RE: the choice of Pam's - I think you're right, I do primarily want a solid clock divider - but I do really want something that I can set the BPM and have it stay in solid time. I currently use a cheap Volca beats to send clock signal but it's never that accurate (like 111.698 bpm when it's set to 112- maybe that's just analog though). The clock routing in the MSS is also a little annoying, it would be great to just have something to send 3-4 separate clock outs. Maybe that's just any clock divider though (and also a mult).
What do you use the ModDemix with Maths for? Still extremely unsure what exactly Maths does but it seems very versatile, both of them sound quite technical.
The DFAM thing looks handy but would these other modules provide similar functions? Not so interested in midi.
I initially had a MN pressure points in this rig but ditched it in favor of the drum voice- worth just getting the single MN pressure point though? I was looking at the 4-point one.
I also came across the IDUM that seems taylor-made to my wishes- gate/clock modulating. Ratcheting effects, breakbeats, etc.
hi - is the es6 also audio? I thought there are cv only? thanks
if you just want more inputs have you considered the es6 module from expert sleepers?
After so many years of hoarding a variety of modules which were only used to help developing new modules and research, I've decided to downsize and sell a big portion of them.
They are all mostly unused, with their original box and in perfect working condition. I'm not in a rush to sell and I think the prices are super competitive as I have made a big reduction from list price considering they are in pristine condition.
I still have boxes and boxes to go through. Just check every often here and I will continue uploading them on my "For Sale" rack.
Thank you for looking
Bartola Valves
Looks pretty good to me. I like the combo of batumi+maths with the MSS, a dense digital modulator and a roomy playable one. I also like having an extra filter.
What are you wanting to use Pam's for? I'd personally drop it in this case, with the MSS I don't like Pam's menu system and ended up just loading WYSIWYG modules around the Moogs, much smoother experience. Pam's reputation for being godlike in small cases is well-deserved though so don't let me stop you. You have a ton of clocking and ways to sync modulation already so she loses some lustre here imo, I'd personally rather have a patchable clock divider when you have so many sequencers, but I'm a Bindubba man so I get on with that kind of thing.
Couple random things come to mind:
-- MN modDemix is a fantastic module to pair with Maths, I love it in small cases. Basic functionality with much more at the right price. If you decide to add a VCA or small mixer, shortlist this one 100%.
-- A smallish EG/LFO is a great supplement to stick next to Maths if it can fit. ALM's Pip Slope mk2 is a favorite in 4hp with much of the same controls as on the main Maths channels.
-- Triple Sloths is another dense modulation powerhouse you could consider, much more hands-off but has the influence circuits so it's not just an island. NLC makes a lot of creative and unique modules, be worth a look through if you're interested in adding some chaos/random.
-- Check out the Turing Machine and brethren out there, could pique your interest. You may be the target audience for Ritual Electronics's Amnis, I love it in this category (shift registers), lots of fun with all the gate outputs especially and only 6hp. These are great for CV modulation, not just sequencing notes and gates.
-- Playable touch controllers like Bela Gliss or MN Press Point. Just fun interfaces that don't take up much room.
-- You may want a source of tuned voltages for transposing, something like a Befaco Voltio, but if you've got a keyboard or something handy to feed into the VCOs then I'd forget it. Especially the SubH really benefits from having a precision adder around, but if you're focusing hard on percussion and rhythm, skippable.
-- The DFAM has had a few 3rd party companions developed to expand its functionality that might greatly interest you. Check out the MAFD (midi adapter for dfam) and DFAM Thing. Grabbing one of these could totally change your approach and what you decide to put in this rack. Seriously this may be all you need to get freshly busy for months with your current setup.
-- With all of your instruments having standalone sequencers on them, maybe something else for the 1U row.
And hey you've got several Moog ladder filters and VCOs already, you can always synthesize your own drum sounds from simple building blocks like Maths. You could also sample them, by far the cheapest way to do modular drums rather than get individual voices. Check out the Squid Salmple which is a monstrous pairing with the MSS.
New to modular but have several years working with semi-modulars - needing to mix things up.
I have the Moog DFAM/M32/SH & 2 Bastl SP2's - a lot of free-range voices, filters, sequencers, etc. This will be to allow for more complex patterns, rythms, and better drums.
Does any of this make sense? Does anything here look pointless or worth swapping for something else?
I was first going to go with a moog 60hp case but then saw Intellijel had a 62hp/1u case for some extra utils.
Recommendations on auto-generating synth boxes.
Some 100 series modules, driven by Pam's Pro Workout, in a Nifty Case, makes an interesting auto-noodle box.
It's nothing exotic, but covers the basics, and gives lots of possibilities for the money. Portable, powered,
plus the Nifty Case gets you get two channels of MIDI in. 
Smaller, maybe cheaper, but a bit fussier, would be a Pam's Pro Workout, a pair of 2hp Plucks, two 2hp Bells,
into a Doepfer 135-2 4 channel VCA mixer. An optional Disting mk4 could add additional echo fun that
works so well with auto-generation noodles. Substituting the 135-2 with a 100 series 121 dual VCF also works well
for mixing, sound shaping, and adding color. Pluck and Bell are surprisingly musical, sort of polyphonic,
and don't sound generically beep-ey. (and a pain to tune with those cramped knobs, but worth it)
https://noodlehut.bandcamp.com/track/cornishe-excerpt
I like using Pam's because using things like Maths to auto generate quickly gets boringly random for me
even if I tame it with more modules. Pam's is not a sequencer, but can give you complex euclidian beats
with quantized notes, along with some save and restore. And a nice yellow button for start and stop.
Affordable honorable mentions for the mults and offsets you'll find you will want:
Frap Tools 333 Sum and Distribution, and the Rides In The Storm QAM Quad Active multiple, are terrific and accurate.
If you're just starting out, Nazca Noodles are the only cables that consistantly work well for me,
other than those little yellow Doepfer wires, which I love to use wherever I can.
The longer Doepfer wires, and most others I've tried, are too stiff, or too thick, and just get in the way.
Stay away from those cables with LEDs in them. They seem like a good idea, but they'll mess you up every time.
Or you could just get a Behringer 2600 and go from there. Many have. ;)
Get the gray one if you do, the bright xmas lights on the brown/orange one quickly wear out their welcome.
The rossum-electro site hasn't been updated in around two years. After the $4,000(!) drum machine was announced,
everything went quiet. I think that the Locutus midi i/o for Assimil8tor was the last module. There was talk of black
panel versions of a few modules, but they are rare. Is Rossum too busy with his Sound Semiconductor business?
I've got 4 devices from them, Mob of Emus, Panharmonium, Assimil8tor, and Locutus and they sound great.
I hope they stick around a while more. They have the best documentation in modular.
Since we do not have a feedback/rating system for sellers and buyers on the marketplace yet you can use this thread to name the people you did good business with.
-- modulargrid
How about adding a rating and review feature?
The Nerdseq also has extensive Launchpad integration for a variety of functions, making it a lot more hands-on than it seems at first.
I have a suggestion to make MG safer for buyers:
Make the user rating/likes dependent solely on the reception of module(s). Or at least bias the voting system to favour positive feedback for good sellers, and neutral for buyers.
A scammer might be a good buyer, never (obviously) a good seller. Thus, if users also rate for good buyer this drowns out the good seller factor.
I was scammed last year (seller has since changed name and I eventually lost track). He had a few good likes when I decided to buy from him. When I started to suspect a scam (already too late) I reached out to the users who had given him the likes. All of those likes were from people who had sold him modules, no buyers.
A buyer pays in advance and can't scam a seller (except for some fantastically elaborate ploy), a seller can always scam a buyer. So it makes sense that ratings should reveal how good a seller and not how good a buyer or buyer/seller together.
my journey is complete?
I bought a used WMD performance mixer from perfect curcuit. $630. For all the channels and the effect send, it seemed as reasonable as the cost can possibly be in modular.
Im excited to put the voltage block right next to the mixer and start modulating the mixer channels.
Perfect trade with @povesteam.
modules in excellent conditions, carefull packaging and smooth communication
thanks!
Léo
i get it. this os 106hp worth of modules and a 104hp case. its just to consolidate all my make noise into one case in theory only.
Frap Tools Usta is great, shame it can only sequence in the forward direction,
but you won't find more beautiful, clean, and well-built hardware anywhere.
Xor's NerdSeq can do nearly anything, but the opaque documentation restricts it's utility somewhat.
Not really a traditional sequencer, the SIG Stochastic Inspiration Generator provides tons of fun.
NerdSeq. Modular, midi in/out(w/a 2hp expander), and some limited FM out all in one.
Can be tough to learn, but deep as you will ever need to build auto noodle patches.
The Swiss army knife of sequencers.
The CV affects the Delay Level on the Cutting Room Floor module. It will have no affect on the Tape Level. Both switch's effect modes are engaged in the "up" position- These provide multiple head repeats and tape stability effects. I suggest reading the manual which is located on the product page of our website.
For others checking out this module, note that it is not a traditional delay effect. It's meant to provide tape overdrive to the direct signal as well as simulating the mechanics of a reel-to-reel tape delay, and the sound of it being abused / broken. There are many delays out there to choose from if you're looking for something more traditional. But if you're looking for something to beautifully marr your sound only the way analog tape pushed to the limits can, the Cutting Room Floor is a must-have, taking only 6hp in your case. This video gives a great taste of how it sounds: ">
Hi,
I use an Expert S ES9 and ableton and i was thinking to add another sound card (es9 or 8) to add more inputs. Is anyone currently using 2 ES in parallel? is so, how is it going?
Thanks
Mat
thanks for all the advice and recommendations, everyone.
Slim, I realised your advice to go more HP. I bought another 6U Rackbrute case. I figure I can connect the twin rackbrutes and still be reasonably portable.
Im still in the market for a mixing solution, although my 'wants' from the mixer have evolved - here they are
*effect sends
* six channels or more
* cv control / vca functionality
* stereo panning from mono input
* HP is less important than value
Cheers
I really like both the 100 series and 55 series modules should i mix and match or build both separately
But will i need a midi to cv module or no
Re the BeatStep - No
It has 8 x trigger outs for the drums &, CV & Gate out for the 2 x sequencers so no midi required.
I used this in the beginning and found it very good at a reasonable price
Any specific reason you have avoided modules like Rene, Metropolix, Trigger riot, A-155, and similar modules?
Hunterprime, yes, it's because I planned to start out working with the Beatstep Pro and The Oxy One. That way I could concentrate on sequenceing some specific melodies as I learn the rack better. Then once I have a good understanding and some time under my belt on it, then there will end up being a 4th rack added that I will fill up slowly with modules in areas I find I'm lacking in, new releases, or possibly deals I come across. I've looked into the sort of modules you mentioned many times, and ultimately it's the size that was a big factor. After looking at every video I could find on modules of that sort, Trigger Riot was the one that caught my eye and I will almost certianly be one of the fist to go into the 4th rack. It does look like a lot of fun! (I also like that it doesnt have a micro screen which was the downside of the Metropolix for me.)
I also personally think that keeping the MN modules like MATHS, XPO, DXG together is going to give you massive bang for your buck. Maths in perticular, pairs beautifuly with the DXG and XPO
-- Hunterprime
MN does seem to aim for making modules that complement eachother well.
My layout of the modules will surely be diffrent than what is shown here. It'll just take a bit of time to see what I end up useing the most, what makes it easy for my fingers to fit, and what just seems to make sense.
One call out I wanted to call out is that you seem to be avoiding any of the larger note/gate trigger sequencers modules which can add an absolute ton of interesting patterns especially when chained together with some of the random sources you included. Any specific reason you have avoided modules like Rene, Metropolix, Trigger riot, A-155, and similar modules? I know they take alot of space but they can be absolute incredible sources of CV for modulation.
I also personally think that keeping the MN modules like MATHS, XPO, DXG together is going to give you massive bang for your buck. Maths in perticular, pairs beautifuly with the DXG and XPO
Zacksname,
Thanks for some great insight!
I have used 2hp modules before. I still have the Mix. Frankly, though, for this amount of money, I would say to not put a bunch of them in. They wiggle even if they're built rock solid, amd the knobs are not fun. If you decide later you need some function they provide and have to have it in 2hp, then go for it.
The wiggle aspect is an important one that I had not given thought to! I have been retweaking the rack and have pulled all of the 2hp modules except the pluck and hi/low pass ones. The Oxy One was the last contemplation that was added, and with that, there was a lot of redundancy with the 2hp modules that did mean I could pull them from the rack.
Once you have a Rample and a 2hp Play, I can't help but think you should just try a Bitbox or a Squid Salmple - especially if you're also worried about the Queen of Pentacles and the SD card on the back.
I really liked the Squid, it seemed to have a lot of what I was looking for and I have a feeling that in the future I might end up with one. However, starting out, it seemed like it was a bit more complex than what I would need it for. The Bitbox seemed nice as well, but I every time I looked into it, I felt like I might as well just use my NI Maschine if I was going to go for a route that offered such complexities. The Queen of Pent, I figured I would mostly just have cymbals in the sample slots and not end up monkeying with the card often. (Though I do think its a wacky design to put in on the back.) That way I'd have the Rample for my sampled drums, and the QoP sample slots for the cymbals
You can also look into CV to MIDI converters like the Befaco CV Thing or the Sweet 16 faderbank
I think the CV Thing will suit most of my immedate needs quite well :)
Overall, this seems pretty balanced. Usually imagined systems this big are a bit of a mess. More modulation is nice, so if you expand, definitely look there first.
-- Zacksname
That's great to hear, I somewhat expected there to be an aspect, necesity, or process that I totally overlooked. Other than a filter or two (and possibly another quantizer), some more modulation is really all was feeling like I might need. So I do feel like I'm on the right track, and appreciate the feedback! Any advice for a modulation module that would be fit well or fill an area that I'm lacking or that I am weak in? I had been considering a Tripple Sloth, though I held off on adding it because it's not available from my local synth shop. (Though obviously that wouldnt prevent me from grabbing one.)
Jopair,
Thanks again for your insight! AS for the filters, I determined that it would suit me best to decide on a filter or two to add once I can get to my local synth shop and get some hands on eartime with them. I did find a couple videos of the Dual Dagger that were compelling, and the Atas I already knew I was fond of. So I think Im going to hold off until I can more specifically determine what I need to sculpt the sounds that I'm looking for.
MIDI isn't all that bad, just kind of tedious.
That said, if you have a more specific question about connection issues. Throw it out and someone will probably have 'an' answer.
I havent used MIDI since about 1985 and back then I just thought it was lacking/clumsy and the gear I had back then didn't warrant heavy use of it. Now days, I figure that once I get all my new gear and start setting it up, my questions will be able to be much more specific if I run into any issues.
I tend to not do drums in modular. I just couldn't find any great combination or reason to justify essentially doubling the footprint.
That was my exact original take when I first started looking into it.
I've been working on tweaking this rack before I pull the trigger and think I may have come up with a happy medium now with everyones help/suggestions. (I'll share it once I think I have it all worked out)
I like Data Bender.
-- Jopair
I do also, it seemed like one of their best modules. Though as much as I like it, I didnt think it would fit well with the sort of music I was looking to make. But later down the road, I have a feeling I might end up with one.
I know both the 55 series and 100 series are affordable but which would you recommend building for a beginner
I think a general concensus is its 100% valid to have both... but if only one, personally, PAM's first. You're use-case may be different though, working with semi-modular as well. It'll kind of depend on your setup. If you already have a solid clock and distribution plan, maybe I'd get the o+c? Again, personal opinion/grain of salt... FWIW, I don't own an o+c, but its a module I've researched/considered quite a bit.
Ultimately, I would caution aginst considering them 'similar modules'. While there is overlap, their strengths are very different.
Thanks guys for weighing in, I've made some adjustments and added somemore utilites Sindikat (cv processor, buffered mult, attenuvert) and looking at a Clouds Clone now in place of that Qu-Bit Mojave.... I can always go big for the next one but figured since I need to save space I've also pulled the output and the power modules since its one of those nifty cases that has both integrated. I guess my biggest question is Do I need ornament + Crime if I already own a Pam's I know Pam's can quantize but does it hurt to have a second, is this redundant? obviously still very new as I move from semi-modular to modular so please Roast away.
*note I currently own the case(crazy deal) and it came with earthquaker module. I also have PAMs, Veils, Banshee filter and clouds clone. I'm not dead set on the Modulaire Maritime gear but both units seem to do what I want and the company really responive to questions so I guess the got me with well explained demo's and good customer service, but I have yet to order.
Thx
thanks that really helps because I'm new to this well I saw it back in 2010 and got an Analogue Solutions Red Square and now I wanna take the plunge
But will i need a midi to cv module or no
-- ELJ666
no...
one of the brilliant things about modular is that technically you do not need any specific type of module at all..
filters can be sound sources, some vcos can be lfos, utilities can be a sequencer, sequencers can be modulation sources...
if and only if you want to control pitch and timing in your modular via midi do you need a midi -> cv module...
I have had a modular for 7 or 8 years... I have never owned a midi -> cv 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
But will i need a midi to cv module or no
A powerful unit, a joystick controlled modifier of CV and audio with filter, reverb, wave modifiers, loopers, and more.
Mostly surface mount pre-installed. However, the buttons are a little tricky to install so take your time, and I had some interference problems with the button tops that I had to add a water to sort out. But in general a good build.
Demo just scratches the surface of this beast, but does give you an idea of the power here. Very good module.
The BeatStep Pro is one of the most used solutions : https://www.arturia.com/products/hybrid-synths/beatstep-pro/details
'On ne devrait jamais quitter Montauban' (Fernand Naudin).
https://soundcloud.com/petrus-major/tracks
You may want to consider adjusting the layout a bit. The oscillator driver would be best placed next to the oscillator, as these work together, and the sequential switch would be more useful near the sequential controller. The later would allow you to use your sequencer in 24 note mode, if you so chose
there are 32 slots to connect the modules to the power delivered by the go case. hipes this helps!
I'm unsure if I understood your question.
But if your question is about the PSU, it seems fine for a B Go.
You should be ok for power as far as I can tell.
This case provides: +12 V @ 3 A, -12 V @ 1 A, and +5 V@ 1 A
The reason that your build has the 'actung' alert is because some of the power values have not been added in the builder, not because it uses too much power.
You have some nice units in there. I have a Behringer SYSTEM 100 (the backbone of this build), the 2600-VCO (as well as the full 2600 semi-modular), and I am currently building the SYSTEM 55 (where your fixed filter bank is from). All really good units :)
Am i using too much power for a behringer go case. I watched videos on these modules and fell in love
