Hi,
after receiving the Mutable Instrument Elements Clone, my Rack wont start as the blue lights flash.
I dont really understand why as I should have alot of headroom with my Power Supply..
Does Somebody have an Idea what causes it?
Below you find my Rack and Power Consumption /Supply.
The Model 15 is not connected via the Zeus.
Thanks in advance!
While I dig your music, I am always caught by the clarity and beauty of your visuals. :)
The BeatStep Pro is one of the most used solutions : https://www.arturia.com/products/hybrid-synths/beatstep-pro/details
-- Sweelinck
I am a big fan of the BeatStep Pro. Endorse endorse endorse this.
Here is a short excerpt from from a live stream on Earth Modular Society. The vocoder is from the microKorg, and I sequence with a BeatStep Pro:
Trying to get in touch with mlupieri3 about one of your marketplace listings. Hope you notice my message! Contact me!
I would like to be able to label the rows of my racks. For example, I often have a rack that shows a setup in a case with an extra row of things I'm considering adding or looking for. Or it'd be a good way to show a setup that's in multiple cases. Or if I'm grouping things in rows by function, it'd be useful to label.
Got a bunch of HP left in this foldable liveset case.
Looking for advice and comments to complete this tekno oriented case.
Not a fan of the Maths for this situation, too much HP for usability, need an alternative.
Thanks!
I'd drop one of the VCOs to add the DivKid Ochd expansion and maybe another small filter. It really opens things up.
IMO if you're not sure about maths then don't buy it, you need to know why you want that module for it to make sense taking up 20hp in a 62hp case, I'd be unsure on including it myself in a small case like that and I have several Maths. You need to watch videos/find some overview on it, the manual and helping docs out there are great. It does look confusing at first but is spaced and placed pretty well for playing live.
I don't have the DFAM modules and can't comment much on them, I know they have videos online, but I think they are bursting pulses into the Step inputs on the sequencer to pick out specific steps, change sequence length, and to add the Reset functionality. Unique.
If IDUM is the kind of module that is catching your eye, be sure to check out other gate sequencers. I like that its purpose seems to be to manipulate other sequencers because you have plenty of those, but it's kind of hands-off on the composing front. If it's going to be your main sequencer then make sure you add some helper mods for enhancing that experience. There are supposedly a bunch of great sequencers on the Ipad these days if you have one, you would technically bring those in with a cheap MIDI module, but it's the touch interface and ability to swap apps to other sequencers as your real "module" there.
I would say do more/deeper research, you're not being forthcoming with how you're using your synths here so I'm not sure how you're planning to patch this up or what the setup is like w/o the eurorack. The moogs make it easy to mix outside the rack, which if you take advantage of frees up some space. Try mapping out an example patch that you would create if you had the full setup you're looking at. That's a good way to find out something like "well I have 8 trigger outs and only need 3" or "I need X total inputs to use this submixer how I want to." I would say a stereo filter is awesome with the MSS but not if you're just doing percussive stuff, I'd proabably prefer a panner, but if there's a dedicated mixer then I might prefer a line/euro level changer (if the IJ case outs are insufficient) since no panner necessary. Your other hardware is going to determine a lot of what's useless/out of place in your rack.
One other thing is you could go with a "Battleship" style module, bigger/more expensive but offering something usually only found in euro with good playability. Some 30hp+ examples would be Make Noise Rene, Erica Synths Drum Sequencer, TipTop Audio Circadian Rhythms, WMD Metron, or Frap Tools Usta. Some 20hp+ examples would be MN Morphagene, Malekko Varigate 8+ and Voltage Block. I use my Make Noise Tempi the most for basic clocking/triggering and it's 10hp. The 104hp IJ case would remove a lot of concern and has some nice additions for not much more than the 62hp.
Also don't forget the cheaper behringer modules, they can get your feet wet before dropping big money on "regular" modules. The System55 and ARP 2500 series are solid in my experience and have earned their place, but you can get a Maths clone for a third of the price to see if that esoteric approach is for you.
Couple resources for you
Braintree is a solid channel and has a good series on expanding the MSS, some of your questions make me think this is right up your alley. He also has some good videos on Maths itself that help demystify it.
Great demo by Baseck for two sequencers. Voltage Block + Varigate 8 combo make for some compelling modular sequencing. There's a lot more to this than an IDUM and you get to work for it. Expensive but powerful combo.
Check out this rack, replaced Maths and the 1U Steppy with a Pip Slope and a Quadratt to retain some of the functionality but free up more 3U space. Now there's room to be made for something like a Varigate or Circadian Rhythms
Oh yeah last thing to mention is that if you check the "overall price" for your rack you'll see that these are up over $2k now in 62hp. Some manufacturers bundle their modules together into 104hp systems as a deal, you may want to check out what packages you can get for this price elsewhere. There's a lot of Doepfer you can get for this cash, but it's also around the price of Erica Synths, Make Noise, etc. systems as well as impressive standalone drum machines like Erica's Perkons and Vermona PerFourMer.
Dear Voltage people,
I'm new here. Hello!
As of yet I've been playing with VCV Rack. Eurorack has taken me by the throat about 6 months ago and never let go yet. It's a perfect storm for a person like me. Musically educated IT guy with electronics tic that loves EDM but hates the DAW workflow. Proficient on the drums and piano. I started listening music seriously in the 1980s when synthesizers started to become mainstream. I used to be a gamer, until I discovered Eurorack..
I'm planning to take this journey further by building my own hardware rack. I watched a ton of vids and read many best-of lists to arrive at this setup:
The direction I want to take this in Musically is percussion-heavy, dark, gritty, industrial. I like the idea of generated sequences with limited random (mix 7 step sequence into 16 step base sequence to introduce controlled chaos, for instance). Genres I like and want to experiment with are DnB, Neurofunk, Elektro, Retro-wave, (industrial) Tekno, maybe even some Gabber. I want my sound to be dark, cold, gritty, snappy and heavy for this build.
Of course I'm looking for advice on the obvious things. Glaring gaps in the setup my noob eyes missed, better modules for the ones chosen, etcetera. As I'm painfully aware I didn't even scratch the surface yet concerning Eurorack, I hope you can help me "perfect" this box so it is the best I can get. I am planning on buying this bit by bit while practicing in VCV Rack, so being able to produce sound/music early on is not that hugely important. I also have no kids or wife, which certainly helps in freeing up some funds to do this ;-)
Thoughts on choices made:
TOP ROW (1U)
Steppy: Small sequencer with large application
Mult: well, mult.
Quadratt 1U: I learned attenuation/attenuverting is something you can't go without and this module seems very well equipped to do that.
SHTH 1U: same goes for S/T&H, can't go without. This module seemed nice because of small size and "no room in the main rows".
Audio I/O: get my music out of the box into PA. Planning on connecting headphones there if needed, so that interface can potentially be kept out of the rack.
MIDDLE ROW
Turing Machine: I love working with this thing in VCV Rack so I included it in the setup.
Euclidean Circles: Easy rythm setup with easy polyrythm access, without having to manipulate a lot.
BitBox Micro: Chopped up breaks with custom replay options and CV, Sample box if not used for breaks.
LIP: Noise Engineering seems to be the bomb for dark and gritty. I also like Instruo very much, but in vids I watched this thing kept on sounding darker and more industrial than the Cs-L for instance which steered me towards NE.
MIA: Same reasons as LIP, really.
AIA: Idem
BIA: Idem
DATA: It didn't take long for me to realize visualising things is super important during the learning process, and this module offers much more than an oscilloscope which also makes it useful when not using the oscilloscope for anything. So it looks to me like an auto-include.
BOTTOM ROW
PPW: Clock source and limited sequencing, quantizer without adding a separate module for the task (I see mentioned it can quantize, just not seen it in action yet). Had the clock expander besides it but with all the sequencing options already in the box I assumed it's not really needed.
Function Junction: "the easier Maths". I will probably swap to Maths later on when my addiction is permanent, but to cut a little cost and cut some complexity as I'm still a beginner of course I went for FJ. I thought about rampage which is available in VCV Rack, but it's wider than this one so wouldn't fit in the box in the current setup.
Branches: Love to use this in VCV Rack as well so sort of auto-include for me.
Ochd: This is not even a question. I use this thing in close to 100% of my VCV Rack patches. auto-include.
VC EG: I was looking for a CV addressable EG and I use this in VCV Rack too so familiarity made me go this way.
Freak: Awesome sounding multimode filter, also available in VCV Rack so again a familiarity thing.
MFX: FX option with big bang for buck in a small formfactor.
Ghost: Became a fan of it watching Andrew's tube. I know separate dedicated FX options are much more powerful but as these are notoriously expensive and take up quite some rackspace I've cut some corners here. The Ghost also seems to offer options that aren't availble to us when using separate modules.
Channels MK II: I felt the need for a mixing option and this felt extensive enough for the setup. I assume I don't I need more than 4 channels together with the other options I have in the machine. This will give the much needed control when this thing hits the live-scene (if ever).
Doubts:
MFX/Ghost: Although these save a ton of space (and money) I am not completely sure on if I really should. Of course there is plenty reason why the lot of you use separate modules for FX rather than a combined system like Ghost so I might have chosen the wrong option here.
5 voices: Bitbox, LIP, MIA, AIA, BIA. Maybe one or even two too much? Which one would you cut and what would you put in it's place?
Branches: Replace for something with more logic options?
SHTH: I understood that some Sample & Hold modules don't actually hold the Voltage that well over time. Is this one a good one?
I kept myself away from dedicate drum sound modules to force myself to make percussion sounds from scratch using the modules available in the build. I just don't know if that's the right way to go when you are planning on going percussion heavy. Separate Kick to gain more control over it? The one from Erica Synths for instance? Or Kickall from Befaco?
I'm looking forward to any thoughts and remarks you might have on the rack! Thanks in advance for any time and effort someone decides to put into educating and helping me!
Sjleegketting.
Mork spamming the hell out of us. How can we group/filter module listings into 'alternate panel designs'
-- intowhite
I think this is just a phase but we might add a "no blank panel" filter?
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
Nice but ditch the headcam or enable stabilisation as its interrupted my gearlust :)
Mork spamming the hell out of us. How can we group/filter module listings into 'alternate panel designs'
Love the Usta and what it can do.
A beautifully built device and lit encoders instead of potentiometers is the way to go with shared controls.
But those slippery pointy knobs are always so hard to use.
Form over function.
Here's a demo of a the USTA sequencer. Just a terrific piece of kit with 16 outs (!), 4 trks each with 2 pairs of cv/gate outs. Easy reset, save, load & project naming using a microSD card. Swing is awesome, and it's easy to create accents, and variable note lengths. Everything is logically put together. I use it for everything, live & studio.
Here's a great resource painstakingly put together by a committed Modwiggler that compares a huge number of sequencers
https://doudoroff.com/sequencers/
NEW EP: https://fastus.bandcamp.com/album/terra-incognito
Latest works: https://soundcloud.com/fastus
Modular studies & sketches: https://soundcloud.com/problivion
consider a pointandclicksystems pacbot 0.5 mk2 or pacbot 2 mk2 to go with that hapax. this is actually my own setup. i also use expert sleepers fh2 and expanders directly with hapax and expert sleepers es8 and expanders with pacbot 2 mk2 with vcv rack.
Hello there.
Please check out my new release.
Thanks.
YV
Anyone going to Synthfest 2024 in Sheffield in a couple of weeks?
Is it still possible for unicorns to get such a xml/json?
-- elemenoh
Yes, just add ".json" to the rack url
Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net
RE: the choice of Pam's - I think you're right, I do primarily want a solid clock divider - but I do really want something that I can set the BPM and have it stay in solid time. I currently use a cheap Volca beats to send clock signal but it's never that accurate (like 111.698 bpm when it's set to 112- maybe that's just analog though). The clock routing in the MSS is also a little annoying, it would be great to just have something to send 3-4 separate clock outs. Maybe that's just any clock divider though (and also a mult).
What do you use the ModDemix with Maths for? Still extremely unsure what exactly Maths does but it seems very versatile, both of them sound quite technical.
The DFAM thing looks handy but would these other modules provide similar functions? Not so interested in midi.
I initially had a MN pressure points in this rig but ditched it in favor of the drum voice- worth just getting the single MN pressure point though? I was looking at the 4-point one.
I also came across the IDUM that seems taylor-made to my wishes- gate/clock modulating. Ratcheting effects, breakbeats, etc.
hi - is the es6 also audio? I thought there are cv only? thanks
if you just want more inputs have you considered the es6 module from expert sleepers?
After so many years of hoarding a variety of modules which were only used to help developing new modules and research, I've decided to downsize and sell a big portion of them.
They are all mostly unused, with their original box and in perfect working condition. I'm not in a rush to sell and I think the prices are super competitive as I have made a big reduction from list price considering they are in pristine condition.
I still have boxes and boxes to go through. Just check every often here and I will continue uploading them on my "For Sale" rack.
Thank you for looking
Bartola Valves
Looks pretty good to me. I like the combo of batumi+maths with the MSS, a dense digital modulator and a roomy playable one. I also like having an extra filter.
What are you wanting to use Pam's for? I'd personally drop it in this case, with the MSS I don't like Pam's menu system and ended up just loading WYSIWYG modules around the Moogs, much smoother experience. Pam's reputation for being godlike in small cases is well-deserved though so don't let me stop you. You have a ton of clocking and ways to sync modulation already so she loses some lustre here imo, I'd personally rather have a patchable clock divider when you have so many sequencers, but I'm a Bindubba man so I get on with that kind of thing.
Couple random things come to mind:
-- MN modDemix is a fantastic module to pair with Maths, I love it in small cases. Basic functionality with much more at the right price. If you decide to add a VCA or small mixer, shortlist this one 100%.
-- A smallish EG/LFO is a great supplement to stick next to Maths if it can fit. ALM's Pip Slope mk2 is a favorite in 4hp with much of the same controls as on the main Maths channels.
-- Triple Sloths is another dense modulation powerhouse you could consider, much more hands-off but has the influence circuits so it's not just an island. NLC makes a lot of creative and unique modules, be worth a look through if you're interested in adding some chaos/random.
-- Check out the Turing Machine and brethren out there, could pique your interest. You may be the target audience for Ritual Electronics's Amnis, I love it in this category (shift registers), lots of fun with all the gate outputs especially and only 6hp. These are great for CV modulation, not just sequencing notes and gates.
-- Playable touch controllers like Bela Gliss or MN Press Point. Just fun interfaces that don't take up much room.
-- You may want a source of tuned voltages for transposing, something like a Befaco Voltio, but if you've got a keyboard or something handy to feed into the VCOs then I'd forget it. Especially the SubH really benefits from having a precision adder around, but if you're focusing hard on percussion and rhythm, skippable.
-- The DFAM has had a few 3rd party companions developed to expand its functionality that might greatly interest you. Check out the MAFD (midi adapter for dfam) and DFAM Thing. Grabbing one of these could totally change your approach and what you decide to put in this rack. Seriously this may be all you need to get freshly busy for months with your current setup.
-- With all of your instruments having standalone sequencers on them, maybe something else for the 1U row.
And hey you've got several Moog ladder filters and VCOs already, you can always synthesize your own drum sounds from simple building blocks like Maths. You could also sample them, by far the cheapest way to do modular drums rather than get individual voices. Check out the Squid Salmple which is a monstrous pairing with the MSS.
New to modular but have several years working with semi-modulars - needing to mix things up.
I have the Moog DFAM/M32/SH & 2 Bastl SP2's - a lot of free-range voices, filters, sequencers, etc. This will be to allow for more complex patterns, rythms, and better drums.
Does any of this make sense? Does anything here look pointless or worth swapping for something else?
I was first going to go with a moog 60hp case but then saw Intellijel had a 62hp/1u case for some extra utils.
Recommendations on auto-generating synth boxes.
Some 100 series modules, driven by Pam's Pro Workout, in a Nifty Case, makes an interesting auto-noodle box.
It's nothing exotic, but covers the basics, and gives lots of possibilities for the money. Portable, powered,
plus the Nifty Case gets you get two channels of MIDI in. 
Smaller, maybe cheaper, but a bit fussier, would be a Pam's Pro Workout, a pair of 2hp Plucks, two 2hp Bells,
into a Doepfer 135-2 4 channel VCA mixer. An optional Disting mk4 could add additional echo fun that
works so well with auto-generation noodles. Substituting the 135-2 with a 100 series 121 dual VCF also works well
for mixing, sound shaping, and adding color. Pluck and Bell are surprisingly musical, sort of polyphonic,
and don't sound generically beep-ey. (and a pain to tune with those cramped knobs, but worth it)
https://noodlehut.bandcamp.com/track/cornishe-excerpt
I like using Pam's because using things like Maths to auto generate quickly gets boringly random for me
even if I tame it with more modules. Pam's is not a sequencer, but can give you complex euclidian beats
with quantized notes, along with some save and restore. And a nice yellow button for start and stop.
Affordable honorable mentions for the mults and offsets you'll find you will want:
Frap Tools 333 Sum and Distribution, and the Rides In The Storm QAM Quad Active multiple, are terrific and accurate.
If you're just starting out, Nazca Noodles are the only cables that consistantly work well for me,
other than those little yellow Doepfer wires, which I love to use wherever I can.
The longer Doepfer wires, and most others I've tried, are too stiff, or too thick, and just get in the way.
Stay away from those cables with LEDs in them. They seem like a good idea, but they'll mess you up every time.
Or you could just get a Behringer 2600 and go from there. Many have. ;)
Get the gray one if you do, the bright xmas lights on the brown/orange one quickly wear out their welcome.
The rossum-electro site hasn't been updated in around two years. After the $4,000(!) drum machine was announced,
everything went quiet. I think that the Locutus midi i/o for Assimil8tor was the last module. There was talk of black
panel versions of a few modules, but they are rare. Is Rossum too busy with his Sound Semiconductor business?
I've got 4 devices from them, Mob of Emus, Panharmonium, Assimil8tor, and Locutus and they sound great.
I hope they stick around a while more. They have the best documentation in modular.
Since we do not have a feedback/rating system for sellers and buyers on the marketplace yet you can use this thread to name the people you did good business with.
-- modulargrid
How about adding a rating and review feature?
The Nerdseq also has extensive Launchpad integration for a variety of functions, making it a lot more hands-on than it seems at first.
I have a suggestion to make MG safer for buyers:
Make the user rating/likes dependent solely on the reception of module(s). Or at least bias the voting system to favour positive feedback for good sellers, and neutral for buyers.
A scammer might be a good buyer, never (obviously) a good seller. Thus, if users also rate for good buyer this drowns out the good seller factor.
I was scammed last year (seller has since changed name and I eventually lost track). He had a few good likes when I decided to buy from him. When I started to suspect a scam (already too late) I reached out to the users who had given him the likes. All of those likes were from people who had sold him modules, no buyers.
A buyer pays in advance and can't scam a seller (except for some fantastically elaborate ploy), a seller can always scam a buyer. So it makes sense that ratings should reveal how good a seller and not how good a buyer or buyer/seller together.
my journey is complete?
I bought a used WMD performance mixer from perfect curcuit. $630. For all the channels and the effect send, it seemed as reasonable as the cost can possibly be in modular.
Im excited to put the voltage block right next to the mixer and start modulating the mixer channels.
Perfect trade with @povesteam.
modules in excellent conditions, carefull packaging and smooth communication
thanks!
Léo
i get it. this os 106hp worth of modules and a 104hp case. its just to consolidate all my make noise into one case in theory only.
Frap Tools Usta is great, shame it can only sequence in the forward direction,
but you won't find more beautiful, clean, and well-built hardware anywhere.
Xor's NerdSeq can do nearly anything, but the opaque documentation restricts it's utility somewhat.
Not really a traditional sequencer, the SIG Stochastic Inspiration Generator provides tons of fun.
NerdSeq. Modular, midi in/out(w/a 2hp expander), and some limited FM out all in one.
Can be tough to learn, but deep as you will ever need to build auto noodle patches.
The Swiss army knife of sequencers.
The CV affects the Delay Level on the Cutting Room Floor module. It will have no affect on the Tape Level. Both switch's effect modes are engaged in the "up" position- These provide multiple head repeats and tape stability effects. I suggest reading the manual which is located on the product page of our website.
For others checking out this module, note that it is not a traditional delay effect. It's meant to provide tape overdrive to the direct signal as well as simulating the mechanics of a reel-to-reel tape delay, and the sound of it being abused / broken. There are many delays out there to choose from if you're looking for something more traditional. But if you're looking for something to beautifully marr your sound only the way analog tape pushed to the limits can, the Cutting Room Floor is a must-have, taking only 6hp in your case. This video gives a great taste of how it sounds: ">
Hi,
I use an Expert S ES9 and ableton and i was thinking to add another sound card (es9 or 8) to add more inputs. Is anyone currently using 2 ES in parallel? is so, how is it going?
Thanks
Mat
thanks for all the advice and recommendations, everyone.
Slim, I realised your advice to go more HP. I bought another 6U Rackbrute case. I figure I can connect the twin rackbrutes and still be reasonably portable.
Im still in the market for a mixing solution, although my 'wants' from the mixer have evolved - here they are
*effect sends
* six channels or more
* cv control / vca functionality
* stereo panning from mono input
* HP is less important than value
Cheers
I really like both the 100 series and 55 series modules should i mix and match or build both separately
But will i need a midi to cv module or no
Re the BeatStep - No
It has 8 x trigger outs for the drums &, CV & Gate out for the 2 x sequencers so no midi required.
I used this in the beginning and found it very good at a reasonable price
Any specific reason you have avoided modules like Rene, Metropolix, Trigger riot, A-155, and similar modules?
Hunterprime, yes, it's because I planned to start out working with the Beatstep Pro and The Oxy One. That way I could concentrate on sequenceing some specific melodies as I learn the rack better. Then once I have a good understanding and some time under my belt on it, then there will end up being a 4th rack added that I will fill up slowly with modules in areas I find I'm lacking in, new releases, or possibly deals I come across. I've looked into the sort of modules you mentioned many times, and ultimately it's the size that was a big factor. After looking at every video I could find on modules of that sort, Trigger Riot was the one that caught my eye and I will almost certianly be one of the fist to go into the 4th rack. It does look like a lot of fun! (I also like that it doesnt have a micro screen which was the downside of the Metropolix for me.)
I also personally think that keeping the MN modules like MATHS, XPO, DXG together is going to give you massive bang for your buck. Maths in perticular, pairs beautifuly with the DXG and XPO
-- Hunterprime
MN does seem to aim for making modules that complement eachother well.
My layout of the modules will surely be diffrent than what is shown here. It'll just take a bit of time to see what I end up useing the most, what makes it easy for my fingers to fit, and what just seems to make sense.
