Hi Lugia:
I appreciate you taking the time to not only have a look & try to help but also for not sugar coating anything and being straight up!
Thought about it some more and am going the Mantis route with a handful of modules to start and will see where it goes from there. Have also been advised that these “mini” versions of the MI modules are a little too mini and damn near impossible to work with. Am likely letting the excitement of a new musical challenge and discovery (and a dash of fetishism) get the best of me at times! This is a fantastic resource and poking around & making your own virtual rack is a double edged sword!
One of the reasons I was looking to go small was that whenever I’d read an interview with a modular musician (whether it be Keith Fullerton Whitman or Robert Aiki Lowe or Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Etc Etc) they’d always say the same thing when asked for advice for beginners: start small!
Anyways - thanks for commenting and all the best to ya!