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Despite @Lugia's maxim "Those are for reference only!" I figured I'd grab one from Big City Music, and it's a pretty sick little module, with a range from quad filter marimba pings to weird spacey drone movement. Hopefully I can figure out how to make it sing a bit too. Anyway, here's a chill drone I put together this evening before bed. Hope you enjoy!

https://stevehand.bandcamp.com/track/s-n-rlar

Made with:

EDITED Oct 30th 2020, 05:35

Approachable and usable combination that yields immediate results. I'll continue to dial it in over the next few weeks, but the first thirty minutes were pretty telling. Most importantly: a far better purchase than some shiny, fancy module.

I've had that Pro-1 in my cart many times, but haven't pulled the trigger. It sounds great in the videos I've watched. I'm surprised it's not more popular.

Thanks Garfield,

Yes, I have delay/reverb and compressor on my external K-Mix mixer since I don't have any FX in the rack. Saves space in a small setup to have the effects processing in the external mixer. I also have a bunch when I use the Elektron gear. Next step is get a Doepfer 14U monster case then I can buy the larger modules and decent sequencer/mixer in rack. Also want few more percussion modules as they are super fun: Chimera, Fracture, Plonk, Hexinverter Bassdrum and Clap/Snare maybe Erica Synths drum sampler and bass module. I am waiting for WMD Metron to come back on for sale.

You mentioned: "Uli has (I can't believe I'm actually SAYING this) EVERY RIGHT..."

Ha, ha

I also can't believe you are saying that, knowing you are usually quite critical about Uli's stuff ;-) But fair enough, if indeed Behringer's 2600 is in real as good as it looks (from video's etcetera) then I look forward to buying and using one!
-- GarfieldModular

Actually, I'm hard on most anything that crosses my path. I don't have the time or money to screw around with screwy companies. This is also why you don't see a Hydrasynth in my studio, but you DO find a Modal Argon8 instead. Act like a lunatic in response to a perfectly legit question about upcoming supply, and you're gonna lose me...and ASM's rep did just that. Very crazy, very dumb.

The thing that started changing my opinion about B's stuff was probably the Pro-1. Before I opted to get one, I'd heard from a colleague that Dan Bell (the legendary Detroit techno producer, and a Pro-One fanatic from way back) had A-Bed one against the real thing...and found NO difference in sound quality and performance. Now, yes, it uses the reissued Curtis chips, which would make it really difficult to screw that design up...but even I was rather impressed with the Pro-1 when it arrived. Build was good (NOT something I would've expected from B. given some of their past junk), and the sound was immediately recognizable when I dialed in some fave settings.

When the B.2600 arrives, I won't buy mine right off, even though I'm in line for a unit from the first batch at Sweetwater. Instead, I'll actually take a day and GO TO Sweetwater and sit down with it and then give it a real thrashing! If it performs like the synth that I learned modular synthesis on at the very beginning, then it'll be going home with me. Otherwise not.

Oh, and this doesn't let Uli off on his shitty behavior (don't think I've forgotten the Trump-grade slurry BS of the "KIRN" synth...how's that brown shirt collection goin', Mr. Ear?) and his long past of thumbing his nose at intellectual property laws and rights. Those are definite MINUSES in my book. But as long as Uli fucks off somewhere else in his giant Shenzhen factory and lets more sensible heads run the show, hopefully we'll see more "on-track" behavior and less of...well, what made Behringer Behringer in the first place in the eyes of a lot of people, myself included.

I don't understand why someone just rated it with one star - an explanation would be nice.
-- airic

Internet-itis. A weird motor control issue that afflicts certain users who feel a compulsion to click on lots of crap they don't know anything about. Ignore 'em.

Hi Mowse,

Oh yes, sounds like a great sound track to me, interesting and tense for the listener!

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

Hi Funbun,

Yeah, finally a new track from you, and what kind of track, great one! :-)

I miss a bit your lovely video's though... I loved to watch that river you live nearby, beautiful videos. Next one perhaps with video again? ;-)

Thanks a lot for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Sacguy71,

Nice Tuesday jam! :-) Is that me, or do I hear there some use effect "somewhere"? What effect(s) modules are you using, if any?

Thank you for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi JimHowell1970,

Beside the good fact that the Atemga chip comes already pre-programmed, it's good to hear you got the SMD stuff pre-soldered too ;-)

Can't wait for you to finish it and hear about your first experience when using the ready module! :-)

Thanks a lot for keeping us updated, have fun with it and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Lugia,

You mentioned: Uli has (I can't believe I'm actually SAYING this) EVERY RIGHT

Ha, ha

I also can't believe you are saying that, knowing you are usually quite critical about Uli's stuff ;-) But fair enough, if indeed Behringer's 2600 is in real as good as it looks (from video's etcetera) then I look forward to buying and using one! :-D

Kind regards, Garfield.

Edit: Updated typos.

EDITED Oct 29th 2020, 22:40

im seeing opinionsabout the matrix mixer from AI synthesis,specially if its to small or crammed to use?

Just patch notes - no need to follow!

Westlicht PER|FORMER Tracks

• 1: Plaits (Mode 1, slow phasing detune)
• 2: Rings Green (Medium pitch)
• 3: Knit - Plucked (med/low)
• 4: Mixed
  • Warps Saw clocking SYNC3 thru Wasp filter
  • Pico Voice - Light Blue (PWM?)
• 5:
• 6: A8r - 808 Kick (1)
• 7: A8r - 808 Snare (2)
• 8: A8r - 808 CH (3)

Hi JimHowell1970,

I am curious about your experiences with the Tesseract Modular Fader Step once you received it.

Ha, ha, yes, I have the same feeling/experience with Metropolis, I tested it at my local dealer, liked it but indeed so far haven't bought it. It's the steep price I guess and not sure for that price if one gets enough (i.e. doubting the price/performance).

Please keep us updated once you receive the Fader Step. Kind regards, Garfield.
-- GarfieldModular

Fader Step has arrived - I got the smd pre-soldered full kit - there is a lot of panel furniture - so build still took a while (maybe 2 hours*) - still need to program the atmega chip** - couldn't get my macbook pro to recognize the port to send the hex file to - but didn't spend long on it - I will try again tonight - maybe that the cable is non-data

• I also built 2 tex mix 4*mono channels and a tex mix master (all smd pre-soldered) total build time about 4 hours

** turns out the atmega chip comes pre-programmed - although not really mentioned in the build docs!!! everything else was very simple and documentation is pretty good apart from that - I will get back to trying to program mcus next week though (Blue Lantern Basics via a FTDI Friend)

EDITED Oct 29th 2020, 16:13

I have used the 2020 Veils now for a couple of weeks and simply love it. Having the illuminated sliders gives a very quick overview of how the different channels are set up. The feel of the sliders was surprisingly satisfactory.

I don't understand why someone just rated it with one star - an explanation would be nice.
-- airic

unrealized expectations probably - saw someone complaining about the lack of cascading cv... rtfm before buying!

EDITED Oct 29th 2020, 10:03

DIY dos not necessarily reduce costs

you need to look very carefully at your mixing solution - it won't work - the frap tools mixing solution needs a minimum of 3 modules - for a single channel mixer - the module you have included in the rack is just the master - no channel inputs!!

I'd rip everything out and start again - put back in a single voice (a minimum viable synth) and work out how you would play, modulate effect and listen to that voice - think about how you will patch it - consider utility modules

then add another voice and do the same exercise - utility modules become more important

how do the voices interact? how will you cross modulate? how will you combine modulation sources to make more interesting modulation?

and then add another voice - repeating the same exercises... utility modules become even more important

you will probably need to replace a few modules along the way

you case should now be full - or nearly full - aim for 3 or 4 voices (max) in a 6u case is enough

there's an audio impulse file (kick) provided by Make Noise - download this - paste it into your project as appropriate and play it out of your audio interface into the sequencer

it's not for sale yet is it?
anyway it seem a gaz factory (too much functions, utility...) too complicated for me.
it's like when you go to eat a pizza in a pizzeria and you have 6 pages of differents dishes things including chinese food.

Tried the gate out and the cv out from the beatstep but can't get the behringer 182 sequencer to sync to the tempo i set in ableton,

Yeah, I agree with Lugia. You're on the right track, but you've got some modules that might not be the best use of time, space, and money. This kind of reminds me of my original plan, which changed drastically as I started actually putting it together. My advice would be to go slow. Start with a sequencer (doesn't have to be Eurorack, but could be a Beatstep Pro or Korg SQ1), something like Plaits, Maths, and Veils. Then see what you are missing. Need a filter? Buy that, and then repeat. Need a big a** button? Buy that, and then repeat.
Unless you really need the phantom power of the Little Mikey, the Doepfer A-119 is an external input/preamp with envelope follower that can be had for about $70 used. I kinda hate working with Disting, but adding one to a small rack is a decent idea. It will help you understand a bunch of different functions (albeit, not in a very fun way), and give you some ideas for the next fully featured module you should buy.
Have fun and good luck.

Thanks!

Well, that's certainly a pile of modules. But that's ALL it is. You're missing things that can make this build stand up and howl, such as attenuverters, submixers, logic and other clock modulators, and so on. There's also a lot of audio sources and modifiers, but the modulation sources are pretty lacking. And WHY are you taking up 8 hp in a small build like this with a BUTTON? Put something useful in that space!

Also, that's the wrong sort of input module for external signal processing...it's JUST a preamp. You need something with an envelope follower to really make that work optimally, so that you can do things like opening/closing filters with your volume level, etc. And two Distings? If you have a problem with menu-diving, especially on a minimal-feedback UI, you're really going to regret that. I like the idea behind the Disting, but I think the implementation is cryptic and crummy...not anywhere as immediate as you'd expect from a modular synth.

One more thing: if you're all about the DIY thing, DON'T build your tile row for Intellijel spacing! You'll find a much better selection of tile modules, including a pile of DIY ones, if you stick with the "original" 1U row spacing.

This is why, when I did my "classical training" in theory/comp (which was a bit looser than hardass conservatory definitions of this, mainly because where I did my undergrad was far more open to things other than the typical "serious music" and what that entails), I thought it was CRITICAL to get some audio engineering under my belt, in addition to my required electronic music coursework. These sorts of things aren't what I'd view as "electives" anymore; composers in this century need to know how to work with this technology, given what's been replaced by it. F'rinstance, I haven't scored anything with a pen since the mid-1990s...using scoring suites is so much better, plus I can check my work instantly; previously, doing a playthru check would entail sticking paper in front of a bunch of players who'd probably not looked at their parts until that very minute...in short, a real nuisance! Composers these days ignore tech, popular musical forms, etc at their peril!

EDITED Oct 28th 2020, 20:37

Could you explain what you've tried thus far? There's a few ways to use these, but unless we can see what you've tried already, we could wind up rehashing things you've done already. Or, conversely, if you HAVE done this right and still don't get a proper result, that could indicate a fault with the module or whatever you're using to get a clock from the PC to the sequencer.

Neither of those. Try this on instead: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/percussa-mssp

I'm just starting out in the world of modular, and to be honest while it's been confusing a lot I think I might have made a rack that functionally works, but I'd like to check with some people who know things first! I'm a classically trained musician, so getting into this synth world is an exciting way to find new forms of expression, but also as a steep learning curve.

The main idea behind this rack is I want to build it over time, I don't expect it'll be finished for a couple of years, starting with the bottom row and building up. The end goal is a modular that will be a stand-alone synth voice I can play with MIDI keyboards, as well as being able to process external audio for effects, like my electric bass. I tried to design it so the bottom row is a full modular synth voice, and the top is a second voice and effects rack, with some sequencing that will let the whole thing play on its own.

I'm also trying to be quite DIY with it, partly because it should bring costs down and also because I really want to be involved in the creation as much as I can. It'll also help me bring some family who don't really get the whole 'synth thing' into my world a bit, since they work with wood and electronics a bunch (I'll be making my own case as well).

Thanks for any advice!

Nice and fat sound @mowse, how're these two fitting in next to the SoundStage?

Big thumbs up @Quantum_Eraser, looking forward to more.

Looks great and I love Kinks/Links so useful. I need more logic modules too useful besides VCAs, sequential switch, matrix mixers and attenuator/offset/inverts. Support modules are the secret sauce of modular.

Hello I got a behringer 182 sequencer and having trouble tempo syncing it ableton.
I have a behringer neutron, arturia beatstep, arturia keystep. PC running ableton 10, presonus 24.4.2 and a moog Subharmonicon on the way.
Can someone help me how or what I need to do to get the 182 sequencer to sync.
Many thanks Rickard

EQ and compression in-rack using WMD SCLPL and MSCL instead of Logic Pro.

The best piece of music I've heard on this forum.

http://blackwarriorlures.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-brenda-bee/

I have used the 2020 Veils now for a couple of weeks and simply love it. Having the illuminated sliders gives a very quick overview of how the different channels are set up. The feel of the sliders was surprisingly satisfactory.

I don't understand why someone just rated it with one star - an explanation would be nice.

EDITED Oct 28th 2020, 11:55

I'd like a feature, where one can add power capabilities to a rack. Further the current power consumption of the added modules can be subtracted and the difference can be shown directly below the rack.

Owning a couple cases, it's hard for me to remember the power capabilities of each case, so I have to look them up. This feature would help a lot and make MG more intuitive around power consumption.

Ideally, we could even add power capabilities for each row. This is especially handy for bigger cases, where each row has its own power rail. Worst case is that overall you might not be exceeding the power capabilities of the whole case, but still running one rail over the limit of that particular rail.

Thanks again (and as always :) ), Garfield :)

hi there,

i'm looking a good module for granular synthesis, anyone have an idea or an utilisation feedback?

thanks a lot

I am leaning toward IME Stillson Hammer as it does lots of things and plays well with IME/Harvestman modules for techno and industrial plus less expensive than other complex sequencers. Plus I want to get a Hertz Donut and Piston Honda and larger case. WMD Metron and Eloquencer would be great for drums/beats.

A quick 2 minute jam

Thanks Garfield,

I am really into experimental type music which a lot of people fail to understand unfortunately nor appreciate. One clown named Klaus Walter in Germany who goes by NextG on his Youtube channel hates my music but he is a trance ambient chord perfection weenie lol :-) I had to block this jerk from Facebook modular forums as he kept insulting me and comes from Germany. But greats like Subotnick are very experimental so go figure.

Actually my favorite module is a three way tie between Kermit, Noise Engineering Basimilus Iteritas Alter and Intellijel Quadrax with Dual Borg filter getting high marks. Kermit just does soo much for one module, even though the manual describes it as a wavetable oscillator it can be a quad LFO, S&H, track & hold, random noise generator, complex oscillator and more.

the Mixsequencer is comeing! it is one of the more interesting modules that are comeing in the 2500 series !
-- musiqueconcretelover

Oh, HELL yes! That one module has a lot to do with the 2500 sound; in a way, it's very much the antecedent of recent modules such as Intellijel's (discontinued) Linix or Mutable's Frames. But it has quirks that those don't have...and hopefully, if AMsynths was true to form on the redesign, those will still be in there.

But a 2500 clone without the Mixsequencer? That'd be like having a Minimoog with no LPF!

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/new-products

Oh, lookit this! Amplified Parts is a DIY and parts supplier here in the USA, and recently, they've added product lines for Eurorack stuff in addition to a plethora of DIYer fun. But in this latest round of new additions...well, just LOOK! Not only do they have the Spin FV-1 in stock now, if you look further down...yep, the SSM clones!

Now, for those of you who don't know, Solid State Music was a 1970s-80s firm that, similar to Curtis Electromusic, created an iconic synth chipset. The lushness of those early Prophet-5s? You can thank SSM for that...but when they went under, that only left CEM...and even they left the market for a space. But recently, the CEM circuits were revived and now they're easy to get. As for the SSM set, that was elusive, and people had to rely on NOS supplies until Sound Semiconductor revived it.

And now, Amplified Parts carries these in an ample supply. But the REAL fun is the price! The NOS stuff was getting psycho-spendy...but now you can have that SSM 2044 VCF smoooooooothness for only...

...hang onto your brain...

$6.50!

Pretty jazzy...now, hopefully we'll start to see a lot more DIY activity using this chipset too! Sure, the SSI versions have been around for a little while now, but this makes 'em SUPER easy to get...and they even do bulk pricing! No reason to risk an expensive-as-hell NOS SSM chip now!

farkas: Read that...quite interesting. Takahashi-san almost seems to be of a split mindset about the general direction of electronic instruments. On one hand, he's worked with Polyend to develop amazing new things there. But on the other, he also seems to understand the gravity of keeping older synths, and reissues of them, out of reach of the general public, and how this can be a problem.

His statements about Korg itself, though...also a bit telling. He mentions how Korg is able to take risks...and also, how Korg is a family-run firm that keeps a foot in tradition. That's a bit of a dichotomy, and it makes me wonder what he'd say OFF the record about Korg. This pretty much confirms my suspicions about Korg, actually...it's felt like there's been quite a bit of infighting there in recent years over the company's direction, with very forward-thinking ideas (the Volcas, for example) sitting side-by-side with some pretty egregious f**kups (the KR55 reissue comes to mind...an excellent redux with one GLARING flaw that's doomed it: no sync I/O, and this from a firm that WAS fastidious about having clock sync on most anything).

I don't think we're going to see the end of this mess anytime soon. And the fact remains that Korg angered the HELL out of many people with the KARP 2600 FS stunt; my sales guy at Sweetwater, for example, said that there's been a firestorm of interest in B.'s 2600, and many have mentioned that they'd felt screwed-over by Korg's "Ain't it neat? But you can't have one!" crap. Korg may have actually lit a fuse on the powderkeg they're sitting on with how that was handled, and Uli has (I can't believe I'm actually SAYING this) EVERY RIGHT to burn Korg to the ground with their version, IMHO. If a company makes such a massive miscalculation as Korg did with the not-really-a-reissue, they deserve whatever happens to them next!

Hi Mog00,

Wow that's nice, you got there a very nice sound and a cool rhythm!

Thanks a lot for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.

Ha ha :-)

Hi Mowse,

Nice one! Yet again, I recognise the Moog sound and your style :-) Lovely!

By the way, beautiful rack view picture... Mother-32... is your Mother 32 years old? ;-) Do you have a Grandmother too? :-)

Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Sacguy71,

Nice jam and in this video I love your cable-spaghetti view, beautiful :-) Looks to me that Kermit is your number 1 module, isn't it? :-D

He, he, that kind of boat-horn just a bit before 6:00 sounds good and funny, a little bit of a high pitch, if you would give that a bit deeper pitch you could fool all boats on the sea out there, nice sound!

You can produce faster jams than I can click on the play button ;-) Thanks a lot for sharing and kind regards, Garfield.

Look like a Doepfer A-180-2

Hi Lugia,

I actually was kind of joking but I really do appreciate that you explain the details between 2500 and 2600, it's very interesting to read and to learn about. Thank you very much for that! :-)

Kind regards, Garfield.

Yeah, very nice. Our taste in ambient seems to align nicely here. Your thoughts on Desmodus Versio? Is it living up to the hype?

very cool!