First Rack idea - advice appreciated!

Hello!

So I'm new to Eurorack although experienced with synthesis and processing.

This is what I was thinking of building for my first true foray into modular.

I plan to use the rack mainly as an audio processing device. I predominantly see it as a way of augmenting instruments - expanding the instruments' capabilities with reference to both the sounds they produce and the way that they are played. However I also want to build a rack which can be used as a processing tool in the studio.

Any thoughts on the modules I've chosen? Any suggestions?

I think I'll start by purchasing Ears and Clouds and go from there (need to save a bit!) - I've already got an SQ-1 and a Moog Mf-103 which I'll integrate with the rack. I'd eventually like to add a pamela's workout as another function generator and another module for signal processing; I was thinking something along the lines of Erbe-Verb - although this is a decision for which I could use some suggestions!

Thanks, already feeling very welcome in the modular community :)

EDITED Feb 10th 2022, 17:58

firstly I would go for a bigger case - it may save you buying a second case and therefore money in the mid-long term... the best bang for buck starter cases are either tiptop mantis or doepfer lc9 - if you are intending on more digital modules then I would recommend the mantis more (and it is more portable, if that's an issue) - however both are probably the best combinations of hp/cost/good power supplies from respectable manufacturers available

otherwise it's kind of an ok start, depending on what instruments you are thinking of processing...

if all you really want is some filtering and granular processing - I would seriously consider (ie spend a month or 2 thinking about it) whether you really want to go modular or whether a few effects pedals will suit you better - they will almost definitely be a less expensive solution

your starting idea of an input module with envelope follower and a sound processor is good (but see below)

if your sound sources are stereo then a second ears or similar module (pre-amp with envelope follower built in) is a good idea - mostly so that you can extract the envelope shape of both the L & R channels for use in modulation, rather than just one

if your sound source is mono, for example a guitar, then I would strongly advise the addition of an expression pedal interface (examples are available from ADDAC, Doepfer and 7 dials) to enable you to play the guitar (for example) and still control your effects - in fact you may want more of these - otherwise you would probably be better off with more effects pedals - a wah pedal instead of the filter and I'm sure there are granular synthesizers in pedal form these days

as for your module choice:

ears - owners seem to like it so it appears to be a good choice although I've never used one - I have a doepfer a-119 instrument interface module - which adds a comparator (a gate opens when the input signal excedes a set voltage) and adds grit, shall we say - and is slightly cheaper - there is also a chip swap (no soldering required) that can be done to reduce the grit but I have never felt the need - furthermore the gate output can be extremely useful as a replacement for or alongside a master clock - nb a lot of modules need steady clocks to operate properly - Pams doesn't work well for example, nor any modules that multiply clocks - dividers and modules that provide triggered lfos or envelopes tend to work much better

maths - great module - although I always recommend both downloading the 'maths illustrated supplement' and working your way through it AND replicating it's basic functionality in dedicated modules - maths is much greater than the sum of it's parts - and you will need those parts separately as well to allow you to use maths to it's full potential (which points us back to the illustrated supplement)

humpback - this is a DIY module - I don't know if you can buy built ones, I've never seen them - are you skilled and do you have the tools to build it? if not I would consider an already built filter - doepfer make a great selection of reasonably priced ones - based mainly on classic designs - or there are many more available at differing price points - if however, you intend to buy a soldering iron and build this - I would also suggest building some simpler modules to start with - a passive mult, an attenuator (thonk atatat) and some of the AI Synthesis range would make the learning curve easier and less frustrating for you - again you may find you want 2 filters or a stereo filter instead of this

clouds - are you intending on trying to find one used? or a clone? it has been discontinued for a few years and has been replaced in the mutable line up with beads - I would spend some time considering this - read reviews/watch youtube videos of beads etc - mutable support is fantastic, but understandably stops at 3rd party clones - most of which push it into poor ergonomics territory (eurrorack is already very small without miniaturization of modules) - supercell is a larger cloen with a few extra additions and may be worth a look

the vca - ok but personally I would replace it with a veils - it will initially work as a mixer too, but I think that you'll want more mixing - and particularly something that can handle stereo output (see erde-verbe section below)

erde verbe - great reverb for emulating 'weird spaces', but not a particularly good general purpose reverb - takes a mono signal and outputs a stereo signal - you may really want a stereo to stereo (to add more reverb to clouds) or a mono reverb (depending on the requirements of your output - stereo/mono)

Pams - hmm - not really a function generator as you described it - it's more of a master clock, clock divider/multiplier with some synced envelope generation/lfos - whereas function generators generally apply mathematical functions, such as slew to incoming signals and extract events from these signals - so in some ways similar to a function generator, but not really - note it's heavily synced to it's clock (internal or external) which may not suit you depending on how you intend to use the rack and how accurate your timing is with your instrument - I'm human and so a bit sloppy at the best of times - which can be both a good thing and a bad thing, depending on your point of view and what you are trying to do!

further effects processing modules - more filters - and I would look seriously at the happy nerding fx aid xl - very versatile - I would make this an early purchase as it can be used as a filter - as well as reverb, delay, lofi etc - if I was designing an effects processing rack I'd probably include 3 of these due to their versatility

utilities - you'll almost definitely want more utilities - seemingly dull inexpensive modules that appear to do nothing to alter the sound (they are the dull inexpensive polish that makes the expensive shiny modules actually shine) - they are incredibly useful for not only improving the patching possibilities - but also for solving problems - like (auto-) panning a mono signal into a stereo space, or switching between multiple inputs into a single output or vice versa, or reducing the amount of modulation that is sent to an input (especially useful with clouds - it's modulation inputs really need attenuators! I usually recommend a great utilitiy starter set of mutable links, kinks, shades and veils - or modules that cover their various functionalities - wmd/ssf toolbox and happy nerding 3*mia make good substitutes for some of these funcionalities

mixing - seriously consider how you will mix mono & stereo audio signals together and which modules have mono/stereo inputs and mono/stereo outputs - and the possibility of parallel processing - you will almost definitely need multiple mixers - some for sub mixing, one for end of chain mixing and some for mixing modulation sources - some of which should be voltage controlled - and this is on top of what you already have in the rack - I'd definitely recommend a matrix mixer - both for mixing modulation sources and for

moogerfooger - luckily these are some pedals that really don't need an effects pedal interface to reduce the signal down to guitar level and bring it back up to modular level and correct any impedance issues - I have 3 of them and have used them quite a lot with my modular - a lot of other pedals really need the interface to work properly

just to qualify the above (slightly)

I started of in modular because about 7 years ago* I was staring at my moogerfoogers and cp251 and realised that they were effectively part of a modular synthesizer - so I started researching modular synthesizers - about 2 years later I started building one

*this was over 30 years after first picking up a guitar and 20 years since I got into synthesizers/music production - although there have been a few gaps due to life!

EDITED Feb 8th 2022, 19:06

Here's an idea...if you put in a module like the Strymon AA.1 or some other stompbox "integrator", once you're outside of the synth, there are some other possibilities for processing that aren't generally found in synth modules. The specific example I'm thinking of is E-H's TriParallel Mixer, which is crazy-versatile when you set up the attached stompers so that they ALL work like the same processor, albeit with some really trippy routing possibilities. I've used mine with some of the (in)famous Chinese stompboxes, and the results have been STELLAR. But that's one possible example; my studio itself also has its own parallelling system that uses a Studio Technologies Model 80 for distribution and buffering across eight stereo pairs, with a Rane SM 26B for summing on the "out" side of it. Instead of stompers, though, that system is for my 100+ rack processing units so that I can set up processing "cascades" with a lot less hassle than other methods.