Beginner Drum Rack

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a beginner rack focused on drums, and I would love to get your help!

I'm a percussionist and I produce electronic music with Ableton Live and traditional samplers / drum machines, but in the last months I'm struggling to find new inspiration. So I decided to pull the trigger and start my modular journey.

My budget at the moment is up to 2000 dollars. In the future I could expand the system but for now I prefer to focus only on the pieces that are essential to have a basic, independent drum rack.
I would rather avoid sample players and screen-based modules, because it wouldn't be much different from using Ableton. I would like my system to be as analog and performance-oriented as possible. As for the sound, I aim to produce techno / dance / Thom York-like beats.

So, let's deep dive into my first sketch: Euclidean Circles is the main sequencer and Maths is the modulation source. The drum voices are BIA (kick) and three Erica Synth modules for snare, hi-hat and clap. Doepfer A-138s mixes the four voices in stereo, and then everything is passed to the Intellijel output module.

Do you think I'm missing something? Is Euclidean Rhythms enough to make interesting, full-blown beats?
Should I rearrange the voices or remove / replace something?

Thank you so much for your time and advices!

EDITED Apr 29th 2022, 18:27

hi i would suggest another trigger sequencer in addition to the euclidean one. also you might be interested in a module that allows for chance based random skipping of triggers. personally i wouldnt mind for a dedicated output module as most good mixer/soundcard can handle modular output level. i would also add a noise module with a couple AD envelopes and a filter module. delay+reverb would also add to the fun. last but not least there are plenty other drums/perc modules to choose from. to conclude i would like to say that inspiration is not for sale and don´t expect instant gratification from a modular setup.

to add to what @RZRO said - I'd also consider more modulation, a matrix mixer to combine modulation sources (to create more interesting ones) and a trigger/gate combiner - to create more interesting drum patterns

Ultimately, I'd suggest just going with an external drum machine, and then use some input preamps if you want to alter that with the modular. That's your "basics" there...kick, snare, hat, et al. Then use clocking from the modular to lock the drum machine to everything else. Use the modular to do percussive "hits" against the drum machine's background...that keeps things steady AND allows you to use the modular both as a synth and a sound processor.

Look at various modules to alter gate lengths and/or positions, then Boolean logic to use those gates to derive new rhythms from the gate interactions. There's also some modules that come in handy with clock tampering, such as comparators (they send a gate when CV fed through it exceeds a given level), discriminators such as min/max modules, directional CV trackers (these send a gate depending on CV movement...up, down, same) and so on. Putting a suitable "library" of these sorts of modules together with a suitable master clock for everything is a big key to getting some wild hits, crossrhythms, and the like.

Upon hearing the student enter the secret chamber, Zosimos of Panopolis had only one word: 'Before you venture into the transmutation of sound with all these devices, you will begin your spiritual quest by first experimenting with the Moog DFAM, young Padawan’.

Upon hearing the student enter the secret chamber, Zosimos of Panopolis had only one word: 'Before you venture into the transmutation of sound with all these devices, you will begin your spiritual quest by first experimenting with the Moog DFAM, young Padawan’.
-- Sweelinck

Eh...can't I just fuck around with this EML 400/401 I found in a dumpster somewhere? (not really)

EDITED Feb 27th 2023, 07:03

Upon hearing the student enter the secret chamber, Zosimos of Panopolis had only one word: 'Before you venture into the transmutation of sound with all these devices, you will begin your spiritual quest by first experimenting with the Moog DFAM, young Padawan’.
-- Sweelinck

Eh...can't I just fuck around with this EML 400/401 I found in a dumpster somewhere? (not really)

-- Lugia

Zosimos quietly pulled Master Lugia into a corner of the laboratory and whispered: '500 bucks and you give me the address of that fucking dumpster'. Lugia looked down at the tips of his Nike shoes with a compassed expression... Zosimos: 'Ok 750, my Behringer Swing and a signed copy of Fifty Shades of Grey’.
But a noise was suddenly heard on the stairs: it was the Padawan running away with a Vermona DRM1 MKIV under his arm!

Some suggestions:
Stages & 3xMIA instead of Maths
Pamelas New Workout & Varigate 4+ (or Steppy) instead of Circles
Quad Drum & Plaits instead of Erica Synths Drum modules

Something like this would be more fun and flexible IMO:
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1911726.jpg

If you're interested in synthesizing your own drum sounds check out Percall paired with raw sound sources.
mylarmelodies created a really amazing small system including Percall

EDITED May 1st 2022, 13:14

You could save space and money in your rack by getting an all in one drum synth and sequencer like Tukra
https://www.tesseractmodular.com/eurorack-modules/tukra

Gives you 8 drum voices and sequencer in one module not bad price either. Then you only need a quad VCA and few utilities.

You could save space and money in your rack by getting an all in one drum synth and sequencer like Tukra
https://www.tesseractmodular.com/eurorack-modules/tukra

Gives you 8 drum voices and sequencer in one module not bad price either. Then you only need a quad VCA and few utilities.
-- sacguy71

Whoah... This is awesome. Thanks for sharing

@33PO you are welcome! It is on my wish list as love their modules from demos. Also like Queen of Pentacles and DFAM is fun as well.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions!

@RZRO awesome, and thanks for the tip about the dedicated output. I'll save on that at the moment to add some logic or sequencer.

Pamelas New Workout & Varigate 4+ (or Steppy) instead of Circles
-- 33PO

Yeah I was considering Varigate 4+ as well, maybe it could be more versatile. Circles looks fun as hell, but it doesn't provide too many options or modulation inputs.
I was also thinking about Pamela (or maybe Make Noise Tempi?) but I'm a bit concerned about the menu diving...

Look at various modules to alter gate lengths and/or positions, then Boolean logic to use those gates to derive new rhythms from the gate interactions. There's also some modules that come in handy with clock tampering, such as comparators (they send a gate when CV fed through it exceeds a given level), discriminators such as min/max modules, directional CV trackers (these send a gate depending on CV movement...up, down, same) and so on. Putting a suitable "library" of these sorts of modules together with a suitable master clock for everything is a big key to getting some wild hits, crossrhythms, and the like.
-- Lugia

This is honestly super interesting, I didn't know half of the things you have mentioned even existed. Do you have any suggestions for putting together some of these logic and gate combiners?

You could save space and money in your rack by getting an all in one drum synth and sequencer like Tukra
https://www.tesseractmodular.com/eurorack-modules/tukra
-- sacguy71

This also looks super cool, thanks!

EDITED May 2nd 2022, 22:45

I mentioned these in another thread, but they apply here, too: Delptronics' LDB-2 modules. In 12 hp (2 x 6 hp modules), you get a good complement of analog electronic percussion, mainly derived from classic Roland and Boss sources. Those two modules also only cost about $350; add a suitable sequencer, and you've got several electro voices in a tiny space.

quick sketch of base drum setup