I can't speak for @Lugia, but we often have similar points of view...

the main reason that it's often better to get a standalone drum machine as opposed to a modular one is expense - drum modules and modular drum kit synths etc and sequencing them is always going to be much more expensive, especially when you take into account case space, than a similarly functional standalone drum machine - most of which include both sequencing and drum kit oriented effects and are reasonably easily and cheaply synced to modular and often have way more channels for different drum sounds

this pretty much equally applies to everything related to percussion - with the exception, perhaps, of using more generic modules to generate drum sounds and either sampling them or recording track at a time in a daw or similar, this to some extent covers both modules such as plaits or peaks and rolling your own sounds from fundamental synthesis modules (vco, noise, vcf, etc etc)

take the quad drum for instance - it costs more than a cheap drum machine to start with, it needs to be put in a case, it needs sequencing, it doesn't have any effects, it needs to be fed into to a mixer and it's only 4 voices...

take say erica or wmd drum modules - you really want a few of them (probably at least 3) which adds up in cost very very quickly - and then you hit the same issues as with the quad drum...

take something like the queen of pentacles or blk_noir - mostly the same issues again - except mixing and effects are on board

the only advantages of modular percussion are convenience, "it's in the rack with everything else" and modulation - but you pay a major premium for that, generally many multiples of that for not necessarily that much gain...

saying that I have an in rack drum synthesizer (FSS Portland, which I DIYed), Peaks (which I often use for kick and snare), plaits (which I sometimes use for hats or other percussion), a general cv, a few lpgs and marbles, erica black sequencer and a zularic repetitor (which I often use for drum sequencing) and a befaco cv thing (again that I built) that I will use for sequencing my external midi drum synths - & I'd like (but not so much I'm running out to buy asap) a blck_noir and a crucible...

that's at least a couple of thousand in modules alone + at least a couple of hundred in case space (most of my 8 cases are DIY & under £1/hp) - when in all reality I could do 90%+ of what I use it for with a pretty basic and inexpensive drum machine... and get 90%+ the same results much quicker

at the end of the day it's your money... do what you want with it... find your workflow and make your peace with your money... no one cares, except you... take or leave advice as you see fit... etc etc etc

"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia

Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities


Thread: vpme.de Qex

Elevator Sound in the UK has it listed on preorder, and the manual is available from the VPME website.


Love this. So simple and beautiful. I’m a sucker for slow Rings melodies into a huge reverb. Could listen to this for hours. Cheers!


Very nice track and great artwork too. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!


I was planning on buying the QD and a new sequencer, but I bought Elements and Cloud Terrarium because both makers are no longer making new modules. I’ve had my eye on both modules for a while and learned early that supply of Eurorack stuff is fleeting, so I just went for it, and glad I did. It is a shame to see synthesizers.com in trouble and other manufacturers closing shop these days. Hopefully it doesn’t get much worse.


@Lugia @Vow3ll Many thanks for the suggestion of Tiptop Mantis, I'll definitely switch for that: more space and more power with roughly the same cost! My French patriotism led me to Arturia too fast haha!

@Lugia If I understand your point correctly, you don't really believe in drum-oriented modules (voices and sequencing) like the QD. The reasoning would be the same with "fancier" modules like Queen of Pentacles or Erica Synth analog drum modules? The latest clones from Uli are definitely tempting either the 808 or 909, I might get one one day. That being said, they do not provide modulations option right?


Thread: vpme.de Qex

any news on this?


as far as i know moving a row to a specific position is not possible
i already made a suggestion for this feature in the feature requests thread
but you can swap rows in the Edit -> swap rows menu:

image

-- modular01

Thanks so much for the help!


as far as i know moving a row to a specific position is not possible
i already made a suggestion for this feature in the feature requests thread
but you can swap rows in the Edit -> swap rows menu:

image


Bump, also trying to figure this out.


this user has left ModularGrid


Thanks no I think I’d run it externally to save on rack space


@Lugia - it's chaos, not kickass, but they might be that too!

"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia

Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities


It's Xaoc. Which I think might be Russian for "kickass!" There are so many sneaky and hidden functions in those (particularly when you add a module's expander) that you can just go on and on with them and it'll take you a while to exhaust the possibilities with ANY of their stuff. Batumi and Zadar are more or less "go-tos" for adding big bangs in small spaces, for instance. And when they go ALL OUT (think their Odessa module here), it really IS all out! Feckin' amazing design going on there...on both sound AND ergonomics.


I wouldn't recommend building an entire system to simply do audio effects, given that you can find a buttload of physical rackmounted effects processors for damn near dirt. Seriously...if you can pay something like $180 for a used Lexicon LXP-15 ii (it was about 10X that when new!), why in the hell wouldn't you go for THAT rather than trying to cram functionality on that level into a module that goes in a Eurorack cab? And if patchability is the key here, just route all of the outboard gear's I/Os through some patchbays. I've been working like that for decades...and the idea DOES come with a "pedigree" of sorts, since I cribbed that from Syracuse's analog studio...

...which Uncle Bob designed. Not much better in the way of authorities than that!


It's useful...but it also has its own case and power, ergo it's probably not a good idea to toss those aside to spend even more to house it in the more expensive Eurorack cab spaces. Plus, if you really want that Moog sound, it might be a better idea in this case to just get a proper lowpass ladder-filter clone of the 904 and a clone of the CP3 mixer. Those modules are where the "mojo" resides, and the rest of what's in the Mavis can be replicated in a more flexible manner by basic Eurorack modules.

TBH, Moog should've followed their usual pattern of releasing their Moogfest workshop synths, and given us the Spectravox to use alongside their other 60 hp devices. But they didn't.


First off, I think you'll be better-served by going with a Tiptop Mantis cab instead of the Arturia. They also expand easily; Tiptop carries an extension bracket for those that lets you add a second cab above the first one. And power-wise, the Mantis uses a beefed-up variation on Tiptop's uZeus which is built into the cab; the Rackbrute requires 5 hp right off for its P/S. But the best point: 104 hp x2 for $335, as opposed to the Rackbrute's 88 (or 89, depending on who you ask) x2 - 5 hp for the power for $359.

The other point here is that trying to build a "drum machine" into a modular rig is a losing proposition. It requires that quite a bit of the space go to voicing and sequencing modules, which then diminishes the space available for synth modules...so, in the end, you wind up either with a huge and spendy system, or a more sensibly-sized result in which both the synth and drums wind up being somewhat compromised. And then...the cost!

OK...we'll take the obvious drum machine function modules, namely the Euclidean Circles and the QD, and check those prices...which come out to $772-ish, depending on the exchange rate. Doesn't sound too spendy? Well, to my immediate left as I type this, I've got one of Uli's 808 clones, which nails that sound, adds a few useful functions that the original didn't have, and puts all that in your hands for $329. And if you think that's not sufficient, add another machine and lock it up with the first one. In the end, using these purpose-built machines is the RIGHT move; you cannot replicate the RD-8 mkii's functionality in Eurorack until you're on up in the $1k+ zone. It might seem more convenient to put it in the modular, but in the end, you lose too much and pay too much for that to be tenable.



have conviced me to keep it well preciously!


My new work, with the Shetland artist Belinda Sales

Patch notes: Pachinko sequencing Surface > Imitor Versio > Desmodues Versio > Timiszoara > Starlab


Thread: My rack

do you want us to critique it for you?

if so please post a link to the public rack (ie the url) - this helps us, help you - as there are mouse over informatics, click through and roughly 10k modules of which most of us only have experience of a few 10s, maybe a couple of hundred, at best

"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia

Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities


any worthwhile effects rack is very, very close to a full blown modular synth...

a synth is made up of sound sources, sound modifiers, modulation sources and utility modules

an effects rack is made up of an i/o module of some sort (you sound source), sound modifiers, modulation sources and utility modules

but here's the rub... a powerful technique is audio rate modulation - for this you want a sound source - ie a vco - & the i/o is a utility - so effectively they are identical...

do you have an audio interface with at least 4 outputs? you'll want one of those if you don't have one... why do I need 4 outputs? I hear you say... because you need master outputs to hear the mix and 2 to use as sends to the rack... but I can use headphones to monitor! I hear you say - hmm, no the headphones mirror the master outs (1&2) - so unless you want to be that blind deaf and dumb kid - get at least 4 outputs!

if you want to do things like tempo syncing - you'll either want more outputs than that or a midi interface (& potentially a midi-cv module), personally I use audio as much as possible...

If you don't already have an audio interface, there are a few in eurorack (expert sleepers es8 or 9 and there's a new one on it's way from befaco)

if you already have a suitable audio interface then you'll need to boost the audio levels to modular levels - because modular operates at a much higher level (peak to peak voltage) - so you'll probably need an audio input module - or at least a module that can amplify with a decent amount of gain +20dB is good!

plugging the audio from the modular back directly into your audio interface may or may not clip, depends on the audio interface, or might want balanced inputs - so you might need either attenuators or an output module...

there are some combined i/o modules

so that's your sound source taken care of...

I'll assume you want to process stereo tracks from the DAW...

there are thousands of eurorack effects modules - so it really depends on what sort of processing you want to do - but take note a lot are mono - so that may rule them out, unless you want to buy multiples of the same module, or a LRSMSMLR module (which will take your stereo signal and turn it into Mid and Side channels - these can the be processed by mono effects and then it will recombine them back into a stereo signal) - furthermore a lot of people using DAWs want to get some 'analog goodness' into their workflow... most of these modules are mono!!! most of the 'interesting' stereo effects are digital... but don't let that put you off...

some 'interesting' effects modules that you might want to look at (in no particular order) are arbhar, clouds, beads, mimeophon, morphagene, erbe-verb, bunker archeology, magneto, starlab, rings, doepfer filters, fixed filter banks, dual looping delay, spectral multiband resonator, fsu, plague bearer - it really depends on what you are trying to do - which you didn't specify...

the real advantage of modular effects, is the level of cv modulation that you can achieve, using a combination of lfos, envelope generators, function generators, random sources and chaos... so you'll want a decent selection of those - now I hear you say "but I can twiddle knobs and use my hands" - well yes you can but you only have 2 of those - and you'll almost definitely want more, which is where these modulation sources come in very handy - as they replace your hands!!

and don't forget a vco for audio rate modulation!

now for the really important bit... utilities! mix, merge and mangle your signals - both cv and audio & probably in lots of cases not together - which is why you almost definitely need more of these than you can imagine - vcas (a good start is a good quality quad cascading vca - veils perhaps - grab one whilst you can), mixers (sub mixers, matrix mixers, unity mixers, end of channel mixers), mults, attenuators, attenuverters, switches (both manual and sequential), slews etc etc... in general these expand the capabilities of everything else you have exponentially and are comparatively inexpensive (doepfer and ladik are really good brands for these types of modules)

and you might find that a trigger/gate sequencer and a cv sequencer (possibly with multiple channels) are a good idea...

so when I say get a bigger case and go slowly with the module purchases - so you learn what you actually need - as opposed to just the effects modules you really want - you may have an inkling of why

as for a case - I'd recommend a tiptop mantis as a great starting point - it's the best meeting point of hp/cost/good quality power/manufacturer reputation...

now I hope this hasn't put you off, as modular is fantastic, but I'm just giving you an idea of what you are getting yourself into...

if you look into my signature you will see a formula - it is a rough guide to how to build a versatile modular for the least cash...

now go create a public rack (on here) throw a few modules in and post the url - so that we can critique it...

NB there is nothing unique or particularly rare or cool in modular - there are just modules - the most unique thing is you and how you combine them, patch them and play them!

"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia

Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities


Thread: My rack

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1978238.jpg

Boths Moogs are not in case.


hey guys

I wanna put together a rack only for processing sounds coming from my DAW, so I'm looking for some input on modules that are great for sound design/processing purposes.

my criteria are intuitive usability (no quadruple-layer submenus) and unique sound processing capabilities (i.e. something you cannot easily program in MaxMSP - but can also be interesting takes on simple effects like delays!).

any suggestions are much appreciated! thanks!


Thanks very much :) I've not spent much on new stuff lately, need to sell some stuff first.

Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.

https://youtube.com/@wishbonebrewery


Cool track! Thanks for sharing that. Cheers!


If you like the Moog sound and will make use of the patch bay, it's probably an incredibly useful addition for not much money.


10 minutes in and really enjoying the dynamics and evolving sections you arranged into this. It's something I need to work on. I got a bunch of new modules recently and I've been spending time learning them (Elements, VPME QD, Cloud Terrarium and Metropolix - all quite deep, so lots of learnin' to do). Thanks for sharing.


I can get a Moog Mavis for under £300 and wonder how useful and beneficial it’d be to have it in this basic starter rack

ModularGrid Rack


So excited, just got my EuroPi module kit, brilliant job Rory.


Hi all,

As a rather long list of beginners before me, I’m submitting my first euro rack idea to your expertise to see if I missed something in this first draft and how can I fill those empty slots. To bring some context I’m new to fully modular setups but I already own the Moog semi-modular Trilogy (Mother 32, DFAM, and Subharmonicon) which I love and want to keep (but out the rack). I now want to go deeper into that path by making this first rack. I want to make some “ambient/melodic techno” I would say with a lot of randomness in the texture but a structural base of kick-snare to rely on. This rack should be able to generate cool jams by itself but will of course be completed with my current gear.

I intend to use the Arturia RackBrute 6U because it seems rather convenient to use and to expand with another one, but let's no go too far from now on. So from left to right, from top to bottom let’s start the review.

ModularGrid Rack

First, the Pamela New Workout is the main clock, it provides division and some randomness so quite a strong module. Then for sequencing triggers, I wanted to go with the Euclidean Circles with the expander switch. All the drum/percussions sounds will come from the following sources: QD, Plaits, and One. I conclude this first row with effects with Pico DSP, Beads, and a 2HP reverb and mixer.

The second row starts with obviously Math for modulation. Then the sequence of the Turing Machine, a Quantizer, a VCO and a filter will be used to generate the main melodic line of the jams. Finally, I have added a Noise generator and LFOs for additional modulation. I conclude with a 4 VCA / Mixer as the main output.

Does it seem complete to you? What is it missing?

Thank you for your time,

Cheers!


Just to say I had the pleasure of using this in beta and it's superb. Beautiful construction, clean aesthetics, unique user-controllable Lin/Log taper response (while remaining an entirely passive module—very clever!). A great first module from a company you're going see a lot more from.

Phin Head
Stochastic Instruments

Stochastic Instruments Ltd.
Rethink Random//Perform Process//Create Chaos

Save the World Entire: Vegan
End the holocaust. Change our world with science.


Thank you Garfield and Tumeni!


Looking for a simple headphone output for my eurorack which I can also use as an audio output to my audio interface (Steinberg UR22C)

I've narrowed it down to the ALM HPO and the Joranalogue Transmit 2

Second hand I can get the HPO for £70 ($82) less than the Transmit 2

Would welcome advice on which one to get

I'm starting out and will principally be using it for headphones

Thanks!
-- MrMojoRisin

The HPO is the no-nonsense solution in a small rack and does a decent job for me.
More often I am using the Erica Pico OUT since I usually do monitoring on a set of 3.5 mm jack earphones and record on a pocket recorder at the same time. It's my go to for that scenario so I have one in all of my small cases.


Ive got a hpo for sale if you Are located in the EU

https://www.facebook.com/BrokenFormAudio

Got a Mantis Case and a Grandterminal+expander for sale,PM Me


Well, whip on this, then: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/happy-nerding-isolator-2022-silver

With this new 4 hp-er from HN, you not only get a PROPER 1/4" TRS headphone jack and preamp, you also have balanced TRS outs for left and right. And the cherry on the cake here, you CAN'T see...because it's the transformers inside the module, which not only isolate your modular from the interface to control noise and ground loop issues, but you can "punch" them a bit harder and, like any good audio transformer, you wind up with that "big iron" warmth due to a touch (or more!) of saturation.

Some don't dig having an output module of this sort. But having seen ground loop and signal crud issues in both dive bars and high-end Nashville studios, I think it's a pretty useful addition, as you never know when you're going to come up against those sorts of issues.
-- Lugia

Hi Lugia,

Not doubting your experience with the HN module, but the Joranalogue claims to have all of that in some form or shape as well. The headphone jack is 3,5mm instead of 6,3. But you get XLRs which are very common in pro environments and easily converted to 6,3 jack with a cable. The module claims to overcome the problems of galvanic isolation by using solid state components. I don't know enough about it to evaluate if that's going to be true or not. I'd like to hear what you think of it. I was considering this module as well.


Well, whip on this, then: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/happy-nerding-isolator-2022-silver

With this new 4 hp-er from HN, you not only get a PROPER 1/4" TRS headphone jack and preamp, you also have balanced TRS outs for left and right. And the cherry on the cake here, you CAN'T see...because it's the transformers inside the module, which not only isolate your modular from the interface to control noise and ground loop issues, but you can "punch" them a bit harder and, like any good audio transformer, you wind up with that "big iron" warmth due to a touch (or more!) of saturation.

Some don't dig having an output module of this sort. But having seen ground loop and signal crud issues in both dive bars and high-end Nashville studios, I think it's a pretty useful addition, as you never know when you're going to come up against those sorts of issues.


true that, I do that very often (vca before the mixer ins).
-- -ADR-

Definitely the way to go...Jim's got his peeve about ute modules, while with me, it's functionality. And I like it when one module can take all sorts of control input to twiddle with its parameters, such as what you find with the heftier performance mixers. Something like Toppobrillo's Stereomix2, where you can CV level, panning, and AUX send per channel, in addition to the other functions. The TexMix still gives you the channel input VCAs, but it's more "hands on" minus the CV over panning and such. All a matter of taste and technique, and which of those works for you. But even something supersimple such as Doepfer's A-138s (a bigtime "sleeper" module if there ever was one...super functional, quite small, totally straighforward) can be made to whip out backflips depending on your "before" and "after" mixer strategies.


Yeah, the pedal I'm sort of envisioning there is something akin to the "sustain" that I've got on the JP-6 and/or CS-80 here. Sort of a "latch" to hold a note so that you can have both hands free for going bonkers on the controls. This REALLY is a godsend with the CS, I should note...as there's a lot of sonic fun to be had while you're tweaking the sounds on the "tabs" while going totally off with the ribbon. It also lets me lock in arpeggiator pitches on the JP during live performance...very Berlin School-ish results there. But even with a monophonic synth, that one function has loads of wonderful "abuse potential"!


Looking for a simple headphone output for my eurorack which I can also use as an audio output to my audio interface (Steinberg UR22C)

I've narrowed it down to the ALM HPO and the Joranalogue Transmit 2

Second hand I can get the HPO for £70 ($82) less than the Transmit 2

Would welcome advice on which one to get

I'm starting out and will principally be using it for headphones

Thanks!


true that, I do that very often (vca before the mixer ins).


this user has left ModularGrid

Smart contact and fine transaction with @karolis
Thank You!


@Lugia thank you so much for your suggestion!

I am sure there are no aftertouch nor velocity sensors on the keyboard unit. just a switch matrix where you can track keyDown and keyUp of each key.
The "keyboard latch" looks interesting! but having an additional CV pitch out jack i could make a polyphonic CV keyboard which seems to be not that easy.
But i will give it a try (at least on the breadboard).

I also like your pedal idea! i didn't think of that.

Yesterday i started to create the frontplate for the keyboard unit. Due to some plastic structures of the original housing there is less space left than i thought before.

Anyway - thank you!!!

image
image


& here's the link to your public rack version - jpgs are shit for us helping you!!!

ModularGrid Rack

are these the 11 most popular modules? i don;t know but it looks like 'synthesis with modules' and not modular synthesis to me

I'd go away and do a lot more research before committing any money to this... it's incredibly unbalanced and makes little sense

what is the purpose of the rack, it seems to be audio processing - but there's no input!

how are you providing pitch for plaits?

some food for thought:

1 take a look at my signature - there's a single line guide (the formula) to building a versatile modular synthesizer for the least amount of cash

2 take a look at this thread from modwiggler - https://www.modwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43964

then spend some time thinking about what you've learnt from those 2 sources

then try again...

"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia

Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!

sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities


"Chads," huh?


@Lugia the roots were way further back...

Tricky Dicky and Reagan/Thatcher were particular low lights!!!
-- JimHowell1970

Don't remind me. Ronnie got elected during the very first semester of my undergrad, and when that happened, I started making plans to change my degree path. I had been looking at a more academia-based model, getting the degrees and getting onto some tenure track somewhere, but I switched to the "plan B" of going back to TN, transferring to MTSU's Music Industry program, and getting some practical experience back in Nashville. Was probably the right move, as they went after the National Endowments first.

Interestingly, for all of the puffery about "smaller government", Reagan and his cronies only managed to eliminate ONE program in its entirety: CETA (ie: Community Education and Training in the Arts, a program intended to bring arts programs to the inner city, deep rural areas, etc). Says a lot, I think.


https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1975520.jpg
Hello I am new here :) I thought it would be fun to suffer and go MODULAR I need help building around the modules shown ^^^ kit suggestions and advice very much appreciated
(I am aiming for a celestial generative ambient kit)


We can discuss when the world really started going to hell. End of 19th century Vienna is a good candidate, too. As is the first election of Putin, the rise of extreme right in Europe (also here in Belgium) and now extreme left as well. Facebook has a nice role to play. As a former student of Japan and having visited the country many, many times, I was particularly shocked by the shooting of Shinzo Abe. The timing right after the string of shootings in the States really hit home. I don't think I've seen anything like it in Japan since the sarin gas attacks in the Tokyo metro in 1995.

Thanks for your opinions on the subject. Now, about the track.... ;-)


An Echo from Synthrotek. Pretty basic, they are just putting a Princeton tech chip and an op amp on a board with the right support components. They haven’t added any additional circuitry to enhance or modify the chip, it’s a pretty basic unit.
Sounds OK, and good to have as a secondary echo.

Build


Pretty much the last patch I posted but with sort of percussion-linked Theremin samples being modulated in a Prok BD flashed as a RadioMusic, saves me building a Radio Music.

Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.

https://youtube.com/@wishbonebrewery