Thanks for the input all.
How about the veils (2020 version) instead of the quad vca?
Hi folks,
This is the current state of my Rack. I started building it a few months ago and have already had some good fun playing with it in its current state. I guess it's rather basic. I mainly use the Marbles or the Pam's to generate random tunes that I send to the Plaits. I like to jam on it trying to get some sounds and loops I enjoy. Eventually I record those for later use when I produce music.
Now, I would like to expand it somehow but not sure yet what to get next.
Do you have some tips and ideas on how you would improve/use this rack?
Current state of affairs:
I will get a second 84hp row.
I already own:
I already played with this setup and it's really nice. I like both the plonk and the pams although it made me realise I don't want to have too much devices with menu diving. They're both very easy to operate but it's a lot of turning and clicking with that main encoder button. I think it's ok for a few modules but it's better to keep it limited.
I'm about to order:
What I'm about to order is open for debate, but I think it's all modules I can't really go wrong with. Let me know if you think the opposite.
At one point I might get the Disting EX for its multifunctionality. And the ES-9 as an interface (although might go with something simpler not sure yet to what degree I want to integrate my rack with my daw/vcv-rack).
So apart from the Plonk and the Doefper filter and if you remove the currently optional modules on the right side of the second row, there is still around 60HP left that can be used there:
Are there other major things missing or that could be optimized?
I'm currently testing Plaits in VCV Rack, going through the manual at the same time. Am I wrong or is this a fantastic sound source? I mean there are so many sonic possibilities just with this alone. Any ideas on what the advantage would be to go with a more classic VCO over the Plaits? I'm thinking that with a classic (Dual) VCO one would perhaps be more inclined towards finding interesting ways of modifying and shaping the sound source as opposed to a tool that has it all premade?
sequencer (steppy?)
what are you trying to sequence?? - if it's plonk then I would just use Pams for now
Initially I plan to use Pams as 'the brains' of my rack, but doesn't it make sense to add a sequencer at some point? Or formulated differently, at what stage would it make sense for me to add a sequencer to my setup? I used steppy initially but I'm not fixed on that one specifically, could be anything else.
Wow, thanks for the detailed replies! Really appreciate it. Something I didn't mention is that I will be building my modular in a 19" rack. So for one 3u row I'm limited to the 84HP, but I still have enough space in the 19" rack and eventually I will expand to a second row. The 1U modules are very practical and somehow space savers. I haven't seen a 19" 1u rack yet but I'm looking into that.
There's a lot of valuable information to process here. I'll take my time to go through, check the modules you refer to properly and reply here later on. I guess the best is to build up slowly, test with the modules I already own and see what makes the most sense to add.
I'll sum up what I have already. I now realize that I maybe should have waited for your replies to make better choices, but heck, at least it got me started (I have a tendency to put things off when I start thinking too much about it :-) ). So here's the current list:
As for the next batch of things I think to buy, it will probably be a:
I'm thinking of a tighter integration with my DAW (midi, CV) in a follow-up phase. For now I'll be happy just playing with the thing and record the audio into my DAW.
I still have a lot of questions but two things I'd like to know more about for now (and sorry for the newbie questions):
why? because a single sound source can be copied and processed differently, a few simple modulation sources can be mixed and >modified to become more modulation sources that are more complex
Could you explain a little bit more on how to achieve this? The part of the copied sound source I mean. To what degree can one sound source be copied and modified ?
By doing this, you can then move some of your functions up into the tiles, plus the header gives you three buffered mults (usable as one HUGE buffered mult)
What's the advantage to have many buffered multipliers, is it related to previous question where you would duplicate one sound source/cv signal to multiple outputs?
Hi, I'm in the process of building a small modular system to accompany my music production. Will be mainly used in a studio setting as an extra source of sounds for my music production. I'm not sure what kind of sounds I want to get out of it. I want to see it as playground for learning modular and experimenting.
I already own the PSU, the plonk and the befaco output. All the rest is open for discussion. I tried to assemble something that makes sense, but except for using VCV Rack, I don't have much experience and might have overlooked some things.
As I see it now, I have:
2 sound sources (plaits + plonk)
a small mixer/vca (joranalogue mix 3)
a complex clock source (pamela)
a quantizer (intellijel scales)
a sequencer (intellijes steppy)
a mutifunction module (disting ex)
I still feel there's maybe some things missing for generating some randomness (s&h?). Also maybe some of the modules here could be combined/compacted with another module (steppy and scales maybe?).
Let me know what you think,
Cheers!
Hey,
I already own the plonk. All the rest I need to buy.
I'm thinking of putting al this in the Intellijel Pallet 62, hence the 1u units. I don't want the rack to be big (to save space and money).
I'm not to sure where I want to go with all this, but the main thing is that it needs to complement my current music production setup as a semi-controlled sound source (rhytmic/percussive/melodic). I love the sounds from the plonk and the rings, so I'd like to keep those. I'm thinking of using the pamela for controlling the sound sources (as well as the midi from my daw).
I'm unexperienced with modular so I'm probably overlooking a bunch of essential stuff.
This seems like one of the most interesting mixers around then. It's a big module but considering it provides 8 channels and 8 vca's + all the extra features + expansion possibilities makes it really worthwhile imo. I think I'll put this in my rack :-)
The title says it all. Can this mixer module also be used as a proper VCA? The specifications say "Voltage control over Level and Panning for all channels" . There's six mono channels en 2 stereo channels, does this mean this can act as 8 VCA's? Or am I not getting it? I'm relatively new to modular, hence the question.
You make a valid point, thanks for sharing your thoughts on that subject.
I'm still working on this rack. Tried some other configurations.
Compared to the previous concept I removed the stillson hammer, the pamela NEW workout and the fourbricks rook and replaced them with the Eloquencer. It's less performance/hands on oriented but has 8 cv outs and plenty of features.
I also got rid of the two 4xVCA and the panmix to replace it with the wmd permormance due to come out this year I believe. One thing I'm not sure of if this can replace the VCA's I had. My thinking is that the WMD performance mixer has CV control over level and pan over 8 channel . So it can act as a proper VCA I asssume?
The two Pico Drums were replaced by 2 x 2HP play.
With the space I won I also put back in the Maths.
One thing I'm not sure of if I should keep it is the comparator. I still fail to see how I can use it. I understand the way it works (generating a gate or a trigger as a result of comparing two signals) but cannot think of any practical uses I might have with it. So far I didn't find a demo online making use of a comparator in patch.
Any suggestions or ideas about this build?
Updated.
On another note, do you have any opinions about codex modulex being an exact copy of mutable instruments modules? I saw some discussions online about how the creator of Mutable Instruments is not happy about those copies. Apparently the initial intent of releasing his code open source was to share the knowledge to the community but not for having other companies making profit of his work by simply copying his stuff. I'm not sure how I should think about that.
Anyway, just for the sake of trying, and as I was left over with some space I tried putting some of the original mutables inside the rack. Although I had to ditch something and for now removed one doepfer A-171-2, although I'm not quite sure what the overall impact will be. I still have 8 vca's but now it's one from mutable and another from codex modulex.
Here's that rack:
Thanks for the detailed explanations, really appreciate it. Following both your advice I switched the mutamix with the panmix. Can't wait to get started with it.
As I said in my first post, this thing is gonna be built at a slow rate, mainly because I wan't to get to know my modules first before buying some new ones. Any suggestions on which ones to buy first? Some starting combinations that might provide some great fun in the beginning?
The rack now looks like this
I re-organized some things in the rack based on your advice.
What do you think?
Also, about the doepfer's, could you elaborate a little? I understand how they work and what they do, but I'm not sure how to use them withing a modular setup. Many resources online explain their basic functions but don't explain what the advantages are of having them in a rack.
@Lugia: I'll definitly design a rack with the modifications as you suggested and see where that brings me. I'll post it here once it's done.
@Ronin1973: You're totally right, that's something I'll have to take into account. Although, the Veils also acts as a mixer. So wouldn't it be possible to take the mixed output from that and route it to one channel in the Quadratt, or am I misunderstanding how the Veils actually works? If it works this would give me 7 channels to play with.
Do you think it's also a good idea to have the shakmat time wizard and the pamela's new workout, seems there's quiet some overlapping in their functions?
Hey,
This is the first concept for my eurorack synth. I plan to build the rack over the course of 2019. My plan is to gradually buy modules and getting to know them before buying more modules. Along the way there will be probably be many adjustment and changes. Nonetheless this is my first concept based on videos I saw on the net and some advice I got from people.
My aim is to be able to generate percussive and rhythmic sounds/loops as well as melodic synth sounds.
As you might notice from looking at the top 1u row, this is most likely going to be built into an intellijel 7u rack.
Any suggestions or changes needed? What do you think?
