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I ordered them in the meantime, so I’ll let y'all know how it goes!

My current rack is this 7U Intellijel that is 100% full (except for the 1U row):

I found a drawer in my shed that is just a bit larger than 6U 84 hp and at 10cm deep, it's just perfect. I'm going to put rails and power in there (Konstant Labs StrongPWR). For drums and sequencing, I was originally looking at the LXR and a battleship sequencer. But I realized that's just not how I work. I prefer minute control over minute details of randomness a la Autechre and for that, I’ve had a great time with Pamela recently. It's a little elaborate to set up, but it's giving me great results. So I’d start my drum pod based on Pam's in combination with my Oxi. Here's a view of a possible long-term evolution. Never mind the layout - everything left of the gap is what I already have and right could be added:

I'm adding Tymp Legio and two Skull&Circuits modules for drums. The latter sound very promising and versatile. The former… I really love my current Versio. That's why I’m adding a second here as well. And a Manis Iteritas for the bass part (which could also be done with Skull's Can I Kick It, I think). Punch is there to combine with the noise module.

The existing 7U would then gain some free space, which I could fill up for example like this (same idea - left is existing, right is added):

The CP3 would replace the Ladik mixer, which I’m barely using as I send everything via the ES-9 to AUM on an iPad. Punk - it's visually great (and sounds great, too) and I can always use more effects.

An important addition is the NE (again!) Vox Digitalis, which I’m planning to use as a sort of microsequencer or triggered by Pam's (hence the RJ45 interconnect, btw). EN Cursus is there as one idea to expand the sonic palette.

Then I want something to experiment with evolving melodies. I haven't decided on the right module yet. That Bard Quarter (also useful as a quant), CVlization and Bloom are there as a kind of mental support that each of those are interesting in there own right.

What do you think?

Both will be powered on the same electrical circuit in the home, sharing grounds. I hope that is sufficient to use both racks interconnected in many ways? I do have interference at the moment from time to time, when I connect the USB of my iPad to the ES-9. I'm hoping that Konstant's filtered bus boards could help with that.

Hi,

Does anybody have experience with this company's modules? I am looking to extend my drum capabilities and their Metal-O-Tron II and Can I Kick It? are looking nice. For the Metal-O-Torn, there's a little selection of clips on YouTube. But for the Kick, there's one demo where it plays in the background with the Metal, and another build guide that has it playing in the background as well. Both sound extremely promising but it's hard to judge by the lack of material online.

The company is based in Belgium, like me. Worst case, I can drive by them after work and let you all know how it went ;-)

I barely can have an opinion because I have no Behringer modules. But I'm pretty sure it will stay that way. Their reputation for announcing copies of old synths that they deliver a decade late doesn't help. But for me, it's like discussing McDo when you have plenty of good restaurants in the neighbourhood that aren't part of a huge chain. Or Coca vs Pepsi when you have a few microbrews and even some vineyards around. It's so bog standard there's just not much to say. There are other manufacturers who make many very standard modules (Doepfer or Ladik comes to mind) or copies (After Later, for example) that don't make a big fuss about it and announce when they can ship. Much more interesting to discuss modules when you actually can get one to see how it does what it doesb

I agree with jb. When I got into Eurorack, I was looking at one 84hp rack, based on a free 3U space in my studio's 19" rack. Because of the advice here, I got a 7U 104hp rack instead. A few months later, it's now full. Get a Mantis (6U, 104hp) to start with. It's cheaper than the 7U and the 1U has far less choice in modules anyway. You won't regret going bigger.

Yeah for me a scope like the the O'Tool+ or Mordax Data is essential. Yes you should use your ears, but viewing things in the scope can save you a lot of headaches as far as diagnosing problems when things aren't behaving like you expect. I'm a visual person anyway so I like to be able to see things in the scope regardless.
-- adaris

I'm visual too, so I can relate. But also for simpler matters. I have the Zadar, which outputs 0-10V (attenuatable). Suppose I get that down to 0-3V. Now if I invert that, I get -3-0V. Say I want it to be 0-3V. With many DC sources, it's hard to say if I'm really getting 3V. I was using that to AND the inverse of envelope of a sound with gates, in other words to stop gates from triggering while the sound is still playing. By ear, it's probably good enough. Visually, I feel it's more accurate. Now the question is - do I want to spend €500 on a Mordax for that?

I found this little gem from Tesseract while browsing for sequencers. With the expander, it just fits in this pod!

Funny thing is this Tesseract isn't only a sequencer and midi-capable as well. It also has a sample player and a very basic drum synth built in.

I still need to look into it more deeply. There's only 4 cv in and I don't know what they can be mapped on. PS: just looked it up. Those cv ins can be used for literally anything - Euclidean length, filter resonance, drum synth decay, reverb level, you name it. Pretty impressive!

Some modules want -5V to +5V, others produce 0 to +10V, then there's modulation modifying the voltages, and after a while I'm completely lost what I actually have for a signal. In many cases, I can cope by just listening to the result. But in some situations, I’d like to know it a bit more precisely. So my question is: how do you check the voltage range of a signal? Do you do that at all? If yes, with a specific module, or a multi-purpose one like the Mordax Data?

Hi Farkas! I looked at both the Nord and the Alesis now and the difference is simple - synthesis vs samples. Samples enable looping, so there's that. Otherwise, there's pros and cons for both.

With the Squarp Rample I am currently using, I actually have multisamples that I can trigger with CV, so velocity based if that's what I want. It's a great feature indeed - a boring repetitive hi-hat suddenly comes to life. As you said - anything that doesn't do this, suddenly sounds flat. It gets a bit weirder and more unpredictable with the Squarp's more exotic sets of samples, which is also nice. Aside from that, I like to get variation into it by CVing the pitch (simple sample speed on the Squarp), filter, ... Particularly with S&H or something like the Joranalogue Orbit 3, I'm getting pretty interesting results. You can hear it in the clicking-ratchetting sound on this track: . It's not the most modulated I've ever done, but the ratchet is actually another layer of the regular click sample.

So for me it's currently about 1 - more flexibility. On the Rample, you select a kit and those are the 4 sounds you'll get - period. Of course, I can muck about combining samples into new sets and adding my own ones (I have a great set recorded at a blacksmith!) but I haven't gone down that rabbit hole yet. Sample management is file management and as such, for me, a much more boring endeavor than wiggling knobs. Then there's 2 - the 4 sounds in a Rample kit are limited when percussion becomes complex. 3 - the Rample's modulation capabilities are limited, I want more. For that, a module like the LXR has the great advantage. 4 - will I want to start actually playing the drums at a certain point? Certainly looks like fun, and I have an in-law to learn from. For that, obviously, it would be one of the pads we discussed here.

I expect I'll go with the LXR module first to get the extra flexibility that I want. I can add the drum pads afterwards and hook them up to trigger the internal sounds, the LXR or the Rample. But very interesting to see what triggers you in drums! Layered samples are an aspect that I really liked unconsciously in my Squarp Rample, and now I understand better why. It's one of the things that put me off when I tried the Dirtywave M8. You trigger a hi-hat sample every off-beat? It's always the same. Boring!

I hate to play devil's advocate, but I'm actually going in the opposite direction with drum modules right now. I do a lot of rhythm-focused stuff so I invested a fair amount into modular drums and samplers, but found I just kept investing more and more because I couldn't quite get the nuance and sound I was looking for. I tried adding an MPC, but that didn't do the trick either. Finally, I added an Alesis Strike Multipad and that was the missing piece for me. Now, I am selling off most of my drum modules (still keeping a couple modules and drum machines).
That LXR looks great, and I actually considered picking up the desktop version. I'm sure you will get great (and fun!) results from it. In my experience though, drum modules can be an expensive slippery slope considering the additional sequencing and modulation needs to keep them interesting. Just wanted to throw that out there as something to consider. Your needs and experience may differ, of course.
Good luck and have fun!
-- farkas

Hey Farkas, thanks for the response. I've been doing a bit of generated drums combined with manually programmed ones, with the generation coming from PNW (or Drambo on the iPad, similar idea) and the programming done on my Oxi. I'd start using my iPad with MIDI more to free my Oxi for melodic voices. I see what you mean with the slippery slope, but isn't that with everything modular? I've got 3 filters now in 200hp and I'm already looking at what's next. Obviously, the same is going to happen for drums. And oscillators later on! I like to think discipline works, and a wife who questions every purchase ;-)

The Alesis Strike Multipad looks very similar in concept to the Nord Drum 3P and it's priced similarly as well. Looking up a comparison, there's the Roland SPD SX in the same market as well. I looked into the Nord after reading very good reviews of its sound. I'm not a drummer, though, and while I'm open to learning it, now may not be the right moment. Still, very interesting tool and I might change my mind ;-)

The Sweetwater demo of the Alesis focuses very much on loops and automation, something I saw less of in the Nord. Is that a major feature for you? Did you check out the others before getting the Alesis?

I just picked up ALM Busy Circuits Akamie's Taiko and having soo much fun with this module! It does drums and synth FM stuff quite nicely.
-- benscott

In demos, it sounds really cool indeed! I was looking at getting separate modules for each drum, specifically considering the WMD modules. It's actually the announcement of their closing that triggered this whole search for more drum power for me. But it gets really expensive quickly, splitting it all up. Crater+Chimera+Fracture were around €950 when I checked a week ago and they've just gone up to €1050.

I just found out about the Magerit Metro, which combines a crazy amount of functionality into 13hp. Sequencers, full drum machines, effects, you name it. For €200 as well! Honestly, it looks like an incredible offering for a starter module. If that would've been available and I'd known it, it would've been a serious competitor to the Squarp Rample I ended up purchasing.

I'm actually liking the LXR module more and more (virtually speaking - I don't have it yet). It's €500 and it's got up to 4 separate outs and 5 CVs. For the cymbals voice, it's actually using FM, so I'm pretty certain it can be used creatively.

If you have any other oddball suggestions, keep'em coming! That's what I love about this hobby - there's always new to discover, and what seems a great idea one day can be replaced by an entirely different approach the next day!

Well that one's on me: I completely missed your 3340 module in my perusal of your rack. I will listen to your track later today. Look forward to hearing it.
-- BerkleeGrad1984

Yeah, it's a little hidden thingie in an ever-expanding rack, but it's very, very good indeed. I just started playing with the FM, throwing in a chaotic envelope from Zadar, and that's the effect you're hearing in the tenor.

Really like the track. The opening sounds very JX-3P-ish, which really takes me back!
-- BerkleeGrad1984

Thanks, glad you like it! I actually borrowed a JX-8P from a friend back when they were actually still sold. That, and the Commodore 64's SID, are definitely a great part of my musical upbringing. Sounds you would never hear on a radio, even in the 80s when experimental was in the limelight.

I have a B-MonoPoly. I know it's not a module (and it's Behringer), but it's controllable via CV (along with all sorts of I/O: CV, MIDI, ETC). 4 oscillators and lots of other goodies (modulation-wise). It would inject a more "traditional" synth voice into your setup. It's also built very solidly, which I consider a real plus in this world of plastic-y crap.
-- BerkleeGrad1984

It’s actually looking pretty good for a Behringer! For the more traditional sound, I have the CEM3340 based bOSC in there. That chip was used in the Prophet 5 and others and it's pretty great actually! I'm using it with FM in my track of yesterday on Soundcloud

200 Euros is not insignificant, and a 20hp savings too!

And yes, your "With the Squarp Rample in my current rack" change requires far fewer visits to the doctor. :)
-- BerkleeGrad1984

I was just reading the urban dictionary on rample and had a few loud laughs and beer up the nose moments. Hilarious! If only Squarp knew. Except if they did it on purpose, of course!

I'm currently in the planning phase of a new DIY rack. It'll have to be a 9U 168hp because of size limitations. I would've preferred 12U, but with my current 7U Intellijel, it's already a nice 700hp instead of the current 200, so that should do for some time (and I have space for another 9U 168hp so...). When the build is done, the LXR and FH-2 will be dutifully purchased and publicized in the current thread. But below is a preview of what I currently have in my 7U, with the 1U modules replaced by 3U versions, and some want-to-haves added. Relabi is ordered in the meantime. The layout is obviously not finished. I wouldn't dare put all the multis right next to each other, it makes no sense at all, and the same for the MIAs.

Still looking to add another melodic voice. For that, I'm looking at something very CVable. I like the Twin Waves I have. It combines two oscillators and despite the single parameter, the two oscs can influence each other which can go crazy quickly. I was looking at the Piston Honda and Kermit, but Industrial Music Electronics modules have very limited availability. Not interested in big-screen modules like Cloud Terrariums and a bit stunned by FM, so suggestions are welcome.

I am now looking at this, which is 20hp and €200 cheaper. I've been using Drambo for MIDI drum sequences so it would work.

I'm a bit limited with my Rample.>

That just doesn't sound good...
-- BerkleeGrad1984

Hahaha, well, I'll grant you that. "With the Squarp Rample in my current rack" for you then ;-)

I'm a bit limited with my Rample. I like the samples that are in there, particulary when they're quirky, but then I can't combine those with regular drums because I'm stuck to one bank. So I was considering adding something extra. I'm also bumping into the limitations of my Oxi sequencer, or rather the connectivity. With Rample, I'm taking 1 sequencer and 4 trigger outs, but I frequently wish I could free up that sequencer for something else than drums.

So I was looking at drum boxes like the Drumlogue, the LXR-02 (standalone), the Volca Drum, Elektron Digitakt/Syntakt, and others that I decided were too expensive. Several sound good and seem to have great built-in sequencers. Very appealing! Until I realised I really like CVing stuff with S&H or the Joranalogue Orbit. Even when the sound comes out in separate outs, you can only do so much. For example, controlling the decay of a kick drum or tom can't be typically done with CV on these standalone boxes.

On the other hand, there's modular drum machines. The one easiest to compare is the LXR drum module, as it has the same sound engine of the LXR-02 standalone. There's plenty of CV capability in there and it all sounds very nice. But triggering that from my Oxi would take 7 out of 8 triggers. And for some reason, the LXR module has no midi. (Honestly - the one with the sequencer has midi but the one without doesn't...). So either I'm on the lookout for another hybrid drum machine, or I could try and live with the limitations of an in-box experience.

Or I could try something like this! With a 4MS pod, it would become a nice semi-standalone unit that I can CV from my main modular, yet use standalone as well. Does anybody do something like this - build your own DIY modular groovebox/drum machine? Doesn't have to be the Nerdseq, could be another sequencer.

What do you think?

I'm planning my first DIY case to go bigger than my current Intellijel 7U. Below is what I currently have in there. I'd initially migrate all that and add a few modules, then expand as time progresses. I'd also keep the 7U just in case, for later.

MG says this has a power consumption of 1740mA on the +12V, 830mA on the -12V and nothing on 5V. That makes me completely confused about PSUs like the Doepfer PSU3, which they use on their monster cases. They spec that PSU at +12V/2A, which is barely enough to feed my 208HP. Then -12V/1.2A which is a bit of margin. And then +5V/4A. Why? It doesn't make sense to me at all.

I'm aiming to get 500-600HP. To get to that size, Doepfer ships their monster cases with 4 PSU3s, which gets them 8A on +12V and an incredible 16A at 5V that sits completely unused. I'm not saying there are no modules that use 5V at all - I've filled a 12U monster rack on MG here with some random ideas for modules and I'm at a full total of 4A +12V, 2A -12V and... 215mA +5V. Yeah!

So instead of that, I'm looking at the Konstant Lab HammerPWR set that has +12V/5A, -12V 2.5A and a much more reasonable +5V/2A. Still considering to get the pack with 2 or 4 bus boards. With 2, I can extend with a third at a later stage and save a few bucks. With 4, it's more long term thinking, which I already noticed is a good idea in Eurorack. The 4 bus board pack costs the same as 3 PSU3s by themselves (no power brick, bus boards, ...)

I use the ES-9 outs to the inputs of a Motu M4 audio interface that is connected to my monitors. The ES-9 outs come from an iPad where I control all levels. The Motu isn't connected to the iPad (iOS can only do one audio interface at a time) -just straight in & out. So it's a pretty robust chain. If I want to, I connect the Motu to my mac for more fun.

Thanks for the nice comments, it's appreciated! It feels a bit like the end of a period as I'm getting to grips with the basics and moving on to more complex stuff like generative and more complex modulation. So I felt the time was right to close it off with a publication. I don't know where I'll be going from here (part of the human condition, of course) and I might stick near the same atmosphere with more complex technique, or pursue something different. We'll see! But one thing is certain - I could not have done it without this website and forum!

I just published my first EP produced and partly mixed on modular. It has two tracks in which I remember traveling northern Japan, matsuri, taiko, and nature. The next two tracks are a serious reality check of what happened since. You can listen to it on BandCamp. Feedback is welcome! https://arrandan.bandcamp.com/album/early-works-reminiscences-of-japan

@JimHowell1970
I agree the price of the Mantis is a bit special. It's hard to find a case with a competing price and specs. I picked the 7U because the Mantis was out of stock everywhere when I was ordering. For me, even the thought of ever filling a Mantis was a far away dream :-D I looked at DIY back then, but was a bit overwhelmed. Glad we're both having fun with our setups. And Lugia is right, your signature (and your ever interesting posts) are a bottomless repository of wisdom.

@golddrone I have Zadar and it's very extensive and a bit limited at the same time. You can't design your own envelopes like with an ADSR or a Maths. That said, there's a wide choice of envelopes in Zadar to chose from, including traditional ADSR-like envelopes. And you can bend and deform these to match more what you're looking for. For me, it is my main envelope, but I also have a basic AR from Doepfer which works very well for several sounds. I also don't recommend only Zadar. And despite not really getting the Maths hype for half a year, I'm very much planning to get one now. It's just so versatile!

@JimHowell1970 I've been thinking about your comments on the 1U for a while now. I'm not discounting utilities as "not real" or "not full". But a multiple, when patched, there's just no wiggling to it. So having those out of the way centrally (my 1U is in the middle) makes a lot of sense. Aside from the Quadratt, I also like the switched multiple. Both can be set up so that there's plenty of room for wires passing along them while still being easily reachable while playing. So overall, I'm not unhappy with it in the way that I use it now - superhighway for cables with a few useful modules that I can still reach.

On the other hand, I like your alternatives to 1U, like the 3x MIA, a lot. There's obviously much more choice in 3U than the handful of useful modules in 1U. I've been really looking hard at sensible ways of filling up that 1U space and it's just not easy to do it with useful modules that compare well to 3U alternatives. So when designing a DIY rack, I'll most likely not have a 1U rail. I'll keep the Intellijel as well as the 1U modules because even if the new rack would be 600hp, I know I'll run out eventually

As for the price of the rails - well. Compared to the price of an off-the-shelf rack, it's going to be small change anyway...

exactly - I started about 6 years ago (...) 1800hp+ of rack space

300hp/year. With my much more limited experience, that still sounds about right

not convinced about 1u though - it saves 3.5" in vertical height, but can only hold at most a 3rd of the functionality and in terms of build cost (most of my cases are DIY) costs the same 3u...
-- JimHowell1970

DIY is a great idea. I built my own studio racks on top of a table, so not entirely new to it. Those racks were simpler, but it was a good experience. As for the 1U - Intellijel has some great modules, like the Quadratt. I'll likely buy another, they're so handy. Add some multis and I have decent functionality without losing valuable 3U space. On top of that, it's a superhighway for cable routing that's not in the way of the knobs of the "real" modules. It's why I modded my 7U to get the 1U in the middle. For my 7U, it works pretty well. For 1800 U, well, I'll tell you in 5,5 years!

For the iPhone, you will need the camera connection kit or the Lightning-to-USB converter to get a USB port. I'm using an iPad Pro with a built-in USB-C, which gives the same result. Both have the disadvantage that you're working on battery and your port is blocked so you cannot charge. For the iPad, I can use a charging USB-C hub and charge while being connected to USB devices. I don't know if such a solution is possible for the iPhone. It's important, because as you integrate your iPhone more into your workflow, you'll notice your battery drops very quickly and it's no fun needing to charge half way through your session.

Second - the best way to go is an audio interface. I tried the IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo but I didn't like it. It's promoted as a mobile unit, but it's pretty big and only offers 2 channels (so 1 stereo, or 2 mono). They tease you with a very extensive software bundle, but forget about that. It's the hardware you want to be useful. If all you want is to play samples into your modular, it may be sufficient.

I also have a Motu M4 on my desktop, which has 4 channels, so it's a bit more flexible. I like it a lot as a basic desktop unit. But for modular, it's still limited.

In my modular, I have an ES-9. I should see if I can do more with it, but I'm using 8 channels from my modular to my iPad with a return to the ES-9 for monitoring. The ES-9 has a stereo 6,3mm dual-jack for that as well as a TRS 6,3mm stereo headphone out. In principle, it's a 16 in 16 out interface. I'm recording all my stems like that as well as the mix, in AUM. Connected via a powered hub that's chargint the iPad, it's a dream solution if you want a flexible connection between your modular and your iPad.

Exactly what Jim said. Consider this: in January, I started investigating a modular setup. In February, I bought a case (7U Intellijel - the 1U is practical e.g. for a Quadratt, which is 4x where Triplatt is 3x) and a first series of modules. I think it filled about 60-70U. No way, I thought, that I'll fill that up any time soon!

This is where I am at now:

I'm in doubt if I want a second Intellijel 7U and connect them together, because I'm not finding the build quality too great. The other option is to buy a completely different luggable 10U or 13-14U, preferably somewhere 120-160HP.

Exactly, what Lugia says. If you already have a good baggage of music you listened to, then just let happen what happens on the modular. And listen back. I've been in this sort of feedback loop for half a year or so and people tell me I'm improving, which heavily strokes my ego, and that's much better than Facebook likes. But the main point is this - have fun, listen critically while you're doing it, see if you can tweak things here and there to make it cooler/nicer for yourself, and then listen back to it the days after. You'll find you'll get better at getting a result you like afterwards as well. Not always what you expected, but that's part of the game. And did I say - have fun?

BTW - I liked that jam! If you have something USB equipped like an iPad or a computer, getting a simple audio interface will help the recording quality a lot.

Well, whip on this, then: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/happy-nerding-isolator-2022-silver

With this new 4 hp-er from HN, you not only get a PROPER 1/4" TRS headphone jack and preamp, you also have balanced TRS outs for left and right. And the cherry on the cake here, you CAN'T see...because it's the transformers inside the module, which not only isolate your modular from the interface to control noise and ground loop issues, but you can "punch" them a bit harder and, like any good audio transformer, you wind up with that "big iron" warmth due to a touch (or more!) of saturation.

Some don't dig having an output module of this sort. But having seen ground loop and signal crud issues in both dive bars and high-end Nashville studios, I think it's a pretty useful addition, as you never know when you're going to come up against those sorts of issues.
-- Lugia

Hi Lugia,

Not doubting your experience with the HN module, but the Joranalogue claims to have all of that in some form or shape as well. The headphone jack is 3,5mm instead of 6,3. But you get XLRs which are very common in pro environments and easily converted to 6,3 jack with a cable. The module claims to overcome the problems of galvanic isolation by using solid state components. I don't know enough about it to evaluate if that's going to be true or not. I'd like to hear what you think of it. I was considering this module as well.

We can discuss when the world really started going to hell. End of 19th century Vienna is a good candidate, too. As is the first election of Putin, the rise of extreme right in Europe (also here in Belgium) and now extreme left as well. Facebook has a nice role to play. As a former student of Japan and having visited the country many, many times, I was particularly shocked by the shooting of Shinzo Abe. The timing right after the string of shootings in the States really hit home. I don't think I've seen anything like it in Japan since the sarin gas attacks in the Tokyo metro in 1995.

Thanks for your opinions on the subject. Now, about the track.... ;-)

I created this yesterday after Shinzo Abe was shot and died. It's a requiem mourning the end of peaceful society, with autocracy and US libertarian inspired gun violence engulfing the world.

Ooooo...don't be slammin' on that Argon8! I've got one...and it's like a bottomless pit as far as sonic capabilities! Sort of a very different take on VA synths...it gets lumped in with them, but this has way more going on than some Roland "ACB" synth. It's actually closer in character to the Access Virus...on 'roids!

-- Lugia

I know! I'm not slamming it, I love it to bits. The VA one is the Cobalt - Argon is the wavetable. And it's got some really great wavetables at that, and good effects too. I bought it to try and learn the keyboard but never got anywhere with that. I'm spending all my waking hours (well, mostly) on my modular nowadays. I need to find a way to integrate the Argon. Should be possible with the Oxi over midi, then Argon out to my ES-9...

Most of the tracks that I produce are too far out there to be music but over time, my skills develop and I come up with some good tunes.
-- sacguy71

I thought my music was too far out there until I went to a workshop with 8 other modular gearheads and heard what they were up to
Edit: fixed the quote

EDITED Jul 9th 2022, 10:07

can't get money back from the memories of the travel you used to spend the money on!!!

Kind of correct and I don't want to argue - but I can tell you my very extensive travel has shaped me as a person, which is obviously hard to put into monetary terms. Music is doing that, too, actually.

7u 104hp IS small - I have about 1800hp (not all filled) and sacguy77 has a decent sized rack too

Haha, I know! I'm so much behind but at this rate (full 7U 104hp in 4 months) I'll catch up with you in 3 years

screw them to the wall? put a desk in the living room/attic/cellar for the wife to work at?

I could box the Argon 8X that I'm not really using and set them up there. And anyway - room arrangements aren't done yet here. Heck, we don't even have doors yet!

I have no idea how many patch cables (I lost count at 300) or types of them I have...
screws - just get knurlies, they're great
-- JimHowell1970

This was very firmly tongue in cheek, of course. I have knurlies, too. Well worth the money. As for patch cables - if I would allow it to enter my mind, it would drive me crazy. There's such a variety in how they feel, bend, enter the jacks, ... I rather marvel at it in awe at how diverse this crazy hobby is rather than fret about it.

If I worried about minutiae like that, I'd probably not get any work done. Just learn to step back from the gear when the mind starts to wander, and toy with the same idea as a "thought experiment" until you get focused again. Composition's pretty kickass when you find yourself whipping tracks out at a fever pitch...but it takes quite some time to get to that point. Even so, over time you find that the superfluous shit becomes less distracting as your musical output grows. Equipment's one thing, but never underestimate the power of your own brain to sort things out.
-- Lugia

I must have been very convincing :-) I thought this was a sarcastic thread, as we all clearly love modular, and decided to join in!

I'm pretty happy with my rate of working. I've been having pretty complex ideas for sounds and I find that I can patch them fairly quickly, building up the track as I go along. Sometimes, my youngest son is scared in bed and wants somebody to lay down with him. I use that time to work out patches or song structure.

I have a thread with a few other people on gearspace where we exchange new tracks every day, which helps keep up the tempo. Modular is the best thing that happened to me in music.

For me the cost financially to buy modules and space required for a studio are really the only negatives. I do mostly weird experimental stuff that modular seems to excel at compared to traditional synths and I spend all day at work on a computer so the hands on tactile feel of patching cables to make sound is very attractive therapy. Plus I was not able to travel for vacations overseas for 2.5 years so the money I would have spent on vacations was funneled to modular instead. Love it! But now I have a lot of modules and no need to buy anything for a long time until I can master my gear and make tracks I enjoy.
-- sacguy71
I'm in the peculiar situation where I travelled a lot in the past, but I'm not anymore because I have a fairly young family. And I feel the disappearing money more in my shame about it than in my wallet. Which is good, because it makes me rethink every purchase 17 times so I don't make impulse purchases. It also gives me time to really get to know the new modules before I add even more.

Still, I've arrived at the point where space is becoming an issue. I wanted to start small but thanks to Jim's advice, I got an Intellijel 7U. It was a great idea at the time, so thanks again. And now it's nearly full. I usually take it down when my wife needs to use the studio to work from home. But if I should get a second 7U, I'd very much want to install it permanently somewhere, which means rethinking the room... again!

Another disadvantage is that the simplest things can become obsessive. Take patch cables. I have several varieties, which is OK. But I start fretting about how this one is way too flexible, and that one isn't flexible enough. These are way too long, but those are much too short to really route them well. The fit in this module isn't great, but the others don't really do it better. It's hell because there's incredible choice about everything. You ever looked at screws for your modules? Agh! Really! Who has this as a hobby anyway!?

It needed a name and this is what came up in my head when Soundcloud asked me. I've had to build in a couple of breaks in my one-track-per-day project for various reasons in June. This is the last track before my most recent break. Let me know what you think!

It is very cool. I just had my first play around with it - with its 8x16 grid, it's a very visual way of working, which I like. It's a bit like the Deluge, but sequencer only. And it's tiny! The entire box it shipped in, containing the Oxi One, a carrying case, cables, and a module to connect modular with a single cable, fits into my BSP case!

that's great - sometimes bigger is better, and sometimes the opposite

I was looking for a trade-off. The Oxi seems to have the perfect balance of a very solid unit in a very small footprint. I need to mention that I'm ironing out a few problems with Oxi, but they're very supportive and I'm sure it will get right eventually (2 out of 8 gates don't work). With that limitation in mind, it's already very, very good. Quite a learning curve, as the thing can do anything, but very well worth it.

yeah I think there's a lot of character in effects... there can be both subtle and massive differences in almost all of them... probably why I have so many!

I've been loving the Versio for that reason. Melotus now, Electus tomorrow, Ruina yesterday.

I checked out Harlequin's Context and it looks great! It solves the "can't adjust this knob accurately enough in realtime" problem. I knew there were programmers like this, and the Harlequin is pretty small as well.

One thing it can't do is reflash the Versio in realtime

Here's one version of a performance case that I could build. I swapped out the Feedback Static for a 2U noise source + VCNO, which has V/Oct for chip noise. Smaller hp together, but more flexibility. Top row is identical, 1U row adds a slew and a Quadratt. At the bottom: Batumi instead of LFO, matrix mixer, Tete+Tetrapad, Harlequin. And a few more [1]fs, which I'm finding very useful indeed. I'm not at the point where I'll be building this, but it's nice to get ideas. Feedback is welcome!

well it all seems easily portable in a rucksack and 2 cases... so ok on public transport!! another option of course is buy a massive case for home and swap what you need into a single case for a gig...
I hope your wife is understanding...

I can't complain so far :-) Talk about travelling light: I'm off for a weekend next, and I'll be taking Oxi + iPad + headphones. Curious to see how that works out. Nothing modular, though there is the Model D on iPad. It's a trial run of my summer holiday when we'll be travelling very light as well.

output of vco into vca and then possibly into a filter (or vice versa)
-- JimHowell1970

I like to put the filter before the VCA these days so the resonance gets handled by the envelope as well but that's just a variation of the perfectly fine workflow Jim explained so well.

I haven't got an E352, but I do have Plaits and use it with the BSP. Pick either the yellow or the green sequencer. At the back, you will find "pitch", which goes into the Plaits V/Oct. And the trigger goes into the trigger. That's the basic setup. It works well with e.g. the resonance modes ("mini-Rings"). You can adjust some parameters by long-pushing the left button. See the manual for more info.

You can also patch the trigger to an envelope generator, as with analog VCOs that don't have triggers themselves. You can use the velocity to modify parameters, e.g. the timbre or the harmonics. But I don't find that very easy to do with the BSP as the pads aren't very accurate for velocity, so you'll have to use those knobs at the top to correct it all.

looks cool - hope you get on well with it - I'll have to find a review...

It is very cool. I just had my first play around with it - with its 8x16 grid, it's a very visual way of working, which I like. It's a bit like the Deluge, but sequencer only. And it's tiny! The entire box it shipped in, containing the Oxi One, a carrying case, cables, and a module to connect modular with a single cable, fits into my BSP case!

It's easy to miss the odd module - especially if it's not a common one... but if you ask me the more the merrier - I've got at least 6 in the rack and a few external ones...

I'm definitely happy I added the squawk. The always-present HPF and the flexibility are just so handy. I've used both my filters in everything I've done since the squawk arrived.

I have an old Frostwave Resonator - which is a pedal format(ish) MS20 filter... more filters is always better than more vcos - mostly vcos are vcos - filters are where the character is 90% of the time

Well, coming from the Argon8x and having the wavetable mode in Plaits, I know there can also be a big difference between VCOs. The Argon has these incredible wavetables where you just go back and forth through the table and you've got an instant classic. But I see what you mean. I have doubted my Feedback Lo-Fusion for a while, but I really started liking its instant old-school warm grungy sound. That's character. Do you have the same feeling about effects, e.g. different reverbs/delays?

That's a good point. And the Lion is TRS, too, which I understand for send/return, but that means it requires dedicated cables. Something standard has its advantages.

yeah and it's trs to dual ts cables you need and no control other than where you plug the cables in...

Ugh.

obviously time for another case then...

Gateway drug! Escalating addiction!
-- Arrandan

tell me about it - 8 cases... 1800hp-ish... cupboard full of effects pedals... etc etc... down to 4 guitars and only 1 bass though! so swings and roundabouts...

Not looking forward to telling my wife I'll be adding a second case... It's not like she's not supportive - she likes that I'm making music. It's just me being very uncertain about spending money again on it. I also like the idea of having a portable system for performances - which will be new for me but I'm starting talks. One Intellijel 7U + Oxi + iPad is eminently portable. Add a second 7U and it becomes far less so. Or that's how it seems to me now. If you'd told me I'd be lugging around a 7U + BSP + bag full of cables/PSUs + laptop bag with iPad and macbook pro to workshops every week... "Add a second 7U" is a meaningless delta when you're already dragging Google's data center around

How do you check which version firmware?and whats the procedure to update firmware on plaits
-- Broken-Form

The way I did it, was by trying if the color-blind mode works. You can find the details here: https://mutable-instruments.net/modules/plaits/firmware/ But basically, you turn on the module while pressing the right button. Instead of red/green LEDs, you'll get two levels of brightness. If that works, then you have v1.1, which is the latest.

Possibly - the reason to use the Pams as master is that it's solid and it's easy to read the BPM - don't know the Oxi One at all - maybe you can clock that from Pams - altough vice versa is probably fine too

That should be okay:

And anyway, if I link them up, both will show the same clock. Or should at least No fun memories of trying to get a BSP to work with a Korg SQ-1 as central clock. In the end it was quickly done, of course, but it required a computer to reconfigure the BSP, which I didn't have with me at that time...

I have 2 filters in there now - Squawk and the Lo-Fusion. Lo-Fusion isn't very dense but I've grown to like its raw sound. Perhaps Steve's MS-22 is similar and more in less HP, because both are based on the MS-20. We'll see.

It's easy to miss the odd module - especially if it's not a common one... but if you ask me the more the merrier - I've got at least 6 in the rack and a few external ones...

I'm definitely happy I added the squawk. The always-present HPF and the flexibility are just so handy. I've used both my filters in everything I've done since the squawk arrived.

Matrix mixer - yes, I've been thinking about that. I saw DivKid's video on the Instruo Lion and it's an interesting non-standard approach to a matrix. Doepfer is of course a good standard. I'll need to look into matrix mixers more deeply, because there are so many different possibilities (attenuverters, ...)

I saw that video too - but I think a standard one is much easier to work with and no special loopback plugs to loose!!!

That's a good point. And the Lion is TRS, too, which I understand for send/return, but that means it requires dedicated cables. Something standard has its advantages.

Adding stuff is nice, but I'm running out of space. Add a tetrapad and all 3U is full. I feel like I'll need to just do it and decide what I will keep in the rack based on what actually works.

obviously time for another case then...

Gateway drug! Escalating addiction!

Thanks for the advice, which is very useful as always, Jim. A bit deeper into them...

use Pam's as the master clock in the rack - if you want to record, use an audio track with a kick on it every 16th note and run that through the es9 into Pams (set Pams to receive 4ppqn) ...

I would be using an external sequencer. Tomorrow my Oxi One should arrive to replace my BSP. Can't I just send that one's clock into Pam's?

2nd filter/effects module would probably be a good idea - change things up quickly and easily... possibly more mixing... for sub mixes of vco outputs - before hitting filter/effects

possibly replace the doepfer lfo with something like batumi (4 channels) - consider a matrix mixer with big knobs (doepfer) for combining modulation sources to get more interesting modulation

I have 2 filters in there now - Squawk and the Lo-Fusion. Lo-Fusion isn't very dense but I've grown to like its raw sound. Perhaps Steve's MS-22 is similar and more in less HP, because both are based on the MS-20. We'll see.

LFO - Batumi, understood.

Matrix mixer - yes, I've been thinking about that. I saw DivKid's video on the Instruo Lion and it's an interesting non-standard approach to a matrix. Doepfer is of course a good standard. I'll need to look into matrix mixers more deeply, because there are so many different possibilities (attenuverters, ...)

consider a control module - harlequins context, tetrapad, mtm control etc - for controlling things better...

A couple of people I know send everything to a Tesseract Sweet Sixteen to keep control in one place. Harlequin - sounds interesting, but I don't really get it immediately. I need to look at it more in-depth. Tetrapad - it's been on my radar for a while now. Looks particularly good for live sets indeed.

Adding stuff is nice, but I'm running out of space. Add a tetrapad and all 3U is full. I feel like I'll need to just do it and decide what I will keep in the rack based on what actually works.

Back with an update after ordering, and receiving most of, what I planned for the last months. Sorry for all the broken links and screenshots at the top. I cleaned up my rack list recently.

• Klavis Twin Waves mkii ordered, will pick it up tomorrow. Pamela idem. Select 2 has already arrived & I played around with it for some random drum triggering with Zadar as the clock.
• I didn't get Ochd. Instead, I got an Orbit 3. It's different and very versatile, but will need some work to get used to it.
• Ordered Squawk instead of an LPF All in one, got it over with.
• Melotus Versio is great, but the Electus firmware is even greater! I love the clocked delay.
• ES-9 added and it's brilliant. Using it with iPad and AUM.

I stopped my YouTube channel as it distracted me from the main event - making music. It also took a lot of extra time, which I don't have, making a track per day after a full-time job.

As for the BSP, I'm replacing it with an Oxi + Oxi Pipe. The Oxi is more advanced and focused on sequencing. The Pipe makes connecting it all very easy. Best of all, I'm hoping it will be small and light enough to travel.

Next, I'd like to start moving towards live performances. So far, I do record my tracks with some live manipulation, but it's very limited. Basically, I've pre-programmed the BSP and tweaked some parameters live. I want to move in the direction of jams that keep people entertained for longer stretches of time, e.g. one hour. I know my rack is sorely lacking in controls for that, so I've just added an Intellijel switched multi and an Instruo [1]f to start with. Advice with that would be very welcome!

I love it as a LFO, i have spent close to 2 K for several complex, modulateable LFOs before discovering Plaits LFO mode - all the weird CV shapes you can dream of.
-- znort101

OK, another feature I wasn't aware of... It's in firmware 1.1. I checked and mine is that version. I actually checked by enabling colour blind mode, also in 1.1, and it worked ;-)

EDITED May 16th 2022, 11:22

Nice demo that really shows off how versatile Plaits is! Some people find the sound out of it flat, but it's a very good base to work with. Its mini-Rings mode + Ruina Versio = instant metal, for example.

I really like the cello player - it's exactly the sound Autechre uses here and there and I need to try and copy it. Any hints are welcome.

I've been using Plaits next to one analog osc, a drum machine and a noise generator for three months now because that's all I've got. Just now that I've ordered my next batch (which includes a Klavis Twin Waves mkii), your video made me realise I had completely forgotten about the internal LPG/VCFA. Now there's a completely new dimension to my use of Plaits ready for exploration...

+1 on the Mantis, of course. Right now, it's possibly the best possibility for starting out in modular. Not only does it give you 208 hp of space, the power supply is quite good, but you can also link Mantises to make a 4-row rig later on.
-- Lugia

Absolutely. I was thinking of going 1x 84HP and got the same advice. Because the Mantis was not available anywhere when I wanted to start, I got the 7U 104HP Performance Case from Intellijel at twice the price. It's nearly full now. Always get a much bigger case than you expect you need because you'll use it. Modular is about learning and experimentation and that's a process that never ends!

EDITED May 15th 2022, 21:12

You have the Palette top on your 7U rack, but the 7U performance case doesn't have that. I don't know if that's a mistake or you're trying to fix it in another way. If it's a mistake, you'll need to add the multis into the normal 1U or 3U racks.

In my current rack, which is a half full Intellijel 7U, I have an enormous amount of VCAs and mixers. Take a look below. A summary:

• Veils. It's just a great and very flexible VCA. You get control over linear/exponential and the offset. In exponential mode, it can give you lots and lots of gain. It also acts as a mixer.
• Doepfer octuple VCA. Just linear, no relative volumes, but for sheer VCA per HP, it's unbeatable. Works great e.g. for stereo (same envelope via multiple to two channels) or beats made out of noise (summed into one).
• Quadratt. I sometimes feel like I need a second one of these. It can do bipolar, e.g. inverse an envelope for ducking, and it acts as a mixer.
• Ladik stereo mixer. I used to use this a lot before I got the ES-9. Output went to the Befaco out and then to my speakers. Nowadays, I mix in my iPad and the mix goes back to the ES-9, then out to the speakers. Still, I don’t regret having this extra mixer.

Other utilities? On my shortlist are the Divkid Rnd step, Intellijel Shifty, an FSR, Pamela's, Joranalogue's Select 2 and Compare 2, etc. Pamela+Rnd Step for S&H for randomisation, but also to reduce the sample rate of something. I'm actually also considering the Joranalogue Orbit 3 as a source of chaos. Even though it's not really a utility, it can serve as a many things: VCO, LFO or modulation source, …

Yes, absolutely. You have a lot of sound sources but what are you going to do with them? I don't know what those Moogs are capable of, but vcas are always good. Mixers, lfos, envelopes,... And watch out with the 2hp modules - they are extremely small! I have one module with such a small knob and it's very difficult to use. And on mine, there's plenty of space around it! You have two next to each other...

Nice one! It starts with a sound that I have also been using, but then changes into this bleepy-bloopy jungley thing that at once is quite typical for trackers, yet not cliche. Quite entertaining to listen to!