Hi, I have an Arturia Keystep, and an 0-coast. Also using some stomp boxes (Boss reverb, delay). I want to slowly add to these, and create a rack to process the 0-coast sounds, but also add another voice to complement it.
Any thoughts on this? : ModularGrid Rack
Thanks!


Multi-mode filter. A band pass filter is great for adding some movement to a static sound. What are you doing for sequencing as well as audio inputs and outputs to your pedals, mixers, audio interface, etc.


Thanks for taking the time to have a look @Ronin1973
Got any recommendations for a multi-mode filter?
Regarding sequencing, was just planning on using the Keystep at this stage.
At the moment, I'm just coming out of the 0-coast into my pedals,....so (sorry dumb question, I'm new to all this) , do you mean that if I go from the 0-coast into say, the zadar and then the maths, that I need a dedicated output module?
I was looking at something like a Rosie, so I could monitor stuff on headphones.


There are no dumb questions. As a rule, attitude is more important than any questions. I've seen people come into these forums with a very bad attitude and wind up getting dropped off with no answers to their questions. You're doing fine.

There are lots and lots of multimode filters out there. I have an Intellijel Morgasmatron. It's a larger unit but it covers a lot of ground. There are better ones, there are worse. But this is the one that I have and I'm happy with it.

Being able to mix signals is pretty important: audio as well as CV. In my rig, I use a dedicated six channel stereo mixer, a handful of Intellijel Quadrats, a Befaco dual attenuverter, etc. I currently don't have a dedicated headphone out. I just use the stereo line-level out into my Focusrite 2i4. It does the job.

As far as headphones, be VERY careful with them. They are right on your ears and it's very easy to make a mistake and give yourself a nice blast of extremely loud synth while patching. If you're repatching something, just slide them off your ears until you're done patching.

You'll also find that you get listening fatigue a lot faster with headphones. A pair of powered studio monitors will extend your play time. Your experience may be different but that has been mine.

Here's my rig. I don't have the CV faders, Monsoon or the Befaco Muxlicer... yet. But everything else I own.
ModularGrid Rack


Cool, thanks again @Ronin1973
Just to clarify, in answer to my question regarding an output module; were you indirectly answering that when you mentioned having a mixer? Would the Intellijel Quad VCA serve as a mixer?

I forgot to mention that as well as the 0-coast and Keystep, I have the Morphagene already. So I have a Happy Ending rack (84HP), and my plan now is to get another 2 to 4 modules that I can fully dive into, and will enhance the 0-coast possibilities.

So, in your opinion, if I were to get the Zadar, a Maths and the Disting Mk4, would this be a workable, basic set-up? Or would I need a mixer and/or output module? And I might also get a micro Plaits to add another voice too.

Also, regarding headphones, yes I will be very cautious - I'm currently coming out of 0-coast, into pedals, out of pedals into an Alesis mixer, out of mixer into studio monitors....no headphones involved. was just thinking about the Rosie for live performance in the future.

To give an idea of what I want to create, I'm really into cosmic collage, stuff like Cool Maritime, Koen Holtkamp, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (not the stuff with voice particularly, but her collab with Suzanne Ciani blows my mind), ...also stuff like DSR Lines, Matthewdavid's Mindflight, Kosmische shit...Klaus Schulze, Didier Bocquet, Laurie Spiegel, etc etc

Check the track called "Forest Bathing" here to get a good idea of what I want to do:
https://coolmaritime.bandcamp.com/album/sharing-waves

Thanks again!


@NicoKeet tagging you here because it looks like we're in a similar position - i.e starting from 0-coast and slowly adding bits... Hope you don't mind :)


The Intellijel quad VCA can be used to mix. But then you lose some functionality as a VCA. If you're doing ambient stuff with stereo panning involved, you'll want to run your signals into a dedicated stereo mixer at the end of the signal chain. I'd strongly suggest a stereo mixer with aux sends. You can get away with mixing your signals in an external mixer, but then you have to contend with eurorack synth level signals going into a line level mixer. Depending on the external mixer this may or may not work out well.

In Eurorack, you'll mix your final output as described above. But you'll probably also use other modules to mix/attenuate CV, sub-mix audio like your percussion or a combination of oscillators as a complex waveform to go into one filter, etc.

I'm using the Blue Lantern Stereo Sir Mix A Lot because it's inexpensive and has a decent amount of features. You'll find other modules like the Roland 531 that include headphone outputs as well as a stereo line level output... but no aux sends. Happy Nerding also makes stereo mixing modules as well.

I don't have the Zadar. It's a quad envelope generator. But I don't know if you can get traditional envelopes out of it controlling A,D, R times and the sustain level independently. The Maths can function as a dual attack, decay envelope if you trigger it. Or can provide attack, sustain, release envelopes if you run a gate into the non-trigger inputs on channels 1 and 4. An alternative to the Maths is the Befaco Rampage. There's a lot of overlap between the two but some nice subtle differences.

The style you cited as an example is heavily dependent on reverbs, delays, and other effects. A big part of the sound is the effects. the Disting has reverb, delay, etc. But it's a jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-none. So you may want to look at modules like the Z-DSP or 1010 Music's Series 1 module which gives you access to the Bitbox, SynthBox, and FXBox firmware.

I don't think you'll be able to generate the rich palette of your examples on your beginning set-up. I would go with what you have and see how far you can get with it, learn a bit more about your gear and your tastes and expand slowly.


Thanks @ampism, I had not received the tag notification, obviously I don't mind and I am interested in reading how you will develop your rack.