Now I have reorganized a bit and will put the modules to connect the bass on hold. I realized there are a variety of ways to integrate outside sources that do not take up rack space...
I have 10HP left in this rack setup...What should it be used for? What kind of modules? any recommendations from anyone?
Thanks everyone!
Hi,
I was able to set up the module with NI Reaktor (and also with VCV Rack, CVToolkit, or even Softube Modular) all of them are working fine however with some limitations:
NI Reaktor: yes if i run it as a plug in i can have only 1 input and 1 output to (or through) the DAW (or at least in Ableton).
as Stand-alone i could receive 4 signal and send out 8 signals to Eurorack - so also any ADSR is working fine
My only concern is the latency. I might need a faster computer. Of course in some cases a relative low or middle latency is enough eg some effect etc.
However if you want the same signal coming into the software and going out to Modular again then this means every in and out on the same signal route will add latency - so at the end you might end up summing up a lot of latencies. Plus also in case of using software VCA (or LPG) with Hardware VCO if the attack time is fast then i can notice a strange sound at the beginning of each note i play...
I saw that it is possible for a Plugin to use multiple channels to Ableton. like Softube modular can route 4 auxilary outputs to Ableton. These outputs you will be able to select as an input for a seperate Ableton track. Would be nice to have the same for NI Reaktor. And would be even nicer to have an option for multiple INs and OUTs as well.
Or another solution could be if you could use direct access to the soundcard not only in stand alone mode but also as a plugin.
I like the possiblity in VCV Rack that you can add 2 (or more)Ö out modules and will be able to select different soundcards for each OUT.
So you dont need to make aggregate devices (in OSX) but can route Inputs ond OUTputs to different places at the same time: eg: to ES-8 for CV plus to DAW or another soundcard for recording audio or listening through headphones etc..
"MrWigglesworth" just send me a message with details and i can help to set up Reaktor ADSR with ES-8 (in standalone mode) if you want.
I used the Buchla Music Easel drum pack made by 101 Things I Do. I love that pack, if I disregard the file names and what they suggest that the sounds supposedly are mimicking.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxrQncJUJ4YDeWwzSWwxdmstV1k/view
Thanks for a friendly kick ind the music balls :-) YES, I'm a hopeless romantic who dreams of learning ALT about modular synthesizer, and my thought was that if I bought the best from the start, I had a goal to aim for :-) And yes, I'm going to get better into it all the stuff, and know it's expensive, but it's so sexy and I only turn on on modular without keys.
I think about your words and try not to spend all my children's savings. But I choose MINIMOD, because it looks nice with all the sexy buttons and fat noise coming out.
And again, thanks for taking the time to see it all in a helicopter perspective :-)
Hey all. Newbie here (to the site).
I'm getting a rack brute to go with my MiniBrute 2S and the Sub37 CV I just picked up.
MPC Touch and Macbook pro will ultimately be my master clock.
Thoughts on this setup to go with those guys?...
Thanks much!
Yeah, you did that right. I'll second cg_funk on the Pamela's (kinda overkill here) but I say keep the o+C...it's way too useful. Instead, cg's idea on the more conventional clock + divider makes sense; my suggestion, fitting in the same 8 hp, would be Evaton's CLX dual clock/logic plus Zlob's clock divider. That way, you get some weird logic possibilities sneaked in. Then yank the 2hp Snare and Arp (the o+C can handle that function, more or less) and add an ALM PipSlope as sort of a teensy VCS-ish device to loop CVable attack/decay for those times when the Maths is too overtaxed. As for the rest...looks great!
The latter...one is just a VCO, the other is a synth voice. Apples and oranges. However...
You might want to consider if a modular makes sense at all in your situation. As you noticed, a full build is a spendy thing, and given that you're just starting (by your own admission), I don't see the sense in piling up cash for a complex modular (or even a not-quite-so-complex modular) system when you're at a stage where you're still wrapping your head around synthesis techniques in general. My suggestion would be something prebuilt; if you like the sound of the Moog VCOs and so on, get a Grandmother when they start shipping. It's patchable, it has the ACTUAL Moog VCO circuit rather than a clone, and it can easily be integrated into a modular build later on. It's also $900, which includes the keyboard controller, case and power, etc etc...which, of course, are extra expenditures in modular.
Modulars are sexy things. Modulars are also very expensive, a huge swamp of pitfalls and traps for beginning synthesists that can easily be avoided by learning the basic architecture of a proper synth before ever considering modular. Yeah, yeah, Deadmaus has a few...BFD. Deadmaus also makes more money than the gross national product of some third-world countries and can afford to make critical errors in purchasing judgement as long as people keep buying his tracks. And owning one will not make you Deadmaus (thank god...given that I own a few myself).
So...my advice: stop. Study the 'classics' and see how and why they work. Get something that moves you toward this zone, but where you don't wind up spending thousands on something you could easily get lost in. Then, once you've sorted out where to go and how to get there, then look into modular synthesizers. Otherwise, your experience in this sort of thing...and potentially music in general...could turn out being not as cool as you'd expected.
Solid looking rack! About time I saw one on here that I made me immediately jealous.
I'd go with the Noise Engineering lunchbox mixer in the same size.
Regarding the tiny computer screen trend: I would personally swap out the Pam and the O+C for something else more immediately usable. Maybe a Turing Machine or Mimetic Digitalis, and a regular clock/divider, LFO, and quantizer. More knobs and switches on the panel and less fussing with interfaces.
I got a o+c module from @Delabelle, it arrived well packaged and in perfect condition. Thanks for the deal!
I have a very wide question, from a beginner:
I'm crazy about the sound of MINIMOD VCO, and would rather buy 3 x VCO, Glide, VCF, VCA etc .. but it's also a lot of money .... so my question is:
Should I wait until I can afford to buy MINIMOD setup, or could I "settle" with an Intellijel Atlantis? ... or can not these 2 setup not be compared?
It was awesome to deal with @Leyy. he sold me his Xaoc Belgrad and by some mistake DHL returned the package, so he posted it again with not asking for additional fees - thanks for that!
thanks @0netwo0netwo for the super fast shipping! Everything arrived in perfect condition :)
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_689188.jpg
Probably never going to bite the bullet with Eurorack, but making up hypothetical ones sure is fun! What do you think? A lot of voices and a lot of utility, all for a cool 4.3k...
Well, I am...wish I was still in academia so I could drag this over to the composition dept at the U of I and put it on for the typical academic serialism wonks and say "YOU CLOWNS ARE DOING IT WRONG!!!" Nice job, sislte!
Not qualified to tell if its really 12-tone but I can say it sounds sweet to me.
@noeticsound
The issue is fixed.
You will see the right expire date on the receipt if you still support us next year :)
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
Small fixes
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
A friend challenged me to make use of my Mbira (thumb piano) that I got 10 years ago in San Francisco so that’s in there too.
Bought a R*S Resonant EQ from @AVJR
I have bought previously from him, and as usual, a very quick transaction, module was well packaged and in perfect condition.
A very nice guy.
If a compactflash card could talk, it would say "yes".
Hello, I think I now have the modules planned that I need to make a cool groovebox. Any ideas?
Just saw these. Uhm...yeah. Now, let me get this straight...
The 'low end' version is over US$500. When eBay shows the real thing hovering in the US$300-ish range. Sure, it's umpty-gazillion dollars over in the EU...but that was also where the concept of the $2000 TB-303 came from, and while I thought (and still think) that was insane, anyone paying more than about $350 for a minty-fresh NOS Minipops of any series needs to be fitted for a straight-jacket. Just because Aphex used one on "Syro" (somewhere) doesn't mean that possessing one makes you Aphex. And yes, this does take clock in/out...but Tubbutech has a MIDI mod that gives you MIDI control for EUR 140-ish of the actual thing.
But then, the 'high end' MP7 comes with a lot of silliness...mainly, the whole triggering scheme. In order to work with the triggering, you will need adapters to go to TRS 3.5mm plugs, because while the input triggering is between tip and sleeve, Nabla opted to put the trigger-out from the MP7's wired-pattern sequencer between the ring and sleeve. Why is this important? OK, follow me for a sec...
Let's say you're triggering the MP7's internal voices via the tip-sleeve connection. Which, of course, means that the entire patch-plane is the 'ground' and the actual trigger pulses are on the tip, and the outputs from the MP7's triggers (on the ring) are cold. What's wrong here? OK...if you are using (like everyone else in Eurorack) a TS 3.5mm patchcord, then there is a bit of a risk of sending backwards voltage into the MP7's sequencer, but that's only if things are a bit miswired coming from the external sequencer sending the pulses. No...the REAL, dead-on-certs danger is what can happen should you accidentally start the MP7's own sequencer and send ITS triggers back down your connection. Miswiring here now has the ability to reverse-voltage the external sequencer! And by 'miswiring', I mean something akin to pulling a patchcord while the MP7's sequencer is on, allowing the Ring terminal in the jack to momentarily contact the Tip of the cord's plug. Expensive external trigger sequencer module go BOOM if it doesn't have diode protection on its outputs!!! This is, in fact, the PRECISE reason why we don't use 3-conductor jacks/plugs in patchng architecture, Nabla!
While I can appreciate the effort from a startup company, guys, PLEASE try and understand why things work the way they do in the Eurorack standard! No one, for one thing, is going to be jazzed about the prewired patterns; they're going to want to do their own sequencing, otherwise they would've already gotten (such as I have) rhythm boxes for that sort of purpose. Secondly, if the sounds are the important thing, then why not just make a soundbank module such as so many other companies do? No sequencer, no reverse voltage hazard (other than the usual ones), just sounds. You could even stereo-bus this, add some pan-pots on bus side of the voice circuits, with the additional solo-out defeats. And THAT actually would be a welcome addition to the drum-module constellation. Not this...since it has "potential damage liability" wired into its design. C'mon...do this right, not like this.
Not sure why you'd think Plan #1 would be a 'waste' if you went further into modular. After all, the 0-Coast is patchable, works with the typical CV/gate standards so it can be integrated with a modular rig, and is pretty cheap + a good start-point for learning. I would strongly suggest you consider something along those lines, in fact, before plunging in over your head in the complexity and CO$T of modular synths. Otherwise, even if price isn't a problem, you run the risk of finding yourself in a position akin to taking Driver's Ed 101 behind the wheel of a Bentley Mulsanne. Not a good idea. Whereas an 0-Coast is more akin to doing the above with a used Lexus, by comparison. It does what you need, it's still really nice, and you can build on the experience gained from that if/when you want to step up to something super-expensive and ultra-powered.
Modular looks sexy. Yes. But many of us who're used to large-scale rigs started off on the equivalents of the 0-Coast, sometimes many years back, and got to this point...not started at it. It's very trendy right now...but for a lot of people who don't know the intricacies, it's trendy sort of like how pigs as pets got trendy after the movie "Babe" came out. Looks like a good idea, but the reality may include certain flaws that weren't on the big screen.
So, start with patchable prebuilds. While you learn to use them, study why the 'classic' synths (some which have been reissued, even) are exactly that: benchmarks by which synth gear is measured. Learn by doing FIRST...THEN take the full-on magic plastic-burning plunge!
A couple of others worth looking at along these same lines might be the Orthogonal ER-301 and the Mordax GXN (when it drops in a few months). Also, if going outboard for manipulation is possible, a Tasty Chips GR-1 might also fit the bill.
Bought a Ginko Grains from @owbotic
Befaco A*B+C from @solipsistnation
Peaks from @synthetictheory
And sold a Doepfer A-184-1 to @omer1789
All smooth and painless transactions, all modules as described.
And/or behaviour
I appreciate these descriptions! Because of the range of experimentation that the morphagene provides, and its ability to incorporate field recording samples into the mix, I'm leaning more in that direction. I never thought of the clouds as a kind of one-trick pony, but I agree that the one trick it does is a really cool one!
I am new to the morphagene and still have a lot to learn, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. I have both clouds and morphagene, and love them both for very different reasons. So far, the way that I see it is for interesting live manipulation that doesn't require much work, clouds is superior. For intricate sample based sound design, morphagene wins by a landslide. The workflow that morphagene thrives in is recording audio, then manipulating it, whereas clouds wins as a live granular effect. That being said, I honestly find clouds kind of boring because there is not that much that it can do (however what it does it does very well and it sounds great), where morphagene is an endless pit of possibilities where every day you can discover something new and amazing. Just my two cents!
Hi Everyone,
I'm interested in cinematic, evolving soundscape work, and I'm debating between waiting for the new version of clouds or breaking down and getting a morphagene. I understand that these are two very different modules, but I'm primarily interested in live granular manipulation. The brain of my setup is a digitakt, but I don't see the sample functionality of the morphagene as redundant. (Is this correct? The DT's capabilities are huge, but it won't do what the morphagene does, at least not as easily).
I've got 22 free hp. The new clouds is rumored to be 14, so that's a big bonus.
Curious to know everyone's thoughts, especially folks who are interested in ambient, soundscape-type music.
Thanks!
Hi, I’m expanding to 9u and I need some advice. The top 2 rows are my current set up and the bottom row is my wish list.
AWM-3 I have a few voices which I wanna add interest to. Plus I want to mix VCOs together in nice smooth analogue chords. Any thoughts on this?
Batumi LFO. The lovely Molten modular man says he uses it to modulate everything, where as I have rather limited LFOness ATM. Any thoughts on this?
An attempt to adapt the twelve-tone technique to an electronic track.
Where can I get this? Or at least the front panel?
I've been a musician for years and only now have I fallen, and fallen hard for modular.
I have the Moog DFAM and Mother-32 already along with Braids, Maths, Quad VCA, and Rings. The other modules I've added as possibilities based on forum posts or youtube videos of musicians composing the modular music I'm striving to create (melodic, ambient, etc.).
Before I get to carried away, I would like opinions and suggestions.
Thanks!
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_675786.jpg
Added that 60HP of space to my Mother 32 stack and, thanks to a good friend, racked Maths and Veils. Have spent the last two days reading, learning, and playing. Planning to expand things slowly as I progress, but not in a hurry (thank you for solid advice @Lugia). Having a great deal of fun learning and exploring.
Reached the point this afternoon where I felt comfortable putting something together, working towards adding depth and shape to the M32's without losing what I like about their personality. Used Gate output from the M32 to trigger Maths, working with Rise, Fall, Response Curve, and routing through Veils back to VCF cutoff on one of the M32's. Ran sequences on two M32's for bass and bleeps, then again for the intertwined leads. A little bit of reverb by Valhalla. Need to find and eliminate a slight hiss lurking somewhere in my mixing setup.
So I do not own any modular equipment at the moment, but do have a korg minilogue, and a sampler.
I think i have worked out how to get enough money together to make that start on the modular scene.
I don't want to make a subtractive synth from scratch. To be honest, I don't think i want a filter, at least not yet. I am really interested in different ways of analogue synthesis, especially with the more west coast/left-field style of Make Noise's modules. I like the complex harmonics, the analogue FM synthesis and circular modulation.. Maybe one of you guys knows alternative/cheaper options in this flavour?
So I have three ideas in ascending price:
is to just get a Make Noise 0-coast and play with that a bit and see where it goes. However, I am worried that if I go modular after that, it will feel like time and money wasted..
is to make a modular based on my favourite Make Noise modules, basically an 0-coast on steroids.. see image.
Wondering if this might miss the point of modular focusing on one thing so much. I don't know a wide range of manufacturers or styles yet. Also I need seasoned eurorackers to tell me what utilities I'm missing.
I thought maybe I would simplify any issue of filters, basic oscillators, power, keyboard control, etc. by getting this interesting looking arturia modular bundle:
https://www.gear4music.de/en/Keyboards-and-Pianos/Arturia-MiniBrute-2-with-6U-RackBrute/2AQF
This appeals to me because it looks like I could integrate a solid subtractive monosynth with the stranger additive modules of make noise, and then build it up from there, without having to worry too much about getting all the basics individually. What do you guys think?
I started to wonder what the Sub37 would look like if it was built all out of Eurorack... so I planned it out as a thought experiment.
Wow I think it would be quite a beast, and it makes me appreciate just how much you get in the box!
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_690139.jpg
--and back to the topic of the actual thread..
I found shooting different envelopes from my DFAM/modular into the Sub37 Filter input sounds awesome BTW.. Also, sending pitch CV from a quantizer lets the Sub37 change keys along with the modular, so that works if you can solo in C on keys. While it might not integrate fully with a modular, with some creative patching it can really sound integrated.
Hope that helps!
Actually, you might want to think ahead and look at Trogotronic's power supply system. Massive current capacity, and not expensive. Since Trogotronic has a lot of tube designs in the module lines, they should know a thing or two about supplying high current loads. Plus, something of that sort should be good to go for quite some time; all you'd need to do is to keep daisy-chaining passive power modules of some variety to deal with even a very large rig.
The Mix4 makes the most sense to me. You need some way to mix those VCOs, for starters, and the Mir is clearly going to be busy doing things later in the signal flow.
So it looks like I'll eventually need more power than a single uZeus. I'm thinking of going maximum 9U at 84HP. What's a good plan. After my research I'm thinking 4MS Row Power 40 daisy chained to a Row Power 30 and selling my uZeus. Anyone got any other solutions that are good value for money?
Super stoked about this. After about a year and change in the modular world, I'm finally approaching a finished rack. It's mostly for sound design to be used and manipulated later in ableton, but I do like the occasional rambling jams. I have 3hp left, where I was debating pico drums, or a malekko mix4 or noise. All would be helpful. Any suggestions? Great community, couldn't have done it without this place.
I got the info from the renewal confirmation email. See screenshot.
Thanks that is helpful!
It's like I thought, the value is saved correct in the db but the output in the email is just "today +1y".
Will fix it soon.
You provide an awesome resource for free and a useful set of enhancements for next to nothing. I'm extremely satisfied.
Thanks for kind words!
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
Ah, OK...good to know. Thanks for the quick response.
I got the info from the renewal confirmation email. See screenshot.
Just to reiterate: I'm 100% confident that you weren't trying to cheat anyone, that this wasn't intentional. You provide an awesome resource for free and a useful set of enhancements for next to nothing. I'm extremely satisfied.
This is an embarrassing bug I thought I had already fixed some time ago.
Strange thing: I have checked your account. It looks o.k. to me, it will expire on June 27.
I processed my renewal and discovered that my unicorn account is now valid until June 21, 2019
Where did you get that info?
I think (well, kind of hope) it just displays the wrong date but enters the right one in the database. Of course I don't want to cheat you guys.
Thanks for supporting!
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
I received a message yesterday (June 20) informing me that my unicorn account would expire soon (June 27) and encouraging me to renew. Just now (June 21), I processed my renewal and discovered that my unicorn account is now valid until June 21, 2019, meaning that I'm essentially paying double for the next few days and losing a few days from the annual cycle.
Now, don't get me wrong. MG.net is wonderful, and the cost of a yearly account is marginal (let alone the cost of a few days). All in all, I'm getting an utterly unique service 24/7 at a price that compares favorably with one decent lunch in Manhattan (where I work). I don't want to make a mountain out of this molehill, and I'm sure that there was no bad intent. I'd just suggest to the webmaster team to amend the system so that purchased renewals begin upon the expiration of the previous period, not before.
Many thanks for all the excellent work you've done to support the global modular synth community.
If you stick to things in the smaller range from companies like 2hp, Ladik, Erica, Zlob, etc, you can still jam a load of functionality into that third tier. Right now, you've got 24 hp to go after the Maths, Veils, and a uZeus go in, but with the very tiny stuff, you can do a lot. One thing to be careful of, however, is module depths; as I recall, the maximum depth on the Moog 60hp boats is not too generous, so you'll have to be very careful with that one limitation.
This is very helpful and makes a lot of sense. I should have mentioned that I already have Maths and Veils (given to me by a friend who has moved from modular to DAW/software) but can understand and work with the layout you've created here.
Earlier today, I found a list of Mother 32 "limitations" from user luketeaford, many of which you mentioned, some that I hadn't realized yet:
Again, what you've put together here is very helpful and gets me headed in a sensible direction. With Maths and Veils sitting next to me, I'll go over all of this again several times and see what I can come up with.
Much appreciated and thank you.
Clock and random are there up in the tile row. And while the Frames can work as an audio VCA, you really need a couple more linear, DC-coupled ones for controlling CV levels. The Quad VCA comes to mind mainly because you can also sum signals with it, but there's plenty of other options that can do much the same.
