@farkas, sorry I didnt clear things up before, I am a hammered dulcimer player (primary instrument); my live and recorded work usually revolves around pre-recorded dulcimer samples which are converted from pitch to midi via ableton then ableton is used to sequence an elektron analog 4 MKI. I have a bunch of external piezo mic'ed gear which makes me think I want some pre-amp modules like the ears. I make ambient music and was looking to put together a small generative synth for my first eurorack setup. Since becoming more knowledgeable about my current system (pretty much everything besides the micro plaits and disting) I am realizing that I need more space to build the machine which can match my required level of modulation and expression. Thanks for the help, will be building a bigger case...