Acid Rain Switchblade seems to do what you're looking for. It's discontinued now, but you may still be able to track down a used one.
Here's a list of the gear he uses. You may find some ideas on the direction you would like to go. Good luck and have fun!
https://equipboard.com/pros/sebastien-leger
I like the Make Noise manuals. Lots of patch ideas and clear explanations.
I'm finally finishing up after 2 and a half years, myself. Yours looks great to me. Well organized and versatile. I'm sure you will hear the usual advice of moving the semi-modulars and mults outside the case to save space, but I'm of the opinion of "do what's best for you". Your rack looks very playable and designed to last a long time. Well done.
the way in rack drums are tossed out as unreasonable is silly to me as the entire point of modular is to build the instrument you want to build.
-- xnax
I totally agree @xnax. It's YOUR instrument. Build what you want and re-sell the parts that aren't working for you.
Personally, I've taken a hybrid approach with drums, incorporating a desktop 808 clone with modular drums. In fact, I've dedicated 104hp just to modular drums (not including various trigger sequencers and switches) and I couldn't be happier. I may even pick up a DFAM again just so I can (*gasp) take it out of its own dedicated case and put it in my rack, because THAT'S WHERE IT WILL GET USED THE MOST. All of these "rules of thumb" for building a rack need to be taken with a grain of salt. If you want a drum rack, build a drum rack. If you want to rack up a bunch of semi-modulars together, do that. It might cost a little more than alternative methods, but that's on each of us to weigh the costs and benefits. If I listened to every piece of advice given on this forum, I'd have ended up with a bunch of stuff that's great for generative ambient or West Coast-ish Buchla bongo sounds but useless for what I actually find myself doing most of the time.
Only you know how you will make the best use of your gear. Experiment and have fun.
If you like the Moog sound and will make use of the patch bay, it's probably an incredibly useful addition for not much money.
On first listen, this sounds to me like a heavily filtered polysynth (or string machine?) and sampled piano with a lot of reverb. You might be able to get close with running an inexpensive poly or ROMpler through something like QPAS and Mimeophon. Curious how others might approach it.
QPAS might help tame some of the harshness of Manis while offering stereo options. Audio rate modulation of QPAS is fun too. If you want to accentuate the aggression of Manis and Mysteron, maybe check out Future Sound Systems Fil3 Spectral Devastator. It’s a dual filter and distortion that fits your hp requirements.
I don’t use QPAS in every patch, but it will never leave my rack. I don’t have anything else quite like it and what it does is really really cool.
With that being said, what kind of sounds are you hoping to make? If you are looking for more aggressive tones, a Dual Borg or Polivoks style filter might be better suited.
Check this out: https://www.musicradar.com/news/korg-nts-2-oscilloscope
Manual can be found here: https://www.endorphin.es/modules/p/grand-terminal
Sorry to hear about your ALM trouble. That’s a bummer.
I have the Milky Way and FX Aid XL. I like the reverbs and ping pong delay on the Milky Way but don’t use it often for any of the other effects. The FX Aid algorithms are really good and I think I flashed it two or three different times to find a combination of effects that I’m sticking with. I’ve found it to be much better for effects that can transform a patch into something completely different, while the Milky Way is ok for more “bread and butter” end of chain reverbs and delays.
If I had to recommend one, I would say go for the FX Aid XL.
Have fun and good luck!
*edit: I sold my Disting. Just really didn’t enjoy using it. Tweaking it to get the sound I wanted was less than ideal.
This was an insta-buy for me first thing this morning. I've been mulling over Kamieniec, K-Phaser, or a Small Stone pedal for the last few weeks. G Man knew exactly what I needed. Should be here on Thursday, so I'll report back with my thoughts.
I typically stay out of the online Behringer discussion, but I agree 100% with everything you've written here. I have an RD8 and VC340, and adore both of them. They absolutely nailed these and several of the other, um, "tributes" that they released over the past few years. But...
The constant vaporware teasing and "R&D" over the last year is annoying. Who runs a company like this? I sympathize with the supply chain issues and all of the obstacles that synth builders are facing at present, but for god's sake just release something or shut up. People still can't get the RD9 that was released a year ago. Even though Uli seems to thrive on the wrong side of the ethical gray area between right and wrong, I was begrudgingly excited about picking up a few more of the clones for a while. I've given up though. Every time I see some new tease, I just scroll right past it. I mean, does anyone really think their teased Polykobol clone is ever going to see the light of day?
I am a synth lover and a synth buyer, but I'm starting to suspect that I'm not the target market for any of this anymore. So, who is the target market for all of Uli's shenanigans? It just doesn't make sense to run a company this way.
I’d recommend taking a look at the Noise Reap Anomaly filter for a low cost but unique addition to this rack.
Have fun and good luck!
I'll be the voice of dissent.
If you are going to use the Moogs more often or more effectively by incorporating them into your eurorack, then leave them there, regardless of the $$$-per-hp algebra.
I had Vortices on my short list for a long time. I ultimately chose a different route for similar types of sounds. I was planning on pairing it with the Worng Soundstage. I thought that might give me the best of both worlds. Only issue with the Soundstage is the lack of integrated individual VCAs, but that's easily handled upstream in a larger rack.
I know what you mean about the Vortices cable spaghetti. I suppose it's a good design if you are looking to save space, but if space isn't an issue it becomes an ergonomic concern. I have mixers at the bottom right of my rack, and had planned to put Vortices there even with the funky I/O setup.
Good luck finding a spot for it.
Here's a quick video of some melodic BIA sounds. The attack and release can be reasonably long for melodic duties.
I debated this pretty hard for a few months and ultimately decided on BIA. I felt that I could get similar sounds from BIA plus a bit more variety in less hp. That's not to say Akemie's is not awesome. I would still like to have the Taiko (and Akemie's Castle), but I have FM sounds covered outside of the rack. And with the new updated Volca FM I just saw, I feel like you could cover your FM needs with much less $$$.
I'm curious to hear what others have chosen in this particular shootout.
I'm with Jim on this topic, effects pedals may be the best way to incorporate a broader range of effects. This may or may not save you money depending on the pedals you prefer, also the CV control options for pedals aren't ideal, so it's not a perfect solution. I would recommend picking up something like the Strymon AA.1 to convert euro signals to pedal and back. It's a good inexpensive utility.
I also don't necessarily think the analog vs digital debate applies much to effects, as I have a mixture of both types of effects, though I prefer analog for some other things. I recently picked up a Strymon Deco which is digital, and it has become my favorite overall effect for just about everything. It's a magic pixie dust pedal that makes everything sound better than it should. I have also enjoyed the results I've gotten from the simple and inexpensive Doepfer spring reverb (though I have to leave a 1hp blank space to run the reverb tank cable outside of my rack). I've gotten mixed results with the Erica BBD delay/flanger. Sometimes it's awesome, and other times I struggle to achieve what I'm hearing in my head.
Let us know what you choose. Have fun!
Ah, ok. Your original post suggested that you were looking for recommendations. Looks like a fun sequencing setup as is, so enjoy it. :)
I would recommend taking a look at the Winter Modular Eloquencer instead of the Varigate. I weighed the pros and cons of each when I was deciding on a sequencer, and found that the Eloquencer's eight channels of CV/gate and probabilities for gate, ratchet, and note value made it the best option for me. I also use the Voltage Block, PNW, and a few interesting clock dividers. Either way, this looks like a fun sequencing skiff.
Good luck and have fun!
SoundForce is pretty well known for recreating Juno-esque modules. You may want to take a look at this one:
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/soundforce-dual-adsr
Hi and welcome @pr1n.
You will most certainly want more VCAs at some point and likely a dedicated envelope module. Mutable Instruments makes Veils as a good VCA choice, and while Pam's and Maths can both do envelopes/LFOs/etc., you will likely want something that's more easily tweakable than Pam's, and you may want to use Maths for other things. Batumi, Zadar, Quadrax, and Ochs are popular choices for envelopes and LFOs.
You mentioned that you would like a playable system. Pam's is an amazing module, but I would not exactly call it hands-on or playable. Same goes for Disting, and while Disting is a decent option for someone learning what they need in a system, you will likely get frustrated with it if you are hoping for quick changes and intuitive use. In fact, I sold mine after I got dedicated "tweakable" replacement modules for the algorithms I used most often. Just something to consider.
And, yeah, a filter and or wavefolder would be a good choice for sound shaping. Plaits has a dedicated low pass gate mode, but filters come in many flavors and you will probably have a lot of fun choosing one and experimenting with different types.
Hope this helps.
Good luck and have fun!
Duplicate submission. This WMD/SSF collab is listed under Steady State Fate ADSRVCA at https://www.modulargrid.net/e/steady-state-fate-adsrvca
My biggest concern with the clones is ergonomics. The smaller “micro” footprint is not very fun to use in practice, though it might seem like a good trade off.
Is that what you have been using in your recent videos @wishbonebrewery? That thing looks pretty neat.
What about something like Noise Engineering's Numeric Repetitor? A combination of the Numeric and Zularic Repetitors would be a powerful and fun combo at 16hp, and you could probably get both for under $500 used.
Hi Figo. It looks like the version pictured above is the original faceplate as submitted by Intellijel a few years ago. The version currently pictured on their website is like the one you described, so I would guess that you have the newer updated cosmetics.
Hope that helps.
Very nice! Getting some Underworld vibes from this.
Vortices is a very cool mixer. Sounds great here (and your kick sound too). I was scoping out Vortices for a long time, but ultimately picked up a Strymon Deco pedal for a similar tape saturation sound.
Hmmm... I'm not much of a generative musician, but I think I would probably want some switching, random, and logic options like the Doepfer A151 and MI Branches, maybe the Joranalogue Compare 2, and I know a lot of folks love MI's Marbles for generative. Disting would probably cover some of that territory for you. It's not much fun to use though. I've been eyeing the Qu-Bit Synapse as a fully-featured crossfading switch but at 20hp it's a lot of real estate (and $) to sacrifice. I personally like the Warm Star Electronics The Bends for a small (10hp) CV controlled crossfading matrix mixer. Might be worth a look?
Your signal flow looks pretty logical, so if it works for you, I would keep it as-is.
Have fun and good luck!
What kind of suggestions are you hoping for? New module additions? Module replacement? Signal flow improvement?
Do you have other gear that you are incorporating with your modular? What styles of music are you creating?
Hard to offer any useful advice without knowing any details. Let us know what you are hoping to do.
I've found both the 3xMIA and FX Aid XL to be incredibly useful in just about every patch. You have Maths already, which can do the 3xMIA tasks if you aren't already using all four Maths channels, so 3xMIA may be more useful if and when you add an additional 104hp. I know some people love O_C, and some of the algorithms look incredibly fun, but I hate menu diving so I can't offer any advice on that one.
I'm not sure that having two filters is a problem. You can use one to self resonate and use that as an extra/sub oscillator, maybe?
What problem are you most hoping to solve? With such a small amount of space left, I would focus on the one thing you really want to do, but can't with your rack as it is.
Have fun and good luck.
Hi arthabaska. I'm a big fan of a lot of the music you mentioned. Cornelius's Fantasma is a personal favorite.
After taking a quick glance at your rack, I'm thinking you are VERY oscillator heavy. I think I'd be tempted to part with the Drone Bank, E350, and A110 Standard VCO in favor of more mixing, for sure. With so many sound sources I would be looking for creative ways to mix, crossfade, aux send, etc.
As far as utilities, figure out what problem you are running into and add individual utilities as necessary to solve specific problems. Whatever you want to do is probably possible, but I'm not sure what issues you are running into to recommend anything specific at this time.
Have fun and good luck!
Yeah, I stand by my original suggestion. Get the 208hp case, add some of the modules that you really want, and cover the rest with blind panels until you know what you need. Plan long-term and add modules as need and budget dictate. This is modular after all so you can always take a modular approach to the rack itself if you plan right. I started with a plan of 416hp (i.e. two Mantis cases joined with brackets) and my initial investment was 104hp worth of modules. I then began adding additional support modules when I could. I now have double my original plan. Modular is my main instrument, so that may be overkill for many users, but it works for me.
Buy the modules that will give you the most joy and inspiration. Don't just buy what is small, available, and affordable in the present. You are building a highly personal instrument that could last decades, so build exactly what you want. Don't get me wrong, I've purchased some modules that were duds just because I wanted something (anything?) new, but for the most part I've stuck to my long-term plan. And your long-term plans will slowly shift as you begin adding modules and realizing that your preferences and approach to sound and workflow differ from the capabilities and styles of some module manufacturers.
Above all, have fun with it. Don't go into debt. :)
Edit: Here's my current rack if you are interested. Again, I started with 104hp of modules (some of which I still have in there). Just be sure to cover open spaces to avoid screws and patch cable tips from touching any power headers.
I recently picked up a Blue Lantern Booster Array which has 8 separate preamps in 10hp for under $100. I’m using it with the individual outs of a drum machine but it’s great with other line level gear too. Works perfectly. Highly recommended. I think it might be a limited run, but there were a few still available on Reverb last time I checked.
Have fun!
+1 to basically everything Jim said.
What about this:
I got rid of the scope and Clouds clone, added a better mixing option, attenuverters, some plumbing, and changed the layout to be a little more logical in the signal flow department. That leaves you with 26hp open. Cover that with blank panels until you play around with everything and start to realize what you really need. Saves a bit of money from your original design too.
Just a suggestion on how I would approach this. Have fun!
*Edit: Also, I think there is a newer version of Veils that could save you a few more hp. Not sure about availability of the newer one vs. the older one in Australia though.
I would suggest that you stick to the original Mutable Instruments modules. The micro builds make tweaking significantly less fun. I have a Peaks clone, and it's a little frustrating. The original MI builds may be larger, but that real estate is valuable in use. The MI modules likely won't cost you much more than the clones either. That's my experience, anyway.
Plaits is one of the rare modules that I sold due to neglect but now wish I had. I have plenty of oscillators and drum modules, but none of them can cover the broad range of percussive sounds that Plaits can do easily. I was recently considering adding another drum machine like the Elektron Model:Cycles or Erica LXR02, but realized Plaits could cover all of that territory without the need to learn a new sequencer. I feel embarrassed that I didn’t recognize its potential earlier.
I have not personally used the Beatstep Pro, but many within this forum swear by it for sequencing. As far as I know, you wouldn't need a Shuttle Control as the BSP has CV I/O for two tracks of melodic sequencing and a bunch of drum triggers, as well as CV and midi I/O for clocking. You could use Pamela's New Workout as your master clock, send a gate to the BSP clock in, and you are all set. All for $300 or less.
