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Hi arthabaska. I'm a big fan of a lot of the music you mentioned. Cornelius's Fantasma is a personal favorite.
After taking a quick glance at your rack, I'm thinking you are VERY oscillator heavy. I think I'd be tempted to part with the Drone Bank, E350, and A110 Standard VCO in favor of more mixing, for sure. With so many sound sources I would be looking for creative ways to mix, crossfade, aux send, etc.
As far as utilities, figure out what problem you are running into and add individual utilities as necessary to solve specific problems. Whatever you want to do is probably possible, but I'm not sure what issues you are running into to recommend anything specific at this time.
Have fun and good luck!

Yeah, I stand by my original suggestion. Get the 208hp case, add some of the modules that you really want, and cover the rest with blind panels until you know what you need. Plan long-term and add modules as need and budget dictate. This is modular after all so you can always take a modular approach to the rack itself if you plan right. I started with a plan of 416hp (i.e. two Mantis cases joined with brackets) and my initial investment was 104hp worth of modules. I then began adding additional support modules when I could. I now have double my original plan. Modular is my main instrument, so that may be overkill for many users, but it works for me.
Buy the modules that will give you the most joy and inspiration. Don't just buy what is small, available, and affordable in the present. You are building a highly personal instrument that could last decades, so build exactly what you want. Don't get me wrong, I've purchased some modules that were duds just because I wanted something (anything?) new, but for the most part I've stuck to my long-term plan. And your long-term plans will slowly shift as you begin adding modules and realizing that your preferences and approach to sound and workflow differ from the capabilities and styles of some module manufacturers.
Above all, have fun with it. Don't go into debt. :)

Edit: Here's my current rack if you are interested. Again, I started with 104hp of modules (some of which I still have in there). Just be sure to cover open spaces to avoid screws and patch cable tips from touching any power headers.

EDITED Feb 28th 2022, 10:16

I recently picked up a Blue Lantern Booster Array which has 8 separate preamps in 10hp for under $100. I’m using it with the individual outs of a drum machine but it’s great with other line level gear too. Works perfectly. Highly recommended. I think it might be a limited run, but there were a few still available on Reverb last time I checked.
Have fun!

Very cool. I really liked that kick.

+1 to basically everything Jim said.
What about this:

I got rid of the scope and Clouds clone, added a better mixing option, attenuverters, some plumbing, and changed the layout to be a little more logical in the signal flow department. That leaves you with 26hp open. Cover that with blank panels until you play around with everything and start to realize what you really need. Saves a bit of money from your original design too.
Just a suggestion on how I would approach this. Have fun!

*Edit: Also, I think there is a newer version of Veils that could save you a few more hp. Not sure about availability of the newer one vs. the older one in Australia though.

EDITED Feb 20th 2022, 14:30

Yeah, man! Interesting tones. What were you using for the kick drum?

Sounds like intravenous electricity. I'm digging it.

I would suggest that you stick to the original Mutable Instruments modules. The micro builds make tweaking significantly less fun. I have a Peaks clone, and it's a little frustrating. The original MI builds may be larger, but that real estate is valuable in use. The MI modules likely won't cost you much more than the clones either. That's my experience, anyway.

Plaits is one of the rare modules that I sold due to neglect but now wish I had. I have plenty of oscillators and drum modules, but none of them can cover the broad range of percussive sounds that Plaits can do easily. I was recently considering adding another drum machine like the Elektron Model:Cycles or Erica LXR02, but realized Plaits could cover all of that territory without the need to learn a new sequencer. I feel embarrassed that I didn’t recognize its potential earlier.

I have not personally used the Beatstep Pro, but many within this forum swear by it for sequencing. As far as I know, you wouldn't need a Shuttle Control as the BSP has CV I/O for two tracks of melodic sequencing and a bunch of drum triggers, as well as CV and midi I/O for clocking. You could use Pamela's New Workout as your master clock, send a gate to the BSP clock in, and you are all set. All for $300 or less.

Hi joesh. What exactly are you hoping to accomplish? What sort of music are you making? Do you have any other external gear?

This looks very similar to the FSS Makrow, which I have used upside down in the past. Just flip it and it will be fine.

I think I would postpone the Magneto for now to recover some space to get rid of all the 2hp modules. You will probably hate trying to patch and tweak all of those little ones. In my experience, tiny modules should be used very sparingly to fill a gap here and there. You could get something like an FX Aid XL or an external tape delay pedal to use that space for other modules that you are going to want and need. The Magneto might be a good addition to a second Mantis case, but I think it's taking up too much space for now. In fact, you could get 2 FX Aids, and eliminate the Magneto and Erica Black Hole DSP and have even more room without losing much of the sound and fun of those hp hungry effect modules.
Just some thoughts I have as I look over this. Have fun and good luck!

EDITED Feb 17th 2022, 10:49

Take this with a grain of salt, but I'm looking at this rack wondering, "Where is the movement?" I love unique voice modules, but it looks like a case of sexy-module-syndrome to me. I think I would want considerably more modulation and utility modules to attain drifting, shifting, ambient soundscapes. 3xMIA, Zadar, Quadrax, and Batumi have already been mentioned, and are good options. I think a Triple Sloths or Zlob Diode Chaos could introduce some uncertainty along with Marbles. A logic module or comparator like Joranalogue's Compare 2 would allow you to extract gates from CV sources to trigger other parts of your setup, etc. I would probably bypass Arbhar for now if you already have Beads. There is a lot more potential in the other voice modules that you have yet to unleash.
Pam's New Workout is awesome and a must-have in my opinion, but not exactly a fun hands-on module. It has Euclidean functions that might be conducive to ambient, but more of a set it and forget kind of thing in my experience. And yeah, an FX Aid XL would probably be fun too. Finally, +1 on the full-size MI Rings if you want to add that.
Just some thoughts on how I would approach your rack going forward. I'm just a random dude on the internet though, so don't put too much stock in what I say.
Above all, have fun.

EDITED Feb 14th 2022, 14:04

The Happy Nerding FX Aid XL would likely have everything you need in 6hp. Tons of great reverb algorithms.

+2 on Oblique Strategies. Good enough for Eno, Bowie, and Talking Heads to create career defining albums? Good enough for me. :)

Killer acid as always, man. Would love to experiment with your rack. Looks so fun.
Is that the FX Aid on reverb duties? Kind of reminiscent of one of their algorithms I tried out.
Keep up the great work.

Thanks for listening, gang. I appreciate the kind words. Haven't had much time to make music for a while, so it's good to just press record and get something out there.
It's funny, I've gotten Cabaret Voltaire comparisons before. Those guys are definitely a subconscious influence, for sure. I did record a cover of "Nag, Nag, Nag" for fun a while back, but don't really set out to intentionally make music that sounds like them, but a lot of what comes out in this Cierny Vlk project does bear a resemblance. I think a lot of the ideas are probably coming from the same place.
Thanks again. Have a great week.

That Instruo Tanh[3] looks like an interesting small feedback tamer.

Awesome. Thanks for putting this together.

Haven't shared any new music in a while, so here's a glitchy rhythmic improv that I recorded today. I stumbled into a few cool grooves along the way.
Gear list includes: RD-8, Data Bender, Sample Drum, Crucible, and E352. Recorded into a Tascam Model 12. I recently went DAWless, and the Tascam is a godsend. Really cool piece of gear.
Thanks for listening. No worries if it's not your thing. Have a great weekend everyone.

Looks like the Korg Radias.

Sounds heavily compressed/limited to me. Might want to add something like that to your signal chain.

This is awesome, @mowse. I admire your patience and your ability to let the music develop organically. Very well done.
Thanks for sharing.

Haha. I wonder how much a kidney goes for these days?
Just for the record, I'm not the seller.

Only $3,250 and this one can be yours! Lol

https://reverb.com/item/49008393-moog-spectravox-2019-moogfest-engineer-workshop?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=49008393

Lapsus Os is a great alternative. Probably no need to switch.

With DLD, could I say for example, have one of the inputs be say from a radio and I could capture 4 or 5 seconds of a broadcast and then loop that? then I would want to 'mangle' that looping sample in certain ways...and then eventually maybe go back to the original once or twice...I probably need a different module to do the 'mangling' I'm assuming?

-- jb61264

Yes, that's one of the things DLD could do. Data Bender would probably be your mangler, but with DLD you have two delay lines so you can do some cool stuff. Check out some of the demos. DivKid has a good one from a few years back.

I've found Data Bender to be more of an effect or "happy accident" machine. You can freeze the buffer and sort of navigate around it, but it's a little imprecise for honing in on specific parts of the buffer in real-time. When I've tried this, my input is already so mangled and stuttering that I wouldn't classify it as a looper, but I'm sure others have been able to use that feature more effectively. I use the 4ms Dual Looping Delay for the real-time sampling/looping thing. It's pretty much perfect for that. I'm sure there are other options that require less hp for looping, but the interface and ergonomics of the DLD are great.

I’m actually about to move to the next level in size with a 13U x 168HP Needham case on order. Looking forward to having all my modules racked and all in one case, including the M32 and Subharmonicon. They’ll be used much more having them available in the case.

-- TumeniKnobs

That's a great size for your rack, and brings up another good point. There's a lot of talk on the forums about leaving semi-modulars outside of the rack due to the cost per hp and all of that. I've probably advised people to consider that cost myself. The more important question to consider is, "how will you make the best use of semi-modulars?" If they will just gather dust by having them sit outside of your main rack, that's a terrible outcome. I had a DFAM that I stopped using after I took it out of my main rack. I've definitely changed my tune on the pros and cons of racking a semi-modular. Rack 'em up, I say! The benefit of getting more use out of a Subharmonicon or Model D outweighs the $1.46 per hp or whatever it amounts to.

Glad you were able to gather something useful G00se222. I suppose your search for the right utilities will depend on the directions your music and overall approach to making music take. I like a lot of hands-on improvisation so a lot of the utilities and modules I've purchased reflect that, some with a lack of CV control over parameters that others would probably want CV control over. There are a lot of folks in here who take a generative approach and probably think that my choice of modules is completely ridiculous and unthinkable. I don't care for menus and unapologetically "digital" sounding modules all that much either, so most of my rack is kind of an east-coast analog subtractive kind of thing. Again, some folks would find that completely uninteresting, but I'm happy and that's all that matters when it comes to the personalized instruments we are all building.
While there are no modules that will appeal to every musician or rack configuration, one of the most useful utility type modules I've found is Happy Nerding's 3xMIA for attenuating, mixing, polarizing CV, etc. They've been hard to find recently, but definitely worth tracking one down. Warm Star makes a matrix mixer called The Bends that can do a lot of the same things. That's a fun module too.
Happy new year to you. Have fun!

Haha. Yeah, noise is not for everyone. I grew up on pop and postpunk music but as I’ve gotten older I have moved towards the fringes. Minimalism, noise, drone, and experimental stuff… I think I appreciate the ideas more than the execution these days, though I still love well-crafted songs too. I doubt anyone would want me choosing music for a party nowadays (unless they want to hear an hour of Sunn 0))) or Richie Hawtin). Lol

Yes, that’s part of the music. That sound is all over the album. Definitely interesting.

Merzbow (and all of the harsh noise stuff) is an acquired taste. Tread carefully. Haha
Here's an Oren Ambarchi track that I've had on repeat recently:

Happy new year to you @jb61264. I'm glad you are here. Looking forward to hearing your music in 2022!

+1 on attenuverters. Another Happy Nerding module to recommend here is 3xMIA. I use that thing in almost every patch.

I feel like a dedicated effects module would compliment this set-up very well. Something like the Happy Nerding FX Aid XL would be a safe and useful addition to the Moog semi-modulars. Also, unless you already have the older Pamela's Workout, you will likely find Pamela's New Workout both easier to find and more fully featured.
Have fun and good luck.

Juniper would be good. Kind of in the vein of some other stuff I was messing around with. Good call. Let me know if you need a wav file. I think you already have that one though.
Thanks!

I haven't been satisfied with any ideas I've come up with over the past couple of months, but I'm working on a guitar/synth collab with a friend tonight. Not sure if we'll stumble upon with anything worthwhile though. I'll message you if anything comes of it. Creative lulls are frustrating. I'm sure it will pass eventually.

Great quote @Vow3ll. Words to live by.
I totally ripped off the name for my rack from a Bob Mould album. It fit what I was trying to accomplish though. :)
Take care!

Yeah, 12u 104hp was the original goal. We see how that worked out. Haha. I started with a Make Noise skiff and took a modular approach to that as well. I have four of those now along with two Mantis cases. That’s why I don’t get bent out of shape about the tiny beginner racks. It’s all modular. If people want to expand, they will.
Happy 2022 to you, my friend. Keep having fun and sharing your music!

Time flies. I feel like I just joined this forum and dipped my toe in the modular ocean. I've been sharing rack updates a few times a year since I posted my initial noob "Help Me" plan. I was sort of an old-school synth guy who got disillusioned with making music and sold all my gear years ago. I happened upon some interviews with Genesis P-Orridge and the Cabaret Voltaire guys back in 2019 and got the itch to incorporate synths into an art project that I had been thinking about. The rest is a whirlwind of noise, fun, and an empty wallet.
My initial rack plan was about half the size of my current setup below (still need to buy the Vortices and LRMSMSLR in the picture). The plan was to build something for repetitive noise and abrasive glitchy techno-ish sounds. Somewhere along the way I remembered that I actually enjoy making music in a bunch of different genres. Some days I'm fascinated with Merzbow, other days I'm fascinated with Depeche Mode, or Fad Gadget, or Drexciya, or Boards of Canada, or Japan, or Oren Ambarchi, or Kraftwerk, or Can, or Surgeon, or Prefuse 73, or... you get the picture. So, my rack grew until space and money ran out. And I'm happy.
What I've discovered that I can share with the other noobs is there are a lot of well-intentioned but rigid folks who will tell you how you should do things, but rarely are they right beyond some very simple guidance (buy a bigger rack, don't overlook utilities, etc.). Everyone will do this differently, and what works for someone else will not work for you. Don't run out and buy a dual comparator, Maths, or an analog frequency shifter because someone else says you need those modules. I bought Clouds and hated it. I bought a Disting and hate it (though it still sits mostly unpatched in my rack, just in case).
You will know what you need when you need it. When you reach for something that is not there, that's the next module you should buy, whatever it is. If someone tells you that you are doing it wrong, whether it's because of a tiny case, or not enough VCAs, or too many filters, or whatever, don't worry about it. You'll figure out the direction you are heading along the way. I'm sure there is someone out there having a blast with nothing more than a Basimilus Iteritas Alter and a Pamela's New Workout. And that's all that matters in the grand scheme of things: FUN. No need to suffer for your art like some frustrated Nietzschean hermit. Just have fun with it all.
Buy a few modules that look like fun and see if you can figure out how to make them work. Do the research yourself. Read manuals, watch DivKid/MylarMelodies/etc. videos until your brain starts to think in a British accent. Plug something into something else and see if it sounds cool. Then sell what isn't working to get the next module that will help you achieve the sound you are looking for. It's really that simple. I wasted some money doing this, but I learned a lot along the way and I actually have what I need now. The GAS is gone. Now I'm just tweaking my layout here and there so everything makes sense to ME. It's all a personal journey, not what some random dude on the internet (like myself) tells you is the "right" way. Don't get me wrong, forums are super helpful, but mostly as a way to make sense of what you are experimenting with and experiencing along the way.
Anyway, happy holidays to you all. Thanks for following along with my updates over the past few years. I hope you all are happy, healthy, and having fun!

@farkas I agree that Crucible sounds wonderful, but I haven't been able to get any "hats" sounds out of it, just ride. Is there a trick I'm missing?
-- troux

It had been a while since I messed around with any drum sounds, so I patched up Crucible this morning. It definitely excels at ride/crash type stuff, but I got a decent hi hat groove going with size, decay, excite, and deform all set around 9 o’clock with pitch and tone set around 12 o’clock. Triggers into the edge and choke inputs. Attenuated lfos into size and decay, and a channel of Voltage Block into velocity in a sort of ascending sawtooth-ish kind of pattern. I also find that I like to filter the output of Crucible a little. I was just using Ripples today, but I’m sure you could get some cool results with other filters/effects.
This little experiment made me want to make some techno again. Haha.

Edit: I love the Patching Panda Punch v3 for percussive sounds, so I'm sure their Hatz v2 is awesome for analog drum machine style hi-hats. I have a few other sources for that kind of sound, otherwise I would probably get one.

EDITED Dec 29th 2021, 14:28

WMD Crucible is pretty awesome. I haven't found a better realistic source of cymbals.

+1 on Sample Drum for chopped breaks.

I’m planning on putting some new stuff together before the end of the year. I’ll be in touch.
Thanks for doing this again, @troux.

I like the 4ms Dual Looping Delay

Yeah, I'll step in to sing the praises of MylarMelodies as well. I've probably learned more useful information about modular from his videos and podcast than all of the forums out there combined. The generosity and modesty of his wisdom and humor is apparent if you look past a "clickbait" title on a single video. I'm not a big fan of the tiny palette videos out there, but I also understand that for a lot of people, modular is not a lifestyle but a hobby and a curiosity. These are just videos to show what can be done with a more modest investment, though I'm not sure that everyone realizes the very real exploratory limitations of the palette-as-instrument.
Mylar is the man. Respect where it's due.

Hi @bernardhumperdink. I am a big fan of all the artists you mentioned. In fact, I saw Broadcast with Prefuse 73 live in the early 2000s. Great show.
You might enjoy the Erica Sample Drum for some glitchy happy accidents.
Have fun and good luck.

Get healthy soon. Synthworld will keep you in our thoughts.