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I find myself wanting a module that lets me generate 30, 60, I don't know 6000 LFOs. Is there anything out there like that? Or am I wrong to want that and I really want something else? I do see some very interesting modules that do some interesting things with LFO's.

Thanks Lugia,

Yeah I do have a Quadrax in my other case but need to get more envelopes for the travel case now. Would Maths be worth adding plus the attenuverters like Shades? I will reshuffle and get it sorted. No rush, as travel case can be moved around per need. I have most of these modules but after getting two larger cases, I cannibalized the Quadrax and Quad VCA for these cases. So will order another EG like Maths that has these things or perhaps a Frap Tools Falistri? Triplatt would be great or perhaps Mutable Instruments Veils.

One other point: you can use an LFO as a clock as long as the waveform has a sharp leading edge (saw, square, pulse). An EG, not so much.

One other module where the lines get blurry would be the 4ms PEG. It can loop or act as a pair of one-shots, but it uses some timing tricks similar to their QPLFO to let timing signals OR tap tempo govern the cycle duration. And in both cases, they're capable of insanely long cycle durations, making them excellent for generative purposes.

Actually, the addition of the EP-420 makes a lot of sense. The form factors of both cases are pretty much a dead match, which means you can implement the 270 as a sidecar...sort of like the ARP 2500 "wing" concept. An interesting idea might be to designate the current 270 as your "control" cab with sequencing and timing, plus MIDI, have the main synthesis in the 420, then add a second 270 for processing and mixing. Plunk the KSP right down in front of the 420, and there you are.

Naturally, this would be "long term" stuff...but it's not a bad idea to explore those ideas NOW so that you'd have a clear idea of how an expanded variation would work.

Seems kinda short on envelope gens, actually...this could use a few, maybe a Quadrax would be useful. Also, some attenuverters would be useful. I'd suggest the Roti Pola, but you can't break out the individual pots if/when needed, so an Intellijel Triplatt seems like a better fit. Aside of those, this seems to have a lot of bases covered...might benefit from a reshuffle to get the audio and CV/mod paths in a clearer arrangement, but other than those, not too shabby.

This module is not 38mm deep as stated on ALM website or here. Even with the cable it's much less. As reference, it fits easily in a 4ms pod60 that is 34mm deep...

Chiming in with my 2 cents on Zadar, they should've just included Nin with it it's so useful, so I'd suggest you throw one of those in. Otherwise this looks like good fun.

Haha, I was wondering if this was spam...

Guess I will NEVER be buying anything they allude to ever in my life!

Odessa is great on it's own, paired with the Zadar it is truly lovely,,,

But...

It will love you more if you find it a Lipsk to play with ;)

...and it absolutely NEEDS a mixer and an inverter to remove the fundamental when you would like to do so!

My 2 cents here:

Wait for the Endorphin.es Ground Control sequencer to arrive next year and pair it with Endorphin.es Queen of Pentacles. That would get you pretty close to Detroit techno vibes in small setup. Maybe add an Erica Synths bassline and you are good to go.
-- sacguy71

This is not a bad idea at all!! Very cool...

I absolutely LOVE my BLCK_NOIR

As with all modular, modulation is key, the FX are good, maybe a little fiddly to use but once they are dialled in it's a case of use or not... no?

I hugely recommend additional processing with the drums and supplementing them with other drum sounds for sure...

Hope everyone is having a lovely day Xx

In regards to the Blck_Noir vs. RD-8, I actually owned an RD-8 and sold it, due to having the 808 sounds covered with the Roland TR-8S and, via samples, Pioneer DJ SP-16. The Blck_Noir was selected to obtain sounds different than the typical 808 and 909, or any other drum machine option I have available in my studio.

-- ReverseShuffle

OK, if you have the TR8S, you have the X0X sequencing and 808/909 sounds covered. The Queen of Pentacles sounds are covered by the TR8S too, so I'd probably bypass that one. The Blck_Noir is definitely a unique sounding drum machine. It might be good to supplement your other drum machines, but I'm wondering if you couldn't just use CR78 samples to get the same flavor. For me, the Blck_Noir has very limited potential for a certain style and era of music (the post-punk style that I happen to love and experiment with often). I find the effects section fiddly too, and rarely use the added effects/filter.
Just wanted to give you a user's point of view. BN is a cool sound, but is it $500+ cool? That's up to you.
You may want to consider the WMD drum modules (Crucible, Crater, Fracture, Chimera) for a more versatile and CV-controllable set of drum sounds.

EDITED Dec 25th 2020, 11:39

Yes, the easiest way to think of it is that an envelope is a triggered one-shot event while an LFO is a continuously cycling event.
They can be the same shapes (sine, triangle, square, oddly shaped ADSR, bouncing ball, etc.), but the envelope only goes through the cycle once per trigger. LFOs can be synced with a clock, but repeat the shape over and over.
Have fun and good luck!

LFO is a type of VCO a Low Frequency Oscillator that can be one of various wave shapes like a square or pulse wave form. Envelopes are not oscillators. In other words, they are fixed shape but that can vary with different stages: attack, sustain, decay and release. Here is a good comparison:
https://www.musicradar.com/how-to/LFOs-and-modulation-for-beginners

Now where LFOs and envelopes share they are both modulation sources that can affect parameters of an oscillator. For example, if you want to affect the duration of a note, both can vary that to some degree.

The difference between modulating a parameter with an LFO vs. an Envelope is that LFO’s are intended to continuously repeat at a certain rate or frequency, whereas envelopes are usually triggered events based on some user input like a key press. The envelope generates data based on the duration of the event.

https://theproaudiofiles.com/synthesis-101-envelope-parameters-uses/#:~:text=The%20difference%20between%20modulating%20a,the%20duration%20of%20the%20event.

Now the fine line gets blurred in function generator modules like Maths and Quadrax that combine LFOs with envelopes. These super modulators let you configure LFO and envelopes in combos. Acid Rain Labs Maestro is a super duper modulator that I recently obtained which lets you mix wave shapes, LFOs and envelopes in six channels. Quadrax can do similar things.

Hope this helps!

Noob question here. What, fundamentally, is the difference between an LFO and an envelope? An envelope has a funny shape? It gets triggered? Or are they really just two different kinds of same thing?

So now that I bought and setup way lot of modular gear this year hehe, I am planning to use a smaller case for jams at modular meetups and local friends homes. Here is a 6u case plan that I am working on:

I did take advantage of sales this month to order the Euclidian Circles and Mimetic Digitalis for smaller sequencers and already have plenty of modulation with Batumi and Clep Diaz. I ordered the Poti expansion for Batumi to provide more options without dealing with jumpers on the back of the module. Ordered the Noise Engineering Loquelic Iteritas Percido as my main synth voice as that module is too awesome to pass up on a sale this week. I have Kinks and Links for support modules, Doepfer sequential switch, Hex VCA with attenuators and three channel mixer with Intellijel Mixup. What suggestions do you all have for what else would be good to add to the case? I can use the quantizer and FX from the Disting EX but perhaps something else to fill out the case?

My 2 cents here:

Wait for the Endorphin.es Ground Control sequencer to arrive next year and pair it with Endorphin.es Queen of Pentacles. That would get you pretty close to Detroit techno vibes in small setup. Maybe add an Erica Synths bassline and you are good to go.

Happy holidays and thank you for the detailed feedback, Farkas and Lugia!

I will definitely think things over, and make some modifications. One of my goals of moving to a modular setup was to have most items contained in the eurorack case, whether its the EP-270 or a larger option. However, that was probably not possibly in the long term, as I would eventually like to incorporate my Roland SYSTEM-1m and Arturia MiniBrute 2 into the setup as well. With that said, I will definitely consider keeping the drums and synths out of the rack.

I must admit that the EP-270 is smaller than I had anticipated once I started adding modules. I will more than likely move up to the EP-420, and fill it in over time.

In regards to the Blck_Noir vs. RD-8, I actually owned an RD-8 and sold it, due to having the 808 sounds covered with the Roland TR-8S and, via samples, Pioneer DJ SP-16. The Blck_Noir was selected to obtain sounds different than the typical 808 and 909, or any other drum machine option I have available in my studio.

I will post an update over the coming days.

EDITED Dec 25th 2020, 02:24

+1 to all of the above.
Can't remember where I stumbled across this video. It may have been posted here before. It really brings home the importance of playing the X0X style sequencer as its own instrument for this style of music. The RD8 has three trigger outs if you want to add some TipTop 909 modules for that flavor. Enjoy, and happy holidays to all!

First of all, DON'T decase the Pitt Lifeforms synths and put them in here. All you'll really accomplish is making them more expensive to REhouse and REpower, and losing space for actual modules that need those things. Here's how the math works on that...

EP-270 = $649. $649 / 270 = $2.40. Each 1 hp space in the cab breaks down to that.
Lifeforms SV-1 = $649 x 2 = $1298. This is the street for both SV-1s together.
The SV-1 occupies 48 hp. 48 x 2 = 96 hp.
96 x $2.40 = $230.40. So in the end, recasing these runs their price up to $764.20 EACH. Double that for both = $1528.40.

If you didn't pay $1528 and change for them in the first place, why do it now? Leave them where they belong.

Now, as for the module complement itself...some of what's in here is needlessly expensive. Why, for example, would you use the Grp ADSR (at $167) when the same basic thing can be had for TWO for $151 with the Doepfer A-140-2? It just needs 2 more hp, which should be easy enough to acquire once the Pitt SV-1s are back where they go. Or the ALM Tangle Quartets...8 VCAs for $398 in 16 hp...and an Erogenous Tones VC8 gives you eight in 18 hp, with 2 breakable mixer paths, for $319? And so on...what you might want to do is to go back and see if you can bring the cost on this DOWN; once the Pitts are out, you have expansion space to work with. That also means that whatever you can save over what devices are here already can then go into adding MORE functionality in the newly-opened space.

Also, farkas makes a very good point, in that it makes much more sense from a functional standpoint to NOT have the drums in here. For one thing, that's a lot of tangle going back and forth between the KSP...and lots of interconnection just means more potential for something going wrong. His suggestion is very good...so if you can snag a Blck_noir for $599, you can just as easily snag an RD-8 for $398 and have $$$ left to pair it up with an RD-6 for $179, and you come out $22 AHEAD. Just on the money aspect alone, this makes more sense...to say nothing of having the PROPER working paradigm for Tha D (although, in truth, waiting for an RD-9 makes more sense as that was more like what was really used much of the time: the Roland TR-909). But not having the 606 hats and such (and the RD-6 just happens to also have the Boss DR110 clap, too) means you're missing part of the percussion palette for that style. AND you get two channels of trigger sequencing with it, to boot.

Of course, if you wanted to go with the REAL Detroit working model, you wouldn't buy ANY of this...and instead, go poke around pawn shops and the like. That's what Juan, Derrick and Kevin did...and they launched an entirely new musical movement using those "junk store" instruments. You could say the same for people like Larry Heard in Chi, too. Might not be so easy to pawn shop dive these days, but there's always eBay and Reverb. A good example of how this worked can be heard on some of Derrick May's tracks like "Nude Photo"...where a lot of the "analog bass" is actually coming from...

...wait for it...

...a Yamaha DX100. No lie.

For the style of music you are interested in, I would HIGHLY recommend getting the Behringer RD8 (or maybe waiting for the RD9) for your drum voices. I have both the Blck_Noir and the RD8, and the Blck_Noir has a gritty character that is more in line with late 70s/early 80s post-punk than techno. I'm a big fan of that whole Detroit scene, and the RD8 has Drexciya written all over it (much cheaper and more fun too!). They're both cool, but I've mentioned in this forum before that I never feel like I get exactly what I want out of the Blck_Noir. The RD8 also has a few trigger outs and a clock input so you can integrate it well with your modular.
Just my two cents after a quick glance at your rack. I'll take a closer look after the holidays.
Have fun and good luck!

Hello everyone,

I am presently deciding whether or not to start a modular setup with a Pittsburgh Modular EP-270 case. I already have an Arturia Keystep Pro for sequencing drums and synths. In addition, I own two Pittsburgh Modular Lifeform SV-1 blackboxes, and will install the contained synth modules.

Overall, this modular setup will be used for minimal Detroit Techno, and based on the concept of two synths, 8 drum drum voices, and basic effects. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

EDITED Dec 24th 2020, 22:47

Agreed...although, the Odessa is potentially worth making room for, given its capabilities. You'd need more modulation sources, as noted...but there ARE ways to get at that without chewing up your space. F'rinstance, Doepfer's got this shrunk-down version of their Quad LFO that fits into only 4 hp. No CV control, but you can jumper those puppies out to 8 minute cycles for nice, Krell-ish slow changes.

DO consider a move to 2 x 104, though. Given the CHEEPNIZ of the Tiptop Mantis and its useful features, that makes for a better beginning cab these days than a 2 x 84. Easily expandable, also.

Twas the day before Xmas, and on Modulargrid
Some new asshat spammer sumbitch raised his head.
I found an ashtray next to my desk
AND TOSSED IT AT HIS EFFING SKULL AAAAHHHHH DIE SCAMSCUM DIE!!!! DIE!!!! Grrrrrrrrr....dumbass can't even modify his cut-n-paste crap for somewhere other than Reddit!

I dunno...with the Duatt and Quadratt in the tile row, that's not TOO bad. Maybe a second Duatt would make sense in the hole on the row...? As for the 4 hp hole in the middle 3U row, my suggestion there would be a Doepfer A-133-2 to give more CV control over polarization...being able to modulate between, say, an inverted and noninverted envelope would be pretty nifty, and a good fit in that spot. Also gives the modulation sources a little more to chew on...

100% with ya, Jim...I hate it when people see these "tiny builds" and then think they can manage one with zero build experience. They CAN be done...but you really, REALLY have to know what you're doing.

Worse still, I caught a clip on YouTube from the likes of PERFECT CIRCUIT showing how you too can build some tiny 1 x 84 skiff system. But that only works if you build THAT system! Start swapping modules for your own sonic prefs, and you're suddenly on the modular synth equivalent of the bullet train to heck! And even with their expert, what they cooked up really didn't have all that much capability when you sat down and examined it.

For the OP here, a little info should elucidate the problem...

Tiptop Mantis (perhaps one of the best powered starter cabs right now) = 208 hp totalled for US$335.
Intellijel Palette 62 (the cab in question) = 62 hp of 3U, 62 hp of 1U for US$299.

With the Mantis, you get 208 hp straight up for US$36 more. That's over THREE TIMES the space for standard Eurorack modules than the Palette 62. And even if you factored in the tile row, you'd STILL wind up with far less space for your US$36 savings than the lower cost can justify. And sure, I get that the Palette has MIDI I/O and extra buffered mults (which, in 62 hp, are basically wasted) and the audio I/O...but all of that can be added into a Mantis quite easily, with more comprehensive modules for those functions...and you'd STILL have room to grow. Not got the ca$h for more modules right now? Well, that space will wait patiently for new toys when they're affordable.

So why do these small cabs exist in the first place? Simple: they're more or less little "sidecars", additional small powered (or not) cabs that can support a few additional modules to an existing build. Or at least, that's a more sensible use for them. Got an existing modular that could use a Maths and so forth? THAT is when you drop in something like the Palette 62. But for the love of GOD, don't try and build a full-featured modular in one! 95+% of the time, IT WON'T WORK.

What you need is LESS. And less attempts to put too many functions into a small case would be a good start. Less sizable modules would also be good. And then, less of the "sexy" modules and more of the boring stuff that actually makes the other expensive stuff WORK.

One thing you DO have less of is modulation sources...and in this case, you need MORE. And as for VCAs, ANY would be a good move at this point, because there's not any now.

Get those drums out of there, for starters. Frankly, unless you've got massive space in your cab, trying to build up a "drum machine section" never works out nicely. The modules wind up being space-hungry, and also require a good trigger sequencer in addition to whatever else sequential you've got. Don't do this...get a proper syncable drum machine instead and lock it and the Hermod up to the same DAW clock. And why have Rings AND Elements when the latter has the former in it? Seriously, get some proper FILTERING...having a good, punchy LPF is key to making bass that wrecks subs, NOT a physical resonator.

There's a lot you might get out of https://vcvrack.com/ before trying this again. You need to understand what attenuverters, VCAs, logic and clock modifiers (ESPECIALLY if you plan on a lot of sequencer work), and so on actually do and how/why other modules NEED what they do. Also, the "go bigger THEN reduce rule applies here", like Garfield mentions; start with a rack that you KNOW is too big...because, in the end, you're going to find out that what you knew about that build size was 100% wrong. If you begin with too much space, you have room to scale back FROM once you have a module complement that you know will work. But right now, that last part is a real stumbling-block. Do some work to actually see for yourself how this should function, then come back to trying to do a hardware build. Your credit card will thank you later.
-- Lugia

Hi Redtapenfr,

How about a bigger rack? I think that's what you need most of all. Start slowly (i.e. start simple) with a few modules, build up experience then add a few more, build up experience again, etcetera, but sooner or later you are going to need more space for your modules...

Have fun and kind regards, Garfield Modular.
-- GarfieldModular

Yeah... I have the 3U rack brute from Arturia that’s complimenting this, and by the sounds of everyone’s suggestions I have some support modules/sound sculptors to begin to research... as well as some other stuff.

I just went all into acquiring that I wasn’t paying attention to what I was acquiring. Lesson learned, and now I have all this awesome stuff to figure out :)

You need support modules like attenuators, VCAs, and modulation sources like LFO and envelope generators!
-- sacguy71

Thank you!! This is what I’m looking for :) I’ve got more rack space, so I need to do some research on what non-soundmakers, but instead support modules would best compliment this build.

I appreciate your feedback!!

Welcome. What kind of music are you hoping to make?
Before we go any further, you have way too many beautiful sound-makers and almost zero sound-sculptors in this rack. There are lots of options, but I'm not sure what you are trying to do here. Do you have any other gear? Have you read through the other "First rack" posts in this forum? Let us know a little more about what you are trying to achieve.

-- farkas

Really hoping to do some more ethereal soundscape or soundtrack type stuff, that I can then compliment live with some “lead” type sounds for the melodies (plucks, etc...) I like Hans Zimmer, Ann Annie... I’m not so sure! Thanks for your response though :)

Hi,
i have just released my new album....
3,5 hours of soundscapes for your listening pleasure
maybe you want to take a closer listen:
thelema-music.bandcamp.com
i wish you all the best for the new year
greetings from austria

Odessa is lovely, but as you suggest, it might be too large for a case of this size. It's also hungry for modulation, and you don't have much to go around with this current configuration (since, as you say, you're using the VB predominantly with the BIA). I'd suggest moving up to a 6u 104 hp case, to get a little more room.

Excellent - yes, please DM whenever - actually, I will just send you a message with a link now ;)

Hello @Kel_! "Dark Hole" works for me. @GarfieldModular, let's do "Sunday Craziness."

And fyi everyone, I'll start DM'ing people today so you all can send over high quality files.

not enough utilities...

a lot of modulation sources but not many ways to combine and modify them

Ahoy!

Seasons greetings everyone - sorry I've been quiet recently - hope everyone is okay :)

I released my LP back in March, 100% modular, all live recordings... if there's still any space!!!

The one everyone seems to like is Dark Hole

https://kel-audio.bandcamp.com/releases

Of course any track is okay, let me know if you would like a wav...

EDITED Dec 24th 2020, 11:37

these small cases are never a good start (in mine and many other peoples opinions) - whilst they may be able to make music with they will be very very limited in terms of patching

they always look like the total research done was watching a single ricky tinez (or similar) demo video (whihch whilst being vagualy entertaining are not a good introduction to modular synthesis) and not reading any beginner threads (or at least not taking advice from the answers to the beginner threads)

the cases are expensive for what you get, you may or may not actually need a lot of the built in functions, you are commited to 1u tiles that have limited functionality, there is not enough space to actually work out what you need as opposed to what you want

there are no vcas in this build - these are an important part of synthesis - see youtube video "why you can never have too many vcas" ) they are just as important for modulation as they are for audio

I can't really see the need for the steppy

as a minimum (and if you know you will need the built in functions) go for the larger 104hp case - better yet get a mantis and get modules you actually want/need to do the things you need (mantis is quite portable unless you are a small child)

get the minimum you need to start and grow organically from there: a sound source, a modulation source, a sound modifier, a way to play and a way to listen

sound source - the ia if you particularly like that
modulation source - Pams - this will give you more modulation and envelopes plus clock and related functions in a single module
sound modifier - the happy nerding fx aid xl would be a better choice than the
way to play - the mimetic digetalis - or midi - do you really need both???? probably not, at least to start with
way to listen - get a quad vca (veils) or a triple (happy nerding) - these will also work as mixers

if you insist on getting a palette - get noise tools over the steppy, if not get a kinks

patch that for as long as you can without buying anything else - and only buy things as you need them

remember you don't need to buy everything at once

would LOVE a way to subtract my power supply specs from the "power consumption" section at the bottom of my racks.... could be a good unicorn account feature.... that way i don't have to bust out a calculator to see how much headroom i got
-- SlagRalden

even better if there was a way to add power supplies and assign modules to power supplies (for those of us with multiple power supplies in a case)

maybe just added in the list view - so you can see power usage by psu

date created would also be useful

EDITED Dec 24th 2020, 10:50

That works for me @Exposure. @GarfieldModular I'll give em a listen again tonight and pick one 👍👍

I added a not-very-lovely image of the B.2500 Mixsequencer this evening. Yes, it looks like crap, but that's what I had to work with. At least I got the width right, even if some of the knobs are clipped in the present listing's pic. The reason for this is because I'm trying to sort out how to restore something akin to the functionality of the matrix switching. Here's what I came up with...

Looks daunting, donnit? The lower row has four different modules in repetition...outputs are paired with passive mults, audio inputs with fixed-level mixers, gate/triggers with diode ORs, and CVs with adders. Now, this isn't EXACTLY like what ARP originally came up with, because the matrix switches didn't have the extra circuitry that the 2 hp module sets below each have in this build. But it DOES restore some of the patching paradigm while streamlining interconnectivity and (conveniently) allowing for some patching methods that the original wasn't exactly capable of. And no...I wouldn't miss those fiddly slider switches if I were you. They were the real "weak link" in the original system.

In theory, it may be possible to hack the B.2600 modules so that the 2 hp "patch section" modules can directly connect to the module I/Os. This would clean things up a bit, avoiding little "jumper" cables between the Behringer points and the 2 hp patchers.

Also, when I first started futzing around with this, I used the Doepfer A-100 PMC6 as a "main case". It struck me that this is an EXCELLENT emulation of the original 2515 cab...and that would mean that you could pair it with the 84 hp A-100 cases to construct the 2508 "wings", like the original. One issue that could arise, though, has to do with that "hack" above...it would involve wiring between two rows, so most likely this would work best with some sort of keyed 2-conductor connections between the top and bottom for maintenance. But having a 2500 clone in an ATA-capable road case that's smaller and LIGHTER(!!!) than the original? Priceless.

FYI, this isn't necessarily an endorsement of Uli and his "business practices"...just an attempt at pushing out a new idea. I still think he acts like a bratty asshat, frankly...but if people are going to start diving into building ARP 2500 replicas, I may as well try and sort out this issue in advance.

Lol, yeah I can drone with the best of 'em too. Thanks for listening.

-FF

Saving up for this little beauty.

Hi FredFoxtrott,

Wow a one-hour session! At least you managed to follow up on the minimum of 17 minutes rule for drones ;-) I found many interesting elements in your session, nice stuff! I particular liked the part around the 40-45 minutes, great jam!

I wish all foxtrots sound like this ;-)

Thank you very much for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield Modular.

Hi Troux,

That's an excellent idea. I leave it up to you which one you like to use, either this one Sunday's Craziness (with that funny "frog" in there):

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/9003

And/or this one, the Doepfer A-110-1 Pulse Width Modulation Fun:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/9062

Let me know though which one you decided to use :-) Thanks a lot for doing this and I am curious what the result will be :-D

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Defragmenteur,

Yeah I like that subtle touch of reggae beat in there! This Mikrophonie module creates really some weird and interesting stuff :-)

Ha, ha, that sound just before 2:00 is good fun too!

Thank you very much for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.

Yes, please count me in too, that would be indeed very useful (date created + last modified).

Would love to be part of it too! I could submit this one I've just uploaded to Soundcloud if it suits the style and requirements.

I've been incrementally building up a modest amount of Eurorack modules, and before I take it further I thought asking for some advice from more experienced users here would be a good idea. Any feedback very welcome!

The top rack are modules I already own. I also own the Lifeforms SV-1, which I have as a standalone unit. The second row contains the modules I'm looking at buying in the near future. I should also add that the top row is currently housed in one 84hp cardboard case (didn't want to invest in a case without knowing it was the right size!), but I think given space (and money) constraints 6U x 84hp would be a good size to aim for, or a skiff and an 84hp row at a push.

Onto the modules...The ES-3 provides trigger/gate sequencing and a clock for the VB from Ableton + push and some modulation (simple LFOs normally). VB generally gets tied to the BIA which can easily take up all its channels. I've hardly scratched the surface of the uO_c, however ideally I envisage using it to provide 4 part chords, with chord parameters modulated by VB (more on this later). Typhoon for glitchy stutters and drones. Coming from a DAW only background for years I'm really enjoying the hands on approach in Eurorack, and whilst I would like the rack to remain a studio tool, I'd like to cut back on how much multi-tracking I do with it (currently my workflow is: record a bunch of percussion on BIA, loop in Ableton, then repatch for the lifeforms and record. I also put out of rack stuff into the typhoon).

Now the Odessa - my main reservation is that it's a big module, 20hp or 25hp with the expander and an LPG. However it also ticks a lot of boxes - between BIA, SV-1 and the Odessa I'd have a lot of sonic ground covered, and the expander gives the opportunity to utilize the chordal control from the O_c, which is one of it's main draws of the Odessa for me. Or am I trying to do too much in too small a space? Would I also want a dual filter to go with it? I love the idea of the Zadar and will probably pick this up either way.

Finally - are there any glaring omissions in my case or modules you think that could do the same job or better in smaller HP? Recommendations for complimentary modules and where to go from here are also welcome. The music I make is quite down tempo but rhythmically driven (I don't push the BIA as aggressively as most - prefer the more low key sounds) - looping sequences with a lot of modulation, textural beds and bits of glitchiness.

Thanks for any input!

Send/return works like this:
The P-520 is your "send x 4"...you'd patch a signal to its inputs, then the stompers' inputs to its outputs. For the return, the A-520 works the same way...stompboxes go in its inputs from the boxes outs, then the outputs go back into the modular. This gives you either four mono s/rs OR two STEREO s/rs, which these make much easier due to the fact that the i/o levels on the Ladiks are identical across the four input/outputs on those. No potential of fiddly accidents changing the levels! All you need are 3.5mm to 1/4" cables for the connections...the rest is patch and forget. You'll run your stompbox inputs a bit lower than you would with a guitar, also, since these also work at line level. BUT...since they DO work at line level, you can ALSO use these for any sort of send-return scheme. Want to run things to something like an old SPX90? You're good with this.

Hey folks, haven't posted in a while, but I've been working on a weekly synth variety show and I wanted to share our latest episode with you all, cause I actually dig it.

This show's theme centers on nostalgia.