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Well, for one thing, this build is a bit too small to support two sets of mults. You might lose the 1U mult, as it's easily replaced by using inline mults or stackcables. Keep the Links, though.
Ears. Why? The Intellijel has external inputs, and you've got the stereo tile for it. If the idea is to have a "controller"-ish thing, then there's a few options for that, but the overall build seems deficient on LFOs. "Generative" tends to imply a lot of automated processes, and LFOs are the best way to generate cyclical waveforms that can work those. Removing the Ears and then dropping in a Doepfer A-145-4 gives you four of them under manual control.
But one caveat: generative composition tends to require a considerably larger build than this. I'm not saying it can't be done...but I am saying that trying to do that in a smaller build will be a bit frustrating since you don't have the modules to establish multiple signal paths. This can be especially true if you're doing ambient work, where one of the important musical factors is the variation in timbre between voices spread out along the timeline (see Eno's "1/1" for an example here). You might consider a bigger case to start with if you're sure that this is the direction you want to go in. So far, everything seems pretty decent...save for that build size issue.
Good point, Ronin...I remember one session in which I had a shortwave receiver in use for a randomish noise layer on a techno track. Heard something odd, though; it sounded like one of my synths. And sure enough, it WAS...my PPG Wave 2.3 was spewing RF up in the 8 MHz range and retransmitting the synth's sound! Naturally, I figured out how to layer that into the track, too...
Feh. You could do loads better with an ARP 2600 for teaching purposes, and that's from experience. Now if you could just GET one somewhere...wonder what the problem with that might be...?
Sure isn't my idea of a clearly-understandable teaching system. Hopefully this is just an inventory of modules that get pulled and put into separate cabs to teach specific principles.
Have you found any other devices that can be removed with the same effect as when the SV-1 gets pulled? This sounds like two possible issues...
1) The external P/S is outputting HF garbage. Now, some devices react to this and some don't, but overall it's not something you want. The fix there would be to wind the card between the "brick" and the cab through some clip-on ferrites. In this case, you're putting together a blocking choke that won't pass AC effectively, and this cleans up the DC.
2) Something in these builds is causing the problem. However, since ALL of the cabs do this and none of them have any modules in common, this is a bit of a stretch. They DO have the same internals, however...same sort of DC regulators, same sort of busboards, etc. So, again, the suspicions come back to the power supply, but in this case the problem MIGHT be in the cab...so the key here is to beef up the filtering by using ferrites on the DC bus lines in each case.
An even more extreme...but one I've done...pre-emptive solution would be to replace the "line lump" altogether. On my AE system, I use a Tektronix linear power supply instead of a switching wall-wart. And since this IS a linear supply, it doesn't operate at the high frequencies that generate noise and crud. This is actually a simple swap...just find a suitable linear DC supply with the correct voltage and current capacity, connect a power cable with the right connector on one end and a dual banana on the supply end, and fire it up. Linear supplies have the "problem" of being fairly heavy and clunky (no such thing as a linear wall-wart!). Linear supplies ALSO have the benefit of being very low-ripple and variance, and that stability translates into better module stability overall.
One other point: if you push ANY power supply to a point near its current load maximum, it'll start to act goofy. This is because of what happens when you turn the synth on: current inrush loads can, for a very brief interval, spike OVER the typical operating current draw before dropping to nominal levels. The end result, over time, is that components in the power system start to wear prematurely...or in worst-case scenarios, they fail spectacularly (and often destructively!). Let's take the last cab, for example. In this case, the operating current is 755 mA on the +12 and 600 mA on the -12.
My rule of thumb...based on experience...is that typical solid-state circuits can inrush to at worst about 1/3rd higher than the operating current. So unless the P/S for that cab can output at least 1 A on the +12 and 800 mA on the -12, problems can develop. OPTIMALLY, you want to overspec your current capacity as much as is practically possible, but holding to that "+ 1/3" figure seems to afford the right level of protection for solid-state. And since I don't see anything with tubes here...in which case you might actually want the capability to supply DOUBLE the operating current for those milliseconds when they first light up...you're pretty safe with that guideline.
More than likely, your solution will be several of these. I'd start with the ferrites, though, since they're relatively cheap and easy enough to deal with (unless you need to put them on your internal DC busses, in which case a little "surgery" might be needed). Also...DO NOT neglect your signal lines when applying noise mitigation! They're just as capable of bringing crud into a modular as the power system! If this continues, consider some isolated/balanced output modules (if possible) instead of the typical attenuated output sorts, as the balancing transformer can cancel out anything coming back up the audio lines at the point where they connect to the modular. If you can't use a module (like in the dual Pitt cab), then get an Ebtech Hum Eliminator...because they work on loads more than just hum.
Ah, yeah, it'll do that. You need to pull up the "Screenshot" and see if THAT is the right image. If not, go back to the rack view and hit "refresh" in your browser, THEN recheck the screenshot. Once it and the rack view are the same, you're golden.
Actually, the Mutable Instruments modules are open source projects. Yes, that also means that Mutable doesn't get paid from the clones...but it DOES mean that when Mutable takes them out of production, there's still ways to acquire that same circuitry, even if the panels and form factor might be different.
The only "hole" I see here is that there's no dedicated method for manipulating CV and modulation signals...mixing, inverting, etc. But the rest of the choices are very solid...which means there's going to be a problem in trying to jam that functionality in. My choice for what should go would be the Chronoblob2, which would open 12 hp. This would make two very good CV manipulators possible: the 4ms SISM and Tiptop's MISO. Both of these allow DC-coupled mixing, but also inversion, various CV arithmetic functions, etc, and having those will really blow open your control possibilities. Plus, if you still insist on having the delay line in there, the MISO would allow for a 2hp Delay; if you locate this on the very end of a row, it'll still be easy enough to manipulate.
But if tandemmed with the 0-Coast, this is a pretty damn good build. Presumably, you'd sum your audio back down to the 0-Coast's output to get the levels down to line. Looks like you did your homework here!
Oh, good...those are the ones that are an utter PITA, people drop 'em into builds because the listings can't be made to show they're discontinued and all that...
The thing that immediately jumps out at me is the excess of mults. You've got an Intelljel buffered mult, a Mutable Links, and an Erica Mix/Split. That's 10 hp of mults in a build that only has 176 hp in it to start with! Now, I know that the idea here is to crosswire several synths, but this is overkill; you can accomplish much of this with inline mults, and keep just the Links for a single buffered mult and the crossmix capabilities. Then I'd suggest dropping in a 6 hp something such as an Intellijel TriplATT or a Happy Nerding 3xMIA to allow you to mix/invert your CV and mod signals. That would be way more versatile than just multing things, because you'd then have more tweakable control over those non-audio signals. And good onya for making sure to put the MScale in to deal with the interfacing issues inherent between "normal" Eurorack and Moog's take on it.
Otherwise, this is actually a fairly solid build, given the space constraints. I would've chosen different modules, but the architecture I'd go for would be fairly close to what you've created here, save for that one issue above.
There's definitely problems on the horizon here. Jim's comment about "utility modules" is a very good point; you have a lot of "sexy" here, but no "sauce", because the boring modules that bring the REAL voodoo are missing. Also, loads of this could (and SHOULD) be reduced in size by using third-party builds for the Mutable stuff, which would also provide more space for the utilities, and by simply using smaller versions of the same ideas you have present. Presuming that this is a RackBrute 6U, you just don't have the room you need in 2 x 88 hp to do too much given the way things are going here. And yeah, if you opt for a different case with more room, you'll get a lot closer to the direction you're aiming for here. Remember, the Rackbrute was primarily intended as an expansion for the MicroBrute 2 and 2s, so it doesn't have to be huge because you'd have a whole other synth to patch into.
One other caveat that I seem to be giving more and more as of late: if you've not spent a MONTH or two (or more!) fiddling with, studying, and refining builds on MG, you're nowhere near the stage of dropping a wad of cash on the physical device. ModularGrid IS NOT a video game; you get no bonuses for trying to "speedrun" this process. There are loads of negatives that WILL crop up from trying to get everything right on your first MG builds, all of them rather expensive. Take this slowly, examine everything more carefully, and research deeper. You'll get a better result from it.
Oh, it is! Not only do you have the MIDI over USB interfacing, the setup memories, the expandability...you ALSO get arpeggiation and some basic sequencing trickery. Really, this module is the sort of thing you'd expect Billy Mays to be screaming at you about on late-nite TV...it even makes a killer grilled cheese!
First of all, it's intended to work as a USB host. This is a tad different, because it means you can connect MIDI-over-USB devices directly to it. This will result in a bit better timing, but also in that you can use the FH-2 to connect pretty much any USB controller into your modular rig...and your DAW, too.
Second, while it does require a bit more programming savvy, once it HAS been programmed for your use, then there's little need to do that again. But the FH-2 improves on this by adding some extra operational modes AND by allowing memories for different setups. So, let's say you're using this with the Digitakt in your studio, but you need to gig live with it being controlled by a Keystep. Simple...just switch your preset to a different one, plug in the appropriate device, and there you are!
Third: MPE, baybee!!! Yeah, you can hook up something like a Linstrument to it, and as long as the FH-2 has been taught what to do with it, you're golden. You can also assign any of the MPE controls to a CV output, so...well, that's a rabbit hole in of itself!
Last: expandability. If your modular grows, the FH-2 can grow...up to 7 more FHX-1 expanders can be linked to it for a maximum of 64 assignable outs.
And, oh yeah...you can use it to auto-calibrate your VCO tunings. Smooth!
I should note that this is all a tad vague. You give no actual, verbatim examples in a disagreement where the verbatim record might clear the situation up. Instead, your response is to troll Thonk, which of course will simply make your situation worse.
If you're going to lob crap at a longstanding and respected vendor, you'd better be willing to post ALL the details, not merely a sanitized one-sided screed. If there IS a problem, and you know about it, then I would think that you would want the modular community to know exactly what that is. But this looks far more self-serving and makes me think that the problem probably doesn't lie with Thonk.
There's actually only one change I think I can suggest here: swap out the Pico Atten for a Pico A Mixer to submix your VCOs before sending them onto the filters. Losing a couple of attenuators is a decent tradeoff for being able to mix your oscillators and beef up your sound with detuning, etc. Plus, I couldn't find a similar set of attenuverters for that 3 hp space; those would've been preferable to the mixer, honestly, because you'd also get the ability to invert modulation signals in addition to rescaling their levels...and inverse mod signals can be quite useful, especially inverted envelopes.
The other irksome part here is the presence of the power supply module right next to an audio module. Normally, that's something of a no-no due to the potential of noise creeping into the audio chain due to close proximity to a noisy element of the system. You'd actually want that next to something that's a modulation generator, utility (non-audio) module, etc, but right now it looks like there's no recourse for this.
My initial advice here would be to proceed SLOWLY. The process of creating a modular system isn't simple, and you can't distill everything down to a few seemingly-apparent choices and slap something together off the top of your head. If you spend two weeks on MG and toss together a single build and say "that's that!"...well, that's what I would call a "hideous mistake".
There are two things you MUST know before proceeding down this long and expensive rabbithole:
1) Your own work. What about it suggests to you that you need a bespoke device to take it to the next level? IS this a proper course of action, or are you just following hype? Are there specific elements that a modular system would bring to what you do that you feel are necessary, given the expense and technical requirements? Those (and more!) are all questions you need to be asking yourself before proceeding here.
2) Synthesis. Do you know your synth architecture "basics"? As in, what HAS TO be there, as opposed to what might wind up being an expensive space-waster. Or moreso, what do you have to have to make a modular work on its most basic levels...while leaving stylistic considerations out of things at this point. That's important, because the best way to proceed here is to build a basic system, then start augmenting it. Plus, when doing this, OVERSIZE your rack selection...because the next step is to take the unworkable mess that results and pare it back down once more to arrive at something more workable. Remember: you can always shrink or enlarge your MG racks, but it's not so easy to do that if you've gone all in on hardware before getting sorted on here. And that "do/enhance/undo/repeat" method, done again and again, is how you whittle down 7000+ module choices (in Eurorack alone!) to a set that YOU can work with perfectly. But it's NOT an instant gratification exercise; expect to fiddle with MG builds for potentially months before the "real deal" pops up on your screen, the one that says "OK...whip out the plastic!".
So, it's not a simple process to create something like this, which is one reason that I and others here often dissuade starting users from bonking around in the Grid for a couple of days and then declaring that they've found "IT". Because, quite often, that "IT" is aptly-described by that term...as the result isn't what you'd exactly call a "synthesizer". Take your time, ask questions, explore, and again, take your time. It may have taken you (like many of us here) years or even decades to develop your craft; why should the process of creating an instrument that's ALSO "you" take a few days?
...it's an exceptionally rare case where some filthy-rich fruitcake hoards Trent Reznor/Richard D. James quantities of truly exquisite gear and can't/won't do anything with it. In the majority of cases, people are spending their own money on readily-available equipment. Equipment they sell at a discounted price to YOU if/when they realize they're not making it as Prurient 2.0 or whatever. This is truly a non-issue.
-- jingram
Dunno about that "non-issue" part. Sure, others' mistakes might fuel the used module market. But at the same time, I would be a bit nervous about buying a used module from someone who got it because "it looks cool" and NOT because of what it does, what it can do with other modules in a build, and so on. What if "I never could get the sound I wanted out of it" actually turns out to be "I plugged the ribbon into an unkeyed header backwards and hopefully you won't notice that when you buy it"? Definitely seems like a latent issue to me.
I'm not trying to put a stop to wackjobs like the Swiss Guy With Too Much Damn Money above, though...although, from experience, they're A LOT MORE common than one might think. There's still a lot of synths hiding in stashes in Japan, for example, because you had buyers over there scooping up gear from all over when their economy was still on a roll, and then squirreling it away in climate-controlled vaults and the like back in the 1990s. Much of that hasn't seen the light of day since. If the majority of it still works and isn't dead due to component degradation, I'd be surprised. "Synth-flippers" are another flavor of synth-hoarders, also...they go around scooping up anything that they think they might be able to curbstone, but in the process these types wind up stashing away a lot of gear that might've been usable for a musician...but which they see as "parts hosts", scrapyarding literally tons of devices. Now, yes, there NEEDS to be SOME of that going on...but the scale to which I've seen in several cases (a couple of them quite recent, I note), there's no real love for the instruments there, as they just get dumped all over the place and often never see any use or, sometimes, never even get broken down for parts. But again, you can't "fix" that...it's shitty habitual business practices at work, and I've seen that particular set of practices more times than I'd care to count since Mark Vail's effin' book wrecked the used market in the mid-1990s.
What I am trying to rein in, though, is people jumping into this and then finding out that they'd mistakenly leapt into the "1,000 feet" end of the pool, with a lot of general frustration following shortly afterward. That's not good for music, period. Plus, the systems bought in that way tend to NOT go up on the market, because the original purchaser is...well, sort of embarrassed, as a rule. So that doesn't supply much of a backflow into the used market, either.
How would one drop levels down or raise them up with the 4I/O? I'm not seeing any knobs to adjust levels like on some of the eurorack pedal interfaces.
-- Thatdummy
It doesn't use them. Instead, the 4I/O is a bit more "automatic"; all voltages are constrained to the AE's "operating window" of 0 - +5V. For additional gain inside the AE environment, you'd then use the 2SIGNALAMP to get more level, and on the "outside" you'd just need to turn down your effects' gain, since the voltage difference between the AE standard and typical line level isn't as potentially extreme as in other modular formats. See here for more: http://wiki.aemodular.com/pmwiki.php/AeManual/4IO
The USB module is just a power connection for things like controllers, etc that can be powered over USB. It doesn't pass any signals.
The problem with interfacing AE to anything else is that the AE likes to see a very specific range of incoming voltages, namely 0 - +5V...and this goes for ALL incoming signals, whether they're CV, mod, trigger, gate, or audio. This means that you either have to use a buffering module such as the AE 4I/O or a Soundmachines Nanobridge to constrain and offset signals properly. Plus, you have to establish a groundplane between the AE and other devices, sort of the same thing that's needed with a banana-patcher such as the Kilpatrick Phenol, Serge format gear, et al. Without that last detail, you won't have a signal return and your connections between the AE and whatever it's hooked to won't happen.
Actual Buchla format (as in their split-signal patching method, which separates CV/mod/clocking from audio) would be doable...but again, buffering would be necessary, and in this case you'd be dealing with two different buffering methods: one for the CV banana jacks, the other for the 3.5mm audio lines. Messy but possible.
As for pedals, sure...you'd just use a 4I/O to drop your levels for the pedal's input, then raise them back up to synth levels when they go back to the AE.
Buchla isn't merely expensive. It's LAMBO expensive! Which is a tad weird, because the original SFTMC "box" was built for a pittance taken from a Rockefeller Foundation grant in the mid-1960s. So...why am I expected to spend $500 (the amount of the grant!) on a new 158? R&D? Nope. Components? Nope. HYPE??? ....uhhhh...
The same problem exists all over in modular, though. Things that Roger Arrick can make for sensible prices are also (pretty much) made by Moog for insane nosebleed ones. If you could even get them as separate modules from Moog, that is, and not part of a massively-overpriced "vintage reissue" model. Or I could buy Serge stuff from STS up in Wisconsin...but why would I if I can get Serge-based gear from elsewhere, since Rex wants to go nuts on prices while still maintaining their costly fixed-module-panel form factor? And then there's Cwejman...don't EVEN get me started there!
Robert at AE is definitely making money...but it's ETHICAL money. The AE stuff doesn't require mindwrenching price-tags, so it doesn't have them. The "hype factor" about their stuff isn't something based on pure hype...but on the enthusiasm of their user base, which keeps growing. I feel loads better about supporting that sort of thing...and besides, his gear rocks.
Music gear is a finite resource, so no matter how much you can afford, it's still not cool to hoard unused gear in ur basement or misuse it.
-- reidv
Hell yes!
Over the years, there's been a number of gear hoarders who pile up rare stuff and then never do anything with it. And this is NOT GOOD...because disused electronic components gradually decay from that disuse. Capacitors are perhaps the worst about this, but resistors can also degrade over time, plus control devices can break or freeze up, etc. Plus, some of these hoarders do a lousy job of conserving their "collections"; I recall a story many years ago about a certain "Synth Museum" which had some rare and often prototype gear, but the space they were housed in was so decrepit and dilapidated that water was actually getting into some of the synths...and most disturbingly, the "curator" wasn't the least bit apologetic about any of this.
Then there's this:
On first glance, both we AND the presenter are super-jazzed at seeing something this amazing. But when you start getting a closer look at the gear, it slowly becomes apparent that whoever this rich person is who owns these doesn't actually give a rat's ass about them. It's important only that he HAVE them. And sure enough, we find that exact bit of info out as the video progresses...the owner is some Swiss nutcase who buys equipment and DOESN'T USE IT. He just WANTS it. And since he clearly has more money than you or I, he'll GET it...and none of the rest of us will.
Not that I would EVER advocate criminal activity...but I'd just like to say that if anyone reading this knows where this warehouse is in Switzerland, well, you'll know what to do.
And that's the biggest problem I have with the Disting. When it's doing some high-end function, you feel like it's justifying its expense. But if you use it to emulate a couple of transformers and four diodes...I dunno, it just feels like a misuse of the module. MY ring modulators, for example, are all Tenderfoots...typical dual balanced passive ringmods, since you don't need power or really anything else to make 'em do their thing.
I should also note that NONE of those Tenderfoots are in a cab, btw. Both modules live inside patchbays, wrapped in electrical tape (sounds vaguely kinky, actually!) to protect the circuits, and with no external power. Gives me a stereo pair in my FX patchbay and also in the lab-gear one, and they work like a charm.
If you don't have an original Braids, you're going to have more than 8 hp. Mutable discontinued that module quite some time ago; if you don't have one on hand, you'll have to use a third-party build instead.
Otherwise, this is kind of a mishmash. Some things in here don't seem to have a clear purpose to them, there's a number of important basic modules missing, and it feels like you're trying to cram too much into too small a cab. For example, there's only two VCAs in this entire thing, and both of them are dedicated to the audio path because they're not even separate modules in of themselves. Also, there's multiple audio sources here...but no mixer. How's that supposed to work?
Also, this build is way too small for multifunctional use. It either needs to be drums, or a synth...I think you're opening yourself up for a lot of annoyance with this small cab if you're trying to get this to be an "all-in-1" box. It's DOABLE...but you'll have to go bigger to get all of the necessary modules in the same cab, or just scrap this idea and build a proper synth in the 2 x 84 and leave the percussives for some other machine or software.
They DID...but you'll pay through the nose for one. As I recall, the total number of Analog Outfitters' MIDI controllers probably numbers in the "couple of dozen", and all of them were pretty much one of a kind builds. Finding an iteration of Doepfer's controller would likely be an easier task.
Exactly...the AE stuff definitely has its own sound to it. Like I noted before, there's definitely some of that old EML "grit" there. But there's no need to house any of it in a Mantis...AE has six different cases already, Euro adapter modules notwithstanding.
It's also worth noting that you can't necessarily patch a Eurorack module directly to an AE one. The AE system is rather different...it doesn't want to see negative CV values, and all CVs must be between 0 - +5V. Most Eurorack modules, however, can deal with up to 10V bidirectional. In order to interconnect these, you'd have to either...
1) attenuate the voltage levels AND establish a common groundplane for both systems, or...
2) use an adapter device. AE has the 4I/O, Soundmachines makes the Nanobridge (I use both, depending on what I'm trying to do). These correct voltage levels AND polarizations, with the Nanobridge making use of the AE's bus +5V and ground as references.
Yes...but it ain't cheap! Analog Outfitters here in Champaign offered a MIDI controller which ALSO had live drawbars that could be given CC assignments. But given that the company is now out of the MIDI controller business, the few of those that were produced are extremely rare these days.
Doepfer also offered a drawbar controller in a few forms for some time, but these are all discontinued now.
Two more things worth mentioning: the Peavey PC1600 MIDI Faderbox, and the Kawai MM16. In both cases, these are fader bank controllers that can be prodded into functioning like MIDI drawbars. The Peavey is better at this (I seem to remember that this is even a preset on the PC1600) than the Kawai, but both can be subjected to some creative MIDI routing to achieve the desired result.
...and there's others, but these are the ones I'm personally familiar with.
Seriously though, my only gripe is using ROMplers as a bad type of synthesizer. I completely disagree - granted the UI for most were far from perfect - they're still very powerful synthesizers that went underused. I know some types of synthesis fairly well, and I own several modular systems, but I'm still taken aback by the vast options in a mere XV2020 that would be deemed obsolete by most people.
Maybe the'll make a resurgence when people figure out how powerful they are?
They need to...as long as they're the sort of ROMplers that do have that programming depth you'd find in the Roland XVs, late-period E-Mu, etc. But when they first hit...ohmyghodwhatuglycrap!!! I actually still have my Proteus1, bought new in early 1990. And I remember it being more annoying to program than a DX-7, not because the interface was so obtuse (which the DX-7 was/is) but because you couldn't get at all of the architecture so that, when a sound popped into your head, you only had a certain percentage of possibility of being able to make the changes to your existing patch to get you there. Frustrating!
But a decade-ish passes, and we get things like the Proteus 2500...same basic idea as the original, but NOW it would be possible to get your hands on nearly all of the sonic capabilities. And that thing is a killer ROMpler...but it (and others) were victimized by those initial "not ready for primetime" ROMplers and the rep those brought. So, no...it's not all ROMplers that are bad, but you have to know which are the GOOD ones. Definitely not an easy category of synth to navigate, although the hardware is quite plentiful.
Metronomic form? A metronome is just a loudly-ticking clock with a variable speed. The problem isn't that at all...the problem here arises from using one timing device that has ONE internal standard (the metronome) vs. one which has a totally DIFFERENT one (Tempi, Pam's et al). Each device will think it's "right". Until/unless you opt for a single source as THE clock, and everything else has to use IT as a timing standard, this problem will reoccur.
Here's what's going on here, in a more traditional view...you have an orchestra with two conductors. They both know the score they're conducting in exactly the same way, but one of them is deriving the tempo from a clicktrack via headphones, and the other is relying on his internal timing senses, and the poor bastards in the orchestra aren't given any indication of which one is right. Different method, same mess.
OK...so the metronome itself ISN'T part of the patch, correct? If so, have you considered that one (or both) of these devices might be a bit out of calibration? That sort of drift would tend to indicate that the clock for the Tempi AND the metronome are all behaving properly, they just don't have the same exact timing reference, so that when each says "120 BPM", the metronome might well BE exactly on 120, but the Tempi could have a TEENSY miscalibration so that when it shows 120, it's really outputting something like 119.89923 BPM. Electronic metronomes tend to use a quartz reference oscillator, while the Tempi uses a software-based clocking algorithm, and just like its been since the dawn of timing signals in synths, if you have two clocks that AREN'T locked to the same timing reference, this tends to be what happens.
Yeah, but ring mods are easy. If you can squeeze another 2 hp in, Circuit Abbey's Twiggy gives you two of 'em. You don't really need any controls on it, so that's something that makes sense as a teensy module.
That's actually something Robert and I discussed quite some time ago. He was planning to explore whether a typical single-crossing comparator would be the way to go, or if it would be doable to implement a window comparator which gives two crossing points. I'm advocating for the latter, natch, not merely because...well, more = better...but because having two crossing points ALSO allows something to track rise/fall times, which then gives slope data that can be screwed with creatively. Note that I'm thinking WAAAY ahead of the present with this, also.
My take on it would be to look at a Happy Nerding 3x VCA, actually. This would give you the CV mixing, attenuverting, AND three linear, DC-coupled VCAs to have CV over your modulation, etc levels. Drops right into that 6 hp hole, too. And if needed, you can split out one or all of the VCAs. The Frap 321 is also a good drop-in choice...it all depends on how you want to do your CV/mod mixing and control and how much control you want vs. what you want the synth to have control over.
Aaargh...foiled yet again by the Markup Pixies and HTML Juju! I knew I should've gotten that Linux-powered Mojo Hand I saw in that weird herb shop and computer emporium years ago. Is there any way to drop the image into the post above that works without the AE Forum login?
Bit of an update. Let's see if the forum likes it...hmmmm....linking from outside oughta work liiiiiike...
Did it work? Why, yes it did, although the resolution still looks totally hammered. But that's my cheapo tablet cam doing what it does; I'd have gone out for batteries for the REAL camera, but...well, Covid-19 and all that...
THAT...is Gargantua, the largest (to date) Tangible Waves AE Modular factory build, on its stand that I cobbled up from various OnStage and Middle Atlantic bits, attached via a touch of Velcro and bespoke storm window clip-based lockdowns. And in the foreground, you can also see a Folktek Mescaline, rarebeasts Wicks Looper Acid, and my ancient but still stonkin' Mackie 1202, which handles submixing duties for the modular/patchables. And a can of DeOxit, of course. Must have DeOxit. Just behind the bottom cab, you can barely see a Tektronix PS282, which powers it and all of the other 9VDC devices (5A LINEAR supply, baybee!) in this area of the "modular sandbox" in the studio. Plenty of current left, too, as the entire AE only draws about 1.6A.
A 28 VCO rig has never been quite so TINY! But don't let the size fool you...this thing's got two Synthacon VCF replicas (two of eight VCFs, including the LPGs) in it that'll tear your head clean off in "wild" mode! Three 16-steppers, more trigger sequencing, THIRTY VCAs, dual springs, and on and on and on...and everything that you see that's empty now is already specced and ordered and will get filled when those modules are finally available.
So...uh, yeah. Some might note that I've been making a lot of noise about cost-effectiveness as of late. This is why. Hang on, because this next part's gonna HURT...BAD...
The answer to the inevitable question is "approximately $3900". Why, you could buy a whole 2/3rds of a Sound Easel for about that! Or populate an average 2 x 104hp Eurorack cab, but it won't pay for the cab you're populating.
Now...everyone building those Pr0nRacks, please note: this is as UNsexy as it gets! But the truth is that you don't, ever, never ever buy gear for its LOOKS, ultimately, when the real importance is instrumental capability. I did attempt an A-B comparison, pricewise, between this (Tangible Waves has its own "grid") and a Eurorack close-as replication while working this build out. The horrifying truth is that, no matter what I tried, the Eurorack variant would NEVER go below $19k, unless I severely crippled the module complement and made the Euro LESS capable than the AE. And yes, before you ask, that IS using Euro modules in the bargain-basement price range like Uli's. It was also HUGE; this thing's panel space is about 36" x 20"...think something like a 2 inch thick 12U Doepfer LMC cab flipped on its end...but in Euro, I kept running into sizes in the 5 or 6 tier range and the results came out to be really, REALLY unwieldy in my studio. But with this, I can unlink the top and bottom pairs, fold those pairs, and walk out of the studio with each half of Gargantua under each arm!
Soooo... how does it sound, you ask? Yeah, it's all that. When your rig is sporting what's basically six very extended versions in "primitives" of Buchla 258s in it, how else would it sound? The filters are beefy, sometimes really aggressive even. Everything else is nice and smooth...no weirdnesses that you wouldn't expect. Buyers remorse = exactly ZERO.
Don't do this. You're talking about a build that's coming in at around $3k with the Palette, where if the objective is a drum machine and bass synth, you can get new, prebuilt stuff from several different firms for a fraction of this. And if the functionality seems limited, just go out and buy more drum machines/bass synths...don't worry, you won't be getting CLOSE to that $3k unless you either go premium-grade or acquire a truckload of those devices.
Seriously. I'm looking at a Reverb listing right now for a minty-looking ORIGINAL Roland TR-909 that's priced at about the same amount as this build would cost. Nothing above will sound remotely close. Or...there's an Elka Drummer One for $2300. That's the original Kraftwerk machine, the one that was discombobulated by them to make up Wolfgang Flur's drumkit after it was used as-is for their second album and "Ralf und Florian". Again, nothing above blahblah...
And for the second time this afternoon, I find myself writing these words: modular is NOT a panacea. It makes sense in some situations, but trying to 1:1 replace existing devices for their basic functions with modular gear is either a fool's errand or one weird-as-hell flex.
Not especially, no. It really doesn't make sense to "gap out" 8 hp, either, given that that's a very common module size and 8 hp of those = more functionality while 8 hp of nothing = pointless expense and a waste of cab space. The other thing that makes no sense is that this will cost over $4k once the Make Noise case is factored in, when you could just get something like a MatrixBrute for half that, and it'll accomplish the same end result with far less hassle. Plus...more VCOs; you DO realize that this build has the exact same VCO complement as a Roland SH-101, right? And that those...even in the constantly-overheated "vintage" market...routinely come in at less than 1/4th of that $4k pricetag?
Like I've said many, MANY times...modular synths are cool and all, but they're not a panacea. And this is a very good example of why they're not.
I'm definitely an advocate of Happy Nerding's stuff...their 6 hp mixing/VCA modules are an awesome way to drop more functionality into small builds without spending loads of $$$. As for the PanMix...don't JUST look at it as a mixer. Rather, view it as a pile of dedicated VCAs specifically for your audio chain...which is pretty much what it is. By relying on the mixer's VCAs for the tail end of the audio instead of some VCA-specific module, you can then make more use of your VCAs for CV/mod purposes, which just makes that set of subpatches that much more powerful. Although, I do like the Stereomix 2's implementation better, as that gives you simultaneous level/pan per strip, PLUS you get the AUX bus setup on top of that...and that last detail, with its own VCAs, has loads of "abuse potential". Coupled with a reverb, for example, you can use simultaneous CV changes that allow the reverb to act as a stereophonic "Z axis", with the ability to emulate forward/backward movement into the stereo field.
Actually, if you're going to go all in on a stereo modular mixer, Toppobrillo's Stereomix 2 would be a very good place to start. Sure, it won't fit in the current cab, but it DOES give you CV over panning, level per channel, a cue mix (very useful for adjustments on the fly), mutes per channel, AUX sends (with CV over level per channel) and a stereo AUX return, and so on. And while it's not cheap at $479, it covers ALL of your mix processing/control needs. And then some.
Frankly, I'm of the school of thought where the POWER SUPPLY and BUILD reign supreme. Case ergonomics are one thing...but if you've bought a case that has a power capacity that's near or at the max current load for its P/S, you're utterly screwed.
Let's compare two VERY different 2 x 104s...the Mantis, which we're dealing with here, and Pittsburgh's EP-208.
On first glance, the choice seems totally obvious: the Mantis retails at USD 335, the EP-208 at 699. Buy the Mantis and YAAAAAAYYYYcheepnizz...
Except...
Let's lift the hood on these. The Mantis offers a power supply with a whopping 3A on the +12V rail. But...look more closely, and this is a distributed 3A; each section for the +12V rail has a max capacity of 1A. The remaining rails are pretty pedestrian: 1.1A on the -12V rail, and only 300 mA on the 5V. You get 36 bus connectors, threaded rails, plastic housing with stacking brackets. Max depth is claimed at 61mm, but really is more like 55mm so that you have room for power ribbons.
Now, the more expensive EP-208. In this case, you get 4A on the +12V, 3A on the -12V and 2A on the 5V rails. No "zones", either; if you need all 4A on one header, you got it. 40 connectors here, sliding nuts, a beefy WOOD housing with carry handle and lid, and a maximum depth potential of 107 mm, but really most are around 90mm. Either way, the depth capabilities trash the Mantis, as do the power capacities.
Now...let's have some fun! Let's load BOTH cases with about $4k worth of modules, hand them to you, and say "You need to take ONE of these and smack it against the wall REALLY EFFIN' HARD, and whatever's left, YOU GET!" I don't think you'll want to try this with the Mantis, frankly...but from my experience with wood-cased synths, whatever's in the Pitt should be relatively OK.
Basically, it's NOT JUST about the power. That's important, sure, but once you've found your suitable current over-spec (and you should ALWAYS majorly over-spec power...more amperage is always better than almost not enough!), take what's in the case into account and go for durability. Ample INNER space is good for heat dissipation, and that's good for all of your build's components. Rugged housings protect against ANY impact...and it doesn't matter to your synth if that impact comes during a load-in at a gig or if your cab slips off your worktable.
Sure, I think it's great that these cheaper cases ARE bringing down Eurorack cab prices at the lower end, as those prices were approaching total psychosis just 2-3 years ago. But there's a big difference between a cheaper case and a compromised case, and while some users would be fine with a plastic case like the Mantis, the minute it's out of your studio, it's in a certain degree of danger...along with its contents. Keep that in mind...
OK...there's a pretty critical mistake in this build. And to examine it, let's look at the ACTUAL costs for the Neutron and Pico III in this particular configuration...figures in USD, but the point should be obvious...
To house the Neutron at 70 hp in a case where each 1 hp space retails at about $2.25 will cost you around $156 ADDED to the price of the Neutron. And the Pico III, while it does come in a Eurorack version, probably makes more sense as its standalone version given the tight panel space and the Buchla Easel-type cardslot...but if this was that version, it would cost an extra $98 to rehouse and repower it. And all of this is because these synths (unless the Erica is the Euro module version) already have cases and power, ergo you're doing this TWICE...and paying for it twice, too! It might be convenient, it might be space-efficient...but there IS that hidden cost in there if you decide on that course of action.
The Arturia reads 15V/3A on the frontplate, so that indicates the demand from the powerbrick. However, it´s only specified to deliver 12V/1.6A on the +12V distribution. That´s just half the amps... is this limited by the power module itself or is the distribution board limited to 1.6A ?
No, this makes perfect sense. Remember, that power supply is also feeding a -12V rail plus the 5V rail. Each 12V rail has a possible maximum load of 1.6A, and the 5V rail can handle 900 mA.
However, if you're exceeding the current limits for your P/S, you're screwed. Your only solution is to add more current capacity via a second P/S, or to get a case that has a beefier power supply. You cannot exceed maximum rail loads without incurring some sort of problem...either damage to P/S components over time, or an outright P/S failure all at once. And depending on the power supply design, a "failure" might be more catastrophic than just popping the P/S itself.
NEVER come close to your power rail current limits. The proper rule of thumb is to exceed your rail load by at least 25%; if you have a load of 1A on your +12V rail, the power supply needs to be able to supply 1.25A. This is because, most of the time, manufacturers list the current load during operation and this doesn't reflect any inrush current loads that might happen when the synth is powered up. But even though inrush is only a problem in the first 100 or so msec when a circuit is powered up, that's all it takes for a catastrophic P/S failure. Also, the higher you can spec your P/S, the better, since a power supply under a heavy load is going to have more component issues due to thermal factors than one that's loafing along. A supply that can output 3A per rail or better will last a lot longer under a 1.5A load than one that only outputs 1.6.
Surman's stuff is brilliant...much of it is on ECM, and he does a lot of workouts with reeds over constant, flowing VCS3 patterns. Another brilliant electric reeds player worth looking into would be Van der Graaf Generator's David Jackson...his use of electronics with sax, plus a lot of extended blowing techniques cribbed from the likes of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, create a sound that can flow from ethereal to sheer brutality at the blink of an eye.
I'm presuming that these are all 60 hp Moog skiffs, and you're using the existing ones that came with the DFAM and M32.
I wouldn't make the third one yet another voice. Instead, consider what's in the two Moog patchables: sequencers, VCOs, VCFs, etc. Now...what are those synths lacking?
First up, some clock modulation could get those sequencers to behave in some rather complex ways. Logic could be useful here, too.
Another thing the 60 hp Moogs lack is a comprehensive selection of modulation sources. Adding a Batumi and a Zadar here would blow that limitation away, though...and do so in only 26 hp, provided you include their expanders.
Now, that Chronoblob2...good choice, but you'll want to exploit its feedback path insert. Some simple bandpass filtering in there could be fun to get the delays to degrade in an unexpected manner...or a mono reverb, perhaps, to turn the delays into a blurry ambient wash. In either case, using something 4 hp and smaller should be fine due to the case limitations.
Mixing...mmm, nah. The Moogs output line level, so you're probably better off with an outboard mixer that can also handle your sax pickup. By putting all of the level controls on the same mixer, you can get a better handle on your balance between the synths and your horn, plus you can then globally process the overall mix with ease.
I'm also presuming you're aiming at something of a John Surman sort of thing here, btw...not exactly easy to replicate, since Surman used EMS synths as a rule, and those have a very different sonic character than Moog stuff.
I'll second a look at the Schlappi stuff...they've put out a line of truly ill-behaved, nasty modules that specialize in spectacular sonic wreckage. Another couple that might be worth your attention: Moffenzeef and Noise Reap.
Seriously...go BIGGER. I know the idea of some little box that obliterates hearing is sort of a harsh noise scene "thing," but if you take this on up into a more typical case size, then you can start to assemble something of a harsh noise "ensemble" under your direct control. In "I Dream of Wires" (probably the long edition) there's an incredible extended bit of Keith Fullerton Whitman doing a Eurorack set using only a pink-noise generator as the initial source and a LOT of parallel processing chains to screw with it. Definitely worth a look...
Don't even THINK of dumping that Bit One, btw...those last analog Crumars have an awesome sound to them.
Yeah, I thought of trying to incorporate an octave switch, but the space just wouldn't materialize. At the same time, though, I'm quite used to VCOs with full sweeps, and find them easy enough to work around. In fact, you're more apt to run across interesting detunings without fixed octave offsets, so there's that "happy accident" factor creeping in. Plus, in both cases of VCO groups, I opted to have the Wavefolders act as "mixers" so that detuned combinations can actually do quite a bit more than just have detuning going on. A bit Buchla-esque, I think...
Updated! Now THIS is a superior piece of kit!
OK, let's check this out...this now has two discrete "voice" channels, one being a 303-style and the other being a more conventional dual VCO lead/bass synth. Both of these are serviced by an extensive modulation and timing section in the lower row.
Top row: retained the Tiptop power inlet. Then the SEEK is a much-shrunk TB-303 style sequencer with quite a few more amenities than the Acidlab one. This feeds a Klavis dual VCO...onboard quantizing, ring mod, loads of waveforms, sync modes, etc. Then the dual outs go into the dual ins of a Tiptop Wavefolder, which interpose the incoming waveforms against each other AND provides a suboscillator divider. A pair of AR envelopes, next, and then an excellent multimode VCF which also incorporates a VCA for punch on the ACC outputs from the SEEK. But also, the ACC can be fed to the 2hp COMP, which lets you mash the crap out of your accented notes for extra JOYREX-style filth and nastiness. The A-130-2 is the end of the TB voice, also providing a second VCA for the lead/bass. That part uses the two Tiptop VCOs, into a Wavefolder yet again to mix and modify those. That then hits the LP VCF.
Bottom row: the little 1 hp sliver is a Konstant Labs power monitor, with pilot lights for your P/S rails to check for problems there since the Tiptop uZeus inlet is missing these. MIDI next, with a mini clone of the Mutable Yarns. Then a very twisted little dual clock/logic module, which is where the timing fun begins. A Hikari Euclidean sequencer then provides conflicting pulses, which can then be combined and resolved in the Boolean A-166 to create strange, new timing variations. The Toolbox provides a bunch of useful little bits...comparator, switch, summer, rectifier, etc. Then Doepfer's A-118-2 provides noise, random voltages, and either a sample and hold or track and hold. Triple linear VCA/mixer next, primarily for modulation level control. The mod sources themselves consist of a Maths (natch!) and a Zadar + its Nin expander; between these two, ALL envelope and LFO activity for the build gets generated and spread for the entire build's uses. Another dual VCA next, this time with variable response to allow it to be used for either audio or CV/mod, then after this is a 2hp Verb, usable for stereoizing/deepening a mono voice coming from that dual VCA to feed to the Clouds clone. That module's stereo output then feeds a Happy Nerding stereo transformer isolator + level control, which can just as easily be repurposed for dual mono use for the separate voice sections to have individual outputs.
Hmmm...OK, well, I still hate that Acidlab sequencer being in there. If you had the ability to trigger some of the other states it has via trig/gate pulses, it would rock. But they obviously built this to be as close to the TB-303's underimplementation as possible...which isn't good, given that you're talking early 1980s sequencer tech, and things have gotten a lot more interesting since then.
So...keepers: all of the Tiptop modules, the 2 hp mixer, and the A-130-2.
Now...things that have to be replaced are the weird 3-pole VCF (or something suitably acieeeed-ish) and the sequencer. And that weird filter ain't easy to replace...but this is EURORACK, dammit, so...yep, replacement exists! Check out DinSync's VCF303. Yeah...the filter AND the oddball EG/accent circuit that it also needs to get that sound. Perfect! Smaller, too! As for the sequencer, it needs to output that important accent pulse AND have the proper glide behavior...which gets us to the Copper Traces Seek. Multiple sequence memories, all of the outputs needed, plus a bunch of extra trickery for less $$ than the Acidlab, and in far less space...but doing an improved version of the same thing.
That's just for starters...I'm thinking that I'm going to bang on this for a hot minute, see what I can toss out...
