Beginner's guitar processing rack, hopes of generative

Yeah, another beginner thread... seduced by potted plant youtubers and an appreciation for random unpredictability brought on by middle age and career stagnation, here I am.

I am looking to build a system capable of interesting guitar/sound processing (more pad/swell/euphoria than bit crush/mangle) and some light generative sequencing that I could either trigger with or react to using processed guitar.

I've been playing guitar professionally for 25+ years, but I highly doubt this will ever leave my office. It's really just a personal indulgence more than a gigging rig.

I have a few synths already and a cabinet full of guitar pedals. Pieces of note, Moog Grandmother, Deepmind, Arturia beatstep/minilab/keylab controllers, Microcosm, Zoia, Strymon Big Sky/Timeline/Mobius...

I've been working my way through Comparative Irrelevance's 3 module videos, reading posts that mention guitar/generative, and just generally dabbling in ambient music for a few years. I really like the CI videos where he is processing external audio or setting up generative pads and plucks.

My purchasing plans will have to follow a phase system.

First phase: I am considering the Arturia 6u Rackbrute. I've used their products for years and have some brand loyalty. I do wish there was some built in utility like the Intellijel's but the price and I like the price and size... For getting the guitar into the rack, Ears. Then a Dual Looping Delay and Monsoon to get the clouds flavor in a smaller space. Also thinking of picking up the nRings early on since it's so present in the CI videos I like, and uJack to get the sound out.

Phase 2: Ornament & Crime, Maths, Quad VCA, Strymon AA.1 and Pam's.

From there, who knows. I love Zoia, so I'm tempted by the Euroburo. I really like the Mimeophon in the 3 module videos... But this is well into the future.

My question is, what am I going to regret not getting in these first couple phases? I know I'm probably overlooking some obvious stuff. Honestly, I'm really working off the CI videos in choices. Particularly episodes 50 and 87, but also 3, 19, 25, 34, 67, 138 to name a few.

Here's what I've got so far...

I know I need VCA's, clock, mult, and quantizer. I think I have some of that covered but would really appreciate any input you have. Thanks, from a middle age noob.

also a guitar player here...
rack brute is ok - but wastes 5hp of your rack with it's rack wart... get a tiptop mantis isnstead - only a little bit more expensive - but no rack wart so over 40hp more rack space - it'll also mean you don't have to go for micro modules - you may still be able to pick up a real rings - much better ergonomics

for guitar input - take a look at the sonicsmith converter ev1 - ears only does amplification to modular level and envelope following - the ev1 adds a vco and the best pitch to cv converter available at the moment...

as a guitarist it's a good idea to be able to have some control with your feet (as you hands will be occupied with the guitar - expression pedals and on/off switches etc - addac are the people for that - or doepfer

if you already have the zoia, why would you want to duplicate it in the rack - especially as it takes up so much space - which is better used for other things - I'd swap the quad vca for a veils (should still be able to get one), 2hp smaller and better features imo

you may or may not need an output module, depending on what you are sending the signal to (most modern mixers and audio interfaces can cope with modular levels perfectly well - so unless you need balanced outputs the most you should need is some passive attenuators...

other than that filters and utilities (think plumbing - a rack without utilities is like a house without plumbing) would be what I would fill the rest of the space up with

EDITED May 16th 2022, 22:06

Went off on this...first of all, starting with a Mantis as the cab rather than the Rackbrute:

Rather different architecture from a synthesizer. There's "sources", but you don't deal with them in quite the same way. And the same goes for modules.

TOP: this row is all about the main audio chain. The Monde preamp also contains an envelope follower with both positive AND negative envelope voltages, and the usual trig/gate setup. But this also can handle most anything at the input, given that you have a "combo XLR" there. After this is something just for the guitar: a Frequency Central Thermo Nuclear overdrive/distortion with an actual micro-tube in there. Then Beads for granular tampering, the DLD, and THE filter for something like this, 4ms's Spectral Multiband Resonator. Very stereo, very complex, very wild-sounding in this context. Also note: each of the past three modules also has a dual VCA (Veils architecture) available for outputs for better control over the signal levels going to the mixer. And the mixer is Toppobrillo's Minimix, six channels in (two are stereo) with panning on four, and AUTOpanning on two. And then at the end I put a Happy Nerding Isolator; since we're dealing with a guitar at the input and probably an amp output on the other end, I thought it was VERY important to have some DC and crud elimination at the output so that any groundloops and other crap are shunted by the Isolator's isolation transformers. It's also got your "main" stereo out pot AND the headphone preamp...and there's another on the mixer, also.

BOTTOM: Mostly "helpers" here. The first things are all pedal-related: a pair of ADDAC 301 Floor Controllers gives you a pair of expression pedal inputs, then a pair of the Strymon AA-1s allows stompboxes to be integrated into the signal; note also that there's a VCA pair for one of the two AA-1 outputs. Next, I put in a Temps Utile instead of the Pam's because I think it fits better in this context...where you want some basic sequencing, off-module control, and the like. And after that is the mayhem of the Freq Central Bartos Flur II, which uses all sorts of gates, triggers, CVs to generate trigger/gate patterns of its own. Then you've got a Klavis Mixwitch...a CV-controlled switcher x2 which can shift either CVs or audio between destinations, plus a number of other tricks. Next, four free-run LFOs, then Maths, another VCA pair, and a Klavis Quadigy for four channels of envelopes, and that there is the modulation core...loads of potential, including generative-type control capabilities. And last is the final effect...Uli's knockoff of the Bode Frequency Shifter, which not only makes clangers...but is also the secret to MASSIVE phasing sounds.

So...a little different, but definitely fun AND very usable for live gigs as well as the studio.

Thanks so much for the replies. I really like that TipTop case, although it looks like its sold out everywhere. There look to be a few on Reverb though.

Lots of research to do on these suggestions. I had not considered floor/expression options or an isolator but both make perfect sense. That Minimix seems cool with the panning options as well... never enough VCA's, right? Great stuff. I'm sure I will have more questions as I research.

I didn't mention in the first post, but I've done quite a bit of DIY building, pedals and amps. I know this is an option in eurorack, and I'm navigating options for retailers. I'm more of a "full kit" than a source parts guy. Seems like Thonk and Synthcube are the big players, Modular Addict... Are there any modules you would recommend staying away from as kits? Pedal kits sometimes get you 90-95% of the way there, but there will be a difference in the sound of an official vs clone. Is this the same in modular? Is this opening a can?

Thanks so much for the replies. I really like that TipTop case, although it looks like its sold out everywhere. There look to be a few on Reverb though.

if you can wait new ones turn up in stores from time to time - including a run of black ones due in a few months or so

Lots of research to do on these suggestions. I had not considered floor/expression options or an isolator but both make perfect sense. That Minimix seems cool with the panning options as well... never enough VCA's, right? Great stuff. I'm sure I will have more questions as I research.

yeah not things you think about until someone points them out... more vcas are good... as are more questions!!

I didn't mention in the first post, but I've done quite a bit of DIY building, pedals and amps. I know this is an option in eurorack, and I'm navigating options for retailers. I'm more of a "full kit" than a source parts guy. Seems like Thonk and Synthcube are the big players, Modular Addict... Are there any modules you would recommend staying away from as kits? Pedal kits sometimes get you 90-95% of the way there, but there will be a difference in the sound of an official vs clone. Is this the same in modular? Is this opening a can?
-- cdc3jj

no idea how close the DIY stuff gets to factory built modules, I suspect it's 100% - but then, a lot of the DIY modules are DIY only so it's difficult to compare - so I've never compared any DIY kits I've built to factory built modules - but I have built quite a few... tbh - kits don't save that much money - so if there's a factory built model then I'd tend to buy that, unless you really like building kits - if you want to save money sourcing your own components is the only real way to save money... and then only if you buy for quite a few modules at once and round up for price breaks and free postage and then you spend a lot of time doing all the searching and substituting components

what I have compared is a few MI builds - specifically Veils mk1 and Shades mk1 - mine are close but I think that's down to my smd soldering skills and possibly to some extent part substituting skills (it's been a while - might not have paid attention to capacitor types as much as I should have) and not the BOM or pcbs - all MI modules are open source...

EDITED May 17th 2022, 22:39