I have three of them... one in each case, except for the XOH in my Make Noise case... great little headphone out module...
Hi,
I'm a relative beginner myself (started in 10/2021), so this is not meant to be "expert advice", but I'd like to share my experiences...
- I have only two possibly melodic sources: Plaits and the bOSC. I absolutely love both of them, but it's limiting. I'm eyeing a Klavis Twin Waves mkii next.
I also have Plaits which, I think, is very versatile. A friend has bOSC, and I think it's a great, albeit simple, oscillator. I have the Dixie 2+, which is very similar to bOSC, feature wise. I don't think that Plaits & bOSC is a limiting setup. bOSC alone has 4 outputs that you can route through different paths, e.g. filters, wave-folders, effects in combination with a envelope+VCA per path that is sequenced differently, etc... Plaits has endless possibilities for modulation (models, parameters...) that you can work with and also two different outputs that you could treat differently. There's a lot of variation that you can squeeze out of these two oscillators...
- I spent a bit more money on envelopes and drums, getting Zadar and Rample. I regret neither. They are both incredible modules. And I haven't even put my own samples on Rample yet!
Zadar is great, my friend has it, and I'll probably also get it some time. Rample was among the first 5 modules I bought, and I had a lot of fun with it. I sold it because I also had Erica Sample Drums, and thought this would be the more powerful sampler. I really regret selling the Rample and will maybe buy one again... I hardly ever use the Sample Drums...
- One LFO only, but with multiple outputs. Also, I use Zadar as an LFO from time to time. It's unipolar, but hey, set the start point at the bottom instead of in the middle and it works just fine. Great to have complex LFOs when I want them! Ochd sounds nice, but it's not on my urgent list.
Ochd is overpriced in my view, but I haven't regretted buying it. It is in 95% of my patches. It is simple, easy to use and doesn't take up much space. The cost/benefit ratio is top...
- Next up will be a Joranalogue Select 2 S/T&H and a Pamela to clock it. There's a random CV on the Static that I can use with this. Pamela will definitely be a great addition in the long run.
Pamela was also among the first 5 modules I bought. It's also one of the modules that gets a lot of usage. I started relatively simple, using it as a clock divider and euclidean pattern generator. As I learned about modular synths I've found many other ways to use it. Actually, if you use the stepped random, that's exactly what you get with noise + S&H, plus you'll have a lot of ways to control and manipulate it. Pam will grow with you. You can't go wrong with Pam's...
[...] I like the limitations, as they force me to be creative. Some things turned out really well, some a bit less. You live and learn. [...]
That's the spirit! Apply the first sentence to your Plaits & bOSC combo...
As you already have two Doepfer modules: I would recommend the Doepfer A-106-5 SEM filter. Sounds fantastic, from creamy to dirty to aggressive, has LP, HP, BP... incredible value for money!
Happy Wiggling!
Peter
