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My goals:
- Small setup, both to save space and to enforce some limit on myself regarding complexity/spending => Intellijel 4U 62HP case

this is a common mistake - these cases are really too small for anything other than satellite cases for bigger systems or extremely focused single purpose synths...

if your end goal is a tiny case, then start with a bigger case, work out what you actually want in the case and what you need to support those modules and then get the case that you need to house the modules, not the case you think you want and then have to compromise yourself on the modules you use...

one of the main reasons for opting for modular synthesis, whether 'synthesis with modules' or actual 'modular synthesis' or somewhere in between, is to create a custom synthesizer to your needs - and constraining so much regarding the size of the case, is the opposite of this

btw you do know that 1hp = 5.08mm or 1/5" and that 1u = 1.75" or 44.45mm, don't you???

• Flexible setup, since I don't have "one" preferred style - I just love to experiment. I just need some oscillators, filters, modulation and maybe sprinkle some delay on top.

see above... you will not achieve a 'flexible setup' in such a small case, even if you fill it with modules that are too small to use!!!

• Room for expansion, because I probably want to add a module or two later when I'm more familiar with my setup. For now there should be 8-10 HP left in my rack.

hahaha - thar's not room for expansion over a few weeks or months - that's room for expansion for tomorrow once you've realised you have left out something important...

My ideas:
- Steppy and Alan - CV sequencers would be helpful to get some nice loops. The "Steppy" provides the basics, while the "Alan" adds randomness when needed.

steppy is a trigger/gate sequencer... NOT a cv sequencer...

Alan is a turing machine - it will generate random loops of cv

which means no way to generate 'composed' sequences of pitch (there are ways to do this even with a steppy, but not without a dedicated mixer) plus if you want to make 'music' which fits in with other instruments you will almost definitely need a quantizer...

• Passive LPG - All my other synths use VCAs, so here I'm going with two LPGs instead.

I'd want vcas as well... at least a quad...

• Rainier - I was first looking at the NANO Quart or Intellijel Quadrax, but the former seems a bit low on control options and the latter is quite large. Then I found the "Rainier" - it's small, has lots of features, and 2 outputs.

a peaks clone is a great idea...

• Cascades and Brooks - I first considered the NANO ONA but now moved on to (part of) the After Later Audio COCO series, with the "Cascades" as the main oscillator and "Brooks" as secondary.

I think 2 oscillators in this size case is too many... and you probably need more modules to support them... a mixer for example

• Forbidden Planet - I heard some nice things about this filter and it should be sufficiently different from "typical" VCFs, opening some possibility for experiments. Also with all the COCO outputs, it would be interesting to use the multiple inputs that the "Planet" provides.
• Timber - I wanted more sound-shaping options than just the filter, and what would be a better match for the west-coast LPGs than a wave folder? This one seems nice, doesn't take much space, and has lots of options with not too much complexity (?)
• Basil - Finally, a stereo delay effect to add texture and rhythmic complexity to my patches. It seems to offer a lot in a small package.

hmm... I suggest some time spent thinking about the contents of my signature...

My current setup:
- Elektron Digitakt (main controller, drum machine, sometimes basslines)
- Novation Bass Station II (mostly basslines, sometimes glitchy stuff)
- Korg Minilogue xd (basslines, melodies, polyphonic stuff, sometimes microtones)
- Behringer Neutron (whatever I can think of, it's fun to experiment)

Note: The "user" oscillator on my Minilogue runs some Plaits/Tides oscillators with limited control capabilities. For details see my Github project where I added some features to the original code. I would probably consider these in my rack as well, but they're kinda covered already elsewhere in my setup.
-- zykure

I take it you have an external mixer for end of chain mixing?

how are you going to raise the levels of the external synths to modular level fir processing?