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Beginners are for generative eurorank.
Hello i am new and want to get into the eurorack world, what i am interested in is generative music. would this be a suitable starter setup, i could also imagine integrating my digitakt or my DAW. what do i have to consider? thanks for your help.
-- wrna1
Hello i am new and want to get into the eurorack world, what i am interested in is generative music. would this be a suitable starter setup, i could also imagine integrating my digitakt or my DAW.
what do i have to consider?
the ethics of buying from the b-company.... cheap(ly made), dreary and morally repugnant... but that's up to you... and your conscience
I'd go slower (ie start with fewer modules) and buy the real ones where possible - or clones from smaller companies, where possible (ie totally doable for not that much more cash)
I'd definitely bypass the fx module... find the cash and get an fx aid pro!!! way more fx, modulation inputs (one of the most important things in modular & a basic built in scope!
& the victor - search for it on modwiggler! - basically lacking modulation inputs - one of the most important things in modular and especially in 'generative' music
I'd get a tiptop mantis instead of the caixa - and get the utilities that you actually need - not what nano think you do... it's your custom synth, not theirs! this will also leave you with space to add more modules - which you will inevitably want to do sooner or later
why the marbles clone and the pico sequencer and pams and the midi->cv? all can do quantized pitch & gate - & when all of these include quantization - why scales??? ie too much sequencing - not enough of everything else!!!! I found the pico sequencer frustrating - especially the reset! - I would drop at least 1 & scales & if you want
why pam's new workout and not pams pro workout?
why a dedicated euclidean trigger sequencer when Pams can do euclidean?
not enough modulation... not enough utilities...
& no filters??? again a cornerstone of most modular synthesis...
take a look at my signature and take some time to seriously understand it - especially the formula - which is a rough guide to getting the most versatility (in patching) for the least expense...
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
as i said i am completely inexperienced, what would be a setup that would help me get into generative music well. thanks. can you give me some concrete suggestions so i can research further?
as i said i am completely inexperienced, what would be a setup that would help me get into generative music well. thanks. can you give me some concrete suggestions so i can research further?
-- wrna1
there are a load of hints above to further your research... and get you started...
I'd also at least try to answer the questions posed above!!!
if you can go to an actual store thaty sells modules - this can be difficult depending where you live
as a start:
get a case - I recommend a mantis as a good starter...
get a sound source, a modulation source, a sound modifier, a way to play and a way to listen...
this will give you a minimum viable synth - with quantized random looping a melody, modulation and an effect and you will learn the basics of modular - once you have learnt these modules quite well you can think about adding more modules - another sound source (if you started with digital go analog - or vice versa) - filter(s) - more modulation - more utilities - a different way to sequence etc etc - I'd suggest only 1 or 2 at a time so you can learn the new module(s) & how they interact with the old modules before before
a Pam's (new or pro - read the manuals and compare functionality/prices/availability) will cover modulation and a way to play
for a sound source almost any vco will do - you can sort by popular - either a digital or analog one will do... if you are going for mutable clones then After Later Audio make full size ones as do a couple of other manufacturers - I'd avoid micro modules (hard to tune) - but make sure you google and read aas many opinions as possible - there's at least 1 that gets both good and very bad reports - especially for customer service
for a sound modifier - the FX Aid pro - is easy to use and has modulation/ a scope* built in etc and includes delays/reverbs/filters/loads of other stuff for you to explore and help work out what you actually need - you will probably want at least one filter per voice - but for starters the fx aid pro has filters... otherwise doepfer have some inexpensive classics - the wasp is popular as is the SEM, with good reason
for a way to listen - a good quad cascading vca - such as a veils clone - is a good investment - vcas are for modulation/cv as much as for audio... and will act perfectly well as a mono output to start with... stereo can come later if you want/need it...
add in a happy nerding 3 * mia - mix/invert/attenuate/offset
so 5 modules to start - a vco, a Pam's (pro/new), an FX Aid Pro, a Veils clone and a happy nerding 3 * mia
buy some stackcables and some regular patch cables
you will need blind panels (cardboard will work perfectly) - to stop you dropping cables onto tthe busboard and shorting out the electrics
I'd also recommend going to the modwiggler 1u & 3u subforum and reading the 'newbies start here' and 'all you need to know about power' threads - at least the first couple of pages...
if you have questions, ask... no such thing as a stupid question etc...
I'm not overly convinced by scopes - yes they can help visualise what a modulation source is doing - but we're working with audio - so use your ears - plug a modulation source into a vco's pitch input and you will hear what it is doing by the change in pitch
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
In addition to Jim's advice, I'd invest in a way to integrate with VCV, as there's a ton to discover when it comes to generative and VCV willgive you all the scopes and modules you'll ever need to figure out what modules to buy. I'd also de-prioritize trying to make everything fit neatly into a case because you don't know where you'll end up - none of us do!
