Beginner Rack-Suggestions Would Be Great!

Hi all, I am yet another person who is really new to modular synths. I have been looking into modular for a bit and heard about Mutable Instruments closing down. I know there's others who have made clones, but there is a sale on Plaits at a local store. I really enjoy what I've heard from Beads and Plaits in particular. I have use of my partner's East Beast and was wondering if this mash up of the EB and Mutable Instruments could be a workable starting point. I really just enjoy making sound and would like to build this into something really creative and don't mind not being able to recreate the same thing twice. Eventually, trying to look into creating more spontaneous/random sounds.

there is a sale on Plaits at a local store. I really enjoy what I've heard from Beads and Plaits in particular.

do not think about this just buy them if you wwant them - they will be gone soon enough and there will be no more (originals) and I've already seen big premiums on used modules... some of the clones seem ok - especially the full size ALA ones - the micro ones do not appeal to me at all so haven't really looked

I have use of my partner's East Beast and was wondering if this mash up of the EB and Mutable Instruments could be a workable starting point.

Possibly...

How are you going to play it? melodic & trigger/gate sequencing - via cv/midi? dedicated sequencer/computer? or a keyboard - again midi or cv? if the eastbeast has a sequencer built in you will probably break normalisation by patching it out - you'll want a buffered mult for pitch and maybe a passive for trigger/gate/envelope

How are you going to mix the outputs & listen to it?

How are you going to modulate it? Plaits has an internal (only) lfo - and I suspect the eastbeast has 1 too... which hopefully can be patched out, but does that cut normalisation - in which case you will want a way multiply the signal (again a passive mult) to send to other modulation inputs and replace the internal (normalised) routing in the eastbeast

for passive mults stack cables or headphone splitters will do - but lots of people like modules for these - all are useful and a lot of people (myself included) have all 3

get a much bigger case than you think you will need - as you will need it... a tiptop mantis is a very good starter case - it's the best bang for buck of size/cost/decent power supply/manufacturer reputation

see my signature for hints on how to expand from here sensibly - the equation scales very well from the 1st few modules all the way up to walls of modules