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To counter this and give a different (not better - just different) perspective, one of the most compelling features of the MI modules is their ergonomics - there is a reason they are laid out so beautifully - it makes them easy and fun to play!

My advice is that you already have an awful lot of functionality in the Behringer Neutron and Moog DFAM, so pick just one or two modules from your selection and really get to know them inside out. This will do a couple of things, one it will stop you from being overwhelmed (and finishing off your bank balance ha!) and make you really explore all the possibilities of those modules in combination with what you have already - I think you will be surprised how much difference just one or two modules makes.

My choice would be Maths, because it is a perennial favourite and for good reason, and for practical reasons the Mutant Brain!

If you would really like to go one further, I am going to make a shameless plug and mention that I have an original MI Elements in perfect condition for sale at a very good price and i could use the cash heh ;)

Wish you all the very best whatever you decide!

Also, the Peaks clone (Pique) has a lot of features including a Turing Machine, drums, LFOs, and more in a tiny package.

Hmmm... To keep it close to your budget, you will probably want to stick with clones of the Mutable Instruments modules. They are smaller, cheaper, and sonically identical. The only real downside is the ergonomics because of the diminished size. I would recommend a Marbles clone (Cara) for your random gates/sequencing interests. I believe it quantizes. I always recommend the Malekko Varigate 4+ sequencer for small builds as well: 4 CV or 4 gate or 2 CV/2 gate sequencing with quantization.
In regards to the video you shared and the Boards of Canada interest, you may want to consider the ZVex Instant LoFi Junky and a small multi-effects unit for the warbly, wobbly vibe. You could substitute a Rings clone instead of the Elements clone (Atom). I would consider adding some sample playback capability too (Disting Mk 4 and Radio Music) for the BOC feel.
I put together a quick rack based on your ideas with a Toppobrillo Stereo Mix 2 instead of the PanMix, though the PanMix looks cool. All of this would fit in a TipTop Mantis, supplementing what you already have, and still leave you a little room to grow.
Have fun and good luck!

Hello everyone! I am in the process of building my 1st eurorack with biofeedback from plants and humans. It will consist of atmospheric, pscychedelic, grooves from plants, sensors and various outboard gear. This first stage is mostly for ambience with various percussive rhythms and building up to have a plant band.

I currently own a Structure 208hp case by Pittsburgh Modular, 2 Instru Scions, MI Rings, Strymon Magneto and Roland 531. And also have a 2.4sink for more biofeedback on order.

The pieces I picked out for the eurorack are close to what I could imagine it doing but would greatly be appreciated for more input and discussion on this rack, patching, links, and future ideas.

Thank you, SvenZ

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1210552.jpg?1589737465

EDITED May 17th 2020, 17:45

Hello, I have decided to put together my first modular rig. I have a lot of experience with Analog and software synthesizers but modular is still pretty new to me. I have been playing around with VCV rack for a while, as well as consuming hours of youtube tutorials/demos. At this point I just want to shut off my computer and dive into the modular world.

My goal is to be able to create generative ambient and psychedelic music. Boards of Canada's sound comes to mind. I also really like the sounds Emily Sprague of Florist comes up with, although her setup is a lot larger than I am looking for at this time.

I want to try to keep it around $2000-$3000 for now.

I already own the Behringer Neutron and Moog DFAM, those are here to stay for a while at least. I also plan on getting an Arturia KeyStep midi controller to create some sequences and patterns. Does anyone see any glaring issues with this build so far? One thing I am still looking for is a stereo mixer with sends/returns on it, as I plan on incorporating some FX modules in the future. Any recommendations there?

Thanks for your time, I am so excited about all of this and I'm looking forward to getting feedback from the community here.

*Edit
I made a few changes but they don't seem to appear in the image above. Looks like you need to click the Img link to see them.

EDITED May 17th 2020, 18:56

Liking it :)

Now, wait a sec...if the Dyson runs on DC, then wouldn't it possible to DIRECTLY connect it to the modular? Sure, you'd have to add a CV In jack to the vacuum, but hey...something akin to a DC Servo module could pull this off...

Hi Quantum Eraser,

Ha, ha, what a creativity you must have, to come with an idea like this! If I hate something seriously from the household stuff then it's the vacuum cleaner but the subtle way you did it here, I shouldn't have worried. I don't know how you did it (okay with the Arbhar ;-) ) but you managed to keep it subtle while still... how shall we call it... powerful? to listen at! Yeah, there is definitely a "dark tone" to it, but I like it.

Nicely done, I enjoyed the entire track!

What can I say? I hope you are going to try out a lot of "lousy household" apparatus and I look forward to more funny, creative and yet beautiful/nice tracks from you :-)

Have a nice Sunday and kind regards, Garfield.

Just a litte Experiment :-) Recorded my Dyson Vacuum Cleaner into Arbhar with the built in Microphone and made some Dark Drones out of it. Reverb from Mutable Instruments Clouds

Headphones recommended

You mean there are people here who can afford modular and don't have a Unicorn?

It's 10. My hp measuring eyes tells me.
-- KNYST
OK. Thanks.

It's 10. My hp measuring eyes tells me.

Sorry, is it 8hp or 10hp? At the Erica Synths website is described as 8hp. Some shop in my country too. I'm really interested about the combo Black HADSR+Expander. Thanks in advance.

https://www.ericasynths.lv/shop/discontinued/black-cv-expander/

EDITED May 16th 2020, 15:30

Upgrade your account.

Very nice - thank you for sharing :)

Hi Funbun,

Nice video! Around 2:30 when I saw those rocks on the other side of the river, I suddenly went back in time, on Mars when there was still water running, beautiful! I also like the subtle sounds of your AE modular system, goes well with the video.

Nice flowers and nature impressions by the way, from your own garden or from the area of the river you live nearby?

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

Hi, same problem here, 4 row limit on any device/computer... :(
-- Oracio Hi, this is easily solved if you pay to upgrade your account to UNICORN level! ;-) See this link:
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/users/pro_index

I built in the kits from Modularsynthlab. I have 6 kits with 12 busboards. Works great.

Hi, same problem here, 4 row limit on any device/computer... :(

How? thanks.

Same here, 4 row limit

The Intellijel Multi-FX is cool, but why not something more modulateable?

Sometimes when clicking "sketch a patch" here at MG, the modules are moved and/or swapped back into an older version of the rack plan in use. This has annoyed me for years. My way around it has been to make a duplicate of the rack and creating the patch from this new rack plan.
Is there anything I have missed here?
If not, please see if there is anything to do about it :|

EDITED May 15th 2020, 09:21

Much thanks!

Just ordered a 104. It's your fault!

Hi Wishbonebrewery,

Oh yeah! :-) Both videos are nice and fun to watch but totally different approach, had seen indeed before from both persons other demos. Still difficult too choose, but perhaps I might choose in this case the user interface over the CV possibility; not sure yet though.

Thanks for sharing and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Klciuum,

Most of us write English here, I don't really understand French, sorry about that. Looks like you might not had this wanted to post it here? ;-) The section here (Forum --> Racks) is visible for everyone :-)

Little remark on your rack here, looks nice but please look into more classic/simple modules as well. Sinfonion is definitely a nice module, I got one and love to use it but keep in mind that's meant for large environments, meaning you need to provide it with lots of input (for this beast you just can't have enough VCOs, filters, LFOs, EGs and VCAs), so it can produce even more output. But... it's a fantastic module!

Similar comment for the Rainmaker, I don't have it but I am quite sure it's lovely to use it, but for starters I do think it's A) too large --> sucks up a lot of your available HP-space and B) it might be a bit too complex (like the Sinfonion) to start with.

Good luck with your modular planning and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Nashtyboi,

Fair enough, then just get an audio output module, Beface Out v3 is quite nice; it has headphones output too, so you can ditch that headphones module then ;-)

Kind regards, Garfield.

Trogotronic has plenty of options.

EDITED May 15th 2020, 13:03

Thank you @Kel_
Amazing humbling words.

As you said, in the end emotions were high - but nothing bad happened (in the end) and it is not fair to any of us - being in no way criminal - to be the main actors on this forum since 2 weeks.

People looking for our user names will still read this years from now. And what for?

We are all humans. I love this community and had great experiences here.
I am ready to forget and forgive @breakline & @sdelimar for some overreactions, some mistakes that were made if they can do the same.

I am even ready to delete every post I made here if they are too - hell I never wanted to answer here in the first place and really tried to not let my temper take over. But if it all is how it is then I guess it is how it is. I will try to become a better human - as always.

Now lets do some music! (or whatever they call this modular noise :D )

EDITED May 20th 2020, 18:07

Making your own can end up being quite expensive - but it is a good feeling when it is finally realised!

I use 4MS Row Power and busboards - inexpensive - trivially easy to install - zero problems - I have 4 of them.

There are definitely 'better' power supplies out there and you can easily spend a lot more, but these have served me well for several years now, well since they were released, whenever that was :)

Really nice trade with @vlk

In these times of no cash it was nice to be able to trade a module with vlk, easy, respectful, could not ask for a better experience :))))

Also a really nice way to have the new module excitement without parting with any cash - brilliant!!

Acrylique case (126 HP / 6U):
1x fond acrylique: 661 x 279 mm x 8 mm : 28.00
2x frontaux acryliques: 661 x 150 mm x 8 mm : 30.00
4x latéraux acryliques: 263 x 70 mm x 8 mm : 12.00
1x Colle acrylique : 7.00
1x Gants latex noir: 17.00
1x Lunette de protection: 7.00
Prix : 101.00

Chassis:
2x paire de rails Tiptop Audio Z-Rail 126 HP : 156.00
2x paire de brackets Tiptop Audio Brackets : 18.00
Paquet de vis M4 : 5.00
Prix : 179.00

Alimentation:
1x Eurorack Power Kit : 76.00
1x Power cables : 19.00
2x Flat crimped terminal : 5.00
1x AC Power cable : 10.00
2x Plastic Spacer : 6.00
2x Anti Rack rash screw : 13.00
Prix : 129.00

Total Prix pour la box montée : 409.00
Total Prix des modules : 5359.00

1x 16 patch 30cm transparent : 49.00
1x 16 patch 50cm transparent : 56.00
1x 16 patch 80cm transparent : 49.00

Total Prix pour les patch : 154.00

Total final : 6107.00

Hi!
I have a beautiful vintage briefcase that I want to convert to a microrack. The case has internal dimensions 205mmX163mm about 40HP 3U (with a surplus of 29.5 mm so nothing 1U)

Inside I think to put (things I have)

• uOC (I mostly need it as a sequencer (8HP)
• Gamma Ray Oscillator (8HP)
• 1 "X" module that I am developing (6HP)
• 1 Disting4 for some effects (4HP)
• 1 Erica Pico EG (3HP)
• 1 Startup module (headphones / mixer / out) (4HP)

so far 33HP

there are 7HP left (I can free up space by removing some modules or buying 2hp / pico modules)
In addition, at the top I can put some DIY utilities on a non standard panel.

I need also a proper power.

I need it mainly to make some demo videos (of my modules) and workshops.

There are no particular musical 'tastes' (but i'm fine with ambient/droning slow rhythmic) or east/west coast.
Preferable not expensive.
I accept suggestions on which modules to add (DIY very appreciated), which DIY utilities I can build (better if it exists in kit) and which power supply to use.

Thanks!

I prefer the bigger knobs too, I have lots of 2hp modular gear and the little micro knobs are OK to a point.....!
There is a Robin Vincent Youtube vid about the 104, he loves it....

Then the previous vid about the 103 from Divkid sold it to me anyway!

Are there any similar modules using NOS chips? I'm pretty tired of clones and "almost there" and want the real things to be honest. Like an actual SSM2044 for Eurorack. Or a BA662A in Eurorack format. I have had pretty great results with the MUM-M8 which is based on the S950 style AKAI filters too.

AMsynths has a lot of stuff with NOS ICs, including BA662, BA6110, SSM2044. I dont think MUM M8 actually uses any NOS chips, it sounds unique cuz it uses a switched-capacitor filter IC.

Don't know why 20-30 year old chips sound better than whatever current tech can put out to be honest. I quiet never heard anything like a real IR3109 with todays tech. Or vintage Moog.

The difference is literally the parts aging and going off-spec, the method of production for modern synths and ICs isn't all that different to what it was 30 years ago, at least not in a way that would affect the sound. Of course some digital stuff sounds great cuz it's 12 or 8 bit but it's easy to replicate that nowadays. in 30 years all the modern synths will have a different sound too

EDITED May 14th 2020, 08:05

Well, looking at the outstanding cases from various places I love them all but...feh.
I can craft my own box and it might not be the perfect box but it will be /my/ box!
That said, we get on to power supplies.
What are the good ones? Best cost/benefit stuff? What did you use and do you like it?

Looking at the module you suggested and definitely looks good, but would I actually need this line in? I have Ears to process any external sounds so I figured I wouldn't need it

Alright thanks so much for the reply!

This thing is amazing. Of course, 99% of it is the IR3109 chip itself. A real classic sound. Behringer clones are nowhere even close to the feel of this sadly.

Are there any similar modules using NOS chips? I'm pretty tired of clones and "almost there" and want the real things to be honest. Like an actual SSM2044 for Eurorack. Or a BA662A in Eurorack format. I have had pretty great results with the MUM-M8 which is based on the S950 style AKAI filters too.

Don't know why 20-30 year old chips sound better than whatever current tech can put out to be honest. I quiet never heard anything like a real IR3109 with todays tech. Or vintage Moog.

Hi Wishbonebrewery,

Hmm... yes... good point :-) I also like to have some CV control. So from a CV control point of view the 104 is more attractive. The 103 is still attractive for me because of the user interface, the bigger knobs and the layout of this module seems to be better to me. Nicer to use I think but that CV thingy... 104... hmm... yes... you make me hesitating now :-)

Please share your experience with the 104 once you got it and have it tried out for a while, I am very curious!

Thank you and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Nashtyboi,

Welcome to ModularGrid :-)

Consider the 1U - Audio I/O module from Intellijel, that provides you proper audio input and output possibilities, then you don't have any worries there. The output you can then take to your mixer or directly to your audio interface (to DAW). If you want to use monitors/speakers (and not only headphones) then take a (small) mixer, you can then take the main output of your mixer to your monitors and one of the sub-outputs to the DAW.

For building a new rack (assuming you have no external synth gear already) please keep in mind a minimum classic setup of something like this: 2 VCOs, optional a ring mod, 2 filters, 2 EGs, 2 VCAs (1 lin + 1 exp) and don't forget to add at least one better two LFOs. For more details you also can have a look at a post between Metal_Serra and myself in the post called "First modular rack build" also here in "Racks"-forum where I go into more details, this is for most of the parts applicable here too :-)

Good luck with the planning and kind regards, Garfield Modular.

Thanks for the recommendation of Kinks,this defo seems that it could be of good use.

Thanks! Your words mean more to me than you'd ever imagine.

Moreover, I think we need a system to discourage retaliatory rating, although I recognise that that will involve more work for the site managers.
-- phinland

It's also not easy to settle on a fair system. Every automatized system will have its flaws, and they would inevitably get exploited by some, and/or favor one party over the other. In the end, sites relying heavily on ratings (eBay, etc.) all offer the possibility to appeal to Human arbitration, which is something modulargrid's staff might not want to spend time on - and I may not want to pay for their extra work.

Besides all that, I just bought @klodifokan 's Nutella Tsunami and it's great.
-- fredeke

Thank you Fred ;)

Thanks both I appreciate the replies! I love the three module challenge videos and this youtube clip absolutely tells me I can go with a palette case

I also have a 0-Coast and ton of pedals... so I am not worried and just having the palette
-- Spencerdeathwaltz

(1) you are absolutely right you can make fine music with just a pallete.
(2) ricky's video's are great and most people on this forum probably watch his video's
(3) the beauty of modular is that there is no right and there is no wrong. 3 moduless. 62 HP. 15 modules. 316HP case. it doesn't matter. todd barton could probably make a vca sound like radiohead.
(4) if you watch the most recent ricky video he even talks about "going back" to a bigger case. what the other posters were tryin to say - pretty clearly too - is that cases like the pallette & the 4ms pods are great lil additional ligaments, if you will, to existing 'bigger' cases. can they be there own system? absolutely they can be. again no right no wrong. 1 modules or 304 HP. don't matter. but even if you look at the evolution of ricky's small case video's he has new modules in there all the time. where do those other modules go? in their box? how do you learn them then? he's got a bigger case he has them all in...for sure. and then the small case becomes a lil extra hand or if he wants to do his small lil jams with his additional synths then he can. the argument could then be made that if he had one 6u or 7u 84 HP case he could just have the one system..again no right or wrong. but something to consider.

There are two schools of thought as far as I am aware:

1) get multiples of the same thing - so you can learn one thing inside out and use it multiple times - very cool approach - it works!

2) get different flavours of essentially the same thing, so 1 Maths and 1 Falistri or some other variant - also very cool and works well!

I have a mix of both approaches, so 2 Stages makes loads of sense because they can be chained to increase the functionality, but my other function generators are all different, Terminal, Maths, Double Andore (mkI and mkII), Tides, Zadar - each having it's own special flavour and tricks!

Ultimately I think it comes down to what you want to achieve :)

Sorry @Spencerdeathwaltz for hijacking your Thread

@GarfieldModular

The 4ms WAV Recorder really works great for me. First I wanted to buy a simple Focusrite Scarlet Interface. But I hate using a Computer in my Workflow. Even if it's just for Recording. Then someone hinted me the WAV Recorder.

If you don't want to do Multitrack Recording I can really recommend the WAV Recorder. It's so simple to use.

Yeah, Defenitely check out the Arbhar if you like Granular Stuff.

I think I only scratched the Surface so far. This Weekend I want to try out the Build in Microphone of the Arbhar. I already got a funny Idea for this. If it works I will share it on Modulargrid in the "You" Section.

Thanks again for your nice comments on my Track. It makes me happy :-)

Ahem.. speak for yourself, I think my modular music is excellent hehehe

I did enjoy reading, thank you!!

My take on it is simple, if you can afford it and you have an itch to scratch, then do it - and I wish you good luck!!

If you can't afford it, then don't, and get VCVRack installed on your computer instead - seriously that whole world of awesomeness is not exactly the same, but it is damn close and getting better all the time e.g. MI Ripples emulated recently - WOW!!