Otherwise Pam's should have ratcheting and bouncing ball envelopes, no? You can also (self)patch lfos or envelopes to its CV inputs and have that control clock rates or divisions of certain channels.
-- teataine

Aha -- you're right! I didn't realise that I could modulate the clock division, that is indeed the right move. Will need to play with that next time. I don't think that my version of Pam's (PNW) has ratcheting, but CV to clock will open a lot of possibilities in that direction.

I went to an Autechre show recently, and I got the idea that I could to make something similar on the little modular. Wellllllllll, as it turns out, no. But I did make this.

Out of the rack a PO-12 is doing the basic drums, and I have Bastl Thyme+ on a send (aka 2hp mix) for ambience. Otherwise I took seven channels of Pams and three AD envelopes (triggered from BSP) and plugged then into pretty much every place possible on both BIA and Crust. (Via a bunch of switches, mults, and attenuators.)

I think what it lacks (as an Autechre track) is the speeding-up slowing-down rhythms they like to do. Not sure how to achieve that in this rack. A VC switch and/or a clock multiplier would help.

I have a lot of success with Pique (various makers) which is a 4hp clone of Mutable Instruments Peaks. I almost always use it as a dual envelope generator -- the envelopes are very snappy -- but it can also be a 4-step sequencer, LFOs, or various drum synths. It's an excellent module for a small case.

As an EG its main advantage over Pams is you can tweak the envelope shape quickly and easily by hand... this requires some menu diving in Pams. Also ADSR is available, which Pamela's New Workout doesn't have (I don't know about Pams Pro.)

EDITED Feb 10th, 03:08

Last time I posted a clip with the BIA doing the heavy lifting supported by Bastl Crust. This time it's the other way. The Crust is the bassline, the kick, and the hats. BIA is doing the other percussion, mostly using its "metal" mode.

Pleased that the Crust can do sonic workhorse duties, although I find its sweet spots are a bit harder to locate than BIA. Of course, I thought of a much better way to modulate this after I had recorded it...next time!

The legendary BIA is doing kick, bass, snare, percussion, and synth waaaaas.
It gets some help from Bastl Crust on the "melody".
This is one improvised take, no edits, a little work on the levels in the DAW afterwards.
The rack is here: but I'm not using the filter, or skis, or disting, or either of the switches.

Outside the rack is a Beatstep Pro which is the main sequencer, and the Bastl Drum Kastl and Thyme which are doing backgr0und sounds.

About a year ago I asked for advice on shrinking my setup in order to move continents. I got some nice suggestions, and here is the rack I made. .

The video is a demo of what it does, actually using very little of it. Will post more over time.

Description of patch follows for those that are interested.

The main drums (kick, snare, hats) are from the PO-12 drum-machine, which comes into the rack via Bubblesound Booster Stage and gets multed to the main mix (SSF Vortices) and the FX send (2hp Mix). Bastle Thyme+ is the getting some of the drums (only) to make the dark synthy tones in the background, and later on with different settings the flangy sounds. This also comes back in via Booster Stage.

The metallic sounds are made by Noise Engineering BIA going through the Doepfer A-121-3 high pass. It gets trigger from the Arturia Beatstep Pro, and two AD envelopes from Pique as modulation (also triggered by BSP) attenuated by the Ph Modular 3xATT. All the other sounds are the Bastl Crust, which is gettng pitch and gate from BSP.

Pam is sending clock to BSP, Thyme, and PO-12. Vortices has some self-feedback patched in to fatten the sound.

And that's it. Several modules doing nothing (Disting, the switches, Skis) and Pam being dramatically under-exploited. Just goes to show you don't need a lot of gear to achieve a lot. Also using only about a third of the sequencer tracks that BSP can provide.

Everyone loves the classics, but I'd definitely ditch some of the tiptop modules in favour of something more modulatable. BIA is the canonical choice, but I'm sure there's plenty others. Otherwise, looks like a lot of fun.

Hi folks! This is supposed to be a eurorack geared towards acid bass and similar sounds.
I would like to use it in conjunction with my Polyend Tracker Mini (which I would use for the rhythm base).
What do you think? Do you have any other configurations to propose, possibly cheap (I would like to stay under €400 but I don't know if it's feasible)

-- Gigloada

I think you need a VCA, otherwise this will not work. Ideally you want a second envelope too, otherwise your filter(s) and VCA have to share.

If you are using the polyend tracker, do you really need a sequencer in the case? It's very large.

The voices etc look good bu I think modulation and playability is worth improving.
- A matrix mixer for CV
- Switched multiples
- A bunch of attenuverters
- Tetrapad or a couple of Gliss.
- More envelope generators

Do you really want 5 basic mults?

I think this video might be helpful if you are learning about FM.

This is what I went with in the end.

Out of the rack, there's the Beatstep Pro, the Thyme, and a Po-12. Vortices is a bit profligate of HP but I always wanted one so I went for it.

When I was just about finished I realised that I did not have enough power headers for all these modules, so I had to swap out my attenuverters for a passive 3xATT from ph modular (who I recommend very strongly!)

Now just to see if I can get this bad boy past airport security!

Here's another idea.

BIA + Crust are a prettty potent voice combo, backed up by samples from Disting. Font is there because a filter is always good.

Beatstep Pro is the trigger sequencer : 6 channels go to BIA, Crust, Skis x 2, possibly Disting x 2.

Pams + Tetrapad handle other modulation, backed up by BSP. The Doepfer quad switch is a modulation director. I also added the Xodes AC3 here, because I had 3hp left, and I don't have any 3hp wide modules, and it seemed like fun. But maybe another EG would be more useful here.

Output stage is the Instruo Carn + ALM HPO. Carn is very expensive but it has faders, a soft limiter on the output, and a little more flexibility than a straight up mixer. I would need to buy both of these. :-(

-- Zacksname

This is probably what I would do under those conditions to achieve what you're describing.

This one is the opposite extreme to Teataine's version. And I also like it! It's probably a bit closer to where I would have gone.

You can fill up the Disting with samples and stuff before you go so there's plenty of extra drum options.

My thoughts exactly.

Even if you take the Beatstep Pro, I think the Pam's, Tetrapad and Tete are unavoidable here. They seem to be most of your modulation and playability.

With all that modulation power, the Beatstep might be redundant indeed. Although sometimes you just want to punch in the drum pattern, so I would probably take it regardless. Could be useful if ever needed to get clock from the computer too, although I have never done that before, there's first time for everything.

Since this one requires only things I already have, I might just put it together and see how I like it!

Nice ideas -- thanks!

-- teataine
Interesting challenge, here's my attempt:

You managed to keep a lot more than I expected! Also, I did not know about that Traffic module... I have spent so much time deep in Pam's trying to achieve such an effect

I added an A-138s and a Bastl Ciao!. If your chosen USB interface can take modular levels, then I would replace the Ciao

OTOH, if the audio interface has 4 channels, I could do the mixing in the box. This selection tops out at six outputs, so a little 2hp mixer could replace the A-138s. Mixing on the computer is not as fun though!

The Disting is worth keeping in such a small case because it can do so many different things.

I suspect it'll be playing samples most of the time, but yeah, this is a mandatory pick

The DFAM is also amazing but people usually point out it's a waste to have it mounted in a rack, especially a small one. I'd seriously consider keeping it as a separate unit tho.

People always say that, but I think it's backwards. Don't think of it as putting a DFAM in a case, think of it as making a DFAM++. Anyway I thought about that a lot quite a lot, and I think DFAM + 4hp of power doesn't leave enough quite enough space, especially if you need to squeeze some kind of mixer in there.

Thanks for the suggestions!

In about six months I'll moving to the other side of the world for a year, and living in a very small apartment. Lots to plan, so let's start with the important stuff: modular. Most of my music stuff is going to storage. I can take my one row (84hp) modular case with me and not much else. I want to make techno. Here's what I have now :

The only thing that is guaranteed a seat on the plane is the GMSN! power module. What else would you take? I'm open to buying some things to make this work.

Practical factors: currently this modular goes directly into a big mixer, which is also my audio interface. This will not travel either. I will probably buy a small USB audio interface for recording. (Suggestions for that are also welcome!) I'm also going to take my Beatstep Pro, and maybe my Bastl Thyme.

p.s. If you see a Wasp filter and no DFAM, then MG is being slow. Click through to the real rack....

EDITED Oct 1st 2024, 22:12

Channelling Hardfloor there - total banger! Big thumbs up :-)

You might enjoy this clip.

Hi everybody -- it's been a while!

My modular is out of action until I get around to replacing the power supply so here's a DFAM jam. I did use a patch cable to sync the DFAM to the TD-3. It's just those two and echo. Hope you enjoy.

Both thumbs up!

Let's try to make it work. You'll need small fingers.

I kept the modules you already have, and the Nerdseq -- if you want a nerdseq nothing else will do.

• The NerdSeq is the brains of the whole affair; expect to use every output to modulate something.
• I had 2hp left over at the end so I stuck a hi-hat in here... a hi-hat is always useful.... and here the cables don't get the way too much.
• Since you have a lot modulation from the NS, I replaced the TT Kick and Snare with BIA. It can do both jobs at the same time, and it is more fun. Added a Dual Attenuverter to give some hands on control of the modulation going into the BIA.
• Added a filter to go with the CEM VCO; any 4hp filter will do, but the MS-22 seems cool.
• Added Skis - use one envelope and one VCA with the CEM oscillator, one Envelope with the filter, and the other VCA on the FX send (more later) of the BIA, so you can sequence how when BIA gets sent to effects.
• I left Rings as it was.

Finally the mixer section.

• the tiny ph Modular mixer is your FX sub mix : mult an output from each voice into here; this goes into ....
• the FX Aid XL gives you lots of cool effects and lots of modulation of them; I reckon creative FX use is the key to having fun with this case and making interesting sounds. I don't have an FX Aid but I want one!
• The main mix is the Erica Drum mixer. It gives you enough (stereo) channels but only one is pannable -- loads of other options.

Anyway, there's one idea. I think this would be flexible enough to do something listenable, but limited enough to make it fun to find the solutions. It really does all hang on how much you like fiddling with the NerdSeq. Personally I would do something else : probably a lot more basic modulators in the rack, and a a beat step pro for the sequencing.

EDITED Aug 12th 2022, 12:16

Big bull clips to hold a bunch of similar length cables. Can usually get about ten in each clip. I throw all the clips in a drawer, but you could hang them from a hook or a nail.

Jim's suggestion is good! Another take :
1. A delay/reverb. FX Aid seems good!
2. Skis -- 2 decay envelopes and 2 VCAs
3. Tetrapad -- for some hands on modulation
OR
3. Some clocked LFOs. Pamela's New Workout is a good and flexible option.

You're very short on modulation and utilities. Also, if you are flying solo with this, I think you need another voice for the bassline.

EDIT : Peaks, or one of its clones, covers a lot of these bases - LFO, envelopes, bassline -- but not all at the same time. Since I got mine, it has basically been an AD envelope the whole time.

EDITED Feb 24th 2022, 08:25

So cool! Amazing stuff @aphew_goodman.

This is fantastic. Thanks @baltergeist!

Here's another with upright, a little less skronky.

-- baltergeist

Five stars mon ami this is stunning!

Wow this was great!

True, true. I did see a cool video which showed how to make various passive things you can just stick in cables, attenuators being the most useful one.

@JimHowell1970 - you're not wrong, but attenuverters are a better use of the hp!

@the-erc sounds good you found what works for you which is key.
-- sacguy71

Well I have not actually got the Vortices etc yet, so I can't be sure that it actually works. I'm holding off since I don't need a eurorack mixer in my "studio" set up, and the live show is still some time away.

I can only agree in the Kickall -- it sounds good! The only thing I don't like about it, which seems to a general thing with Befaco, is having the sockets at the top and bottom of the module.

4) a Disting MK4...
-- troux

ISTR the Disting is too deep to fit in one of these palette cases. There's a Mylarmelodies video where he's got in held in with tape!

We were discussing mixers for live performance in another thread and the solution I settled on was SSF Vortices + as many 2hp mixers as you need for sends. The other option I entertained was chaining a Doepfer A-138n into an A-135s. You don't get voltage control over pan though.

There are also a few Ladik modules that almost worked for me, but came in one channel short for my rig. With neither space nor budget constraints I would probably have gone for the Hexmix-Hexpander combo. Even without the Hexpander, having mutes and EQ on the channels is a draw for the Hexmix. (Shame the midband isn't sweepable!)

EDITED Apr 26th 2021, 22:08

Maybe I misunderstand, but if you are patching the VCO outs directly into the delay, you probably won't get much -- just some weird phasing effect mostly. Sounds like what you are getting.

Put the an amp envelope between the VCO and the delay and see what happens. The VCA out of the M32 will probably do the trick.

@nickgreenberg Regarding your #4, I think I have a solution, at least for 2 trigger inputs. You're going to need two sequential switches.

The second one will be your gate generator. Wire the out to wherever you need it to go, leave the first input disconnected, and send a constant +5v into the second one. The trigger in will be the output of the other switch. Initially the gate is low, when the trigger arrives it goes high, the next trigger makes it low again, and so on.

The first one will do the switching logic. Put you two trigger channels into the two inputs, A and B. The output will be multed, once to trigger the other switch, and once to the trigger of this switch. Initially the switch passes input A to the output, and input B is ignored. When a trigger arrives on A the gate is turned on by the second switch, and the first switch also advances so it is now listening to trigger B. Now when a trigger arrives on B all the same stuff happens in reverse.

I'm sure there are better ways to do this, but this ought to work. (I'm not really clear what you had in mind for the third trigger but you may be able to adapt this scheme.)

OTOH if your triggers were gates instead you could probably do the job with some Boolean logic.

For the last 2 hp : I would get a precision adder like Joranalogue Add 2 or a sumtiple like LPZW WK1

Although, what I would actually do is throw away another one of the 2hp modules and get a switch. Like ST Modular Switched or Doepfer A-182-2.

Why not use Ableton? It's great!

I also have Logic and I find it very cumbersome by comparison.

This is fantastic. Reminds me of the best stuff from Biosphere, which is to say the best of ambient music.

+1 on "use the favourites" -- makes Disting much more manageable, especially because it saves the parameters, so once you've got it working you don't need to fish the manual out again...

Currently my favourite programs are :
* I1 : sample player (Z = sample select)
* J8 : Crossfade Loop Player

The organisation I suggest is to make a folder for each favourite with the samples needed for that favourite only (even it's just one!) because changing favourites is way easier than trying to find the sample you want using the Z knob.

I also like the very much Quantiser and Dual Quantiser modes.

Everyone says the delay is good, but I have never tried it. Maybe I should!

It's quite nice just to flick through the manual before you start patching and build the patch around some Disting program you don't know yet. Like -- what is does a Pulsar oscillator sound like anyway?

I like the music, and I like the videos (this one quite a lot actually) but I think I would like the video more without the music What can I say, everyone's a critic :)

Here's my own attempt. Many ideas stolen from @troux.

Mixing solution :

• SSF Vortices is the main mixer, which is stereo. the main outs go into the MSCL (bus compressor) and then the Isolater for output.
• The four non-kick voices (BIA, Entity, Hats, Disting) get high passed by the Shakmat Hi-Pass and then multed into the Vortices' mono inputs, and also the two 2hp mixers (which are effects sends).
• The white 2hp mix goes to FX Aid for delay/reverb/etc and comes back to a stereo in on Vortices
• The black 2hp mix goes to the Kith Ruina for distortion and comes back via one of the stereo ins on Vortices (as mono). Not sure about this... maybe not filthy enough.
• The Kickall goes into the remaining stereo in of Vortices, (again as mono).

It's a bit perverse to use the stereo inputs for the things which I want dead centre but it makes sense.

Non-mixing additions :

• extra power!
• more passive switches
• I dropped the Takaab SMIX to make space.

I have tried to think about the cable routing, but there's only so much you can do with so much packed into such a small space. And of course I have no EQ anywhere which is not ideal. I was also considering a build around the Befaco Hexmix but, being that bit bigger, it makes doing anything sensible with the effects quite difficult.

@troux @garfield -- I think I will buy a PSU3 from Doepfer and swap out the PSU2. It seems to be pretty easy. But as it happens I have a spare "rack-wart" power module lying around that I can use to tide me over until then.

Thanks... not the answer I wanted, but better than fire and smoke!

Power Consumption: 963 mA +12V | 425 mA -12V
Doepfer PSU2 : Output voltages/currents: +12V DC/1200mA, -12V DC/1200mA

I still have so many hp left! Never thought uncle Dieter would let me down :(

What a post -- thanks @lugia!

Koan... I had a cracked version of that on my Win 95 PC back in the day. Never could make it do anything good :)

It is supposed to be a dance night, but all I know about the venue is that will be "a small club". Unhelpful.

Kitting out the rack in mono will save a lot of hp. That said, unless although I add a second PSU per @troux's suggestion, I'm going to run out of juice before I run out of space!

EDITED Apr 12th 2021, 21:01

Do you really need stereo in a live show? Aren't pretty much all club sound systems mono anyway?

you don't want to exceed 3/4ths of the power supply's current capacity due to potential problems with power inrush,
-- Lugia

Clarification sought : 3/4 of the power supply's total capacity, or on each rail separately? In my box the +12V is getting pretty close to the wind, but there is very little on -12V.

Whoops, yeah I meant Graham Hinton... Geoff Hinton is someone completely different

Thanks Jim -- good to know! (Have browsed enough Muff's thread's with Geoff Hinton telling everyone off to get nervous about many power related things.)

I'm not an electrician but that makes me nervous. Are there no issues with multiple power supplies in the same box like that?

Ugh... my power supply is the Doepfer PSU2 which tops out at 1.2A on both the positive and negative 12V rails... gonna need a less power hungry solution @troux ! (I'm using a MI Volts to get the +5V from the +12V too.)

Thanks @troux!

I did not know about Vortices -- it looks like a great solution. Shame it doesn't have sends, but that would really be asking a lot from such a compact mixer. Also the Shakmat hi-pass -- on my current setup most channels have the bass heavily cut, so this would be great. Maybe I even need two!

The only thing you missed which I think is probably needed is some kind of output module to step down to line level. I doubt the sound guy will too pleased at getting modular levels into his desk. I mean, it's what I do at my place, but I know what's going on...