I own the Blue Lantern Stereo Sir Mix-A-Lot and their Logic Module. I've not had any issues and the price for the Mix-A-Lot is quite good for the set of features.
There was a bit of controversy regarding the brand around 2010-2013. Some Googling will bring up message board posts elsewhere.
If you like getting deep I enjoy the NerdSeq, I also plan on adding a er-101 just because it looks interesting.
If you dig the classic face value eloquencer and Metron are cool.
-- spacewizardinspace
The NerdSeq is what's known as a "tracker" sequencer... made popular in the 1990s on computers like the Commodore Amiga. There's absolutely nothing wrong with trackers. But the workflow might stymie someone's creativity... depending on the individual.
Hi Ronin1973,
What exactly do you mean by what you just wrote? That the module is diode-protected against connecting the power cable the wrong way? I had played with the idea of that to add that indeed as one of the many parameters to the review report however not all manufacturers mention that in their manual and/or on their website, so would it be clever to add this parameter? Please do let me know and I will seriously consider this.
Or if you meant something else, please let me know in more details what exactly do you mean? Thank you very much in advance and kind regards, Garfield.
-- GarfieldModular
Sorry for the late reply. Yes. Diode protected. Having this information for multiple modules formatted the same way makes looking up information faster and convenient. I think that's a plus for having this sort of documentation. If I can look up basic electronic values... even volt ranges of jacks, all in the same format, your guides become much more useful (assuming that there are enough entries to cover the most popular of modules, etc.).
TipTop's Z4000NS gives you CV control of all four stages of the ADSR at a street price of $175US. I have a couple. They work as advertised. The Doepfer A-140 doesn't have CV control of parameters.
The Befaco is actually quite nice, as there is also a gate output that fires off for EACH stage of ADSR. That could be useful for triggering other modules, sequencers, or ADSRs.
I would want one or two "Gucci" ADSR units for complex envelope generation. Then less expensive BASIC ADSRs if I need more envelope generators that are just doing what's labeled on the tin, like the Doepfer... as they are half as expensive.
I'd buy at least one Befaco if I was doing it again. I find the extra gates per stage to be hella' useful.
There are very few good reasons to put drums in your case. Drum modules are more expensive than buying a drum machine. Those modules will also need additional modules to be cohesive. If you have 8 drum modules going, you're going to need a Eurorack mixer with at least 8 inputs. You will also need a sequencer with 8 triggers available. So it's a substantial investment for something that can be replaced with a $300-$400 external device. Your audience isn't going to care if all of your drums are coming from the case or a drum machine.
There ARE good reasons to have modular drums if modulation is something that's extremely important to your own personal sound in abstract music. But for 99% of people... it's JUST a drum sound.
The 1010 Music BitBox is a good compromise if you want to stay inside the case. It can also be triggered via MIDI if your sequencer supports MIDI OUT. It's possible to run one TRS cable from the sequencer's MIDI out to the BitBox's MIDI in. Without giving a full tutorial on MIDI there are caveats of course.
There are smaller sample playback units that will work just fine as well. I'm speaking of gear I know and I'm familiar with.
It depends on how your head is wired. It has a ton of features. But it means learning what each encoder and encoder color does... all dependent on the mode the unit is currently set for. You'll run into this with a lot of Mutable Instruments modules.
To get the most out of MI and this thing, you really have to commit the functionality to memory and spend a LOT of time becoming fluid with it. Staring at a manual in one hand while making tentative adjustments on the module with the other sucks all the fun out of working with modular. $0.02.
I looked over the build.
Things I didn't see:
Sequencers
Noise Generator
Sample & HoldIf you have to, I'd pull the Ladik slew limiter and the Zlob VCA to open up space. Those two units seem redundant for the size of the build. How will this rack be controlled? That's why I mentioned sequencers. Do you have an external device to do this?
-- Ronin1973Thanks for the reply. I have a bit of a "hybrid" setup. I plan to use Ableton Live (and its built in CV tools) with my Push 2 via my MOTU828 (which is DC coupled) for sequencing (hopefully)...I also will be using this setup with my Hydrasynth desktop and Arturia Minibrute 2.
I actually was just doing some YouTube research on "sample and hold" as I hear that term all the time and wasn't sure what it referred to so I'm glad you mentioned that because I like what I saw from examples of S&H videos I watched.
I purchased the slew limiter already but have not yet purchased the Zlob...I think I heard that you can never have enough VCAs :)
-- jb61264
You can never have enough VCAs. But you only have so much SPACE! :)
Sample and hold, at its basics is pretty easy. All Eurorack is based on voltages. You plug a voltage source into a S&H circuit and then a source of triggers into the trigger input. When the module receives a trigger, it evaluates the current source voltage and outputs that exact voltage until it receives another trigger. So it SAMPLES a value and then HOLDS it.
Of course there are more features, caveats, and variations depending on the module. But at the basic level, this is what is going on under the hood.
Buy your set-up in stages. Don't buy everything at once. You WILL change your mind on some things as your experience grows. ALSO... you may redirect some of your budget to buying a second case... because... you can never have enough VCAS :)
Find a Eurorack dealer with a nice return policy. It's going to take a week to figure out if you like the workflow (assuming you're going with a complex sequencer).
I own a Westlicht. I like it. But be sure it's built by someone who gives a damn.
I also own a 1010 Toolbox. I like it too. It's easy to program. But it lacks a lot of deep features and some of the updates have been kind of crappy IMHO.
As far as simple sequencers, I own a Pittsburgh Modular Microsequencer. I hate that little bastard with a passion.
But the Befaco Muxlicer is pretty intuitive and useful in comparison.
My micro Ornaments & Crime has a sequencer mode built into it that is very nice for its size (it can also do envelopes instead of gates.
I also have a Noise Engineering Digitalis Mementic... which is a great little sequencer for improvisation.
I'd buy one complex sequencer to start and one or two simple modules that can be triggered or sync'ed by the main sequencer.
I looked over the build.
Things I didn't see:
Sequencers
Noise Generator
Sample & Hold
If you have to, I'd pull the Ladik slew limiter and the Zlob VCA to open up space. Those two units seem redundant for the size of the build. How will this rack be controlled? That's why I mentioned sequencers. Do you have an external device to do this?
The biggest culprit is plugging your modular synth into one outlet and having your recording system (computer and audio interface) plugged into a different outlet. If you can get both parts plugged into the same outlet that might be helpful for reducing or eliminating that ground hum. That would be the first thing I'd try to fix.
Next would be removing all the modules except for case power. Then add one module at a time or two or three. Power up the case and see if there's an issue with noise. You may have an inherently noisy module (digital modules with displays can do this). Or maybe a module that has failed in some way. It's good to rule out a bad module.
Here is the non-technical explanation.
The VCA is the actual unit that does the work when it comes to controlling the amounts of anything else. Like a volume control on your phone or car's stereo, it controls the amount of whatever it is you're putting through it.
But where a VCA differs from a simple volume knob is that it has an input for automation. Instead of turning the knob by hand, you can use a CV voltage to do it. VCAs can control the amount of audio. They can control the amount of other CV signals being routed through them. They are the basic building blocks of automation aka MODULATION.
There are some fine points regarding different types of VCAs and what they can do. VCAs can be set-up in many different ways... so you might find some that respond in linear or exponential fashion. You will find some with a manual knob. You'll find others that have no manual controls and are just three little jacks. Sometimes a set of VCAs will be built to do duty as a mixer as well.
In the summary, for the quick read, I'd like to know if the module conforms to the Eurorack power standards, or not, or if the power leads are agnostic to which direction the red stripe goes.
60 pages on a VCA is quite extensive. I think it might be information overload. You're basically writing the instruction manual we wished came with the module.
The work looks to be top-notch but an overkill for most people looking for reviews.
In no means am I denigrating the sheer volume of time and experience put into the docs. But someone who will read 60 pages on one module would seem to be rare.
I have bought from Michigan Synth Works. I would buy from them again.
I find Mutable Instruments stuff to be powerful. But you really have to learn and memorize the functionality of all the different modes to get the most out of them. They are surprisingly complicated when you consider that one knob might control three or four different parameters depending on which mode(s) you are selecting.
This tends to kill my modular buzz. I would definitely consider Mutable's stuff to be the West-Coast side of modular. How a module functions tends to be the most important thing to me after a few years of doing this... even more so than its actual functionality.
I got the Mackie Big Knob Passive for a coworker. It's around $70US. It allows you to switch between two sets of inputs and two sets of monitors. It comes with a mute and a dim switch. It'll last forever since it's passive.
Your other option is to buy an inexpensive four channel compact mixer to be the gate-keeper to your monitors. A four channel, stereo output mixer is $60US. That will come with more routing options like control room vs main outs.
The case... is just a box with rails stuck to it. It's no more complicated than building your own 19" studio rack. Where I would NOT build my own is anything to do with the power supply. You can buy complete solutions for power. It really boils down to how much time you want to invest in building your own versus just paying for something prefabricated.
The Intellijel 1U standard is becoming more and more popular and there are other vendors beside Intellijel competing for that space now. Having 1U units is great but it's not a necessity. I like mine. But I wouldn't say that it makes that much of a difference unless you have a specific need... like air travel or limited space. Almost everything you see in 1U has a comparable 3U module. You won't be missing out if you don't go with 1U.
Finally, the resale value on Eurorack is pretty high. So there's not a huge penalty for changing your mind on a few modules. Buy or build your first case. Make it as large as you can reasonably afford in cost and space. Since you already have two semi-modular synths, start slowly. Some sequencers, a couple of effects units, and some mixer/utility modules will add a lot of possibilities to what you already have. Then you can always add more modules as you develop your own tastes and style.
I think we'll see a stratification of the market. The "simple" analog modules will get less and less expensive. When it comes down to it, for the bread & butter stuff... people are all drawing from the same pool of electronic components. If you're rolling your own diodes and ICs and next-level stuff... okay.
But if you're building yet another MS-20 filter clone, not so much.
I'm fine with Behringer blowing out the easy stuff and low hanging fruit. It introduces more people into modular synthesis. How many buffered mults do we need?
The creative Eurorack builders will still be around. The innovators will be around.
We get it, you had a bad experience with Cr8audio... but I had bad experiences as well, and with well-known manufacturers, yet you don't see me dissing on them everywhere I can, it's called restraint and perspective, you should try it some time.
And no, people hating on Behringer are not all 50+ white men in their man-cave trying to gatekeep the Eurorack niche, you've been pointed to the information before but chose to ignore it because that serves the rationale you use to justify buying it yourself... It's getting awkward.-- toodee
Just for the record, I'm not a 50+ year old or a white man. This is probably the first post on here that I've seen that has anything to do with age or race. Can we keep it about the synths? I always thought of this site as some place we can all connect with our shared interest.
would recommend dreadbox chromatic over these. Cre8audio modules tend to be cheap quality and are the only modules that I ever had that stopped functioning. Cre8audio tried to blame the 5v rail on my tip top bus board which has been rock solid for everything else even other modules that use 5v.
-- greenfly
I read your post. I was looking at the Dreadbox stuff. In comparison, the thing that really turned me off to the Dreadbox VCO is that you can select from only one waveform at a time rather than access to ALL waveforms, which limits the ability to self-patch, or patch unused waveforms as modulation. I found that to be a downer. The Cre8audio VCO is less expensive and offers many more features. I'm leaning towards a wait-and-see posture to see if Cre8audio has upped is quality control.
On a lighter note. I don't like the pastel colors of the Dreadbox line. It's not a deal breaker but I'd want alternate panels and that would up the expense even further.
I think there is good and bad in Uli's business approach. Behringer's Model D took a $3500 instrument and distilled it into a $300 analog synth module. The Eurorack line based on classic designs has been uber affordable and reasonable.
Modern electronics manufacturing has been a break-through for small batch electronic instruments and devices. It's profitable for a small company to compete among large manufacturers when designing modules and devices from commonly available electronics parts. I think almost everything obscure or out of reach in the 1970's or 1980's will be revisited and made affordable if there's some profit in it.
Modular forces you to learn how to program a synth. There are no presets to recall, tweak a little, and then resave as your OWN creation. Nope... every bit of it is you.
Modular has made me hyper aware of modulation even in virtual synths, the importance of even subtle modulations, and even evaluating self-contained synths' features.
I love modular sequencers! Having a good trigger sequencer to pair up with the Vector is quite useful. Maybe something like an Eloquencer or WMD Metron would be fun for you to expand. I like clocks as well and Pamela New Workout is fantastic in this area.
-- sacguy71
Having separate trigger/clock sequencers and separate CV/pitch sequencers allows sequencing to be deconstructed into its elements. I use a Temps Utile running either a Euclidean, step, or logic functions to drive a Memitic Digitalus from Noise Engineering. There are trigger inputs on the MD that control step advance, reset, or even skipping around +-4 steps, or randomly.
This decoupling allows for more complexity from two simpler sequencers.
The 1U is worth getting for the dual INPUT and OUPUTs. The outputs are a nice way of interfacing with the rest of your studio. It takes the question of "can I connect this to that" and puts it to bed. You seem to have a nice budget for gear. So I'd get that and be done with it.
would appreciate someone replying to this as I don't want to ruin my expensive UAD Apollo by pumping in modular levels of audio.
-- greenfly
The Apollo should be able to handle it. Eurorack level is around 10V. If it doesn't have the headroom it'll just distort. If we were talking 100V then I'd be cautious.
If you're worried, buy a line level output module that converts synth level to line level. I don't think you have a lot of room left in your case. But you could easily swap out your expert sleepers modules for a line level output module and just pop in the expert sleepers modules when you need them.
There's nothing wrong with Behringer when it comes to synths and modules. Some of their business practices I find abhorrent. But the quality of their synth stuff is good.
If you're going to rack all of those synths, then just get a couple of the large Behringer cases. There's no point in spending a lot of money on your case if you're going to fill it with semi-modular synths.
Sequencers cover such a broad range of devices and modules. Some are very complex... which is good when you really have something complex in mind. But can be frustratingly tedious to program. So something simpler might be awesome to get immediate results from. But again, its simplicity means a lack of additional features. Neither is better or worse... just different. Sometimes you just need a hand-saw and sometimes you need an entire table-saw... to try and make an analogy out of it.
The biggest thing you'll want to worry about is getting your sequencers to play nicely with each other when sync'ing them together. Okay... here's where you get into trouble. One sequencer has to be the master that every other sequencer gets its timing from. They also have to have a way of starting together, so one sequencer has to send out a reset trigger to every other sequencer when play starts or your sequencers might be out of sync and not playing when you'd like them to. Another issue is HOW your sequencer interprets clocks (timing triggers). A trigger is a short square wave. Some sequencers use the leading edge of the square for timing, some use the falling edge. This can be problematic and lead to issues, especially concerning triggers that initiate the reset. So before bringing a new sequencer home... you might want to make sure it'll play well with everyone else or at least buy from some place with an easy return policy.
Both Ornament and Crime as well as the Disting are kinda scary for me. I feel like it's easy to get lost in those while scrolling through tons of different functions. As much as I love my Pams the scrolling and setting up feels tedious at times. The Disting might be something I am willing to look into but for the sequencer, I really like the "simplicity" modules like the Digitalis have to offer (Every button to alter the sequence is right there/ simple led illustration). At first, I was even looking at something like a bunch of XAOC Tirana's (I really like the aesthetic of XAOC modules) but 6TE per 4 steps single sequence is rough when space is an issue.
Regarding the Sono Abitus, I am not quite sure if I understand what it has to offer. From my understanding, it is just a bunch of outputs, right? I mean everything the rack produces is mono anyway so every output on the Abitus is giving me the same signal. So it is like 5 outputs with one having an extra volume Knob?
-- 9xpad
I'll start from the last comment. Rack space (measured in HP) is critical, especially when you're trying to put together a skiff (small case like the Nifty). So saving 2HP is going to be worthwhile. Plus the Sono Abitus has more features than the Doepfer. A simple headphone out is nice. But the Sono anso has line-outputs. Synth level is a lot hotter than line-level. So if you try to record the outputs of your Eurorack to your DAW or something else, you might run into level issues. So, no you're not getting just an extra volume knob.
As far as menu diving, the O&C isn't too bad (I own one). I also own the Digitalis. It's fun. But it's not very exacting. The sequencer in O&C offers pitch CV tied to gate. The gate can even be a full ADSR envelope. You trade the immediacy of the Digitalis for the versatility of O&C. When you're in a skiff... well... them's the ropes.
Oh... and there's a guy on Youtube that's the master of real-time Eurorack skiff-ing, Ricky Tinez. He uses a Digitalis in his rig and a Steppy. It works for him. But everyone is different.
https://www.youtube.com/c/RickyTinez/featured
Plaits is basically its own synth voice. You can dial in attack, decay, quantizing, etc from it. The same with Braids.
I think a couple of envelope generators would be nice and should fit well within a $500 budget... unless you go with something a ton of features.
A multi-function module would keep you busy for a while. Expert Sleepers Disting EX, Maths, Ornaments & Crime, would be nice choices. The Disting would give you the most features. Maths is great for envelopes and other modulations/utilities, O&C is great for CV modulations but doesn't do audio rate (like reverb, delay, etc.).
It's a bit of a broken record. But I'd go with the Disting EX. If you have $500 and that's all you'll have for a while, it'll give you the most bang for the buck... it can even do filtering. Plus you'll get $150 back in change.
Thanks dudes. Have bought the very impressive Joranalogue Filter 8. I think that will keep me busy for quite some time.
-- rs6134x
You're welcome. I also have an Intellijel Morgasmatron. That's my general workhorse. It has two identical multimode filters (some of the effects like overdrive and phase flip are unique to each filter).
It takes up more space, is more expensive, and only one mode of filtering is available at a time through a single output per filter. I find it to be the yang to the Filter 8's ying. Having both of those seems to cover all of my filter wishlist. I also have a Roland dual filter. I love the Roland chirp but I don't particularly like their modular unit.
Do some research on the 1010 Music Bitbox V2. It can slice samples. Here's a link to a tutorial.
The Digitalis is nice. But think about the sequencer section of a micro Ornaments & Crime. It's 8HP and will give you four channels of sequencing... plus a BOAT LOAD of other options... like quantizing, LFOs, etc. The savings is 2HP in space. It will play nicely with the Pam's New Workout.
I would find something else besides the Timiszoara. There are even smaller multi-effects modules out there that are slimmer. The Expert Sleepers Disting EX is 8 HP and will do a LOT more than just effects and it's a DUAL UNIT also. That will save you another 2HP
Twiigs is fine. But if you go with the original Mutable Instruments Branches, it's 8HP. Hey, another savings of 2HP.
The Doepfer A-139-2 is 6HP. It's ONLY a headphone amp. Noise Engineering's Sono Abitus is 4HP and comes with BALANCED 1/4" outputs PLUS a headphone amp. You save another 2HP
If you take those four suggestions, you now have 8HP of space available.
With that 8HP you might consider an audio mixer module or replacing Sono Abitus with a mixer with headphones out. A small filter would be nice in addition to the mixer and some utilities (attenuverter, noise, etc.)
-- Ronin1973
actually it's 10hp - branches is 6hp
-- JimHowell1970
Twiigs is listed as 8HP. Mutable's Branches is 6HP. Where are you seeing Twiigs as 10HP?
I have a Joranalogue Filter 8. It's compact for its functionality and all filter variants are simultaneously available... just plug a cable into the appropriate jack.
DivKid reviewed it. Here's a link to the Youtube video.
I don't think you're going to find too many percussion (one shot) sounds that you can build in an expensive Eurorack skiff that you can't build in a $60 DAW on your computer.
I think where you'll find an advantage is sync'ing your Digitakt to a Eurorack case and creating complicated patterns and modulations to elements that compliment your Digitakt sequences.
The Digitalis is nice. But think about the sequencer section of a micro Ornaments & Crime. It's 8HP and will give you four channels of sequencing... plus a BOAT LOAD of other options... like quantizing, LFOs, etc. The savings is 2HP in space. It will play nicely with the Pam's New Workout.
I would find something else besides the Timiszoara. There are even smaller multi-effects modules out there that are slimmer. The Expert Sleepers Disting EX is 8 HP and will do a LOT more than just effects and it's a DUAL UNIT also. That will save you another 2HP
Twiigs is fine. It's 8HP. But if you go with the original Mutable Instruments Branches, it's 6HP. Hey, another savings of 2HP.
The Doepfer A-139-2 is 6HP. It's ONLY a headphone amp. Noise Engineering's Sono Abitus is 4HP and comes with BALANCED 1/4" outputs PLUS a headphone amp. You save another 2HP
If you take those four suggestions, you now have 8HP of space available.
With that 8HP you might consider an audio mixer module or replacing Sono Abitus with a mixer with headphones out. A small filter would be nice in addition to the mixer and some utilities (attenuverter, noise, etc.)
Plaits or Braids are great modules if you need bread-n-butter sounds in your case. They can do more. But to quickly dial in a bass or lead sound without reinventing the wheel is really helpful in live situations.
If you're buying digital modules for percussion, you might as well get something like a 1010 Music BitBox 2. You can play back up to 16 different sounds as well as RECORD IN SYNC. You can find them used in the range of around $400-500US. If you're not modulating your drums that much, it's worth it.
It's not going to happen. Eurorack is expensive to begin with.
You expressed interest in jamming with your group. How do you intend to stay in sync with them and in key with them? Speaking of key... how are you going to generate pitches? You would need to add something like a KeyStep controller to this.
+1 on all of Jim's comments. You'd be better off spending $300 on a Behringer Neutron and a Kestep or KeyStep Pro.
really like that Vector Space and the Mimetic Digitalis but both appear to be out of stock :( lots of good suggestions so far but most of the modules aren't easily purchasable. thats Vector is wicked cool though!
-- tenebre6
Just did a quick check of Reverb.com. There's a new Vector Space in the UK going for $250US. The seller seems to have good feedback.
I see you're using a lot of Erica TUBE/Fusion modules as well as the Plasma Drive. What is your power supply situation?
To add some interest... a Trigger Riot, for complex pattern generation might be fun for your drum situation.
A Worng Electronics Vector Space for complex modulation possibilities.
A Noise Engineering Mimetic Digitalis for adding some stepped CV modulation into the equation (lots of fun hooked up to the Trigger Riot).
I have a BIA. I've always had issues getting it to play well with others... especially when trying to tune it.
Everyone starting out buys a Wasp Filter. Everyone then sells it.
For its feature set, the A-118 is pretty big. If you can find a smaller noise-generator like a 2HP unit, you can claim back even more HP.
I'd want the following:
A dedicated LFO that can sync and reset.
An analog VCO that can get down to LFO rate: like the Dixie II+
Utilities like attenuverters as well as another small mixer that can handle CV OR audio. You can do this with the Maths module. But you might consider a dedicated module if you find yourself choosing between using the Maths for this versus other functions.
A Disting EX as a jack-of-all-trades to experiment with or try different types of modulation or effects.
Two envelope generators. Maths can be used as two AD envelopes. But relying on Maths as an everything-module will limit your creativity.
I'm also a big fan of Ornaments and Crime. It can do a lot and isn't that bad to navigate for a menu driven module.
I like the Intellijel cases with their 1U row. The Quadrats are nice for attenuverting, monophonic mixing, or just as a convenient CV voltage source to control multiple modules. Intellijel also has decent 1U mults (active and passive).
That's what I like...
Thank for your advice!
Maybe I will start with those Doepfer modules. After adding a filter,vca, attenuverter, would it be a usable synth voice?
I would like to learn about the signal flow, and then the modulation, effects,... Where could I read more about it? Is there any threads that will help with basic knowledge?-- baygiooday
You might want to research "Eurorack Synth Voices". A synth voice is generally a complete compliment of VCOs, filters, VCAs, LFO, etc. Most if not all elements are normalized (internally patched) with the ability to break those normal connections and reroute them for advanced patching.
The Behringer Neutron can be considered a synth voice and at $300US is a pretty good set-up for learning on. The Intellijel Atlantis is a great synth voice. But it's more expensive and requires a case to power it.
As far as learning. There are tons of great tutorials on Youtube that take you through the very basics of modular design and use.
So my thoughts would be:
1. Powered cases
2. Unpowered cases
3. Power supplies
I don't think it would be worth it to have cases available for building a virtual rack. It falls into the "would be nice" column.
But having the information available to peruse would be awesome. I would include a main picture of the case. Then I'd allow users to upload their own custom pictures of the case (with or without modules) to add to the description.
The description should also include the number of rows, the HP of each row, and the size of the row (3U or 1U) and the format of the row (useful for 1U set-ups since 1U isn't standardized).
Behringer has no manufacturer account on MG and it does not feel right to set a manufacturer lock on behalf of their name.
That is currently the only way to lock the entry. If the edits do not stop very soon we will implement a technical solution.
-- modulargrid
I hope the user accounts that are changing information are being logged. If someone has a habit of nefariously editing information that the account gets locked-out of creating or editing module information.
I have to agree with Arjan. Illiac is being childish. If you don't like it... if you don't support it... don't buy it.
Thank you for all your honest opinions. Im just looking on a good deal on a Doepfer system with some basic modules, so I want to plan a system on this forum to get ideas and vision for the long way. I will also have to learn more about utilities and vcas. I will have to build up this system slowly, and maybe ideas will changes over time. Im just glad to plan a system on here, reading modules, and interacting with this nice community. Thank you so much!
-- baygiooday
Designing your own system is awesome. But that might be a bit much for someone who doesn't have any hands on experience in modular. No one starts out knowing what they are doing... only assuming that they know.
Make Noise and Roland have some nice preconfigured systems.
The 500 series from Roland is pretty much a classic modular system in Eurorack. You can't go wrong there.
Make Noise has a few contemporary preconfigured systems that incorporate digital modules.
Behringer just came out with their own preconfigured systems as well. I don't think you can go wrong there either. Behringer is notorious, though.
What exactly are you trying to do? You said this rack is focused on EDM. Do you mean a complete EDM track will be generated in this rack? By rhythmic focused... do you just mean EDM percussion with maybe bass?
Here's Erica Synth's idea of an EDM percussion rack. I think this definitely defines what is needed.
https://www.ericasynths.lv/shop/eurorack-systems/techno-system/
Let's flip this the other way. Do you care to explain why you chose the modules you picked out? Also why do you define Marbles and Ochd as generative?
I'm mostly wondering whether the layout works well enough (tried to order it left to right going clock sources --> sequencing/utilities --> voices --> effects --> mix out), and if I have a good enough mix of sound sources, effects and utilities.
-- finkaven
I try to organize by function.
1. Oscillators
2. Filters
3. Modulation/VCAs
4. Effects
5. Sequencing
6. Mixing
At the top of the case or cases I'll have my oscillators and filters.
At the bottom of the case, and closest to my hands, I'll have sequencing and mixing. Basically everything that I will want to get at quickly and tweak. Your bottom row will be busy, but you won't have to patch OVER the top of those modules. That's something to keep in mind as cabling can get really gnarly in a complicated patch. Which brings us to patch cables. Short cables can be good... but extra long cables and a few Velcro ties can make management a LOT easier.
The MiniBrute 2S has a CV clock in and clock out. This means you can sync additional sequencers to the MiniBrute. You noted that you were using the internal sequencer. What you can ALSO do, is trigger more modulation via an external sequencer or other sound modules, reset LFOs, etc. I believe the 2S sequencer only handles gate and pitch (one channel of CV).
Sequencers come in all sorts of styles, shapes, and sizes. So what works best for you I wouldn't know. But it's something to think about if you're "expanding" your MiniBrute.
Not really. I use Quadrax and Batumi for modulation and have plenty of function generator features in these two modules.
-- sacguy71
How does Batumi or Quadrax deal with slew limiting? Attenuverting? Mixing? Etc? Yes... there is a little overlap comparing those two to Maths. But it's not enough to say you can use those two to cover the functionality of Maths.
Maths/quadrax/pams is probably more than enough for modulation - what's your use case for o&c?
O&C is a great universal module. It can do duty as a sequencer, modulation source, quantizer, and so forth. It was a module I started with and would still recommend.
mimetic digitalis looks very fiddly for a sequencer - I would do some research - if possible try one out before buying - sequencers are quite important in terms of workflow - if you don't get on with your sequencer(s) you will not get one with your modular
I own a Mimetic Digitalis. It's nice for improv stuff. I find it preferable for modulations but for note pitch... not as much. But it's 16 steps by 4 channels in a small space. If you have the room for a dedicated 16x4... by all means. But for jamming, it's nice, especially hooking it up to a couple of Euclideans for advancing steps or jumping/resetting the sequencee.
also the lack of something to combine triggers would seem frustrating - euclidean circles and pams - maybe a trigger combiner - or a switched multiple
A logic module capable of "OR" is great for combining triggers. A Blue Lantern CMOS party is $80US.
-- JimHowell1970
The Intellijel Atlantis synth-voice module is based on the SH101. But it comes in at around $700.. which goes a long way towards just getting a vintage SH101... or you could buy a Behringer 101... but that might be a personal decision. :)
