Yeah that's a good point, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on the micro versions. When the time comes to pull the trigger on the next module I'll grab one of those unless one of the larger ones gets down to like, $150 or so.
Now I'm doing a lot of searching and making a list of all the DIY kits I'd like to try without SMT. That's the real clincher that would make me just buy something rather than put it together. Playing with VCV more I also realize how racks can fill up so quickly. Why have 1 sequencer when you can have 4! Rather than go sequencer crazy, after the O_c or Temps Utile (I'm leaning towards the former) I'm just gonna use a Korg SQ-1 for a bit to sequence so I can than turn my attention to simple DIY kits of stuff like filters, VCAs, etc.
I probably should mention that down the road, real time tweaking is absolutely a focal point for me as well, once I'm past the point where I can just make some noise that will definitely be a criteria for every module I add.
Also, so far my plan with a case is to start with an HEK, than add a second down the road if necessary. I can construct a wooden enclosure that will hold both rows. Do you think that would work fine, or am I really shooting myself in the foot there having two rows separately powered? If it's really necessary to grab something like those intellijell cases I can, but it seems silly as it might take me a year or more to fill one row on my current plan. Plus it's fun to build stuff :)