Accidentally stumbled down the eurotrack, now what?

Moved out of a small studio space a couple of months ago, and in the process of downsizing accidentally managed to trade a synth for a small 48hp case of eurorack modules. A couple of months later, what seemed like an innocent additional effects-unit has expanded to a 9u drum and ambient texture-box with me really having no clue of what happened. I guess I’m nearing completion in terms of filling it up, and am fooling myself into believing that it will all de done then. Need some help though with figuring out what is missing, since this is all still very new to me. Most of the stuff I have bought used, with the exception of the DFAM, the Quad VCA and Marbles, so the selection is somewhat a reflection of what has been for sale locally. I also have a beatstep pro, which functions as a bit of a hub for connecting up to my other synths (SH-1, Jupiter 4, Grandmother). Actually am guitarist, so have some external effect boxes such as reverbs, delays and distortion. Goals is to use this for evolving drums/rhythms/textures together with other synths to make ambient krautrockish stuff. Have also thought about using it for mangling existing recordings. Have everything except for Plaits and Batumi. Would those be good additions, and what should I add or perhaps even get rid of/exchange? More modulation, more utilities?

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_886548.jpg

Help!

Edit: there is also a Mikrophonie module in there that had fallen out.

Can you paste a link of the system rather than just a JPEG? I'm having trouble identifying some of your modules and it's much easier to calculate available rack space. On first glance, your system seems to have most of the core elements. Where are the envelope generators? Is there a filter... filters? Also, you can upgrade the Batumi with the Poti expander. It's around $60US and well worth the extra 3HP. Post that link and I'll take another look.

Was posting from an iPad and couldn't quite figure out how the fetch the actual link, but here it is. Thanks for responding and having a look. Peaks can do envelopes, and have an ALM Pip Slope in there as well. Got a Ripples Filter and a Pittsburg Lo-Pass Gate.

Peaks is okay. But it's a stereo envelope generator... or basically two independent trigger/gate inputs sharing the same slopes. It will work. But your pretty skint on envelope generators. Using ones inside a menu driven module (like Pamela) might inhibit your workflow if you're dependent on them.

The Ripples has low-pass and band pass. That's okay... but I would start with a multi-mode filter with more options like a Morgasmatron.

Your low-pass gate is more in line with a VCA than a filter. It's a bit like a hybrid between the two. It definitely has a sound to it. But I wouldn't put it over in the filter column.

Take the DFAM out of the rack. Rack space is expensive and having the DFAM eating up rack space and power off of your PSU... I would reserve the space for modules. You're at the point where you're going to start throwing compromises in which modules you get in order to accommodate the DFAM. It's up to you of course.

No Poti expander for the Batumi? To alter waveshapes on your Batumi (other than sine/square), you'll have to change jumpers on the back... the same for sync vs reset.

A second dedicated VCO would also be nice. You have a Dixie and a Plaits. Something that can take sync inputs like a second Dixie or a Rubicon II would give you some options. The Plaits is fine for generic sounds. It's worth keeping. But if you're looking to sync oscillators or get in some more audio rate modulation, a second VCO would be nice.

It's not a bad start. There is a lot to work with as is.

Great, thanks for the input! I have not bought the Batumi, nor the Plaits or Pam's yet, these are just modules that I have been thinking about adding. Perhaps it would make more sense to get the MI Stages then (which is another module I have been considering), which can serve more envelope duties.

Totally see your point about moving the DFAM out of the rack. I'm sure this will happen eventually, but at this point, I quite like having it there (in part due to space limitations and in part due to the fact that I don't like to look at a half-empty case). I ended up getting a big (for me) 9U monorocket case with upgraded power supply for a really good price, so currently I'm not thinking about the rack-space (or power) as very precious.

The rack is currently sitting above a Moog Grandmother, which I can use to add another analog oscillator. But also have a couple of wonderful analogs already, so feel like the Eurorack is less an attempt to build another analog synth, and more of an experimental space for trying out and finding other sonic textures.

But yeah, maybe a different filter and more envelopes. What about other stuff? I still feel quite confused by the enormous expansion of terms and concepts that come from moving into Euro.

And yeah, I do realise I just need to give it some time :-)

Traded Ripples for a Polaris Filter (based on above suggestion), got a 4MS Pingable LFO at decent price (less than half of what Batumi or Stages would have cost me), and am now thinking of finishing it off with a Pam's New Workout.

If you're using your Eurorack as more of an expander for your existing synths, I'd concentrate in two areas: modulation and effects.

Your effects do not have to be Eurorack but if they have CV modulations in them, they will be much more useful. There is a TON of effects modules out there. Z-DSP, Magneto, Clouds (and clones), ErbeVerb, Rainmaker are some of the popular models thrown around. Also consider overdrive/distortion modules as effects. A little dirt doesn't hurt.

As far as modulation, the sky is the limit on that as well: extra LFOs, extra envelope generators, mutes, sequencers (they are great for more than just controlling pitch and triggering envelopes, CV processors like the Worng Vector Space, etc.

You can also place additional filter types in your rack if you want to run your Grandmother synth through something different than the stock filter.

If you haven't bought any or all of the Mutable instrument stuff, I'd seriously recommend buying the much more compact clone versions of each module. They are generally cheaper and take up much less space.

Take a deep breath and start slow. You already have a decent collection of modules so see how you can augment what you have with them and what areas you feel they are falling short. It's hard to say "what you need" as everyone's set-up is as individual as the individual.

Thanks again @Ronin1973.

I think I just have to go down the route of playing around with the stuff that I have now for a few months and then eventually start replacing the stuff that I don't gel with. I feel like now, while perhaps not set up to any one thing really well, I do have a decent setup for exploring and learning what can be done with a modular system. I can already see that eventually I might move either Elements and/or DFAM out of the rack and use that space for more modulation and effects. But all this stuff is so deep that it is kind impossible to know "what you need (or want)" unless you have some basic sense of the possibilities. I mean, I spent 3-4 hours yesterday just trying to wrap my head around the basic possibilities of the Clouds module, and realised there was so much there that I hadn't realised at all while just playing around before.

It's a good strategy to try and make what you've got work for you while you're getting familiar with your modules.

I've fallen back in love with my Temps Utile module and have a regrowing fondness for the Ornaments & Crime module. As my own personal experience and knowledge grows in Eurorack, I'm rediscovering the power of these modules. I think you will find that modules that you're initially less-than-excited about take on new-to-you functionality later on.

I have about 25 years as a professional audio engineer. I'm about a year into Eurorack with two 104HP Intellijel 7U cases full of modules and a third 104HP 4U case under consideration. Meaning that I'll buy it when I'm feeling less guilty about what I've spent thus far... Eurocrack is making me itch. :)

I have four main oscillator modules, three filter modules, and the rest is mostly modulation and effects. Here's my rack. If you have any questions regarding some of my choices or the purpose of a module in my set-up, feel free to ask. It'll be awesome to see where you are a year from now too!

EDITED May 2nd 2019, 19:06

Just as an update, this is where I am now. Have a 4MS PEG that I had to move out of the rack to fit the Z-DSP, but will put it back as soon as I find the resources to put the PP+Brains in a skiff instead.