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First time into Eurorack. How am I doing?

Hello!

I'm a recent lurker who decided to dive into Eurorack after attending Moogfest with a friend this year.

I've committed the Eurorack sin of buying too many modules too quickly without a plan for what I ultimately want to build. Did I need 2x Mother 32s and a DFAM? Probably not, but Moogfest worked its magic. Here's a view of my current case. I own all the modules except for the Doepfer Wasp filter which I'm strongly considering ordering.

ModularGrid Rack

The ES-8 will be used to connect to my iPad and PC. My plan is to use VCVRack and Audulus to play with more unusual modules that I may not want to own in hardware form. So if there is a plan for my hardware rack, it has been to have bread and butter basics of Eurorack covered: VCOs, VCFs, VCAs, LFOs etc, plus have the ability to create some rhythmic patches.

I'd greatly appreciate any more experienced individual's opinion on how to expand. Maybe another LFO? Another VCA beyond the Doepfer quad?

Thanks much.

EDIT: Weird. The page for this setup has the correct current modules, but the linked image in this thread shows something else.

Actually, this is way more on the right track than you think...add a dual quantizer, such as Doepfer's A-156, then feed that from the DFAM's two channels, and then the DFAM can control the base pitches for the M32's sequencers and do sequenced transpositions. A clock dividing/tinkering area might be a good idea for this, as well. That'll get you into something of a Berlin-school polysequencer-type zone, at least for starters.

Thank you!

That is an excellent suggestion that is in line with some ways I would like to expand. I wouldn't have thought of it on my own.

EDIT: In looking through some highly rated modules with quantization and clock functions, it seems the new MI Marble module is highly regarded. The manual makes it look like Marbles covers a lot of ground. Looks like a winner.

Marbles is more of a random-function type of device, though...a sample and hold on major 'roids, mainly for working with random variable signals. To get the scalar stepping, you need a quantizer, which is also sort of a sample and hold, but one which outputs very specific scalar CV intervals...or which, in many iterations, can simply rescale incoming CVs without the need for a stepping clock signal to 'fire' a sample-step.

Gotta say, tho...Marbles is a killer random-manipulator module. Anyone doing generative work of any sort can benefit by having one of these in the rack.

Keep in mind that the Pitch CV from the DFAM is bipolar, and the A-156 only takes positive CV. You'll need to rescale your CVs from the DFAM to use the whole range of the knobs.

You might consider getting a module like Triatt or Shades for that. Alternatively, if you want to go bigger, maybe consider getting a four-quadrant multiplier like Blinds: it can do CV rescaling, VCA, ring modulation , and mixing for 4 channels. I use Blinds almost exclusively to construct my LFOs before I quantize.

For quantizing, I really like the Toppobrillo Quantimator, it can do a lot of scales and the arrebesque feature is cool. I find it more useful than the A156 personally. I would suggest pairing this with a clock divider and sample+hold.

If you want to sequence that with both channels of the DFAM, you can use one sequencer channel to control pitch and the other channel to either transpose or change scale - having the 2nd channel go through a sample+hold triggered to sample on an odd beat (like 7 or 9) out of 8 will result in a lot of variations.

EDIT: Oh! Almost forgot to mention it, you are really gonna need a bigger power supply than that Zeus for 9U, especially if you plan on filling it out. Power is expensive, but worth it, so plan for what you think you might need plus another 20% (you need extra power at power-up for some modules).