I would lose one or two of the sound sources and opt for a powerful sequencer like metropolix or ornament & crime. And more VCAs.
https://www.signalsounds.com/error-instruments-indian-resonator-drum-oscillator-eurorack-module
I'll only mess something up if I try.
Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.
Yes, absolutely. You have a lot of sound sources but what are you going to do with them? I don't know what those Moogs are capable of, but vcas are always good. Mixers, lfos, envelopes,... And watch out with the 2hp modules - they are extremely small! I have one module with such a small knob and it's very difficult to use. And on mine, there's plenty of space around it! You have two next to each other...
I'm no expert as I have only been doing the modular thing for a few years, but I would say it needs more VCAs.
Can everyone roast my rack? Jokes aside I'm looking for some advice. This is the first Eurorack case I'm building for myself for Songwriting/recording and Sound Design. Right now I own a DFAM, Subharmonicon, a few volcas and a bunch of Mutable Instruments modules and I'm ready to go deeper into modular. Please advise!! Thanks!!!
I'm fairly certain the only one who really knows is Emilie...
discontinued means that the last production batch has been shipped, so there should still be stock in stores for a while... maybe...
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
Liberty is a compilation of modern experimental electronic music from Ukrainian musicians, created during the military aggression of Russia against Ukraine. With this release the artists want to emphasize the importance of art and the unity of people during the war, as well as their support for the army who are bravely fighting for the motherland!
This is a fundraiser, all profits will go to charities and support of Ukraine.
Genres: ambient, experimental, drone, idm, modular
Gear and soft: eurorack modular, soma lyra, max msp, ableton, etc
https://flamingpines.bandcamp.com/album/liberty
upload the photo & then copy and paste the url...
but a link to your public modulargrid rack is just as good if not better (again copy and paste url)
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
I'm trying to share the rack I'm building. How do I post a photo on here?
I'm probably gonna go with marbles and beads for my next modules followed by another modulation source and VCAs. I'm also starting to consider a disting mk4 or the disting ex to get some more flexibility.
-- CharlyD
Seems like a solid move!
Enjoy yourself!
Hey I‘ve just come back to MG after a while and noticed that a few fairly recent Mutable Modules have been discontinued, notably Marbles and Shades 2020 Version.
I knew this had been coming but it seems so soon. So does anyone have any concrete Information by when all of the Modules will be phased out?
I guess it‘s time to start collecting. Would rather not pay 600€ for Factory Marbles in 5 Years time.
Thanks Lugia and Cangore for the suggested systems!
I think I got a better understanding of what I really need and what I could probably skip.
I'm probably gonna go with marbles and beads for my next modules followed by another modulation source and VCAs. I'm also starting to consider a disting mk4 or the disting ex to get some more flexibility.
Thanks again for the massive help everyone!
Nice! Hope you enjoy. Everbody always talks about Plaits, but Tides is kind of underapreciated in general I feel. And therefore comparatively cheap on the used market. I guess a lot of people never even try it as a Sound Source. Think I‘ve read somewhere on the Mutable Forums it‘s Emilie‘s favourite Module even, but I might be mistaken.
Cool! Tides is easily one of the most neglected modules I have - you've convinced me I need to spend some more time with it!
That looks fun! Do you primarily use Tides as a sound source in this case?
-- Chace
Yes I do! I designed the Case around Tides as a VCO and all the fun things it does - Waveshaping, kind of Wavetable, PLL, Chords, sort of Supersaw, Four detunes Osc., Phasemod etc..
Heaps of fun and sounds glorious on its own or modulating the Analog VCO.
That looks fun! Do you primarily use Tides as a sound source in this case?
I like the DB-01 a lot; it's great fun all by itself. I don't think you need the Pexp-1 just for that; the DB-01 is based on a Eurorack module, and takes clock in (just a regular Pam's channel), as well as pitch, gate, and filter CV in. Its output is hot enough for Eurorack and doesn't need boosting, if you want to take the signal back into the rack. I don't have experience with the other things you mentioned, though people seem to like the Beebo a lot.
-- plragde
NICE!!! Just sent one email for a refund of the PEPX1, hope they return without any hassle.
This thing is a miracle. Does what it says on the tin, got the BeatStep Pro tight and starting bang on the first step
Also had a go at this, not du discredit Lugia, but thinking that you maybe already own the case, just for fun, had some free time on my hands.
Might elaborate on it a little if you wish and I have a few more Minutes spare time:
Edit:
just noticed Lugia also used 84hp 6u, sorry, guess just another opinion then…
Best
Chris
Hey All,
Went on a hiatus and did not buy any new modules for a while but came back just in time to get a Beads.
Might be a little big for the case, yet I figured, since FX Aid is nearly impossible to get right now, this will do fine.
So here‘s V3 of the Music Weasel:
Still love this little box, but felt like talking about it again anyhow,
Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Best
Chris
Chords and polyphony in this build size just ain't happening. You could get a psuedo-chord memory-ish thing going with a few oscillators, but you can't possibly jam everything needed into a cab even twice this size. Or rather, you COULD...but the resulting control surface would be a nightmare!
I would suggest not looking at "voices" here. Instead, treat the entire thing as a "voice" of its own sort in amongst the rest of your production. Also, redundancy isn't a bad thing...it just depends on which modules you're talking about. 2-3 VCOs = good. 2-3 filters = OK. 2-3 Marbles = don't do that. Anything that you can detune or tamper with works nicely here (hence the multiple VCO suggestion). But in the end, systems like this are best for creating the "backdrop" for tracks...the atmospherics and such that "glue" a production together.
So...I banged around with this for a bit, see what you think. The idea here was to fill the cab out with supporting modules, and in the process a couple of the top row modules got bumped, mainly due to the picks being less useful than...well, have a look:
TOP: With the exception of the Ochd at the left end (that was where it had to go), this is all audio. Two Plaits, for the reason mentioned above. Then I added a Veils for VCA control over the oscillator outs, which is also useful in that the module's mixbus can be "broken" into 1 + 3 or 2 + 2 configurations, depending on what you're cooking up. This then has a choice of VCFs: either the Ripples clone or the Rings clone. Or run one into the other. No real rules on that. The VCFs sum via the Doepfer mixer, then this feeds the LEFT in on the Beads, which can generate a stereo result from a mono input. And that stereo goes out to the Befaco OUT, which has your isolated 1/4" outputs plus your headphone preamp and your overall stereo output level.
BOTTOM: First up, better MIDI interface that still takes MIDI and USB, but has a more comprehensive feature set AND less depth than the original Doepfer module. Then Pam's. Pam's lets you tamper with overlapping gates and such, which is why the Deep Thought is after this to provide alternate clocking signals, etc derived from Boolean operators working with the overlapping gate functions. Then Marbles, which is a primary "generative" device that can work on/with random inputs, ordering those into coherent CV streams. Maths follows, then a Frap 321 and a Doepfer A-130-2 dual VCA so that you have the ability to mix, modify, and level control your modulation signals. Then I put in a Zadar as the primary EG; no room for the Nin expander, but that should be OK here. Then a 1 hp blank followed by a KonstantLabs PWRchekr which lets you see the health of your DC rails.
By splitting the row functions, this gives you a very clear left-to-right flow for your audio path. Then modulation signals can come up from the lower row to affect that. Very clean, easy to sort out...which should be the way you WANT this to turn out. True, this might be better done in a 2 x 104 hp cab like a Mantis, but for right now...and since you've apparently got some hardware already, let's see how this feels.
I like the DB-01 a lot; it's great fun all by itself. I don't think you need the Pexp-1 just for that; the DB-01 is based on a Eurorack module, and takes clock in (just a regular Pam's channel), as well as pitch, gate, and filter CV in. Its output is hot enough for Eurorack and doesn't need boosting, if you want to take the signal back into the rack. I don't have experience with the other things you mentioned, though people seem to like the Beebo a lot.
+1 on that Trogotronic P/S. It might be spendy, but it's capable of powering a HUGE system...or a small one with very little load and, ergo, little heat due to the load vs. capacity. You could easily power several rows of 104 hp with that!
Hi guys,
I just made another buy spree, bought a Poly effects Beebo, an Erica synth DB-01, a Midi breakout (to use with the ES9), a PEPX1 (to sync the DB01), a Launch control XL and a Joranalogue Receive 2 (for a mic).
The idea was to build a section just like a regular interface, so I'll be able to program midi synths (via ableton and push2) with the breakout, input a mic or whatever with the receive 2 and sync everything with the PEPX1. Besides that use the Launch control XL to MIX the albeton grid.
The Beebo will be the core effects and the guitar processor, it has 4 ins and 4 outs, can be used for 4 mono or 2 stereos (bought the Y cables to connect everything). I love the 303 kind of bass sound (I'm using the vst for long time), so de db01 can do that and more, besides the fact that I enjoyed the sequence possibilities.
What you guys think? I think I can return for credit if I made a bad decision. Looking now, I have too much modulation (3 from the multi LFO and a bunch with the Pamelas), I'll suffer with VCAs probably?? I feel that 1 VCF is too little too.
I was thinking in left the 28 HP empty for the future, to be honest I bought a lot of things with too many manuals and menu diving...
Man i have more money on this than sense... god!! To make the situation worse, i work with Biochemistry, don't even make money with this. Writing all that was pure suffering hahahahaha
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1861530.jpg?1650589206
They’re in Australia actually.
Tho' I liked it in pink.. But I was looking for black plates for the Antidote of the same brand before to finally sold it here! Thanks for the link, I will check what they do (brands/modules). Oops, they are in Canada, can't order there from EU (taxes etc..).
Doesn't have to be!
https://www.facebook.com/audioparasites/photos/pcb.1001852220419845/1001851137086620/
I've ordered from these guys, their plates are killer.
-- murmurant
good value :
- Ataxia (but it's pink)
-- -ADR-
Doesn't have to be!
https://www.facebook.com/audioparasites/photos/pcb.1001852220419845/1001851137086620/
I've ordered from these guys, their plates are killer.
my tastes went to
EG
- Peaks (it does a lot and is great to work with, shapes are a bit different than most EG).
- Delta V (fully featured, with VCA and Slew)
- FEG (price, fast, loopable, inverted output)
good value :
VCA
- Tallin of XAOC for how many differents "colors" it can bring and the 2 curves av. on each section.
Erica Synths has a series of educational modules for learning about electronic music generation. I’ll be doing all three, and we start with their EDU oscillator. Even if you don’t buy the kit, I recommend you download the user manual, it’s a great practical guide to electronics in music.
Erica VCO build
Thanks for the fast replies!
Yeah I wasn't really sure if the quantizer is really needed or not. Also, would it make sense to get marbles and the ornament & crime? They could both be used to generate random sequenzes in kind of a similar matter from what I understood.
I am also not sure about pams. Would I really need a master clock or are there other functions it has that make it so attractive?
-- CharlyD
Pams can also quantize external 2 channels as well as as many internal random melodies as you'd want
'overlap' or 'redundancy' is not a bad thing in modular - especially with multifunction modules - which these are to a greater or lesser extent... you can only get O&C to do 1 or 2 things at once (with hemispheres)
don't know if O&C can be used as a clock as I don't have one and have only skimmed the manual for hemispheres - but it has a lot more functionality that you might want on top of what both Pams and Marbles can do...
Marbles can work as a master clock - just mult the t2 output... and use your ears for setting the clock speed - and it can also act as a clock divider...
Pams can do a lot of things, but it's very easy to run out of channels very quickly - especially if you are using it primarily as a clock divider and then modulation and generative melodies (but that can be said for all of these)
probably all 3 are overkill in this size case - think about what you want them for and remove 1 or 2 - for me it would be O&C - but that's probably because I have Marbles and Pams - but in a much bigger case (think 8ish * the size)
I'd get one first and then once you know your way round that consider one of the others too - you my find that in a small case, with only 2-3 voices and no percussion, such as this, that one is enough
if you primarily want a clock and generative melodies, gates that match notes and a random source - then Marbles first, if you primarily want a clock and synced trigger, gates and modulation - then Pams first, if you want lots of different things to play with 1 or 2 at a time - then O&C first, etc etc
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
Thanks for the fast replies!
Yeah I wasn't really sure if the quantizer is really needed or not. Also, would it make sense to get marbles and the ornament & crime? They could both be used to generate random sequenzes in kind of a similar matter from what I understood.
I am also not sure about pams. Would I really need a master clock or are there other functions it has that make it so attractive?
Not sure if you need the quantizer, marbles sends out quantized cv, and I think Pams does as well? But there are also smaller quantizers available to save space.
VCAs, while not 100% for audio in this set up, with the built in aspect of plaits and rings, are still valuable for modulation.
Using an LFO to control volume for long cross fades, etc.
2 voices (3 at most) seems about right in this size case - any more and there's not enough room for the support modules that are needed to make the most of them - see my signature!
right now I'd buy beads of all the granular type modules - sooner or later they will be gone...
the quantizer looks superfluous to me - your midi->cv output(s) will be quantized already as are those from Marbles...
a decent reverb and delay will go a long way
if you want chords - either be prepared to have a really crappy way of sequencing them (you have this already in plaits) - or for it to cost a lot (especially if you want to have everything stay in key) and take up a lot more space than is free in this small case - or just get a cheapish polysynth along side the modular
more modulation (something that can go really slow - zadar for example), more utilities (especially vcas - veils is great and possibly a sample and hold), maybe a filter or 2, maybe a matrix mixer (or 2) for combining modulation sources and using as send/return for the effects etc
patching advice - send outputs to inputs - download the 'maths illustrated supplement' (if you haven't) it's a good jumping off point for Maths
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
Hello Everyone!
I'm fairly new to the world of modular and need your advice for the generative ambient rack I want to build. This is my current setup:
The modules on the upper row are the ones I already own and the ones on the bottom row are modules I was thinking might be worth getting.
So far I used the A-190 to send a random sequence from ableton into the rack and some FXs Plug-Ins to make up for the current lack of Reverb, etc. in my system.
I definetly want to have at least two voices, but I am not entirely sure if I want to be able to use chords or not and if I do, then I'm not sure about the options i got. I also really love the sound of granular textures so I am planning to get either the Monsoon or Beads. I also found the Arbhar from Intstruo, but I'm not entirely sure if it would be worth getting considering the price difference compared to the other granular processors.
The only real restrictions I have are the size of the case and the power supply, which can do a max of 2800mA on +12V and 500mA on -12V. Modules that are kinda heavy on the -12V side are maybe not an option because of that.
I really need some suggestions and recommendations for generative ambient essentials, modules and maybe even some patch ideas! If you can recommend another forum thread that already talked about this topic that would also be great!
Thanks in advance!
have you tried checking the include other/unknown option? I found 2 2hp modules that match the description TelexN and TelexB very quickly this way!
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
I keep on hard refreshing (Ctrl-F5) both the rack page and the screenshot image page, but nothing is resulting in a capture of the current state of the rack.
-- sibilantI think that might be Shift-F5 (perhaps also CTRL-R) in Chrome, which for me does refresh "screenshots" when they're not updating. Perhaps try it in Command Centre view first, also the "refresh" pop-up button that appears when you mouse-over the layouts in Command Centre View.
-- AndyQ
It is Ctrl-F5, but more importantly thank you because going to the Command Centre view helped. Now the view has been updated. Much appreciated!
Thanks, everyone, for your feedback :)
@Arrandan yep, the hats came out a little too harsh, so I have made a new mixdown as this piece will be on my next release. Thank again!
I am inspired by birth, death and the events inbetween.
I keep on hard refreshing (Ctrl-F5) both the rack page and the screenshot image page, but nothing is resulting in a capture of the current state of the rack.
-- sibilant
I think that might be Shift-F5 (perhaps also CTRL-R) in Chrome, which for me does refresh "screenshots" when they're not updating. Perhaps try it in Command Centre view first, also the "refresh" pop-up button that appears when you mouse-over the layouts in Command Centre View.
Nice one! It starts with a sound that I have also been using, but then changes into this bleepy-bloopy jungley thing that at once is quite typical for trackers, yet not cliche. Quite entertaining to listen to!
There is an interesting discussion about having a musical vision on gearspace which got me thinking (I hope it's ok to cross-post to other forums). I created this track about a breakdown I had 10 years ago, when I was stuck and saw no way out. It's the first time I started with the vision first and applied musical ideas to convey it. Listening back after a good night's rest, I can find several issues. But it conveys what I wanted, which isn't bad for a one-track-per-day track. Patch info in the video description with a summary in the subtitles.
Very nice indeed. Very atmospheric. The high hats are a bit sharp on my speakers, but I'm really nitpicking!
I have a new bug report. I have been trying for over 24 hours to get a refreshed screenshot image of one of my current racks, but the link to the image keeps showing a state of the rack from over a week ago.
I keep on hard refreshing (Ctrl-F5) both the rack page and the screenshot image page, but nothing is resulting in a capture of the current state of the rack.
Ah ... brings back memories of when I started in ... "84 HP is going to be plenty!" Such innocent times. The best financial advice you can give someone getting into euro is probably "don't do it!"
Glad the rack is working out though. It does become an obsession, and I often wish I could go back to when I started to emphasize a few things, most of which has already been said and some of which it sounds like you're beyond at this point, but just to add my version of agreement(s):
Beyond that, the usual stuff that's easy to forget or not see the value of: offsets and attenuators, inverters and polarizers, mixers (both DC and AC), VCAs, and lots of mults.
I have three -- maybe four if we count a Patching Panda Punch. A 4MS PEG, a Make Noise Maths, and a Velectronic AEnvelope. I also briefly used a Befaco Rampage, but had the option to keep that or the PEG, and chose the PEG because it seemed a little clearer and I liked the layout better.
The Maths I picked up pretty recently and am still warming up to it. It's perfectly fine and I like it.
But as a general EG that gets talked about less, I've always really loved and still love my 4MS PEG. It has a lot of overlap with the Maths, but has its own depth, and it's a much more intuitive, clearly-laid-out, easy-to-get-into module. For me the Maths definitely doesn't replace it, but does offer a different (if somewhat more convoluted) take on similar functionality. You can probably go a little deeper with Maths due to the inclusion of the OR/SUM/INV section, the 4 available channels, and the inclusion of onboard voltage offsets. But then again, the fact the PEG has a pair of onboard quantized clock multiplier/dividers has always been a pretty great feature, to me, particularly if you have a QCD, which the PEG will sync to without any patching if it's on the same bus. There's also more variety to the curve shapes you can apply to the envelopes of the PEG, and either channel can be independently selected to be unipolar or bipolar, with an additional unipolar +5V out dupe. And while the PEG retails for more than the Maths, secondhand you can often get them cheaper than Maths.
I think a Zadar could be super interesting, but I feel like I wouldn't get on with its digital, menu-driven nature. I did some of that with an O&C and never cared for it much, though I'm sure the Zadar can do way more. Where the Maths seems kind of opaque until you get used to it, the Zadar seems too menu-reliant. (Just for my own taste -- I've never used one, so I'm not sure, and Xaoc makes some good stuff). If your primary concern is being able to create very specific envelope shapes straight from the module, and you don't mind little menus, Zadar is probably a good pick. Coming back to the PEG again, though, I really like the balance it strikes between being (relatively) easy to "read" (and thus patch/manipulate), while still being primarily tactile and knob-driven. The Maths I have to kind of pump myself up to utilize, at least right now as I'm still getting to know it, where the PEG I've always just immediately and intuitively reached for. If I didn't have a DATA to better visualize what Maths was outputting, I don't think I'd be too crazy about it. It helps with the PEG too -- a DATA is great all around to have, really -- but doubly so with Maths.
And as for the AEnvelope by Velectronic, I absolutely love that thing, too. It's kinda niche, fairly expensive, and not unlike Maths, takes a bit of work (and tutorial viewing) to get your head around -- but once it all clicks into place and you get the feel of using it, it's really great. It's actually pretty easy to use once you walk through its features, and I don't feel the need to pipe it through my DATA as much as the others -- it's just a little intimidating at first blush. My only nitpick really would be that I always find myself wishing the second row of outputs were inverted or polarized outs -- that would make them more useful to me. But it's a minor quibble. And aesthetically speaking, there's no contest, it's a truly beautifully designed module.
And while we're talking ADSRs, I also had a Doepfer A-141-2v that I've always vaguely regretted selling. It only offers one envelope, which in my experience wasn't the snappiest in the world, but you get a lot of control over that envelope, with some interesting self-patching options. It was actually pretty interesting as a weird oscillator when self-patched. I've tried that with my PEG as well, but I feel like the Doepfer rolled with the audio-rate abuse a little better than the PEG does, you could really get it to sound like its own voice. I imagine like other Doepfer ADSRs you can get these fairly cheap, I know I sold mine at a pretty big loss secondhand, which is one of the reasons I regret selling it. And while I've never used them, the Doepfer A-140-2 and A-143-2 both seem like tremendously good values relatively to what you can get them for secondhand (or even firsthand, really).
I can also recommend the Soundforce Dual ADSR, which was what my AEnvelope replaced. I'm 100% happy with my choice, but the Soundforce was perfect while I had it -- nothing too fancy too it, but always absolutely clear at a glance with its dual slider set, good responsive envelopes, good support from the company. It's a bit big for what it does, but if space isn't at a premium and you just want something useful and easy, it fits that bill nicely.
Ah THAT thing ;-)
One thing that immediately put me off was the fact that the 2mm banana connectors do not fully insert into the jacks.
I can't help but figure how I snap those with my elbow. That's only me of course.
Here is a long talk from Hainbach with Prof. Bernd Ulmann, one of the project's initiators, and Hans Kulk of Willem Twee Studios. FF to 10:30 for appearance of the guests.
