A beginner needs some advice

Hello everyone,
I’m completely new to Eurorack and wanted to give it a try. I don’t want to invest too much money, and many of you are probably thinking that I should go for more or better modules… but I really want to keep it cheap while still not having to give up too much. I definitely don’t want to spend more than €2000… preferably around €1500.

I mainly need the rack for ambient and dark ambient and will be combining it with a Yamaha Reface CP, which is connected to a Neonegg Planetarium V3.

I’m curious—can this rack setup work as it is, or am I doing a lot wrong here?

I’d like to thank you in advance for constructive help… as a beginner, any real guidance is really appreciated.
Thank you very much.

This video offers some food for thought. There's a running gag amongst modular users that you can never have too many VCAs, and that's something that beginners don't usually understand at first. You don't have any VCAs here, and I don't see any mixing solutions either. That's where I would recommend looking.
Have fun and good luck!

Hi farkas
thanks a lot for your help! That already helped me a lot, and I understand the logic behind it now.
I’ve added a VCA module and made some other changes as well.
Maybe you or someone else has an opinion on that?

Adding the VCA and audio mixer makes it better but not good. You have a handful of voices you want to be able to mix, plus a mighty dsp fx box that calls for a mixer with at least one fx send bus. Also, there is no basic plumbing such as attenuators and cv mixing. Loose at least one of the big modules to fit that in. Chaos and A-118 looks redundant to me.

The A-118-2v will save you 4hp over using the A-119, but wiggler's right, the Chaos will give you much of the same randomitry.
Get a couple Rides in the Storm QAM active multiples instead and share those CVs.
Stereo vs. mono. You'll either have to mix in stereo, run long wires, combine two channels, or throw one side away.
What's your usual clock going to be? Several modules here give or require a clock.
Can you distribute the clock(s) to where it's needed?
Are you hoping to use stacked cables? Don't do that.

Hey guys

many thanks to everyone who is helping me out here. For people who are very knowledgeable, it might seem boring, or they might not understand how someone could not know certain things. But for people like me, who are starting almost from scratch, the help is incredibly valuable and really motivating. :)

I’ve made some changes here again… does this make a bit more sense now?

The truth is, what you're going to have to do is just take the plunge and get some experience. There are all sorts of variables that are highly individual but won't make sense until you have some modules in front of you. This individualization is one of the beauties and joys of modular, but also makes it difficult to give advice. Everyone has their favorite manufacturers and modules, but that doesn't mean you'll like the same ones.
Do you like one-knob-per-function modules or are you okay with menus and button combinations? Do you want lots of panel space to tweak knobs, or are you okay with having tiny knobs and jacks all bunched up together, making it hard to get your fingers in there? And so on...
My advice is always to do your research and go slowly, only buy modules that solve problems that you cannot solve with modules you already have, don't be afraid to sell off modules that don't work for you, invest in a bigger case than you think you need, and have fun. You probably will spend more than your current budget in the long run.

Hello farkas

What you’re writing makes absolute sense, and I feel the same way. Modular means growing with the modules, and the knowledge about them grows as well with them. For me, the main concern at the moment is simply not making a big mistake at the beginning—like forgetting something very important or combining modules that make absolutely no sense together.

I’m also not looking for advice on the “best module,” the “best brand,” or the “best workflow”… as you said, that’s very personal and will develop over time. What’s important to me is just not buying something I absolutely shouldn’t have, because it would be musically illogical or wouldn’t work at all.

Hi,
A lot of modules for that case.
To run this, you'll need at least 88 more HP.
I'd start with BRAINS, CHAOS, ABACUS, and SKIES.
I'd choose smaller VCAs, for example https://modulargrid.net/e/doepfer-a-135-2-quad-vca-vc-mixer. It's inexpensive and is a Doepfer.
Regarding attenuators, instead of the Doepfer, I'd recommend, for example, https://modulargrid.net/e/befaco-atte. With it, you can invert the signals and it also gives you offset.
To output audio, a stereo mixer with send/return takes up a lot of space, at least 20 HP, so you'll either go for a larger case or opt for an external mixer.
Try this, and then you can add HALOS and Black Hole DSP2.
Ferran,