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Agree with the above sentiment about Maths....it's not really that complex, in that there's no hidden menus, etc. It's all right up in front. And it's probably the best learning tool for modular. Once you understand Maths, a lot of things fall into place. Once done learning the abc's, Maths adds tons of value as a sort of "swiss-army knife" of modular.

Best of luck and have fun!!!! :)

I think Maths is a better starter than, say, Ears in this case, actually. For starters, it actually does everything Ears does except the contact mic stuff, which is pretty easy to set up at home. You can start by using it for simple duties (envelopes, complex modulated LFOs, logic, and yes, envelope following like what Ears will do) and then explore more concepts though Youtube and the manual. It can even make an interesting filter or traditional oscillator to experiment with. From there, it'll be pretty easy to figure out which of the functions you use separately enough to warrant its own module. Having both at some point will be helpful, but for now having a Maths alongside these modules will allow you to experiment with multiple robust and musical case arrangements/patches in far more ways.

Do you like the Doepfer A-143-3 specifically? I love Doepfer modules too, and that one does seem nice and roomy, but it doesn't seem to offer a lot of flexibility. 12 LFOs, but only four speeds/rhythms. No voltage control, even. It's also not as cheap as I expected. Free-running LFOs like that are awesome and help make modulars feel distinct and free, but there are a lot of options there that might get you more for that amount of space and not much more money. Batumi? Ochd + expander? Lots of options.

Just my two cents on those issues. You seem to be on the right track. Knowing why you're doing what you're doing is more important than doing any one specific thing.

Thanks for the feedback!
There are several goals for this setup. The main ones atm are:
1) Overcome the inertia to get a case and cables and some usable modules that allow me to fool around with patching and making new (to me) sounds I enjoy for a few months (ideally) before I get the next module (thinking about Maths or Pam's pro workout)

2) play around with the audio input of the modules (I think I might need an extra input module for that) and the envelope follower to see what it does

3) learn to use the modules as thoroughly as I can before diving into learning what Maths or another complex module can do and how to do it.

4) Maybe get some samples to use for a few beats in Ableton or with my Electribe

I bought a West Pest last year which is fun but a bit limited in terms of the sound I (think I) want, but I think I should be able to use it for sequencing, midi to cv and additional wavefolding/basic envelope stuff for a start. I also have a Microfreak, which should work as an external keyboard controller and maybe also sequencer.

I thought about a filter before I realized I should be able to use the West Pest for something filterlike and would maybe go for a Doepfer Wasp filter (coming from Germany having Doepfer in the rack seems kind of required) if the current plan does not work out.

Why I chose Rings and Clouds specially:
Since there are Plaits oscillators in the Microfreak I plan on using these as input for the other modules until I get some more modulation sources.
When I first got interested in modular some years ago MI was among the manufacturers that excited me most, so I wanted to start with these. If I had enough loose change I'd get most of those for my first system, but I guess as a normal person you have to start somewhere and pace yourself (also see in-depth learning above).
And having watched a couple dozen YouTube Videos Rings into clouds is both a "traditional combination" (to avoid the word cliché) and still seems to hold up well, especially with the additional firmware modes.

As for the FX Aid: While trying to figure out what to put in the rack I caught myself coming back to delay and reverb pedals like the El Capstan and the Big Blue Nightsky and wanted the option to experiment with additional delay and reverb stuff in the box. I still might get one of those later on since I also have a guitar standing around collecting dust but I expect the FX Aid is versatile and high-quality enough to stave off my GAS for a few more months.

EDITED Today, 07:17

What are you sequencing with? Is "Rings into Clouds" the voice you want to focus on (nothing wrong with it - just checking), or are you planning on running external audio through this or adding a more traditional oscillator? If the two are being considered the main sound source here, why Rings but not Elements or Plaits? What do you imagine doing with this, exactly?

It's not that I want to question your motives or suggest these are a bad start. I don't necessarily think you need to make a standard subtractive voice. This is one of those setups where you could get very good and usable stuff out of it. That setup could also be frustrating depending on what you expect. We need more info before making any suggestions.

That being said, I think an envelope generator (preferably with multiple envelopes, like a Maths or a Doepfer A-143-1) and a filter are sorely missing here. The former most of all. Also, I wouldn't spend any more real estate on effects even if you are going with a Mantis case. Those are things I can say pretty confidently now.

Salutations, Wigglers!

I was warned against coming here about a dozen years ago (expensiveness of the hobby etc.) and therefore missed out on a lot of bloops and bleeps. I finally have a bit of hobby-money and a sort of a midlife -crisis and would like to invest in a small system that will probably grow over the next years. I think this Idea is sort of a minimum viable system (Soundsource, modifier, utilities, effects, output) and am thinking about putting it all in a mantis case. Different external sound sources and additional effects are also available. Any thoughts or tips about things I may have overlooked would be appreciated.

Edit: For some reason the Image does not show the recent changes I made. I hope that's just a problem at my end.

EDITED Yesterday, 15:41

Hi everyone,
I have to let go of a few things to gather funds for something. I have an unused Blackhole case, the 104HP version, in red for sale.
I originally purchased it with the intent of having two cases but have since decided to keep one case and have separate studio racks for other setups. Some modules have been installed but were subsequently removed without it being in use.
Message me if interested to discuss a price / shipping rate that works for both of us. Please send reasonable offers only as it is in new condition.

Hello.
Please check my new track.

Have fun.

Sunday morning beatmaking

Anyone else notice this? Is there a solution?
-- AEROCATONE

What device are you using?

-- modulargrid

Mac OS 10.14.6

I put a rack together that is roughly similar to the audio-path functionality of the Zoxnoxious synth. What is the Zoxnoxious synth? It's a set of voice cards that are controlled from VCV Rack. The voice cards have analog elements such as oscillators, filters, VCAs, etc. Each voice card has a correspoding VCV Rack module.

Obviously missing from this rack are any control elements: clocks, sequencers, LFOs, envelopes, etc are all missing. Those are all done in VCV Rack. Using VCV Rack allows for a ton cpu control over the voice card. In addition to VCV Rack generated controls, the Zoxnoxious voice cards can route signals between each other for modulation, filtering, etc. No audio goes through VCV Rack, only control elements. All audio is in the hardware synth.

Here's a rundown of the four cards I've developed so far and a rough Eurorack equivalent. Going left to right:

Z3340: Similar to most other 3340-based VCOs. I usually have two of these installed, hence two Kassutronics 3340s in this rack. The Zoxnoxious Z3340 has many more features such as four different sync modes that can be combined, and VCAs to mix the saw/pulse/tri outputs.

Pole Dancer filter: a bit similar to the A-107 morphing filter. The Pole Dancer is a multimode filter with direct access to a mixer for pole mixing. A separate module called the Personality provides the mixer (after all, a Pole Dancer needs a Personality!). Not only can one create many variations of low/high/band/notch filters but also morph/crossfade/switch/sequence between them.

Z3372: A filter + white noise generator in a single module; I dropped the AM8328 and Nse Noise Generator to represent it. The Z3372 is based around a clone of the CEM3372. It'll also do output panning which can be modulated by other voice cards.

Z5524: a 2-VCO + VCF module that is roughly like a combo of the Timo 3394 and WMD Legion. The Z5524 uses a modern TZFM VCO for one oscillator and the synth-on-a-chip CEM3394 clone for the VCO/VCF. There are some internal routings that give the hybrid character. The 3394 provides 6 different waveforms for TZFM modulation. The TZFM VCO also does hard sub-sync, where hard sync is one octave below the fundamental. Soft sync is also present, and both sync modes can be used at the same time for a more mellow hard sync.

With that lineup and all the control elements in VCV Rack this gives a pretty big analog palette to play with. Here's a demo video from a few years back:

, not sure if I know another module that can handle 32 channels of CV automation (that's the way I'd use it, I guess)...
-- toodee

not willing to compare the two sequencers,
i use both and find both very useful. but just in case that's useful: Nerseq handles many cv tracks. i used 2 cv expanders, that's 32 cv outs in addition to the 12 cv outs of nerdseq.

happy patching everyone :)

Nice and affordable, but for some reason the faceplate of this module is about twice as thick as 99% of other modules. The design looks great but if the overall aesthetic of your case doesn't allow for small differences like that this might not be for you.

Keeping it simple

I believe the accurate CV outs are expensive hence why the droid has so few

Good stuff, guess its a bit like everything sounds better at 7 or 8 versus being cranked up to 11 all the time.

That's awesome!

Nice way to challenge yourself through limitation (a must in the realm of modular)....

love the round, woody sorta tones you're getting with the LPGs.

Now, the question becomes, 'how to find proper balance between reverb drenched and totally dry"? :)

Looking forward to your next work! Thx for sharing!

hi. I think this is a good option for Hermod+ owners. But we need some things in hermod+ to buy xp32. I don't know if it's
commercial limitations compared to other products, or technical limitations.

Being able to play via a midi keyboard a track OFF
Naming a track (after all, it's the brain)
+/- 10v (well, that's okay with xp32)

The release of v2.0 paved the way for the arrival of Xp32.
In the emotion we could have succumbed

Wait and see

EDITED Thursday February 13, 19:59

Hi to all :)
Not sure this is the right place but...
I am using an Octatrack Mk2 (referred to as OT) as a mixer/remixer for my modular. It sums 2 mono signals from a Ladik A-541 - https://modulargrid.net/e/ladik-a-541 (usually 1 channel for kick and the other for bass) and a stereo signal from the Make Noise XOH - https://modulargrid.net/e/make-noise-xoh.
I am using the filter distortion in the OT on kicks and generally to beef up the sound coming from my modular.
What Eurorack module could do the same type of "filter distortion" or any type of distortion to get to the same result?
Any idea?
I am also using the filter distortion from the OT on the Master track in the OT to beef up the mix... OT is then going into a FMR RNC and finally an Analog Heat Mk2. For info :)
Current rack:

EDITED Thursday February 13, 19:19

🚫 No reverbs. 🚫 No delays. Just pure, dry modular synthesis.
I wanted to challenge myself, I made a video before with no reverb, but I still used delays. So the next step was delays! By stripping away effects, I had to rely on modulation, low-pass gates, and clever patching to shape the sound.
🔹 Main voice: Mangrove
🔹 Sequencing: Rings via Moskva, with Hermod+ as the main sequencer
🔹 Bass: STO
🔹 Pads: Vostok modules
🔹 Textures & Noise: Error Instruments modules
🔹 Beat: Rample (Squarp)
🔹 Counter melody: XPO & Plaits

The result? A sound I’ve never gotten from my system before. That’s the magic of modular synthesis—always surprising, always inspiring.

Hello. I am having an issue with my ZeroScope display. I am linking my post in the r/modular subreddit with video. I tried flashing the firmware and it did not correct the issue. Any ideas before I reach out to vpme? https://www.reddit.com/r/modular/comments/1hccpyn/zeroscope_display/

I'm right there with you, I'll try to use that argument to try and hold my purchase for as long as I can, but it's really tempting, not sure if I know another module that can handle 32 channels of CV automation (that's the way I'd use it, I guess)...

Anyone else notice this? Is there a solution?
-- AEROCATONE

What device are you using?

Sometimes i experimented static in my fingers to makes crazy the touchplates, to get a mini temporal solution i clean well the touch plates with a handkerchief with any substance and clean my hands. And sometimes is a little more stable to play with hands.

That's a great point. I tried a midi sequence into the Swarm from Live soon after I got it, and that worked well. The DAW was very new to me then so I didn't do more with that. I will try more midi things with it soon–been meaning to for months. Thanks!
Also, since I can't return mine as I bought it second-hand, I've been exploring best uses for it. I've found that when I think of it as a crazy drum machine, I get the most compelling and useful things from it and have the least "bad surprises".

Yes, it's not perfect and unstable for a serious project, but is very experimental and give you the opportunity to search new sounds. I recommended use by midi and not manual if you search a better touch. For manual use is not stable and give you bad surprises when you are in record mode.
-- pauperrasta

How did the return process go? I tried a couple times to get in touch with Eowave but they gave me the cold shoulder.

Has anyone else had issues with the sensitivity of the touch pads on the Swarm? It only registers about 1 in 3 touches for me in use, unless I lick my fingers.
-- chrisormitch

have just received the unit. same here, the sensitivity not working fine, sometimes it works most of the times it doesnt, im about to send it back to the dealer...
-- unbalancedbeats

I'm a little surprised at the price. More than the Hermod+...

I'm super happy to share that Carnal Ex and I are featured on Modular World with performaces and a great conversation. The show premieres Sunday, February 16th at 4PM EST. We'd love to see some friendly faces in chat if you wanted to drop in.

Hi, alternative MEBITEK firmware

Hi, alternative MEBITEK Firmware

Laniakea comes in at 0:18 producing the low frequency bubble sound and metal singing bowl sound. was able to simulate two instruments with the laniakea.

The bass in the beginning is the mother 32. Started introducing another module sound around 0:39

can we get a black faceplate version please.

Yes, it's not perfect and unstable for a serious project, but is very experimental and give you the opportunity to search new sounds. I recommended use by midi and not manual if you search a better touch. For manual use is not stable and give you bad surprises when you are in record mode.

Anyone else notice this? Is there a solution?

Nice work.
-- wishbonebrewery

Thanks!

With Disting EX’s multiswitch algo (6 switches, each with 6 inputs and 4 outputs), you can generate long, melodic sequences with just three voltages. By placing the switches in parallel, so their inputs and outputs overlap, and by adding a few feedback loops, the sequence can get quite complex and unpredictable.
Detailed patch notes in the video:

Nice work.

Beats & Bikes

here is my band, deepgrave min og dog or dgmod making sounds having fun yesterday afternoon
to do the streaming i used linux (ubuntu studio) on a old dell precision laptop instead of my windows 11 machine
sorry it wont embed the youtube video in modulargrid because its from a live video, but it will play if you copy the link
youtube.com/live/1wp0nDPENl4?si=H-LSaY5yTRrlpPMF

EDITED Feb 9th, 15:42

Hi all does anyone know if Antumbra are still in bussiness
Tried emailing them with no reply.
I have been trying to source Knit pcbs, Ive checked stockists
i.e pusherman / modular addict with no joy.

Thanks
Archaos

Kinda just trying to go hard. Like Modular you could mosh to.
Heavily Locked Club Influenced.

I made a preview video for a new 10 track album to give a sense of the music and the space from which the music was made. I gigged with these songs for a while and recorded the stems over a year ago, so it is very meaningful to finally have them out in the world. The full album is out March 21st on Bandcamp, with a wider release the following week.

Check the beat ya!

... No idea why the devs cant implement this simple thing into the code for the site.
-- geoffcrowther

Have some patience with the MG developers—it’s not as simple as it might seem.

The option to "Show/Hide modules that are in the current rack" could probably be implemented fairly quickly.
But a full Rack Diff Wizard is a bit more complex.

A proper concept would need to be worked out first:
- What should the input interface look like? Maybe two dropdowns where you select two racks to compare?
- Should it even allow selecting multiple racks at once?
- Do you want to see only the modules that are in all selected racks (the intersection)?
- Or only the ones that are not in the intersection?
- What should happen with the result?
- Should you be able to create a new rack from the comparison?
- Should there be a JSON export that you can manually import as a new rack?
- Or should all modules be tagged with "unracked" and the filter options have to be extended?

So many questions...

You could try drafting a solid concept for it. That would definitely increase the chances of the MG developers implementing it at some point!

EDITED Feb 6th, 11:16

Thanks and for the workaround - i tried it but it didnt work, most likely because my knowledge of java script use in the browser is non-existent. No idea why the devs cant implement this simple thing into the code for the site.

When rearranging my rack, I have noticed that when I swipe too far left (or right), the page "reloads" and reverts back to the arrangement from before I started the session. It has happened a couple times now. After it happens, I attempted to swipe both ways several times and the page continues to reload back to the same previous version. Any ideas?

I could sell a Kidney and get a couple of these for chord progressions. Things to think about...