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I've been involved with synths and electronic music since around 1990. I'm basically new to modular but not new to the game. From my own personal experience, the one thing I would recommend that you do is to PLAY and PRACTICE. The notion that you're going to jump right in and make something "good" is kind of laughable (personal experience).

I come home from work every other day and create scenarios for myself to patch up. The goal is to become more familiar with my OWN modules and explore features that I might ignore because of habitual patching rather than exploration.

I stopped buying modules for the most part... not because I can't find a use for them but because A) I have no more room in my current case. B) Buying more modules means adding to the stack I'm currently learning.

By learning, I'm not speaking of making basic connections. I'm speaking of using those connections in a way that I personally find musical and expressive.

At this point, I'm not looking to incorporate any of my patches into a song or project. If I hit on anything that's interesting, I might record it into a DAW for later manipulation. But I don't put myself under any pressure to get any value out of my Eurorack at this stage. I keep the humble mentality that I'm learning. I'm making mistakes but fumbling towards a greater understanding.

The other takeaway is that Eurorack play gives me a fresh perspective WITH my DAW. I look at modulation very differently inside the DAW now.

That's my $0.02 to add to Luigi's $10 post. Everyone's journey is different so take it all with a grain of salt... a little lime... and a healthy pour of tequila.

Here is my build.

As you can see it's pretty simple, built around Plaits and Clouds which looks like a good match.

¼" line outs to record with my interface and headphone out. (needed)

FX loop to use external pedals. (exchangeable if better function)

Pamela's to put everything to work.

Midi in because I can't find better use for 2hp left. I have some nice Midi controller apps and could also use Ableton or my Cosmic Music Box to trigger things. (exchangeable if better function)

I was also considering Ears by MI to use my guitar or synths with clouds but I think S.B.G can do that already, am I right?

I plan to fit this into a Doepfer A-100 LC1.

Any module/function I should consider changing or adding onto a bigger case?

Thanks in advance!

EDITED Oct 24th 2018, 13:17

I could probably use some more modulation and utility modules... attenuation, slew... but I don't wanna move anything :(

why is this junking up MG?

Okay maybe i can explain this a little better. I have looped material going with my dry/wet set at 50%. I want to fade in a new part, so when i turn it to dry, the volume of the new layer seems to be around 30-40% louder than the material already recorded. I guess instead of having the D/W set at 50% ill have to set it set all the way wet or all the way dry to get the full signal volume.

To make that secure from both sides the escrow must handle both the money and the modules which means double shipping costs. MG is in Germany, so that would not work in the US. We don't have a stockroom and I think people would not pay for the additional fees. They are to high in relation to the cost of most used modules.
May be there is a third party service users can use?

Yes, when you have a loop going this is the wet signal, and new material coming in is the dry signal. The dry/wet knob will crossfade between them. Maybe I'm not getting the question...

Awesome, simplest answer ive gotten to date and i think i got it now! Thanks so much! One thing i did notice is that the levels get louder (say when i have a loop going, D/W mix is at 50percent, and i go to fade in another part, the volume increases of the new part when getting closer to dry. And vice versa, the volume drops when i go from Dry to 50/50 dry/wet, Is this just how the machine works? Thanks again btw.

I used the Brain Surgery feature via Hex Inverter's website to create the SysEx file, but I don't see a space on there that specifies Omni-Mode. Did I overlook it? The clock tick works fine, but the MB registers it even before I hit play on Cubase. Is that normal?

Is the Mutant Brain set to receive in Omni-Mode? (ignores MIDI channel and passes everything it encounters).

I believe this is called "escrow." A third party handles the exchange of merchandise and money... verifying that both parties have satisfied the transaction before releasing monies and merchandise to the recipients. This system of trade does work. But it's much more labor intensive than eBay, etc. The bottom line is that escrow will add more to the cost than eBay.

My plan for this rack is kind of textural ambient sounds and a drum machine.

I really like this configuration. the only thing that I feel like I would really like would be a morphagene.
I could get rid of plaits, ears and a radio music and, while not ideal, would give me the room for a morphagene and not lose too much functionality.

OR I could put the terminal tedium into a 4ms pod if it fits, or just a tiny diy case for that and more video stuff. The terminal tedium in this rig plays video clips and visualizations triggered / modulated by the rest of the system.

This is my first attempt to compile a portable modular system for sound exploration and experimentation. I am interesting to create modulated drone style audio spaces by using oscillators and external audio input. Any ideas and comments are very welcome.

My wife tried to buy this module from the manufacturer for my birthday, and it never arrived. After several emails the problem has not been resolved and they're not responsive via email.

I guess I'm using the DLD similarly. Clock it with your master clock to the ping input. If your master clock, for example, is a quarter note, and you play a 4 by 4 beat, then setting the DLD time to 4 and the switch in the middle will give you delays of one bar. Now, feedback CCW, delay feed CW, and mix CCW. When you want to lock the input hit the hold button. Use the mix knob to crossfade between the live input and the recorded 1 bar loop.

Hope it helps,
Tom

How is he getting such accurate loop start/end times with the DLD ive been trying to figure this out to no avail....

Variation on Shared System Plus with Black and Gold System Cartesian; now with correct number of modules for each row's available power

EDITED Oct 21st 2018, 17:16

I just picked up a Mutant Brains, and like many folks interested in the module, I'm hoping to use it to allow my digitakt to control my eurorack rig. I've installed the module and I've sent a sysex file to it via Midi-OX. The lights on top of the unit blinked, but something's still off. To test it, I'm sending a basic midi track from Cubase out of my Scarlet 18i8 and into the Mutant Brains. (I'm sending it on ch 6.) The patch is mutant brains cv out to STO, mutant brains gate to Quadra, Quadra envelope to Quad VCA cv in, STO sub out to Quadra in, Quadra out to my output module.

The sound I'm getting is glitchy. When a single sustained midi note plays in the Cubase sequence, I'm getting lots of random notes that play from the STO. The Sysex settings are all pretty basic (inputs on ch 5-8, CV outs all set to "first note pitch," and then gates 1-4 all set to "first note on" and gate. Any guidance is much appreciated.

@pinpinkula Is a very good builder and a gentleman to do business with, kept his word throughout the process. His packaging of the modules was fantastic also! I would highly recommend using @pinpinkula to build you a module or to buy from A+++++

Here's a jam with this case!

FIELD KIT:
Field Kit Input 1 - Olympus S925
Field Kit Input 2 - Sony TCM450
Field Kit Input 3 - Korg Monotron
Aux Out - Korg Monotron
LFO on Low-Range (Triangle)

FIELD KIT FX:
Freq Shifter Mode
CV1 - Roll o Decks
CV2 - LFO
CV3 - LFO attenuated

Modulations:
Amount/SSR - CV3
Cutoff - CV3
TIME - CV1
TRESH - CV2

Input 1 - Freq Shifter Out
Input 2 - Delay Out
Input 3 - Spring Out
Input 4 - Multiplied Signal from the Sony Dictaphone

EDITED Oct 19th 2018, 20:48

This was a great article! There’s a lot here to digest, think about and do more research on. One question, do any of your setups on this site serve as a good example of this design philosophy? Any you can point to as a good starting point for a beginner? I have a Grandmother I’m looking to expand at some point. Thanks!

board: temple SOLO 18

Hello,

Since I can't sell a whole rack in marketplace I hope it's ok list it here:

Photos:
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/eurorack-doepfer-klangbau-koeln-barton-clicks-clocks/969525100-74-6099

2x Klangbau Köln qVCF
1x Barton Musical Circuits BMC 051 Preset Rhythms
1x Utility Modul (2x Multiples 2x Mixer, all activ)
1x Doepfer Clock Divider II A-160-2
1x Barton Musical Circuits BMC 016 Dual Nice Quantizer
1x Doepfer Dual linear/exponential VCA A-132-3
1x Utility Modul (2x Gain 1x Multiple 1x Mixer, active)
2x Barton Musical Circuits BMC 042 Simple AR
1x Clicks+Clocks Netzteil und Platine

550€

Thanks

How would have you done it?

In case they don't consider it an opportunity to get more ambidextrous ;-)
-- wiggler55550

Just a strange way of doing a mute button:)

In case they don't consider it an opportunity to get more ambidextrous ;-)

Please put the mute buttons on the right side of the outputs.

Is this DIY, or was it licensed to Blacet for frac format (like many other Syn Tech modules)?
-edit-
The answer is now part of the information above - thanks!

EDITED Apr 5th 2019, 10:39

Shiny, percussive, any wire out makes for an interesting result.
Bottom four nobs make slightly sharp, nearly quarter tone up notes from: C6, F6, C7, F7

Check out Zadar by ...
-- cg_funk

...the fact that it doesent go to negative voltages...
-- Tomes

...is not a problem at all once you have a CV 'conditioner' or mixing attenuverter/polarizer such as 321, SISM or, on a tight budget, M-120. They can scale and shift your CV where you need it. Combined with any old standard ADSR, LFO, ... , it will multiply their uses.

EDITED Oct 17th 2018, 14:24

Check out Zadar by XAOC. It's like an envelope or transient generator but on steroids.
-- cg_funk

That looks interesting, but the the fact that it doesent go to negative voltages is a bit of a bummer, as i feel like thats something i should aim for now. Ill keep that in mind tho

LFO Triangle Wave at Audio Rate
Field Kit FX is in Freq. Shift Mode
Modulations:
Amount - CV 1
Control - CV 2
Time - CV 1
Cutoff - CV2
(Patch also sounds pretty good without the Envelope Follower on CV2)
I used the special cable from the Expansion Pack to route the Delay Feedback into the Freq. Shifter.

sorry coming soon)

@Drazen: thanks!
A great seller, module in perfect condition, fast in replying, fast shipping ... all well taken care off!

great doing business with @indecentgesture ! much recommended

Thanks to @Mosiej for the erica synth bassline. quick delivered, well packed and perfect condition!

I see your point, but that's easy to mitigate if you're searching for something specific. Granted, I'd personally prefer if people hid their custom modules, but that's not easy to do and, again personally speaking, I can't be bothered to go and hide each new module that is custom and yet uploaded for all to see.

That being said, if you don't want to remove the Others, then you'll have to wade through all the custom Braids and other non-interesting modules, as they belong under Others and MG has no way of knowing what each user is interested in or not, unless you explicitly say so by using the Search function for something specific.

Hope that helps!

How about not showing Others?

-- ParanormalPatroler

I am interested in the Others category, but not clones of MI modules. I cannot really think of a good way to implement my wish, but nevertheless I would love if it was possible to fix. :-)

Goodmorning all,

I am new here on MG and exploring all the information about Modules, Brands and creative solutions. In the basics, I am able to understand the building blocks of a basic Modular setup.

It is my wish to use the Modular synth both as a synth for melodic sounds, as well as basslines and beats. Besides the basic parts like VCO, VCA, LFO and EG, which types of Modules should I be looking for to get those specific sounds? It should also contain a sequencer? Or special Bass lines/drums Modules? At first I looked for the combination of a Mother 32 and DFAM, actually I would like to incorporate those two together with Modules.

Thanks for your answers to get me really started!

Kind regards,

Johannes
The Netherlands

WMD PDO being phase displaced by Rings in 2 OP FM Mode and into the Echophon and ErbeVerb. The output of the PDO is also fed into Clouds to FSU.

uO_C in Low Rents Mode
uRings in 2 OP FM Mode
Clouds in Granular Mode

EDITED Oct 16th 2018, 04:37

Yeah, no link on this one or the other two 'Bizarre' modules that've been posted recently. Damn shame...they look tasty, but without manufacturer/vendor links and/or more info, or worse still, depths and current draws on the first two, it'll be a bit of a stretch to get people jazzed about them (hint, hint!).

no link?

Check out Zadar by XAOC. It's like an envelope or transient generator but on steroids.

Yeah. You'll need a small mixer and output. I like the NE Xerest Pola for compactness, mute switches, and headphone out, but there are a lot of good options. I love all the NE stuff!

You'll also want a trigger or gate sequencer to power those envelopes. NE has a lot of options for those, the Bin-seq is only 4HP wide as a gate sequencer. Probably you'll want a small sequencer too, maybe shop for one that has a built-in quantizer (O+C can do that, for example).

I happen to have a 220HP 7U case and I keep my DFAM inside the case... it's basically the center of my rack and I patch it to everything, so it didn't make sense to pull it away and have 10 cables of spaghetti between the DFAM and the rest of the rack. If I were you I would eye a slightly larger rack space with the thought that basically one row is already spent on your DFAM and Erebus. In larger racks power consumption is the biggest limitation, and the DFAM/Erebus don't draw as much power per HP as a lot of tiny digital modules, so it works out well actually.

-- cg_funk

Yea i have been using the doepfer vca as a mixer/output now. Its not ideal since it has a bit of noise, not too much tho and does the job temporarily for now. The diy mixer i posted seems like a solution for this.

I have plenty of trigger outs in BSP, currently only using one. Lil erebus also has gate out i can sync to. I have been looking at the audio damage sequencer, but that would likely mean trading dfam away.. But sequencing from mpc through BSP and sometimes just BSP works ok for now. I feel like modulation is more important currently. But then i have this feeling in the back of my head that there is something else missing as well, but i dont know what. And there are plenty of different modulation sources that im unaware of. I do know that im not after some very basic LFO, i have one on erebus, that can actually get pretty interesting when clocking it through the divider module :) but still, there are 4 sound sources and only one very basic LFO in the setup. Maybe something that can make both envelopes and complex LFOs would suit me.

I was eyeing on the doepfer complex envelope generator / LFO, but then realized that it might nit actually be straight up many envelopes and LFOs, but something i dont quite understand..

Oh and one thing i really would like from a modulator is the ability to do slooooow complex LFOs. Running slow LFO to Loquelic Iteritas cv inputs sounds sick, especially if there were more than just one of them..

You might want to do a little research on an "Ornaments & Crime" module and the Expert Sleepers Disting Mk4.

They aren't dedicated modulation modules. But they have LFOs that can themselves be modulated as well as other sources of modulation (sequencing, quantizers, etc.). Each one will be under 300EU, definitely. The O&C gives you more modulation while the Disting has some audio effects (resonators, reverbs, delays, etc.).

What's nice about this type of module is that if you find yourself using a particular aspect of it over and over, you can then make an informed decision if you might want a dedicated module to perform those functions freeing up your original module to perform other functions.

Get the Moog out of your case. HP is expensive and you'll probably add more modules as time goes on. No sense in buying another case or a larger one when your Mother can sit right next to it.

-- Ronin1973

I already had looked at the expert sleepers module, but the lack of clear controls are a bit offputting, but that was just the first impression. Ill look at it some more. O&C looks interesting as well and seems pretty cheap for what it does. Ill definitely keep that in mind. Thanks

Yeah. You'll need a small mixer and output. I like the NE Xerest Pola for compactness, mute switches, and headphone out, but there are a lot of good options. I love all the NE stuff!

You'll also want a trigger or gate sequencer to power those envelopes. NE has a lot of options for those, the Bin-seq is only 4HP wide as a gate sequencer. Probably you'll want a small sequencer too, maybe shop for one that has a built-in quantizer (O+C can do that, for example).

I happen to have a 220HP 7U case and I keep my DFAM inside the case... it's basically the center of my rack and I patch it to everything, so it didn't make sense to pull it away and have 10 cables of spaghetti between the DFAM and the rest of the rack. If I were you I would eye a slightly larger rack space with the thought that basically one row is already spent on your DFAM and Erebus. In larger racks power consumption is the biggest limitation, and the DFAM/Erebus don't draw as much power per HP as a lot of tiny digital modules, so it works out well actually.

You might want to do a little research on an "Ornaments & Crime" module and the Expert Sleepers Disting Mk4.

They aren't dedicated modulation modules. But they have LFOs that can themselves be modulated as well as other sources of modulation (sequencing, quantizers, etc.). Each one will be under 300EU, definitely. The O&C gives you more modulation while the Disting has some audio effects (resonators, reverbs, delays, etc.).

What's nice about this type of module is that if you find yourself using a particular aspect of it over and over, you can then make an informed decision if you might want a dedicated module to perform those functions freeing up your original module to perform other functions.

Get the Moog out of your case. HP is expensive and you'll probably add more modules as time goes on. No sense in buying another case or a larger one when your Mother can sit right next to it.

Excellent transactions with @StateAzure, @kvlnkk and @djthopa. Thanks again guys! : )

Hi @LeSlow, that depends on what you mean by "alter" the gates. One thing you can do is plug all the gates from the expander, and then move from one to another sequentially (or in other manners). This module is a 4:1 or 1:4 switch or anything from 1:1 up to 1:4 and vice versa.

Let me know what it is you want to do in more detail.