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Much easier if you copy/paste the link into the comment, then we get to see your rack.

I'll let others speak to your specific goals as they're a bit out of my knowledge zones, but one thing to think of right off the bat is how you will be developing, changing, and manipulating your control voltages? You say you're sequencing and using the DAW for effects (how are you interfacing, exactly?), but one of the joys of modular is using voltages in unexpected and dynamic ways. I feel like this system as is gives a lot of audio manipulation but not much CV manipulation. For example, other than the two lfos (with only square or tirangle to choose from) on the Kobol, how will you be changing parameters over time without manual tweeking? Wiggling knobs is obviously fun, but a lot of what makes modular special is that the aspects of synthesis that are usually hidden inside a synthesizer are available to us out in the open, allowing for dynamic shifting of parameters over time. Look into utilities, which are the tools to make this happen. You have the disting, which provides a ton of algorithms, but is not the easiest to navigate and doesn't give you access to too many things at once. As for recommendations, unfortunately, there's no one size fits all, but attenuators, inverters, function generators, slew limiters, etc are great places to start looking. More lfos, or at least mults to help you make more of what you already have, should also be considered.

Anyways, there's no one size fits all as I said, and I don't want to recommend just buying more things, but I think you should consider where you plan to take this rack and seriously think about the utilities that will help you make the most of it. If you think of some motion you want the voltages to have, there's probably a utility to help with it.

One more note, if you're already planning on being heavily connected to the computer, consider a dc-coupled interface or something like the ES-8 or ES-9 (expensive, but very useful) to allow you to interact with VCV rack and other computer based cv manipulation tools. It will save a lot of hp and money in the long run, if that's a route that looks fun to you.

Best of luck.

Thank you for clarifying!

Thanks for that Sweelinck.

Yes, while I already have a Disting, the Pod 32 doesn't support deeper modules including the 2hp Modules. I agreee with you regarding the passive mult. I'm leaning in the direction of the Ochd, but tempted by the Doepfer as it's a 1/3rd of the price of the Ochd in my country.

Thanks sgain:)

So If I dont change the PSU of the Palette case i have no choice but powering via +12 & -12v , right?
I dont get whats actually the benefit from powering over the +5v rail, which I have not yet used at all

-- antimidas

correct you'll need to power the hermod+ with the +/-12v rails

the advantage of being able to use the 5v rail is that, if you are short on 12v and have a lot of 5v available, then you can use that instead...

https://loersatz.bandcamp.com/track/man-polar
Advice, opinions and critics more than welcome :)
Thank you

This is repulsive just blatant theft of Intellijel intellectual property. If I saw this module in an artist's rack I'd never buy another album from that artist. Art means nothing without ethics.

-- Sedalus

Art has nothing to do with money or politics.

EDITED Nov 29th 2023, 17:47

I made this module and it had a pretty good build up of information on people using it, but I come back to find it "unlisted"
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/other-unknown-clacktronics-mini-speaker-

and in its place is this

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/other-unknown-clacktronics-euro-speaker

why?

I just ordered the Squarp Instruments Hermod + and planed to place in this case (which sits in front of my big case for best accessibility):

which is a Intellijel Palette 62 ( 1.2 A (+12 V) / 1.2 A (-12 V) / 500 mA (+5 V)) .

In the manual of the Hermod + it says:

Connect Hermod+ to your eurorack system power with the supplied ribbon cable.
Most eurorack power supplies have a dedicated +5V rail (in addition to the +12V
and –12V rails).
• If your power supply delivers +5V, we recommend to place the « 5V switch » in the
top position, in order to use the +5V rail for the digital circuitry of Hermod+.
Make sure the +5V rail can supply 820mA minimum for powering Hermod+ (and
add +500mA maximum when attaching a controller on USB host).
• If your power supply does not deliver +5V, you may place the switch in the lower
position.
Make sure the +12V rail can supply 400mA for powering Hermod+ (and add
+220mA maximum when attaching a controller on USB host).
In any case, Hermod+ will not be damaged if you use the top position and your
power supply does not deliver the +5V. It will simply not power up.

These are the power specs according Squarp Instruments when not powering via 5v:
Consumption (not using +5V rail) : -12V 20mA, +12V 400mA (add up to +220mA when attaching a controller on USB host)

So If I dont change the PSU of the Palette case i have no choice but powering via +12 & -12v , right?
I dont get whats actually the benefit from powering over the +5v rail, which I have not yet used at all

EDITED Nov 29th 2023, 11:51

It all depends on your goal.

• Ochd: lfos only (8 lfos with 8 different speeds linked by a single adjustable base speed).
• Rnd Step: random only (3 potentially independent randoms, and each with 2 outputs: unipolar + bipolar).
• Clep Diaz: only one choice among 3 possibilities: step, random, lfo (2 outputs: unipolar + bipolar).

For these modulations an external passive multiple can extend a functionality to several cv inputs...

Other options are possible.
Don’t forget the Disting mk4: a lot of functions including modulations and much more.
And two modules of the manufacturer 2hp (e.g. one lfo + one random) would also be worth considering.

Is it just me or the knob for filter type is really wobbly/flimsy ?

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2283244.jpg?1701213348

Thanks again halbroome. Looks interesting:)

The new 4 hp expansion for the Ochd is awesome! Just looking at your small case made me wince that there
was no room for it if you did use an Ochd. 4 triggers, 8 waveshapers would really expand the capabilties of
the small case.

I'd seriously consider a smaller 8 hp uRings instead of the original Mutable Instruments
to make space for it -- that would also clear up another 2 hp for a useful 2HP (company name) Clk
or a 2HP Mult.
-- halbroome

Thanks for that! I had no idea the expansion offered that degree of functionality!

+1 on the Clep Diaz, great little LFO / Stepped Random etc
-- wishbonebrewery

Thanks for that. My only concern with the Clep Diaz is the limitation of one lfo. Otherwise, it looks like a swiss army knife for a small system.

Hi Jim. Planning on synching it (somehow) to my Microfreak.

that will work - clock out ofd microfreak into whatever you are syncing to - just make sure you set both clocks appropriately... see the manuals

While 32 hp is very limited, it's fun to see how much I can coax out of these for live gigs.

well good luck with that...

-- JimHowell1970

Thanks for that, Jim! I appreciate your advice!

try to get a full size exact clone - there are a few these days - after later audio etc...

proper knobs are better for tuning than trimmers

Modular is certainly an expensive adventure. Sometimes the economical route is the only choice, and I wouldn't hold it against someone if they choose that route. But one thing to keep in mind, if everyone gives their money to the cloners instead of the innovators, we are eventually going to run out of innovators.
-- PragmaticusMax

Sadly some are too stupid and selfish to even acknowledge this simple fact.

Hi everyone, I'm working on a rack and want plaits, in case I can't find the original, even though I should be able to, I'm wondering if there's anything I should know about the clones. Is there one that's better / more accurate than others, or any I should stray away from? Thanks.

Any of the 4MS pods suffixed with "X" are deeper..

On the more expensive side you can look at MakeNoise Morphagene (want one) or Mimeophon (Got one) lets you hold a loop in its buffer and if you are clocking Mimeophon you can make it play in time with other parts and get as creative as you like.
-- wishbonebrewery

Yes, they look great but cost and current case size is limiting my options at the moment. everything so far is in an 84hp case. But I have seen 6U rackbrute which will be dream future case maybe one day. I am in no rush - just enjoy the modules I have.

Hi, not to steal your thread but I've been looking into using an outboard mixer in the future to have functionality to record individual outputs directly into Ableton...

From looking around thinking along the lines of:
Presonus StudioLive AR12 or 16c, Signature 12 MTK, Tascam Model 12 Analog Mixer with Digital Recorder...

Anyone have any experience of doing this AND/OR recommendations of product above or other?

-- Traxam

no, but - make sure whatever you do get has proper multitracking and attenuators (possibly called pads) on the way in...

Hi Jim. Planning on synching it (somehow) to my Microfreak.

that will work - clock out ofd microfreak into whatever you are syncing to - just make sure you set both clocks appropriately... see the manuals

While 32 hp is very limited, it's fun to see how much I can coax out of these for live gigs.

well good luck with that...

On the more expensive side you can look at MakeNoise Morphagene (want one) or Mimeophon (Got one) lets you hold a loop in its buffer and if you are clocking Mimeophon you can make it play in time with other parts and get as creative as you like.

I do fancy a 2hp Loop though, maybe 2 of them for Stereo would be fun.

+1 on the Clep Diaz, great little LFO / Stepped Random etc

The new 4 hp expansion for the Ochd is awesome! Just looking at your small case made me wince that there
was no room for it if you did use an Ochd. 4 triggers, 8 waveshapers would really expand the capabilties of
the small case.

I'd seriously consider a smaller 8 hp uRings instead of the original Mutable Instruments
to make space for it -- that would also clear up another 2 hp for a useful 2HP (company name) Clk
or a 2HP Mult.

Thanks for that, halbroome and ambientvalent. Will definitely keep the Clep Diaz in mind. Yes, I have been on the fence with Ochd, but it would certainly be an excellent addition to my slightly bigger and less mobile rig.

Hi Jim. Planning on synching it (somehow) to my Microfreak. While 32 hp is very limited, it's fun to see how much I can coax out of these for live gigs.

All the best

Hi, not to steal your thread but I've been looking into using an outboard mixer in the future to have functionality to record individual outputs directly into Ableton...

From looking around thinking along the lines of:
Presonus StudioLive AR12 or 16c, Signature 12 MTK, Tascam Model 12 Analog Mixer with Digital Recorder...

Anyone have any experience of doing this AND/OR recommendations of product above or other?

wooow what for a fantastic Module dry & dirty....Love it

I love my 2HP Loop in special the frippertronics mode and I think it could work for what you are planning to do with it.

hope to!

Ah cool, nice find! Thats what i meant above, it uses the python library "svgwrite".
Supercool that someone already coded the connection to touch designer.

Keep us posted with your progress. :)

I recently purchased another "voice" in the form of a pre owned Radio - ST Modular https://www.modulargrid.net/e/st-modular-radio I liked the idea of scooping up radio signals and using them, which is great but I am now wanting a way to record snippets of my radio audio.

Initially I was looking at Big T Music's Monsoon (Clouds clone) https://www.modulargrid.net/e/big-t-music-monsoon
for many reasons plus the fact it has the freeze button that could grab the random radio audio ( max 8 seconds at lowest quality). I have now seen 2hp Loop which from what I have seen can record upto 5 minutes and slow it down and a range of other functions including layering the sound and loop it of course. https://www.modulargrid.net/e/2hp-loop-black-panel This sounds great in producing some interesting sounds for my ambient generative rack.

Do you feel this is a good option?

Thoughts and advice would be hugely appreciated.

thanks @JimHowell1970 for suggestion about CVThing

@SLFE
About SVG export from Touch Designer I just read he cant't.. but somebody ( Matthew Ragan) did a script etc..

https://interactiveimmersive.io/blog/python/exporting-svg-in-touchdesigner/

So can be possible to export SVG from Touch Designer reading the article.

But... don't forget I'm still learning Touch Designer and this is hard enough as first step!

I used to do some projects with Touch Designer, unfortunately it can't export SVG. For a better understanding of your plotter you should read about the difference of pixel graphics and vector graphics. That should clear some things, espacially what your plotter demands. However you have the possibilty to convert pixel data to vector data through tracing, but I would not recommend that route.

about realtime drawing I believe is hard to do it

Yes, I'd go so far and say it is just not possible with that setup for reasons stated above. :)

Have fun, in any case this is a fun project.

The VCMC by Befaco can be my solution, it is expansive !

there's also it's little brother CVThing, which is cheaper... also both are available as kits...

what are you going to sync to anyway?

yes is a good pen plotter, I can reccomend it

about realtime drawing I believe is hard to do it..( I do not have any info or knowledge in order to obrain this result)

Ate the moment I'm using Touch Designer as software to erlaborate MIDI signals from an Arturia MK 3
The software can map the MIDI controls and after you can create your own project ( I0m still learning TD to obtain somethin.. perhaps an SVG )

The VCMC by Befaco can be my solution, it is expansive !

I will keep to study in that way-
Hope to achieve some good result soon..

+1 on Ochd.

I really like the Clep Diaz, but that's more rhythmic, and the Ochd would be more fun than the Doepfer.

It's synchability is not strict, of course, but that's its charm!

Hi all,

I have rings and beads in a POD 32 mobile set up. Having a blast, but still undecided about the best mod source for the unit.

I am torn between the Doepfer Quad LFO (cheapest but not syncable), the ever popular Ochd and the Noise Engineering Clep Diaz.

Would greatly appreciate any thoughts or opinions re these or other 4hp module alternatives.

Many thanks!

Thank you so much for all these info

tbh you could use veils as a mixer

sweet, I will then just prioritize Pam / Maths / Veils / Aid Pro

I was trying to look here on modulargrid for matrix mixers and reading a bit about them, they do look super interesting, if you have any to suggest please feel free. It won't be an immediate purchase as I seriously need time to experiment with these modules as soon as I will be able to get them all, but always good to consider for future needs.

Pams will do all that - read the manual... if you don't understand anything - just ask (no stupid questions etc)

amazing, will surely do.

& I think you mean marbles not beads, marbles is a (quantized) random cv and gate generaor, beads is a granular/delay/reverb and the only mutable module not open sourced (may be in the future, only Emilie knows) so could be expensive

yes sorry I wrote the wrong thing, good to know this info too.

One last thing, similar to the mixer, if you have any module you would reccomend please feel free, it won't be anything for right now, but would be good to start to have an idea on expantion and where to expand.

Thank you again.

thank you so so much for the reply!! super useful.

No problem, good!

oh i wish i had a mom32, i have a midi keyboard komplete kontrol m32 :) i'd trade anytime hehe

ah I misread (or mis-assumed) - I only really know modulars, guitars, effect pedals and some older synth stuff

hehe touchè the original plan was to get plaits, but then a quite cheap rings came about and i couldn't let it go :) but get your point i'll definitely keep it in mind.

often happens like that...

sweet, i'll swap things out later and evenirally get the bigger AID

I'd really prioritise the pro - I had the xl for at least a year before the pro came out & like a lot of these multi-function modules it got stuck on a single algorithm... until I bought the pro... plus the pro has a basic scope built in which beginners often find useful - although patching whatever signal into a simple vco (some of the plaits modes will work) and listening is just as good if not better (use your ears not your eyes!!!)

the MIDI i guess would be to play it piano style, but yes surely not my top priority.

yeah but remember not polyphonic...

do you have any suggestion for the mixer?

just to recap
Pam -> (plaits & rings ) -> maths -> mixer -> veils -> fx aid pro

tbh you could use veils as a mixer

do you know if i could trigger randomic/generative sequences with these modules alone or then i would need to buy beads (clones) or something similar ?do you have any suggestions?

Pams will do all that - read the manual... if you don't understand anything - just ask (no stupid questions etc)

& I think you mean marbles not beads, marbles is a (quantized) random cv and gate generaor, beads is a granular/delay/reverb and the only mutable module not open sourced (may be in the future, only Emilie knows) so could be expensive

Hey, thanks

I think you are right, Plonk is not needed here as Squid is a sound source on it's own.
The massive filter seemed a good idea as it is actually 2 filters with drive and fm so it can handle 2 sound sources.

there are smaller filters that will do this... also 2 individual filters is often a good idea - they sound different...

I will have a look at zadar and batumi expander as I am not aware of them

read the manuals thoroughly and make sure you understand them before you buy the modules = less surprises - if you have questions, ask...

I was thinkin about doing the mixing on the iPad but if space alows it maybe submixing would be usefull

sub mixing is for adding sound sources oir individual waveforms before processing with for example a filter...

It is something I do in VCV with S&H + VCA + polyphonic quantizer and logic. The idea is to make melodic progressions by grabing a note from the melody and randomly routing it back to the root note input of the quantizer. I also try to change rythms and add silence in the same way. I use logic to space events out or add randomness. But I am not very experienced so maybe there are better ways to do that.

Pams can do this on it's own...

Squid could also be used as a way of building a library off sounds created with the modular. These sound can then be triggered or sequenced and give me 8 more sound sources.

imo that is a lot of sound sources in such a small case - where often each sound source will want processing...

I think this could be very interesting, but I would not know a solution in real time as you have to convert your music (or rather elements of your music) to a SVG file (it can't read jpg or png, your plotter needs a discrete vector format says the manual). So you can't just let the plotter do stuff while you jam with your gear. The plotter needs a closed file in a discrete structure to work. For example a SVG-File needs a header that starts with "svg" and an end of file that is marked with "/svg" . Thats what you can submit to the device .

I own a VCMC by Befaco. With it you could record your modular session and bring elements of your music to MIDI. The VCMC is very versatile in that regard. On your PC I'd say python is the perfect tool for the task as python has libraries that can read MIDI-events and libraries that can create SVG -files (these files are structured like XML files, but specifically for vector graphics).

But with python you could convert whatever information your MIDI file has to whatever element you want in your SVG. A simple task to start would be one note to one strike on paper. Note pitch to y-position and note length to length of this line. But it can really be whatever you want. A quick look at the SVG-documentation shows the huge potiential of shapes you can get.

This sure needs some research and developement but I'd say it could look super rad. But i am afraid you'd need at least basic programming skills for that. And it could take quite some time to get nice results. Thats a really nice plotter you have there. :)

EDITED Nov 26th 2023, 22:39

SOLVED.

After lots of tinkering and re-patching, best approach seems to be to adding a VCA at the end of the Kick drum patch using the ADSR out2 to tame the voltage variation. Got lots of pumping from the A-119 now. :)

Super simple patch:
Kick drum -
Gate -> ADSR (A-140-2) -> CVF A-105-2 -> Out

Ducking -
Kick drum -> A-119 -> Envelope Out -> A-138j (inverted) -> VCA processing bass synth.

The A-119 basically can’t distinguish a ‘clean enough’ kick sound to generate a smooth envelope. No issues with samples, use this setup all the time.

thank you so so much for the reply!! super useful.

oh i wish i had a mom32, i have a midi keyboard komplete kontrol m32 :) i'd trade anytime hehe

hehe touchè the original plan was to get plaits, but then a quite cheap rings came about and i couldn't let it go :) but get your point i'll definitely keep it in mind.

sweet, i'll swap things out later and evenirally get the bigger AID

the MIDI i guess would be to play it piano style, but yes surely not my top priority.

do you have any suggestion for the mixer?

just to recap
Pam -> (plaits & rings ) -> maths -> mixer -> veils -> fx aid pro

do you know if i could trigger randomic/generative sequences with these modules alone or then i would need to buy beads (clones) or something similar ?do you have any suggestions?

again thank you so much for all your help, really appreciated

it might be an idea to diagram your patch... so we can work out where your 'intermittent +ve voltage' is coming from

you could just use the envelope for the kick and inverrt it for ducking vcas... no need to envelope follow the kick...

there are plenty of things you could do with mom32 - just send sync or a sequence or modulation - or a combination of all 3 - remember mom's pitch is offset though...

1 of everything? but 2 sound sources - see my signature to see how to get the most versatility from your patching for least expense... have a good long think about how this (especially the formula) applies to your rack

I'd not buy a fx aid - I'd buy the pro version though - why? ergonomics, modulation and most importantly being able to tell which algo you are using without a cheat sheet - if you decide you need a second fx aid at some point you can use the pro as an inrack cheat sheet - just sync the 1st 32 algos - so a regular or an xl would be fine

no idea about the alm cases - I'd suggest a tiptop mantis - best bang for buck case (hp/cost/decent quiet power/manufacturer reputation)

nothing screams wrong
why would you want midi?
I think you'll want a bigger mixer than the field kit

I'd add a matrix mixer next... really useful for getting more interesting (& attenuated/attenuverted) modulation out of what you have there

tbh I'd buy pams, maths, a matrix mixer and a quad vca (I'd go for a veils clone for this though) to start... and then an fx aid pro

hope this helps

Hey, thanks

I think you are right, Plonk is not needed here as Squid is a sound source on it's own.
The massive filter seemed a good idea as it is actually 2 filters with drive and fm so it can handle 2 sound sources.
I will have a look at zadar and batumi expander as I am not aware of them
I was thinkin about doing the mixing on the iPad but if space alows it maybe submixing would be usefull

Squid I want to use for cv live looping to build nice melodic and harmonic progressions.
It is something I do in VCV with S&H + VCA + polyphonic quantizer and logic. The idea is to make melodic progressions by grabing a note from the melody and randomly routing it back to the root note input of the quantizer. I also try to change rythms and add silence in the same way. I use logic to space events out or add randomness. But I am not very experienced so maybe there are better ways to do that.
Squid could also be used as a way of building a library off sounds created with the modular. These sound can then be triggered or sequenced and give me 8 more sound sources.

Basicaly what I what to avoid in modular is a continuous flow of sound playing on the same rythm and notes :)

Finally found a great kick drum sound using a Doepfer A-105 and pinging it with an ADSR.
The problem is the resulting kick drum sound has an unstable (intermittent) positive voltage in the artefacts of the resulting sound, making it useless to generate envelopes to duck VCAs.
Has anyone got any tricks to make a more 'stable' sound. Quick term fix seems to be a low pass filter (set very low) before the envelope generator, but I'd rather be able to fix the kick sound itself.

EDITED Nov 26th 2023, 09:01

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2409780.jpg

EDIT:don't get why the screenshot is a bit funked, so ye i have the beads in instead of the dual dagger

hello everyone,

this is my very first rough plan at making my first eurorack and i would like to ask for opinions and help on the design aspect and module reccomendation.

the goal

i would like to explore the sound possibilities erorack has to offer, so the main goal for this is synth sound modulation. i also love entropy and randomness as well, so i'd like the synth to be able to "run" and create sequences of its own. the sort of sound i would like to achieve is soft and mellow, i love lo-fi music, and soft ambient. my favourite piano is the rhodes mkII just to give you an idea but i would like the rack to be able to produce both bass and lead sound and all in between.

the gear

i do possess other gear as well that i intend to play with alongside this instrument. i do own:

• M8 ( with which i plan to program the drums )
• OP-1 ( plan to jam on top with it and further drums )
• Norns shiled ( probably add depth to the whole song )
• Field Kit ( plan to use as a mixer with everything plugged together )

As you can see i do own some external gear i want to use in conjuction, so i'd really like to focus on the synth sound and random sequencing ( at least initially ). i also own a MIDI Native Instruments M32 it would be awesome to be able to control the rack with it too.

the rough plan

As you can see from the link to my rack rack_V02 i've chose a case which is just 3U. i think i will end up buying a 6U, most likely the ALM Busy Circuits 84 HP 6U ( i would love to know some feedback if anyone has a case from ALM already ). the reason i just set up the 3U in rack_V02 is that i plan to buy some things initially and probably expand further with time, as of now i won't be able to expand further the single row, so i just wanted to focus there. that is to say, the 6U is really the space constrain i am working with.
the goal would be to buy 1 module a month ( roughly ) and so buy first the modules that will allow me to get a fucntioning system, so get to a working instrument first is the major goal. meaning i'd prefer not to buy 2 filters first for instance :), but buy one of everything then expand.
of the system i already own plaits and rings

sorry for the long intro, i just wanted to give context which i hope gives you enough info. if you have further questions feel free to ask.

lastly, here what i am still wondering.

in the current system i don't have any midi in ( that i can see ) as said i woild like to interact with the system with the m32, what would you reccomend?
is there anything in the system that screams WRONG and is it actually accomplishing my goal stated at the top? Are there different modules you would get instead? Whay would you raccomend i buy first to get a functioning system? And really anything you might think of, i am a total noob in terms of modular and i am studying things as i go. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

thank you

b y e

carol

EDITED Nov 26th 2023, 05:52

Since I can't do without the 914 I plan to combine it with the 995 and 903A and a ADDAC104 in a second 48 HP case. What do you think?

Yeah, when you have tasted blood once ...
-- Jockl

just get a proper sized case so you don't keep buying them - a tip top mantis for example

take a look at my signature and think about it for a while and how it may relate to your rack...