Hi, this is my corrent setup.
I was planning to add:
- MI Marbles
- MI Stages
- MI Kinks
- 2hp VCO
- 2hp MMF
What do you think ? Any suggestion ?
THanks
First and foremost, double check to see if your case power supply will handle all of these modules. You have a few power hungry modules. Check the +12V and -12V draws.
Next up, you might want to check out the Expert Sleepers ES-9. If you're planning on using VCV Rack, you'll have more ins and outs across the digital divide.
The 2HP VCO and MMF are pretty basic. They'll work. But if it were my rig, I'd want modules that are beefier if they are sound sources and filtering.
I would want Kinks. I would also want two ADSR envelopes and a dedicated LFO module thrown in there. A clock divider or module capable of creating clock divisions would be nice too, as you probably don't want to depend on your computer to generate clocks or divide/multiply them.
Thanks for your suggestions.
My case is an Intellijel 7U 104; I've checked power supply and according to modulargrid info it seems ok.
Kink is in my list and an additional ADSR module was there too... I have to rethink about it.
Good catch on ES-9.
As for clock divisions and additional LFO, I'm relying on Eloquencer and Pamela's New Workowt that are providing both. Is there an added value to have LFO and clock divider separated from the 2 modules ?
I have some doubts about Stages and Marbles; maybe Eloquencer an Pam's are already providing enough uncertainity/randomness and envelope/lfo services so that Stages and Marbles become sort of a duplicates.
Speaking of complex sources to possibly substitute 2hp VCo& MMF & Stages & Marbles, what are you suggesting ?
Maybe something completely different from what I already have such as make Noise Morphagene ? Something else ?
THanks for your help
If your needs are being taken care of between the Eloquencer and PNW, there's no reason to expand into a dedicated LFO and clock modules. However, you are eating up outputs that can go towards other functions.
The Eloquencer and PNW may or may not be able to modulate their own LFOs and clocks... or at least not as well as a dedicated module. It all comes down to usage. So take everything with a grain of salt.
As far as the 2HP VCO. It has a features in it. But take a look at an Intellijel Dixie II+. You get more waveforms, a sub output, attenuators, you can select the octave playback, linear and exponential FM modulation (plus a secondary FM source), you can shift the VCO into LFO territory.
The 2HP VCO is $129. The Dixie II+ is $229. 2HP vs 8HP. But if you're going to put another VCO into your system, I'd go with the Dixie as you'll get more out of it. You could go with another VCO... but the 2HP is lacking features that are important in my opinion.
Rather than the 2HP MMF, look at the Steady State Fate MMF. There's a $50 difference. But you also get 1V/Oct tracking, plus FM and a PING input. You'll get more use out of the Steady State Fate.
There's no problem with the Mutable Instruments stuff. But I've found having traditional envelope generators onboard to be a worthwhile investment over modules that require a lot of button pressing and memorization of modes and features.
Again, all with a grain of salt.
TBH, you're making this more difficult than it should be by having that PICO System III in the Eurorack case instead of its own case. That eats up far too much panel space for something that's already got a cab and power on its own. By taking that out and putting it back where it belongs, you then have ample room for modules that will work to expand this AND which can be big enough to be easily controllable and well-featured. Another consideration would be to remove anything that doesn't have clear and apparent functionality; while o-scopes are nice if you're doing complex sound design where you need to know waveform content, they're pretty much pointless for a gigging instrument. Lose that, then you have space for the clocking, etc that's on the Intellijel Noise Tools tile...which, fwiw, is a far more functional and essential module than the Zeroscope.
Thanks guys, DixieII+ actually seems a very powerful option, and I'm considering traditional LFO&ADSR modules too.
Lugia you're right, but to make a long story short, removing PICO System III is unfortunately not an option (at least for now).
I'll check Intellijel Noise Tools opportunities; thanks for pointing it out.
Is there any suggestion for a module to build ambient drone and pads ? Maybe a granular synthesis tool ? (I am looking at MI clouds clone - not so easy to found in europe - or morphagene).
Thanks again for your help
The short answer is there isn't a single module to add that will give you drones or ambient sounds. That's a discussion that seems to happen in every new post. I'd get in some more wiggle time and then start scouring the internet and Youtube. You might even want to boot up VCV Rack and take a spin on that platform. I think you might find you need a stack of modules to do it well or an innate understanding of the architecture of drones (Brian Eno level).
Drones are easy; probably one of the very best primers on how that's done well has to be Klaus Schulze's "Cyborg". But then, "Cyborg" also shows how you have to keep a degree of variation in the soundscape to maintain listener interest.
Eno's processes are really different, though. He tends to think more along the lines of interacting systems (probably a lot of his Stafford Beer influence coming thru there) and how to get them to continually output a changing result across time. This is why you have the odd interlocking sequencer parts working how they do in "Discreet Music" and then, of course, the inequal-length tape loops of "Music for Airports". As opposed to Klaus Schulze above, Eno's works of these sorts are just as capable of NOT being listened to actively as otherwise; try this with "Cyborg", though, and the results just sound like your HVAC system is malfunctioning or something similar.
