Rackbrute and Minibrute: why this set up

I started off making a traditional subtractive modular synth, only to realize I was remaining on known territory.

So I changed the challenge, and this is what I went for:
- no standard analog (emulation) oscillators! Therefor the choice for the Mutable Instruments based Plaits, nRings and Monsoon
- the minibrute has standard analog oscillators and a Steiner-Paker filter so these are already covered
- make us of the Minibrute 2S sequencer outputs and its noise generator in combination with the rack to create percussion
- have a stereo audio path from start to finish (stereo oscillators, mixer, filter, VCA)
- at least one advanced envelope (Doepfer A141-2)
- at least one delayable signal (found in the Ladik C-211 envelope generator)
- SEM-filter (Gemini 2412) (ladder filters are abundant)
- have the Wasp as additional filter, a sound different from all others (Doepfer A-124)
- lots of LFO's (Xaoc Batumi)
- at least two V/Oct precision adders (Doepfer and LPZW) for duophonic use
- midi interface (2HP)
- gate processing (Seq. Switch, Clock Divider, Logic module)
- CV processors (VCA's, attenuators, scaler, TM, slew limiters)
- top it off with a double 'Swiss Knife' as the Disting EX.

This rack does stuff I can't do with any of my other 20 synths, so it has its place!

Some words on the module arrangements.

• Upper part is mainly audio path, lower part mainly modulation and gate processing
• Attention has gone into getting the best reach to all buttons and switches, by doing the following:

1. Observe the upper part modules have been selected as much as possible to have the buttons above (jacks below), so no wires get in front of them
2. Small modules have small knobs, which make them difficult to handle. So those small modules are positioned at the full left or full right side
3. Jacks are as much as possible concentrated together, to provide more space around knobs.
4. At three places additional 2hp plates are installed, each with 6 additional switches or jacks to expand the possibilities of their adjacent modules. They were originally blind plates or passive multiples, and now enable the following
   • Gemini 2412: filters can go into resonance or not
   • A-135-2 : additional normalling paths added
   • A-141-2 and Ladik C-211 : additional options added
   • Disting EX: additional Midi In/Out via 2 mini-jacks
   • Clock Divider and Batumi: additional options added

EDITED May 17th 2021, 12:03

Definitely not something I would want to play with!

TOP ROW
Plaits, nRings, Monsoon - personally I would go all original and I would hold out for a beads - better ergonomics and Emilie gets paid!!!

I'd dump the doepfer mixer and get a second quad vca (veils is really good!)

The filter is fucking huge!!!! way too big in a case this size find something smaller

Unity Mixer I would replace with Links - depending on how you use it there are up to 2 buffered mults, a precision adder, and 2 mixers - in 4hp!

TM - if you are going to use this you need to get a quantizer too (I suspect you want to use this to transpose the minibrute sequencer) no quantizer means no need for precision adders...

BOTTOM ROW
attenuator - Hasn't the Dreadbox WL series been discontinued? you could swap for a 2hp trim (or get a bigger module that is easier to use - shades perhaps (will also double as a precision adder)

Slew Limiter - find the space for Maths or Rampage or a DUSG - you will get a thousand times more mileage out of one of these (especially Maths with it's brilliant illustrated manual - 32 self patching examples)

Precision Adder - you probably won't use bus access and precision adding can be done elsewhere

VCADSR - again huge - find something that does the same job but smaller - 8hp or so - or go for stages which can do more interesting envelopes and much more - make sure it will work with triggers as well as gates - you don't have a lot of gate sources and some ADSR type modules only work when they are held open - triggers only last a few ms

DADSR - ok - again make sure it will work with triggers as well as gates

Disting EX - ok

seq switch - ok

passive mult - get stackcables or headphone splitters

is that the wk1 or the wk1 aroom mod? aroom mod and you need no other precision adders - as you can transpose 3 voct signals at at a time

clock divider - ok

batumi - ok but seriously consider the expander (or diying one) so you can switch the assignable waveform easily

scale - see above, the attenuator - shades will also cover this

logic - I would replace this with kinks - logic, noise, sample and hold and rectification in 4hp

midi interface - won't the minibrute do this?????

vca - I wouldn't bother unless you need another one after replacing the mixer with a quad cascading vca

GENERAL
your idea of stereo audio path is not quite true plaits is not stereo it is dual mono (as is the filter - a couple of doepfer SEM filters could replace this in less space) - 2 different signals - rings is stereo ish - depending on the setting! and both have vcas built in - so you really need the vcas for modulation and not audio!

also no way of moving audio in the stereo field - where is the panning???

I'd add an fx aid xl aswell!

Uhm...yeah. Or rather, no. Jim's done a great job at the debug, and I'll have to concur with him that this looks like no fun whatsoever to work with. Plus, it doesn't really have all that much to it that complements the Mini 2S; I would expect to see more clock manipulation, logic, etc...the sort of modules that can make sequencers do utterly crazy things. But this looks aimless, like a lot of stuff tossed in with no particular order or signal flow, so for starters I'd suggest making that aspect more cohesive FIRST...then the operational flaws should be a lot more apparent.