ModularGrid uses so-called cookies to ensure it's so-called functionality. We also use dubious tracking scripts. Find out more in the Privacy Policy. We use cookies and wanna let you know.
Ok - trying to organize my four separate cases and yes, MG helps a lot with that.
A few features could make planning a lot easier, though.
I'd like to "lock" the rows and/or modules which I have already happily planned. So - I'd like to lock something and then try to optimize the rest automatically to optimize the space
Multiple cases on one view to drag n drop modules from one to another (copy & paste helps with this now on separate browser pages)
Otherwise this service is phenomenal, thanks a lot for it!
would i be able to use this as a straight up external signal booster on one channel (mic to modular level, for example) while using the other channel as expected?
I understand the differences between ring mods and VCAs and the way they respond to voltage and polarity. I'm familiar with their similar sounds, but I want ring mods for their inverted signals.
Right...the VCA has to be something which doesn't switch off when you get the negative-voltage parts of the AM cycle. Have a look at: http://electronicmusic.wikia.com/wiki/Four_quadrant where the VCA-as-ringmod thing is explained. My bet is that Nyle's output VCA on the Synthacon I had was capable of working in this four-quadrant mode with VCO3's output, allowing for the ring-like results. Anyway, even in two-quadrant modality, you're going to get this half-waved dirty sound, which in of itself could be useful.
AF = yes, audio frequency. Old habit from way too much radio experience.
You can get the same sort of result by feeding two AF signals into a VCA via AM. Route 'signal' to the input and 'carrier' to the CV. Works best if you have a couple of attenuators before this, though. Had a Steiner-Parker Synthacon many years ago, and the final VCA was set up with a switch to use VCO3 for eaxctly this purpose.
Another bit: you aren't necessarily stuck with the setting behind the patch panel when you opt to change a jumper. Have a look at the 'Switch' or 'Expander' modules @ 4hp and down, and you'll see that a number of modules exist as 'assignable' switches, meaning that they can be connected to the jumper point and then you actually have options as to whether you want the 'jumper on' or 'jumper off' (or 'jumper in X position' or 'Y position') and have this option switchable from one of these little auxiliary modules. It's a cheap and space-thrifty way to up the game on some modules where jumper setting changes are possible.
Also, in some cases you can do the conversion/editing of the sample on a computer, then transfer this via means other than audio to something that can work with them. Several sample playback devices make use of SD (or micro) cards to store and transport samples, such as Tiptop's ONE, or you can move the sample via USB to some of these; Waldorf's NW1 is capable of this, as well as interconnection to edit/manipulate sampled wavetable data. It sort of bridges the divide between 'sampler' and 'oscillator', actually, being an outgrowth of the PPG wavetable engine.
You will need a module that can play samples (like Disting Mk3+ among many others). The module will take care of amping the sample to modular level. If you just want to get external line level audio into your rack for processing, a amplifier (+20 db) module is needed.
Think of a jumper as connector between certain parts in a circuit, much like a patch cable between modules. Either these parts get connected when the jumper is set, or not when it is left open. Does that help?
CV pal is the link as far as note voltage and gate from the external sequencer (Logic). It can also be a modulation source with Logic providing external MIDI control. The MIDI part is of course emulated as this is a USB interface, but in practical terms it is the MIDI to CV/gate converter. As it only works with the USB 5V DC source, the keyboard tracking is limited. But I barely know how to play a keyboard anyway, so im happy if it tracks a few octaves.
No, actually, it does make sense. This is based on the 21U ADDAC System Monster cab with the addition of the 2U rack-top. The top row of 1U tiles mounts into the bottom of the two RU there, and up top are a pair of these: http://www.fullcompass.com/prod/101939-Middle-Atlantic-Products-LT-1R . Power link to the top is via the DIN jacks, of which the ES one is just a placeholder; the actual article will be a single 5-pin DIN on a 4hp panel, which will connect from the +/-12v/gnd rails in the main cab w/ some 18ga, pass that over an 18ga x 3 cable to the upper DIN, and from there it flows back to a smallish busboard in the top section. I explored using just a tile-tail to pass that to a Pulplogic interconnect, but got hinky about running the total load thru the 26ga conductors on those. The whole back section is easy to close off on that rack addition, too, and since the rack lighting bars are also DC...mmmmmmaybe those can be tapped off of the DC bus, since total load at this point is nowhere near the rating of the ADDAC supplies (10A per 12v rail).
Also, down at the bottom, yes, that looks odd. Don't count those as part of the ADDAC; they're really to show the placement of three of Synisi's 3U x 24hp tile-row cabs. Left is 'timing', middle is 'control' and the right is 'effects', all of which are really sort of auxiliaries to the in-cab functionality and/or my typical controller of choice (Arturia Keystep). Having three I/O tiles on the right side allows a lot of things to be easily inserted from outside the rack's architecture besides effects; these could also be used for channeling signals out to external filters (yep, got some of those), could be an I/O loop for another to utilize the onboard s, or whatever. Flexible.
Uhhhh...why? Makes it more versatile. I like to do music that has a lot of internal complexity which changes slowly, process-wise, over the duration of a work. By having a monstrosity like this, I can set up quite a few different processes in the same , and using the various VCAs in the mix section at the bottom-right, achieve that gradual shift across time behavior I dig. Note that there's four Intellijel quad VCAs next to the Qu-bit Mixology; the idea is that each Quad VCA feeds a channel on the Qu-bit, with that handling final dynamics, main effect bussing, and panning...but that doesn't mean four processes. Rather, I can run, technically, 16 (4 x 4) and the various mixed permutations of those (16!...do the math to get that hideous number). And this all fits into a space (not counting the Synisi minicabs) roughly 41" square and a hair over 18" deep. And ADDAC even thoughfully provided some cut-in handles on this sucker, so...portable-ish. Kinda. Sorta. Wellll...OK, only maybe a little. EVEN SO...!
Freakin' expensive thing, tho...however, might be doable at some point in the coming year. Maybe.
One change since original post: I swapped out one of the Sputnik quad LPGs for two Metasonix modules that have two channels of LPG themselves, plus a 2hp 4->1 mixer to handle the mixing capacity that the Metasonixes lack. Better...two flavors of LPG now, with one being more orthodox and the other being...well, the product of Eric's fevered brain. Seriously, tho...since I have a lot of tube devices here already in the studio, and since the ADDAC p/s can easily handle the upping of the current draw, why the hell not? That point in the signal chain, also, is the exact place I'd want such a device, with all of the characteristic nonlinearities, hysteresis effects, and other mojo coloring the sound.
Not a bad idea, that...and it opens up another 6hp. For that hole, I'd be inclined to go for something the M32 doesn't exactly have. and if it were my money, and given the music choice here, I think you might find Intellijel's muMod an interesting candidate. Not yr avg ringmod, this thing (it's actually a quadrant multiplier)...capable of a few extra tricks, plus it gives you separate outputs for 'sum' and 'difference', normally used as logical functions but definitely has 'abuse potential' for frequency-shift-type behavior, weird VCA-ish activity, amplitude-modulation strangeness, and so on.
Hi all, I have recently started down the modular rabbit hole after buying a Mother 32 but have set myself a limit of one 84hp row as I already have other GnCV stuff (MFOS minilab and SH101 etc)
I love the M32 and it’s not going anywhere BUT I’m looking for opinions on building the ultimate 84hp. I currently have Mutable Links, PM foundations micro VCO, Erica Polivoks(ish) ADSR and a Disting Mk3 which has filled my row. The ADSR is useful but at 8hp it seems a bit of a waste of space - what other units could I replace it with? My music varies from bass heavy riffs to whacked out deep space sound and experimental noise/drone. Thoughts please!
I love the style! you could try to put the Sequencers on the upper left and right corner instead of the blind panels. Then the patch cables don't go that far and around your whole rack. What do you plan to use the CV Pal for?
cheers, Dennis
is it possible to use the pulse out from Shapeshifter to trigger Plonk? i want to use 4ms SMR to pitch Shapeshifter and Shapeshifter triggering Plonk. How do you guys feel about that would it work out?
Thank you very much for your wise words, I will read and work on them. The reason I want to work with drums is probably because they catch me the most, and then I start a place with Modular synch. Thank you again, I am very pleased with your post.
I have using Lifeforms sv-1 almost a year. Now I'm planning to expand my system with other modules.
I'm totally new regarding modules, so sorry about all stupid questions. I have been reading different forums, but I think that it makes me only more confused. At the moment I'm want to make more techno/ambient stuff, so I'm aiming e.g. making sound textures (if that make any sense). I want to start small, so I can learn different modules first. I have bought too much VST plugins, and I know those about 2%, don't want to do same mistake with hardware. My first plan is buy sequencer, and couple of effect modules, basic stuff (osc,adsr,midi...) I get from SV-1, right?
The key piece isn't going to be the sound-producing parts. Actually, the real key here is the sequencer. Make sure that, since you're going to vary the groove you want, that this module has an easy to work 'on the fly' interface, and that whatever you wind up with has settings (or some additional modules) that can suitably 'humanize' the results. I know that quite a few producers who made use of the Roland TR-909 really relied on its 'swing' settings to add some 'slippage' to an otherwise-metronomic pattern. Plus, when you locked it to something that didn't have that feature, you'd get some really excellent flam behavior as the two machines would be a tad out of sync on that particular beat. Adding something that can also add a random change-up to one or two channels of triggers (Ladik has an inexpensive 2-channel probabilistic skipper) will do a lot to add some humanization when you keep the probability settings kind of low so that the skips sound a bit like on the fly change-ups.
Sound-wise, while you'll definitely want some of the 'standards' (808 or 909 kicks, 909 or 606 hats, etc etc), keep in mind that a lot (like...all?) of the classic beatbox sounds and such are done with 'ringing filters' to a great extent. Basically, the sounds are produced with fixed-frequency filters that are set to just a touch under resonance, and then triggered with either an envelope that determines the overall duration of the sound (like a triggered decay or an AD envelope with a sharp attack) or a quick pulse of sound that pops the filter into resonance for an instant.
Since in a modular, though, you don't have to deal with fixed-frequency filters, it's possible to not only trigger the filter however you like, you can also send the same triggers to a CV sequencer, then get a 'melody' of sorts as the sequencer changes the cutoff of the filter. Very 'rototom-ish' sort of behavior (think: opening of Pink Floyd's "Time"). Also, mixing on this sort of a device should be pretty simple; look at MFB's Drum-99 mixer, which is a basic stereo mixer which you can chain to another one, etc, and build up a drum bus where you have relatively fixed levels and pans.
Another great, gnarlier (is that even a word?) sound can be done by sending various colored noise bands thru exponential VCAs and controlling their levels with, again, fast, snappy AD or decay envelopes. This is good for cymbals, snares, and the like. Plus, with noise-based sounds you then have this great ability to sum those and then do a little more filter-sweepy stuff, make 'em sound sort of dubby-trippy.
Ah, excellent...yeah, I'm a dinosaur, I admit it. I actually DO print hardcopy of various things from time to time, and when doing so I'd noticed that while the spec list prints horizontally (unless you like reading 7pt type) the shopping list is more compact, so docs printed as that format wind up being several pages shorter and easier to manage. The spec sheet always seemed to me to be more like a 'final build spec' instead of something to scribble up while making decisions when not online.
Also, the pricing info isn't that off. For a lot of the 'majors', it seems pretty reliable and for much of the rest, it does a credible job at 'ballpark' figures so that you can work on something of a close approximation of costs from it. Just need to keep poking at reminding users to keep module info updated when they've found new relevant data. That open-sourcing is, after all, what makes MG such an amazing, authoritative asset (and it IS!).
I agree with the OP and disagree with mskala. I've personally deleted a ton of duplicates myself (and continue to do so every single day). This and a merge function for panel alternatives would really help de-clutter the Grid before it becomes unusable.
A 90/180 deg flip would be super useful. To achieve this I make Private modules for my own personal use. Would be great to be able to remove them from the Grid entirely.
I really appreciate your effort in doing this. It's indispensible! Not everyone realizes how important this is, I used to have to do this when I created "pedal boards" in Paint. Sheesh.
MG is far better, especially with the addition of your plugs. Would be up for MIDI connectors as well ... I'll look into this.
This is my main and only rack.
I update it and re-arrange it, as I try new modules.....once every couple of weeks.
It's mostly for self-generative, aural landscapes, dark atmospheres, and T. Riley-'esque repeating ragas.
No dedicated sequencers or drums. Melodies can be curated by a Key Step or (see below).
If it's beat-driven sounds with drums, I use an Elektron Rytm, and CV controlled by an A4 (sequencing and timing).
This keeps the modular rack smaller, and it's used for specific sculpted sounds.
The ALM S.B.G's are connected to a Strymon TimeLine delay. All the outputs go thru a Big Sky reverb via a rack mixer (Kawai MX-8SR) stereo send/return knob.
No connection to a computer. (except to record sessions)
Only part of the explanation, tho...there's a lot more going on, plus more stuff where that came from on the horizon. I just finished (as of 26 Jan 18) slapping together a new one for Magnatune (http://magnatune.com) entitled "West: Nocturnal Music in Five Movements" that oughta be out sometime (I presume) in the next month or so. No driving or operating heavy machinery while listening, I should note...
Hmmm...where'd this go? Doesn't seem to be there in recent times, and I certainly found it useful as a checklist as well as a way to 'ponder offline' when Internet access wasn't necessarily workable. The spec sheet rundown is still there, but not this other list.
Possibly not with a modular setup? There's some very nice all-in-one-box machines out there right now that might fill the bill at a better cost and with more simplicity. I know that if someone sat down a modular drum setup and a TR-909 side by side in front of me (from experience) that I'd go with the 909 unless the situation required something atypical as far as electronic percussion sounds...and even then, I'd still probably use the 909's trigger-out to fire that particular sound on the modular. Did that a bunch, in fact, and that might be a bit more indicative of what you might consider here as I was always able to come up with solid results.
As far as standalone machines these days, I'm all-in on the DrumBrute, but I should also note that Cyclone Analogic's TT606 and TT78 have my attention because of their sound and feature sets. Going backwards in time, some of the 'less-desirable' Roland boxes come to mind, like the TR-707 and its more collectable sibling, the Latinized TR-727. Even the not-so-classic TR-505 saw some use that tends toward your 'thick, bold' criteria; the Chicago band Big Black (ie: Steve Albini & co) made loads of use of this box on their tracks. You could, in theory, go backwards all the way to 'primitive' beatboxes as long as you had a tight bandpass filter to isolate a single, metric sound and pass that to a click-sync box like Bastl's Klik or Truetone's Time Bandit to lock it up with other devices. Again, that's from experience.
If you do go with a box like the ones above, then a simpler and more capable modular is a pretty easy thing to cook up. Once you get a trigger and/or clock pulse out of a few boxes and have them driving some more 'exotic' synthesized sounds, then things can get nice and complicated, musically, in short order. One you have a pulse of ANY sort, then you can use it for anything one might input a pulse into...sequencer clocks, VCAs, LPGs, filters, what have you. And to me, that's a better use of the modular architecture, to create a more open-ended sound programming environment rather than something that just does a one-trick sort of sonic vocabulary.
Maybe they're frustrated music critics? I know that I certainly qualify a lot of the unimaginative (ab)use of electronics in mainstream pop these days as an 'abortion'...
In 2017 I bought modules from @laknroll (MI Rings – 2nd hand, personal pick-up), @strat (AM Brain Seed – 2nd hand, shipping) and @PinPinKula (uO_C – new build, shipping). I'd like to thank and can highly recommend all of them: perfect quality of the modules, fast shipping/pick-up and enjoyable conversation.
Hello, I'm a beginner, and would like to build a good start drum rack up, with thick, bold melodic sound (techno, dance, and dinner music) at a reasonable start price, are there are some suggestions where to start.
Still not sure if they are idiots or geniuses. There is at least one guy in Jakarta who thinks that modular users also are the target group for illegal abortion. He puts really a lot effort into letting us know.
ModularGrid now has an IP blocker, so I hope the situation will improve over time..
