A few days ago I realized the potential for modular, after being unexcited by current hardware synths. And realized I could make my dream synth, and a soundtrack machine for video games.
a lot of people spend many months if not years researching before buying - I spent at least 1.5 years myself between realising I wanted a modular (or in fact realising I had already got some parts of a modular with out knowing it in the form of moogerfooger, lovetone and frostwave pedals) and buying a case and any modules
I would strongly suggest doing much, much more research before spending a penny on this project
Some advice and recommendations would be fantastic!
Here is what I want to accomplish:
-Important stuff to fit into Arturia's 6u case so it will go along with my Minibrute 2 and have the feel of a complete musical instrument. (and so I will be less likely to get g.a.s.)
HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - not going to happen... eurorack modular has so many new and potentially useful modules coming out constantly that - the only way to truely avoid gas in modular is once you have got a single case full and functional to never ever: watch you tube, go to a modular forum, go to a modular store or talk to anyone who has anything to do with modular - this is difficult if you have a modular!!!
FEATURES:
-Be similar to my most used vst's, Reaktor Prism and Kontour, but mixed with the Arp Odyssey, Dreadbox Nyx.
(I have seen Rings, Elements, Plaits and those kind of modules, but I would like to have more control over the creation and be more analogue. I am unsure of Rings. . .)
I think you are asking too much of 6u / 88hp here - maybe it would be better to think of modular as complimentary to your vst based system instead of trying to duplicate or replace it
--I like the usage of comb filters and feedback loops in those vst's, I want those features, and have various different routes available for those.
rings is very similar to a comb filter when used as an effect and not a sound source
--That Paradox dual VCO is interesting, similar to a feature in Kontour. (I like strange stuff like that)
patching together multiple simple vcos may actually be more interesting!!!! but if it's a must have also look at other complex oscillators - DPO, FurtherGenerator etc etc there are tonnes and they all sound a bit different and have slightly different features
-I prefer envelopes over LFO's for shaping a sound over time. Want more complex Envelopes, and or can be gate delayed. I think the three LFO's on the minibrute 2 would be enough for me.
there are envelopes and there are envelopes and there are lfos and lfos - all are good - a looping envelope generator is effectively a uni-polar lfo - sometimes you will want bi-polar too!!! - function generators are also very popular and interesting modules - really though mixing all of these together to get even more interesting modulation is the best policy - use a matric mixer
-I definitely want a spring reverb. Probably another reverb to finish off the sound. I want those to be able to go into feedback loops.
yes it's a good patching technique - a matrix mixer is really useful for feedback patching as well as modulation... I would consider a multi-effect such as fx aid xl as an end of chain reverb - maybe multiples of this module
-FM, ring modulation, waveshaping would be nice.
all widely available
-Definitely have multiples/multiplier? modules.
Utilities (of which mults are but 1 type are incredibly useful and inexpensive tools in a modular which are almost definitely hidden or non-existant in fixed architecture and soft synths
_Clouds, Monsoon, is pretty interesting.
Beads is worth looking at instead
-It might be interesting to have the possibility to get a binaural stereo sound with a comb filter for each side.
until recently stereo and polyphony were out of scope (to a large extent) in modular as too expensive - this is not the case anymore - but in some cases it may be - possibly check out the raincatcher by
-Have various ways to alter or shape feedback loops.
covered by above - only limit is your patching ability and imagination (and wallet)
Some previous related ideas and thoughts:
-What if reverb was a sound source?
reverb does kind of need something to use as a seed - reverberated silence should (in a perfect world) be silence, but see no-input mixing
-Reaktor Prism but with analogue VCO's instead of noise.
-A pool of reverbed noise (which can my modified before being released), let out at specific frequencies corresponding to the note pressed, then sculpted with comb filter/s - then a juicy analogue filter on top of that - with a reverb on the end; various feedback loops to add more harmonics.
see also fixed filter bank
-How to make extreme feedback more musical?
with extreme difficulty - or just reappraise what you hear as musical!!
I like sounds whose origin is uncertain. Maybe surreal sounds.
For a sci-fi game, I want some sounds that are like the sound of the universe yelling out because its being eaten by a black hole. And sounds that have the same flavor or characteristics as a bowed gong.
all easily possible in eurorack - as are chirping bird sounds, beep and boops, drones etc etc
Here is what I came up with:
and I will probably eventually get a little expander case, for extra less important stuff, utilities, complex LFO, MIDI to CV for multi note playing. . .
yeah yeah I started with a 6u / 72 hp case and thought I'd only expand a bit from that - 4.5years later I have 1500hp of audio and video modular synthesizer
What do you think? Better modules out there? Better ways to go about it?
The Modor comb filter is stereo - so if I only plugged one cable out of it, I would only get half the signal?
generally if you plug a sound source into only say the left channel of a stereo effects module and take only one patch cable out of the left output - then you will get a mono signal... - sometimes depending on the module if the algorithm it is using converts mono->stereo then it's dependent on how the algorithm works - reading the actual manual of the module is the best way to actually understand what is going on and the only way to get a conclusive answer to your question for the specific module
Can I just take the audio out of a VCA and use a 1/8 to 1/4 jack converter to go to my audio interface?
-- vansting
a basic passive attenuator will do the job a lot of the time - if you have a 1/2 decent audio interface that has a pad on the inputs then you may not even need this - if you have a good audio interface that has balanced inputs then you may want to get an output module that has balanced outputs - the best way to find out is to start with less and if you have issues add more in this order
using 1/8" -> 1/4" cables (converters are bad as they put strain on jacks which may need replacing sooner if you put strain on them) whatever last modules is in audio path, add atttenuators (passive, cheap, always useful), add output module, add better output module
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
