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DPO is the bass line, manually sequenced by Pressure Points. Mysteron is the main melody/sequence. Telharmonic runs through Morphagene, filtered through MMG and sequenced by Rene. ErbeVerb is the end-of-chain effect. Moddemix and Optomix were the mixers/VCAs for DPO and Mysteron. Tempi set the clock and clock divisions. Maths doing its envelopes on DPO and Mysteron.
-- pobenergy
tj 4 the expaning
DPO is the bass line, manually sequenced by Pressure Points. Mysteron is the main melody/sequence. Telharmonic runs through Morphagene, filtered through MMG and sequenced by Rene. ErbeVerb is the end-of-chain effect. Moddemix and Optomix were the mixers/VCAs for DPO and Mysteron. Tempi set the clock and clock divisions. Maths doing its envelopes on DPO and Mysteron.
I would ditch Pamela’s and replace it with the NerdSeq More CV expander. I have both and find that the Nerd can do nearly everything Pamela’s can: smooth/stepped random, clock divisions, etc. I’ve been seriously thinking of offloading my Pam’s and I’m a great fan of it. Just feeling it’s a bit redundant.
I’m quiet happy with my rack but want some more modulation possibilitys.
Mainly for modulation of Plaits, Monsoon and Marbles in generative patches.
I have 8 HP free space and think that DivKid ochd could be a good choice.
But I should be happy for other suggestions.
With 1u the clearence for the rails is taken away from the long side of the module, e.g., you have less space to work with compared to a 3u, given the same size front plate.
-- wiggler55550
This also results in more space for your fingers! :)
More below...
You cannot just give a 3u module a quarter turn and declare it a 1u, you will need a new layout to fit it in the narrow space.
-- wiggler55550
Actually, if the module has been properly designed, you can. Be prepared to have quite a wide 1U module though.
Both 3U and 1U versions of my LB5 module use the same PCB, and only have different front panels, so the "lost" area needed for the rails virtually has no impact.
About whether a 1U only case makes sense / is a good idea or not (or if the 1U format makes sense at all), will only depend on how one would use it, so there's no universal answer, and it's not for everybody.
Even though the short demo used this case on its own, the idea was more to complement existing setups to add a couple 1U modules. Some are only available in 1U format, some interfaces (like the steppy) are more user friendly / natural with modules in the horizontal orientations, so there can be uses for such cases. And nobody will force anyone to buy one. :)
There were also some similar reactions when I released the 1U/3U adapters, and yet, I always need to make more. I understand that this solution too is not for everyone though.
Another thing to take into account is the type of modules to be used in 1U : the utilities I released earlier this year were originally designed as 1U modules only, and I finally decided to adapt these to 3U (using a specific PCB for each format this time). So far sales are slightly higher for the 1U format, and this was kind of expected, based on what happened with LB5 already. I do apply the same prices for both formats, and that's just the way it should be.
One could also argue about if hardware modular synthesizers in general make any sense in the 21st century when you can use VCVrack instead! ;)
I guess sane people just don't invest in modular synths. :)
Wouldn't it be great if you could send monophonic sequences to each of the channels. Dang, you'd have 8 channels note to CV for instance coming from a DAW...
With 1u the clearence for the rails is taken away from the long side of the module, e.g., you have less space to work with compared to a 3u, given the same size front plate. You cannot just give a 3u module a quarter turn and declare it a 1u, you will need a new layout to fit it in the narrow space. I guess that's why my 1u uO_C was so much more expensive than the 3u version. Moreover, the smaller the module the less functionality will fit in while much of the cost will not shrink accordingly.
I was thinking of a more or less self sufficient rack here. But given a special use case it does make sense, I can see that.
But let's face it: The bang for the buck in 1u is less compared to 3u so it's possibly not that good an idea.
-- wiggler55550
While I agree with you given the current lineup of available 1u modules, I could see something like this prompting the creation of more unique and interesting 1u modules.
I like the idea of a 1u only rack for patch specific utilities that I don't always want taking up space in my main rack. Rather than use a 4ms pod or a pico case with a bunch of tiny 2hp modules, I would rather have just a row or two of 1u stuff.
Am I missing some glaring drawback of 1u? In other words, is there a concrete reason for the difference in "bang for the buck?"
I have been toying with the idea of a 1u only rack for a while. And boy does it look cutesy. But let's face it: The bang for the buck in 1u is less compared to 3u so it's possibly not that good an idea.
just tried to connect the BSP to plaits as descibed above,but i only get real short sounds comin out of Plaits,what im after some some longer Drone sounds,any tips?
-- Broken-Form
then you won't get a continuous sound from plaits - leave this unplugged and plaits will drone (depending on the mode) just like any other oscillator
just tried to connect the BSP to plaits as descibed above,but i only get real short sounds comin out of Plaits,what im after some some longer Drone sounds,any tips?
-- Broken-Form
then you won't get a continuous sound from plaits - leave this unplugged and plaits will drone (depending on the mode) just like any other oscillator
"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!!!
just tried to connect the BSP to plaits as descibed above,but i only get real short sounds comin out of Plaits,what im after some some longer Drone sounds,any tips?
-- Broken-Form
don't plug anything into trig or level...
-- JimHowell1970
i plugged the gate from BSP into trigger on Plaits
just tried to connect the BSP to plaits as descibed above,but i only get real short sounds comin out of Plaits,what im after some some longer Drone sounds,any tips?
-- Broken-Form
don't plug anything into trig or level...
"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!!!
just tried to connect the BSP to plaits as descibed above,but i only get real short sounds comin out of Plaits,what im after some some longer Drone sounds,any tips?
Nah...the Generate3 is more akin to something like Doepfer's A-110-6, where you're dealing with an analog oscillator with a big assortment of modulation inputs. The Odessa is a VERY different critter. Instead of basic VCO topology, you'd be dealing with an FPGA-driven additive engine with the potential of outputting 2500 harmonics (which shocks the hell out of me; I thought that the Synclavier II was the big dawg with 128 partials back in the day!). And with the Hel expander (and it's in there) you can have FIVE VOICES coming out of the Odessa and feed 'em all through the next VCA set to the Linneaus in glorious stereo. The Generate3 absolutely cannot compete with that feature set, and I didn't even get super-deep into all of the Odessa voodoo.
Also, with this, you'll want a controller/sequencer that can take advantage of that voicing scheme...with the best bet there being an Arturia Keystep Pro. It's also flexible enough that you can use it with loads of other devices, too.
looks amazing...i have some video to check on youtube for those modules !!!!!
odesea was on my list but i was thinking that generate 3 from joranalogue is similar with fund, odd, even its already in my actual case...anyway maybe they can talk to each other really welll....
Hah...forgot the firmware change-ups there, probably because it was a long time ago when I set these parameters the way I need them (one's normal, the other has the screwy CV/gate settings for my MS-20 minis when I'm not using the SQ-1). Be careful about what firmware parameters you're messing with, also...you can't brick one as far as I know, but you CAN get it to behave "badly", which might also come in handy for certain "equipment abuse". Just be sure you know how to bring it back to the defaults.
OK...well, here's what I came up with:
I went in a rather different direction here. There's a lot of "West Coast" stuff in here, most notably the presence of the Buchla 281t, Maths, and the Minimix. Of those, only the Maths isn't a Buchla design...but it IS based on Serge's DUSG. On 'roids.
TILES: Changed this a lot: stereo input (connects to two of the Intellijel cab's 1/4" jacks), a Temps Utile (which is why the Pam's is gone), Intellijel's Noise Tools utility, the O_&c, a stereo VCA to control output levels, and the stereo out (connects to the other two 1/4" jacks). 100% function now.
MIDDLE: All voice. The little black thing on the left is one of Konstant Labs' PWRchekrs, lets you monitor the health of your DC rails. Then a Xaoc Odessa (massive complex oscillator) with the Hel expander (lets you feed five CVs into the Odessa for...yep...basic polyphony, at least at this stage). A pair of G-Storm VCAs after that controls levels from the Odessa or the external input (or both), then...since by now, we're really dealing with a stereo out on the Odessa (ie: odd and even harmonics...although, it can also run in mono via the "Mix" jack), I dropped in one of Dave Rossum's very pliable VCFs. The Linneaus has some very interesting capabilities, such as having through-zero modulation and loads of timbral control. Two more VCAs deal with the Linneaus' output, then the feed goes to the Data Bender. The Data Bender then feeds a pair of VCAs in the Neutron Sound quad VCA before going to the Minimix. That mixer has three (one fixed level) stereo inputs, four mono ins, two of which have CVable panning. The Sarajewo delay is there at the end so that you can drop it in across several different mixing points.
BOTTOM: Scales, Shifty, then a very useful 6 hp from SSF that contains loads of utility submodules, such as voltage summing, a comparator, inverter, 2 to 1 switch, and so on. Batumi/Poti for your four LFOs, then Maths, then the little brown thing is Frap's 321, which makes for an excellent modulation alteration device along with the dual VCAs after it. And then the 281t...which you can use for 2 or 3-stage envelopes, or you can set it up in one of its quadrature modes as another complex function generator like Maths. And that's possible because there's four "proper" EGs after it, along with the quad control expander (useful if you start to explore the Odessa's poly capabilities).
Now THAT is a fine piece of gear. Soundwise, it's going to hover in a nifty "weird zone" somewhere between German-style wavetable synthesis, West Coast, and just plain effin' trippy. Loads of potential, too!
Is there a way to create repeating random stepped voltages just like the voltage block?
-- Polyterative
Sure...one of the easiest, in fact, would be to use an LFO to feed a clocked quantizer. Adjust the LFO rate accordingly, and you'll get the basic pattern...but you can also OFFset that rate so that the resulting patterns become longer. And the waveform chosen will also affect how this works; ramp waves (ie: reversed sawtooth) will give you an "up" direction, sawtooth will give you "down", and the other cyclical waveforms will do the same over up and down.
without good ergonomics, ANY instrument turns into a total PITA.
It's something I failed to understand for a long time, that programmability is not the only asset of a good rack, but ergonomics (eg. having attenuators normalled to internal voltage, manual gates, wide(r) modules and so on were super important) too
The issue that you describe might have to with the M32' pitch/gate handling, as described by catwavez and Lugia above this post. However it can also be that you need to adjust rings a bit.
I understand that you've got this module cause it sounds amazing, BUT rings is known to be hard to tune in scale because both the frequency (input labeled as v/oct on the panel) and shape are both influencing the pitch. So let's say you've tuned your rings with the frequency knob and you are changing the shape, it could go out of tune again.
My suggestion would be to set up your rings as described in Lightbath's guide: https://lightbath.zone/tune-rings . This way, you have a clear 'starting point' from which you can work out what the issue is. Try to see if Rings sounds acceptable in this way by plugging and unplugging a cable in and out of the "strum" input, thus triggering the sound.
Check the Beatstep's CV/gate settings by hooking it up to your computer and opening the MIDI Control Center software (free download from the Arturia site). The BSP manual provides extra info for this in chapter 10.9.6. called "CV/Gate mode". For controlling Rings, the gate mode of the sequence you want to use (seq1 or seq2) needs to be set to V-trig I believe. Pitch mode needs to be set to v/oct and you can experiment with the seq's 0V midi note settings. Try to see what happens if you set this to C1, C2, C3 or C4.
If you want to keep controlling the Mother-32 with the BSP as well, I'd suggest to keep using the selected seq that it works with now, and change the settings of the other seq to match with Rings.
Uhmm...no. You have a very small build, and you want to drop two sets of buffered mults in there? Bad choice; in a build of this size, AVOIDING mults is what's needed. Also, the only time that buffering is really useful is when CV scaling is critical, as in VCO pitches...but only when you've got 4-5 or more destinations for that CV. As for audio, just use the same sort of inline mults or stackcables you typically use for multing in small builds like this. Also, why two QuadrATTs? In this build, one should be fine.
Other examples: if you've got an Ornament and Crime, why have the expensive AF ADDAC quantizer? Yeah, sure, you lose a couple of O&_c channels that way, but that's why it has so many. And four VCAs is just not enough; let's say you need amplitude control of each of your VCOs. But then, you also want VCAs post-VCF on some patches, or you'll want them in front of a manual mixer, plus there needs to be a couple of linear VCAs to manipulate your modulation amplitudes. Four ain't gonna cut it, basically.
If I were you, I'd rip into this and get VERY critical, for starters. Question what you've created here and how you can use it smoothly; without good ergonomics, ANY instrument turns into a total PITA. Ask if you really, REALLY need certain modules in here, or are they taking up space that something USEFUL might go into? It's basically the same thing I would do back in the undergrad days, going over and over and OVER vocal rep stuff because practice is how things get done RIGHT. The same practice principle applies here as well. I would also suggest snagging a copy (free!) of VCV Rack to test out some of what I'm saying here...build a voice row with VCAs at the right steps on the audio chain, and then one without. See what works, what doesn't, and so on. This is how you avoid mistaken purchases while, at the same time, saving yourself a buttload of money by knowing what works and what doesn't BEFORE pulling the trigger on the Magic Plastic.
Yeah...and this highlights one point that I've gotten some crap for: YouTube is NOT the right place to shop for modular gear. You have to keep in mind that, in lots of cases, reviewers on YT have a vested interest in telling you how absolutely WONDERFUL this new module, etc is. Granted, this has been better as of late since YT started mandating that presenters have to disclose any compensation gained through a company relationship, but it still exists in older clips that predate that. It's better to see what things do on YT...and then check with actual users as to whether those things are all that useful in the first place.
As for the build above, well...you're going to have a ton of trouble controlling a modular synth with no VCAs...unless you've got several extra hands to control levels while the other two are working the OTHER controls. And fyi, Walgreens has a great selection of tweezers to go with the Pico system's controls; that device is irritating AF due to the rotten ergonomics that jam everything too closely together. Put THAT part of the build back in its own case where it belongs, as having it in with the rest of this flirts with creating a big patchcord snarl on the left end of the cab. And that should open up some space in this build.
If you've not worked with VCV Rack, I strongly suggest that you do so before buying anything else. That will give you loads of insight on what went wrong here, and how to correct it.
catwavez is 100% spot on. The M32 outputs BIdirectional CVs, where the vast majority of Eurorack uses UNIdirectional CV for control. This means that while the M32 is happy as a clam with negative CVs (ie: something like -1V is valid), Eurorack usually doesn't have the ability to make sense of negative CVs. So you either get fubar tunings when the M32's CV dips below 0V, or as in this case, the module simply won't respond to CVs below 0V at all. And yes, that's what the MScale is intended to correct.
Why does this exist? Simple...it's Moog. And don't EVEN get me started about their modulars' S-Trig idiocy, either!
An immediate impression: way too many "big modules". If you can make those smaller by finding more space-efficient modules with the same functions, try that FIRST. Secondly, if you're going to wind up using Mutable clones, make sure their user interface isn't so cramped with tiny knobs that you'll need a pair of tweezers to program 'em. For example, the Michigan uBraids is a good example of how that should work, but the Plaits clone next to it...not so much.
Last: you have two enormous (for this build) sampling modules. Again, there ARE smaller solutions that can fill those functions, and they're where you might want to go with those...or perhaps, just one.
Gonna mess with this for a bit...
(EDIT) OK...here's what I cooked up:
Hoo, boy...OK, there's a few changes to the original design, but now this thing is VERY OP...
TOP: Starts off with a little Doepfer ute that gives you a ring modulator, sample and hold, and a slew limiter. Then I went with a pair of Klavis Dual Waves mkii for the FOUR oscillators this now has. Those oscillators also can serve as noise sources, and the VCO architecture there is all wavetable. These feed a Veils (if you can find one...otherwise, use Codex Modulex's quad VCAs which are clones of Veils) to control/sum the VCOs pre-VCF. Then for filters, I put in a Tiptop Forbidden Planet, which is a Steiner-Parker Synthacon VCF clone...a VERY lead-line filter! And the other for BASS is a G-Storm clone of the Roland SH-101's lowpass filter...which definitely can bang. The Elements got shrunk so much, it turned into Qu-bit's physical modeller...same idea, more space-efficient. After that there's four more VCAs which you can use post-VCF for the oscillator path and still have a stereo pair left to control the Surface's amplitude. The mixer there is Toppobrillo's Minimix, which is based on Buchla designs and which gives you THREE stereo ins (one is fixed-gain) plus FOUR mono inputs, two of which have CV panners. And at the end is a Happy Nerding Isolator...the new version with the headphone preamp, but with the same good ol' transformers for isolation and, if you hit them a bit harder, warm "big iron" saturation to give the sound more "heft".
MIDDLE: Batumi/Poti for four LFOs, then Maths because...Maths. After that is the "screw with modulation" section, with a Tiptop MISO and an Antumbra dual VCA (same topology as the Veils, even). This gets followed with a Zadar (and its expander), then there's the dual ADSR. After that is an improved clone of the Mutable Clouds, a Calsynth Cell. Now, this can be put into the audio path (above...space got tight!) at a number of points by splitting your main L-R signals, sending one side to the mixer, and the other to Cell, then you can bring the Cell signal back into the Minimix on one of its dedicated stereo faders. You can make this "Y" pretty much anywhere, though; send one Twin Waves into VCA 1 and 2 and the other through 3 and 4, then take outs 2 and 4 and drop that down to the Cell before the filters. Lots of potential trouble there...
BOTTOM: Pretty much 100% control. ES-8, then the Disting XL, and the Pam's. Then I left the Nerdseq in because it felt like a very good match with Dave Rossum's Assimil8r, both functionally AND ergonomically. Note, also, that you can easily break out the Assimil8r's eight individual outs to an external mixer, or you could send its stereo output to the Minimix, in either one of the stereo faders or you could send it as a premixed signal to the Minimix's unity-gain "EXP" stereo input.
To me, this seems a lot more solid. It's now got the necessary utility modules necessary to REALLY make it into a controllable build, plus there's some definite upgrading here, especially with doubling the amount of VCOs. See what you think...
Or at the very least, switch the Shuttle Control out with a more "open-ended" MIDI module, such as Hexinverter's Mutant Brain. Smaller, too.
As for the drum modules, I'd suggest leaving them out and using a drum machine that's locked up to a clock in the modular. That way, everything stays in sync AND you save buttloads of money in the process. Also, it opens up space that you can partly use to put four exponential VCAs in front of the A-138s, which is precisely what would give you CV over mix levels.
Might be a hole/placeholder for a third sub-module. There's several Serge modules that fit really well with the DUSG and SSG, which is what's here already.
Doesn't the mother 32 have weird CV tracking or something like that? I googled "Moog mother 32 cv in issue" and there is quite a few people with mother 32 cv problems. It's why Erica Synths released that Pico MScale module, right? Does the Beatstep have different voltage settings for the CV out? Perhaps it's set to work with the mother 32 but not, uh, "normal" V/Oct?
Well, the issue is that sending the same output to v/oct on the mother works to play notes. Doesnt matter if Im sending a sequence or playing notes with the pads(which can be used as a rudimentary keyboard). I’ve tried all the octaves.
of course i realised that utilities are ace...need an extra quad att and a pamela to sync to my hermod....love sync lfo wish to get more mult to copy signal actually have 2 intellijel 4 hub...
