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@Lugia: thank’s for these precisions, we can indeed travel very far in time and space.
By the way, originally, we all have an old relative called 'Homo habilis' who lived in Tanzania 2 million years ago. Under the milky lights of full moon nights, he probably sang strange and wonderful kind of drones, like 'plainsongs' mingling with those of other animals in the plain. (Etymologically, 'plain' comes from the Latin 'planus' which can be found in 'cantus planus', in French 'plain-chant'). Today, I think that we don’t do anything else with our drones: we still question ‘The Great Mystery’...
For my part, I prefer to focus on the History of Western music; starting with the Gothic Period, it's already a long way :)

@troux : thanks, I'll read it with pleasure.

Excellent! Fierce and combative. Thanks for having shared this track here ;)

@troux, @Lugia
Decidedly, since the bids rise easily here, I will claim in my turn that, in the Western world, the 'drone' was born with the plainsong, in the sacred music, in the Middle Ages. And that it finds its own roots in the psalms of the synagogues, then at the birth of the Christian era. This spiritual or mystical 'sap' is the very essence of 'drone': from the origins to our days (cf. Radigue, La Monte, etc.).
It is a sacred music, not profane.
Who says better ? :)
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva ?
Not so bad... :))

Take a look at ‘Synthesis Technology - E352 Drones N Stuff’, a video by DivKid on YouTube. It's quite explicit.

-- Sweelinck

Quite explicit? Mmmmm...hot sexy wavetables...

-- Lugia

Definitely. On the other hand, not to mention Ben's strong performance. So romantic.

The E352 Cloud Terrarium seems to be popular for drones, I have seen it mentioned several times in that context. What is it that makes it so good for drones?

-- Exposure

Take a look at ‘Synthesis Technology - E352 Drones N Stuff’, a video by DivKid on YouTube. It's quite explicit.

Excellent proposals from @Amenbreak (with the Monotrail Tech Talk video) and @Lugia (with the technical suggestions). For my part: E352 Cloud Terrarium, Nebulae and Morphagene are some of my favourite modular sound sources for that musical genre.

But I think that with various means (and sometimes little means) we can obtain interesting things, because it's actually and mostly a question of mindset when creating and listening.

We can refer here to the music of bagpipes (wind sounds), Ravi Shankar (string sounds), and the historical works of La Monte Young (‘Trio for Strings’) who is one of Eno's references.

(...) Does the Xaoc Batumi have this ability? I do suppose I could look myself…
-- aheath73

‘The reset/sync input is an user-defined trigger input that can serve as either cycle re-set or external tempo sync’ (Batumi user manual: http://xaocdevices.com/main/batumi/)
The pleasure of opening a manual...

I like to use every kind of noise (white, pink etc.) a good filter and a snapy envelope and a VCA or better a Combination of Envelope and VCA like the Befaco Percal or Schlappi Enginering - Boundary .

-- Next_G

Yes, and thank you for this comment!
This is really an alternative: start with a noise, shape it with an envelope, use a filter, a vca, some random, a delay, etc. Everyone has his own modules, his own recipes, and you end up with something that is personal and that suits the track perfectly.

It is for this pleasure that we buy modules that have a cost... and that we have even sometimes turned away from ready made sound banks and computers.

The price of a module (let's say from 100 to 1000 euros) is also the price of the pleasure of freedom and of working as a sound craftsman.

To illustrate my previous comment and answering a bit more precisely the topic, ladies and gentlemen... the amazing, the magnificient (and fairly low cost) 2hp Hat!
:))

I don't have a really dedicated module yet: neither for HH nor for Kick. It's a will since the beginning. I use drum machines. But I might change my mind. When you look at Richard Devine current live setup, you can see a 2hp Hat and a 2hp Kick. I'm heading towards this solution. Why not...

Lugia is right. We can also want a piano without a pedal, a microwave without a cooking time setting, an airplane without an altimeter... Funny Club. Everything that is imaginable is not necessarily reasonable ;)

At this moment I see that the Noise Engineering Loquelic Iteritas Percido is available at Modular Freq, on their website and their Reverb store... It's an incredibly powerful module: a wide range of sounds (from percussion to drone), very fat with a lot of dynamics. Do not procrastinate... :)

The power consumption specs regarding the modules is crucial. When submitting a module, mandatory fields on this point would be useful.

@Lugia Patience and good recovery!
(In our countries, in the United States or in France for my part, we are fortunate to have tremendous expertise and resources in the medical field. This is a privilege. The passion for music being another, so we are doubly privileged :))

Hi, gang! Now that XODES has come up with these really excellent tile frames, and there's also some other similar devices...could we get a way to add tiles/modules to these, sort of in the same way that the half-height Buchla modules work over in that part of the site. It seems relatively simple (just alter the image/grid layouts so that you can drop tiles in) to implement, which of course is probably totally wrong on my part.
-- Lugia

Yes please!
-- hpdr

So now, 3rd wish for this possibility to combine XODES tile frames with 1U modules :) Thanks!

And I'd like to point out that Surgeon is an especially cool dude after being awake for 30+ hours and having Denny's for breakfast afterward.
-- Lugia

Yes, really. He seems very humble, very friendly. Very patient too. A whole attitude and philosophy which you can find embodied in his works. Respect.

@jb61264 Maths is a bit like the church in the middle of the village: you don't necessarily enter it every day, but you think about it often.

The video and discussions at Elevator Sound are very interesting. In particular this notion of limitation: in the inflation of modules and the temptations which are related to it... Thanks for sharing.

I have only one suggestion (except of course the removal of some multiples as previously mentioned): a Disting mk4. Small, cheap, easy to use, and perfect for a Xmas tree ;)

@gumbo23, @farkas, @Broken-Form: +1 on the Synthesis Technology E352 Cloud Terrarium.

But this fundamental remark: ambient music cannot be defined by an instrument but by the use one makes of it.

Brahms and Debussy used the same violin in their orchestra, but their music is so different... The use of a DX7 by Brian Eno is not the same by Jean-Michel Jarre. And Plaits will serve ambient as well as techno.

Focusing on the choice of a module too often distracts from the problem of creativity. I am not immune to this either. And the question comes up again every time you power up your modular ;)

It is the one that has in stock the product you are looking for and that you did not find anywhere else.
My own best memories are: Signal Sounds (wonderful Jason), Escape From Noise, and Modularsquare... :)

Soundmachines actually offers good modules for control (LS1lightstrip, LP1lightplane, Arches, etc.). There are many others from many brands (including Intellijel, Make Noise, Doepfer, WMD, Verbos, Pittsburgh, Xodes...). But we must not forget that owning several pianos will never replace our work for the mastery of only one of these instruments.

Marbles is an extraordinary module. I can't think of an equivalent, it is like no other. I often work in this way of randomization. Marbles is a sun king.
To complete, some modules to consider for a small rack: Rnd Step, Ochd; one can also think of Nano Rand, Quantum Rainbow, and some Doepfer modules including the A-118-2.

@nickgreenberg = Keystep :)
@farkas = Laptopstand :)

Short answer: I totally agree with @Lugia. Many other connoisseurs (including modular dealers...) have the same view.

Longer answer: my own and personal strategy, from the beginning, was little or no modules dedicated to drums. First, I was already well equipped (old TR-707, DrumBrute Impact, ADX-1, Volca Drum, Volca Sample, and now a brand new RD-6 :)
And by selecting for my modular Nebulae which incorporates a one-shot polyphonic sample player (within its alternate instruments), Disting mk4, Rings (great percs module too), and last but not least BIA, I was ready to achieve a whole bunch of drum sounds. Plus, more recently, I even added Plaits, LIP, and One. I think I'm a spoiled modularist, right?

However, I must admit that I am tempted today to conclude with two small 2hp modules: Kick and Hat only. Just for some modular techno sessions.

There is no conclusion here that is suitable for everyone.
I just wanted a modular instrument that was quite sound design (and random or stochastic) oriented.
It's all a matter of artistic direction and budget.

But I remain firmly convinced that a 808 or a 909, a Mini Pops or an Oberheim DMX, belong to a different animal species. They are like birds; you have to leave them alone, and not put them in sort of cages/cases :))

The Eurorack 1U landscape is developing at the moment. Convenient for travel. I'm starting to think about a standalone setup only based on this format.

Endorphin.es is coming. Mosaic, and Intellijel of course, have a great offer. Etc. And Xodes (XO) has created a series of format changers. They allow using 1U modules in a 3U case by creating 1U rows. Perfect for combining with some Picos or 2hps, for example.

Intellijel Audio I/O > (patchbay >) DAW or Digitakt
works also in reverse
other hardware > Intellijel Audio I/O > modular mangling

-- happygolucky

A little simpler, less space, less expensive... 4ms Listen IO. (Tested and approved for 2 years and a half :))
Plus: Erica Synths Midi to Clock V2 (seems great), or Intellijel uMidi... There are so many solutions.

Ah ah ah... reading all the advice here, it's enough to make you dizzy... and that's normal, everyone is trying to help you, and I myself will bring you another advice (at the end).

Modular is actually 'a long and winding road'... not a motorway.

You have to take your time.
Because anyway, a lot of time will pass before you stabilize a set-up that you will really master and be (at least temporarily) happy with.

Time:

• The choices constrained by the availability of the modules (especially nowadays...), and maybe time for another (good) choice :)
• Time spent studying how the modules work (reading manuals, watching videos, reading ou discussing in the forums), finally producing a wonderful track on the basis of what was just a simple test in the beginning.
• Oops! That sudden discovery (and order) of another great module that has just been released, or that you were totally unaware of, or whose possibilities we did not suspect.
• The installation, uninstallation and reinstallation of the modules.
• The revelation of another philosophy of use of the modular in your producing reorienting your first vision.

The modular path is really long and impossible to program completely by advance.
But this is also one of its attractions.

‘A splendid time is guaranteed for all’ (Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite).

So here is my advice (of the day), and of course just an example of what is possible: a 'simple' module like the E352 (the best choice, believe me, I got one :)) means days and days of exploration, learning and pleasure!

So you start with that one, and with all the bare necessities around.
Take time and pleasure. Well, E352 is around 600€ / 700$...
You'll start to learn and love it step by step. Modular is a love story with your instrument too.
And you'll start to know step by step by yourself what you (two) really need else and in the end.

Bonus: the pleasure of receiving a package from time to time with that new module you've been longing for...

When you enter a bakery, do you remember you reason with yourself ;)

+1 on @troux suggestion: FX Aid.

Concerning the music, one could think that it is rather abstract: but the title of the piece "Solitaire ou Solidaire" already evokes a very concrete subject. We can hear the importance (and the excellent management) of space in the mixing, and a stretching of time in the composition (the use of silences is crucial). It is a music that illustrates a reflection... there is a lot of questioning with all these spaces. The theme of the guitar (an instrument here perfectly integrated with the synthetic sounds) is a double note... almost the shape of a question mark, and one that never finds a resolution. From my point of view, this is not abstract music. It's like theme music, almost figurative music!

Fordidden Planet is a very good filter module. I think I remember @Lugia using it and being happy with it. You have to ask him... :) For my part I use several filters including Overseer which would be perfect for a DJ / House work. Other comment: Plaits is a wonderful module to start a modular and will stay in your rack until the end of the road... So, have a good trip!

I discovered a possibility of extension to the M303 that might interest you with MI Warps + Soundmachines LS1lightstrip... see the Mylar Melodies video below.
Note the final budget, but you apparently will get a true enlargement of the 303 spirit. It’s very surprising...
For my part, I almost opted for the Behringer TD-3 simply, as I had indeed done with the RD-6. But, from my point of view, if drum machines (like mixers) are more obvious and tactile in a traditional desk solution, I have preferred 2 basic modules to combine with other tools I already have (like Optomix, modDemix, Synchrodyne, Bloom...). That's an inexpensive solution and takes little space too (6HP): Pico VCO2 + VCF1!

Congratulations Farkas!
This is a great track and thanks for sharing it.

This piece is quite satisfactory as it is here.
Yes, why not introduce some drums... eventually...
But by adopting an opposite and more minimalist approach, one could also imagine concentrating on the essential. Perhaps wishing to minimize the introduction and conclusion pads (with for example an Eq a little more tightened towards the mediums, a volume just a bit less high, even a very light bit crushing).

The main sequence is very charismatic in itself! This is the main character, the hero, the one on whom all the attention is going to be focused, and therefore the light and the contrasts can be further maximized. This is all very subjective, of course.

This sequence has a beautiful dynamic, a full and almost carnal sound, a dense and silky grain (there is deep black, then all the nuances... until flashes of light; the AJH Vcos ?). The whole is carried by balanced melodic variations, with neither too many nor too few gaps (in my opinion). This sequence is neither too repetitive, nor too scattered. Like a life form with its own coherence, like the wandering of a black bear, with its distanced, disillusioned, but powerful and wild look.

The more distant or external sounds that surround it remain in their proper proportion, like a slight reaction of the environment that does not interfere with the freedom of movement and expression of the main role. A living environment that knows how to remain discreet. Music is an ecosystem.

The sequence is also the 'Unique Artistic Proposition' (in analogy with the USP of marketing, 'Unique Selling Proposition'). It is the one that triggers the adoption, the favor for the track. Her departure at 11:25 is a success: surprise, the animal has disappeared... we are left alone in its natural environment, and it has run away.

BTW, it's interesting to mention the Berlin influences in this track. But if I were you, I wouldn't hesitate to say loud and clear that this music (like most of your work) is ‘Ohio School’, or ‘Erie School’, as you like :))

You're American (ok, Ohio, Midwest), but Germans (or French like me) can't be in your place. Nor the other way around. Globalization hasn't gone that far yet... thankfully. I feel more the vast spaces of North America (and maybe the Appalachian region) than the streets of Berlin in this track.

I'm currently enjoying Johno Wells' work a lot, for example : he's so Southern California... and among the giants: Kraftwerk, so German, and Pierre Henry, Eliane Radiguet or Jean-michel Jarre, so French.

You, you are yourself. And it's perfect like that.
So, long live the Ohio School!

It is a very interesting question and, as often, there is no universal answer: hence all the pleasure and interest of the modular synthesizer.

In my case, on about fifty modules, I use only 3 small modules strictly dedicated to effects: 2hp Verb, Pico DSP and Happy Nerding FX Aid (4hp version). I have to add the Monsoon (a Clouds clone with the Parasites firmware) reverb and the possibility to use sometimes the Disting mk4.

Why? Because I try to preserve as much as possible the nature, the transients and the texture of the sounds: the quality of the sound sources in a modular was from the beginning, and actually stays for me the main attraction next to the possibilities of CV of course...

So my most frequent use of effects remains the positioning in the mix, as one would use commonly a filter for example.

On the other hand, when I think of 'effect', I more often associate it with a deeper mutation of the sound such as the granularization of a Nebulae, or the metamorphosis by a Morphagene.

Pushing to the extreme, I would say that it is the whole modular that I conceive as a special effect for the sound: just like cinema is not theater and could even be viewed as a special effect versus the theater! (Think about Georges Méliès).

My philosophy of modular is not to try to reproduce what traditional synthesizers would do. In the same way that a sampler should not try to imitate an acoustic instrument just because it could.

The LB5 is a cleverly designed (with a beautifully finish!) module dedicated to logic functions. It allows very creative patching. I own one and no other of my modules can replace it. The Disting mk4 is a good Swiss army knife, it allows more or less to temporarily compensate for the absence of this or that functionality. Currently, for example, I use its delays a lot... while waiting to buy a true delay module like the Chronoblob.

Curiously, no one mentions Dfam. It's an amazing machine, solo or in conjunction with a modular.
Here, a performance among dozens of others on YT.

When I hear 5HP, I think Xodes LB5. Great logic module!

Excellent video, nice performance. The track is very pleasant to listen to. Ambient and space music can easily become boring. Here, it is not the case. Polygogo and Panharmonium are definitely on my list.

Sunny and funny! Thanks for sharing.

"Oh, just one more thing" :) Don't part with your Drumbrute Impact if you master it well, it will be still useful for a long time to come. Think about Rample, Plonk, Chimera, Basimilus or ADDAC100 series (some DIY kits) in your rack instead. Look for CV control. Have a nice trip!

It's funny how modularists share this taste for Star Trek. I don’t escape it either... There is a Communicator (a nice toy version) preciously placed between my Mother-32 and my 0-Coast... :))

Artificial Singularity is a good ambient track. Congratulations!
I especially like the density and the smoothness of the pads. The depth of the mix and the spacialization too.

The length may seem daring and we too often hesitate to produce on such a dimension. But the theme lends itself well.

Great, see you on the bridge!

‘I feel like I’m heading in about 20 different directions at once while trying to plan, so would love some feedback, constructive criticism and advice…’

This is a common situation and also very logical. You can't and shouldn't try to plan everything. As for a trip, you leave by defining a few essential places to visit, but it is then, on the spot, that you will discover the interest or the desire to visit others. Otherwise the process is too mental and, indeed, you can go crazy imagining 20 directions at once!

That said, in your list I see at least two that you will never be disappointed with: Maths and Disting mk4. They are not the most exotic modules, but they are like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower... pretty much unmissable.

The day when oil prices will be discussed here, it will be necessary to think about changing the name of the site...
@ANTONIVS nice rack, even if the weather gets a little bad ;)

‘(...) I'm going to extend my rack to another 3U of space’.
Honestly, investing directly in another RackBrute 6U would be wiser... Then a few suggestions:
Dirty textures: NE Viol Ruina ?
Melodic: Stochastic Inspiration Generator ?
Noisy: EI Liquid Glitcher ?
Enjoy your trip! :)

tELHARMONIC from Make Noise - Coded by Tom Erbe.
2015-2021.

‘The goal with the tELHARMONIC was to present three historically important pioneering electronic music tone generation techniques less often implemented within the modular synthesizer: Additive Harmonic synthesis, inspired by Thaddeus Cahill's original Telharmonium [1897]; Noise synthesis, inspired by James Tenney’s 1961, early computer music piece "Analog 1: Noise Study;” Phase Modulation synthesis, inspired by early commercial digital synthesis from the 1980's.’ (Extract from Make Noise tELHARMONIC manual).

‘O why? O why? Sign O’ The Times’
Prince - 1958-2016.

A virtuosity at the service of an instrument in its own right, modular synth. One can also discover an extraordinary piece by the same composer 'Compression Music (part 5)' on Vimeo, YouTube, or SoundCloud. Bravo and respect, Sir!

First I would remove the DFAM from the rack to recover 60HP!
And I would choose a good Quad Vca: not only for attenuation...
Then it depends on the music or sounds you want to produce.

That reminds me of a track I published this year. Rings is definitely a great module.
I used Batumi (sine) for cv in the Quad Vca. This brought some shades.

It is amusing to note that, so far, the subject seems intriguing without eliciting any comments or reflections on it. Yet several bridges link the world of modular to that of artificial intelligence applied to music :

• The use of random.
• The self generative capacity.
• The integration of computer science, at least in digital modules.
• A common and progressive appearance in the Music of the 20th century.
• A remarkable shared development at the beginning of this 21st century.
• A strong potential for innovation, and even for mutual articulation...

I still have this beautiful reflection by Brian Eno on the subject of computers and sequencers that comes to mind, and which, I think, applies equally to these two worlds:

"The great benefit of computer sequencers is that they remove the issue of skill, and replace it with the issue of judgement.

With Cubase or Photoshop, anybody can actually do anything, and you can make stuff that sounds very much like stuff you’d hear on the radio, or looks very much like anything you see in magazines.

So the question becomes not whether you can do it or not, because any drudge can do it if they’re prepared to sit in front of the computer for a few days, the question then is, "Of all the things you can now do, which do you choose to do?".

I read in this Forum dozens of topics related to the choice of modules or the correct configuration of a setup. I am not saying that these questions are not interesting, on the contrary. I notice that the best answers, and by the best of us (I don't quote names, we'll recognize them) refer us most often to this same question from Eno: "Of all the things you can now do, which do you choose to do?

Is there any musician here for a comment, or even an answer to the initial question?

An amusing but legitimate question...
Mutable Instruments: sober, almost zen, well-proportioned and ergonomic. Like their manual by the way.