Hey all, I missed that these responses happened initially, thanks so much for putting thought into this! I actually responded to this thread a couple of weeks ago but deleted it because it was an unfocused 3am ramble haha. I've put a lot more work in over the past few months so I have some more experience to go off of and a solid collection of modules too. Still scratching my head over the layout though. Here's a draft for discussion:
The first two rows here are the main draft of the Mantis that I basically already have / am planning (draft keeps changing, these are the broad strokes through). Currently I'm swapping out the STMix / Befaco Out for the OPTX depending on whether I'm playing out or at home. The third row is stuff I'd be interested in shoehorning if space allowed (already have the Neb and the Buchla Quad) and the fourth row is stuff I already have but will likely sell.
I'm trying to decide between: 1) Sticking to the Mantis; 2) Getting a slightly bigger case to shoehorn the few extra modules my current setup seems to want; or 3) Getting a second Mantis to have a "studio" case and a "performance" case, which would give me some space to grow into. There aren't any wrong options there, just more expensive options haha.
A few design notes I'm thinking about: Lugia, that draft you put together was really helpful! I picked up the A-138s and it's quickly become a favorite utility; and I think the points about the Verbos were spot on. This draft is missing some of the utilities (lighter on VCAs, less the Frap 321, less the Quadrax), but includes some things I've ended up using a lot (Pique for modulation cv, a matrix mixer for feedback patching, Mutes for controlling that feedback patching and a sequential switch). I have the Buchla FG, which is basically a Quadrax plus expander, but I need to spend more time with it -- so far I've had fun with it but haven't really accomplished anything musically relevant, which is why the Quadrax isn't currently included in the main draft. Ended up with an Entropy over the Nano Rand because of how obnoxious the light is on the Nano, but also because I found that S+H and noise were by far my most-used functions on the Nano and the Entropy worked to fill the awkward 3-hp hole left by the Salmple. I ended up liking the overall sound and functionality of the Dipole much better than Blades (though Blades has a fantastic distortion stage) and fell in love with the sound and functionality of the ZPO, so am planning to go with it over the 258t (although the Buchla obviously sounds amazing too). Re: the Squid Salmple, it's just amazing and the current backbone of my workflow -- I love it to pieces and wouldn't trade it for a Bitbox or external sampler, though I have been curious about the Assimil8or because of its similarity to Squid (with mostly expanded functionality).
Welcoming any further feedback and I now where to look for notifications now!