Creating a slowly evolving system, with sound coming in and out taking turns.

Hello!
I'm new to modular, but have been doing analog hardware live sets (actually playing live regularly) for 3 years, the last year I´ve been live streaming over the internet regularly.
I'm a multi-instrumental musician and Audio Engineer, so everything modular seems to be in a steady learning curve so far.

I want to create an ambient / generative / drone system, with many musical elements that come and go, takeing "turns''.
So far I have a XOAC Devices Butami and Doepfter Quad LFO. My idea is to have each of the 4 segments of the LFO (using either module) to modulate the Level and effect send of each element. As the level of each element drops, the effect send goes up into a reverb, and the sensation would be that each sound disappears into the background. So far i've been doing this manually with the mixer level and effect send, but with modular I know it can be modulated in sync automatically.

The LFO`s rate I am considering are between 4 and 8 minutes, so each element fades in and out really slowly.

I dont have the Mixer/VCA yet, which I can assume is the key element for this.
For what I can imagine, I need a mixer with CV over Level, and Aux send.
Also, since I mix in mono, I thought that maybe PAN could be used as "dry vs effect" instead of "L vs R", modulating the Pan of each channel and having L be Dry and R master output into the Reverb (with 100% wet mix) and then having for signals summed into the sound system in mono to both channels. So instead of panning from left to right, panning from near to far.

A 2nd aux send (or 1 if pan is used) is needed to as a second effect send for sonic manipulation. Though having CV would be great, it's not necessary for the 2nd one, I can do this manually.

So far I found these:
-XOAC Devices Praga:  CV over level and pan, 1 extras manually controlled effect send.
-Qu-Bit Electronics Mixology: CV over level, pan, and send, looks like a candidate.
-Intellijel Dubmix:  DISCONTINUED, CV over pan, aux send, each track master level manually controlled.
*with AUX Expander I can have a 2nd and 3rd AUX send both with CV control.

Also, I found these modules that maybe can do the job, but i'm not sure of what they actually do, so im might be wrong:
-4ms VCA Matrix
-Non Linear Circuits Clump or Cluster
-Grayscale VCAM

Thanks so much for any information, confirmation, feedback, or any other semi-off topic discussion.

I just started a youtube channel for uploading the live sets, I just uploaded the first one, if you want to hear what this is all about.
In this live set I have the Quad LFO into some of the elements Level, having a simpler version of the system im planning.
Here is the link with the first video, though other videos will probably appear as time goes by:

Hi Dadodetres,

Wow, one long nice track + video! Nice goody for the weekend :-) I love that sound you make with the harmonica, subtle yet beautifully done! What kind of microphone or device you use to receive an electronic input from the harmonica towards a mixer?

Thank you very much for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield Modular.

Hi Dadodetres,

Wow, one long nice track + video! Nice goody for the weekend :-) I love that sound you make with the harmonica, subtle yet beautifully done! What kind of microphone or device you use to receive an electronic input from the harmonica towards a mixer?

Thank you very much for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield Modular.
-- GarfieldModular

Garfield! thanks!

For the Harmonica I use a "geneic overseas" elektret microphone. No brand, masivley made. Cost me $15. Its elektret so its really sensitive and Full range. Uses a AA alkaline battery as its pre-amp. Sounds really clear and its very comfortable to hold in the hand and play the harmonica at the same time, way better than when I used dynamic microhones. The Battery is attached to the other end of the system.

The harmonica is plugged to a mini system which consist of VFE Klein bottle. In one channel there is a TC Electronic Flashback, in 100% wet, 7 seconds digital delay. In another channel there is a Strymon Blue Sky reverb. With each indivual channel´s "send" I choss if I want to "solo"/play notes separetely when I send it just to the reverb. Or send it also to the Flashback and "add it" to the feedback of the Delay creating a Drone. If the Fedback of the delay is at 100% the drone just adds and adds and never fades out. If i lower the Feedback then it strats to fade away. This technique is an advace way of "Frippertronics".

Also, there is another way of doing a similar thing without the Klein Bottle and with comercially available gear, since the Klein Bottle its Ultra Rare, if anyone is interesieted I could also share the information, just ask.

EDITED Mar 21st 2021, 01:29

Hi Dadodetres,

Thanks a lot for the information on how your setup works, nice & interesting to read.

Kind regards, Garfield.

Right now, the go-to mixer I'm pointing people at when they need as much CV control as possible in the most convenient space would be Toppobrillo's Stereomix2. Not only does this give you CV over level, pan and AUX sends, you also have mutes on your inputs and you get a "strip to cue" function that sends your audio to the headphone jack from a selected input strip...which is INVALUABLE for live work, tuning purposes, and a bunch of other things. You could even use it as a second (manual) AUX. Plus, this is their rev.2 version, which means it's already debugged and tweaked for optimal performance. It's sort of like the Mixology...on 'roids!

Right now, the go-to mixer I'm pointing people at when they need as much CV control as possible in the most convenient space would be Toppobrillo's Stereomix2. Not only does this give you CV over level, pan and AUX sends, you also have mutes on your inputs and you get a "strip to cue" function that sends your audio to the headphone jack from a selected input strip...which is INVALUABLE for live work, tuning purposes, and a bunch of other things. You could even use it as a second (manual) AUX. Plus, this is their rev.2 version, which means it's already debugged and tweaked for optimal performance. It's sort of like the Mixology...on 'roids!
-- Lugia

thanks!