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I'll start by saying I REALLY don't like the uZeus power supply. It only supplies 500mA to -12V, and your system as specified is already in the danger zone for crapping the supply out (you need to keep the utilization at least under 80%, if not going so far as under 66%, of the rated). Upgrade to a 4ms Row Power 40 which supplies significantly more juice to the -12V rail.

Second, you only need a buffered multiple for primary pitch CV. You can totally use a passive multiple for Gate/Trig, as well as use one for modulation that doesn't need to be dead-on accurate. I'd replace two of your three buffered mults with passive mults and save yourself some money and some power connectors.

As for module selection, it ultimately comes down to how you're going to use the synth. My guesses based on your proposed layout and your statement of "self-standing modular" is that you're looking for something that would be like a "super ARP-2600"...something that has all the bells and whistles associated with a traditional monosynth with the benefits of patching. If this is the case, I'd pop in another Dixie II+ to have three audio-rate oscillators (with the ability to drop two of those oscillators to LFOs) and a Make Noise ModDemix to have a ring modulator (well, two). In addition, I'd substitute the big Pittsburgh Modular mixer for three 2hp MIX modules; one to the right of each oscillator.

I rearranged the system to have a left-to-right, sound sources over modulators flow to it.

You still have 18hp remaining in the bottom row that you could use to add another filter or an effects module or two.

Remember that your system as currently configured is also over the 80% safe zone on the -12V rail, though if you were to swap out the uZeus with a 4ms Row Power 40 you'd be well in the safe zone.

Also I had to have fun with the spam poster...I really can't help myself.

Do your russian escorts dress up as bananas and tell fairy tales? I'm totally into that.

The uZeus supplies 2000mA on the 12V rail and 500mA on the -12V rail, and your system pulls 1735mA on the 12V rail and 466mA on the -12V rail.

It's technically "within specification", but you're really pushing it. You want to be under 80% of the rating of the power supply because sometimes modules may pull more power than is actually specified (especially when turning the system on). You'll either have to sacrifice a module or get an additional power supply that doesn't take up space in the rack.

I'll leave critique on your module selection to somebody that's into ambient/drone type stuff.

In terms of sequencing, I'm of the opinion that there's no sequencer more powerful than a DAW. This does create the problem of getting accurate timing to the modular system, but this is resolved with an audio interface that has ADAT out and a handful of Expert Sleepers modules (an ES-3, and ES-5 and an ESX-8GT gets you 8 CV and 16 trigger/gate outs.) However, if you're looking to break away from the computer there's a wide variety of sequencers you can use as well (I'll leave that to the experts).

As for drum modules, I was screwing around with designs and I cooked this dream system up:

The first row is what a system built around "standard-oriented" modules would look like. It's all Tiptop 808/909 drum style modules. It is not at all adventurous when it comes to design, but it does get you plenty of drum horsepower.

The second row is more of a "designer-oriented" drum rig (with the exception of the mixers on the right, which are meant for mixing it all together). It's a quad AD envelope generator, two oscillators, a multi-type noise source, a filter, a waveshaper and a quad-VCA. You could create a single quite complex drum sound, or 3 or 4 simple drum sounds out of this setup.

This could be condensed down by using smaller, simpler oscillators. Also, the waveshaper and filter aren't really completely necessary but they help and give you more options. Once condensed, the module arrangement could be repeated a few times (sans the noise source...you really only need one noise source but you may want a few multiples).

So those are the opinions of somebody who is relatively new to modular on drum synths.

Can you post the link to the modulargrid page for your rack instead of screenshotting/uploading a picture? It's easier for people to play around with the system and make recommendations.

Consider the following major revision:

I've kept the sequencer, filter, reverb, delay and output. I've replaced your LFO, oscillator, VCA and envelope with two oscillators, a dual VCA and a dual envelope. I've also added a multiple and a mixer. Good on you for thinking to put in an output module by the way...a lot of people don't think of that and it's a good thing to have.

By swapping the LFO out for a fully featured oscillator, you get the option to use the second oscillator as an LFO or as an audio source. The multiple is added so you can have both oscillators follow the same CV if you're using both for audio. You can use the mixer either to mix the two oscillators, or if you're not using it to mix oscillators you can use it to mix control voltages. This really isn't a big enough system to really warrant a voltage-controlled envelope, so I swapped that out for a dual envelope generator. Finally, I swapped out the single VCA for a dual VCA.

I don't know whether or not the case you're looking at includes a power supply, but if it does make sure it supplies enough power and has enough connectors (8 connectors for the system as you laid it out, 10 for the system as I laid it out). If you don't have a power supply, you'll need to sacrifice the effects modules (the reverb and delay) in order to have space to put in a 4HP power module.

For VCA you can't go wrong with the Intellijel Quad VCA. 4 VCAs in a single module that can double as a mixer. Very useful both now and down the road when you have more modules.

The sky's the limit when it comes to what filter to use. The most popular "basic" filter is the Doepfer A-124 Wasp filter, which is a 12db basic multi-mode filter, but really any filter you feel like would work for you could be used.

I would replace the Veils with an Intellijel Quad VCA. I would also add a mixer module or two (2hp makes a 4 channel mixer that is, well, 2HP in width).

Other than that, you have two sound sources (Braids and Mother32 Oscillator), three sound processors (Clouds, Mother32 Filter and Polaris), and a good number of CV sources (Dual ADSR, LFO/Envelope in Mother32, Frames, Peaks, and Micro Sequence). With an added mixer module (so you're not eating your Quad VCA/Veils) you have a fairly balanced system.

Yes. Pretty much you're able to add another element to your initial sound and also add some movement to your sound, either by modulating the original sound or by modulating the effects you run it through. You'll get much better results than running a single sound through effects with limited modulation.

If I were to give you advice in the past tense (before you built your system), the advice I would give is to have a roughly equal number of audio generators, audio processors and CV generators; and have sufficient mixers, multiples and VCAs for them. As an example, look at the system I'm building:

I have five sound generators: Three VCOs, a Mysteron (a digital waveguide) and a noise generator.
I have six sound processors: A comb filter, two multi-mode filters, a lowpass gate, a wavefolder and a reverb
I have five CV generators: two envelopes, a Maths, a Batumi, and a DC attenuverter/fixed value generator.
I have three multiples, three four-channel mixers, and a Quad VCA module
I have a Disting, which is a multi-purpose digital module that can fill many of the above roles.
Finally, I have a stereo output module, for a total of 25 modules (26 if you count the power supply).

I should point out that I will be controlling my system with a pair of Korg SQ-1s, which gives me 4 gates and 4 CVs to work with. These are outside the modular system itself, which is why you don't see a MIDI/CV converter.

I don't have a single sound generating module that is as capable as the Braids, but I'm capable of making far more complex sounds because I can mix different oscillators at different pitches and can also cross-modulate the oscillators in various ways. My sound processors are all relatively simple in comparison to yours (which are impressive I must say), but I can get far more movement out of them because I have so many CV generators to control them with. My mixing is somewhat more capable than yours (3 4-channel mixers vs. 2 3-channel mixers).

EDITED Mar 22nd 2018, 02:03

Just wanted to let you know I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on the entire system as configured in the link (or hopefully pictured if the top picture has updated for you).

I have a 19" rack tower (about 2 meters tall) and have decided to build into that rather than a RackBrute. Lost some space, but building into a rack that can accommodate 13 rows of Eurorack on one side will be years of joy.

I'm a little impulsive, so I wound up going for the Pittsburgh Modular Outs because I couldn't find anywhere in the US that even had the Isolator listed. I'll pick that up whenever it finally comes around.

I dropped down to 3 2hp mixers because I wouldn't have sufficient power connectors. I also got mixed reports on whether or not a buffered mult would be necessary (some people agreed with you, some people said they had problems with splitting), so I went ahead and got two in addition to a passive mult. If the passive mult or stackable cables wind up working for pitch CV purposes, I'll probably swap out the 2nd buffered mult with another 2hp mix.

I totally went for the A-106-1 filter and will have the 2hp comb filter right next to it =D

I also decided I would bypass the MIDI interface and just got a second SQ-1. I also swapped out the Make Noise Function for a Batumi.

So thank you for your advice. It was absolutely influential on my final system and will continue to influence my decisions in the future.

EDITED Mar 22nd 2018, 00:49

Your problem is that you have one module that actually generates sound: the Braids. You have two modules that generate control voltages: the uMIDI and the Maths. You have one module that generates both sound and control voltages: the Noise Tools.

You have five modules that process sound from another module: The Warps, Filter, Erbe-Verb, Clouds and Morphagene.

The reason you're not able to create interesting patches is because you don't have the means to create an interesting source sound. You have all this processing horsepower that you're applying TO A SINGLE OSCILLATOR.

Furthermore, you can have your sound follow MIDI, but when it comes to further modulation all you have is the Maths. The Maths is a powerful module, but it's really a "processing" module for CV like all your sound processing modules are for sound. It needs friends to show its true potential.

So you have 26HP open in your rig. I propose you pick up an Intellijel Dixie II+ (8hp) and a Make Noise Contour (8hp) and a Xaoc Batumi. That gets you an additional oscillator, an envelope generator, and four LFOs. This still isn't ideal, but it gets you SIGNIFICANTLY farther ahead than you were before. You have a "standard" oscillator available not just as an audio source, but also as a modulation source. You have an envelope generator for shaping the volume and effect/filter parameters without eating the Maths. You have four LFOs to use all over the place in your system.

I also propose rearranging your rack to have the signal flow generally from left to right, like this (edit: You'll have to click the image to see the rearrangement...the picture doesn't seem to show everything in its place):

EDITED Mar 21st 2018, 23:39

In the short term, space is finite so I really wouldn't have room to accommodate a Minibrute 2/2S and the Rackbrute on the same stand (I'm probably going to have to do some engineering to secure the Rackbrute to my keyboard stand). In the long term when I finally get around to rearranging my studio I'll probably connect the Rackbrute to another Rackbrute =D

Good call on the A-106-1. I'm actually probably going to sell my MS-20 Mini so I can have room on my keyboard stand to set up this rack (It's a pretty sturdy stand which will hold a RackBrute 6U without issue). If I'm satisfied with the Binary as a "bread and butter" filter, I'll go for the A-106-1.

I've actually had a love-hate relationship with the MS-20. I can get interesting sounds out of it, but it has always left me wanting more options (the filter just begs to be fed oscillator sync, just as one example). This seems like a great way to have my cake and eat it too.

Below will be my first wave of purchases

EDITED Mar 16th 2018, 17:32

It kind of strikes me that if the intent is to avoid duplicating the sound of the other synths, you might want to reconsider that SE 4075 filter.....
-- Lugia

So I read over your advice. Thank you very much for taking the time to look at my rack.

I did some looking around, but I really couldn't find a filter that struck my fancy in a way that would make me say "I'd totally ditch the 4075 for this". I'll do some more looking and hopefully come across something. I have plenty of time to shop, as my plan is to purchase one row worth of modules first and then a second wave later, and the 4075 or whatever I get will be part of the second wave of modules. The Lifeforms Binary Filter will be in the first wave, so I'll have that to play with.

The 2hp mixers....holy shit, that's good advice. I did exactly as you said and put five of them in the system in place of the Studio Electronics mixer (I spread them out so one's adjacent to the oscs and the disting with a final one after the wavefolder). I also decided while I was at it to drop one of the Dixie II+s to just a Dixie II and added a 2hp comb filter as well.

Where do I get the Happy Nerding Isolator? I didn't see it listed on Analogue Haven, and I also didn't see anything from Happy Nerding on Perfect Circuit Audio. Searching it on Google yielded a lot of pages in German. I'm keeping the Lifeforms Outs there just as a planning placeholder until I figure out how to secure an Isolator.

At what point does a CV signal get so spread out that a buffered mult becomes necessary? I've been building with buffered mults because I really have no idea how many times you can split before you need to use a buffered mult.

I did contemplate ditching the MIDI interface, but decided that I'll hang onto it. Reason one is that it offers much more control from a single channel of MIDI than my other converters. Reason two is that I'm sure I will eventually get around to getting modules that call for clock signals. I do have a 7' tall 19" rack in my room that will eventually become home to a few rows. I'm just opting to use the RackBrute so I can have this first system set up on my desk.

Finally, I did some rearranging after all of the above. My audio train is longer than my control train so some of the audio modules had to be left on the top (specifically the Quad VCA and the Reverb), but everything else in the audio train is on the bottom and the entire control train is on the top.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to look at my rack.

I purchased a Make Noise 0-Coast last week (my fourth monosynth), and it pretty much immediately made me start to feel the itch for a full-on modular. My prior experience with modular-style programming was when I previously owned a Nord Modular many years ago.

I'm planning on using an Arturia RackBrute 6U as my case, and at least for the short to mid-term would like to keep everything contained within that case. I have this rack designed with two approaches in mind:

The first approach is to be played as a cohesive whole with a MIDI keyboard or sequenced from my computer with a single set of CV/Gate, creating complex layered sounds and sounds not otherwise possible on my existing synths. Pretty much this would be the "super monosynth" among my other monosynths (a Bass Station 2, a Minitaur and the 0-Coast. I will be selling my MS-20 Mini to make space for this system).

The second approach is to be able to break it down into 3 or 4 small voices and control those voices with my DAW (Reaper). I already have a Korg SQ-1 as a MIDI to CV converter (bought it with the MS-20 Mini) and also have the 0-Coast available to do conversion as well, and include the Doepfer MIDI/CV interface in this rack to get access to a fourth set of CV/Gate. I'm not going into this with the notion of it being a "polysynth", but rather four independent voices that all sound different and work together.

So I wanted to run this design by people with more experience than I to see if there were any glaring design errors in my proposed setup, or see if anybody had any suggestions on possible improvements to this setup.

Thank You.