Ronin1973 - thanks for the thoughts. Really helpful for sure. Here's my question (again, not knowledgeable here) - why can't I just use the drum trig outs on the Beatstep Pro for each of the drum modules I have here. I could use one of the gate/pitch outputs for the Syncussion as well to get pitch control. If I had another sequencer in here, perhaps the Erica Drum Sequencer then I could use that instead - right? Or would I still need VCAs for that? Also, I hear you on the mixer but I have an Erica mixer in that setup - 6 channels, why doesn't that work?

My plan wouldn't be to play this live but for sound design that I will sample into my digitakt or ableton and use from there. I assume I could create loops and record them too for arrangement later. Thanks so much for helping me!

-- fdbeardd

In order to play live, you'll probably want to minimize the amount of patching. If you're going with dedicated drum modules, you're basically limited to the same functionality of a less expensive drum machine unless those modules have CV inputs to modulate their settings. Those modules will be a bit more expensive than something like a Tip Top drum module. It's not that it doesn't work. It's that you're reinventing the wheel with a much more expensive wheel. My advice would be to set-up and price-out your Eurorack solution, look at the features and possibilities, then compare it with an off-the-shelf drum machine. Are you getting that much more functionality and for how much? If you're paying 400% more for 10% more functionality, you'll have to make a judgment call for yourself about it. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Maybe you should. But I'd consider the price in dollars and HP space. That money and space may be better devoted to something else.