User Posts

You probably won't need Scales with the quantizing abilities of the Disting and Bloom. I may be wrong but I think a recent update to Pam's New Workout also has some quantizing capabilities. Maybe someone else could chime in on that.
-- farkas

The Disting can run as a quantizer. The Disting EX can run as virtually two Disting Mk4s... so it can juggle quantizing and still be capable of offering another function.

I own a micro Ornaments and Crime. I like it for quantizing. I think with a Disting EX,an O_C, and the Pam's, you'd be very covered in possibilities.

-- Ronin1973

Thanks @farkas and @Ronin1973 . Once again I appreciate your input here. I've looked at O_C and considered it. I'll check it out again and see which version of it seems like a good fit for me.

Hi @andrew0 !

...

Whatever you do, enjoy the process!

Cheers,

-loops
-- looprication

hey @looprication thank you for your support & insight. I've checked out the LMNTL splitter and I've been meaning to add some of these to my shopping list so thank you. Also good to hear that I'm on the right track with the uMIDI.

Decided to have a bash at this, then got a surprise when checking the rack values. The Arturia Rackbrute 6U isn't 89 hp wide, it's 88. See the page at Arturia's site here: https://www.arturia.com/products/hardware-synths/rackbrute-6u/overview The copy there states that the cab has 176 hp totalled (including the 5 hp taken up by the P/S), which is 2 x 88. I already had a build completed in the original cab, then had to go back and change several things. Nevertheless, this came out pretty good, I think.
...
This isn't too bad. It'll make for a more-than-ample starter modular, plus it also has the ability to work with chance-determined melodic patterns (and a lot of other stuff) via the Clank Chaos. 2 x 104 would've made for a better fit, admittedly, but I think this 2 x 88 came out pretty decent.
-- Lugia

hey @Lugia

Thanks for taking the time to do this and giving a thorough response. I appreciate that this must have taken you a lot of time to put together as well as going to the effort of explaining each choice and how the parts fit together. That being said a lot of these modules don't seem appropriate for my needs. Based on some of your comments/responses, I'm not sure you read through & understand my goals/aims for the rack. I'm going to go point by point for some of this:

1. The Rackbrute & its size, yes I know it is small. In terms of HP to price this comes out on top for me right now because of the heavy discount I'm getting it at. If a 104 HP case was more HP to price efficient for me at this time I would be going for it.
2. I've looked up the HP width of the Rackbrute series several times and they are listed as 88HP width on the Arturia website but users report that they are 89 HP with 88 screwholes.

https://modwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=194865

https://old.reddit.com/r/modular/comments/cqr9pw/mysterious_bonus_hp_on_rackbrute_3u/

https://www.thomann.de/gb/arturia_rackbrute_3u.htm
from user Robrecht:

"One more thing: in early announcements from Arturia, the width of the case was advertised as 88hp. It is, in fact, 89hp wide. The threaded strip has only 88 screwholes, but there's room inside the case for 89hp worth of faceplates. Just shift the strip a little to the left or right inside the rail and mount one module with its faceplate extending beyond the strip. "

3. I already have the Contour Module, I'm not going to leave it out of my first build because its HP inefficient. My limitations at this point are budget, not HP. I'm just getting started.
4. The Expert Sleepers FH-2. I've actually looked at nearly all of the Expert Sleepers modules and have been trying to figure out how they would integrate with my current equipment. FH-2 seems inappropriate for this build considering I want to sync my Octatrack & Digitone with my Rack.

As for the rest of it... Well like I said I do appreciate the effort you've gone to and it seems fine, but I don't know what else to say at this point. It's not even wrong.

So I've made some changes to the rack. Layout isn't final but anyone reading please let me know your thoughts on my current selection of modules:

I've ditched MN Morphagene (for now) and added Typhoon back in, along with finding room for a Disting EX, and uMIDI. This should for more modulation possibilities as well as allow my Digitone & Octatrack to play along with the Rack and possibly send LFOs over MIDI into the Rack if needed.

@JimHowell thanks for the recommendation! Will check that out.

Complex analog oscillators... the modulation possibilities. An analog oscillator isn't subtractive. They can be used in subtractive set-ups and usually are. But subtractive synthesis means you're removing frequencies to shape your sound... not the source of the sound. Check out some Youtube videos using the Rubicon 2... or the Make Noise DPO. They are analog but can produce a lot more than your simple waveforms. Take note of the modulation possibilities both in and out of an oscillator. Some oscillators can be run at LFO rates... there's also something to be said about audio rate modulation (using the oscillator as a modulation source rather than sound).

A preference for digital oscillators is perfectly fine. But something with more modulation inputs than Plaits. You don't have to ditch Plaits. It's perfectly useful and will continue to serve in larger set-ups. Noise Engineering makes some very nice digital modules. But I'd go with the bigger NE units rather than the 12HP smaller ones... much more modulation inputs...

There isn't a good source for second hand modules. You pay your money and take your chances. Dealers will want more money. But the reputable ones won't sell broken gear or steal your money. Doing business with an individual means taking more risks and paying less. This website has a buy/sell section. You will also find modular synth buy/sell groups on Facebook.

-- Ronin1973

Thanks for explaining. I had forgotten about Complex Oscillators and assumed the basic stuff which you basically have to use filters with if you want to get anywhere. I've used Complex Oscillators "in the box" and I do agree they are fascinating. Thank you for recommending Rubicon + DPO. Will check those out.

Thanks for the info on second hand modules. I'll look around and see if anything is going in my area. Fortunately I live in an area which has a modular synth shop nearby so I am planning to pay them a visit and try some of these modules out to see if this set up i'm planning makes sense for my musical needs.

Hey Ronin, thanks for your input. I've switched back and forth between Disting mk4 vs EX just due to the size difference. I'll reconsider the EX.

Whats your argument for analog oscillators? I'm not sure thats the direction I necessarily want to go in & I'm not particularly interested in subtractive synthesis at this time. In terms of having more options for a given voice, I've wondered if picking an MI Rings instead of Plaits might be more fruitful but at the moment Plaits is appealing just due to the number of options you have for a digital voice. I'm open to hearing more of your thoughts though.

I agree with you regarding the modulation sources. I think its why I want to get a MN Maths at some point (maybe even now) because its so useful. But it's a big module and I wanted to keep myself limited as much as possible to 3U if I could.

Also, do either of you know good places to pick up used / 2nd hand modules?

hey farkas,

yeah if you do a hard refresh on your browser it should update. it's probably showing a cached image.

sorry for lack of description. I have the following gear: Elektron Octatrack, Elektron Digitone, Arturia Keystep 37.

I'm interested to get into modular for the following things: making experimental melodic sounds/textures, using it as an FX box for current gear + microphone (longer term goal), and generating unusual rhythms/sequences that would be hard to create in a DAW environment.

I make future downtempo, uk garage, ambient etc. with a lean towards experimental melodic sounds. I'm a huge fan of granular synthesis and resampling of sound. Hopefully this makes sense why I picked the Plaits + Morphagene.

At this point I'm not scoping out audio input for jack + mic but thats an eventual possibility. Given the OT, DT, K37 it may be unnecessary to have a sequencer in eurorack at this point.

edit: i want to add as well I'm not particularly fixated on any equipment apart from the following items: Arturia Rackbrute 6U (again just because of the significant discount I'm going to be getting), Morphagene (because of its processing possibilities), Contour (because I already have it). I'm also interested in Marbles / Bloom as a potential sequencer down the line. I'm also going to pick up Maths at some point.

EDITED Jun 24th 2021, 15:23

Thanks for the feedback. So is something like this better?

EDITED Jun 24th 2021, 14:18

Hey modular grid community,

I've been looking at getting into Modular for a while and have been putting together a basic rack to get me started. Would love to hear your thoughts / opinions on what is right + wrong with the current selection. Although this is shown as a 3u 88HP case please pretend it is 6U. I plan on getting a Rackbrute 6U and I gave myself the limitation of 3U so I only picked what I felt were essential to my needs starting out.

I'm getting a really hefty discount on the Rackbrute 6U so it makes cases like the Tiptop Mantis and others not very good value for my budget.

Screenshot here: https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1612919.jpg

Please note the Make Noise Contour module was selected as part of the rack because it was bought for me as a surprise, so it would be a shame not to include it in my first foray into eurorack.

EDITED Jun 24th 2021, 13:17