Hello,
I would like to build a modular rack for making techno. I like the harder techno with lots of 303 sounds. My plans are to have an Oxi One as my sequencer, Roland TR6s as drums for now and eventually a RE-909 (got the kit, just need to build it). I put an ES9 to connect to Ableton.
This is my first go at this and i'm not sure if I have enough utilities or have got the output mixing right.
Appreciate any feedback
Thanks
Winter Modular Eloquencer sequencer and Endorphin.es Queen of Pentacles is a good way to get modular techno easily.
If you want to make hard techno, by this I assume a bit in the styles of Charlotte de Witte or I Hate Models, you will needs loads of effects. I'd advice to keep your standard reverbs, delays and compressors in Ableton, otherwise it'll take up a lot of space and money. However eurorack effects can be more interesting as their parameters are often easier to modulate. The FX aid pro seems to be a reasonable choice as it offers a load of different effects. Maybe you can also look into the Endorphin.es ghost, it's a multi-fx module but it seems to be really suitable for hard techno as it has filter, delay, reverb, compressor and distortion. This can be used pretty good for those rumble kicks I think.
Both the Erica Synths Bassline and the x0x heart are quite similar - both have a saw/square VCO (bassline has also triangle tho), a filter that can do acid-type resonance, a gated VCA, accent input and VCF envelope depth. Unless you have a specific feature that you want on either of these machines, having them both seems a bit overkill.
The atlantis seems to be a great one-in-all module (it has oscillators, filter, envelopes, VCA, basically an entire synth voice), but combined with the one-in-all Erica Synths Bassline and x0x heart modules I think this will discourage you to experiment a opposed to having separate modules for each functionality. What I mean by this is that these all-in-one modules have a pre-wired signal path - VCO goes into VCA controlled by envelope 1, goes into VCF controlled by envelope 2. If these kind of modules have your preference, you can just as easily get a 303-like synth + another mono synth - this does basically the same and saves you a lot of learning curve and money.
If you are interested in the possibilities of eurorack though, I'd remove either the Erica Synths Bassline or x0x heart and add the following modules:
- A separate VCA where you can control both the input signal AND the CV input signal (the Befaco Hexmix seems to do only of the combined output of the signal and CV in). Something like the Doepfer A-130-2 or the Happy Nerding 3x VCA. These give more flexibility to use the VCAs as simple attentuators as well. Maybe even more than 3 VCAs
- As a sound source it'd be nice to use more dissonant or richter harmonic sounds as well. An analog VCO (which usually has saw, square, triangle and sine) is nice as base or a sub sound but it'd look into modules that can do a wider variety of sounds. These are more difficult to learn but give you more flexibility. A Mutable Intruments Plaits is often mentioned for this. Since the module is discontinued, you can also use clones
- Something that creates envelopes, LFOs, random, i.e. modulation.
This is my first go at this and i'm not sure if I have enough utilities or have got the output mixing right.
-- Jamest2305
To have both an Hexmix and a ES-9 is confusing - the ES-9 is meant to send each sound source separate into your DAW, while the Hexmix is meant to combine all the signals and output the mix. If you want to get your modular sounds into something like Ableton, it'd choose the ES-9 over the Hexmix because having all the sounds separate makes it easier to tweak and mix.
This is why I like the Eloquencer and Queen of Pentacles combo. You get a killer sequencer, drum voices, filter, and effects in two modules leaving room for utilities like a good mixer and VCAs and envelopes. For an attenuator, the WMD 4tten is great with sliders to help adjust levels for the various drum voices. But you could just buy an Erica Synths Techno System and be done with it.
That is what I would do if I had the cash and wanted a well sorted modular techno machine.
Also, please take a second look at the case you are going to use. Since you've added a 104HP Palette Case Top Row, I assume you are going to buy an Intellijel Palette.
However, the Palette module you've added to the top row is only on the 4U Palette cases, which contradicts with your case settings that indicate a height of 7U. On the 7U version this top row is not present (although some I/O is on the back of the 7u Palette case), which would mean that you could remove that Top Row module, giving your case another 1U row.
You could also provide a link to the case you want to buy so me or someone else can create a valid ModularGrid template for you :)
Winter Modular Eloquencer sequencer and Endorphin.es Queen of Pentacles is a good way to get modular techno easily.
-- benscott
Would this be better than an Oxi One and RE-909? I've just got an RE-909 kit i'm about to build and was planning to use that for my drums.
Thanks for the lengthy reply
If you want to make hard techno, by this I assume a bit in the styles of Charlotte de Witte or I Hate Models, you will needs loads of effects. I'd advice to keep your standard reverbs, delays and compressors in Ableton, otherwise it'll take up a lot of space and money. However eurorack effects can be more interesting as their parameters are often easier to modulate. The FX aid pro seems to be a reasonable choice as it offers a load of different effects. Maybe you can also look into the Endorphin.es ghost, it's a multi-fx module but it seems to be really suitable for hard techno as it has filter, delay, reverb, compressor and distortion. This can be used pretty good for those rumble kicks I think.
I removed the effect I had and added the one you suggested. Do I need an FX Aid Pro as well?
Both the Erica Synths Bassline and the x0x heart are quite similar - both have a saw/square VCO (bassline has also triangle tho), a filter that can do acid-type resonance, a gated VCA, accent input and VCF envelope depth. Unless you have a specific feature that you want on either of these machines, having them both seems a bit overkill.
They're both kits I have wanted to build for ages and had always been at the heart of what i planned to do so want to keep these
If you are interested in the possibilities of eurorack though, I'd remove either the Erica Synths Bassline or x0x heart and add the following modules:
- A separate VCA where you can control both the input signal AND the CV input signal (the Befaco Hexmix seems to do only of the combined output of the signal and CV in). Something like the Doepfer A-130-2 or the Happy Nerding 3x VCA. These give more flexibility to use the VCAs as simple attentuators as well. Maybe even more than 3 VCAs
I added a Doepfer Quad VCA. Will 4 be enough or should I add another?
- As a sound source it'd be nice to use more dissonant or richter harmonic sounds as well. An analog VCO (which usually has saw, square, triangle and sine) is nice as base or a sub sound but it'd look into modules that can do a wider variety of sounds. These are more difficult to learn but give you more flexibility. A Mutable Intruments Plaits is often mentioned for this. Since the module is discontinued, you can also use clones
will have a look at this
- Something that creates envelopes, LFOs, random, i.e. modulation.
Isn't this what Maths does?
Also, please take a second look at the case you are going to use. Since you've added a 104HP Palette Case Top Row, I assume you are going to buy an Intellijel Palette.
However, the Palette module you've added to the top row is only on the 4U Palette cases, which contradicts with your case settings that indicate a height of 7U. On the 7U version this top row is not present (although some I/O is on the back of the 7u Palette case), which would mean that you could remove that Top Row module, giving your case another 1U row.You could also provide a link to the case you want to buy so me or someone else can create a valid ModularGrid template for you :)
tbh with you i wasn't sure which one to get, i have just built this erica synths diy modular kit and would really like that adding to my rack, that's 84 bhp. If I am going to do this then I would need a 9U case I would think. Any suggestions?
I removed the effect I had and added the one you suggested. Do I need an FX Aid Pro as well?
-- Jamest2305
Depends on how many effects you want to add in your DAW later on. You can always leave it out first and see if you feel like you want to do some crazy stuff with effects in your rack later on.
Both the Erica Synths Bassline and the x0x heart are quite similar (...) having them both seems a bit overkill.
They're both kits I have wanted to build for ages and had always been at the heart of what i planned to do so want to keep these
-- Jamest2305
If you want them both that sounds reasonable, since both of them eat up some HP I'd remove the Atlantis in a rack that is this size.
I added a Doepfer Quad VCA. Will 4 be enough or should I add another?
-- Jamest2305
Combined with the added Lapsus Os Quad Attenuator it will be enough at first. You can always add one later on as they're not that big and you can get them fairly cheap.
- Something that creates envelopes, LFOs, random, i.e. modulation.
Isn't this what Maths does?
-- Jamest2305
Yes, Maths can be a modulation source amongst other things, that's why so many people recommend is for a starter system. Maths has four channels, two of which have a trigger and rise/fall control, basically giving you two LFOs or envelope generators aka modulation sources. Two modulation sources (not counting the modulator and envelope on the Atlantis) is not much. You can dedicate all the Maths Channels to modulating the Noise Engineering Manis Iteritas alone, let alone all the other modules.
The Ornament & Crime module theoretically has four modulation outputs but I assume you don't want the o_C only for modulation source as it can do many things. I'd add something like Pamela's New Workout or Intellijel Quadrax (or maybe even both)
