Hi All,

Here is my plan :
Half of the time this case will be used to create soundtracks for some short experimental videos.
The other half of the time this case will serve my personal entertainment.

V1

  • I have sold almost all my effects pedals and want to have most of "modulation" effects in the modular (hence the Sewastopol II for guitar input and all these FX modules).
  • I want to be able to play some "ambient", aka slow evolving soundscapes / droning
  • I want to be able to play some basic techno, aka rhythmic and groovy simple melodies

The modules on the picture are organized by "functions" to share my plan with you.

-Yarns : allows me to plug a small keyboard or MPC for sending pitch/gate of melodies I composed previously
-Pamela's Workout : Clock everything + LFOs + occasional euclidian sequence
-Marbles : Sequence for ambiant
-Black Sequencer : Sequencer for everything
-Voltage Block : I see it as a 8 Chanel fader bank / macro controller / modulation sequencer. Splitting one signal allows to control multiple parameters on multiple modules at the same time. As this signal can be sequenced, it feels like a pretty powerful tool.
-Links & Kinks : utilities
-Magneto + Beads + Data Bender : nice creative effects
-ADM11 (chorus) + FX Aid XL + Zverb : nice effects
-Chords V2 (+sequential switch) + Elements + Plaits : voices
-Quadrax (+QX extender) + Quad VCA + Veils + 3xMia : enveloppes / modulation
-Grids + Queen of Pentacles + Peaks : drums (sequences and voices)
-Quad LFO + Maths : Functions
-Qpas + Ripple : Filters
-Dual Drive : Overdrive
-PanMix : 6 voices mixer (4 mono + 2 stereo) with pan CV
-Sewastopol II : Interface for guitars and ext. synths

I feel that this can be a pretty comprehensive system, allowing different use cases in a single "instrument".
I feel that by cramping all these themes (ambiant + techno + guitar effects) in a single enclosure does not allow to push things to their extremes. I think it might be a nice way to start this system and then expand one theme if I understand that I feel more engaged with it (add switches / matrixes for ambiant etc…).

I feel very excited when thinking that most of my desktop + rack + pedalboard gear can be replaced by this (big) eurorack case.

100% of the system is funded by selling my current gear.
100% of the system is purchased second-hand (Mutable Instruments clones, when bought second-hand, can be pretty cheap).

Do you guys have an opinion on this rack ?


I'm not a big rack kinda guy, like to move around too much, but it looks pretty heckin' fun to me. If I'm understanding you right, this is not how its going to look in the end, you just laid it out like this to group by function. What's the ultimate layout going to look like?


Error : Double post


Yes you’re right ! Ultimate layout is not really defined yet. First I have to wait for some modules to be offered in the second-hand listings. I hope that in early January some users might sell some stuff after they purchased some new modules for christmas.

Once I have gathered everything I’ll try to organise three vertical « zones » corresponding to my three use-cases (guitar effects / ambiant / techno). Hopefully to keep cables as short as possible. I hope I’ll be able to avoid patching some stuff on the far-left to modules on the far-right.
I’ll start with trying to follow the sound path. Voices on the left, then enveloppe, filters in the middle and finally effects on the right. Mixer might be around the center, closer to the effects. I’ll see what is usable once I have defined how my favorite patches work. I enjoy reorganizing my rack so it is not a problem to go through a couple of organisation mayhem.

I really love the idea of having everything in a single case, being powered by a single cable. This makes storage very convenient as I will have to store it under a desk most of the time when I’m not using it.
I will not travel with the rack that much. Sometimes from my home to a studio, but I plan to get a massive backpack to be able to carry the rack from time to time. If I see that life evolves and that I am carrying it much more than expected, I do not think I’ll need to carry all these modules and I’ll eventually split the rack. I’ll get a smaller case in which only the modules I need to carry will fit.

I think I’ll start by finding the best spot for the modules that need to be used hands-on.
Black Sequencer will go in the low row, probably in the middle and I’ll try to fit a module too it’s right side that do not has not too much cables, allowing an easy access to the sequencers knobs. The Malekko Voltage Block might be a good neighbor to the Sequencer.
The Sewastopol II will go in the bottom right corner to avoid having a stiff guitar jack crossing the path with other modules.

Others need to be figured out in the case I guess….! I really look forward to these moments.