VCF and dual envelope generator. I do not like either of the Behringer units, so the dual ADSR and MCF x 2 are direct replacements of those.

All of this is going into a Niftycare that I acquired rather cheaply, so there's a bunch of I/O taken care of, but it does limit me to 10 units for the given HP.

I already have a Juno 6 and a Moog Grandmother, so I want to build something that has a different sort of creative angle and primarily I want to be able to make modulated pads/drones some variations in texture and timbre.

So this is what i plan to do:

I did get this to fit the Behringer Go case, but only by loosening the top-and-bottom rails and basically jamming it in. It indeed bows the rail/case slightly, but luckily doesn’t affect adjacent modules thanks to the sliding square nuts. Also not visibly bowed, so my OCD doesn’t go crazy — but definitely a buzz kill on this new module, despite the amazing liquidation price.

EDITED Nov 8th 2022, 20:28

I think you're basically wasting the 1u row here, between two Quadratt's and the mults.

For the case option... If portability is the goal, I would not necessarily suggest the Pittsburgh 360 case... it is excellent, and built like a tank... and HEAVY. You would not want to lift/carry it when it is full of modules.

How to roast you for looking at the most expensive module of the list

This is my current modular setup as of late October. I have another row planned above the M32 but haven’t been able to acquire any of the remaining modules yet.

Any glaring gaps? Anything missing that I must have? Any advice is appreciated!

Just had this running in the background and it definitely caused me to stop what I was working on and replay parts. Great track! And the video goes perfectly with it. Thanks for sharing!
-- TumeniKnobs

Thanks a lot for your feedback :)

I agree with the rest of the folks - this is an impressive first track. Well done!

Just had this running in the background and it definitely caused me to stop what I was working on and replay parts. Great track! And the video goes perfectly with it. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, in advance, for your help. I'm looking for some advice about my first rack.

Some quick info about me: I play guitar, keys, harmonica, and sing. I've been building a home studio since 2020. Guitar is my primary instrument. I'm a pretty skilled finger-picker. I would say my first passion is songwriting; but I'm starting to want to play out again after a long hiatus. And I'm fine with spending a couple years learning how to incorporate modular into what I do before I get back out gigging. Lastly, I'll add that while I love lots of more traditional music, I also love electronic music of all sorts--anything from, say, Aphex or Autechre or Floating Points to more song-writer oriented electronic music like Nicolas Jaar, The Notwist or Bjork.

I've purchased Poly2 and ES-9 to connect the rack to my Synthstrom Deluge and DAW (Logic / MainStage) . I'm also in the process of practicing and learning VCV Rack.

Here's the rack as it currently stands: https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2047740.jpg

A few questions:

--Do I have too many utilities? I like the idea of the two VCA's and a buff mult. But I feel like I"m forcing more utilities into the rack on account of the 1U row.

--A related question: Should I go for a different case? I'd like my case to be portable, have sufficient power, decent ergonomics and give me room to grow. I was thinking the Intellijel 104HP 7U, because it hits these criteria. I think I'll fill it quickly; but I like how I can add a second case when needed. What I don't like is the 1U row (and then having it again in a second case). Alternatively, I've been looking at a Pittsburg Modular EP-360. Any suggestions?

--I have some budget remaining, and I'm wondering if I'm missing anything you think I should include in the initial setup.

Thanks again. One of the pleasures of starting to explore modular has been seeing what a supportive and engaged community it is.

EDITED Oct 27th 2022, 17:44

Hey,

that nautilus device sounds really interesting. Like to grab one if I had the €€€ ;)... Great stuff, had fun listening!

Best,
jingo

Hi TumeniKnobs,

thank You for your kind words. The Starlab is the most appelling reverb I had so far. Its very lush and I hope to get some more ambient stuff out of it :)...

Best,
jingo

Great jam Bruno! Thanks for sharing.

Great stuff as usual, Mowse. I too am really enjoying having Nautilus in the rack. I finally found something to be a viable alternative to Mimeophon for cool delay based effects, but clearly Nautilus offers more delicious weirdness. FXAid Pro and Chronoblob are good, but not as good. Thanks for sharing.

Hi all,

I've been dipping my toes into modular for about a year and a half now, and am starting to think about expanding into a serious system. I've been eyeing the Case from Lake resealable 15u 126 hp model (https://www.casefromlake.com/product-page/15u-126-hp-84-104-or-other-eurorack-portable-case-powered-patched-resealable) as being sufficient for me to build a rack without too many sacrifices (no harm in dreaming big and pretending I have the funds). I put together the linked rack to see if this is the direction I want to head.

Goals of the rack:
1) Be interactive and playable.
2) Able to perform hands-off generative music.
3) Be a versatile multi-voice instrument with lots of sound mangling possibilities.
4) Be self-contained when needed, and able to connect with external gear as needed.

Planning the rack:
1) Making it interactive - I figured the "playing surface" would be the outside perimeter (rows 1 and 5 and the exteriors of the inner rows), as the inner rows would hard to access once patched. I added joysticks and some macro-controllers, and placed the more wiggle-able modules on the perimeter o make it more playable.
2) Grouping by function - I have a general pattern starting with sequencers and midi in the bottom left, moving up to inputs and drums and then triggers and gates and randomness in the center. Above that are modulators and then the voices on the top left. Moving to the top right, there are audio manipulators, below that are envelopes and the like. The center right will be the main output area, with mixers and effects and such. The bottom right has more modulators and other interactive modules. Utilities are sprinkled throughout.

Questions:
1) Am I thinking along the right track for an instrument that will meet my goals?
2) Am I missing anything important, or are there better/more available modules for the job?
3) Are there redundancies and modules I can remove to reclaim hp?
4) Do you have suggestions on other ways to organize the rack to make it a coherent and playable instrument?

Thanks a bunch everyone!

Excellent! I love this kind of thing. Starlab sounds super lush here. Thanks for sharing.

hello
i am wondering if we can use the time warp module as a shuffle generator by sending a trigger in the input and have different value of swing by turning the corresponding rate knob?

thank you
-- croute

It would be very cumbersome to do this as time warp is a slew, not a gate delay. There are some great gate delay modules out there that would be a better fit for this. In theory, if you were using long enough gates for the clock signal, not triggers, you could slew the voltage so it doesn't cross the gate threshold (2.3V for Schmitt Trig inputs), but it would not be exact at all, and tough to nail.

Hello,
I'm in the process of configuring my first modular synth. Music should go in the direction of ambient. Is my module selection right for the planned purpose or totally wrong? Are modules missing or can some be removed? I would be very happy about help.
QWERTZ

EDITED Oct 26th 2022, 14:13

I got my first rack, in the end went with 2 Mantis cases. Have some free space left for eventual expansion. I followed general advice on voice structure of @Lugia - but got some extras and things to play with. There's plenty of modulation sources, maybe only thing missing is the lfo's, but I can achieve that with Endorphin.es Shuttle Control (with macbook). I also have the Erica Synths Matrix Mixer on the side, which is a 16 x 16 audio/cv mixer, which allows me to copy sound channels or cv channels.
I have already my first patch and it sounds great! Thank you generous people for helping with this, it's going to be a great time!

EDITED Oct 26th 2022, 13:24

Simple fix: Name it "Pedals and more". I'm Looking through the new uploads right now and really getting a lot of inspiration and want to build some of my Hardware setups (which combine "pedals and more"). This plus some patch cables is even a lot more usable to me than patching on a modular synth setup.

This looks familiar ;-)

Thanks for the advice. Good to know about the sequencers. Will probably keep them for now and see how much use I'm getting from them before making any decisions to sell.

As for the mixer, would I not be able to use the A-138s, Quad VCA and Listen 1/4 for mixing if needed? I'm only playing around with possible expansion ideas and definitely want to focus on utility modules next. If I were to get the A-138s, Maths, Mult and either the O/A/x2 or 3x MIA next, that should be enough to open up more possibilities and keep me busy for a while, no?

One of our local stores has a WMD Toolbox and Overseer on pre-order, but I have heard they're being discontinued, so not sure if it's an error on their site or not. What would you recommend instead of these if I'm not able to source them? I'm not phased about the black Maths either. I'd probably just get the regular one and a custom faceplate if I wanted to go black - was just playing around with potential colour options.

I'm still very much in the learning phase, so I definitely don't want to go all out and would prefer to just pick a few utility modules that will give me enough freedom to experiment while learning.

Hi all,

I am going to acquire this module and I would like to know if anyone around here uses it or has used it, to know their impressions.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/future-sound-systems-fil-1-convulsion-generator
Thank you,

A OTA Filter from AI Synthesis. Good quality and pretty quick build, as I’ve found with their other modules.
Nice sounding, though you’ll want to tweak the resonance (with the installed trimmer) to get it to bite where you want it to bite.
Good mod control, you’ll see me using both an LFO and an ADSR to spice things up. Test section went a little long as I was having fun playing with it.

Build

I think all the desktop devices like the small synths make kind of sense and we think we should keep the modular user in focus with all his gear. That user does not stomp on the pedals but has them sitting on the table next to his sequencer and drum machine.

Exactly! I've made many setups that incorporate both pedals and other devices like small mixers, synths, power conditioners, patch bays, clocks, recording devices, etc. and often are built onto actual PedalTrain pedalboards (or sometimes into rack cases). A majority of the time these will sit on a table/desk and are operated by hand.

It would be very helpful to be able to rotate modules 90 and 270 degrees to be placed into 1U rows! I have one custom case in particular that has two approximate 2U sections that is a pain to keep updated in MG because I have to take the time to photo edit custom images for custom modules and then do manual calculations for the power requirements of all modules in the section. It's particularly difficult to get modules that are split across two 1u sections to look right! 😅

It would be very helpful to be able to rotate modules 90 and 270 degrees to be placed into 1U rows! I have one custom case in particular that has two approximate 2U sections that is a pain to keep updated in MG because I have to take the time to photo edit custom images for custom modules and then do manual calculations for the power requirements of all modules in the section. It's particularly difficult to get modules that are split across two 1u sections to look right! 😅

It would be very helpful to be able to rotate modules 90 and 270 degrees to be placed into 1U rows! I have one custom case in particular that has two approximate 2U sections that is a pain to keep updated in MG because I have to take the time to photo edit custom images for custom modules and then do manual calculations for the power requirements of all modules in the section. It's particularly difficult to get modules that are split across two 1u sections to look right! 😅

Agreed! I was just searching this subject. I don't want to change a bunch of other peoples racks just because I want the non-standard knobs on my module to be represented in my ModularGrid rack. I "could" create a separate hidden module but it seems a waste of time and server space. hmmm, maybe I'll upload my panel version, and then right away upload a copy of the current panel version?

Maybe a check box next to the panel image upload button the is labeled "Make This Image The Default?" or a popup prompt etc would be good?

EDITED Oct 25th 2022, 09:21