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Further to JimHowell1970's comment above -
After messing with a lot of different methods, I can say that the nw2s:016 is the best tool to get audio into a signal level and format pro-level audio interfaces prefer. If you need multi-channel with the intent to multitrack, don't mess around with multiple stereo modular-to-line level modules (this will always end up costing more than nw2s); and the USB interface and Modular-to-ADAT modules (ie. Expert Sleepers, Birdbrain etc..) on the market right now just don't compare (sound quality, noise floor, sampling rates) to the ADCs inside interfaces from Focusrite, MOTU or Universal Audio.
For live purposes, many mixers can pad down modular levels - but having 16 jacks in your system with the nw2s:016 is so convenient, and connects easily with two DB25 snake cables to your mixer at a perfect line level your mixer will love.

Ronin1973 - I agree with you completely in your description of complex waveform generation.
However, I interpret the name "Complex Oscillator" - with a capital C and O - to be very specific. I assume (humbly), and have always been of the understanding that this term specifically refers to the methods of creating complex waveshapes in the method employed by Don Buchla with his Buchla 259 Complex Oscillator.
photo here: https://modularsynthesis.com/roman/buchla259/259_cwg.jpg
Technically - the creation of a waveform using a basic FM schema of modulator and carrier, with further adjustments using symmetry and wavefolding. As opposed to say phase modulation, multi-operator FM, wavetable synthesis, etc...
I like the tradition and challenges that come with it.
Rubicon2 is a perfect example of the carrier part of this - add a modulator of your choice. Love that it's through-zero.
Even Buchla have evolved their Complex Oscillator - their newer module, 259e Twisted Waveform Generator is digital, and uses bits of of it's own operating code to create wavetables to use as it's modulator! Wish they had a Eurorack version! Probably the closest module we have to this is the Hertz Donut MkIII.
Great statement - "What brush would you like to paint with?" ...well said!

@donman90 - I wouldn't call Marbles a sequencer. It creates "sequences" - but they are really just generative randomizations in a scale, with a set root key of C. Very difficult to customize the scale - definitely not live or in "real time". It is more closely related to the Buchla 266e Source of Uncertainty, and the modules derived from that (Verbos source of randomness, Frap Sapel, Make Noise Wogglebug). Easiest way to explain it's output: Take noise, quantize it to a scale of C major (as an example), and combine it with a clocked random gate. and you get 3 of those whose gates follow a pattern whose randomness can be locked in a loop 1 - 16 notes long.
IMHO - A sequencer typically denotes that you can construct a sequence - ie. [Step 1, E2, 1/4 note] [Step 2, G2, 1/4 note] [step 3, B2, 1/8 note]... and so on.
The best thing to do to get experience with marbles, is download VCV rack (free), read the manual from Mutable, and experiment. It is REALLY FUN! But, I found after using it for a few months, music generated by it started to just sound all the same - random loops of bleeps and bloops with no real construct or form. Plus... I could generate these patterns with VCV and output the CVs and Gates from my computer for free and save 18HP.
For a sequencer - I think one is better off with things like Rene2, Five12 Vector, Eloquencer, Circadian Rhythms, Verbos multistage, Stillson Hammer, Mimetic Digitalis, Hermod, ER-101, NerdSeq, Metropolis, or my favourites: Frap Tools USTA, and Intellijel Tete/Tetrapad.

Nobody answered - so I will.
I have a Cs-L. And I had a Rubicon and used the Ts-L as a modulator. The Cs-L is much more magical - particularly when you cross-modulate both VCOs with their wavefolders. It is also smaller in HP than Rubicon2/Dixie2+/µFold.
For the other COs I've tried - I'd still prefer the Rubicon over a DPO, Verbos or Endorphines.
But I think the new contender will be Frap Tools Brenso - it looks and sounds really impressive.
Sounds like it may be available by summer.
Even if I do get a Brenso - I will never let go of my Cs-L though. It's just that good.

Tonys -
Thanks! here's a quote: Ralph Waldo Emerson — 'Its the not the Destination, It's the journey.'
At one point I had Marbles, Rings, Tides, Stages, Plaits, and Ripples and Clouds.
All of them are phenomenal works of art. Émilie Gillet is a genius.
If a synth doesn't work with your creative flow - you have to sell it and get something else -that's why I got rid of my Nord Lead, Waldorf Blofeld and Prophet 6.
Modular - you only need to change out a component. Marbles, Rings, and Tides all left me (maybe temporarily...) so I could concentrate on new ideas that they weren't a part of.
Instruo is another work of genius. Jason Lim has brilliant ideas, and phenomenal execution.
The Ts-L was my first Eurorack VCO. I tried out a lot of other VCOs since - and nothing, particularly under 12HP, sounds as good to me.
The Cs-L is a masterpiece of a complex oscillator - the two VCOs are so different yet complimentary (the bottom half is basically the Ts-L); there is a unique workflow to it, but once you understand the modulation routings the oscillator can create endless sounds, and a constant source of "happy accidents".
I had tried the complex oscillators from Verbos, Intellijel (Rubicon2+Dixie2+), Endorphines FG, and Make Noise DPO - and the Cs-L is far beyond in my opinion. We will see what Frap Brenso will be like - but my plan is to have both Cs-L and Brenso together doing duets. For me complex oscillators are my weapon of choice.
My latest Instruo module is the I-o47 filter, a homage to the 1047 filter in the ARP 2500 modular from the 70's - and I would consider it the best sounding filter I have ever heard. I can confirm now that these two modules are permanent residents for me.
I think Instruo designs are very complimentary to MI - different approaches, different results. Both very beautiful.
Cheers!
eduardinho in studio utopia

Garfield Modular,
Thanks for your kind words!! Glad you like the music!

I actually avoided going modular for over two decades. Did my stint with piles of analogs in the 90's, went "in the box" after that with the first releases of Propellerheads and Reaktor, moved to Ableton and over the past few years started going back to physical devices. the last few being Nord Lead 2X, Waldorf Blofeld Keys, Moog Subsequent37, Prophet 6 and now with a Prophet Rev2 16-voice. Even thought the Prophet 6 VCOs were so amazing - I prefer the more complex modulation options of the Rev2.
But then a friend of mine hooked me up with a Roland System 1m - which, in my opinion, is a very weak and poorly implemented "gateway drug". So here I am now with this modular - and I can't get enough of it. Eurocrack.
My actual next plans are to expand to 104HP Intellijel cases - which affords me another 80HP of 3U. And this is going to be a year of Frap Tools (not a paid endorsement). I love what Simone Fabrii and his team are doing. On the list is a FALISTRI (The second coming of MATHS), 333 (Italian Army Knife), 321 (Another Italian Army Knife), USTA (The second coming of the Buchla 250e times two), BRENSO (when it's released - Through Zero! complex oscillator!), and then I'm going to replace my Dubmix with the Frap CGM mixer - what a modular mixer should be.
To answer your questions - For Eve (Tidal) - it's not a module... :-( ....I used a sliced up sample in Ableton. The bass line is Mutable tides as a DCO clocked to an analog VCO.
Many Happy Returns - the granular vocal bit is a sample of a woman in an interview using Mutable Clouds. The Position and Size parameters are being modulated by the X and Y coordinates of Intellijel Planar2, and I am using Planar2's sense gate to trigger an ASR envelope on Intellijel Quadrax that changes the grain density on clouds from the midpoint (0 grains) to 75% (randomized grain spray at halfway) - so, basically when I touch the joystick the grains start to spray (Quadrax Attack segment), stay spraying while I move the stick (Quadrax Sustain), and dissipate to nothing (Quadrax Release) when I let go of the stick. The output of that runs in stereo to modulated low-pass filter in QPAS. REALLY FUN TO PLAY!!!
This is what I love about modular. the inventiveness in the industry is on overload! As an example those 3 modules - Quadrax, Clouds and Planar2.... you could go on forever doing outrageous new things with just those three.
What I really love to hear - is what new things have people discovered with the modules they have?

Cheers!
eduardinho in studio utopia

For guitar pedals - go with Strymon's AA.1. Mainly because you can use it as two mono loops with a splitter (1/4" TRS to two 1/4" TS).
I'd check out Intellijel Quadrax or Frap Tools Falistri as an alternative to MATHS.

I had rings - not my thing ... but for what you are doing, it's perfect. I can only imagine what you could do pushing a cello through it!!!!
Can't go wrong with Plaits and Clouds. I'll never part with mine.
If you wanted to record grains of your cello or field recordings - look at Instruo Arbhar. Clouds might not be a greatest choice for this. Or even the Lubadh - if you wanted to get more into tape loop type stuff.
For sequencers - it depends on what you want - for more generative stuff, look at Marbles as a starting point. If you want to program specific movements - Rene2, or Intellijel Tete/Tetrapad - which can be programmed - but also do generative/cartesian stuff.
Lots of good videos from Make Noise, Intellijel and DivKid on all three of those modules.
I had Marbles - but I'm not a big fan of that type of randomness. Tete and Tetrapad are more my thing.

If you wanted to start small - you need something to make notes - get Marbles, plug it into an envelope generator (maths/Quadrax/Falistri), with pitch into Plaits (with internal LPG/VCA) and rings (plucked), mix it with Veils or Intellijel QuadVCA and then pass it into Clouds. Instant ambience.

Just wanted to get ideas of what people would add or swap from my current setup.
I have plans to change over to a pair of Intellijel 7U104HP cases in the future... but for now, here I am.
I connect this to an Ableton/Push 2 setup so I can drive the µMIDI and Expert Sleepers FH-2 for up to 4 different simultaneous voices. And interface the audio by using the two Stereo outputs to bring audio into Ableton via a UAD Apollo 8 interface.
I use the Mixup to blend waveforms from oscillators.
From Dubmix, I use the AUX send to send signal to a Line 6 HELIX effects processor, and then bring the audio back in to the Dubmix AUX returns via the Audio I/O stereo inputs.
Clock comes in via µMIDI and gets distributed to Pamela, Mimeophon and Tête.

To hear what this machine sounds like - listen to anything from the last 3 months here: https://soundcloud.com/eduardinhobranco

Two suggestions -
Get Frap Tools Falistri, instead of MATHS. Take a look - it's pretty awesome.
Also - Xaoc ZADAR instead of Batumi. ZADAR can't do clocked LFOs, but for "atmospheric/weird" sounds - it has some of the coolest glitchy modulation curves. It can do standard LFO modulation, but it also has a multitude of envelopes and other options for creating movement.
Mordax DATA is AWESOME. I will never let mine go.
Consider Intellijel Quadrax vs. Mutable Stages as well. Really awesome for snappy AR and ASR envelopes. Burst generator is cool too.
For tempo-sync'd modulation - get Pamela's NEW! Workout. 8 LFOs or Gates on the clock!
Also - contrary to Lugia's statement - I use my Stages almost exclusively as a combination of AR, ADSR envelopes or LFOs. I never use the gate triggered sequence function - the CV output is too wild and uncontrollable.

EDITED Jan 28th 2020, 19:19

Yes - Mixup can link directly to the 1/4" outputs... but you lose two key features of using the Stereo Out 1U module:
1. The output from mixup has no master volume - so whatever you have plugged into Input 4 L+R will be output at full volume to whatever you plug into the 1/4" outputs.
2. The output from the1/4" jacks will be unbalanced. I noticed a significant reduction in noise when I switched to using balanced I/O between the modular and my UAD Apollo 8 interface, and having that master volume knob is awesome for taming the output.

I agree with Lugia,
What you have there with those 4 modules is a way to create notes and gates, letting you play the SWN - which is a beast to use as a normal musical oscillator, going into clouds, which - unless you have some more modulation sources, is going to give you some grain effect and reverb on the stereo signal coming out of SWN, and then Rosie to output it to headphones/line out. This is not a good start to modular synths. You can make some pretty fantastic drones (I have SWN and Clouds), but not much else - without some good external LFOs/Envelopes, A FILTER, and some VCAs that aren't the ones inside SWN. If your starting with modular, and keeping under 34mm deep in 60HP (as an example), start with:
- Two oscillators: Mutable Plaits (for variety) and a Make Noise STO (analog! FM source, second/third voice - as Plaits has two),
- Mutable Ripples (a VCF - that even has a VCA),
- a multi-purpose VCA (mutable Veils - 4 channels, use it as a mixer too - you can never have too many VCAs),
- an envelope generator - Xaoc ZADAR has 4 that can do some LFO-like tasks,
- and Rosie for output
All that would fit in 58HP and has a max depth of 30mm.
You can do something with 60HP, sure - but SWN and Clouds are great textural add-ons to a collection of modules that already covers the basics.
What I gave as an example comes up to $1320 on MG - where your original plan is $1412. And I guarantee you will have a lot more fun with those two oscillators, the VCF and ZADAR. So many patching possibilities, so many modulation and cross modulation sources and destinations, FM, AM... so much versatility there!
I'd even drop Rosie if you don't need headphone outs - and get Make Noise X-Pan - then you can do some wild stereo panning effects.
Cheers,
Jeff