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Well, I'm not Lugia, but here's how I would probably set this up to start with. Of course I would tweak it as necessary after experimenting.
I tried to keep the plumbing along the sides and separate the 2hp stuff a little bit for wiggle room. I would probably want all of my clocks/gate sequencers along the bottom with mults above so you could mult gates around the system. Modulation and matrix mixer just above the sequencers. Links at the top left for a buffered mult/adder near your oscillators. Sound sources, filters, drums, FX, and maybe VCAs all grouped together with other mixers and attenuators sprinkled throughout. It's always hard for me to find the right spot for Disting, so the top right of the case seems to work here.
This seems more organized for the way I work, and the way my own rack is set up but obviously this may not be a sensible approach for your workflow. Either way, it was a fun exercise.

*edit: I placed Marbles above the other sequencers due to the jack placements.

EDITED Sep 3rd 2021, 21:48

Hmmm... I duplicated your rack to have some fun tweaking later today or tomorrow. The number of 2hp/small modules creates an interesting puzzle to solve.

@Farkas - yeah I live in Carmel. Where are you?

-- TumeniKnobs

I’m in Yellow Springs, Ohio, just outside of Dayton.

Well, you have officially become my second favorite acid artist (behind Richie Hawtin, of course). Well done, my friend.
And yeah, the 2LPG v2 finds its way into every patch I make. Ridiculous value.

I would probably arrange it like this, if it were mine. That's sort of how I have my rack anyway.
Sequencing and mixing at the bottom, modulation and FX just above that, then filters and voices on top. I got rid of the 2hp ADSR to fit all of your filters in. You'll just have to experiment with placement to figure out what works best for you.
Have fun and good luck.

What problem are you having now that requires a reorganization?

This is beautiful. Well done. Perfect mix of field and studio.
If you live in Indy, I'm not too far from you. Three cheers for the midwest! :)

Sounds great. There's just something magical about the Moog sound.

Hi Snarky. Considering the Subharmonicon already has a case and power, you could make space for the Morphagene (and more utilities, etc.) by leaving the Moog in its own case. That’s what I would recommend first.
Have fun and good luck!

Nice! That was the exact perfect length to make me want to play it again. Well done.

I'm looking forward to hearing some of your more refined work too 🧐🧐 don't keep us waiting
-- troux

Don't hold your breath. Haha.
If I can stop being lazy and buying modules, maybe I'll finish something more substantial over the winter. I've been working on structure and songwriting, but I don't know that anything will ever see the light of day. :)

As a kind of tangential question to this thread, I wonder what people consider their favorite "budget" VCFs to be, VCFs for under $200 that hit above their pricepoint in your opinion.
-- eexee

I'd say any of the Doepfer filters. I've had so many of them in my shopping cart, but haven't bought any of them yet. They all seem great and I just can't decide. The SEM and Wasp filters get a lot of praise, and the A-106-1 Xtreme filter looks great too.

This might be a contender (though I have personally enjoyed the FX Aid XL)?
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/noise-engineering-desmodus-versio

How can I upload my rack screenshot to this conversation?
-- CostasP

Just copy and paste the URL from your rack page.

Ah, that's nice. It sounds like a conversation between oscillators. :)
Are you sequencing from the Sinfonion? Also, that Ventris reverb sounds incredible. I had never heard of that pedal until now.
Thanks for sharing!

Yep, More Vocoder please :)
-- wishbonebrewery

As you wish. :)

This is a beautiful journey. Well done.
Man, you're going to make me re-buy the Chainsaw eventually. You get great results from it.

Hey, thanks for listening Garfield. Believe it or not, slower styles with a new wave or Boards of Canada feel are what I write more often than anything else. The techno and improv stuff is just quick and fun (for me). I get lazy and don't finish structuring a lot of songs, so these improvisation things force me to put something out in the world while I work on other stuff.
That Nord Drum 3P looks amazing. Unfortunately, no. I don't have one. You'll have to share some of your experiments when you get one. :)
The only issue I can find with the VC340 is that the keys feel kind of cheap, but they still feel better than my old Arp Omni. Just a minor concern. Otherwise, the sound is pretty phenomenal.
Thanks again and have a great weekend.

Went in a different direction with this latest (mostly) improv session. Sort of a mid-tempo synth-pop/new wave/mid-period Depeche Mode kind of sound. Too much going on with the patch to explain everything, but mostly the E352 and AJH Minimod oscillators into an Optomix and Patching Panda Punch v3. A little bit of the 4ms DLD, Milky Way, and Clouds. FSS Makrow doing its thing. I finally broke down and picked up a Behringer VC340 vocoder and threw that in towards the end as well (@GarfieldModular I know you were looking for a vocoder a while back. I can confirm that the VC340 is outstanding).
Thanks for your time and have a great weekend. No worries if this isn't your thing. :)

What started me thinking about this stuff is that I picked up a DFAM for cheap and at present I have just been working some rhythms out on it and running it into an amp and then plugging guitar into another and playing along. Kind of a crude way to use it but it’s still neat. I know nothing about synths but have always been interested in them. I just found a Mother 32 in a 2-tier with an empty case in the other tier so I will have 60 hp to play with when it shows up. At present I will probably mate the 32 and DFAM so I can get some patching 101 done and a better understanding of how it all works. Then I can ask some better informed questions.
Thanks
Mitch
-- OlDefGuy

The Mother 32 is a great intro to synths and modular-land, and with the DFAM is a powerful combo. I would recommend experimenting with those for a few weeks, and when you find that you are unable to do something that you want to do, then start researching modules that will help you solve that problem. When I first started, I bought a few things that I thought I would use but didn't really end up needing so I wasted a little time and money.
Have fun on your synth journey!

@farkas, I saw this today and thought you might want to take a look

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/adventure-audio-merge-white-panel
-- mog00

Whoa! That looks crazy (and useful)! I will definitely look into that. Thanks for the heads up.

That IntrFx looks pretty slick. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm sorry to hear about your A103, Garfield. That has to be a disappointment.
The SEM filter does interest me more than the A103. I can't believe I haven't gotten one yet. I'll look forward to checking out your report.
Have a great week.

Hi Mitch. I have been experimenting a little bit with the Doepfer A119 and Strymon A.A.1 as input/output/effects loop modules. I also have several effects pedals, modules, and filters that have been fun to incorporate, but I haven't done much recording of the outcome yet.
As far as adding rhythm to your guitar stuff, you would likely be best served with a nice external drum machine like the Roland TR8S. The cost/benefit/usability ratio is very high with that one. Check out some demo videos.

The specs on the manufacturer product page say: Multiple - 8 x 3.5 mm TS jack, mono, Arrangement - 2 sets of 4 parallel jacks, passive

might be worth getting a jumble henge to try it out,so my D.O.MIXX would be like a sub-mixer of some sorts?

-- Broken-Form

That's probably how I would use them. I have a few smaller "character" sub-mixers that lead into the Toppobrillo Stereomix, which I like, but I've considered both the Jumble Henge and Soundstage for my end-of-chain mixer. I've also looked at the SSF Vortices for a completely different flavor. I just like to experiment with creative mixing in the rack. Ultimately, you will have way more control with volume, EQ, and panning in your DAW, but these fixed EQ mixers seem like a good solution for live situations and capturing an acceptable quick studio mix.

Looks like the D.O. MIXX has direct outs on each of the five channels, so you could set volume levels there and then send each channel to the Jumble Henge for EQ and panning. The Jumble Henge would allow 11 more inputs and be your main outs at that point. You might be able to do some interesting feedback patching too.

@farkas do you set it so the pitch is kind of going between the + and - on the Disting. I can never get it to be exact on a C.
TIA

-- greenfly

Mine is usually just about spot on at the C+ pitch. Close enough for me anyway.

if you have a disting you already have a tuner built into that
-- JimHowell1970

Lately, I have used Disting almost exclusively for its tuner and sample & hold functions. It works very well for both.

The Worng Soundstage and ALM Jumble Henge mixers seem to solve this problem with EQ and panning pre-set for each input. Every demo I have heard of each sound great for standard usage, and they can be used more creatively too.

I like the Zlob Diode Chaos. It's sort of like 1/3 of a Triple Sloths with a random trigger out at 3hp. I don't typically like odd sized modules but I had a 3hp hole about a year ago, and it was a welcome addition to my rack.

Maybe check this out:
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/joranalogue-audio-design-compare-2

Sounds great as always! That's cool that you were able to incorporate FM and still keep the acid vibe. I tried some similar experiments with the 2-op FM and wavetables from the E352 and wasn't getting anything I really liked. May have to give it another try.

Good idea. Approaching $1000 for the 2600 and Keystep, but far more versatile than anything in the initial $400 budget.

Eh, I don't have any guidance for you there (aside from maybe Plaits if that is the right sound for you). I've already kind of given the best advice I have for you. Maybe some of the other members would like to chime in on specific low-cost modules/options.
Have fun and good luck.

I started with a used 104hp powered Make Noise skiff for about $200 plus tax. If you want something versatile, Mutable Instruments' Plaits is a good place to start looking, and you might be able to find a used one for about $200... and there's your budget.
But what about all of the other stuff to actually make it work? Cables, filters, LFOs, a sequencer, envelopes, effects, blind panels so you don't accidentally touch a cable to a power header and short everything out...
If you really think that getting into modular is the right direction for you, spend your $400 on a decent powered case (TipTop Mantis or small Doepfer for example), and then save up again until you can afford your first module. Then save up again for your next module. Repeat, repeat, repeat. I don't know your financial situation, but it may take a considerable amount of time until you have a useable system. Whatever you do, don't go into a large amount of debt.

Well, it will be important for you to do a considerable amount of research for your individual needs. What is "versatile" to you may not be very useful for me. You will need to plan out exactly how large of a case and power supply you will need in the long run (not just right now). Are you interested in manipulating samples in your rack, or do you just need a good monosynth built to your specs? How many simultaneous voices do you need? Are you just wanting to sample the sounds of your rack into Logic, or do you hope to perform fleshed out compositions?
What exact problem do you see eurorack solving for you that you can't achieve now?

He's a fairly famous DJ/producer/composer. He recently liquidated a massive amount of gear that had been gathering dust in his studio.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkie_XL

Hi Ethan. This is going to be near impossible at your current budget. You can easily blow through $400 on a case and cables. Any modules that you can squeeze into that budget will be severely limited in their usefulness, as you likely won't be able to fit in all of the most basic components of a functioning synthesizer. I would highly recommend saving up AT LEAST a thousand dollars/euros/etc. to get close to something that is a bit more than a single oscillator and filter with onboard VCA. Save up for what you really want and buy those modules one at a time if necessary, and don't just buy something because it's an affordable alternative.
The Behringer Crave is a good inexpensive semi-modular alternative for under $400. It has everything you need to get started making some sound and you can incorporate it later on when you start building a rack.
What equipment do you currently have to use with a eurorack setup?

EDITED Aug 17th 2021, 19:44

Beautiful! Very impressive.

Can I use this as a level shifter for an Octatrack?
-- mntbighker

I've used it as a level shifter for an MPC, guitar pedals, external synths, and a Mackie 1202VLZ. I've found it very useful.

Intellijel Polaris (On my radar)

-- mog00

Based on what @eexee has mentioned, Polaris probably would be a really good/versatile filter to look into. Good suggestion.

I don’t believe the Doepfer SEM is capable of self oscillation if that is important to you. It’s a very classic sound. Very late-70s/early-80s vibe. Definitely on my shortlist.

Joranalogue, WMD, and Happy Nerding have some isolated output modules. Ladik may make something inexpensive as well, but I haven't checked.

Farkas: Interesting description of the Erica Synths' Polivok filter but I do think I can agree here with you how you described it. For myself I still need to more understand this filter, it seems I can't get the max out of it, or perhaps I put my expectations too high and want to get more out of it than it's possible ;-)
-- GarfieldModular

The Polivoks just fit in perfectly with the sound I was working on this week. My AJH was too "warm" sounding, Ripples was a bit too clean, the Gristleizer was too aggressive, and QPAS was too... well, it was too QPAS. Haha.
The Polivoks fit right in the middle of all of them. I love that weird sort of overdriven resonance right on the edge. I'm sure it won't be the right tool for everything, but I have really enjoyed experimenting with it over the past few days.
And yes, the Doepfer SEM seems to be among the best of the best.
Enjoy your day!

Ha! Well, here's an amazing one that directly relates to this conversation. It's your creativity and brain that matters, not your filters, or utilities, or oscillators. :)

Actually fading volume in and out on the mixer or muting different drum parts and letting the Taiko fill the void.

I like the matrix mixer idea for stretching modulation sources even further. On the other hand, I would probably keep the Taiko as a melodic percussive voice. Mult a trigger to that and fade in/out from your drum voices to the FM sounds. That's how I would use it anyway.

I think Surgeon's sound comes down to Surgeon's brain... which I don't have. Haha. Same with Richie Hawtin. Those guys can make incredible music with incredibly minimal setups. I have to supplement my dull-witted brain with extra knobs and utilities.
Everyone will do this differently. I don't take any of the advice given as gospel, so I try something and if it doesn't work for me, I search for what will help me solve the problem and move on to that. My rack, and MylarMelodies' rack, and Surgeon's rack are wrong for YOU. So, at some point you just have to dive in and try your ideas. Don't expect them to work every time. You may find at some point that a Behringer 303 and 909 is all you really need to make amazing live techno, and modular just gets in the way. Or you may find that you don't need VCAs or LFOs for your approach. Only one way to find out! :)

I've found the MylarMelodies video series about building a live performance rack valuable as a resource in my own journey. I stumbled upon his videos about a year ago and found some solutions to the exact problems I was having in building a similar setup. The key is to keep things moving forward and avoid a stagnant groove. Just a few inexpensive utilities and modulation tools can really help with that. Here's a video about sample and hold that helped me achieve what I was trying to do. His videos on switched multiples and VCAs were helpful too. I shared a longer one on CardiacTasty's post a week or so ago that covered the broader philosophy and design of a live techno rack. Helpful stuff.
Have fun and good luck.