Minimal monophonic techno basslines (62hp)

Hi there,

I am planning a new rack that is aimed at minimal, monophonic techno basslines (and maybe leads). A brief disclaime, I know this is a small 62HP setup and there will be folks here that scream go bigger, but thats not the point of this setup. It is not supposed to be a standalone do-it-all solution. I want it to become a piece in my setup that is great a doing good and interesting basslines that I can keep evolving. I want to couple it with an Elektron Syntakt that takes care of all drum/percussion duties and the main clock. I hope you can help me figure out if I am missing a crucial part in this setup or should replace some modules against more versatile modules.

Let me go through my thought process in this setup:
Sequencing: I want to use steppy and mimiteic digitalis since I love what people are doing with the combination, this is what really got me hooked into planning and building my own modular synth in the first place
Clock: I have the Horlogic Solum in here for clocking, wich seems to have nice capabilities of also splitting the clock
LFO: Clep Diaz, but I am not 100% sure about it since the After Later Audio Clone of MI Tides can do LFO duties as well. Maybe you have some suggestions here.
Envelope: After Later Audio Clone of MI Tides
Filter: After Later Audio Clone of MI Ripples
Voice: Noise Engineering AI since I like what people do with it. Still I am not sure if I also should have a second Oscillator in here, maybe a simpler one?
Reverb/Delay/Distortion: Noise Engineering Versio since it is flexible with the Firmware and sounds really cool.

Am I missing something crucial in my setup or do you see any breaking points or parts that do not move together? Any suggestion is welcome! Please keep in mind that I am fully aware of the size limitation but this is also my personal preference and maybe a way of challenging myself.

Thanks a lot! :)

current rack iteration

Hi there,

actual link to the rack and not just a crappy jpg:

I am planning a new rack that is aimed at minimal, monophonic techno basslines (and maybe leads). A brief disclaime, I know this is a small 62HP setup and there will be folks here that scream go bigger, but thats not the point of this setup. It is not supposed to be a standalone do-it-all solution. I want it to become a piece in my setup that is great a doing good and interesting basslines that I can keep evolving. I want to couple it with an Elektron Syntakt that takes care of all drum/percussion duties and the main clock. I hope you can help me figure out if I am missing a crucial part in this setup or should replace some modules against more versatile modules.

Normally I'd be advocating a much bigger rack, however as you are being mission specific... I'd probably go a bit bigger though! maybe the next size up pallete.. just so you have a bit of space for some utilities... they will add a lot of versatility to your patching for not a lot more cash...

Let me go through my thought process in this setup:
Sequencing: I want to use steppy and mimiteic digitalis since I love what people are doing with the combination, this is what really got me hooked into planning and building my own modular synth in the first place

hmmm - I'm not convinced of these modules... steppy is a trigger sequencer - ie very short pulses - not gates, which is generally what you want for envelopes... (some envelopes will work with triggers - make sure you have an envelope generator that can be triggered and not gated) & mimetic digitalis does not have a quantizer built in - which is fine, if you want to make non-12tet music, or you have an external quantizer, which you don't...

also as you have the midi module - I'd just take clock & pitch/gate sequencing from that - Syntakt can sequence pitch & gate as well as drums can't it??? idk I've never used any elektron gear!

Clock: I have the Horlogic Solum in here for clocking, wich seems to have nice capabilities of also splitting the clock

How are you intending to clock this? & what are you intending to trigger with the divided clock - there's not really enough to warrent it in the rack imo

LFO: Clep Diaz, but I am not 100% sure about it since the After Later Audio Clone of MI Tides can do LFO duties as well. Maybe you have some suggestions here.
Envelope: After Later Audio Clone of MI Tides

I would suggest you need both of these or at least both lfos and an envelope... personally I'd rather have more lfos and a single, simpler, smaller envelope (that can be triggered) - I'd also want attenuverters & offsets for the lfos - but tides can also be used as a vco...

Filter: After Later Audio Clone of MI Ripples

decent choice... if a bit vanilla... a wasp might be a better bet, as it would add grit, but might not fit in the case

Voice: Noise Engineering AI since I like what people do with it. Still I am not sure if I also should have a second Oscillator in here, maybe a simpler one?

maybe, but then you'rre running out of space & you'd need a mixer...

Reverb/Delay/Distortion: Noise Engineering Versio since it is flexible with the Firmware and sounds really cool.

remember you can only do 1 of these at a time... and have to take it out of the case & reflash to swap which sounds like a pain to me... personally I'd want at least 2 of reverb/delay/distortion (if not handled elsewhere)

so yeah.. you're missing some things & duplicating some things... I'd have a serious think about these things before parting with cash, if I were you

Hi there,

I am planning a new rack that is aimed at minimal, monophonic techno basslines (and maybe leads). A brief disclaime, I know this is a small 62HP setup and there will be folks here that scream go bigger, but thats not the point of this setup. It is not supposed to be a standalone do-it-all solution. I want it to become a piece in my setup that is great a doing good and interesting basslines that I can keep evolving. I want to couple it with an Elektron Syntakt that takes care of all drum/percussion duties and the main clock. I hope you can help me figure out if I am missing a crucial part in this setup or should replace some modules against more versatile modules.

Let me go through my thought process in this setup:
Sequencing: I want to use steppy and mimiteic digitalis since I love what people are doing with the combination, this is what really got me hooked into planning and building my own modular synth in the first place
Clock: I have the Horlogic Solum in here for clocking, wich seems to have nice capabilities of also splitting the clock
LFO: Clep Diaz, but I am not 100% sure about it since the After Later Audio Clone of MI Tides can do LFO duties as well. Maybe you have some suggestions here.
Envelope: After Later Audio Clone of MI Tides
Filter: After Later Audio Clone of MI Ripples
Voice: Noise Engineering AI since I like what people do with it. Still I am not sure if I also should have a second Oscillator in here, maybe a simpler one?
Reverb/Delay/Distortion: Noise Engineering Versio since it is flexible with the Firmware and sounds really cool.

Am I missing something crucial in my setup or do you see any breaking points or parts that do not move together? Any suggestion is welcome! Please keep in mind that I am fully aware of the size limitation but this is also my personal preference and maybe a way of challenging myself.

Thanks a lot! :)

current rack iteration
-- kvnlxm

Looking at this rack, it's clear you have been watching Ihor viddys

+1 for everything Jim suggested

The modules selected are all fine separately, but don't seem like a great compliment in a small system.

Let me go through my thought process in this setup:
Sequencing: I want to use steppy and mimiteic digitalis since I love what people are doing with the combination, this is what really got me hooked into planning and building my own modular synth in the first place

Mimetic Digitales and Steppy go great together like peanutbutter and jelly. Add a quantizer like Intellijel Scales and you'll have plenty of stepped modulation plus good control turning stepped CV into notes

Clock: I have the Horlogic Solum in here for clocking, wich seems to have nice capabilities of also splitting the clock
LFO: Clep Diaz, but I am not 100% sure about it since the After Later Audio Clone of MI Tides can do LFO duties as well. Maybe you have some suggestions here.
Envelope: After Later Audio Clone of MI Tides

I'd drop these to make room for other modules. A couple of alternate suggestions.
1 - Pam's Pro Workout for Clocks, LFO, Random + Cosmotronic Delta for Envelopes / VCA
or
2 - Befaco Rampage for envelopes, LFO and has a ton of fun ways to cross-patch

Filter: After Later Audio Clone of MI Ripples

I'd remove this to make room for a multi-FX + filter (see Reverb/Delay/Distorsion below)

Voice: Noise Engineering AI since I like what people do with it. Still I am not sure if I also should have a second Oscillator in here, maybe a simpler one?

AI is a fine choice. Plaits will have more algorithms and cover more sonic territory

Reverb/Delay/Distortion: Noise Engineering Versio since it is flexible with the Firmware and sounds really cool.

Ghost would be a great all-in-one choice for a small system. It's able to do all these FX at once, plus it has VCA and Filter built in.

This is just my opinion. The great thing about modular is everyone can build a system exactly how they like it and everyone is going to like different things.

The best advice is to start slow and get a few modules at a time and learn how everything works together (and get a bigger case than you think you need) :D

EDITED Oct 15th 2023, 09:19

Thank you all so much for your input! This is exactly what I needed to see the flaws in my thought process ;) It is easy to loose yourself in all the information provided everywhere and I really want to make sure I don't condense this into garbage that does not work well with each other haha. I think a main focus should be on the fact that the (bass) monosynth I am trying to create here has all the moving parts it needs and secondly that these parts are complimenting each other. I think the latter is something I am struggling most with. I will put some more thought into this and share an updated version again. Looking forward for your very helpful and honest feed back :)

@33PO Thank you so much for your suggestion.

Mimetic Digitales and Steppy go great together like peanutbutter and jelly. Add a quantizer like Intellijel Scales and you'll have plenty of stepped modulation plus good control turning stepped CV into notes

Absolutely, the Scales seems to be a great option here.

1 - Pam's Pro Workout for Clocks, LFO, Random + Cosmotronic Delta for Envelopes / VCA

I thin the Pamela Pro Workout is a great Option. Instead of the Cosmotronic Delta for Envelopes / VCA would you think that the Javelin from WMD or the Sinc Bucina from NE might be also a good choice? Both modules are smaller and it would safe some space.

AI is a fine choice. Plaits will have more algorithms and cover more sonic territory

Currently I also thinking replacing it with the Manis Iteritas, but I guess that is just preference and both will do great.

Ghost would be a great all-in-one choice for a small system. It's able to do all these FX at once, plus it has VCA and Filter built in.

I am wondering if I even need a dedicated FX section. My current plan is couple the rack with my Elektron Syntakt and will route the audio from it into the Syntakt. Syntakt has a dedicated FX processor with reverb, delay and sort of overdrive. You can even implement ducking here since my percussion will come from the Syntakt. Moreover, I have some effect pedals for guitar lying around like a Fuzz, Reverb or Flanger. So I could apply FX to the synth voice outside of the rack and give it some more character. Or am I missing something?

I thin the Pamela Pro Workout is a great Option. Instead of the Cosmotronic Delta for Envelopes / VCA would you think that the Javelin from WMD or the Sinc Bucina from NE might be also a good choice? Both modules are smaller and it would safe some space.

+1 on pams - personally I like to keep envelopes and vcas separate... more modular - if you want to replace the envelope or the vca you can without replacing the other... also a combined env/vca may be hardwired - so no using hte envelope for something other than the vca and no using the vca with something else to open it... not sure if this applies to whatever - I'd also recommend getting more vcas than you think you need - always useful for cv as well as audio...

AI is a fine choice. Plaits will have more algorithms and cover more sonic territory

Currently I also thinking replacing it with the Manis Iteritas, but I guess that is just preference and both will do great.

both have these have been dsicontinued due to the micro-processor used being discontinued - buy asap to avoid disappointment!

Ghost would be a great all-in-one choice for a small system. It's able to do all these FX at once, plus it has VCA and Filter built in.

I am wondering if I even need a dedicated FX section. My current plan is couple the rack with my Elektron Syntakt and will route the audio from it into the Syntakt. Syntakt has a dedicated FX processor with reverb, delay and sort of overdrive. You can even implement ducking here since my percussion will come from the Syntakt. Moreover, I have some effect pedals for guitar lying around like a Fuzz, Reverb or Flanger. So I could apply FX to the synth voice outside of the rack and give it some more character. Or am I missing something?

guitar pedals are great for modular - best to get a pedal interface module, though - so that the levels and impedence match - there are small inexpensive 2hp ones - AI synthesis for example - and much bigger ones, sometimes with more features, which you may or may not find useful... if your pedals have expression pedal inputs - then the ALM SBG is a good buy as this includes an expression pedal output... the only disadvantage of pedals over modules is that modules are easier to modulate with CV... which may or may not be important to you...

as I stated previously I don't have experience with Elektron devices - but make sure that the inputs can cope with the levels you are inputting... modular is very high and pedals are generally very low...

Given the contstraints and outboard FX here's a 62hp palette that I would find fun with tons of modulation and a lot of creative ways to patch

Starting from top left 1u row:
midi to get clocks, CV and gates from Syntakt
Steppy for 4 chan of step sequencing
Att (2x) to tame some CV levels
Stereo out to connect to the case outputs

3u row:
Pam's Pro Workout for clocks, LFO and all the magic of Pams
Mimetic Digitales for stepped modulation
Scales to tame CV modulation into notes
Plaits (clone) has the most sonic variety of any oscillator
FILThy looks like a good multi-mode filter and sticks with the After Later Audio theme
Stages (clone) packs a ton of features into a single module - LFO, Envelopes, Step Sequencer and even an Oscillator easter egg mode
dVCA is a good dual VCA

(preveiw is currently showing an earlier version with Maths that would also be fun - Wasp looks like it might be too deep for the case. click through for the updated rack)

EDITED Oct 15th 2023, 19:56

Thank you both again for your insights and especially @33PO for putting a rack together. I will go over the parts and maybe iterate it a bit further. Will come back with some more questions for sure. Have a good start into the week :)

This is my newest iteration of my small techno rack. Again, I am aiming to add this to my Syntakt and maybe one more external synth. So it is a real focused system. I want to use the BIA for kick/Bassline stuff. Not sure about the dixie though. Would I be even able to use it as a second voice with this rack? Otherwise I would rather put a dedicated lfo. Currently I plan to use the pnw as lfo and clock.

Since I am new to modular, I want to make sure I can get the most out of it and learn each module really well. Which of these modules would I absolutely need to get some best going? So that u don't have to buy these all at once. So far I have only the BIA since I found it used and took the shot.

Version 3

EDITED Oct 23rd 2023, 11:25

& the link again!!!

why the original pams & not the new or pro version... either of these & you can dispense with scales!