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Im also still in the beginning, but I guess the case is way to small except you are totally focused for a certain porpuse and know whar youre doing.
like building a additional FX or noise Box etc for your main case.

I dont know which external gear you want to pair with.

I guess:
1. a midi/cv-interface to pair it with external gear like a laptop or digitakt

like hexinverter mutant brain or others

2. a nice filter
3. vcas
4. distortion / saturation
5. a minimum of dynamics and processing
6. lfos

look out for function combos like:

bastl ikarie = filter + drive+ vca

cosmotronic delta is a smal nice vca/envelope

a blackbox external or in the case could be cool for sampling drums if you dont use a laptop or digitakt. - I prefer it over the sample drum.

if you want to explore drums maybe you consider to get different drum modules with different synthesis styles like physical modeling, analog, fm etc - I guess more drum stuff will surely follow.

You need space for utilites like attenuverters
and stuff to scale, shift, offset and mix cv. - you will see what is missing while you are in the process.

I made the hard experience to start with a smal case. Now I pair 3 different sized cases at the moment.

Sure I can alter them for special purposes, but right now, Im looking for a nice all in one rack and to get rid of the others.

Better dont go under 7u 104.
And calculate some trial and error

EDITED Oct 16th 2023, 12:49

qu-bit is releasing a new granular module "Mojave"

It seems to be not a delay and focused on granular live processing.
But it seems to be inspired by beads.

Maybe think about, which modules you already have to pair with.

I saw a Morphagene in your rack.
this can also add some tape character and effects, but as far i know without saturation

I like the mimeophon, because its nice to modulate, good to control and very playable.

I grabbed a beads last week. It appears very versatile to me, but right know I dont know how to tame it. I guess you have to know excactly what you are doing to control it. But maybe I just need more time to learn it.

I guess Beads can replace or substitute other modules. For example, I wanted to buy a Qu-bit Data Bender, but I realized that I can do similar effects with beads stutter- / glitch mode.

At the moment, beads acts in my setup like a data bender for unpredictable random glitches and broken harddisk error- effects

To me a complex vco is an absolute must.

My favorite and goto is the DPO. For wavetables I use the Shapeshifter. I also have 1010 music MOK Waverazor which is very effective but a highly specialized dual vco. I also have the Bataleur by Birdkids which has dual vco capabilities.

I was using the Furthrrrr Generator and it really is fantastic, however I decided to let it go and stick to the DPO, it is when all is said and done the character that i like the most and thats ultimately what it comes down to for me, taste.

But for less than 120 euros you can get Doepfer A-110-4 Thru Zero Quad VCO SE.

With that one you can start experimenting with what you already have like the guys are suggesting.

Good luck
-- GunnarWaage

I heard that the DPO sounds like rubber and is limited to this character. I guess its not very versetaile?

For what do you use the DPO?
Can you tell me some more of its benefits, suiting to your needs?

I guess you have all modules to get a huge kick.
FLD6 and crb4n are well for it.

Maybe you need to find the right compression or a better sidechaining.

I guess one general approach is:

adiditional wavefolding on the kick + modulated reverb/delay on the rumble + the right sidechaining + compression

1. I use befaco percall. I do wavefolding on a nice vco and send it to channel 1 of percall to get a instant kick. I use the multed copy of the kick without wavefolding and send it through a delay/reverb (mimeophon) to create rumble. I modulate the delay and reverb with synced lfos. - I send the rumble into channel 2 of percall to get it ducked against the kick. Addiotional i can modulate the strength cv of percall to get rhytmical chopped beats. End of chain is mscl for compression.

2. I use bastl waver as a drum bus. I send the kick of SSF Ultra Kick (which offers a finished kick + dynamics) trough Channel 1 on bastl waver to add some wavefolding/distortion. I send my Rumble from BIA or other modules through a delay/reverb and modulate it with lfos (mimeophon), then I send it in channel 3 of waver - to use it´s internal vca to sidechain it against the kick with the sidchain-envelope from Ultra Kick. With waver I can modulate the wavefolding and also break it rhytmically with the break cv, to get nice effects. End of chain is mscl for compression.

EDITED Oct 1st 2023, 15:57

have you thought about patching a complex oscillator with the modules you'e already got... it'll probably get you a more distinctive and different sound than buying an off the shelf one... I'd do some research on this and play around with them, at the very least it will help you narrow down what you want from a complex oscillator, in terms of the built in functionality - wavefiolder, fm, am, pm etc....
-- JimHowell1970

Yes, Im also tinking about to patch a complex oscillator, but I didn´t figure out how to do it allready.
I would be very glad to get some tips to do it.

The idea is great and what you wrote assure me to give it a try. I guess it´s really more distinctive, different and individual in sound - and will help to learn about it and what I want.

My first idea was to feed 2 vco´s into bastl waver. Its a 3 input mixer with wavefolding, 2 vca´s and ringmodulation capability. Like nano modules Ona + waver +a through-zero VCO. But I don´t have a through zero vco at the moment.
I also got a nordular Wyrd matrix mixer recently, maybe that could be useful.
But I guess, thats not enough? - I need something to apply crossmodulation - or maybe with some clever patching, with stackables?

Im also trying out a Benjolin V2 at the moment. I guess this is also a kind of complex oscillator module?

Hi :D

Im curious to get a complex oscillator.
I have already some drum modules and oscillators like: 4ms SWN, Ensemble Oscillator, ONA, BIA, Ultra Kick, plaits, plonk ..... and many more

I was thinking about to get rid about many modules and replace it by getting a versetaile complex vco for sounddesign and recording - with a wide sound palette and great sound.
Something that is not a signature sound module - meaning, like for instance - every patch with odessa sounds noticble like odessa in it´s soundcharacter.

Some questions are:
1. Is it worth to get a complex vco?
2. Do I get sounds out of it, which I wouldn´t get with the modules I allready have?
3. I heard about Brenso. - Can you recomment a good compex Vco to me?

Greetings

Chris

For Ambient fx, I like to drop in to check out:

Make Noise Mimeophon - I have great fun with it. Nice to apply modulation on it
but is matter of taste

Mu Beads - as well

Thank you for the new options,I need to research something new as I have been fixated on Qu Bit Aurora for a few weeks now. You are correct, that with my lack of HP I need modules that can do many things - it still is hard not to want an Aurora though...oh life is hard.

-- EuroBadger

I also got a Aurora for the purpose of Ambient stuff. You should be aware, that Aurora is not a easy module and very special. Its not a module to feed just anything in and get ambient stuff out. I guess it would be at first better to get a more versetaile fx module for starters. If you get Aurora and realize that you cant tame it - there is also a alternative firmware to use it as a conventinal reverb. Its worth to check it out in depth before you buy it - what it does excactly and if its suitable for your taste.

I consider to go for a matrix mixer.
I want to get two, 1. for mixing cvs and 2. for mixing audio to fx modules.

Wyrd from Nordular (10 hp) has caught my attention for now, because I doesn't have much rackspace left.

The bear modules matrix mixer is also an option. I get 2 for the price of 1 Wyrd, but its much more space.

Some other ideas for a good (small hp) matrix mixer?

EDITED Sep 5th 2023, 14:03

some advanced tips:

1. place one maths in the center as the brain, to control the others
   If this is not enough, add various behringer brains. Its a no brainer.

2. You could use behringer Radar to control mutable instruments ears and ears to control the after later audio auris. If you combine it with the OR outputs of all abacus modules, you can track passing combat-jets. - but only after passing through, with 2 % accurency. This is way late, but it actually does something, if you are lucky.

3. Drop all abacus and place it with behringer neutrons. You will see, that it doesnt fit in the rack. This will result in a not existing neuronal network, covering nothing, but sleeping circuits, resting in eternal mysery. This could be the peace and happiness you are looking for - if not, add some more behringer brains.

EDITED Aug 30th 2023, 09:06

what about 8hp modules, like the bastl ikarie (stereo filter) + bastl basil (stereo delay)?
or maybe using the steady state gate as mono filter in 8hp?

They seem to be good gapfillers.
I would like to try them.

I like the Mimeophon, its straight forward.

I didnt get along with Nautilus, I experienced it to be hard to tame and a bit mysterious to handle.
But if you dig deep I guess it can be nice.

Maybe you could drop the cellz and chipz and the spring reverb + get a other smaller mixer like (befaco stereomixer.)

The east beast and west best, would be probaply be better to dont mount in the rack to save space.
Maybe start to choose one first.

Utillity is more important, you can add additional voices later.

Maybe consider a bigger rack, like tip top mantis. I also started with nifty case. Now its just my additional desk rack for fx.

Maybe a good bread and butter lfo, like batumi, maths
delta v 2, wobbler 2

check out Bastl Instruments. The have useful stuff.

I love "Bastl softpop 2".
It is more expensive, like 600 euro, but its a bit like something between east beast and west pest.
It has so much to start with.
Sequencer, filter, waveshaper, external in for processing, crossfader, mult, sample and hold, you can switch between analog or digital vco.
and its very small, like a volca.

Add a few utilities and fx and you are ready to go.

EDITED Jul 19th 2023, 12:10

Check out BASTL Softpop 2 - It has so much features in little space. -
Also make noise 0-coast

You could take on of them and build your system around it - just adding some utillities.

You can use them also standalone outside of rackspace - so you could take a smaller case only for utillities and pair it with them.

If I would start now from 0 - I would do it that way.

Otherwise

Did you check BASTL Ikarie? - also a nice filter with some tricks on it.

If you get BASTL Basil, you can also switch the firmware to the pizza VCO.
BASTL Pizza has many stuff like FM and waveshaping/wavefolding.
Or get pizza first and try out the basil-firmware later.
You maybe dont need an extra waveshaper/folder module then.

I have the ONA VCO. I like to mix the different waveforms with Befaco Percall.
You can also use it as LFO.

Ornament and Crime or Disting could also be an idea, to try out or to add different functions with little space.
You can use Ornament and Crime, as quad turing maschine, Envelopes, sequencers, quad quantizer and many more.

Not to hijack the thread, but curious if you had a favorite between the two? Both have peaked my interest, but I've not had the chance to try either.

-- HGsynth

I think, you can archieve similar results with both, for ambient drones, melodies and chords.
I love both.

In short:
If I want do dig deep and focus on one module (maybe for hours) in the patch - I take the SWN.
If I want instant chills - I take the EO

I think the sound of EO is very special and it sounds always amazing no matter how I twist the knobs.
I love the character of bright and spread sounds on the EO.
For my opinion the EO is more fast forward for instant good results. I like that it is based on sinus waves and spreads into 16 voices. You can do very ethereal and bright sounds and even dark twisted sounds with it - very quick.

The Spherical Wavetable Navigator is a very deep and complex module. It has a longer learning curve - and it is more a closed system to run on itself. You can spend hours just tweaking it and discovering amazing sounds without any other module involved in your patch. It has 6 independent voices, based on wavetables that can be morphed with 3 dimensions.
The sound is also amazing and the possibilities are endless.

I think the SWN is sometimes a bit hard to tame, if you dont know excactly what you are doing.

Both have quantization and chord spreads.

I use the Ensemble Oscillator mostly to get a instant evolving drone going and combine it with more sound elements.
I use the SWN mostly to start a complex sequence as a main leading sound theme

EDITED May 22nd 2023, 20:23

I didn´t see first that you already have some modules.

So I would do maybe something like this with it:

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2260218.jpg

You can also swap the firmware of basil to pizza, and you have a fm synth with waveshaping and stuff.

What do you think of this?

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2260141.jpg
(I didnt succeed to import the picture straight into here, without link)

4ms wavetable navigator: Ambient main voice for melodies, drones, chords, timbres - own sequencer, envelopes, or lfos
4ms Ensemble Oscillator: 2. voice for drones, chords, texture, timbres
Plonk: for random percussion and physical modeling
Noise Pleththora + Percall: for ambient noises and rhytmical noise patterns
mini plaits: for additional stuff like drums, perc or synthlines
Ikarie: main stereo filter with vca
Basil: for delay + blurry space FX (in only 8 hp)
Disting: for swappable Utility, such as sample and hold, .....
quad vca: nice vca
ochd: nice lfos in 4 hp.
active mults
Attenuator
Befaco stereo mixer
Befaco outs

Maybe you could at least integrate

• 4ms Ensemble Oscillator
  and / or
• 4ms wavetable navigator

I love them for ambient - they are fantastic
For drones, chords, timbres all the chilling fun

4ms wavetable navigator acts also as sequencer and / or envelope generator / or lfos
You could spare some other utilities for this

4ms Ensemble Oscillator - it just lifts off to new dimensions

maybe - "Bastl Basil" for delay + blurry space FX (in only 8 hp) its quiet new and cool

🛀👾💦🐳

EDITED May 7th 2023, 19:43