Hello, I am a beginner who has expanded too fast and this is how my near-future rack will look like. I think I need more modulation but I am reluctant to part with more sound sources. I am using Make Noise O-ctrl as sequencer but plan to get the Malekko Voltage Block and I use OTO BAM as reverb outside the rig rather than a module. RAND is a Marbles clone and QUARKS is an Elements clone. Am I missing anything important such as for modulation? Thank you very much for your help and advice.
If you can track down a Voltage Block, that will be a good addition to your modulation sources. You probably want to look for a matrix mixer, or at the very least a Happy Nerding 3xMIA, to combine/attenuate/polarize modulation sources.
Have fun and good luck!
If you can track down a Voltage Block, that will be a good addition to your modulation sources. You probably want to look for a matrix mixer, or at the very least a Happy Nerding 3xMIA, to combine/attenuate/polarize modulation sources.
Have fun and good luck!
-- farkas
Thank you so much for your thoughts. Definitely keen on a Voltage Block when I am able to find one and I will check out the 3xMIA :-)
It is true that you have many sound sources here. But depending on the style of music you want to develop, and the final use you make of your modular, one can conceive or remember that this is the lion’s share. So that’s OK with me.
I often propose analogies in my comments: you own a lot of colors for your paintings, and to highlight them you need all kinds of tools like brushes, knives, sponges, masking tapes, etc.
When we equip ourselves with utilities and modulations (see the famous @JimHowell1970’s signature), we expand our possibilities. And this can even become excessive, or addictive too... So for your future addiction may I suggest, among many others, the little following selection:
Divkid Ochd (so much ‘organic’...)
Xaoc Nin (for your Zadar)
Happy Nerding 3x MIA (as already suggested)
Xodes LB5 (easy logic, absolutely useful and harmless)
Doepfer A-151 (classic quad sequential switch)
Intellijel Planar2 (it is you who become the utility)
And in any case: the Expert Sleepers Disting mk4!
I believe there is also a lack of filter modules in your setup.
From Doepfer filters to the great Joranalogue Filter 8, the choice is vast to complete your lonely QPAS. Without forgetting a proper Low Pass Gate.
As always, should you or any of your tracks, patches or videos be caught or killed, ModularGrid will disavow any knowledge of your actions :)
'On ne devrait jamais quitter Montauban' (Fernand Naudin).
It is true that you have many sound sources here. But depending on the style of music you want to develop, and the final use you make of your modular, one can conceive or remember that this is the lion’s share. So that’s OK with me.
I often propose analogies in my comments: you own a lot of colors for your paintings, and to highlight them you need all kinds of tools like brushes, knives, sponges, masking tapes, etc.
When we equip ourselves with utilities and modulations (see the famous @JimHowell1970’s signature), we expand our possibilities. And this can even become excessive, or addictive too... So for your future addiction may I suggest, among many others, the little following selection:
Divkid Ochd (so much ‘organic’...)
Xaoc Nin (for your Zadar)
Happy Nerding 3x MIA (as already suggested)
Xodes LB5 (easy logic, absolutely useful and harmless)
Doepfer A-151 (classic quad sequential switch)
Intellijel Planar2 (it is you who become the utility)
And in any case: the Expert Sleepers Disting mk4!I believe there is also a lack of filter modules in your setup.
From Doepfer filters to the great Joranalogue Filter 8, the choice is vast to complete your lonely QPAS. Without forgetting a proper Low Pass Gate.As always, should you or any of your tracks, patches or videos be caught or killed, ModularGrid will disavow any knowledge of your actions :)
-- Sweelinck
Thanks lots for all the helpful suggestions!!! All very helpful and will be considered seriously... I will think about how I can fit in more modules into this rack without spilling over into 15U! I make experimental music, industrial and ambient sounds, and I am enjoying this transition from semi-modular gear to modular! :D
When we equip ourselves with utilities and modulations (see the famous @JimHowell1970’s signature), we expand our possibilities.
-- Sweelinck
Thanks lots for all the helpful suggestions!!! All very helpful and will be considered seriously... I will think about how I can fit in more modules into this rack without spilling over into 15U! I make experimental music, industrial and ambient sounds, and I am enjoying this transition from semi-modular gear to modular! :D
-- Solar01
really just quoting to allow easy access to my famous signature file!!! see below...
the formula basically gives a hint towards most versatility for the least expense, but shouldn't be taken as strict or anything like that - often modules are in multiple categories and how you see them may be different to how I see them and may differ over time... examples are a lot of filters (primarily in the sound modifier camp) can also be used as sound sources, a sound sourcemay in fact be multiple oscillators and some utilities (wavefolders and mixers, for example), mutable rings is definitely both a sound source and a sound processor, lots of vcos can double as lfos, sequencers can be modulation sources etc etc
utilities are often 'hidden' in classical fixed synth architecture and their number is limited (usually by cost) - but this is modular and they are exposed and only limited by how many of them you have - multiples are really useful - so don't just get one and assume that you've ticked them off... you may want to put multiple ticks for each...
an example is the minimoog oscillator section, where there are iirc 3 oscillators and a mixer before the vca/vcf - let's ignore the fact that one of those is the lfo and imagine we have a dedicated lfo (or lfos) and that most similar vcos have multiple outputs for different waveforms rather than switchable output - firstly we'd want a mult to copy the pitch to each of the oscillators, and instead of the a single mixer- ideally we'd have 1 per oscillator to mix waveforms and then another to mix the outputs of those mixers to get a (more flexible) version of that archtecture - the AISynthesis Harmonic Mixer would be a good candidate as it's reasonably inexpensive, has decent control and (being based on the moog cp1) has the nice gain/grit of the original moog mixer - or you could patch in a vca for amplitude modulation, or a wavefolder to add some 'west coast' vibes or whatever
another example is a clock divider... great for triggers and gates, but send in audio and use an even division and out comes a square wave at a lower octave than the input (/2 = -1ve, /4 = -2ve, etc) - which is why I'd always recommend an extra basic clock diveider as well as whatever's being used for regular clock division!
Maths seems to be a great starter utility set - 2 envelope generators/slews/lfos, a mixer, 2 attenuverters/offsets and some basic logic.. but once its self-patched - it can be programmed to do all sorts of more interesting things - see the 'maths illustrated supplement' for more details - so it's a really good idea to have at least some of that functionality duplicated in other modules as well - so you can use it when you patch program maths... or of course multiple copies of Maths (or both!)
and a final example - the matrix mixer - possibly my favourite utility module - and really I'm just meaning basic mono versions, not VC ones or stereo ones or overly complicated ones that need special cables (although all these have their places, except maybe the special cables, which I'd lose) - not only can they be used for creating additional complex modulation from simpler sources, by mixing copies of those simpler modulation sources together in various amounts, but they can also be used as simple send/return routers for effects and for creating feedback loops (which can be done on other mixers too, btw) as well as many other applications I'm sure you can think of...
hope all this helps...
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
When we equip ourselves with utilities and modulations (see the famous @JimHowell1970’s signature), we expand our possibilities.
-- Sweelinck
Thanks lots for all the helpful suggestions!!! All very helpful and will be considered seriously... I will think about how I can fit in more modules into this rack without spilling over into 15U! I make experimental music, industrial and ambient sounds, and I am enjoying this transition from semi-modular gear to modular! :D
-- Solar01
really just quoting to allow easy access to my famous signature file!!! see below...
the formula basically gives a hint towards most versatility for the least expense, but shouldn't be taken as strict or anything like that - often modules are in multiple categories and how you see them may be different to how I see them and may differ over time... examples are a lot of filters (primarily in the sound modifier camp) can also be used as sound sources, a sound sourcemay in fact be multiple oscillators and some utilities (wavefolders and mixers, for example), mutable rings is definitely both a sound source and a sound processor, lots of vcos can double as lfos, sequencers can be modulation sources etc etc
utilities are often 'hidden' in classical fixed synth architecture and their number is limited (usually by cost) - but this is modular and they are exposed and only limited by how many of them you have - multiples are really useful - so don't just get one and assume that you've ticked them off... you may want to put multiple ticks for each...
an example is the minimoog oscillator section, where there are iirc 3 oscillators and a mixer before the vca/vcf - let's ignore the fact that one of those is the lfo and imagine we have a dedicated lfo (or lfos) and that most similar vcos have multiple outputs for different waveforms rather than switchable output - firstly we'd want a mult to copy the pitch to each of the oscillators, and instead of the a single mixer- ideally we'd have 1 per oscillator to mix waveforms and then another to mix the outputs of those mixers to get a (more flexible) version of that archtecture - the AISynthesis Harmonic Mixer would be a good candidate as it's reasonably inexpensive, has decent control and (being based on the moog cp1) has the nice gain/grit of the original moog mixer - or you could patch in a vca for amplitude modulation, or a wavefolder to add some 'west coast' vibes or whatever
another example is a clock divider... great for triggers and gates, but send in audio and use an even division and out comes a square wave at a lower octave than the input (/2 = -1ve, /4 = -2ve, etc) - which is why I'd always recommend an extra basic clock diveider as well as whatever's being used for regular clock division!
Maths seems to be a great starter utility set - 2 envelope generators/slews/lfos, a mixer, 2 attenuverters/offsets and some basic logic.. but once its self-patched - it can be programmed to do all sorts of more interesting things - see the 'maths illustrated supplement' for more details - so it's a really good idea to have at least some of that functionality duplicated in other modules as well - so you can use it when you patch program maths... or of course multiple copies of Maths (or both!)
and a final example - the matrix mixer - possibly my favourite utility module - and really I'm just meaning basic mono versions, not VC ones or stereo ones or overly complicated ones that need special cables (although all these have their places, except maybe the special cables, which I'd lose) - not only can they be used for creating additional complex modulation from simpler sources, by mixing copies of those simpler modulation sources together in various amounts, but they can also be used as simple send/return routers for effects and for creating feedback loops (which can be done on other mixers too, btw) as well as many other applications I'm sure you can think of...
hope all this helps...
-- JimHowell1970
Thanks so much for your helpful advice and perspectives. Need to fully unleash the potential of each module. Still lots to learn less than 3 months into this modular quest. Lots to think about and re-consider!
Thanks so much for your helpful advice and perspectives. Need to fully unleash the potential of each module. Still lots to learn less than 3 months into this modular quest. Lots to think about and re-consider!
-- Solar01
3 months in - relax, have fun, keep researching and asking question (no such thing as a stupid question etc) and work out what you're missing by missing it (and reasearching/asking questions) and most of all just patch and patch and patch again....
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
Thanks so much for your helpful advice and perspectives. Need to fully unleash the potential of each module. Still lots to learn less than 3 months into this modular quest. Lots to think about and re-consider!
-- Solar01
3 months in - relax, have fun, keep researching and asking question (no such thing as a stupid question etc) and work out what you're missing by missing it (and reasearching/asking questions) and most of all just patch and patch and patch again....
-- JimHowell1970
Lol! I started with a 6U 104HP rack and added another 3U 104 HP to it with fevered intensity. Now, I am about to fill up a 12U 104HP rack which someone described as "overwhelming". I think I am gonna slow down and get to know the modules more deeply.. and catch my breath!
Lol! I started with a 6U 104HP rack and added another 3U 104 HP to it with fevered intensity. Now, I am about to fill up a 12U 104HP rack which someone described as "overwhelming". I think I am gonna slow down and get to know the modules more deeply.. and catch my breath!
-- Solar01
hahaha - I wonder how they'd describe my 1800hp or so over 8 cases? but that is over 7 years, not 3 months... but then I like mostly bigger modules with better ergonomics... I didn't go over 6u 72hp for the 1st 6 months or so and I think I was within 6u 104hp for the 1st year - then I discovered both DIY and video...
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
Lol! I started with a 6U 104HP rack and added another 3U 104 HP to it with fevered intensity. Now, I am about to fill up a 12U 104HP rack which someone described as "overwhelming". I think I am gonna slow down and get to know the modules more deeply.. and catch my breath!
-- Solar01hahaha - I wonder how they'd describe my 1800hp or so over 8 cases? but that is over 7 years, not 3 months... but then I like mostly bigger modules with better ergonomics... I didn't go over 6u 72hp for the 1st 6 months or so and I think I was within 6u 104hp for the 1st year - then I discovered both DIY and video...
-- JimHowell1970
WOW! That's Massive! I am trying to draw the line at 12U 104HP....but I find myself keeping another 3U 104HP skiff (just in case)! I think I have been afflicted with severe GAS since getting into gear last year and modular this year! DIY seems like a rewarding hobby but I can't solder and read schematics to save my life...
I think I have been afflicted with severe GAS since getting into gear last year and modular this year! DIY seems like a rewarding hobby but I can't solder and read schematics to save my life...
-- Solar01
I think almost everyone gets bouts of severe GAS from time to time - at least until you get to a certain point where you can effectively patch most things if you don't already have them - and innovative, interesting modules are few and far between...
I'm reasonably sure that most, if not all, of the modules I buy/build in the future will be either simple utilities or video modules...
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
I think almost everyone gets bouts of severe GAS from time to time - at least until you get to a certain point where you can effectively patch most things if you don't already have them - and innovative, interesting modules are few and far between...
I'm reasonably sure that most, if not all, of the modules I buy/build in the future will be either simple utilities or video modules...
-- JimHowell1970
At least, my GAS for guitar pedals has died off as I think I have all that I need now to make my music. I hope the same will happen with Eurorack modules as I exhaust possibilities. By the way, I think you have succesfully (and involuntarily) introduced me to another rabbit hole - video modules / gear !!!! (Just by the mention of it) Checking out TACHYONS+ and toying with Lumen demo to see if it is the thing for me....
By the way, I think you have succesfully (and involuntarily) introduced me to another rabbit hole - video modules / gear !!!! (Just by the mention of it) Checking out TACHYONS+ and toying with Lumen demo to see if it is the thing for me....
-- Solar01
sorry for that, didn't mean to... I started messing with Processing3 (Java programming environment for video) and then Lumen and then I discovered video in the function dropdown in the eurorack modules seciton here!!!
here's a link to my instagram where I put video stuff - https://www.instagram.com/jimhowell1970/
the very early stuff on there is Lumen, then it's mostly eurorack video (mostly LZX GEN2 with some DIY modules from LZX, Reverselandfill, Visible Signals and Syntonie - plus some 'audio' modules that will effect video - mostly doepfer wavefolders - they get a bit smeary as the op amps arent' fast enough) and there's also some stuff where I use Lumen as a front and and then process it add to it in the rack...
and a link to my only track on bandcamp - https://communitymodularelectronic.bandcamp.com/track/jim-howell-aintnosunshinehere it was on the 'best of modulargrid 2021' compilation... although my friend optical_collusion thought this one should be on instead -
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
At least, my GAS for guitar pedals has died off as I think I have all that I need now to make my music.
Mine too years ago - a year or so before I got into eurorack - I have a very nice pedal cupboard... I'm planning on getting them out soon... just need to movee a few things around and make a bit more space in the studio for a pedalboard
I hope the same will happen with Eurorack modules as I exhaust possibilities.
-- Solar01
possibilities are endless!!
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
sorry for that, didn't mean to... I started messing with Processing3 (Java programming environment for video) and then Lumen and then I discovered video in the function dropdown in the eurorack modules seciton here!!!
here's a link to my instagram where I put video stuff - https://www.instagram.com/jimhowell1970/
Thanks for sharing your videos. When there is music to the vids, the experience is synaesthetic!!
the very early stuff on there is Lumen, then it's mostly eurorack video (mostly LZX GEN2 with some DIY modules from LZX, Reverselandfill, Visible Signals and Syntonie - plus some 'audio' modules that will effect video - mostly doepfer wavefolders - they get a bit smeary as the op amps arent' fast enough) and there's also some stuff where I use Lumen as a front and and then process it add to it in the rack...
There were some videos which I liked a lot - perhaps, they were created with the same analogue gear but I can't tell which one. They have a retro look and a depth of perception without the digital flatness.
and a link to my only track on bandcamp - https://communitymodularelectronic.bandcamp.com/track/jim-howell-aintnosunshinehere it was on the 'best of modulargrid 2021' compilation... although my friend optical_collusion thought this one should be on instead -
-- JimHowell1970
Thank you very much for sharing your music. Both tracks are different but equally worthy of inclusion.
At least, my GAS for guitar pedals has died off as I think I have all that I need now to make my music.
Mine too years ago - a year or so before I got into eurorack - I have a very nice pedal cupboard... I'm planning on getting them out soon... just need to movee a few things around and make a bit more space in the studio for a pedalboard
I have a bunch of loose pedals here as the chain is different each time I use them. The only static pedalboard is for me to play black metal on the guitar which is very different from the experimental music and electronic music which I make.
I hope the same will happen with Eurorack modules as I exhaust possibilities.
-- Solar01
possibilities are endless!!
Quite a scary prospect! Change is constant with my set-up... I realise that it is hard to keep things still.
Thanks for sharing your videos. When there is music to the vids, the experience is synaesthetic!!
yeah - can definitely go that way - a lot of the modulation can be shared which helps & I have a module *sensory translator) which takes audio input, splits it into frequency bands and then outputs envelopes per band...
There were some videos which I liked a lot - perhaps, they were created with the same analogue gear but I can't tell which one. They have a retro look and a depth of perception without the digital flatness.
If you want to post links to individual videos I might be able to tell you what I used
Thank you very much for sharing your music. Both tracks are different but equally worthy of inclusion.
-- Solar01
Happy you liked them!
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
Thanks for sharing your videos. When there is music to the vids, the experience is synaesthetic!!
yeah - can definitely go that way - a lot of the modulation can be shared which helps & I have a module *sensory translator) which takes audio input, splits it into frequency bands and then outputs envelopes per band...
Thanks for explaining how it works! Excellent! The Critter and Guitari EYESY syncs visuals with sounds but looks more superficial and the colours are a bit too bright.
There were some videos which I liked a lot - perhaps, they were created with the same analogue gear but I can't tell which one. They have a retro look and a depth of perception without the digital flatness.
If you want to post links to individual videos I might be able to tell you what I used
Here's one of them - looks like a dead TV channel gone psychedelic and retro cyberpunk. Awesome!! Curious about your gear used...
[https://www.instagram.com/p/CLVM5_dBane/]
Thank you very much for sharing your music. Both tracks are different but equally worthy of inclusion.
-- Solar01
Happy you liked them!
-- JimHowell1970
I had posted weblinks to my debut CD in the "You" section of the forum. You can stream the album on Bandcamp :
[https://khatulistiwa.bandcamp.com/album/the-silence-that-does-not-exist]
Tracks 4 and 5 were made solely with Eurorack. The rest with Mother-32, Lyra-8, Behringer 2600 Blue Marvin, O-coast, Strega, Recovery Mystic, Eowave Quadrantid Swarm, Wingie 2, guitar pedals and Ableton!
Thanks for sharing your videos. When there is music to the vids, the experience is synaesthetic!!
yeah - can definitely go that way - a lot of the modulation can be shared which helps & I have a module *sensory translator) which takes audio input, splits it into frequency bands and then outputs envelopes per band...
Thanks for explaining how it works! Excellent! The Critter and Guitari EYESY syncs visuals with sounds but looks more superficial and the colours are a bit too bright.
iirc the EYESY is programmable using python scripts - so you can get much more out of it than the obvious... brightness etc can be controlled programatically or by adjusting the contrast/brightness on the screen
There were some videos which I liked a lot - perhaps, they were created with the same analogue gear but I can't tell which one. They have a retro look and a depth of perception without the digital flatness.
If you want to post links to individual videos I might be able to tell you what I used
Here's one of them - looks like a dead TV channel gone psychedelic and retro cyberpunk. Awesome!! Curious about your gear used...
that one's almost definitely Lumen out fron MBP (in mono) then into LZX modular (the green looks like its the whole signal going through a doepfer a-116) and at some point it's going through the syntonie cbv01 - then out to a flat screen tv and rescanned using an iPhone
I had posted weblinks to my debut CD in the "You" section of the forum. You can stream the album on Bandcamp :
[https://khatulistiwa.bandcamp.com/album/the-silence-that-does-not-exist]
Tracks 4 and 5 were made solely with Eurorack. The rest with Mother-32, Lyra-8, Behringer 2600 Blue Marvin, O-coast, Strega, Recovery Mystic, Eowave Quadrantid Swarm, Wingie 2, guitar pedals and Ableton!
-- Solar01
I started listening to it last night...
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
yeah - can definitely go that way - a lot of the modulation can be shared which helps & I have a module *sensory translator) which takes audio input, splits it into frequency bands and then outputs envelopes per band...
Interesting module for sure!!!
iirc the EYESY is programmable using python scripts - so you can get much more out of it than the obvious... brightness etc can be controlled programatically or by adjusting the contrast/brightness on the screen
Unfortunately, I don't programme so the finer tweaks will be lost to me.
that one's almost definitely Lumen out fron MBP (in mono) then into LZX modular (the green looks like its the whole signal going through a doepfer a-116) and at some point it's going through the syntonie cbv01 - then out to a flat screen tv and rescanned using an iPhone
Thanks for sharing the process with me. Seems like a lot of work but the results are astounding! Looks very "analogue"!
I started listening to it last night...
It's an acquired taste! lol!
iirc the EYESY is programmable using python scripts - so you can get much more out of it than the obvious... brightness etc can be controlled programatically or by adjusting the contrast/brightness on the screen
Unfortunately, I don't programme so the finer tweaks will be lost to me.
Programming is just problem solving and python is one of the easier languages to get your head around - take an exisitng script and tweak it amd you'll be fine (won't break anything)
that one's almost definitely Lumen out fron MBP (in mono) then into LZX modular (the green looks like its the whole signal going through a doepfer a-116) and at some point it's going through the syntonie cbv01 - then out to a flat screen tv and rescanned using an iPhone
Thanks for sharing the process with me. Seems like a lot of work but the results are astounding! Looks very "analogue"!
Thanks!!! I think that's one of the main things - digital video (including Lumen, Touch Designer and digital video modules etc) always looks digital to me unless it's processed through analog hardware... it's not that it's "better" or "worse", there's just something about it... same with audio...
I started listening to it last night...
It's an acquired taste! lol!
-- Solar01
haha - it is indeed - I'm liking the less noisy, subtler tracks more...
"some of the best base-level info to remember can be found in Jim's sigfile" @Lugia
Utility modules are the dull polish that makes the shiny modules actually shine!!!
sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities
Programming is just problem solving and python is one of the easier languages to get your head around - take an exisitng script and tweak it amd you'll be fine (won't break anything)
OK, that sounds less daunting! I don't have much confidence in programming ever since trying too learn visual programming with Pure Data and gave up after a few Youtube lessons.
Thanks!!! I think that's one of the main things - digital video (including Lumen, Touch Designer and digital video modules etc) always looks digital to me unless it's processed through analog hardware... it's not that it's "better" or "worse", there's just something about it... same with audio...
Definitely agree with the analogue audio analogy. Placing an OTO BAM after my Eurorack at the end of the chain totally transforms the overall sound.
haha - it is indeed - I'm liking the less noisy, subtler tracks more...
It's an album which rewards a closer listen :-)
