Today I have installed all modules in my first rack!
As I am a little bit used with desktop analog synths the only modules I have to learn is Marbles and Plaits. And they seems to be a pair that likes each other.
But there is still a big black hole in the rack that wants to be filled with modules.
Would be glad for some advices about what would be the next modules if I want to make ambient music and maybe try to learn a little bit about generative patches.
ModularGrid Rack


Well... have you tried all the things you can do with modular that you can't do with desktop (non-Eurorack). Audio-rate modulation sounds like it would be in order.

Are you planning on doing anything with effects? The Disting is useful but it's a jack-of-all-trades. A Z-DSP and a Bitbox would go well in that empty black hole that's begging for your money. I didn't see a dedicated delay module either.

You might also reward yourself with an extra filter that doesn't offer what the MiniBrute has under the hood... waveshaper/waveform folder... oh... and a couple flavors of distortion/overdrive?


FYI, my votes for both the extra filter and the waveshaper both go to Tiptop. Their Steiner clone (Forbidden Planet) is perhaps a tad more spot-on than Arturia's (and I own a MicroBrute plus did own a Synthacon for some time), and that wavefolder + divider module is pure usefulness. Plus, a third vote for yet another Tiptop device, the MISO...one of the better CV/mod router/modifiers in a while, at a stoopid-cheap price to boot. And yes, you're going to need that MISO, because generative involves a lot of tinkering with control signals, and that module makes it easy to work them "live", like a configurable controller.

Oh, and as modulation sources go, have a look-see about jamming a Maths in there. Yeah, everyone gets those...but it's because they work as advertised, plus pairing something that can do complex slopes with the Marbles...oh, yeah, classic generative stuff there.


Thanks for good advice.
I did not mean that I can master a whole rack. Just that most of my individual modules functions are familiar for me exept Marbles, Plaits and a lot of Distings algorithms. But after some hours fiddling I think I now have a good understanding of Plaits.
Pretty much of my rack is a result of earlier tips from booth Lugia and Ronin1973.
I thougt Ripples would be a good extra filter but I maybe need a third one?
After your new advices I think my rack will look something like this:
(Bitbox and Z-DSP are for the moment a little bit to expensive. Are there some cheaper alternatives that you can suggest?)
ModularGrid Rack


A decent alternative to the bit box for sample playing may be the teseract Nutella. It's a 16 channel sample player with multiple sample banks. Not the same flexibility /interactivity as the bit box but not the price either.


Instead of the Dopefer Attenuator you could go with the SSF Quad-Atten. Same HP but 4 Attenuators or geht 2x 2hp Trims.


I suggested the Z-DSP and Bitbox because of their flexibility. Of course you pay a price for that.

An alternative to the Z-DSP that's less expensive is the XAOC Devices TIMISZOARA. It uses the same 24–bit Spin FV1 DSP engine. However the Timiszoara is missing the analog feedback loop and clocking ability. Those features are planned for an expansion module. But once you purchase that, you'll probably wind up paying the same.

There are plenty of alternatives to Bitbox... but again you give up features and functionality.

The 2HP delay is okay. I own one. A better alternative would be the stereo Jelly Wobbler. But the 2HP will get the basic job done. The Bitbox has an alternative firmware (free) that turns it into an FX box.