Hey, Doc!
I'm glad what I wrote helps. My biggest realization is that I wish I had someone to help walk me through many of the modules I have. I could have covered a lot more ground in the past year+. That being said, some things are starting to click. When I started I had no idea what a control voltage is. What is a gate? What is a trigger? What's the difference?
With the Korg products you listed I can see you are already on your way. Those products are like a small doorway you can crawl through and find yourself in this HUGE arena of modular synthesis. The learning curve is steep if you're on your own. That being said, it isn't really complicated. The modules can be complicated and the patches can be complicated. It is like the game of Go: the rules are few and easy but the game can take a lifetime to master.
The desire to connect a keyboard to a modular system is understandable. Now I can see that such a feeling is misguided. Not that I wouldn't do it. (I do.) I kind of misses the point of modular. I suppose it is paradoxical. A keyboard is not the point, but it is the point if you want it to be. So, I am interested to hear what you make of the midi module. There are also so many good synth keyboards on the market and a lot less expensive than putting a modular system together.
That being said you might want to take a screwdriver to the back of those Korg boxes and see what you can jumper to what. Just a though.
QUESTION : what is it that interests you to build a modular system? For me it is the electronics (not my strength), tinkering, the sound scape, and programming an analogue computer in a physical language of patch cables. Then the meta patch becomes the most interesting part!
Here are some basic observations I've made in no particular order. And I don't direct these at you, per se, but at the modular community for reflection. Perhaps someone else will jump in here and repair my understanding or offer a different perspective.
- Modular is expensive!
- It is highly addictive. Just gotta get that next module.
- Everything is a control voltage.
- Does your control voltage pass through zero? In other words does it oscillate between, say, -5V and +5V? Or does it travel between 0V and +5V or +10V?
- Some people prefer self generating patches. Others prefer sequenced and structured patches. Yet others prefer the expanse of connecting a computer or keyboard to a modular system. I'm interested to explore all of these.
- Buy the best you can afford, not the cheapest you can find. You will be happier in the long run. If you don't have much $$$, learn to do more with less. It is amazing what creativity necessity invokes in us.
- After you learn how a module works, if it has knobs and buttons, then get in there and start wiggling and pushing. In other words, PLAY the module.
- You have to be VERY careful what you watch on YouTube (YT). There are many great videos out there to watch but there are also a lot of assumptions being made that are never addressed or offered for consideration. For example, many reviews of sound modules are run through a reverb (just a bit) to sweeten the sound. This is entertaining, but you're not really hearing the module in question. I do find many videos are good for pulling ideas which I then translate into my own rig experience.
- Make Noise has some excellent videos on YT that explain their modules. Consider watching these and figure out how to accomplish similar feats with your own rig. The tutorials on Rene can give some good ideas on using a sequencer for instance.
It looks like you are off to a decent start with the Intellijel modules. I will be interested to hear how useful you mind the MIDI module. I am just starting to figure out how to integrate MIDI with what I'm doing. I tried a year ago and dumped the effort. Too much else to understand first. And MIDI can feel limit(ed/ing) without the proper approach.
Well, Doc, I see you are pricing euros. So, if you are close enough to Latvia to take a trip to Erica Synths, I highly recommend it. And send me pictures. Please! I would love to visit their shop. I live in eastern Tennessee (USA) and Make Noise and Moog are just 2.5 hours from me. Have I visited yet? No. But I'm on my way. :-)
Also, right after my first post to this thread you have started, I rearranged my cases (!). Go figure. So, one of the rigs might have been empty. That has been fixed.
Something else I forgot to mention: check out the Korg SQ-1 sequencer. It's not too expensive and offers a lot. Integrates beautifully with eurorack.
I have more to write but I've gotta go...
alex