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Hi GarfieldModular,

Thank you for your valuable feedback, you helped me a lot! :). And thank you for spending time on open questions, I appreciate it. I'll contact you in PM

Leszek

Just in case this would save you a few HP https://zlobmodular.com/product/vnicursal-vca/ even if it does look a little like turning those knobs may summon the evil hoards!

Hi Lugia & Garfieldmodular

Thank you both very much for taking the time to respond. Your inputs are so valuable to me.
Thanks for clarifying the mult purpose, i have a better idea now.
As for the vca, yes i am taking this in account for my ongoing build. Having read on this (unless i misunderstood) i picture vca as the equivalent of automations in a DAW, create variations which if i picture right i feel is indeed necessary to bring a rack to life with ‘movements’

On note, I am considering the intellijel quad vca, but must do a bit of research as i would like to maximise hp size vs functionality.
But are there any brands that you would recommend over intellijel? Size?

Yes Lugia you are 100% right in respect to what work for some might not for others. So i am definitely taking the time to learn the few modules i am getting .
Unfortunately i do not have dealers with showroom in the country i am living in..my only way is using vcv!

As for the mixers, the only thing i can think of is size constraints.. but not the builder so it’s just a guess.

Thank you again for taking the time to respond and provide your thoughts on this topic, it does help me a lot!

Hi GregSilvia / Jays,

Well about those mixers that was exactly my point, I don't understand it, so for me, if it would be my rack, it would not be okay. But for the original designer of this rack it's most probably okay. Since I haven't designed that rack, I really can't tell you why those particular mixer modules are in there.

That's exactly one of my points why you shouldn't take somebody's rack design and start with that because you/me/we just don't know what were the thoughts, the ideas and the design principles behind that to come with the rack just like that.

On the other hand there is nothing against it to use somebody's rack and take that as a starting point but I doubt if that's the road you should go. It's up to you of course but I wouldn't do it like that :-)

Please keep in mind the good advice of Lugia as well, he got a few very good points there.

Try to discover for yourself what you want and need. Did you went to a dealer and tried out a few modules, testing them, playing with them? If yes that should give you already a rough indication of where you would like to head at, if you haven't yet, I would strongly advice to go to your (future) dealer and play a bit around with a few modules. Just to get the first practice, experience and impressions and then I think it becomes already a bit easier and clearer where to go along this modular path.

Good luck and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Lutzek,

I filled in your survey and if you have questions or like to discuss something you can do that either here or send me a private message.

Good luck with your interesting project, keep us up to date with your results (as soon as you got a first module, please introduce it here) and kind regards, Garfield Modular.

Finally, justice prevails. Refunded today. Paypal covered it. Took almost a month and 3 calls. (Paypal's customer service is pretty good).

I hope Paypal sues his PoS ass.

The scammer's supposed name is Ahn Durr, username ambientandambience.

And of course he left me bad feedback...

Case closed

EDITED Feb 7th 2020, 23:10

Buffered mults are more like "insurance" these days. They exist because, in past designs, there could be a certain amount of "voltage sag". Much of this was due to bad exponential converter design and/or lower-quality components, but these days many designers have front ends on their fixed CV conversion that minimizes this issue. But notice I said "minimizes"...it doesn't 100% fix it, as you can pile enough destinations for CVs onto the same CV bus that the destination modules will mistrack just like the "bad old days".

Rule of thumb: if you're splitting a CV with a mult that then goes to more than four other modules, you're probably better off using a buffered mult. Even if all of the modules on that bus have really good CV sag figures, if you stack enough of them on that one CV, you'll still be subject to sag eventually.

As for the VCAs...OK, sure, that one user in their YT video doesn't really have them in evidence. And while that approach might work for THEM, it's probably not a good idea. It sounds fine in this example, but let's say you wanted to do something that required both VCA control over audio levels AND over modulation levels. Now you have a problem. It might be nice for some synthesists to have a dedicated cab for a specific sound production method, but the vast majority of us don't have that luxury, and so we recognize that you have to have bread-and-butter modules such as VCAs for the times you might want them. And they are QUITE necessary...boring, yes, but essential. Building a rig without VCAs because they're "boring" and nowhere as snazzy as all those other modules with the blinkylights is sort of akin to building a car without a radiator. Radiators are boring, they just dissipate heat...but just try driving a car that doesn't have one but which does have a water cooled engine. You won't be going very far.

And a word about YouTube as a method of learning modular synthesis...

It needs to be said that there are a few synthesists on YT who absolutely know what they're doing. 100%. But like any other source of information on the Internet, there's also a lot of utter BS and nonsense out there, plus a lot of stuff that's sort of misleading. And this is a case of the latter; clearly, whoever is in the clip is experienced...and what they're using works for their purposes. But this DOES NOT mean that a copy of their rig will be something usable in the hands of someone beginning with modular synths. They have an approach that works, but it's not one that will result in a modular rig that's usable across a wide range of uses.

So, unless you like blowing through a lot of money and experiencing plenty of frustration, it's essential to be very careful about what sources of info are ones that'll work for your specific situation. A much better approach would be to look at a number of builds by a lot of different synthesists and see what elements you encounter that work for you and those which are dead-ends. And one of the biggest dead-ends is to copy a user's bespoke device, built for their techniques and methods alone. Those builds might make for showy YT clips, but they don't help beginning modular users.

For pitch CV it is suggested to use buffered mult but I never noticed a difference using tiptop stackable for splitting pitch cv.

Patching a clock generator into Steppy would work as far as syncing Steppy to a clock. But you have to understand what type of sequencer Steppy actually is. It sends out triggers/gates. Triggers and gates serve very well for percussion or triggering envelope generators. But they contain no information about pitch.

So you would need a sequencer that sends out both triggers/gates AND pitch (CV). Steppy can be part of a note generating set-up... like triggering a sample-and-hold circuit being fed an LFO or random source and then maybe into a quantizer. But that's a little bit beyond the scope of someone coming in at entry level.

I don't want to recommend anything at this point as I don't know what would suit your needs. What a rack needs to function depends on exactly what you want to do with it... which is always debatable.

But in VCV Rack, I would start with:
2 VCOs
1 filter (usually low-pass)
2 ADSRs
2 dual VCA modules (4 VCAs total)
2 Mixers
1 LFO
1 Noise Generator (white, pink)
1 8 or 16 step sequencer
and of course the output module so you can hear it.

Not every patch is going to use all of the things listed. But that's a very basic traditional monosynth set-up. You can get into other module types from there and see what you like as you learn.

Thanks for the reply, you pretty much told me everything I needed. Yes indeed, I have a long way to go in learning about modular synthesis. Basically all I’ve looked into is tiny setups and see what they say is absolutely needed. Unfortunately I still lack the basic knowledge to know what would be needed for me. My thought was it would be easier going hands on and learning the intricacies by using it, after I have acquired all the necessary components. The problem is I’m having a hard time finding out what is exactly necessary for a rack to function. I really appreciate the suggestion about VCV rack though, that may be exactly what I need.

Still actually getting the hardware is a long ways off. I just wanted to see where I was at with my current knowledge and which direction I need to go in learning more. I definitely don’t want to end up with something that will disappoint.

I planned to patch the Solum into the Steppy to trigger that, would that not work? And my biggest concern is you’re saying this setup can’t even produce musical notes on its own? I was hoping Plaits would be the only sound generation I need but I may have misunderstood it’s function. So I should look more into basic wave oscillators and find ways to control pitch as well.

Thanks for the advice, The research continues.

To Expand Moog Grandmother...

01A: MIXED VOICE PLAY OVER TEXTURE LOOP
Arbhar with Phone recordings through Mimeophon
Plaits into Grandmother with grandmother keys
Reverb possible with Disting

01B: TWO VOICE PLAY AND SEQUENCE OVER TEXTURE LOOP
Same as 01A, but Plaits with sequencer and Grandmother with keys
Pre-mix Plaits and Grandmother with Disting

01C: DRUMS (AND PLAY) OVER TEXTURE LOOP
Same as 01A or 01B, except drums with Plaits
Pre-mix Plaits and Grandmother with Disting

02A-C: PLAY/DRUMS DELAY/GLITCH OVER TEXTURE
Same as 01A - 01C, except Plaits/Grandmother through Mimeophon

03A: PLAY OVER TEXTURE DRUMS
Arbhar with Phone recordings to make texture drums
Plaits into Grandmother with Grandmother keys
Either channel into Mimeophon

03B: TWO VOICE PLAY OVER TEXTURE DRUMS
Same as 03B, but Plaits with sequencer and Grandmother with keys
Pre-mix Plaits and Grandmother with Disting

03C: DOUBLE DRUMS WITH GLITCH
Arbhar with Phone recordings to make texture drums
Drums with Plaits
Everything into Mimeophon for glitch, pre-mix in Disting or send L/R

04A: ALL BUS INTO MIMEOPHON LOOPER
Plaits into Grandmother into Arbhar into Mimeophon as looper
Either build Arbhar textures with Plaits/Grandmother and play wet/dry
Or play wet/dry over pre-buffered Phone input

04B: TWO VOICES INTO MIMEOPHON LOOPER
Plaits into Grandmother into pre-mix with Disting
Arbhar (mono) with Phone recordings into pre-mix with Disting
Disting into Mimeophon as looper

05A: FEEDBACK AMBIENT
Arbhar Microphone input or pre-buffer anything
Send L of Arbhar to Mimeophon and R of Arbhar to Mix
Send L of Mimeophon to Mix and R of Mimeophon back to Arbhar

05B: FEEDBACK AMBIENT ALTERNATE (MONO)
Send Plaits through Grandmother into L of Mimeophon
Send L of Mimeophon into Arbhar (in Follow Mode)
Send L of Arbhar int R of Mimeophon
Send R of Mimeophon to Disting to pan, then to Mix
Plaits or Grandmother could alternatively be a separate input into Mix

Here's where I am currently landing with the Palette.

One of my goals with this setup is to have a flexible way to create rhythmic patterns with that fall somewhere between percussion and melodic content. Like a kick drum sound triggered in tandem with a grainy melodic one-shot sample at another pitch, and a third sound (say, a bell-like FM tone) coming from the VCO. The intention here is to be able to create a range of complex voices—with evolving envelopes, filtering, amplitudes, etc—i.e., 'sample fodder' for compositions I've got going in my DAW.

There are two main sound sources (macro oscillator and sampler), a VCF, and a 3 VCA mixer with overdrive. Plenty of hp dedicated to function generators and gates. I want to go deeper with fewer sound sources and have a lot of sound shaping choices available. And the MIDI to CV is in there to sync up with my desktop gear, VCV rack, etc. It would be fairly straightforward to put together simple patches that shift into more textural rhythmic territory, get droney, go percussive, and get melodic and/or arpeggiated.

I compromised a bit on FX, leaning on the MK4 for that, as well as some external gear. My semi-modular offers S&H / slew, noise, analog VCOs, BBD delay, so that will help round things out.

Let me know what you think, and thanks for looking.

EDITED Feb 7th 2020, 17:09

Hi Lou, the short answer is no.

Small cases are exponentially more difficult to get anything useful from unless you're experienced in modular and know exactly what you want and need.

Steppy is a gate sequencer and doesn't handle pitch. You'll be reliant on the uMIDI hooked up to a DAW to get any musical notes to this set-up.

I think the two weeks you spent will probably require a few more doing research. It feels like you've added modules you've seen in a video or two rather than learning the basics of functionality when it comes to modular synthesis. This isn't a judgment of you and your abilities. It just feels like you haven't gotten as much out of your research as you're really going to need.

My first thought is for you to download VCV Rack. It's a Eurorack emulator and it is free. Build some patches and some sounds with it. If you can get useful things that sound good to you out of it, you're in a position to begin putting together some hardware.

What you have here will more than likely disappoint you. In your research, you may also want to look at the pros and cons of a "synth-voice" as the starting blocks of a Eurorack build. Then supplementing it with additional modules.

Hey Defragmenteur
Question around the mult- following your example
“For example you could send the sine wave from a pamela channel to modulate Marbles Deja Vu and Rings Damping.”
Can the same result also be achieved with a multiplier such as this: or am i misunderstanding?

https://m.thomann.de/ie/black_market_modular_monomult_blue.htm?o=14&search=1581079950

Thank you your time & help

EDITED Feb 7th 2020, 12:58

Thanks defragmenteur.
I understand the need for vca, and previously watched the video you just posted. But looking at his rack in action here:

It feels like it’s doing just fine.. hence my original question.But again i have just started my journey into modular in the last few months so i could be missing something?

Will definitely check the quad.
in terms of mixer is there a more streamlined approach to take?

EDITED Feb 7th 2020, 07:51

Hello, my name is Leszek and I am electrical engineer. I would like to try to build my own modules, but in order not to copy the errors of others, I need to know something more about parameters of modules and how you use the synthesizer in general. Instead of asking you dozens of questions I decided to use google form and create a survey. That will help me to get overall point of view. So here I would like to ask if you could support me and complete this survey? If you would like to complete it quickly you can answer single / multiple choice questions – it will take you 5 minutes. There are also open questions but none of them is mandatory (however I would be grateful if you could answer at least some of them).

Here is a link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4PylOxbnZfGL30MV9hEhnnk5BvVfvmscXdBMuht6MM61Aeg/viewform?usp=sf_link

This is a link to google form, so it is safe.
To have reliable data, I need to have ~100 answers.
Thank you for your support!

EDITED Feb 7th 2020, 08:34

Hello all,

First of all, I’d like to say that I don’t know anything about modular synths. I’ve known about them for years but the high price tags have kept me away. But now I’ve decided to get into it and only been researching a couple weeks.

Anyway I would like to see this rack eventually become a reality but I would like some advice first. My main concern is, will it function as far as power consumption goes? I’m still not sure if the case has enough to sustain these modules because it is saying the USB port and the case itself is not meeting power consumption specs. Which doesn’t make sense to me because the 1U row is completely copied from someone else’s setup.
And secondly my concern is will it function as far as an instrument? Are there any redundant or conflicting modules that should be switched out? I would like to keep it as is if it is possible. As far as I can tell from my research, I have all the basic necessities. But would it be more important to add something like sample and hold for example? Also is the Doepfer A-138e necessary? I wanted a good mixer but if it needs to be toned down to a smaller one, I can downsize and drop the arpeggiator for something else. I went for Plaits as the main oscillator with a lot of modulation.
My goal with this thing is to have it as stand alone as possible, with minimal external hardware. Basically I just want to plug speakers in and go. Also I just want it to be a sound machine. Just the ability to make a wide variety of noise, sophistication is not a priority. Other than that, maybe plugging the guitar in for effects and other hardware I was considering is the Arturia Keystep or Beatstep Pro.

I appreciate any feedback or suggestions you may have.

Thanks

This is why I never buy used gear online without some sort of intermediary agency, such as eBay or Reverb. In those cases, if you wind up dealing with a "bad actor", the company in the middle can (usually!) sort things out.

The buffered mult will take a signal (audio or cv) and dispatch it without loss to 1 to 4 destinations. For example you could send the sine wave from a pamela channel to modulate Marbles Deja Vu and Rings Damping.

VCA control amplitude of a signal (audio or cv) thru a modulation source and you definitely need more than one. I suggest a quad mixing/cascading VCA like the intelligel Quad or MI Veils.

EDITED Feb 7th 2020, 00:25

I just picked up a Westlicht Performer. I really like how it works for live. I also have a 1010 Music Toolbox... I really don't like it for live work.

You might want to follow Ricky Tinez on Youtube regarding EDM and Eurorack performances. He floats between hardware gear (non-Eurorack) and Eurorack solutions. He might have some sage words of advice if you ask him. He's pretty good at responding to his Youtube comments.
-- Ronin1973

Thanks for the advice. I'll go find him on youtube.

I just picked up a Westlicht Performer. I really like how it works for live. I also have a 1010 Music Toolbox... I really don't like it for live work.

You might want to follow Ricky Tinez on Youtube regarding EDM and Eurorack performances. He floats between hardware gear (non-Eurorack) and Eurorack solutions. He might have some sage words of advice if you ask him. He's pretty good at responding to his Youtube comments.

Hi,

I've had my setup since July 2018 and currently have:
4ms Row Power 40
Piston Honda mk3
Double Andore mk1
Belgrad
Wasp Filter
3xmia
Erica Synths Bassline
Fusion VCA 2
Dual FX
Batumi & Poti
Pico Output

I like my rack alot but I'm looking to expand my rig with effects, utilities and signal processors. I think I could have a lot of fun with the modules I've researched. I currently use stackables as mults but don't mind getting a dedicated mult module.

Rack below. I currently use my rack for drones, stabs and weird noises. I currently make techno with my rack in conjunction with Digitakt, cv.ocd and Analog 4 mk2. I sequence my rack with A4 or Digitakt.

From my choice of new modules, I don't have another vco. I'm a bit on the fence about getting the Erica Synths Stereo Delay and could perhaps put that towards another oscillator e.g. Hertz Donut mk3 or Erica Synths Fusion vco 2. Or even a sampler or looper e.g. Morphagene or Tyme Sefari. I had also considered CV sequencers like the voltage block. The Retro Mechanical Labs module is big but I loved what I heard from youtube. My bench space is quite limited at the moment so would prefer the rack version. Also I could use it with my Digitakt or A4. I have also considered the Geiger Counter instead. I'm also not sure if I need another envelope generator but the Pingable EG looks perfect for techno. That plus Pamela's New Workout could be alot of fun. I had maths before and never really gelled with it. I don't really like the Make Noise module aesthetics.

The 4ms Row Power 40 has a +12V rating of 1.5 mA while my expanded rig is approx 1.3 mA. I'm not sure if that is too close.

EDITED Feb 6th 2020, 14:02

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my query with honesty. I much prefer this approach!

Having watched this rack in action on YT and very much liking this kind of music, I used this rack as a foundation for me to understand each module functionality as The user illustrates what it can do.

Indeed i am using vcv to increase my knowledge, i have built modules in the past using reaktor software which perhaps irrelevant here!?

I donot mind the 84hp at all as i am not considering buying a lot even in the long run as
a) money & time required to invest
b) the fact that i will not rely exclusively on an eurorack. Time will tell but i can be very disciplined on this matter!
C) space

My main questions were whether this rack had a lack of utilities such as vca, lfo

I understand pnw & p_c have lfo functions available but i could not see (due to not fully understanding the behaviour of each module) any vcas.. and i am not fully understanding what the mult 1u module serve to in here?

You are are raising query around the mixers! I would like to understand too and hope you can advise if thats ok?

On the 1u layout - i will put the 1u audio io, midi to cv for external hardware, noise tool. In this copied rack you will see the mult but unsure if this is required?

I managed to get my hands on a new 7u 84hp so this is the set space i have.( for reasons mentioned above)

Again i do not intend to buy all modules and blindly put this rack together.
Have studied for the last 2 months with YT video modular synthesis, my first reaction when looking at this rack was : where are the vcas in this??

I only want to use this rack as an example for me to understand the modules , make informed decisions on my way!
The YT videos the user posted put the rack for me in context as serve (for me) as an acceptable approach to learn along vcv.

Help appreciated, thoughts on above questions is much appreciated!
Thank you

EDITED Feb 6th 2020, 13:39

I am building this modular, 4-voice polyphonic, + monophonic, + a subsequent moog embedded in the structure, many modules are already in place but you can always change your mind ...
I state that I use the synthesizer to play and not just to make noises ..
I accept advice and comments of any kind

-- Auik

This patch is a test of ES Dual FX with Channel 1 fed into Channel 2. Metropolis feeds pitch values to Plaits (Vowel & Speech Synthesis algo), and Clock into Tempi to be divided and sent to trigger Peaks Trig 1, Peaks Trig 2, and Maths CH. 4 Trig.

Maths CH. 4 (principal modulation channel in the patch)
- ES Channel 1 CV (Pitch Shift 1)
- Plaits Timbre CV (in this case Species Selection)
- EOC multed to trigger Maths CH. 1 and Function

Maths CH. 1
- Plaits Morph CV (Phoneme or Word Segment)
- EOR to Quadrax Trig 1

Quadrax
- to ES Channel 2 CV (Dry/Wet) via Maths CH. 2 attenuverter and Data

Tempi
- CH. 1 = /4
- CH. 2 = /8
- CH. 3 = /6

Metropolis
- Minor Pent. scale
- 60 BPM

ES Dual FX CV Assignments: CH. 1 = CV 1 (Pitch Shift 1), CH. 2 = Dry/Wet

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AsdkBRIREHjWi8tlnY7mUdc_M8hA9w?e=mBWjaQ

EDITED Feb 6th 2020, 06:38

Hi GregSilvia,

Welcome to Modular! :-)

Sorry if this might sound too direct, frank or even insulting, please believe me this is not what I intend. What I try though is making you aware and asking you, are you ready for modular? I just want to make sure that you don't buy something expensive and after a while you are not using it or even regretting it, that would be just a big pity.

In all my honesty, if you copy a rack of someone and take that as a starting point... I am not sure if you are ready for modular yet, are you? Are you really sure of yourself about this? You have to ask this in an honest moment yourself, please.

My point here is, if you take a copy of somebody's rack (and it doesn't matter which rack, for example the one you highlight here above), then you are taking a setup of a rack with the thoughts, planning and ideas of that person but for yourself without knowing these thoughts, planning and ideas this person had in mind. So you start with something you just don't know.

In my opinion, you should do a bit more research and indeed, it's okay to start with the modules used in this above example rack. Study those modules, try to understand them. Test them for example in VCV Rack. At a later stage and before you start buying, have them tested first at your local dealer.

Not sure how much experience you have with synthesizers in common, depending on that, you might want to go backward even a step and get to understand the basic principles of "simple" things like oscillators (VCOs), LFOs, envelopes (EGs or ADSRs), filters (VCFs), VCAs (amplifiers), attenuators and then slowly also move into logic modules, input/output modules, sequencers and the whole bim-bam :-)

But you might have all that, so let's assume you have that experience already or you are working on it and then let's go back to the above rack, let's assume you designed it :-)

It's certainly a nice compact and good looking rack. Some of those modules will get you something fancy, but that might not always be want you need or what you want. I miss in 'your' above rack some basic and classical components like the above mentioned items like envelopes, VCAs indeed, and more basic (or should I say easier to understand modules) LFOs and filters then used here. So you might want to look into that.

Also is the rack completely full, there is no space for future extension and for modular that's a very important thing, keep space free for future extensions. Plan a rack about half full for example, get some experience with it, get to know for yourself what you want, which module types you like, which brands you like and build on that experience extend your rack with more modules.

That having said, get a bigger rack than this. If I remember correctly I have seen messages here in the forum that this Intellijel case (2 x 84 HP 6U + 1U) is anyway sold out so get for example the 2*104 (7U) case from Intellijel (instead of the above rack), gives you a bit more space and allows you to easily extend it with an exact same case.

Looking at the above rack, you have to check those mixer modules, I am not sure what the intention was here but I think you can solve that a bit more elegant by using those 1U utility modules, that's why they are there for :-) And free up some "expensive" 3U space! :-)

So get rid of a few of those "fancy" modules, some of them are good and if you have a big rack why not taking them all? ;-) But you need to know their purposes to serve you the way you want. Rather get some space free for some "simple" basic stuff. Get a standard ADSR for example and indeed at least two VCAs (linear for CVs and exponential for audio; that's a general rule, it's not a must, discover for yourself why this general rule exist though).

That Magneto module, I have that one for a long time in my mind now, but A) I feel it's pretty expensive, is it worth it? B) I do think that's a module for perhaps not seniors but also not for beginners. A good reason for myself why I haven't bought it yet. My advice is to keep this module in mind when you are ready for it but leave it out when you start with modular. You got here a 2 x 84 HP rack = 168 HP, the Magneto is 28 HP that's rounded 17% of your total rack capacity! That's one sixth! Realising that, I would rather use this space for some more classic/basic/simple/other modules than such a fancy module. Don't get me wrong on "fancy module" please, I believe the Magneto is a fantastic module, but just not to start with if you are new in modular.

I think Plaits and STO, if you like them, you can keep them, those are pretty good modules, so that's a good start but please look into all the other functionality you require: LFOs, EGs, VCAs, VCFs, etcetera.

One more thing, the module choice here above is, for my personal taste, a slightly bit too much "digital". Lots of digital modules. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing against a good digital module! But almost only digital modules or at least a very high percentage on digital modules, are you sure that's what you want? I would say for Eurorack, analogue modules are very attractive and give you a bit more classical way of "building a synthesizer" because that's exactly what you do with modular. If you are happy with the high contents of digital modules, well then leave it as it is but my advice would be to focus a bit more (not only, digital is still good) on analogue modules.

I hope you didn't mind me being frank with you, I just want you to avoid to start in modular and then getting disappointed with what you get. I don't want you to leave with a depressive feeling, that's not good either. Modular is extremely fun and good but it requires quite some research and conceptional thinking of what you want to do with your modular system. And don't worry about to make mistakes that's so common within a modular synth, that's half of the fun (okay a quarter then ;-) ).

At first you might be a bit disappointed by a module because it unexpectedly didn't do or give you want you expected or wanted to do but leave it alone for a while and give it a few months later another chance once you build up more experience with the other modules you might have and then try it again and it might give you surprisingly possibilities you wouldn't have thought of the first time you used it :-) That's all possible within modular :-) And then there modules that are straight away from the beginning stars, those are the modules you are really looking for, this initial wow and addictive feeling that you can't live without them, not even a single day! :-)

So if you think you are ready, go for it and enjoy it! Don't be shy and ask if you need to know something.

Kind regards, Garfield Modular.

Edit: Removed a typo.

EDITED Feb 5th 2020, 21:49

Good to know that they spent a couple extra bucks to reverse power protect it. I wish all manufacturers did that considering that modules are often hundreds of dollars each.

Ronin1973 - I agree with you completely in your description of complex waveform generation.
However, I interpret the name "Complex Oscillator" - with a capital C and O - to be very specific. I assume (humbly), and have always been of the understanding that this term specifically refers to the methods of creating complex waveshapes in the method employed by Don Buchla with his Buchla 259 Complex Oscillator.
photo here: https://modularsynthesis.com/roman/buchla259/259_cwg.jpg
Technically - the creation of a waveform using a basic FM schema of modulator and carrier, with further adjustments using symmetry and wavefolding. As opposed to say phase modulation, multi-operator FM, wavetable synthesis, etc...
I like the tradition and challenges that come with it.
Rubicon2 is a perfect example of the carrier part of this - add a modulator of your choice. Love that it's through-zero.
Even Buchla have evolved their Complex Oscillator - their newer module, 259e Twisted Waveform Generator is digital, and uses bits of of it's own operating code to create wavetables to use as it's modulator! Wish they had a Eurorack version! Probably the closest module we have to this is the Hertz Donut MkIII.
Great statement - "What brush would you like to paint with?" ...well said!

that's what I did. Here is the answer for our grandchildren if they will use google

"It s eed stripe down :)and it is reversed power portected."

got the WMD Performance mixer and I sometimes also put a gate in the level input without a curve, it can sound sometimes a bit plucky but also works depending on what kind of situation and what you like to achieve.
I like the WMD PM especially cause of it two send return and the amount of channels.

Maths is basically a Swiss Army Knife of functionality that is really easy to use. You may also like the Befaco Rampage as an alternative or even an addition.

The only drawback is the size is a bit big for a small rack or skiff.

They usually have a convenient "family tragedy" after you've given the money that's preventing them from dealing with you.

Never use friends and family as it's a scammers paradise. If anyone asks you to do that, you're asking for it unlubricated.

Complex oscillators come in all types and is a really wide category... it's basically everything that's not based on basic oscillator shapes and generation techniques. There are always exceptions, so don't take that as an absolute definition.

Complex oscillators offer some very interesting sounds and development of those sounds right out of the box. But if you stack enough modules together, you can get some very complex sounds out of traditional oscillators.

I think it all comes down to whatever blows your skirt up. I have a Rubicon 2. It's through-zero and I like it. But there's a lot to be said for digital modules, wavetable modules, phase, etc.

What brush would you like to paint with?

Hey Frank,

Good to hear that the module is soon in the shops, can't wait to test it.

Kind regards, Garfield.

There are mixers. There are VCAs. There are devices that blur the lines between the two.

With both mixers and VCAs, they can work with DC coupled signal (control voltages), audio rate (audio), or both. So it's best to know these specs before you buy something.

VCAs can respond in a linear fashion to control voltage, exponential, or both. It's best to know this before buying one of those.

If you buy a module with a set of VCAs, they will often be normaled to work as a simple mixer. The Intellijel quad VCA works in this fashion.

Some mixers also include a VCAs in each channel. It depends on the mixer: Happy Nerding, Befaco, and others have products that do this.

SIMPLE mixers are usually cheaper than VCAs. So if you just need to mix levels with no external control over the levels, go with a mixer. If you need control over levels, then VCAs are the tool.

Complicated mixers with panning, effects sends, even EQ, are a lot more expensive than VCAs.

Just remember you can mix more than audio with most Eurorack mixers and VCAs. Just be sure to read the manual before you buy. Never assume.

EDITED Feb 5th 2020, 20:28

If this is your first set-up, I would think about getting a 1010 Music BlackBox or the new Akai MPC One.

The BlackBox has clock in and out, while the MPC One has four gates and four CV outs (I believe they use stereo 3.5mm breakouts).

You're spending a ton of money for the same or lesser functionality in order to place it into the Eurorack environment when a standalone device would serve you just as well and still interface into a Eurorack environment down the road.

Hello Frank,

Do you have already an accurate date when the Euporie becomes available? I am quite keen on that module.

Thank you and kind regards, Garfield.
-- GarfieldModular

Hey Garfield,
fyi - we start shipping the Euporie filter from 10. February to a few EU shops (incl. Schneidersladen).
We will also be offering it via our Reverb shop. In the meantime enjoy the audio snippets.. ;)

Cheers, Frank

The Mimetic has four sequencers in it. The outputs are not quantized. So a quad quantizer might be useful if you really want to use it for four pitched sequences. I'd really download the manual and understand what you will need to trigger the Mimetic and its range of functionality. It'll save you some heartache if it doesn't suit your needs; especially if you're using the Mimetic to send gates. (page one of the manual has most of the useful info). Download the manual.
https://www.noiseengineering.us/shop/mimetic-digitalis

Plaits doesn't have a quantizer built in. But if you use it with a Braids module... the Braids does. You have a Plaits. But a Braids might be better if the sounds work for you. Here's a link.
https://mutable-instruments.net/modules/braids/manual/

Contact the manufacturer... Shakmat (assuming you mean the Four Bricks Rook). They will gladly help you.

Don't take anyone else's advice unless you're willing to blow up your module.

Plugging things in backwards can cause some serious.

The typical (but not always) convention is to mark where the red stripe on the cable should align to. But different manufacturers use different symbols or may even include proper shrouding to force the cable the right way around.

It is POSSIBLE, that the orientation of the cable doesn't matter if the electronics are designed a specific way. I've had some stuff custom built that are agnostic to orientation. But never assume... contact the manufacturer.

EDITED Feb 5th 2020, 17:38

So, If I were to pick up a Korg SQ-1 or Tiptop Audio Z8000 I would get variable sequencing to go into it? The previous owner was using Native Instruments Maschine MK3, Maschine Jam and his PC, but decided to just use the reaktor 6 program that came with the software, it has WAY more blocks in it then he could ever own, hence the reason I picked it up.

If I grab a sequencer, do I have enough in the modules to have some fun? I have plenty of cables and splitters to work with.

Side note, what would you put on the ardcore? There are alot of sketches out there (no real VCA though).
-- abigroot

The SQ-1 would be an nice entry point into sequencing and not a big hit if you decide to go with something beefier later. You certainly have enough modules to have plenty of fun once you add a sequencer... or even plug it into your computer sequencer. My main point is that using a computer sucks a lot of the "fun" out of modular... especially if the computer isn't ergonomically situated well and you have to move between your computer and your Eurorack.

The Braids module is going to be the easiest to deal with at first. But you're going to have to learn all of its features before playing with it. It can fully produce sounds by itself or be used as more of just-an-oscillator. The Hertz-Donut is a complex oscillator that will probably need to be run through one of your filters and a VCA at a minimum... but it will offer the most "fun" as far as modulation possibilities via other modules.

You have more than enough here to keep you busy for several months. With that time you'll learn which modules you really like and what you're willing to part with.

Hi Ronin,

Thanks for the input! The NiftyCASE comes with USB MIDI in the back, which was a big selling point for me.

I was thinking the same thing about the Plasma Drive but I am pretty hyped about making really dirty, noisy synth lines with it. Would I be better off getting the Basimilus Iteritas...?

I was considering possibly removing Chips and Cells from the rig eventually once I filled up the other slots because I won’t be getting a ton of use from them.

This is hard!! Too many awesome modules :O
-- zwolf

Wow... that Nifty case is niftier than I thought. The Basimilus isn't a bad module. The Manis Iteritas is better for dirty synth lines. But both will require a lot of modulation to get that really filthy feel out of it... which means throwing other modules at it. They are both also horrible to try and tune.

Rather than the Plasma Drive or the Iteritas, I would go for one of the Ruina series from Noise Engineering. They are basically different flavors of distortion in a much more affordable and SMALLER footprint.

So, If I were to pick up a Korg SQ-1 or Tiptop Audio Z8000 I would get variable sequencing to go into it? The previous owner was using Native Instruments Maschine MK3, Maschine Jam and his PC, but decided to just use the reaktor 6 program that came with the software, it has WAY more blocks in it then he could ever own, hence the reason I picked it up.

If I grab a sequencer, do I have enough in the modules to have some fun? I have plenty of cables and splitters to work with.

Side note, what would you put on the ardcore? There are alot of sketches out there (no real VCA though).

EDITED Feb 5th 2020, 17:12

Hey Rookie,

I'm using the 2S sequencer too, so far I've been using the LFOs as a kind of triggers, it works for simple things. Otherwise I've been considering adding a Steppy (https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-steppy) to my system, it's a bit more expensive than the comparators but it has four independent gate tracks, so you may want to check it out too.
-- Exposure

Something like a Temps Utile might be a little more versatile than a Steppy. The Steppy is going to be great if you're changing your sequences up on-the-fly. But the Temps Utile will offer up to six sequences. It can also offer multiple other functions as well. It's comparable to the Pam's New Workout.

It will also sync to your main sequencer via clock as well as restart.

Hi there.
New here. Just stumbled on an ambient eurorack YT video. I really like ambient as a whole and what this user has produced.. which really pushed me researching so..
Since a few month, i have been reading and watching videos about modular synthesis- principles , concept etc and have read/watched videos about most of the presented modules to understand their respective functionality. But i am a bit at loss when see this rack and i read ‘you never have to many vca’ which is quite essential to allow ambient modulation..

NOw i do not mean to copy/paste this rack but i would like it to serve as a foundation for me to learn- i do not intend to buy everything that would be madness considering the need to understand and appreciate each module..

So i have a couple of questions!

1:Does this rack miss vca? Or the like of O_C , PNW & marbles are sufficient source of modulation?
2: what is the mult module used for in there?
3: any issues you see with it?

Advice much appreciated

Rack:

EDITED Feb 5th 2020, 21:06

Hi Ronin,

Thanks for the input! The NiftyCASE comes with USB MIDI in the back, which was a big selling point for me.

I was thinking the same thing about the Plasma Drive but I am pretty hyped about making really dirty, noisy synth lines with it. Would I be better off getting the Basimilus Iteritas...?

I was considering possibly removing Chips and Cells from the rig eventually once I filled up the other slots because I won’t be getting a ton of use from them.

This is hard!! Too many awesome modules :O

So this would be my first eurorack setup.

I'm trying to do noise, breakbeat, DnB and jungle stuff.

This is a pretty common setup from what I've seen, but it seems very powerful

Any opinions on this, it's use, or what people people think of these modules in tandem would be great. I also need to get them in person and even get used to using them, obviously. So any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

There are lots of Mutable Instrument clones out there that are a lot smaller in size. Some Mutable Instruments modules are also out of production, so a clone might might be your only option.

What are you doing for a sequencer or even a quantizer? I'm not familiar with Instruo's line so is there one in there? There's a lot of fun to be had by having an onboard sequencer or quantizer around. A micro version of Ornaments & Crime is a great place to start for simple sequences and quantizing. It's 10HP or you can go to Plum Audio and get a 1U version that fits in Intellijel's 1U row.

An output module might be a nice touch as well as a MIDI to CV converter if you plan on playing in sync with a DAW and recording.

I would ditch the Plasma Drive. Not because it's a bad module... it's a great module. But it's really expensive and quite an HP hog for a small case. Leave that space open so you at least have some wiggle room for additional, smaller modules.

Don't be in too big of a hurry to fill your case immediately.

I would replace nothing at the moment. I would make sure that I had plenty of patch cables, including splitters.

I would then spend a lot of time on Youtube learning the basics of modular synthesis as well as any tutorials or reviews of each individual module.

As far as I can tell, there isn't an internal sequencer that offers any pitch information. So you may be a bit limited. I would (I mean me) would buy something like the new Arturia Keystep Pro or equivalent with its own patchable sequencer. There is a MIDI to CV converter if you'd like to use your computer or MIDI sequencer... but I'm talking about the pure patch cable experience.

That would be my take on it.

I came into this rack through a friend and have very basic knowledge of the modular world but want to know more. Here is the rack I have exactly:

What would you add, remove or replace and why?

My use for this rack is really unknown, I would like to know WHAT I can do with it as well.

Any insight would be great.