I seek constructive criticism on my first rack build

Hello,

This rack was designed around the intent to make slowly morphing, reverberated drone music. I will be augmenting and using my eurorack with a behringer neutron synth, an ASM hydrasynth, two hungry robot external modules (clockable LFO and buffered mults), a touch based noise synthesizer from Gen Thalz, a field kit & field kit fx from KOMA electronics, various guitar pedals, and a plethora of various synth/cv tools from Michael Rucci at handbuiltelectronicinstruments.com.

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1432529.jpg

I possess 12 of these modules already. I aim to make a dynamic cloud of shaped, slowly morphing sound, obscured by slight noise. I aim to make the cloud’s emotional, timbral range to range from stable, gorgeous serenity to cataclysmic, noise-laden, unstable dread.

Thank you for your time.

EDITED Feb 12th 2022, 19:48

I have no idea how many times I've typed this today - seems a lot though

JPGs are next to useless - please help us help you by linking to your public rack - copy and paste the url!!!

not to worry I've done it for you:

EDITED Feb 12th 2022, 22:18

you probably don't need both the rcd and scm - I'd go divider and start with a faster clock - and probably add the expander for the rcd instead - which brings me to how are you intending to clock this??? where is master clock coming from?

not convinced that triple sloths and wobblebug are both needed in a case this size - I have both (well an erica swamp, which is a derivation of wobblebug) but I have about 7 times the rack space

decent start with utilities - but not much in the way of basic plumbing - I'd want more mixing at least - sub mixers and a matrix mixer would be good - that way you can reduce the number of your modulation sources and get more interesting modulation via matrix mixer - and you probably will find you need a lot more in the way of attenuators - really useful for controlling level of modulation

probably don't need the doepfer buffered mult and links - buffered mults are only really needed for pitch and you don't really have enough pitch outputs/inputs to justify both at the moment - remember the middle section of links can be a buffered mult too - I'd get some stackcables or headphone splitters for passive mults too - one caveat to this is if you are trying to use maths with a module that has a non-buffered input - sometimes it can stop working because of this - but only a problem that needs to be solved if and when it arises - I only have a couple of modules that this happens with and they are video modules

I'd also consider dumping the cursible - not enough modules to warrant it at the moment imo - and the bastl 'drone'mixer, again at the moment - bring them back in in the next case perhaps...

have you actually used an eurorack modular before? do you know how small the modules actually are? especially looking at the mutable clones here - the originals have good ergonomics - but the micro clones don't...

I'd dump the output (quite possibly not needed - & if you're going to get one get a better one from a company with a better reputation) and at least one (possibly both) of the mutes and the quad vca - replace with veils (saves 2hp) and get a better end of channel mixer (possibly with mutes included and based on feedback below)... how are you intending to listen to this?

I'd also think about mono/stereo mixing in here - go through working out what sound sources and modifiers are mono or stereo and how you are going to mix these both separately and together

erbe-verbe is huge and is mono input/stereo output - great module - but maybe not suited to a case this size!

hope this helps...

Wheee...OK, I went over Jim's remarks as well as some of my own ideas, and arrived at:

This is fairly similar in places to the original build, but by being more economical with panel space while not losing much in the way of original functionality, I've managed to cram MORE in without making the build an unusable mess by not using teensy-weensy controls.

TOP: Ladik Dual Precision Slew is first, which allows you to use portamento on your VCOs, with portamento on up, down, or both selectable separately. Black Wavetable's next, then a real Plaits, and then an Erica PICO ring modulator with an internal carrier oscillator. After this, the Wave went back in, as it fits in SO nicely as a summer/wavefolder that can either go post-VCO or post-VCAs. Then a Veils for amplitude control over your audio sources. I kept the Forbidden Planet because...well, Nyle's VCF there is a killer lead filter. And after that is something VERY weird and dronable...a Limaflo Motomouth morphing vocal formant filter. That allows you to impose different formant structures onto an incoming signal, with a result that can go from choir-like to downright weird depending on how you approach it. Dual XFade then allows you to crossfade between any of that, and then it feeds Beads and/or an Erica Dual FX. The last module there is an omsonic "Panning Expander", which is really a fixed-level mixer (six in, two out) for signal panning and finishes up the "stereoization" at the right end of the audio path.

BOTTOM: Konstant Labs PWRchekr, natch. If you've got 1 stray hp, that should be the immediate choice unless your cab has DC rail indicators already. Then I dropped in a noise/random source with S&H and T&H capabilities, followed by the Tool Box. Sloths is next, then a CVable clock divider/multiplier from Noise Engineering. So, with this being the logical place for the sequencer, there's the Bloom. Following this, we get into the main modulation devices: Batumi/Poti and Maths, then a Doepfer dual VCA followed by Frap's 321; this little VCA/CV mixer section is for manipulating/altering your modulation signals to create more complex modulation schema coming out of the bottom row. On the other side of this is a Quadrax/Qx combo. Then conveniently located below the omsonic panning mixer, you'll find a Happy Nerding Isolator, which not only functions as a stereo 1/4" audio out, it uses transformer isolation...so you can hit it a little hotter, and the transformers will warm things up a tad due to saturation.

So, this probably eliminates some of your existing modules that you'd mentioned...but it IS a more controllable build that actually has more capability than the original.

+1 for the Quadrax and its expander. When I started out, I had no idea how powerful this function generator is, and of course now there are none to be seen anywhere - hopefully some get restocked soon. More powerful than Maths in less HP, with a CV routing matrix under the hood. Course Quadrax + Maths = even better haha