Haha. I hate computer recording too. Burnt myself out on that around 2005. I think that’s why I focus on one-take experiments now. Believe it or not, I just use GarageBand and don’t use any VSTs or external plug-ins, just the compressor and eq included. I don’t even have the GarageBand sound library installed. I really just use it as a glorified tape recorder. I’m using some automation in the thing I’m working on now, but that’s about as far as I care to go.


record quiet and compress heavily
-- farkas

I tried to use the same technique a couple of times, but ended up heavy-handing stuff because I work too fast (I loathe using my computer for music) and it sounded like noise farts. You motivated me to give it another try though, I can't be always relying on "lazy people's VST's" that make things sound lo-fi with a single click :-)

--- Voltage control all the things ---


BTW, how did you get to that delicious Lo-Fi sound with the track on SoundCloud ?

-- toodee

I ran the Prophet Rev 2 through the overdrive (just barely noticeable) on the Data Bender into one input on the DLD, and ran the output of the DLD's first channel into the QPAS filter with just a small bit of movement into the second input of the DLD. I recorded the track pretty quiet and then slammed the hell out of the compressor in my DAW and EQ'ed just a tiny bit. I think that was all I did on that one. I get kind of a Boards of Canada-style "dustiness" that I like when I record quiet and compress heavily. I always like just a bit of noise mixed into the pads on the Prophet too.
I do have an Orange Kongpressor pedal that I run some stuff through, but I don't think I used it on that track.
Thanks again for checking it out. It's nice to have like-minded folks to bounce stuff off of!


self-absorbed Dadaist art project
-- farkas

It's pretty much the only reason for me to make music as well, between mediation and creation. I chose to believe there's nothing wrong with that. And given the output of your self-absorbed sonic wandering, I am super glad you decided to share it, this second video is a super cool throwback at the 90's Jungle/D&B stuff I still love to this day ! MG now has its own Adam F

BTW, how did you get to that delicious Lo-Fi sound with the track on SoundCloud ?

Take care ❤️

--- Voltage control all the things ---


Great! Love the evolving ambient layers of sound with your expressive keyboard playing on top. Very alive and organic.


Thanks systasis. I've been working on a more structured multi-track project, but keep finding the more improvisational and meandering music of chance is what I enjoy most. It's rarely interesting for the listener as it's more of a self-absorbed Dadaist art project. Haha. I figure I might as well put it out there in the world anyway. Thanks for listening!


Hey GarfieldModular. Thanks for your kind comments.

Ha! Remember that you should be getting at least 8 hours sleep a night for good health ;)

All of the tracks are recorded live on my modular in one take. I like the challenge of seeing what the synth can do as a stand alone entity and capturing a performance. You can see my modular here: ModularGrid Rack
The only external device I have is a Strymon Volante delay pedal (which I love!)

Best wishes and sweet dreams


Hi TumeniKnobs, thanks for taking the time to listen and give feedback. Much appreciated!


Nice! I really enjoyed listening to this. I found it very hypnotic and was transported to another place. The looping rhythmical sequence, dusty sonic textures and meandering 'flute' melodies....just my thing!


Where would you mix your 10 or so audio channels?


how are you going to play this?

how are you going to listen to this?

modular drums are horrifically expensive and/or poor substitutes for drum machines

virtually no modulation or utilities - the most important modules in lots of ways

there are lots of manufacturers in the same price range as nifty for vcos and filters - and mostly with better reps - & yes I know that the vco and filter are a collab with a known manufacturer

"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


Where is this panel available?


@toodee I went on a real Serge tear awhile back and that's a big part of the why, but the more proximate cause is that I really super love the VCFS (which I had first) but find it also has a pretty distinctive sound, and one that's kind of smooth rather than aggressive and super resonant. So, I wanted to have another filter to mix it up for when I'm building my own 303 (instead of relying on the M303) and to get a little more intense and a darker vibe. That said, I was looking at the rack today and wondering if a Plaits or a 4MS Ensemble Oscillator might make more sense over the VCFQ there, especially if I could sneak in something like a WMD C4RBN. Future plans, TBD!

Stepping back and putting aside my particular acid journey, they are both really unique and interesting filters that don't quite sound like anything else I've used, so if you're curious I would definitely recommend them both, and I have a ton of love for the R*S modules in general too. Hope that helps!
-- troux

Thank you very much for those explanations ! I'm really afraid of R*S because I think that if I start with that brand (the Res EQ has been on my radar for quite a while) I'd probably end up spending more than I should, they do offer very nice designs though, IMO a very nice balance of space and unique functionality. The only issue I have is that for this type of module and design (variable Q or slope is not something I'm used to) is that I would have to try them before buying and I have no way of doing that currently or for the foreseeable future. It's probably for the (financial) best...
I've also been trying my best to ignore that Sound Stage of yours, and the recent WMD designs because the part of my garden where I grow money has suffered from the summer droughts 😅

What are the parts composing your personal 303 ?

PS: now I'll just copy yours from this thread ❤️

--- Voltage control all the things ---


I listened to another 4 tracks last night too, all good, ambient relaxation :)

Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.

https://youtube.com/@wishbonebrewery


Hi all,

I'm heading to visit a friend in Texas soon and I decided to take a pile of sequencers with me to spend some more time with while I am there. But for tonight i thought i'd give the rig a little rundown now that I figured out a few things with the big sequencer in the middle. You will find a simple jam that is sequenced by the five-12 seq, playing the Ts-L (sounds awesome and it is new to me), running through the C4BON filter (one of my favorite), and going through the bubblesound hex mix/vca combo running in ASR mode. The drum sounds are from the BIA, and the effects are the Happy Nerding FX Aid (so good). :)

Here is a link to the very basic jam... but hey, it's nice to get this device patching! :)

Hope you enjoy.
Brett


ModularGrid Rack

Hi all. I'm new to all this and would very much appreciate your opinions. Basically, I'm on a very tight budget and trying to set up a portable rack for groove/ ambient purposes and live jamming with my group.

I'm sure I must be overlooking some fundamentals. Thanks for any feedback!

  • Pam's for clocking
  • New Cre8audio modules (bang for buck)
  • Envelopes, Amp & Mixing in the middle
  • Pico drum set in the middle
  • Mutable (enough said)


Hi ModLifeCrisis,

Ha, ha, I love your videos, especially those introduction videos where you provide us first with a great introduction and then some cool sounds. Both video is funny and great and then those old Roland sounds, wow, to die for! Seriously nice to listen at :-)

Thank you very much for sharing this and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


Hi Systasis,

Oh wow! This is something special. I am almost kind of speechless, that great :-) Did you manage to do this by modular only or did you had help from some external devices/instruments? Either way, very impressive!

I am going for the 2nd track of your album, starts impressive too, can't wait for the rest of your album, though I am afraid I have to wait till tomorrow since it's getting here not too far off from 5 am and I still want to catch some sleep ;-) Already now at the 3rd track, can't leave this, I must hear more, less sleep then but this is great! :-)

Thank you very much for sharing such a beautiful music with us and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


Hi Wishbonebrewery,

Wow, yes! A jam that's longer than two hours, you certainly got qualified for the 17+ minute rule from Troux ;-)

Though I haven't listen at the entire 2+ hours, I have listen here and there quite a bit of it and I can hear your happiness while being busy :-) I sometimes also experience that you just can't stop, it's just too much fun to continue

He, he, I like those voice-samples you are using around 1h9m and 1h10m, fits great and gives a nice touch and variation to your track.

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


And of course, there's also THIS: https://vcvrack.com/ Best modular "explainerizer" ever. In VCV, it's impossible to wreck things. The worst you'll see are "spitty" outputs due to the package overtaxing your CPU and crashes...and those crashes also tend to happen for the same reason. As long as you keep an eye on the CPU load (VCV has the ability to meter each module!), you're golden. But VCV works pretty much like Eurorack...there's even VCV versions of a bunch of the more notable Eurorack modules in there.

Oh...and it's FREE.


Thanks for listening, and for the welcome back @GarfieldModular!


Hi Steve,

Nice long, relaxing track, yet great to listen at! Can you do more of this please? :-)

Glad to hear you are back with us together with your creativity! :-) Thanks a lot for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


Direct audio to the Fireface UCX? Sure, you can do that, but you won't need all those Tethers and Links since the UCX has no D-Sub audio I/O. But since the UCX also has lightpipe I/O, you could later attach an ADAT lightpipe interface that has the DC-coupled I/O that Silent Way/CV Tools/Volta/etc wants to use, and go back to that idea when it's a better fit. In that case, my suggestion would be the ES-8, with four inputs and eight outputs. But right now, you can just tie your audio outs directly into the Fireface UCX although I STRONGLY suggest you have an attenuatable stereo output module so that you can avoid clips due to the level mismatch between synth and pro audio levels. Something like, say, the Happy Nerding Isolator, which has the ganged stereo control and also has transformer isolation to help deal with hum and noise.


@farkas, nice, I'll give that some thought and let you know.

@TumeniKnobs, thanks! On this tune the bass and snare (or clap, I forget right now) are the Salmple and the hi-hats are the Hexinverter Mutant Hi-Hats whose sound I just can't get away from, I love em. The Salmple has a ton of different banks though so if you want another example you could check out this other tune I made a few days ago, same rack but different bank.

https://stevehand.bandcamp.com/album/poolside-acid


Thread: Nani Kore?

Hi TumeniKnobs,

Sorry that I was being away on such a great day you released a track of capacities like this! Wow, this is good and pretty serious stuff :-) When did you say your concert tour started and leave us here alone because you have no longer time to share your professional music with us? ;-)

I hope you will show us more of this kind of great compositions! Thank you very much and kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


OK...I did a bit to set up the general areas you'd want the various modules in. Note that my typical layouts put the audio sources and modifiers up top, modulation across the center, and mixing and effects in the bottom along with control systems. This allows for an "up on left, down on right" signal flow which makes the build much easier to patch and control.
ModularGrid Rack
You'll notice how the existing modules break up into the overall scheme. Also, if you don't already have that MIDI interface, you'll likely have a lot of trouble finding one as Doepfer discontinued it.

Now, one issue I do have is with the cab size. Those 84 hp rows are kinda tight, so it makes choosing just the right modules more important...and one way to choose is by function density. For example: there's a very basic Doepfer ADSR that fits into 8 hp. But if you put in one of their A-140-2 modules instead, you then get TWO envelope generators that work the same way (actually, the A-140-2 EGs also give you CV over time, which the A-140 doesn't have) in the same space. Note that there is a point where you can go too far with this; when you've gotten to a point that it's difficult to play the synth because the controls are all too tightly bunched, that's what "too far" looks like. But if you keep the density to somewhere within reason, you can majorly increase the build's capabilities without the need to go to a bigger cab, AND you'd still get more capabilities.


Hi TumeniKnobs,

Great a video from you! :-) A beautiful one too, nice to watch you at work at this lovely track!

Thanks a lot for the details and sharing this with us. Kind regards, Garfield.

For review reports of Eurorack modules, please refer to https://garfieldmodular.net/ for PDF formatted downloads


I let the album play in the background this morning and really liked what I heard. I'm listening more closely now and like it even more. You've got some fantastic atmospheres/textures going on and there are a ton of out-of-the-blue change-ups that are surprising and really interesting. Nice work!


Loving the groove on this. The drums sound great - are they all Squid Salmple?


Hey @troux, let me know if you decide to go with Plaits. I was thinking about putting mine up for sale on Reverb because I haven't been using it. I'll be glad to sell it to you for a fair price.


In addition to your search for a tutor you could get a copy of the book "Patch & Tweek" (if you don'y already have it).
http://patchandtweak.com/
https://bjooks.com/products/patch-tweak-exploring-modular-synthesis

Lots of good info and patch examples. Helps me to understand the basic concepts.

The manufacturers who provide manuals with example patches I always find them useful and sometimes I need to study a little to understand what's going on.


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.

-- Ronin1973

appreciate it! looking to buy after 1 month once i figure out exactly what i want ;)


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).
-- Ronin1973

new rack has 5 separate doepfer PS. it was custom built with my modules in mind, so power left to spare :)

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!


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.


@farkas you are modest as always, looping experiments are just my cup of tea so my hopes remain high lol


Also @toobee, for some reason I can only get emoji to work here if I google them and copy it from the results page, so here's some hearts back, thanks for the love ❤️❤️❤️


@toodee I went on a real Serge tear awhile back and that's a big part of the why, but the more proximate cause is that I really super love the VCFS (which I had first) but find it also has a pretty distinctive sound, and one that's kind of smooth rather than aggressive and super resonant. So, I wanted to have another filter to mix it up for when I'm building my own 303 (instead of relying on the M303) and to get a little more intense and a darker vibe. That said, I was looking at the rack today and wondering if a Plaits or a 4MS Ensemble Oscillator might make more sense over the VCFQ there, especially if I could sneak in something like a WMD C4RBN. Future plans, TBD!

Stepping back and putting aside my particular acid journey, they are both really unique and interesting filters that don't quite sound like anything else I've used, so if you're curious I would definitely recommend them both, and I have a ton of love for the R*S modules in general too. Hope that helps!


So, I just found out that me sending out hearts to @troux caused an issue in my message, but I don't care, I'm sending love with words then

I also had a question that got trimmed actually (if you can spare some time): I'm seeing 2 R*S VCFs in your setup, could you tell us more about those, why you have both and what they do for you compared to other filters you may have tried ?

--- Voltage control all the things ---


Thread: Bug Report

Ha, too much love Well, thanks for the clarification !

--- Voltage control all the things ---


This is great, ModLifeCrisis. Thanks for sharing.
My relationship with modular is like a pendulum. For long periods of time it is all I think about, and other times I focus on other hardware and guitars. Hope to find a happy medium someday. :)
Take care.


Thread: Bug Report

EDIT: just testing the edit function - and I remember I may have written a heart to troux, so < and 3 stuck together, could that be it ?
-- toodee

Yes, that is the problem. MG uses the PHP strip_tag function to filter iframes and the like which sadly is so heartless to also filter the less than expression because it looks suspicious like a broken html tag. Don't stick < together with anything :)

Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net


Thread: Bug Report

I've just experienced a weird bug: my last post in the forum saw only 2 lines posted despite the fact that what I wrote was 6 or 7 lines. Trying to edit the message to add the lines back seems to get ignored and my message is trimmed at the exact same spot after the edit.
-- toodee

Any special chars in this text? What was it?
-- modulargrid

I don't think it did, it was just a question on a couple of modules, the only thing that comes to mind was a semi-colon I used for a winking smiley, like this ;-)

Maybe it was just a glitch from my machine, although I have disabled most extensions on my browser for this website including ad blockers.

EDIT: just testing the edit function - and I remember I may have written a heart to troux, so < and 3 stuck together, could that be it ?

--- Voltage control all the things ---


One of the aspects of modular I have noticed is how all-consuming it can be. I think about modular a lot, and I have been neglecting my other synths. Another thing about modular I've noticed is that it has changed the kind of music I listen to and also the way I approach more traditional synths when I play them. I'm 'thinking' more modular and 'playing' more modular. This isn't something I've chosen, it's just happened. I filmed this little performance on my Roland SH09 which highlights the change in my style of playing.


I recommend a platform [spam.me], their writers wrote a great essay for me. If you hesitate, check out these [spam.me] reviews , they will only confirm my words.
-- MichaelCrowley

Mr MichaelCrowley is not with us anymore.

Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net


I saw you were posting again too and have your songs in the queue, looking forward to listening to them.
-- troux

Don't get your hopes up for anything groundbreaking. Haha. Just some looping experiments that I decided to record.
Again, good to see you back in action.


Thread: Bug Report

I've just experienced a weird bug: my last post in the forum saw only 2 lines posted despite the fact that what I wrote was 6 or 7 lines. Trying to edit the message to add the lines back seems to get ignored and my message is trimmed at the exact same spot after the edit.
-- toodee

Any special chars in this text? What was it?

Beep, Bopp, Bleep: info@modulargrid.net


Thanks @farkas! I saw you were posting again too and have your songs in the queue, looking forward to listening to them. Re: the Salmple I bought it a bit before my hiatus so I haven't used it a ton ton, but so far I've been pretty impressed and I still have a lot to learn, for example I'd love to spend some time working to use it for live sampling. Overall though if you're aiming to make a live dance rack I'd say it's a pretty nice addition because its does a ton and the cohesiveness of the different drum banks and the ease of switching between them helps in experimenting quickly to find the right sound.

@toodee, thanks for the welcome back, and agreed, sometimes a break can really get the creative juices churning. Hopefully I can keep it up 🕺


Thread: Bug Report

I've just experienced a weird bug: my last post in the forum saw only 2 lines posted despite the fact that what I wrote was 6 or 7 lines. Trying to edit the message to add the lines back seems to get ignored and my message is trimmed at the exact same spot after the edit.

--- Voltage control all the things ---