Hi Martin,
very helpful, thank you! I think I'm going to replace the Ruina with two WMD 4TTEN then.
And yes, I'm aware of the limitation of the OPTX inputs, but that's not a problem for me as I definitely want to avoid the integration of the software part again. That's why I'm coming back to real synths in the first place. I'm going to record and remix the audio tracks on Bitwig though.
Thanks again!
Dieter
probably the best way to do this is to slave Pam's to Ableton (or any other DAW)
create an audio track in your DAW and paste a kick drum sample on every 16th note... send this to an output on your audio interface - you may need to mess around a bit with volume to get it to work properly
save this as a template - so you can use it for other sessions in the future - tempo should properly match session tempo, it does for me in Logic
patch the audio output to the clock in on Pam's and set up Pams to use 4ppqn (parts per quarter note) and to run/stop on receipt of clock
this will give you much more solid clock than using midi in (audio always has higher priority in computer operating systems than midi)
"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
Hi,
I am thinking to start including Ableton into my setup (which i've never done before to be honest).
Now, i still want to use Pamela New Workout as master clock driving my eurorack sequencers, so i need to find a way to slave ableton to Pamela.
The modules/gears which i have are:
Now, i am wondering how can i send PAM's clock to Abeleton. Not sure if the Poly 2 can pass the clock to Ableton using one of the gate and the midi out.
Anyone has experience whit does modules and this setup?
Thanks
Mat
Hi Dieter,
Both the BIA and 4ms Ensemble will benefit greatly from attenuation on the inputs. There is no built in attentuation on the BIA, and only some of the inputs on the 4ms Ensemble are attenuated by the module itself. I've got attentunation modules next to both of these in my setup.
The OPTX works great with Bitwig for sending additional pitch, modulation and triggers to your rack. But the inputs are AC only - works fine for triggering Bitwig from your rack, but you'll need to use the Grid to modify incoming CV signals to get Bitwig moulations that are related to those coming in from your rack.
Have Fun! Martin
Hi,
Dieter from Germany here (a different Dieter of course). I'm starting with modular again and eventually came up with this rack (MI modules will be replaced by clones). My musical style is rhythmic, repetitive, semi-composed / semi-chaotic; sort of heavily cranked up Berlin school.
I'm going to perform live as well as record on my beloved Bitwig via the optx and I'd like to have an all in one portable package.
I'm interested in your opinion. Did I miss something? Thank you!
Regarding Rhythms generation,
Shakmat is really great at this. Knight Gallop and Four Bricks are amazingly powerful.
I agree with the above: looking for clock dividers/logic is a very fun approach to patterns generation. 4ms clock dividers are feature packed. Shakmat time wizard combines dividers and logic.
I agree too that Befaco Percall is great.
Also look at sequential switches.
For sounds this really depends on the sounds that you want to achieve. Endorphin has nice multi voice modules. But there are many options to listen to.
A square wave osc , a noise source and a good filter can do a lot :)
I'm working with a couple of musicians playing reeds and I want to be able to provide percussion, bass lines, and sometimes the odd countermelody. Please check my case and let me know what you think.
The concept is to maximize CV modulation that I can adjust, create, transform in realtime. The ability to save some sequenced things on the fly (and in studio) is also an asset. So I had MATHS, but found I couldn't justify the rack space to have that as the main CV source. I find it too 'brainiac' for me. I need something that I can set in motion and transform. Thus the Voltage Block in the place where MATHS used to be. Plaits, nRings, BIA, and FRACTURE are the main sound sources, with distingEX and/or Pique when they are not being used for other purposes. o_C (Hemispheres) will of course do whatever needs doing that the other modules haven't done. Although I have the classic two menu-diving modules (EX and o_C), I'll likely use them for their functions, turing and other stuff like that that is more or less set and go. Audio feed from my Zoom L-12 mixer will be the sound source (my reed musicians) for MORPHAGENE, possibly mixing that signal with mixup #1 sources from the rack. Control is Voltage block, Pachinko, Tempi, (and/or distingEX, Pique, o_C if needed).
So far I have had great success just using what I currently have, which is the rack I link to above without Pachinko and Fracture, nor the AfterLater little line sum at top left.
Due to the evolutionary compositional concept, my main sequencer is now the Torso T-1 desktop module, which I have controlling the pitch modules (Plaits, nRings, BIA). I need Voltage Block and Pachinko for percussion.
By the way, audio out goes to 1010 music bluebox, where other synths are also patched in for use in larger setups. For using the rack standalone, I am relying on the Beads reverb as my endpoint. I realize this is a bit limiting, but I do have an H9 and/or STRYMON nightsky for final processing of the audio out from the rack.
Any suggestions much appreciated!
John
The best advice is to start slow. Get only a few modules at a time. Learn them and figure out what modules to get next as you figure out a workflow
Just spitballing modules that I'd want to include...
Sound Generation:
Quad Drum + Qex expander or Erica Synths LXR should be on the top of your list for drum sounds. Either of these alone could start banging out beats with a sequencer (like Beatstep).
Basimilus Iteritas Alter is THE king of kicks, but Kickain is a newer option that looks really good too
Check out Percall if your thinking about creating drum sounds from "scratch" with oscillators and noise
Sequencing:
Euclidian Circles
Varigate 8+ with Voltage Block is an incredible combo for sequencing gates and stepped modulation
Check out the full suite of 4ms clock modules (+ expanders). Rotating Clock Divider is an all-time favorite. Quad Clock Distributer and Shuffling Clock Multiplier+ are all amazing. Pingable Envelope Generator for modulation
There's a lot of rhythmic fun to be had with gate generators like Grids, Zularic/Numetic, Knights Gallop and Moffenzeef MITO. Add in some logic and sequential switches for more variety.
Pamela's Workout is useful in every rack
Mixers:
Jumble Henge
Tesseract mixers + output module or Cosmix
Effects:
Tons of great choices for multi effects or specialized reverbs/delays. FX Aid sounds great and has many algorithms.
Been a year since i first posted here and started into modular - So this is where I am at with my build - I have everything on the top row and everything from left to maths on the bottom row. pretty different than my initial plan but its warped and molded as I've been playing with it.
tempted to fill that 8hp with a second pams, but i technially still have the bottom right half to play around with new modules (pretty set on the far right modules though; qx to addacs.)
externally sequencing with the opz - also using for guitar, not really using for performance at all, just experimentation and sound design.
Just thought i'd share and see and get impressions/feedback
edit: just noticed i shared an image not the link
I have a 150HP cabinet coming in very soon. This cabinet will be used to house a modular drum machine/pattern generator/sequencer with an emphasis on performance. Live performance, that is. Ideally, when this thing is complete, I want to be able to program rhythm patterns on-the-fly, trigger pre-programmed rhythm patterns, trigger algorithm-generated rhythms, or any combination thereof.
My first challenge is to choose a decent drum sound synthesizer/sampler. It would be nice to have the capability of using sampled drum sounds but sampling is not a must-have. A drum synth that can generate great percussive sounds is acceptable. Or some module that combines the two would be even better. Eight voice total polyphony is my desired target.
For on-the-fly rhythm programming and the triggering of pre-programmed rhythm patterns, I could just use something like an Arturia Beatstep Pro, a Korg SQ 64, or something else that I may not have yet considered to control the sound generators that will eventually populate this rack. But when we get to algorithmic drum pattern generation, I really don't know where to even start looking.
I figured it would be a good idea to ask someone who is a lot smarter than me. And this exactly why I am here. If you had 150HP of rack space to dedicate to the ultimate modular drum machine for live performance, how would you build it? I welcome your insights and thank you for any help you may be able to provide.
There's something I really do not understand about this module.
Why are the effects individually stored on proprietary memory cards? Couldn't they be stored on a USB drive or an SD card and loaded to internal memory as needed?
Thanks guys!
Those are actually pretty good ideas, I know I'm way too much into effects...
I'm going to have a look at what you suggested, thanks again.
seems like you have a decent number of effects modules already
a matrix mixer... especially when used to combine copies of the modulation sources you already have to generate some more interesting ones...
"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
Fine transaction with @abozzelli via Paypal f&f.
Fast communication and shipping, careful packaging. Module in excellent conditions.
First day with the MFX. Not all FX are being tested in this no talk video.
I will make demo for this one. What kind of source would you test?
Bought a Takaab 2LPG v2 from @39tutu and everything has been perfect. The module better than described. Perfect packaging. Good seller.
That case sounds dope though!
If it does all the things i'm imagining it certainly will be, but that'll be another thread one day! (Along with the little internal-expander backpack i made for the PNW)
This pro version doesn't seem that great tbh. A new screen and some new shapes that could have been a firmware update. Maybe I'm missing something.
The only vaguely compelling feature i've seen so far is the option to use an AXON for more CV ins, but i barely use the two that PNW has currently, so yeah it seems like mostly a "meh" upgrade for existing users. I wonder if they'll backport the firmware features or pull an apple there too?
Ah so that's why they were awful and condescending when i asked support about PNW's expander pinout recently...
-- justarandomgeekIf you care to share, what happened exactly? Treating people badly, especially ones that put food on your table, not so cool.
-- yeahivandalizm
I was looking for info to route the clock signals to ports on a custom case, so I emailed support and they just said "we don't have that information" and ignored any further replies asking for someone who does. So I contacted them on twitter and got told "well you should be able to figure that out yourself". So I got out my logic analyzer and did. By far the worst interaction with a eurorack manufacturer i've had so far.
(i'd list the pinout here, but apparently the Pro's is different so it would be misleading here)
-- justarandomgeek
Yeesh, seems very Apple of them. That case sounds dope though! Received a similar answer from Strymon once concerning a pedals actual dimensions, because the only dimensions I found listed were for the box it came in. Lost all interest after that. This pro version doesn't seem that great tbh. A new screen and some new shapes that could have been a firmware update. Maybe I'm missing something.
Ah so that's why they were awful and condescending when i asked support about PNW's expander pinout recently...
-- justarandomgeekIf you care to share, what happened exactly? Treating people badly, especially ones that put food on your table, not so cool.
-- yeahivandalizm
I was looking for info to route the clock signals to ports on a custom case, so I emailed support and they just said "we don't have that information" and ignored any further replies asking for someone who does. So I contacted them on twitter and got told "well you should be able to figure that out yourself". So I got out my logic analyzer and did. By far the worst interaction with a eurorack manufacturer i've had so far.
(i'd list the pinout here, but apparently the Pro's is different so it would be misleading here)
Ah so that's why they were awful and condescending when i asked support about PNW's expander pinout recently...
-- justarandomgeek
If you care to share, what happened exactly? Treating people badly, especially ones that put food on your table, not so cool.
Voltage Block would be a nice addition if you'd consider a non-effects module. There's lots of opportunity in this rack to send stepped modulation and alter many parameters at once
An alternate idea would be Mimetic Digitalis + one of the new NE effects modules
Hey guys, this is my rack, pretty much happy with everything in it except for the Erbe-Verb than I can't seem to wrap my head around even after a year, so I've decided to get rid of it.
First thought was to replace it with Qu-Bit Data Bender, which leaves me with 6hp to fill and I thought about maybe a uVCA?
I'd like to have your thought on what you'd personally do with those spare 20 hp and what you think you'd be missing in this rack.
And just so you know sequencing comes from a keystep pro and drums from a TR-8S.
Edit: also thinking about the new endorphines x Huang Ghost which would leave me 4hp!
Thanks guys!
I had to register just to reply to this one. I have been in the backline rental business for 25 years and trying to source an original vocoder for one gig is a pretty hard task. So when behringer released the VC340 i thought we’d give it a go, despite being sure that behringer was complete crap, because it really used to be just that. Now I have tried and tested the model d and parts of the system 100 and moog modules as well as the odyssey and I must say these products are very, very nice. And the prices reflects the reality of 2022 as opposed to the moogs and rolands of today, where most of your money buys you the names and not the cost of the actual product. And as for the teasing and “involvement” of the public I say Go for it! Nevermind waiting for 2 or 3 years, we’ve been waiting for decades already!
A multipurpose module from Music Thing Modular,a clock source,a mixer,a line out/headphone amp.Meant to be a small space addition to a small rack.
Very easy build, SMD components already installed, took about 30 minutes to build even with my talking.
Always good to have another clock source if nothing else.
Great for a beginning builder.
Build
Ah so that's why they were awful and condescending when i asked support about PNW's expander pinout recently...
Triple the cost? It's like $10 more compared to the old one ...
Makes sense, i will defininetly consider it for the build.
thanks
While watching too many videos about maths and Mimeophon, I thought of this manifestation. Question is, will it Synth?
Based on what I've seen, Maths can provide Clock, VCO, Envelope, VCA, Filtering, Sequencing, mixing and a variety of CV/LFO accents.
Mimeophon can provide reverb, delay, loop-lock-playback, and even act as a voice on its own.
With enough patch cables and patience, a synth emerges. Obviously it can be as many rows as needed. Tempted to build a one-row version just to see what it's like to play. Unfortunately I couldn't find Make Noise in VCV Rack for play testing.
I just got a Filtrone and I love it. It sounds beautiful.
6/18 is the best setting since it allows crossfading between a fairly closed slope and a very open one.
I just wish there was a CV input for tone control (maybe instead of v/oct, if room was an issue), but besides that, I'm very happy with my purchase. Even though I have many filters already, this one is a unique addition - something I missed until it existed.
Hey,
I recently bought a Verbos Complex Oscillator and it is absolutely the most amazing module. It's got incredibly huge warm sound that can go full brashy to soft and warm balloons. And yes, it can go way dark and big (play those minor triads!). I'm loving the Trident also but at nearly $900 right now, that's a huge bite, when I can create similar tone from other modules in my racks.
Others have already said it here and it bears repeating: you can create a complex oscillator out of your existing modules if you use another VCO as a modulation source. Pick something large and warm as your "base" VCO and modulate with just about any other module. Experiment and see what you come up with. I often pair a Castor & Pollux with either Plaits or one of my warm Doepfer VCOs.
Before I bought the Verbos, I used four Electrosmith 3340s detuned slightly to create monstrously huge dark drones. Controlled with a Befaco Muxlicer and a clock set to way way slow. Dark times, my friend. Dark times.
Have fun!
"I'll just plug this in here and see what happens."
Hey,
Here are some basic things to try:
Use two VCOs, or a module with two or more voices (Castor & Pollux or Doepfer's Quad VCO have this ability), and detune them from each other slightly to create a larger chorus sound. Patch each one to one separate side of a stereo output. Pan one just 3/4 left and the other 3/4 right. You really don't want to go hard left and right...you still need a little of each channel's audio to fill in the center. That makes for a much larger sound. Next, try the same thing with a single VCO, splitting the VCO output with a stacker cable or a mult and run the outputs to left and right that way. You may get some unexpected phasing results. Try it and listen!
Use one VCO to modulate another. Choose one VCO as your "primary" and a second as your modulator. Patch the output of any wave shape of the modulator VCO into any CV input on your primary (try V/Oct first, and then experiment with other inputs like FM, PWM or Sync, etc.). Now, adjust the frequency control of your modulator VCO to get some good FM sounds. This is pretty much the same as using an LFO, except that your modulation source is in the audio range. If you use a square wave or pulse wave, you'll get some interesting pinging effects. Route the pings through a bucket brigade or tape delay and adjust the timing and feedback levels to achieve some fun polyrhythms!
Using an LFO is a very basic function. Just like in #2 above, patch the output of an LFO into your VCO. Another cool trick is splitting the signal of an LFO and running half into your VCO and other other half into an inverter or attenuverter like Maths or Mutable Instruments Blinds. Then patch the attenuverter output back into the VCO and play with the modulation rate on Maths to see if you can get the VCO's output to "chase" itself. If you find the sweet spot, the VCO can almost ring itself at the crossover point (depends on the VCO's Q values, usually set by the electronic components). You need Math's movement for this to really work well.
If you want less drone and to control it with a keyboard, then patch in an envelope so you can use your keyboard (or beat pads or a sequencer or whatever) to control pitch and gating. If you do it this way, be sure to also run a cable from your gate control to the reset input on your LFO so that each gate opening starts the LFO cycle from the beginning (better control of the output sound).
Those things should get you off and experimenting with other ways to use oscillators as modulators! Try this with filters, too. Anything that outputs a voltage can be used as a modulator. The limits are up to your imagination! I always find that just plugging something into something else is a great way to learn more about modular.
I don't think one needs to dive deep into a single module to be able to understand modular. One does, however, need to understand the important parts of a "voice" (VCO --> VCF --> (EG) --> VCA --> OUTPUT) so that you can then know where to adjust and insert and modulate. I recommend working on building a voice first, using whatever modules you have, and then start adjusting and plying just by inserting movement CV (Maths, any clocks, LFOs, other VCOs) into your patch to see what changes are made.
Have fun! Keep asking questions!
"I'll just plug this in here and see what happens."
Agreed that Morphagene is too big for a small case
There's a ton of videos on YouTube with experts creating nice small systems using the Palette case. It's much more difficult than it looks!
Everyone should get Pam's eventually, but since you already have uO_C it might be better to go with 1u Steppy until you get a bigger case
Here's my suggestions for good compliments to uO_C and Plaits:
1u Steppy for gate sequencing
vpme Quad Drum or Erica Synths Sample Drum
Ghost or FX Aid
Delta V or Maths for envelope generation
-- 33PO
I was so set on the morphagene but... The hard truth is you guys are totally right. Is there anything that does similar audio mangling but doesn't take up quite so much space?
Steppy looks amazing; I glanced at it a couple times but didn't realize how much it's really capable of. Gonna check out these other suggestions next, thank you so much for your help!
I think the morphagene is a bit big for the space. Add some tiptop drums, more mixer stuff, switched mult, you're gonna need an envelope generator, maybe a pico voice.
-- discolor-inkstand
Wow the pico voice is wild for how small it is! What would a switched mult do that the palette's built in mult can't? Or is it just good to have multiple multipliers?
Agreed that Morphagene is too big for a small case
There's a ton of videos on YouTube with experts creating nice small systems using the Palette case. It's much more difficult than it looks!
Everyone should get Pam's eventually, but since you already have uO_C it might be better to go with 1u Steppy until you get a bigger case
Here's my suggestions for good compliments to uO_C and Plaits:
1u Steppy for gate sequencing
vpme Quad Drum or Erica Synths Sample Drum
Ghost or FX Aid
Delta V or Maths for envelope generation
Why did you make a second listing of Proton? One should be enough.
This is the only quadraphonic mixer in Eurorack format. You can have an external mixer that outputs in quad, but then the panning will be done in this external mixer and will not be CV controlled. This modules allows you to keep all the quad functions within your Eurorack. It feels to me this is the first building block of a quadraphonic modular synthesizer, but to use it fully, you will need another quadraphonic module like the Aeolus seeds. However with 2 stereo inputs, you can use it with a standard stereo mixer before adding other quadraphonic modules.
With many inputs and outputs close to each others, cable management may be a bit tight, so place this module carefully within your system.
I have 2 of them, so I can have up to 5 quadraphonic voices. This module is really a corner stone of my rack.
Good build, easy to understand, highly recommended.
I have a page listing all the quadraphonic modules on my site.
I think the morphagene is a bit big for the space. Add some tiptop drums, more mixer stuff, switched mult, you're gonna need an envelope generator, maybe a pico voice.
https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1589119.jpg
Hello! I finally took the plunge and bought a used palette case off craigslist. It came with uO_C, plaits and some 1U utilities (stereo line-in, dual vca and headphone out).
Where should I go from here? I am trying to build a do-it-all studio tool that can make nice atmospheres, quantize bleeps/drums/loops, and process incoming audio. I figure that's probably a pretty ambitious plan given the limited space I'm working with, but am unsure if there's a secret way to get all these things into 1 tiny package.
I've thought of adding Pams and morphagene, but beyond that I'm lost.
I'd love to get some expert opinions before I start making decisions. Thanks so much!
I avoided Behringer products until recently I bought—and subsequently returned—two Neutrons that I'd hoped would fit in with my other Eurorack equipment. It's not that they were a bad concept, just that the execution was flawed. The first had too much crosstalk between the overdrive and VCA circuits, and the second was built so badly that it wobbled every time we pressed a button or tweaked a knob.
Behringer has always been the Walmart of music equipment. Their business model is selling cheap gear to consumers who can't afford, or won't pay, the higher prices that name brand manufacturers charge for their equipment. I don't buy Behringer gear for myself or for my studio not because they aren't "good enough" sounding, but because I don't have time to waste on all the extra cost and work one has to do with inferior equipment. I'd rather pay the higher front-end price for name brand gear because after the mix is printed, the cost will actually be lower.
It's not news that Behringer clones other designers' gear—they do it with all their products, not just synths—and I don't have a problem with that. It's just business and competition. I don't like how they go about doing it though, and that's about behavior rather than actual methodology. Many of their products are designed to look so close to the original that it's not even a joke anymore (review the Swing, for example, which is a nearly exact copy of Arturia's KeyStep 37, or the Pro-1 modeled after Moog's Pro One).
The thing is, Behringer is capable of designing and producing good equipment without having to resort to ripping off other designs. The DeepMind 12 is a major accomplishment. The Neutron, despite it's manufacturing flaws, is a cool piece of gear for the price, as can be said of the Crave. Why not focus on creating unique gear, or if you're going to clone, then make something that looks different enough to be unique, but make it better? Hard to say, but it doesn't matter now, because Behringer have a reputation for building inferior gear and stealing other designs. I feel they harm the industry and we musicians and engineers rather than they do for themselves sitting in the group as an equal.
The other reason is about ethics and personal responsibility. It's not always productive to discuss, but it cannot be overlooked:
I think what Uli did to Dave Smith and Peter Kirn, and tried to do to Tom Oberheim, were not just churlish and petty behaviors but an example of a fundamentally flawed human being. If someone is willing to beat up a total stranger—AND FOR NO ACTUAL PURPOSE OTHER THAN EGO—in the full view of the public, customers, vendors and professionals alike, then that person/company will not get my business. End of story, full stop. As of today, I own only one piece of Behringer gear: a rack EQ that was left in the studio by an engineer I hired. It stays where it is simply because I didn't pay for it and I don't even want to devote the energy to remove it from the gear rack. I can't actually recall when we used it on a track because even my dbx 231 is better, and that's not saying much.
Every industry needs a bratty nephew that is just a pest to everyone, and that's the role that Behringer has decided to play in our music equipment family.
"I'll just plug this in here and see what happens."
https://sokamiru.bandcamp.com/album/portals
Fully ambient on this one :)
Yes, they are often big. Yes, Uli can be…different. But for, say, the ARP 2500 stuff there is no alternative. The quality of all the B stuff I have is just fine, euro and other. (Queue smarmy laugh emoji’s - get a life,people)
I had a bad experience buying a module from @Zbigniew one month ago
“Mr. Hammond, after careful consideration, I’ve decided not to endorse your park.” (Dr. Alan Grant - Jurassic Park).
'On ne devrait jamais quitter Montauban' (Fernand Naudin).
Thanks, I updated (rounded) the price to ready-to-use assembled version.
Hi there! Despite the fact that some of their practices are bull****, i have to say most of the gear sounds pretty decent, at least to my ears. Model D is a great example. If i can´t find a Minimoog or a TR909 for less than 6000€ (or find them at all) and want to have those sounds, I don´t see why I shouldn´t use a B product. I know there is a TR8s and it is awesome (first hand experience) but maybe you prefer the simplicity of the original. Roland is refusing to reissue this, I see why and respect that but others maybe don´t. They want a copy, they buy a copy.
I worked in development myself and can understand that they safe tons of money by copying. And this is where it gets nasty. Using products that are actually in production like the Mother32 or Dfam, from a small company thats probably struggling due to corona, chip shortage, whatever... is an absolute sh**move. I don´t think this is helping the industry because we definitely need developers like moog. If they have to shut down operation, that would be a loss for all of us.
Anyway... let´s just have more fun wiggling and choose wisely what to buy.
cheers everybody
