Utilities Topic

Hi,
After almost two years in the world of modular synthesizers, I have finally had to accept that utilities are very important, I know that they are modules without very exciting functions, but without them, the rest of the modules do not work.
As I see that in these forums there are many "My First Rack" type questions, it occurred to me to set up a rack where I have collected the utilities that I have needed over time, and that have opened up many possibilities for me personally.
On the one hand I have included some that I personally have, and others adjusted in price, because that is what I think any beginner is looking for.

-Mixers: Matrix. Indispensable. The ST one works for me, it only has 3 channels but it is small in space. An auxiliary mixer, for example, mixing gates, or simply any CV
-Attenuators/Attenuverters/Polarizer. To fade or reverse CV. Useful to act on modules that do not have their own attenuators. I currently have an Intellijell Triatt but the one from Frapp tools will be my next purchase.
-Sequential Switch/Logics/Switched Multiple. Perfect for creating signal paths.
-Sample And Hold. A simple and efficient stepped CV generator.
-Precision Adder and Buffered Mult. To work and modify quantified CVs.
-VCA's, well, I like them if they can be cascade type (clone veils). I like the Nano module, I think it will be my next purchase. Useful to manage volume in audio sources as well as to modulate cv's
-Function generator. I put Rampage because it's the one I have and I'm very happy. But I imagine there are many more Maths fans. The comparator functions, Max, Min, cycle ends, etc. are very useful.
-Envelope generator. I have the Nano module and it works very well for me. A 4XAD with 3 speeds and LFO mode.
-LFO's. Bipolar modulation source. A module that I really like is the OCHD 8xLFO with its expansion.
According to my humble opinion, with this you can handle two voices, two effects modules and two filters.
It would be great if users with more experience than me (there are many here) would correct or add comments to this post.

I really appreciate this post. I'm certainly not an expert, but what helped me appreciate how useful utilities are in my rack was the Disting MK4. It's not very expensive and it let me try out so many different basic utilities and realize how important they are. I know folks hate the user interface, but I still think it's a great learning tool, especially for those that start out small.

Fantastic post idea @ferranadsr. As modular newbies we hear over an over again that utilities are the key, but never exactly why or how.

I've made a small rack of some of my favorite utilties modules, in no particular order. They all get used frequently in my patches in a multitude of ways. There are plenty of others that are great, but I want to highlight these few. No need to deep dive into each, but wanted to give some general shoutouts. I'm also happy to explain how I use any specific module if you're curious.

Switches, mutes, mults - Oh my goodness, these have completely changed how I use my system. From being able to select between different channels in order to bring in different song sections to the fore, or sending cv to alternating sources, or using a sequential switch as a sequencer... Muting a channel on the fly or sending cv or audio suddenly to a different location... These make "playing" the system fun.

Matrix mixers, mixers, attenuators/verters, scaling, invert - Just great ways to manipulate and shape your signals and create really complex cv. Attenuators are absolutely essential for controlling modulators and randomness.

Precision adders/shifters - the t43 is so damn fun to play that I needed to include it. Also, it really helps move a song forward when you can just shift the melody's voltage by musically meaningful amounts.

Random, S&H/T&H, noise - Even if generative isn't your thing, don't overlook the power that randomness can add to your patches. I really enjoy sample/track and hold, and use it to rhythmically pick voltages from random sources like noise, or the delightful ochd expander to create meandering melodies (you'll need attenuators, of course!). Great for adding creating complex modulations.

I would say, to echo @liontel, that it was the ornaments and crime that helped me understand what utilties could do. I'd find myself using one applet or another for a while before realizing why I actually just needed that utility as a standalone. Then I'd explore a new applet. I haven't used the disting myself, but I assume it's a similar story.

Anyone else have favorite utility types or modules?

My favorite utility's (yes I am a Erica Synths fanboy).

A few of my favorite utility modules are:
LA Circuits Machinist: Sample & Hold, Track & Hold, Slew, and several noise generators (Pink, Red, White, Blue, Violet), plus it has an LFO and clock generator.

Thorn Audio VCLFO: For starters it is an extremely powerful LFO with 16 different waveforms so even if you don't use its voltage control capability it's already a great modulation source. You can control it with CV to act as a more complex modulation source or use it as a bass VCO. It's syncable, it has a built-in octave offset function, generates noise & gates, and has S&H as well. It also has a built-in VCA on its output.

ADDAC216 Sum & Difference: This is a special mixer that allows you not just to add signals together like a standard mixer but also to subtract one from another. It has an attenuverter and offset on every input. It can operate in absolute or bipolar mode and can be AC or DC coupled so you can use it for audio or CV. A single module has two channels with two inputs each. This is quite a powerful module and it is not very expensive either.

Schlappi Engineering Boundary: This module can do a lot, at first glance it is a mini version of Maths, it has fewer channels but it is smaller and less expensive. But look closer and it has a few functions which Maths does not have. It has an AD envelope which can also be cycled to act as an LFO like Maths, but it has the ability to shape the rise and fall parts of the waveform independently, which Maths cannot do. It has a variety of other functions too, VCA, ring multiplier, and a lot more.

And of course the various "many in one" like the Disting and FX Aid series, ALM Busy Circuits MFX, and various fancier DSP modules come to mind. I'm not sure it's accurate to call all of those "utility" modules but many of them can perform a huge variety of functions in a relatively small footprint and that is very handy.

as one of those responsible for championing utilities without going into a lot of detail as to why or how they are so useful there is method behind this "madness": promoting independant research - it's much more productive in the long term than spoonfeeding...

as for a definition of "utility" - simple modules that provide simple functions for multiplying, merging, derivation and modifying electical signals - not envelope/function generators or LFOs - they're modulation sources nor effects modules (sound modifiers) - envelope followers are utilities, waveshapers are imo borderline between being sound modifiers and utilities - I'd also class interfaces of any kind as utilities

in the formula in my signature lots of modules are in multiple categories - Maths is both a modulation source and an utility depending on how it's used/patched... personally I'd err towards modulation source - as that's how I generally use it - or don't really fit - sequencers are a good example... but might fit in as modulation sources or sound sources, depending on how fast they are clocked

I tend to categorise by primary intent

I am a big fan of the WMD SSF toolbox module and Intellijel Kinks/Links combos as they offer so much bang for buck in terms of space and features.

I am a big fan of the WMD SSF toolbox module and Intellijel Kinks/Links combos as they offer so much bang for buck in terms of space and features.
-- benscott

all good starting points (as is the xaoc samara), but you mean mutable, not intellijel...

EDITED Feb 21st, 20:06

@Jim,
Yeah my bad, Mutable Instruments Kinks/Links. WMD SSF Toolbox, Intellijel Quadratt, Intellijel Mixup.