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Hello!

So I'm new to Eurorack although experienced with synthesis and processing.

This is what I was thinking of building for my first true foray into modular.

I plan to use the rack mainly as an audio processing device. I predominantly see it as a way of augmenting instruments - expanding the instruments' capabilities with reference to both the sounds they produce and the way that they are played. However I also want to build a rack which can be used as a processing tool in the studio.

Any thoughts on the modules I've chosen? Any suggestions?

I think I'll start by purchasing Ears and Clouds and go from there (need to save a bit!) - I've already got an SQ-1 and a Moog Mf-103 which I'll integrate with the rack. I'd eventually like to add a pamela's workout as another function generator and another module for signal processing; I was thinking something along the lines of Erbe-Verb - although this is a decision for which I could use some suggestions!

Thanks, already feeling very welcome in the modular community :)

EDITED Feb 10th 2022, 17:58

Thanks Lugia for your input.
btw. each row was to be meant as a building block, which stands for itself - not all three together.

Perhaps I should have better asked, which modules (LFO, EG, Mult, Atten., VCAs, CV generators) would you like to combine in 100 hp order to get a flexible, versatile and the most universally usable combination.

EDITED Feb 8th 2022, 16:42

For what is worth, I found out that feeding a pitch cv signal to a module like Befaco Rampage, or any other module that can generate a slew, and that can output gates of "Rising" and "Falling", generates very useful gates, whose period duration can be adjusted by fiddling the Rise and Fall time parameters of the slew processor.

In addition, I can send the gates of Rising and Falling to either a cv mixer or a logic OR module, to have gates for every pitch change.

A consideration about quantizers: some of them output "full gates", meaning that the gates last the entire duration of a new pitch, (basically like a midi note-on), and with those I lose the Release phase of any ADSR. This is why I prefer having control over the duration of the gates, independently.

Many thanks troux for taking the time and putting the collection together and to Greenleo for the assist! Much appreciated.

Applause to all the contributors—I listened trough when it was first posted, lot's of inspiration across genres. Nice work!

All the best.

Arrived yesterday evening! Now the fun begins ....

I have for sale modular addict stack and thin patch cables. Thin ones are perfect for dense modules where you want to be able to somehow put fingers between your cables to plug them in/out. Stackables are great as they save you form using passive mults.

Yeah. Fiiking brilliante. Instant fan base. Hoo!

Chomp chomp, chomp, more hunger. Yow. Me.

KALAMITY MOOFUH!!!

Mr. Kane

EDITED Feb 8th 2022, 11:40

The title! ❤️

And the melodic barn sale… Luv luv luv it.

High rankin’. Bennn skoop!

I JITSU!

EDITED Feb 8th 2022, 11:25

Love it! Brilliant.
Gives Chrome, ACR, and 23 Skidoo a run for their money!
Skoop!!!

None of them.

First up, when building a full system, working in "blocks" like this is going to result in a system that doesn't reflect your actual signal flow. It's best to group things by function than by what can be stuck together in these blocks. For example, if you've got something in there that could benefit from having a quadrature LFO (like "strumming" a Veils), well...since you've got these blocks but they don't have a quadrature oscillator with the exception of the Batumi/Poti pair...but at that point, you're using ALL FOUR LFOs in that to do what ONE module that's not in these is capable of. And that's just one example.

Secondly...what's with all of the buffered mults? You really only need these for distributing CVs to oscillators, filters, and other modules that need a CV without voltage sag. The sag results from having too many devices on the same CV source, so you use buffers to "regenerate" the CV. But you DON'T need six of them! In a small build, in fact, using 24 hp on JUST mults is a terrible idea; small builds are better served with inline mult widgets or stackcables, and if you have more than four modules that need properly-scaled CVs, THAT would be the only reason for using only ONE of those.

A far better approach here to building on MG would be to start with a fullsize cab that's larger than you need, populate that, then start paring things BACK. But work on the whole thing at the same time, not in chunks like these. Start with a 3 x 104 cab, then once it's populated, pare this down so that you wind up with TWO rows of 104 hp. It's 100% doable, and generally results in outcomes that are more usable.

If you're coming from a background that has a lot of "semi-modular" patchables or keyboard synths, I can see how this concept emerged. Keyboard synths are, after all, built in "blocks" like that. But this ain't your dad's Joop-6 here...this is an "open environment" that, while grouping modules will be a must, blocking out everything BEFORE the full build process is on just won't work out very nicely if one of these blocks can't "play nice" with the others.

First up, Braids is long-discontinued. Plaits is the official replacement from Mutable, but you can get Braids clones, although the "miniaturized" clones are often a total PITA to program, with tiny controls and tight spacing.

Second...yep, you get it. That Neutron should be back in its own case and on its own power. The case is for things that DON'T have those.

Third: this is a fairly small build. So trying to populate this with large modules will cause you to LOSE potential, as you'll not have space for various utility and "helper" modules that need to be in there. About the only "big" thing that should be in there would be the Maths; the rest can and SHOULD be removed and smaller alternatives (WITHIN REASON! don't go so small that you can't get at the controls when you need to) found that can do the same job.

Fourth (and related to the third part above): do you HAVE TO sequence from the Hermod, or would you be better off sequencing from your DAW and using something like Expert Sleepers' "soundcard" modules to send/return both control signals AND audio? Again, the Hermod is huge, but those ES modules are not. Same probably goes for the System 100m mixer, plus you can get similar stereo output mixers with ALL parameters under CV that can fit into a slightly smaller cab. See Toppobrillo's Stereomix2 for one example.

Best rule of thumb here is that you should have about 1/3+ of your modules as part of an audio chain, and the rest of the space should be controllers, modifiers, modulators, etc etc. And getting that balance is important to drawing out the power in the audio chain. Too many "helpers", and the synth will sound rather "meh", and not enough "helpers" results in a different sort of "meh" from not having internal motion in your sounds. Trust me on that; you want to sound like Klaus or RJD or so on, and NOT a microwave beep.

Hi all, I did a live set in December in collaboration with BK Voltage Lab and really liked the patches and sections, so I decided to record every sequence of every individual voice signal path for the 30 minute set. Then I clipped each recording, made loops, and reassembled the whole thing. Thought I'd share it.

Hi,

I'm looking for possible building blocks, which provides useful functions for larger racks.
VCOs, filters, effects and so on may be placed around these building blocks ...

I've created three alternative versions (each in one seperate row).

Which one's would you use and why? What would you change? More VCA's or other things?

Thanks and best regards,
Ralf

Will get that fixed @JimHowell1970. @Quantum_Eraser I checked my email and I never got a WeTransfer from you. If you can send one over to the email I sent you here we can slot it in.
-- troux

Thats strange. Anyway. I've sent you a Private Message with the Download URL for the File.

Thanks for listening, gang. I appreciate the kind words. Haven't had much time to make music for a while, so it's good to just press record and get something out there.
It's funny, I've gotten Cabaret Voltaire comparisons before. Those guys are definitely a subconscious influence, for sure. I did record a cover of "Nag, Nag, Nag" for fun a while back, but don't really set out to intentionally make music that sounds like them, but a lot of what comes out in this Cierny Vlk project does bear a resemblance. I think a lot of the ideas are probably coming from the same place.
Thanks again. Have a great week.

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your expertise. I have learned a lot from your replies - and took me down a deep rabbit hole of researching all your recommendations :-)

I probably took the wrong route by buying a case then trying to cram in enough modules. But as you said eventually I'll expand :-)

I like your ideas of mixing and compressing off-case and will probably also incorporate an external sampler/looper. Would an external 1010Music Blackbox be appropriate (at least for sampling, looping, and mixing)?

Your advice regarding every hp of sound plan 2-4hp of helper modules is one I'll take to heart from here on out.

The breadth and depth of modular is really intimidating for someone new like myself - I really appreciate advice from vastly more experienced people like yourself.

Thank you once again!

Nice one @farkas, whenever you get that Ohio warehouse rave gig booked let me know I'm definitely coming 🕺🕺

Have you used that one @GarfieldModular? I'm definitely curious.

@Lugia I'm thinking I want something a bit more flexible, the L-1 compressors come to mind and I'm also curious about Vintage Synth Labs AWM-3

EDITED Feb 7th 2022, 03:53

@M01C and @JimHowell1970 changes made! And thank you @GarfieldModular, happy to give a bit back here for all the great folks who've helped me along on my journey :)

@Sweelinck, you're talking Conrad's language for sure. If you're interested check some thoughts out here http://media.hyperreal.org/zines/est/intervs/conrad.html

Wrapping up an outstanding weekend with an adhoc jam session on the Moog stack.

Some technical bits...

Two Mother 32's are run through Mimeophon and Desmodus Versio. DFAM provides the kick. These days, I am doing all stereo balancing, eq, and compression in-modular with SoundStage, SCLPL, and MSCL. Audio is crammed right into YouTube by a Scarlett 4i4.

Hope you enjoy it!

Are there any kinds of disadvantages to smaller modules? I’m probably being a bit gluttonous, but in my filter section I’d like to have a little taste of a couple different filters, so I’ve found an assortment that fits my needs. Curious if someone would think that 1 18hp filter would be a better move than 3 6hp filters. Just a thought. Probably will stick with the smaller filters cause they still sound great. But like is there a different kind of power/goodness in the ajh 14hp vcf vs 6hp transistor ladder filter.

Also any thoughts on the rack, areangement always appreciated. I use this alongside ableton and a sampler/drum machine to make house music. Modular is mostly for stabs/bass/leads.

Oh, HELL yes!!! If Cabaret Voltaire had turned out to be a junglist group, it might sound something like this!

@troux, @Lugia
Decidedly, since the bids rise easily here, I will claim in my turn that, in the Western world, the 'drone' was born with the plainsong, in the sacred music, in the Middle Ages.

-- Sweelinck

But then, you have to take into account that Plainchant descends directly from the Grecian Modes. And with those, musicology isn't 100% certain of the lineage. Then you go backwards from there, across other Eastern Mediterranean region people, whose tunings and scales were somewhat more complex...and still are. But also, taking Alexander's conquest travels into account, we're probably looking at some sort of "polyglot approach" to encountered scalar, etc techniques, and those certainly got mixed in with the rest of the goings-on in that area.

But MY big point is that, if you go back to the point where music as we currently know it originated, you're dealing with the Central Asian region, and that back around 5000-7000 BCE their musical elements migrated with various peoples into these different sonic cultures. And back then and back there, the drone was PARAMOUNT. Entire musical styles emerged, with the best known of them being the Mongolian and Tuvan cultures where the drone is also important to the generated harmonic pitches that result in throat singing, which is where I and others think this starts. Given that the harmonic series' first several partials fit Western tunings, it would also explain early instruments that seem to be "close" to present-day tuning, so that these could match up with the harmonic pitches. It's also the source for Tibetan ceremonial music, the drone aspects of Persian and Northern Indian music, and on and on.

Thanks Jim!

Hi Troux,

The Waldorf CMP1 might be an idea, it's currently on offer. Waldorf stopped making modular modules, so if you are interested then better don't wait too long. Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Steve,

Thank you very much for all the work, making the compilation and I love the album cover with the modulargrid cat at the background looking through the window!

I am listening now and enjoying the music we made together in 2021 :-)

Great work and a big thank you, kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Everybody,
Trying to get started with a modular setup for generative/ randomised music and general sound design.
The neutron is eating up space at the moment, but just wondering what you all think of this setup I am thinking of moving towards.
I'd probably replace the neutron with things like a Zoia Eurburo, Winterbloom Castor & Pollux & Morphagene.
I definitely need some focused feedback though....

One other module to consider is the Happy Nerding FX Aid, which has several compressor and limiter algorithms.

I totally agree with @sweelinck :)

Excellent! Fierce and combative. Thanks for having shared this track here ;)

Lots O'Bleeps :)

Glitchy goodness, I need to try more stuff like this, almost self-playing as Marbles is in control until i plug in the clock outs from Mimeophon which then takes care of the clocking. More madness comes from live patching Clouds from the 2hp RND :)
There are some clocked parts in there but i turn those off as its running the stepped filtered bass part.

@troux, @Lugia
Decidedly, since the bids rise easily here, I will claim in my turn that, in the Western world, the 'drone' was born with the plainsong, in the sacred music, in the Middle Ages. And that it finds its own roots in the psalms of the synagogues, then at the birth of the Christian era. This spiritual or mystical 'sap' is the very essence of 'drone': from the origins to our days (cf. Radigue, La Monte, etc.).
It is a sacred music, not profane.
Who says better ? :)
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva ?
Not so bad... :))

And don't forget the WMD MSCL...excellent stereo comp/limiter. The controls could be a little more user-friendly, but the results are worth the hassle.

I can't let a LaMonte mention go by without saying, Tony Conrad did it first and did it better!!
-- troux

Tony Conrad was probably instrumental in keeping La Monte's initial (ie: post-Darmstadt) ideas going, tbh. For one thing, some of the Theatre of Eternal Music releases in recent years (such as "Day of Niagara") were out of his tape library. Plus, La Monte was also engaged in certain...ah..."substance sales" off and on during the 1960s.

Also, speaking of Darmstadt, that same early 1960s course of Stockhausen's was attended by one Holger Schuring...but you know him better as Holger Czukay. Interesting, indeed!

Yep...it's always the simple bits that screw up production. I used to make my own cables years ago, but given the present-day state of the studio, I've had to put my trust in others peoples' solder work.

Happy Saturday evening! Enjoy.

I think I'm almost assuredly going to get a Tanh at some point, that L-1 looks cool too thanks for the recommendation @adaris.

Not a compressor per se but I've found the DPW Limit L-1 to be useful in feedback patches. I have the Tanh as well actually, but I've found the DPW to be more handy for this purpose.

EDITED Feb 6th 2022, 02:51

That Instruo Tanh[3] looks like an interesting small feedback tamer.

I've been doing a ton of feedback patching lately and have had luck with the "Build Your Own Compressor" DUSG approach to keeping things under control, but I'm starting to think about getting a dedicated compressor module just for this purpose, so I'm curious: anyone have any compressor modules they think are great for feedbacking?

Thanks!

I can't let a LaMonte mention go by without saying, Tony Conrad did it first and did it better!! Drone for the people >>> Fake occult elitist drone 😛

It looks like there's one used right here on ModularGrid :)

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/offers/view/557750

Command Centre thumbnails (rack images) for the past few weeks/months(?) seem to be regenerating/refreshing erratically, with racks of the same specification rendering at different sizes,
-- AndyQ

I've figured out what triggers this behaviour - when some rack names wrap to two lines and others are on a single line. That starts screwing with what size the previews are generated at, although it affects whole "columns" of rack images. There are also issues where the rack images are not refreshed to the highest resolution - going through each individually and hitting the "update screenshot" button will refresh the image, but then image sizes (can) change again. They also revert to lower resolution versions after browser resizing or other events. Certainly, there some relatively new bugs causing the Command Centre thumbnails to be irregular and unstable - all of this stuff was fine previously (at least until late-ish 2021)

Colored noise from A-118-2 through Next Phase phaser to Morgasmatron’s Low Pass Filter.
A-118-2’s Sample & Hold modulates Morgasmatron’s cutoff frequency.
Wave’s cycle adjusted by Next Phase’s LFO.
Final audio passes through Desmodus Versio reverb to Roland 531 output.

Modules used:
Doepfer A-118-2
AJH Synth Next Phase
Intellijel Morgasmatron
Noise Engineering Desmodus Versio
Roland SYSTEM-500 531

Nice!
Will check it out somewhere tomorrow.

Oh... Is it possible to change "M10C" into "M01C" ?

I’ll take a listen tonight ❤️.
Thank you for the work on this!

A nice unit today, a pingable LFO from 4MS. It’s actually 4 LFOs, each one can be tap-tempo’d or “pinged” by an external voltage source to set the rate.
Good slew action too.
A long demo section at the end, with ‘scope traces, there are some interesting slopes to the curves when you use the slew knobs.
Moderate complexity build.
Recommended
C.K. builds a Quad Pingable LFO from 4MS

i´ve already get all modules but data bender, swn and synapse and im very happy about all and each one