Feature Request

Suggestions for Patch Editor

Been trying out the patch editor as a way of documenting patches for others, and really like it.
a couple of suggestions (and one issue?)

a) patch notes
it be nice to just record some freeform patch note.
I see you can link to a forum post, but thats not quite the same really.

b) patch cable colour
when you have a lots of cables on one modular, that overlap colour coding is pretty important.
Rainbow is great for this, but still sometimes there is a confusion.
a simple option like shift+click (?) to cycle to next colour could do wonders
(esp. with limited colour palettes like stackable/doepher... as often I only need 3 or 4 colours)

issue: save screenshot doesn't use selected cable colour scheme
(not really a big issue, as I use macOS screen capture instead, but thought id mention it)

Yes! I came to post this. This would be great to play with 19 inch rack gear configurations.

Any chance the SERGE format could be relabelled as '4U' given that Serge is a brand not a format and there are a lot of other brands in that section?

EDITED Oct 22nd 2020, 14:02

Any chance the SERGE format could be relabelled as '4U' given that Serge is a brand not a format and there are a lot of other brands in that section?
-- loudestwarning

I think I can guess the answer here...there's two different 4U formats: Buchla and Serge. And they're FORMATS because the Buchla method is to separate the audio and control paths, while the Serge is 100% banana and has NO path separation. Each are definitely 4U in height, but they're not at all the same where the patching methods are concerned and not exactly 100% compatible.

I'd like a feature, where one can add power capabilities to a rack. Further the current power consumption of the added modules can be subtracted and the difference can be shown directly below the rack.

Owning a couple cases, it's hard for me to remember the power capabilities of each case, so I have to look them up. This feature would help a lot and make MG more intuitive around power consumption.

Ideally, we could even add power capabilities for each row. This is especially handy for bigger cases, where each row has its own power rail. Worst case is that overall you might not be exceeding the power capabilities of the whole case, but still running one rail over the limit of that particular rail.

Given the growing popularity of Sam Battle's modular format using "metric 5U," called Kosmo, I think it would be nice to have a section on the site for it! Here's a description of it:
https://www.lookmumnocomputer.com/modular
Just a thought; thanks for reading.

-Amy

EDITED Nov 8th 2020, 22:49

Neat stuff...Sam's a true madman when it comes to electronic music. But the format really isn't a proper "5U", either...5U panels are roughly 8.75 inches, and Sam's standard height of 20 cm actually comes out to just under 7.9 inches. It doesn't work as a 4U (Buchla, Serge, etc) either, as that panel height is 0.9" too tall to match there.

There are other formats that aren't on MG, after all. I have a very big AE system (160 spaces), but the AE format isn't on here. Similarly, you don't see the Mattson Mini Modular format here, either...and there's a number of others, both present and historical.

I keep an eye on that Kosmo format and also the AE system. It's quite an effort to create a new format in the planner, so there must be more than just a few people to use it.

I keep an eye on that Kosmo format and also the AE system. It's quite an effort to create a new format in the planner, so there must be more than just a few people to use it.
-- modulargrid

Sure...AE's moving right along, though. There's a couple of third-parties working in it now, plus AE collaborated with Dove Audio on the WAVETABLES oscillator. And Noisebug here in the USA just can't keep the Starter systems in stock! They blow out of there VERY rapidly. The other fun thing with it is that there's a HUGE embrace by DIYers...so much so that AE put out a module just for them, the protoboard-breakout BR(AE)DBOARD.

If anything, there's aspects about it that remind me more than a little bit of the FracRac format, which is also heavy on kit and DIY. Frac had a long headstart, though, thanks to Paia's and Blacet's initial efforts.

I'd like to second the power capabilities per rack or per row feature request of @deft_bonz
For me, personally, the power per row feature would be very, very welcome. But per rack would probably be easier to implement and help a greater amount of people...

I am sure this has been asked before, but given how easy this would be for you guys to implement within the already established code base of modular grid, could you please consider adding a rack planner? At the moment I have to take screenshots of audio gear and API 500 racks from modular grid and do this in Visio.

Kevin

EDITED Nov 28th 2020, 21:29

Another vote for 19" rack gear. My eurorack stuff lives in 84HP 19" rackmount adapters already.. so natural evolution to be able to detail/make wishlists for 19" rack synths/etc.

Regarding the 19" rack idea...do you have any idea how much 19" rack gear there IS? Or that the format goes back to around WWII for audio gear (like cool old Collins and Federal comp/limiters, passive EQs like my Cinema Engineering one, etc)? This would make the site into a NIGHTMARE for the admins, make it more expensive for the Unicorns because this would eat up loads more database item space on the server, and so on. I mean...hell...I'm sitting next to 90U of processing gear RIGHT NOW, and there's not a whole lot of repetition in those racks!

And also...where do you stop with this? Effects processing? Lab gear? Tape machines (I have two rackmounted ones staring me in the face as I type this)? Power conditioners? Patchbays? Buehler? Anything you can stick onto a rack shelf, so that we eventually arrive at an endless panoply of stereo gear, home appliances...sure, it seems like a good idea...but it really IS a potential bottomless data pit in the end-analysis. I vote NO on this, if simply for protecting the admins' sanity!

would LOVE a way to subtract my power supply specs from the "power consumption" section at the bottom of my racks.... could be a good unicorn account feature.... that way i don't have to bust out a calculator to see how much headroom i got

I've got a feature request...and hopefully it's easy enough to implement. If we could have a "date created" for builds (ie: the date when the build was started with an empty rack) along with the "last modified" date, that would be a big help in going back thru older builds I've got to clear space. And I'm betting others might want this for the same purpose, too.

Yes, please count me in too, that would be indeed very useful (date created + last modified).

would LOVE a way to subtract my power supply specs from the "power consumption" section at the bottom of my racks.... could be a good unicorn account feature.... that way i don't have to bust out a calculator to see how much headroom i got
-- SlagRalden

even better if there was a way to add power supplies and assign modules to power supplies (for those of us with multiple power supplies in a case)

maybe just added in the list view - so you can see power usage by psu

date created would also be useful

EDITED Dec 24th 2020, 10:50

When planning rack layouts, sometimes it can be a challenge to verify if your choice of modules in a rack is heading in the right direction. There are a few rules of thumb out there around counting mod sources/VCAs/Oscillators/etc - and these are helpful - but one thing I constantly wish for here is something like a simple function count/missing function list for a given rack.

This could easily be provisioned by counting the functions for each module, and also offering a list of anything missing.

For example:
I build a rack with Tides, Plonk, Maths, Quadratt & Veils.
Somewhere there is a screen (maybe on the Data Sheet screen?)
- It shows me what functions I have and how many, eg. Oscillator x2, Envelope Generator x2, CV Modulation x2, LFO x1, etc.
- It also show me what functions I'm missing, eg. Effect, Equalizer, Filter, Sample & Hold, Waveshaper, etc

It would help a lot to make a quick assessment if my rack is heading in the right direction, and if I'm missing something critical.

Thanks for considering.

When planning rack layouts, sometimes it can be a challenge to verify if your choice of modules in a rack is heading in the right direction. There are a few rules of thumb out there around counting mod sources/VCAs/Oscillators/etc - and these are helpful - but one thing I constantly wish for here is something like a simple function count/missing function list for a given rack.

This could easily be provisioned by counting the functions for each module, and also offering a list of anything missing.

For example:
I build a rack with Tides, Plonk, Maths, Quadratt & Veils.
Somewhere there is a screen (maybe on the Data Sheet screen?)
- It shows me what functions I have and how many, eg. Oscillator x2, Envelope Generator x2, CV Modulation x2, LFO x1, etc.
- It also show me what functions I'm missing, eg. Effect, Equalizer, Filter, Sample & Hold, Waveshaper, etc

It would help a lot to make a quick assessment if my rack is heading in the right direction, and if I'm missing something critical.

Thanks for considering.

-- stok3d

I think you'd be better off just asking actual people (possibly on this forum) regarding the specific rack and genre(s) of music - absolutely none of these modules are critical in any way - so all you would likely get is the list of functions minus the ones you have and with a little note saying "we see you have added a (insert list of functions iinn rack) to your rack perhaps you would like to try one of these (insert list of functions not in rack)"

EDITED Dec 31st 2020, 03:25

I think you'd be better off just asking actual people (possibly on this forum) regarding the specific rack and genre(s) of music
-- JimHowell1970

Yeah, but with all the love in the world, tell me if this scenario seems familiar to you:

newbie : "What do you think of my choice of modules? I'm trying to make genre music, a bit like artist. Am I heading in the right direction?"

modulargrid, in unison : "GET A BIGGER RACK"

Ha, ha, spot on!

(Said the guilty one...)

true and also guilty... hahaha

but let's face it, it is generally good advice

start with 1 less module and a bigger case

Also true here...but then, if people would stop watching these YouTube videos where some guy who doesn't look like he's done ANYTHING in his studio (ie: it looks like your great-aunt's "Living Room" you weren't allowed to go into as a kid, with the plastic covers over the furniture that was intended "for company") believes he's managed to cram all the functionality of an ARP 2600 into a 40 hp Pod. Or at least, he's trying to convince you that he has.

Meanwhile, over here in REALITY, we've got a pile of builds designed (and even built) by experienced synthesists that people can study to their heart's content. Sure, we ain't got none of that newfangled "video" and all that, but just like you might wind up getting more out of READING Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet" over watching whatever the hell it was that Baz Luhrman did to it, people still want the video because "it's easier". Then, when this results in some unplayable little box of yuck, they figure that this is what modular is all about...when it's not.

But then...you run into the issue where you've got builders making very function-specific builds. Now THESE often work as small "sidecar" devices, and it's REALLY what those small cabs are meant for, IMHO. But as a way to make an "affordable, small" modular? Nah. Even those of us who know how this might be done don't even do that, because we know it'll be very restrictive and no fun at all to work with. At least, not without something larger to interface it with.

And this brings up another point: modular is the most amazing, liberating non-essential in electronic music. Yep, you read that right...they AREN'T essential. They're a working modality that allows you to get at that extra 10% of capabilities that you can't get to from a prepatched or patchable synth. But for a lot of the people out there, well...it's sort of like giving someone from the 17th century a smartphone. I would have to say that about HALF of the people who get on here with this idea that a modular will make them "hot", musically, are barking up the wrong tree. THERE IS NO DEVICE THAT CAN MAKE YOU A STAR. None. Your musical capabilities are what does this. Not a specific boxful of circuitry, no matter how it works, no matter what it does, and no matter what it might cost.

Case in point: techno. All of the guys in Detroit and Chicago who were the ones who kicked all of that off in the first half of the 1980s (yep! NOT later!) were working with...well, no modulars that I know of. There WAS a lot of "we pay you"-type junk from pawn shops and music store back closets, most notably Roland's biggest flop, the TB-303. And accordingly, it was with the TB-303 that Chi's Larry Heard (as Mr. Fingers) did "Washing Machine"...which is where Acid came from, back c. 1987. And in fact, the point that all of these guys worked with analog synths (also pretty untrue) was mainly due to the advent of DIGITAL synthesizers such as the DX7, D-50, M-1 and so on. Everyone rushed to those newer/shinier synths and dumped their "crummy old" analogs. So at the time of the "Belleville 3" getting going over in Tha D, those were cheap and plentiful, and saw use alongside some "toy" synths such as the DX100 and CZ-101 (neither of which I would consider to be a "toy"!) and old step-sequenced drum machines such as the TR-606, 808, and 909. And no modulars. None. Zip. Zero. All of that came LATER...especially in the wake of Aphex Twin's hype about his "custom-built modular synthesizer"...which was actually a trio of off-the-shelf MS-20s that had been recased together with a few extra bits added.

So do you REALLY need a modular? Depends. The question is probably better framed as "Have you reached the endpoint of the capabilities of existing, prebuilt synthesizers?" If yes, then sure, you'll benefit from this. But if NOT...either you want one to really dig in on your synthesis chops (GOOD use) or because blinkenlichts und tvistenknobs = KEWL (BAD use). But if what you need is a visual prop...hell, just go visit a junkyard and find a bunch of scrapped industrial process control panels and hook 'em up with new lights and a bunch of 555 timers for the "lightshow". You'll get as much out of that prop as you will if you intend to use a several-grand modular rig as...well, a prop.

EDITED Jan 2nd 2021, 04:31

And this brings up another point: modular is the most amazing, liberating non-essential in electronic music. Yep, you read that right...they AREN'T essential. They're a working modality that allows you to get at that extra 10% of capabilities that you can't get to from a prepatched or patchable synth.
-- Lugia

I think this expresses the most why I would also not recommend the "automated list of functions", for a rack. While also signing that the small builds are sidecars. Modulars are amazing and should be machines/instruments that are suited to YOUR needs. Problem is just a lot of guys and gals here seem to not read into this before, so they don't see their needs but just their wants, e.g. morphagene or that crazy new oscillator.
So you get builds with only oscillators and no modulation, or no output modules.

Other point is a lot of modules can have different functions, but not at once. How would the system know if you use the befaco Rampage as two LFO or as ENV + OSC in your patch? You cannot list it to have 2 LFOs, 2 EGs and 2 OSC as they are exclusive from one another. This is the point where you need an actual brain to make sense of the build. The automated list would probably just give false hopes.

Other point is a lot of modules can have different functions, but not at once.
-- zuggamasta

Exactly. The existence of Disting is why this feature won't work.

@lugia -- I remember a long post you made a while ago called something like "Why you shouldn't get into modular". This should be a sticky in the forum. Does that count as a feature request?

If we could have a "date created" for builds (ie: the date when the build was started with an empty rack) along with the "last modified" date, that would be a big help in going back thru older builds I've got to clear space.
-- Lugia

Sadly we don't store the rack creation date, and I guess it is a bit late to start with it :(
However we have the Rack Id which kind of mimics creation date. I have sorted the racks in descending order by id in the users view https://www.modulargrid.net/e/users/view
And I have added the modified date to that table, i hope that is a good compromise.

@lugia -- I remember a long post you made a while ago called something like "Why you shouldn't get into modular". This should be a sticky in the forum. Does that count as a feature request?
-- the-erc

I have stickied that thread. Happy new year everyone!

Hi there,

just want to submit a little (big) request about the Sketch a Patch section. I use to often duplicate racks in order to check new module configurations, unfortunately I can duplicate patches only within a single rack and not "across" two different racks that would be very very appreciated :P I literally spend hours to rebuild patches only to see if a couple of modules in my cloned rack are more usable.

Thank you very much!

Tbh, you might find it easier to do this sort of thing in VCV Rack. The fact that quite a few name-brands in Eurorack have VCV "replicants", plus the point that it's got pretty much everything else in some way or another AND that it's local to your machine might help a bit.

Hi.
A perhaps strange but nevertheless a request. How about having the possibility to have different HP per row in one rack?

I have two skiffs, 84 and 104hp respectively. I'd like to have them both as one rack. And yes, it's pretty easy - I'm using blind panels for the 84hp row and everything is ok.

But it would be pretty nice, and I believe not too hard to implement, separate row lengths. Already we can select a row to be 1U, and we can switch rows...

All the best and thanks for a great site!
Göran

I would love to be able to sort by avg rating on Modules

It would be great if the search field allowed for Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT.

This way, I could do a search like "fm AND sine" to find modules that include both 'fm' and 'sine' anywhere in the description, rather than the literal string of "fm sine" with both words together.

I can use Google and enter something like:
"fm" "sine" site:modulargrid.net/e/

However, if I do the search through Google, then I don't get to additionally leverage the Function and Secondary Function dropdown fields. What I'd like to do is make selections in both Function and Secondary Function and also enter search terms with Boolean operators.

I would like to request a feature that, for DIY modules, build difficulty can be rated so that people can select new DIY projects based on their ability.

Add 'Chaos' subcategory filter to differentiate between chaos and random modules.

Feature request:

Some modules have 2 versions, e.g. black or white faceplate. They are technically the same module only in a different color faceplate. It would be awesome if there is an option on the "Edit Module" page that allows for linking two or more modules together. They would still be two different products of course with each their own module information page like normal but implementing this opens up two very handy features:

• A list on the Module information page showing the variations of that module. For example:
  On the page of "Module X - White" you'll see a list saying "Product Variations:" which contains a link to "Module X - Black"

• Add a checkbox for each variation. If you check this box and press "Notify me if someone offers this Module for sale", it will also send a notification if someone submits an offer for that checked module.

My profession is Software tester so let me know if the feature is implemented so I can test it out lol

on the home page...it would be cool to have a 'top rated modules by type' where you could filter some of the more basic function...top 5 vca, vco, vcf, etc...

As far as I could read, this has surprisingly never been requested before but would be a big scroll/click saver for forum users: I don't see a way to jump to the last post of a thread on the forum, would it be possible to transform the [time] section of the "Today, [time] by [user] in [Forum Index]" message into a link leading to the last message, similar to what we can see on other forums ?

PS: lots of love for MG ❤️❤️❤️ - I make my own hearts now :-)

As far as I could read, this has surprisingly never been requested before but would be a big scroll/click saver for forum users: I don't see a way to jump to the last post of a thread on the forum, would it be possible to transform the [time] section of the "Today, [time] by [user] in [Forum Index]" message into a link leading to the last message, similar to what we can see on other forums ?

Great idea, we have that now.

Thank you !

Hello. Please add Russia as location.
cheers

It would be also very good to be able to search for power consumption. It could be very handy for small cases where where it's important to put an eye on the power consumption

Is there any way to rotate a module 90 degrees so that it fits into the 3U to 1U adapters?

Feature request: add the ability to archive racks for when you're tired of looking at them but don't want to delete them!

Second feature request for the day: Bandcamp embeds!

Feature request: add the ability to archive racks for when you're tired of looking at them but don't want to delete them!
-- troux

+1 for me :-)

P.S. / Edit: Since that would costs storage on the web server, it might be considered to make this available to unicorn accounts only?

EDITED Aug 9th 2021, 00:53

Feature request: add the ability to archive racks for when you're tired of looking at them but don't want to delete them!
-- troux

+1 for me :-)

P.S. / Edit: Since that would costs storage on the web server, it might be considered to make this available to unicorn accounts only?

-- GarfieldModular

+1 here as well...but as for the archiving, a better idea might be some sort of DLable format that can be read (but obviously NOT manipulated) offline by users. By setting up the ability to DL and UL archived racks, this then opens up MG's storage issues while still letting users work on their racks...archived or otherwise...at will. And yeah, this oughta be a Unicorn feature...yet another reason for getting that Unicorn account.

Feature request: add the ability to archive racks for when you're tired of looking at them but don't want to delete them!
-- troux

That seems to be a bit special interest for me but when @GarfieldModular and @Lugia support that too I wonder what the usecase is? If it is about the limit of possible racks it might be better and easier to increase that instead?

a better idea might be some sort of DLable format that can be read (but obviously NOT manipulated) offline by users.
-- Lugia

A ModularGrid rack exchange format with a signed certificate. That sounds even more nerdy!

Second feature request for the day: Bandcamp embeds!
-- troux

~~We have that now as an experimental feature until the bots figure out how to embed spam and porn iframes or the pages are all broken due to incorrect/non closing tags. Use the HTML iframe code in Bandcamps share options.~~

Edit: I have revoked the Bandcamp embed feature for now, it lead to some problems I did not think of. It might come back soon.

EDITED Aug 9th 2021, 17:33

@modulargrid the use case for me is that I version racks a lot, including saving their state at different points in time or different future trajectories, and would love the ability to keep all that around for future reference. I like the cert idea though :p

Re: bandcamp I seem to be the main user around here but I would love to see that working 🙇

Hi Modulargrid,

Yes, for me, the use case would be very similar to Troux as well. It's nice to make extra copies of the rack, so in case you screw up one, you have a saved copy. It's also sometimes nice and good to look back to older racks I was using, they still might contain good ideas of how to setup a rack.

I also would prefer to use date stamps in the names so one can go back in history (not really using that yet because that would use lots of space). Sometimes it's handy to go back to an old rack. So Lugia's suggestion to be able to export the racks and save them locally that would be indeed the most flexible and, at least from me as a user, the best option. I could save up to hundreds or even thousands of racks locally (just an example, not saying I will ever have so many) and if I want to see them I delete a few on ModularGrid and upload then those I want to check again.

It's then also easier to do some rack suggestions for other users, I reduced that once I noticed that goes down from my "total to use number of racks". Though... once I would export them those would be no longer visible for those users then... hmm... that wouldn't solve that problem I am afraid. Okay, so increasing a bit the maximum number of racks might be still useful for that issue :-)

Naturally you could increase the maximum number of racks for a Unicorn account, that would be the easiest short term solution for you ;-) However sooner or later this question comes back to you then.

I do indeed believe that creating an archive solution might be pretty intensive work for you, so perhaps having the possibility to export it and saving it locally for the Unicorn accounts and at a later point upload them again, why not? Do you see any issues with that? Virus? Is that not somehow to be avoided? And for Unicorn accounts that are no longer Unicorn accounts, well these accounts can't upload and/or export/download then any longer any racks saved locally.

Naturally, I don't want you to force into anything, you need to feel comfortable in keep supporting this great ModularGrid.net website, that's the most important thing, but if there is a small chance of having racks exported locally, now that would be fantastic! :-) In which format, I don't care much as long as it is MacOS compatible and I (as a user) can then upload it again here into my racks overview on ModularGrid.net

That are my 2 cents, thank you very much in advance and kind regards, Garfield.

Re: bandcamp I seem to be the main user around here but I would love to see that working 🙇
-- troux

Bandcamp embeds should work now. You have to go to Bandcamps Share/Embed options, then select a "style" and then copy the code that is listed with the option wordpress.com. Paste that in the ModGrid forum post and it should render the album.

To all with the archive idea: what happens when a rack is archived? Is it visible for other users? Is it still searchable and can be copied by others? Or will it behave more like a private rack? Will it disappear from your command center?

Hi Solitud,

Let me try to reply from your point of view, because if I would reply from my point of view as a user then I want everything ;-) But let's try to be realistic and it needs to be doable for you too :-)

From that latter point of view, I would not expect to see an archived (or exported) rack visible in our command centre. To keep things simple for you as well as for the user, I think once a rack has been archived it should become a private rack... though... just having thought/said that...

What would happen if a user makes a rack for another user and displays/uses that in one of the (Rack) posts and that particular rack would then be archived... hmm... then perhaps it shouldn't become a private rack and the user who checks then that post should see, for example, a reference to an archive file or whatever way you would like to implement it.

So coming back on my own above comment once a rack is going to be archived... if somehow possible, perhaps ask the user if it should be private or public? So asking that for every rack that's going to be archived? Or if one does a bundle of racks into an archive the entire bundle will then be either private or public, depending on the choice of the user?

It gets quite complicated, right? :-) Exporting a rack to avoid issues with archiving a rack, is not an option for you? To be honest, I would rather have the option to export a rack then to have it archived.

Thank you very much and kind regards, Garfield.