Is the row spacing accurate? I see two rows of Intellijel 1U modules and 4 rows of 3U. But the spacing doesn't fully gel with the 7U case layout... though one would work if you invert the case.
Take "maximum depth" with a grain of salt. How many rackspaces have access to this maximum depth and how many are much shallower due to components (like power supplies) eating up that depth?
Before you buy a case, research it thoroughly even if it means emailing the manufacturer. Nothing will destroy your rack layout faster than a miscalculation of actual depths of your case and the reality of your modules and how you'd like to place them in your case.
My eurorack is continually evolving. Here's where I'm at now. I have my DFAM off to the side now.
Here is my first album. This is a set of 10 live tracks from my modular:
https://soundcloud.com/mod_gene/sets/playlist
I'm calling it Platy Codon, which refers to the flower carved on the back panel of my modular.
Your VCA unit only offers attenuation via CV. This will limit your abilities to make the most use out of your VCAs. You don't necessarily want your VCAs to fully close. You may also have use for them to manually attenuate a signal. They also lack trims for the CV-IN portion, which means you have to use an external device to attenuate the signal.
IMHO I would ditch that VCA and possibly the Ears and the Malekko send/return unit to make space for a better and bigger VCA unit. The Intellijel Quad VCA is a good choice. There are tons out there that vary in size and capabilities. I'd only get the one you originally selected as a secondary unit to free up my more complicated VCAs and not take up too much space.
Noise Engineering makes mutes that are 4HP for four independent mutes with normalling to the set of mutes. The mutes are passive but have active indicator lights if you choose to plug it into your power.
I have two units. They tend to work their way into a lot of my patches to create variation: controlling modulation. I tend to mute with a Eurorack mixer (Sir Mix A Lot) with built in mutes for audio.
As well as DivKid's mutes, check out Joranalogue's Select Four. It has three-way switches for mute/unmute/momentary usage as well as a selector knob for a separate channel using one of your four inputs.
If you're looking for automation of your mutes then you're getting into -switch- territory. The principle is the same except you can use a control voltage to select an input. Of course, if nothing is plugged into an input it serves as a mute.
Thanks Lugia and Ronin1973!
If I may borrow my own thread to pose a related, and perhaps naive, question...
Could a system containing of only Rings, Expert Sleepers ES-3/ES-8, and a powered case like EricaSynths Pico Case, be viable?
I'm interesting in experimenting with controlling Rings using only software (in particular, CV Tools in Ableton Live). I would like to sequence and control Rings from Ableton (through ADAT to ES-8).
I would also like to record the output of Rings into Ableton.
Could that work? :)
Now that you're moving in a different direction, start a new thread. People will get confused by reading your original post and tracing the evolution is time consuming.
Just bought a PEG from @AlbertoBS and it was a really good transaction with very fast delivery in Europe.
I haven't tried what you're trying to do with an 8nu8r.
The A-119 does have an envelope out and a gate, as well as audio out.
If money is an issue the minimum setup I would recommend is 1/4" input and output modules, the Wasp Filter and an Erica Synths Pico DSP and a few VCA's. Next I'd get an Envelope generator and LFO to see how they effect the sound. You may want distortion or a different filter. I like the Erica Synths Dual drive for distortion. Basically refine the sound you're getting to the amp.
It's likely going to take a bit of experimenting to get through this process.
The Morphagene and Clouds are useless if you don't have sounds you like. I wouldn't get them until you get sounds you like going to your amp.
Also, search Google and YouTube for "Guitar through Eurorack" to see what other people are doing.
Good Luck!
Burousu
The Pod 48x and Pod 60 are deeper than the other pods, I belive 51mm is the max module depth if memory serves.
small update,
adding vcas, more envelopes and lfos.
Thanks a lot for the useful comments guys, highly appreciated!
I was definitely not aware of the possible grounding and impedance problems that I could have gone into.
The sputnik and wmd inputs and outputs look really perfect, but I am afraid they also are a bit on the expensive side for starting off.
Given that I could easily use a conversion cable between the jacks especially in the output, do you think I could use something like the malekko 8nu8r as output attenuation module?
For the input I am thinking about it, since ears has envelope follower but no 1/4 jack in, while the doepfer a-119 has the opposite problem if I remember well
Hello People,
i have reworked my setup for now. this is still a virtual setup, so i am hoping for lots of feedback and comments... let me know what you think,
thanks a lot,
FJL
Any reason why the T-Rex Replicator has disappeared here? It was definitely here before, I have screen caps to prove it.
T-Rex appear to be gone out of the Manufacturer list. Have they done something to offend the admin? ;)
Thank you very much for all the good advices that I have received from you. I really understand that it is best to first have a musical goal and then examine what tools are needed to achieve this.
But unfortunately I am not a particularly musical person. But I love to create and experiment with sounds. My way of working is to find some sound, riff, rhythm or harmony and then start with that to create something. So I don't begin with any musical idea. Instead, it is the properties of the modules that give me my ideas. So I don't think it's so important for me to find the "perfect" module.
I agree with Lugia, ditch the Ears for something like Sputnik's EF/Preamp or consider a Doepfer A-119 Ext., they're easier to come by. Skip the138-d and look at conventional 1/4" outputs like a WMD Pro Output. I'd also add at least a few VCA's, reverb and delay.
Burousu
OK...first of all, do you need this to have a quantizer for the incoming CV? Some harmony modules have this, others don't. If this is only ever going to see CV from MIDI or a keyboard or any other controller that outputs properly-quantized scalar CV, then you might not want this to have quantizing at the input. BUT...
...consider this: what if you want to use it without that controller's output? What if you want to take some voltage curves and then quantize these for chordal use? This could be quite useful. So unless you're absolutely, 100% sure that you won't ever use an input quantizer with this module, you might want that capability.
Second, you want memory. Something like this works much better if you have a way to store progressions and/or parameters for harmonic extrapolation. If I were you, I'd only be looking at modules of this type if they provide a storage method.
Third, you really should have a plan for using whatever you put into a modular system, particularly if the device in question costs a chunk and occupies a lot of panel space. Sure, these look like they solve a lot of issues. But then again, so would a laptop, the right software + an Expert Sleepers interface with an expander or two. Furthermore, you can use that ES interface for a zillion things, wheras a harmony module is great as...well, a harmony module. Can it record what you do on the modular? No, but the right ES interface can. Can it host a USB controller? Probably not, but the right ES interface can. Can it...well, you get the idea. Building a successful modular synth requires plans. Figure out what you want to achieve sonically FIRST...then start figuring out optimal ways of accomplishing this. Unless you have loads of space planned for your build, chucking in a one-trick module such as a chord generator may well be the exact wrong way to do what you're trying to accomplish here. Step back a bit until the G.A.S. rush dies off, THEN start trying to figure out how a system like this would fit into what you do. Do you even have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish musically? If not, then you might wind up building a very expensive thing that sucks in $$$ and only outputs annoyance.
I would think so...however, I'd also be concerned that there was a potential mismatch if the idea is to plug the modular right into the amp. While the A-138d is designed to be used with stompbox send/returns, plugging it directly into an instrument-level input might cause both some overloading and impedence mismatching. For that reason, you might want to look at a load-matching device such as Radial's Tonebone Dragster to correct any issues in that connection.
And admittedly, I'm not 100% sold on using the A-138d for that purpose anyway. It's not bad as a send/return, but I think there's better and, more importantly, smaller candidates for that out there (Malekko, Bastl, etc). As far as outputs go, though, get something that has some isolation on it (ground loop hum issues between synth and amp are a very real possibility!). But looking a little further, I do see something of a problem with using the Ears module as an input. For one thing, it has no direct input jack for a 1/4" plug. It's also intended as something of a contact mic module...not exactly what's called for here. My suggestion would be to look at Sputnik's EF/Preamp instead; this offers impedence matching for instruments, has a full-on envelope follower, decade-switched input preamp level control, and the proper sort of jack to hook in directly to the modular.
Some other options are Telharmonic (Make Noise), has its own voices. Elektrofon Klang is new and does 4x CV out. Modules like Braids and Plaits have at least triads, as does the WMD Arpitecht Triad. Get both types and all of them, obviously.
Klang looks good, doing progressions from memory.
Yah the Intellijel 7U seems like a really nice case. To keep the cost down just a bit, I may end up going with the Tiptop Audio Mantis, cost per HP seems more reasonable however I can definitely see the advantage of the Intellijel with those 1U modules and that nice aluminum chassis so that's something to think about for my build.
After taking a hard look at the original idea, and meeting up with a local musician that has a Eurorack setup, I have realized Eurorack and me for live work just does not gel, however it sparked some new ideas for the home studio.
First modules arrive tomorrow :) Starting with how I want to sequence (was able to find a Variatic Sequent which I really wanted, and I was able to find a Brain Seed, thanks for showing me this one mt3!). Next step I will figure out the case, then VCO, noise/random generator, VCA, filters, LFO, headphone out/line out, a logic module, etc etc
Here is the actual build so far...
Out of curiosity do people usually start a new thread when the rack idea totally changes? Or is it cool to keep this thread going?
I would like to have a chord module for my rack. I know there are two types: One that usually gives four cv otputs from one cv input like Harmonaig or Flames Chord Machine 2 and the other type with internal oscillators/voices like QU-Bit Chord v2.
I would appreciate some advices how to think before I make my choice about what type and what module I shall consider.
I have no specific plan how to use the module but I know I want CHORDS!
Who's ace? @robocoder!
Thanks, Roberto, for making sure my module made it from Japan to The Bronx safely - you saw it had arrived before I did!
Cheers, Benton
Last Jam : DARK PLANTATION
Elektron Analog MK1 + Arturia Beatstep Pro + Modular Synth
https://www.facebook.com/MusicSpringRolls/videos/2485203738164462/
Hi lugia,
Thanks for the input, I knew already about the pittsburgh, but i am actually looking forward towards having controls at hand and not at foot! :)
Lately I was having most pedals raised for that reason.
Would you have any idea if the doepfer's attenuated output could be quiet enough to be run into a guitar amplifier?
One thing worth noting: Pittsburgh Modular had a stompbox Eurorack cab until a few years ago. Here's the page: https://pittsburghmodular.com/patch-box/ It's discontinued, but if you look around in the usual used gear locations, you might turn one up. While it doesn't hold a lot of modules, it would make for an excellent foot controller for a bigger system.
Purchased a Prizma v1 from @barebones - good comms, timely shipping, good packaging, module arrived as advertised and in good working order. Thanks!
Bought a Roland Demora, great communication, excellent packaging, everything really good! Thanks
Hi there,
I am a guitar player with a nick for electronic sounds. For some years now I have been thinking to use modular to process my guitar, basically using it as an incredibly powerful effect box to do all things that I difficultly can with my pedalboard: freeze, sample & resample, filter, chop, etc....
Now I am finally deciding what I need to get started into this whole thing.
I am looking on the best starting modules to put in between my guitar and amplifier:
utilities:
-input module for guitar (amplification) - ears
-output module for amplifier (attenuator) - doepfer a-138d
-power - tiptop audio uzeus
fun:
- doepfer wasp filter
- mutable clouds (I know it is discontinued, anyone has any idea on an alternative?)
- morphagene (expensive! cheaper alternatives?)
...and then I need advice on which control modules to put to control these beauties (vca's? pamela? sequencers?)
as said, I need advice on the minimal setup to start into it and have some fun.
Cheers!
Not sure why you'd use several ONEs when something like this would make a lot more sense and only cost slightly more: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/1010-music-bitbox-2-0
Granted, it occupies a bigger footprint, but you have far more simultaneous sample voices, plus a lot of capabilities that simply can't be crammed into a 4 hp module. Also, this allows full sample editing and manipulation to be done in the build and on the fly, along with SD card capabilities, interactivity with Ableton Live, etc.
Fast communication and shipping, nice packaging, all good!
Just received a Disting MK4 from @tomlaan. Nice communication, all good!
Yeh maybe i can swap the first row out for marbles along with 2-3 one players that would give me 2-3*256 sounds
Perhaps a controlled random source would work. Something that operates along the lines of the Buchla "Source of Uncertainty", such as Doepfer's A-149 modules, Mutable's Marbles, or the Frap Sapel. By using something like this, it's possible to constrain and direct the random variance into a specific "zone" of random activity. Within that zone, you'd still have varying degrees of randomness, but with the additional control functions, you get a more workable stochastic result.
Wow, thank you. I will consequently work through your message again later and identify and execute all your mentioned points.
Concerning the Model D, i know it takes up a lot of space, its just that i was hoping to create a setup that allows me to have an "everything in one" solution, that apparently led me to missing out on putting in important modules, like vcas, also i see that it has limitated patching capabilities.
I will get back to this thread with a hopefully more "useful" and less "sexymodulesyndrome"-like build, thank you again for your awesome response.
Here's a new modular-driven single from our band Wilder beats, hope you like it! Full length album coming later this year.
Bandcamp: https://wilderbeats.bandcamp.com/track/demens
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2kT8RI5A1kaus9wYvs64qc?si=otH9cu7sQPq81Llaylichg
Soundcloud:
Arpeggios mostly coming from Mother32+Strymon Magneto.
Bass from Make Noise STO.
Beat mostly modular, with some additions from Ableton.
Hey lugia thanks for the reply!
You're absolutely right with the lighting Situation thats why i got myself a few led lights to brighten up my Rack.
Its hard for me to part with voices even though i could use a tiptop audio one with samples i love having access to a myriad of sounds (i am doing glitch/hitech psy stuff) but i am not convinced in the one sample player yet..... I sequence it with voltage block. maybe i should let a noise/random source do the sample select thing to get more Variation?
With Metropolis+loquelic+qpas i do my basslines together with the second loquelic Mixed.
Shapeshifter+micro sequence cover my leads and sometimes fx.
The plaits and synchrodyne fill in melodies and occasional bleeps'nbloops
Other then that i got kick,snare,hihats and percussive samples from the tiptop one. Doesnt seem too much to me
There's a lot there you could switch out...or, for that matter, eliminate altogether. And that's what's crippling this right now. For example, how many sequential devices do you need when you actually have very little in the way of logic and other clocking modifiers?
Stop and look at this build carefully, asking yourself constantly "Will I need this in 18 months?" This seems awfully specialized...and if your musical direction changes, will this build still serve your needs, or just turn into a 12u money pit?
In another post I did today, I mentioned what I call the "sexy module syndrome". This build here is that in action. Lots of wild panel art (which will be loads of fun in a dimly-lit venue! as in, no fun AT ALL), very specialized modules, and not a whole lot in evidence that is "boring". And the "boring" stuff, in the end, is what makes these function. There's not too much in the way of general-purpose stuff, either...things that you can say "yes!" about when you ask that question in the last paragraph. Yes, eight Doepfer A-110-2s all in a row would look really bland. And they seem boring in of themselves...until you start adding other basics, and then you get to really unleash those VCOs with, yep, just as much capability as several complex oscillators (depending on what else you have on hand) but more importantly, less cost than several complex oscillators.
And about all of that jazzy panel art...
Here's an experiment: turn your display brightness down to about 10-15% of normal while looking at your build above. Can you still make perfect sense of what you're looking at? No, you can't cheat by getting your eyes a couple of inches from the patchpanel on the screen, because if you do that live, it'll look really derpy. Treat this as what it is: a simulation of light levels you may have to deal with in live performance. Does this build make sense in dim light? My bet is that it won't. And yes, I know a lot of module designers pride themselves on their "edgy" designs...but then, go have a look at Grayscale's listing, where there are LOADS of plain-layout redesigns of all of that "edgy" stuff because, basically, those "edgy" graphics ARE ANNOYING. And also, turn down the lights and "let's see what happens" comes into play; are you up for memorizing every single knob function, switch function, patchpoint function, etc when the patchpanel looks like total gibberish? That's where this leads.
Yeah, I know you have a lot of this gear on-hand already. But seriously...back up for a moment and look at some prebuilds, classic synths, etc. They work because they play into what the performer needs before they know they need it. Try removing some of those "can't part with" modules, decomplicating the build. Try coming up with an arrangement of modules that reflects the signal flow you require before you plug in that first patchcord. And how much did that Piston Honda cost? The one you can't use because of the "everything else" that you're supposedly so locked in over? Hate to tell you, but you're up to your navel in that proverbial money pit already, friend. Time to figure out some strategies to get out of it!
Step 1: Take that Model D out of the cab. It has its own skiff with power...and Eurorack cabs, when you start looking at the cost per space they have, are things that should be filled with things that require being in there. As an example, let's look at this just in the math...
A Make Noise CV Bus case costs $660 at Perfect Circuit. Now, this has 208 3u spaces (I'm not counting the 1u row here, as Tony's already filled that for everyone). 660/208 = 3.17(ish). The Model D is 70 hp (if you don't add on any of several Model D expanders that're out there specifically for allowing access to the rest of the patchpoints once you case it). This means that if you put this synth (that comes with a free powered case) in your Eurorack cab, it will take a roughly $210 chunk out of that case, thereby making your Model D cost $509. Mmmmmm...nope. Bad idea all around.
Step 2: You should be able to add the middle 1u tier by editing this rack...and you want to, so that you can get a very clear idea of how signal flows in the build are going to work. Otherwise, you're missing out on one of the more useful aspects of MG.
Next...now, there's A LOT missing here. There's no VCAs outside of the HexMix, for starters; you'll need more of them, particularly for manipulating CV/mod levels instead of just audio. There's no output module to bring your levels down to line level after the HexMix. I don't see any modulation sources aside of one lonely LFO and the Peaks clone. There's no filtering in here, either. All of these are pretty crippling omissions.
Another problematic thing is the two rather sizeable drum modules taking up a 26 hp chunk of your upper row while only giving you the useful output of a kick and a hat. That's not a good use of space, especially given that there are loads of similar modules out there that take up far less room. But as someone who's been doing live electroacoustic performance work since the beginning of the 1980s, I frankly wouldn't put ANY drum machine stuff in the...well, the thing that's not a drum machine. If you want electronic percussion, then use a drum machine; the argument for doing so is rather similar to the point behind taking the Model D out of the case. If the two modules cost $478 (which they do in the USA) together, and an Arturia DrumBrute costs $449 (which then gives you many more percussion voices, onboard syncable sequencing, a dedicated VCF, etc etc)...well, the choice is pretty straightforward, I think.
Remember: you're building this in a case with two rows of 104 hp each. Given that you have very limited space, your first consideration in creating a build here on MG is to consider what does not belong in the case. Then after that, consider what must be in the case in order to have a workable instrument. My advice would be to trash this build, for starters, but not before making note of a few specific things that do work, such as having the Rene, Plaits clone, HexMix and the Clouds clone in the next iteration. Then after studying those four modules and what they work best with (and fyi, that's the original Rene...the mk.II version has the ability to integrate with the Make Noise Tempi, with the result being a far more capable sequencing environment, this being one example of what I'm getting at here), start branching out from there BUT not before doing some studies of other classic modular systems. See what the various engineers figured out some 40-50 years ago in terms of necessary capabilities, signal flow and module layout, and so on. And also keep in mind that you should not be trying to build this successfully in one shot. A good build that works for years on end is one that's actually honed-down and refined over many iterations; otherwise, you risk building a very expensive and incapable money pit instead of a musical instrument. Constantly question everything as you do this...is this the right module choice?, does this layout make things flow better?, can I fit the same function into a tighter space?...these should be firmly in your mind while working this out. And how do I connect what I plan to use outside of the cab with what's INside the cab? There's a Keystep there...now, are there things on MG that play nicely with that controller (hint: there are) and what it can output?
No, it's not easy. And part of that is because this isn't cheap. Another problem comes from what I call the "sexy module syndrome"...the idea that, hey, THAT looks cool! I want it!...that always results in people leaving necessary yet UNsexy modules out of the build (like here!). Try seeing how boring you can make the build look. Perhaps make a mockup with all one brand of modules, then start whittling away at this, making substitutions, etc. And always avoid putting anything in the cab that can be done outside of the cab...multiples, for example. Buffered mults (when needed! as in, if you have more than five VCOs or thereabouts to run off of the same CV source) belong in the case. Passive mults, however, only belong in the case when you have room to spread out, which means you'd be dealing with a rather sizable build, not one this small. This is why multiple widgets exist, and stackcables, also. Consider: put a 2 hp passive mult at each end of each 3u row in this. Now, try and do this when the system's been filled up already with "function", meaning you now have to remove a total of 8 hp of that functionality. Not a good compromise of space.
Anyway, these are the sorts of things you've got to have in mind to eventually get to a workable result. Modular synthesis is 100% NOT a "throw stuff in box, connect wires, twist knobs, win!" sort of situation. Remember: you're considering spending several thousand dollars on this. You're going to want to do it right.
Hello people of the modular world,
i have been trying to figure out a good setup for live performances, that leaves me room for direct and predictable interaction, as well as some rather explorative ways to work with it. it would be set up in the 7u makenoise case for in and outputs.
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_932671.jpg
I will use it with the beatstep pro and a keystep controller.
i would appreciate some feedback!
FJL 91
hi playing around with this in two cases atm. the upper 2 rows are like additional voices i really like and cannot seem to part with. even though i know i probably got too many (complex) osc.
while playing live i found myself struggling for switching off / muting certain sounds.... is there a space saving variant maybe with buttons like the divkid mutes?
does the malekko mute switch and other mute buttons klick? or is it more wise to use the mutes on the gates triggering sounds?
thanks in advance
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_705895.jpg
ps: i also want to cram in my piston Honda mk3 but its really hard for me to switch something out
I saw your post from last year and completely agree...should have referenced or "+1'd" your request as well.
I wouldn't remove it altogether though. I definitely get -some- use out of it...just want it to be even better.-- danishrancher
Hmm. Well I'd love for it to be fixed too!
I am just being realistic... The feature is totally broken and has been for as long as I've been visiting the site. It says I have 26 modules in common with a rack that has only 10 modules in it, and really we have only 1 module in common. It might as well just pick random racks for that matter.
The site is run by the one dude, and frankly, I'm just happy the site is on a stable server after being pwned by the Chinese spammers. I really need MG for only one thing, and it does that perfectly! :-) Thanks again!
A requested upgrade for the "similar racks" feature: limit returned racks to one per user to increase relevance and variety of the returned racks.
I did a "search similar" this morning and the return set was the same rack over and over again...all from the same person:
* RackName
* RackName (copy)
* RackName (copy) (copy)
* RackName (copy) (copy) (copy)
* and so onIf the return set were limited to one rack per user, I would be able to see (more useful) racks from other people.
Additionally/alternatively, return multiple pages of similar racks...I'd be happy enough to page through multiple results.
Thank you.
-- danishrancherFor that matter, it would be nice if the 'search similar' would only count one copy of each module. I have a OTool+ on my rack, and the most similar rack is one that has 49 more OTools, I guess we have 50 modules in common the way the script does math...
Basically the feature doesn't work at all, maybe you should just remove it altogether. That would be the easy solution.
-- cg_funk
I saw your post from last year and completely agree...should have referenced or "+1'd" your request as well.
I wouldn't remove it altogether though. I definitely get -some- use out of it...just want it to be even better.
A requested upgrade for the "similar racks" feature: limit returned racks to one per user to increase relevance and variety of the returned racks.
I did a "search similar" this morning and the return set was the same rack over and over again...all from the same person:
* RackName
* RackName (copy)
* RackName (copy) (copy)
* RackName (copy) (copy) (copy)
* and so onIf the return set were limited to one rack per user, I would be able to see (more useful) racks from other people.
Additionally/alternatively, return multiple pages of similar racks...I'd be happy enough to page through multiple results.
Thank you.
-- danishrancher
For that matter, it would be nice if the 'search similar' would only count one copy of each module. I have a OTool+ on my rack, and the most similar rack is one that has 49 more OTools, I guess we have 50 modules in common the way the script does math...
Basically the feature doesn't work at all, maybe you should just remove it altogether. That would be the easy solution.
A requested upgrade for the "similar racks" feature: limit returned racks to one per user to increase relevance and variety of the returned racks.
I did a "search similar" this morning and the return set was the same rack over and over again...all from the same person:
* RackName
* RackName (copy)
* RackName (copy) (copy)
* RackName (copy) (copy) (copy)
* and so on
If the return set were limited to one rack per user, I would be able to see (more useful) racks from other people.
Additionally/alternatively, return multiple pages of similar racks...I'd be happy enough to page through multiple results.
Thank you.
Good experience buying from @mrxndr - great price, quick dispatch, module in perfect condition. Thanks again!
Great to work with @RTFM , very friendly and fast communication and superfast shipping as well. Very honest pricing as well. thank you!
I wrote a guide on rack mounting the 0 coast and powering it from your case supply.
