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The Serge NCOM is pretty nice @JimHowell1970

Thanks @farkas, I definitely lean a bit more maximalist in my modular tunes to date, but as with all things it's about balance, so I've been working lately to see if I can build something I really enjoy from the ground up and with a smaller patch rather than assuming it needs another layer and more complexity to keep it interesting. This does seem to provide deeper results!

Thanks @GarfieldModular! In a way this is a pretty simple track and not really showing the power of modular at its fullest, but I like simplicity sometimes. More developed tunes will hopefully be on the way soon though 🕺🏻🕺🏻

Can't say, but I could use a little more of that vibe which is why I want it. If you want range I should throw out Intellijel's Polaris even though it's 10HP, it can get pretty squawky but can stay clean and smooth too. Definitely a good one.

I don't have one but I'd love to get a Steve's MS-22

Definitely, a whole lot of what makes modular modular in there.

If you can't beat em (build your own 303 with modules), join em (buy an M303 instead). Giving the M303 a workout here, quite nice, though I wouldn't mind some more modulation points.

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

Hope you all enjoy 🕺

Lovely @mowse

My top thread is probably "Today my small discovery was..." over on MuffWiggler (https://muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=162755&start=1175) with so so many good ideas, but I also love any thread where folks ask for advice on a build as I really enjoy the instrument-design part of Eurorack, and they're also an easy way to learn about new modules.

Cool!

Here's Beads processing my Plumbutter, with Monsoon very lightly processing samples from Coco.

-- baltergeist

Superb @baltergeist!

I think I bought it after you mentioned it somewhere @farkas, I'd kinda like an Optomix too but a little hard to find.

Just got myself a Nearness and 2x LPG (why did no one tell me about LPGs before??) and they're pretty sweet. Takaab is impressing for sure.

Heck yeah 🤘🤘 we could use more noise around these parts... and actually I've been thinking about building a noise rack myself 🤔🤔 Hope we hear more from you!

I'm a fan of small cases honestly, focus can help you learn a lot! Plus this could be a fun travel rack 🤔

EDITED Mar 3rd 2021, 00:09

You don't have room for it but looking at your rack the first thing that comes to mind for me is an Akemie's Castle. Beautiful beautiful module that's very different from analog oscillators but really hits the dreamy vibe you've mentioned, as well as some more experimental sounds. One of my favs.

Awesome!

🔥🔥🔥 stuff @farkas, I think we need a whole minimal techno album from you...

Sweet! I forgot to mention the artwork is great too.

Another nice one @mowse, I always love the West Coast vibes in your tunes. Speaking of, I recently discovered Pauline Anna Strom whose music you might dig, check it out:

https://paulineannastrom.bandcamp.com/album/trans-millenia-music-2

Very nice @EroGumby, the flow is great here and each "piece" seems to last just the right amount of time. Well done!

I know that feeling @wishbonebrewery when you've got something that sounds good, but want it to sound just a little bit better... That said I think this is pretty dang good, Hatz sound great and I'd love to know what you're using for your sequencer here. Keep em coming!

Looks fun, nice to see you bleep'in @Nabroc!

LOL

Haven't used the other two, but I struggle not to use my mimeophon in any rack it's been in, it just sounds so good.

2HP's TM has maybe 90% of what the Thonk one does. Alan by After Later Audio is a 6HP version that does 100% (credit to @ajai for finding this), or if you wanted to expand even more you could get an Ornament and Crime.

Ears actually handles turning input into gates I think (I've never used it for this purpose), so definitely check it out.

The nice thing about the TM is that it's repeating randomness. I don't know how the Maestro works but let's say you set your TM sequence length to 4, triggered way slower than your drums, like /64, you then feed the TM into a high impact input on your Bloom or Marbles... voila you have a song structure as the TM adjusts how your sequencer performs, changes it a few more times, and then returns it back to the beginning state, slowly shifting this pattern over time.

Some quick thoughts:

1) Not being super familiar with either, I'd probably pick Marbles over Bloom, especially since you want something to play along to and it's got some nice rhythmic features built in.
2) I'd maybe add a TM, even 2HP's version, to get a little more repeated random.
3) Filter wise I'd suggest a Serge VCFS or something like a Morgasmatron if you want character and grit.
4) I'd replace the Rosie with an ALM HPO.
5) I'm not sure you need a Stages, a PNW, and a Maestro. I'd pick 2 to start.
6) Dream combo: add an input here and an envelope follower (MI Ears might do the trick) and have part of your drum rig influence the synth, would be super fun.

EDITED Feb 23rd 2021, 22:28

Well Jim, anyone who's posting here might already be slipping lol

I hear you Jim but OP seems pretty good with VCV and you can always throw it in a Pod down the line.

First off, nice track, thanks for sharing!

Secondly, if you're committed to this smaller rack size my suggestion would be to get an ES-9 next and stop there for a couple weeks or so. You're good with VCV Rack and VCV Rack + a Rings + an analog filter will go a long way. From there you'll get a good sense of what you need next and how to integrate all the utilities Jim mentioned (even if they're virtual).

Another nice one @EroGumby, let's see you hit 30 minutes next!

Those are great videos, but the first has a Marbles and the second a Temps Utile and an Ornament and Crime, which all do significantly more than the Turing Machine you have in your rack. They're also only a few minutes long, so while they sound good here, will they sound good after 30 minutes? After an hour? Is there enough variation to keep things interesting and do the changes feel related to each other? Are there surprises? I'm not the expert, but without the right support modules and a vision for how they'll hang together it's a distinct possibility you'll get bored with this pretty quickly.

42HP seems fairly unworkable to me if you want generative, or anything that's not laser focused. Take a look at my proposed rack for someone with 62HP just for the CV + mixing (all their sound sources are racked separately) https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/9628

I'm ready to hit the dancefloor, post-vaccine of course @EroGumby, thanks for sharing this. Lively throughout and I especially like the last minute or so, the pads or drone coming in around 5:50... real nice.

Nice one again @wishbonebrewery, nice organic feel and spacious but comfy at the same time.

NP @Cristoppano, let us know how it goes!

I got an LRMSMSLR too @mowse and it's pretty sick. Agreed on WORNG, they're doing really interesting stuff.

I've been solving this with a Disting (tuner mode) and an oscilloscope.

EDITED Feb 19th 2021, 02:40

Nice vibes @dubheadz, welcome and thanks for sharing!

@Lugia undoubtably knows more than me, but from recent explorations of my own I think it's possible to build at least a generative melody box in 62HP, so I took a crack at it, see below:

I left the Wogglebug and the Marbles, they seem great, but pulled out everything else. We're coasting a lot on the power of Marbles (for example we don't need a quantizer, it can do that for us), but that's ok, it's a powerful module! So, to review:

1) Shifty lets you route the output of one of Marble's melodies to up to four different synths, and has gate triggers which can be used for envelopes and/or for manipulating other parts of this rack. Want two synths to add some harmony while others handle the melodies? Shifty can help out here.
2) Switchblade lets you toggle different inputs, for example want to alternate the Deja Vu input into Marbles from an LFO or a Sample and Hold? Switchblade can help you there.
3) Ochd provides 8 long running LFOs, that can slowly shift different CVs around your system. Want long, slow change over time alongside a little more busy-ness? Ochd is your module.
4) Sample and Hold is pretty useful for generative work, RND Step gives you 3 sample and holds normalized and with pink noise sources if you don't patch them. This is a great control tool and a random source alongside Wobblebug.
5) Adding a Slew Limiter gives you a lot of new terrain to explore, so I added a Time Warp. Using this you can for example have the gate triggers from Marbles turn into smooth, rolling CVs that will stay high if there's lots of notes and will drop down if Marbles quiets down. It can also be used as an envelope generator, triggered by gates around the system. Even better, it's gate-able itself, so other modules can control when WMD fires off.
6) Speaking of gates, the Rotating Clock Divider lets you take one gate and create rhythms around it. If we're making ambient rhythm might not be the first thing that comes to mind, but this will help take output from e.g. Shifty/Marbles and create a sense of movement or complexity around the system, triggering an envelope to adjust a filter somewhere every so often, or toggle a Switchblade switch, stuff like that.
7) Hyrlo, smaller 6 channel mixer, will help you collate all your synths together.
8) We've gotta have reverb for generative ambient, FX Aid does a ton on top of that so it's a no-brainer in a rack this size.

For the 1U tiles, I added
1) a Quadratt so you can attenuate different control signals
2) a dual VCA to make more complex control signals
3) an oscilloscope so you can understand what's going on (surprisingly important!)
4) an LGP to let you do a little signal volume control here in case one of your outboard synths doesn't have VCA control.

One important note: I only picked modules that I felt you would still want were you to expand down the road. Everything here is small, yes, but also powerful and could hold its own in a rack of any size. So if you start here and find you really do want that 2 x 104HP rack you can just port some of this over.

Anyway, that's a lot of text, hopefully some of it's useful!

EDITED Feb 18th 2021, 22:36

Cool rack and a good tune, hoping to hear more.

Love this @aphex_goodman, the performative aspect is awesome and the tune rocks.

I'm down @Greenleo, I'll send something over in the next few days!

Some thoughts:
1) I think I'd swap the Nin and VCF3 for an analog oscillator, maybe an Instruo Ts-L. IMHO Nin loses it's oomph in a generative rack, and you don't need three filters, so an analog oscillator (always a nice thing to have around) is a nice replacement that can help create some contrast with Plaits and Rings.
2) I like Cold Mac, but for your purposes here I'd probably just get a Links and Kinks, they do a lot and it's all grok-able.
3) Rosie seems too big for what you're aiming for here, I'd replace it with an ALM HPO which gives you 6 more HP.
4) Since the quad VCA cascades I'm not sure you need the mixer. I'd pick something interesting like a wavefolder or distortion module (Instruo Tanh or something from Noise Engineering maybe), or pull some more effects into the rack like an FX aid (a common recommendation).

Hope this helps!

Took another crack at this patch, I think it needs a third voice, or a little different development, but sound wise it's pretty nice... Serge rules.

https://stevehand.bandcamp.com/track/staging-acid-2

Thanks @farkas, it's new in my rack but definitely impressing so far. I think I might get a Jumble Henge for one of my smaller racks too.

Both excellent tunes, I especially like the human-ness of Upside Down Cat which I can have trouble finding in my generative stuff. Is this the power of Marbles? 🤔🤔

Thought I'd reverse my usual and post a quick outtake. This is a really nice mixer, it lets you play with space intuitively/easily and makes good room for different voices. Check it out:

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

Made with:

EDITED Feb 14th 2021, 06:26

I'll second @JimHowell1970 on the A-118, I have one and like it but Kinks can cover random for you and it's got some nice extra functionality packed in. Agreed as well that the FX Aid is great.

Drums wise, take a look at the HexInverter "Mutant" series. The Mutant Hi-Hats is just fantastic and will have a lot more range than the TipTop clones, plus you can put all that modulation to use on it. 13HP is a lot in a case this size, but it's worth it if you're going to do drums in the rack, imho.

Nice one @baltergeist, the percussion is a really good touch... great inspo for the weekend!