Yet another Techno Palette (104HP version though)

Hi all,

I would like your opinion about (another) Techno focused Palette Rack. The main purpose of this rack is live performance improvisation.

Here is the Rack:

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2128671.jpg

And a bit info about it:

Sequencing: Moswka / Ostankino for lead voices and Euclidean Circles for drums and fancy triggering.

Drums: 2 Samples from the Erica Synth Drums, some HiHats from the Doepfer Noise Generator / Percall. I might add a Kick here.

Voice(s): At the moment just Manis Iteritas as gritty voice. I am thinking to include a more “gentle” voice. Keep in mind that I only have one voice to sequence, but I usually like to find workarounds (precision adders, inverting triggers, things like that).

FX: Wasp Filter and FX AID for some delay/reverb ambient.

Mixing: I do have a DIY 5 channel mix on the rack, but I also have a 1010music BlueBox outside.

Modulation: OCHD and Clep Diaz as main modulation actors. I also have a noise source with Sample and Hold.

Utilities. Plenty of mults (Palette + some passive mults 1U that I already have), besides Percall, a dual VCA (one 1 use it exclusively for ducking effect), one 4x attenuverter (planning to obtaining another one in the 28HP 1U spare space), MIDI, etc.

So pretty much I have a 28HP 1U space, that I am pretty confident I will end up having more attenuverters, and 12 HP 3U.... and here is when I am not sure what to do. Some options I have in mind:

A second voice (something like Plaits / Rings perhaps?). A regular VCO is pretty much discarded due of the lack of envelope generators in my rack.

A Kick, so I can use the sample for something else.

More modulation. Who can say not to that?

More utilities.

Probably the smartest: nothing. Wait and see what I miss.

A more decent mixing so I don’t need to use the Bluebox (perhaps a Drum Mixer Lite, because of the included compressor)

Any ideas / suggestions are pretty much appreciated it.

Cheers,
David

and the link

IMO I think you need something to make a bass base and some drums. A module I see in almost every Techno oriented rack is BIAS, very versatile as it can give you all kinds of aggressive percussion and bass lines. It incorporates its own envelope.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/noise-engineering-basimilus-iteritas-alter-black. What I will say is not going to be very popular, but due to the size of the case you have, I would change the MOSKWA for a NE Mimetic https://www.modulargrid.net/e/noise-engineering-mimetic-digitalis-black, half of size, 4 CV outputs. And with the space freed up, I would add either a small VCO feeding one of the Percall inputs for a bass base, thus freeing up the BIA for percussion, or a percussion module with CV control, for example https://www. modulargrid.net/e/befaco-kickall
(reduced size)
or https://www.modulargrid.net/e/patching-panda-bd-z
BR

EDITED Jan 10th 2023, 07:39

A couple suggestions, though I think this looks pretty fun already:

1. I'd consider scrapping both Ochd and Clep Diaz in favor of Pamela's New Workout (or, if you can find it, the new Pro Workout). Close enough to the same number of modulation sources, but with much more control over them, in the same HP.

2. I think BIA is awesome, as ferranadsr says... but Tymp Legio covers about half of the same ground. I don't know that I'd swap out the Moskwa Ostankino combo... but I wonder if you might save HP in other places (say by swapping the Wasp filter for something in 4-6hp, using your last 2hp, etc.) to make room for it.

3. One addition that might really be great, given your stated techno use, is the DivKid Mutes module. Being able to manually turn on and off 4 sources of modulation, sound, gates, triggers, etc. is lots of fun.

A couple suggestions, though I think this looks pretty fun already:

1. I'd consider scrapping both Ochd and Clep Diaz in favor of Pamela's New Workout (or, if you can find it, the new Pro >Workout). Close enough to the same number of modulation sources, but with much more control over them, in the same HP.

Pamela's is a great module, and I imagine I'll end up having it too, but I'm not much of a menu-diving person, and even less if @danmala goal is live-performance-improvisation.
I recommend @danmala to watch the videos of mylarmelodies and the importance that she gives to the knob "that changes everything". I see menu-based modules more as patch and forget.

2. I think BIA is awesome, as ferranadsr says... but Tymp Legio covers about half of the same ground. I don't know that I'd swap out the Moskwa Ostankino combo... but I wonder if you might save HP in other places (say by swapping the Wasp filter for something in 4-6hp, using your last 2hp, etc.) to make room for it.

Regarding BIA, I thought it was for the purely percussion theme, but I didn't notice that you already have Plonk and Tym Legio. But we come back to the same thing, personally BIA is more direct to handle than Plonk.
Another option would be to add a Dixie II+ type oscillator https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-dixie-ii-
it takes up little space, and you can feed the 4 channels of your Percall with some sound, since from what I see, your voices already incorporate an envelope.

3. One addition that might really be great, given your stated techno use, is the DivKid Mutes module. Being able to manually turn on and off 4 sources of modulation, sound, gates, triggers, etc. is lots of fun.
   -- Shakespeare

++DivKid Mutes, very useful. If you prefer buttons to switches...
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/happy-nerding-4xmute-black

1. I'd consider scrapping both Ochd and Clep Diaz
   -- Shakespeare

Clep's are good, I'd be almost tempted to buy a second one even if i don't understand binary or have the time to learn it.