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Could someone help me with this build please? Basically I was lucky enough to do some good deals over Christmas and was able to amass the following modules based on a couple of purchases from people who wanted to get out of Eurorack. I have another 84 hp available as well from a nifty case which has a lot of i/o built into it as well as the space in this rack.
I'd like to have a system that allows me to write house/techno tunes on it and was thinking the top row for drum voices and bottom for synth voices or I could dedicate the 84hp from the nifty case for drums and the main rack for synth voices and sequences? Just don't know. Could any of you fine people help me with organising this rack so the modules sit better from a patching perspective and suggest other modules that I should invest in to turn this into a complete system please?
Here we go...now, you'll notice that I yanked some modules from this. This doesn't mean you should get rid of them; rather, retain those for the drum rack (and yes, DO put the drums in that separate skiff) with the possible exception of the AM Synths VCF and the A-137-2, both of which may be too deep for most skiff-type cases.
My usual routine's in effect here...voicing up top, modulation/control down, flow is left to right.
The additions to the top row include a slew limiter for portamento, a Tiptop Fold (which really IS a waveshaper; the Doepfer module is more akin to a sawtooth animator) that also lets you combine signals, plus you get an octave divider for Roland SH-101-type suboscillator behavior. Then further down, an FX Aid XL for your effects processing, then a Toppobrillo Stereomix2 which gives you VCA control over level, panning, and AUX send over four channels, plus an effects send/return for the FX Aid XL, a cue function for on-the-spot tuning needs, and mutes per input channel. I added a Happy Nerding Isolator because, if you plan on using this live, it's a very good idea to have transformer isolation to deal with dodgy venue power issues that can cause ground loops, noise, crud, etc. And you can hit it a little hard and the transformers will do that transformer saturation thing for a tad extra warmth.
Bottom row was majorly screwed with. I put the Cre8 stuff at the end so that you can have a little live controller and additional manual "bleepmaker" that you can send up to the voicing row, either going to the 4-in mixer, one of the Fold inputs, or the Eudaemona's mixer. Then I added noise and sample and hold with a Doepfer A-118-2, and a Temps Utile for timing generation and extra sequencing, plus it has a channel for CV output that can emulate a Turing Machine, etc, which will be useful for tampering with modulation behavior. After the Branches, I put in one of Tesseract's CVable dual Boolean gates, which now opens up the capabilities of the LL8 vs. a Temps output or two for more complex timing. Following the LL8, I then added an Octone, which is a quantized 8-step CV sequencer to complement the LL8. AfterLater's DVCA is next, giving you two more Veils-clone VCAs for your modulation control, then we're all on the old modules until the Quadrax/Qx, which now gives you four cascadeable EGs. The last 1 hp sliver there is a Konstant Labs PWRchekr, which lets you keep an eye on your DC rail health.
This is a lot more complex and capable now...and hovers right between a good studio synth AND an ample live one. As I noted, don't chuck out the removed modules...save them for the drum skiff instead (if they fit), as they'll be really useful over there.
Hi Lugia,
Really appreciate this. I was reading through the replies and was hoping you responded as the advice you have been giving generally has been wonderful and the rationale behind your selections shows great insight. Thankyou so much for this as I wouldn't have thought about these modules and was looking at the typical famous modules like Maths and Pam's New Workout which I see in most peoples racks. I think you call these the 'shiny' modules. :)
It's unlikely I will be playing live, its more of a serious hobby for me but I would like to multitrack into a DAW. Should I consider the ES-8 and if so what should I be losing please?
You are right the AM Synths VCF is too deep for that other case but I really like this filter and to be honest was one of the reasons I did the deal on a job lot for some of the modules along with the case which is a custom built 240 hp weedy whizz case so ideally I would like to keep the module in the main weedy whizz case. If I did this would you recommend that I just do a straight swap for the Korgasmatron?
Actually, here's how to add both the AM Synths VCF AND the ES-8:
Swap the Korgasmatron for the AM Synths VCF. This gives back 2 hp.
Remove the Isolator (since you won't be doing much gigging with this) for 4 more hp.
Then, swap the 4 hp VCO mixer for a 2hp Mix, giving you another 2 hp.
Now that you have 8 hp free, take EVERYTHING on the top row and slide it to the RIGHT. This puts the open 8 hp at the LEFT end. Drop the ES-8 in here, with the Disting to the right of it. This now puts your incoming DAW control and audio return on the same end as the manual touchplate control for the Cre8 Chips, retaining the signal/ergonomics flow.
Now, KEEP the Korgasmatron + 4 hp mixer (don't worry about the Isolator, as we're going to factor that OUT of the build) for the drum skiff. And the Korgasmatron will probably work best as a stereo "effect filter" after the stereo mixer in the drum skiff! And, make sure to stick an envelope follower in the drum skiff so that you can have an envelope tracked modulation CV which you can patch in as needed to cue the Korgasmatron for weird sweeps and whips.
I didn't know you had one of those big WeedyWhizz cabs, which definitely will take something 80mm deep. Given that, having a pair of monophonic VCFs actually works nicely here, as you can set up THREE different "voices", with the Eudemonia being shared between one of the upper row "voices" and the Chips (or just send the Chips directly to the stereo mixer for that unfiltered 8-bit chiptune sound), and the JP8 LPF for big, pounding bass (should play really nicely with the Fold, in fact!). This leaves the Korgasmatron at the end of your mix chain for the drums, to mess with the stereo out on there for trippy filter stuff as mentioned above.
And yeah...I'm a tad off of Pam's these days, because I think the Temps_Utile has more going on. Not only do you get the display for setting up trigger sequences, you have that single CV out channel which is set up for randomish things, such as an emulation of the Volts output of a Turing Machine. Sure, it has two less outputs...but unless you've got a mammoth system full of trigger destinations, the eight outs of the Pam's can be a bit of overkill.
Thanks Lugia - this gives me some clear direction on where to go now. Thank you so much. I assume I have interpreted what you said correctly in this build. It's beautiful. Think I just need to start looking on eBay now :)
yes the case is beautiful, it's this one with the tip top boards built in
Yep, exactly that...and in that snazzy cab, this is going to look super-killer!
While you figure out the drums, a few makers to look at would definitely be Moffenzeef and Buck Modular. Both do "percussion" modules that vector more over into the glitchy, Aphex-y zone. Plus, one of the best two modules you could snag have got to be the Delptronics LDB-2e and 2x...classic electro drum sounds in 12 hp totalled. And ADDAC has their T-Network series of "rung filter" modules, which can get you into the 1960s beatbox turf. Lots of great voicing options out there...
Thanks Lugia, most definitely. I may start a new thread on the drum skiff but will look into the recommendations for sure. You’ve really helped me focus on the WeedyWhizz case. If you don’t mind, would you be able to share some ideas about the order of purchasing the additional modules you suggested please like should I focus on the es8 or the modulation / interconnecting type modules you have suggested on the second row?
I am definitely ordering the Tip Top processor as I was loving the way it was manipulating sounds in the tutorial videos I was watching the last few days but after that, what would be the logical choice of adding the additional modules?
I also have a digitakt and maschine which I tend to use alternately for sampling and drums, and tend to use a couple of Korg sq-1 sequencers and have a couple of Behringer neutrons and the Behringer model d. Its was the patch bays of these things that got me interested in Eurorack.
If you're going with the ES-8, it should DEFINITELY be next, as it poses a bit of a learning curve due to the fact that it connects to external software, and you'll have to sort out how to best integrate that with your DAW for the optimal results you're looking for. After that, then I think the Stereomix should be the next pick so that you can familiarize yourself with applying CVs to its various functions, and how to best do that. Like any other mixer, you need to get really cozy with how it behaves before the next steps.
So far the build looks like this and as per Lugia's suggestions I have added the temps utils. To keep the costs down I have gone for the Michigan Synth works version instead of the After Later Audio version. I have also bought Maths instead of the Quadrax + expander simply to keep costs down and the Es-8 is in the case now as well. It's been an expensive month.
Unfortunately the cre8audio models didn't play well with the tip top bus boards and both burnt out as soon as I plugged them in correctly I might add. According to Cre8Audio, they agreed I inserted the modules correctly and have suggested the following reasons for why their modules malfunctioned:
1) the power inverter on that buss board is constantly putting out more than +5V on the +5V rail.
2) there was a momentary power surge of greater than +5V on the +5V rail of that buss board.
3) something momentarily caused a short across the power rails, which could be something like a patch cable falling across the pins inside the case.
4) a static electricity event (possible but less likely)
I don't know enough about Eurorack to comment otherwise, but the documentation from tip top states the following which is the behaviour I see in my case with all three LED lights :
The Zeus Studio Bus includes a built-in time delay to allow
the power regulators to stabilize before they start providing power to your modules. When the Zeus board gets powered up the +5V will turn first, the +12V and -12V might take up to 0.5 second to light, this is normal.
Also the documentation notes that:
The Zeus Studio Bus is a powered bus board, as such, it takes only the necessary amount of current needed to power the modules connected to it and not more than that.
In any case, that's my experience of Cre8audio and I was anticipating at some point to have to deal with fried modules from what I've read on forums. I probably won't be buying anything from cre8audio again as its too much of a coincidence that 2 modules from the same manufacturer burned out ( I plugged them in separately on different occasions), whilst I've had rock solid behaviour from other modules and manufacturers. Suggesting that I may have dropped patch cables on my bus board was a bit of a low blow by them as well in my opinion.
Their response has got me doubting the tip top 5v rails though now as I don't know how to check that and when I asked Cre8audio, they didn't want to tell me. Is there a way I can learn how to do that as I want to learn this sort of stuff myself? Is it a complex or hard process to use a multimeter?
Would removing all modules that use the 5v rail from my system mean that my modules wouldn't be affected by any funny business on the 5v rail? Apologies if that sounds obvious and too noobie.
I assume this means that I take out the BIA which I was planning to do for the drum rack skiff in any case.
