I'm sure this is something that's come up a few times but I'm looking to build a small case with some room to grow and would love some thoughts and opinions and pointers.
I currently have a beatstep pro, microfreak and an ipad I've been using miRack on (VCV previous to that but the ipad fits a bit better in the tight space I have and is a more tactile experience). Right now, I use that setup for 2 monophonic voices (1 on ipad, 1 on 0-coast), 1 polyphonic voice (microfreak) and effects on one outboard synth (via ipad).
I want to explore using a small modular case to add to what I can do with the 0-Coast and drive generative melodies. (Maybe think Susan Ciani a bit using slightly different techniques to derive notes.) I imagine even if I start there, I'll find lots of other kinds of patches and sounds to explore. I want to intentionally have a smaller rack to provide some friction against gas and fit on a small table that I have to setup all my synth stuff and maybe even keep it portable.
This is what I have in mind so far. The 0-Coast I already have (not mounted) and I plan to get a 4ms pod 48x or 64x.
The modules on the left on the top row would be modules I'd get sooner and the modules on the right would be later on if they are still the modules I'd want to get after exploring the ones on the left.
I'm thinking:
- a 3x MIA for mix, attenuation, and offset duties of random voltages or envelopes/slopes (to basically sculpt melodies in pitch up or down and in scale)
- a 2hp S+H for sample and hold on the signals
- a Disting MK4 for a quantizer and then experimenting with other module types
- potentially a Befaco Rampage Kit for EG/LFO and till I had a clock div, I could trigger it from the bsp to create repeatable melodies etc (thought this over maths to get the 3x MIA to have offset and attenuation on one set of stacked knobs and the rampage kit is cheaper than the maths, plus I think I might get more use out of the sharkfin eg on default instead of using an additional offset on maths to change it to a sharkfin shape)
Later on:
- a time wizard or maybe a tempi for clock divider if I want to develop more rhythmic melodies and start playing with events, or make a sub
- an FX AID XL for some nice sounding modulatable FX in the case
- a micro Plaits to add more texture with individual modes especially on the percussive side or randomizing the mode
I'm not positive if that's the direction I'll go later on. For the more immediate modules I've had a bunch of fun playing with this kind of patch running pitch via midi from my ipad to the 0-Coast but it would be a lot of fun and offer more possibility having it in a case with more instantaneous control over parameters. It by no means needs to be a built out case but I'm having a blast with my 0-Coast and figure this would be enough to dip my toes in and see if I like it and slowly build from there.
I know I don't have any vca's other than in the disting but figured since it was primarily one voice and I have attenuation and offset, no filter and a lpg on the 0-coast, I'd be alright. Happy to be wrong as of course.
Anyway, any thoughts on what I might be missing? Being newer to modular, I'm thinking of a particular patch and don't necessarily have the experience of thinking ahead to what else I might want. I also know I could go with something like a marbles but I love the idea of having control over the parameters as building blocks so I could build other things out of them. And from my playing with marbles, it's maybe too deep for me at the moment.