Rack Advice Appreciated!

Hello! This is the first time I've asked for advice on my rack. I had put together a 6u rackbrute that had too many oscillators without enough utility or modulation. I am hoping for this new case to be more of a success. I've already had it custom-made and there are two power supplies in the case that can handle what I have now. Side note: the person that made my case goes by "Case From Lake" on Reverb and Etsy. Highly recommend you check them out!

Anyways, here is what I got. Starting with a Frap Tools ecosystem for complex oscillator and modulation options for some analog. Supercritical's filter seemed like a good fit. I originally wanted a BIA as well as the Akemie's Taiko to make samples for Squid Salmple, but quickly realized I was running out of space for utilities. After that is a Quaid Megaslope that might be able to be replaced, but I picked it for simplicity's sake. Akemie's Castle is something I have wanted since I first saw it on here, so I would rather not remove it. However, I may have too many voices at this point. Maybe I have to replace it with the BIA and more utilities?

Nerdseq is the perfect sequencer for me, and the expanders should add plenty more modulation and triggers in theory. Pamela's seems to be handy in a lot of situations so I threw that in as well. Finally, some more utilities along with a Warps clone and 6 exponential vcas (maybe not enough). I am using ES-9 for a lot of reasons. A big one being some extra EQ and effects in Ableton for a final mixdown of anything I decide to record. The workflow of the case likely needs adjusting as well. I am not worried about price as I plan to chip away at it over time.

Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you for reading or viewing my post!

EDITED Jan 24th 2022, 08:55

I don't know if it's a matter of too many voices per say, as much as it is a matter of too many hp taken up with voices. Here are a couple things to consider:

-- Do you need the Nerdseq expanders? This is still a fairly small system, and I find it a little unlikely that you'll need so many extra triggers and CV outs. Maybe start out with just the basic sequencer, then add an expander later once you're sure you need it (and you may find that you need one or the other, but not both).
-- I'd go with BIA over Taiko just for hp savings.
-- 10 VCAs seems like a lot for a system of this size, so I think you could cut the DVCA (yeah, yeah, I know, you can never have too many, sure).
-- The Castle is huge. If you're dead set on it, you might swap the Megaslope for a function generator that uses fewer hp.

I don't know if it's a matter of too many voices per say, as much as it is a matter of too many hp taken up with voices. Here are a couple things to consider:
-- Do you need the Nerdseq expanders? This is still a fairly small system, and I find it a little unlikely that you'll need so many extra triggers and CV outs.
-- Shakespeare

You are right. I forgot to mention that I would pair this with the semi-failed rackbrute setup I have which has about 4 voices and other things needing modulation. However, even then it is probably overkill.

As much as I don't want to get rid of Taiko, it does take up too much space so I think I will replace it. Stages will probably be a lot better use of the hp than the Megaslope. For vcas I think I was going to use the tangle quartets as mixers/utility, and then the exponential vcas for audio. Not sure if that makes sense, but I may have gone overboard. I am taking suggestions to heart in a duplicated rack, even removing the Castle to see what can take its place.

Thank you for the advice!

I think you'd be better off without trying to do drum sounds in the build. The Taiko does take up a load of room, but the better reason is that you can get much more mileage out of a prebuilt drum machine and some FX than you would with trying to replicate drum functions in the cab. A few more things that could go include the Nerdseq expanders, all of the mults (you shouldn't need buffered mults...there's not enough CV scaling stuff in here to justify them) should probably be removed in deference to some inline mults and/or stackcables. Another thing: the VCAs in the Tangle Quartet are linear VCAs, and while you can use them for audio, it's much better to use logarithmic VCAs for that, as those have a response curve that more approximates how we perceive loudness. Or better still, something based on the Veils (or the Veils itself) where you've got an adjustable response that can go anywhere from linear to logarithmic.

As for the Akemie's, that thing is such a CHONK that you might be better off just sticking it in one of 4ms's powered Pod cabs and treating it like a standalone instrument...which wouldn't be a bad thing, as algorithmic FM in of itself doesn't need filtering, etc. If necessary, you could even go with a Palette 62, as that'll have enough room for the Akemie's, plus an Intellijel Quadrax/Qx for the envelopes needed for modulating the index, etc. And you can use the tile row there for your I/O and a few other useful things (like a Quadratt for mixing envelopes with inversion if needed).

Hey Lugia! I've been lurking in these forums for a bit and have seen your tips and advice, and they've helped a lot.

You know, I have been eyeballing Soma's Pulsar23. It would be better to bite the bullet and save for that some day than to waste hp in this case with drum stuff. In the mean time I can load samples up on my sampler and use those. Message heard loud and clear on the nerdseq expanders, and mults removed. I am going to go with some stackables. You make a fair point about the Castle, I'd be better off placing it in some sort of smaller case like that if I find that I still want it later.

Do you think I should make this case strictly centered on the Brenso and sampling? I am thinking about adding Supercritical's Demon core for some more cool sounds and chords and leave the rest to modulators, attenuators, etc.

Yeah, leave the Frap stuff in there if you're comfy with it. And to build onto it, you might want to have a look at the Tiptop Buchla collab modules, which are starting to show up now. Hell, this is awfully West Coast as it is, and if you go with the Buchla stuff, you can take it right over the edge into that! Maths is also a great fit into that, too...plus there's a few more Buchla-esque things out there (like Feedback's timbre shapers, etc) that can nail it right on down. But those Buchla modules are missing one critical thing...the HIDEOUS pricetag! The 258t, f'rinstance = $200. Which is utterly BONKERS!!! And they'll also integrate nicely with the sampling aspect, as something like their 281t ($220!!!) is perfect for elaborate keying envelope patterns via the quadrature function.

The Pulsar's a really good idea, too...I've found over the years that "compartmentalizing" the different musical functions, while it results in more gear laying around, does make it a lot easier to keep your mind focussed on the task at hand, instead of trying to do several things at once in the same box. One thing I'd suggest adding to the Pulsar, though, would be a more "conventional" drum machine...you'd use that for the obvious sounds (kick, hats, etc) and then the Pulsar can take care of percussive noises, weird hits, and other things it likes to do. I actually just picked up one of Uli's RD-8s (TR-808 clone...and rather convincing-sounding at that!), and that might make a good pairing with a Pulsar in that sort of usage.

NB: I'm also actually a tad AFRAID of the RD-8, for one specific reason: there will eventually be a point in time where I'll get curious enough to run its kick through one of my UBMs, and an UBM can turn a 606 "blip" kick into Marvin the Martian's "Earth-shattering KABOOM!". If you hear something about part of downstate Illinois being reduced to a smoking hole of rubble, that'll probably be the result.

NB: I'm also actually a tad AFRAID of the RD-8, for one specific reason: there will eventually be a point in time where I'll get curious enough to run its kick through one of my UBMs, and an UBM can turn a 606 "blip" kick into Marvin the Martian's "Earth-shattering KABOOM!". If you hear something about part of downstate Illinois being reduced to a smoking hole of rubble, that'll probably be the result.
-- Lugia

Yeah I noticed that TipTop was bring Buchla stuff over to euro, which is really cool. I might check out those modules and see what I can fit in. I do really love the west coast sound. At the moment I do own Elektron's fm drum machine called model:cycles. It can do some great kicks and hats on its own, and if I sample it I can make them shine. All Behringer hate aside, that RD-8 is a great piece of gear. Hopefully you can keep your ear drums and Illinois safe. UBMs are no joke.

UBMs are no joke.
-- Vtapes

No lie! I've got two of these monsters living in here, tech-matched. And they don't just do kick drums, they can tweeze out some very strange metallics, percussive clicks, and so on. Stocki had the right idea, using these...but he didn't have a TR-606 laying around. I discussed my (ab)use of these with Cholly's assistant, Bryan Wolf, when I was over for studies in 2001, and mentioned the "damage potential" and his eyes got wide. I just smiled and said "yeah...well, I like the sound of shattering plaster!" Which they found to be quite cool, actually; remember, this is the period where Stockhausen and a certain Mr. James from Cornwall were in fairly constant contact.