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Having a blast with my Rackbrute 3U set up with my Minibrute 2. Would be interested in recommendations for filling in the last 6HP remaining considering what I already have in place. What am I missing? What would be cool to add to this setup knowing that I'm using it with the Minibrute 2 (also cross Rackbrute with my 6U as well, but mostly used with the Minibrute 2).

One note...I have all the effects that I think I'll ever need...plan to do some external stompbox with the Hendrikson....looking at the Hologram Microcosm as a possibility.

Here's the current state:

EDITED Jan 21st 2022, 21:44

...
-- Next_G

Sequenced cv/fx routing seems interesting in ideas but also tending to sound sludge I guess :B buuut definitely will try out. I kind of feel repulsive at the performers layout.. but think its handy for fast rythmic fx on drums or so.

...
-- wishbonebrewery

Pretty sums up my relation with the moons (-;

Thanks for input guys!

Hi community,

2 of my young students bought the MK2 of Klavis' Twin Waves, but they don't speak english so I did a full instructionnal video about this dual oscillator/LFO. It has chapters too. Hzppy viewing

-- -ADR-

Thanks a lot for the nice job.

Eric

I'm also in two minds about the Moonphase, though I think it takes a bit of learning and some careful tweaking to get the best out of it. It may get sold if I buy another Stereo filter, I do use my 3 other mono filters way more than the Moonphase and can make interesting Stereo (Dual Mono) effects with 2 mono filters. All that said, I sort of think if I did sell the Moonphase I would immediately find a use for it ;-)

The Modbab Modular Performer spontaneously comes to my mind as one for cool spacy effects. A good idea would also be a sequencing switch, e.g. to route different tracks or CV modulations to different FX and/or modulation targets. E.g. the Livestock Electronics - Maze , Erica Synths / Sacrament Modular - Cursible or the Qu-Bit Electronix - Synapse .

Heya twiddlers,
Being into modular since a time and trying to downsize and focus myself on this one here. Music im up to is ambientish downtempo or so.. I got a machinedrum and some drum modules nearby, which are also feeding this case for fx. Whole mixing happening in another case + signature 12 for daw recording. Nerd is currently my main track builder,
bitbox as sampler for fieldrecdronestuff, Voltage Block for modulation and quick builings. Also there's a keystep pro for jamming.

The upper 1u is an led lamp from the case, middle one has two passive mults.

Don't have people with modular in my bubble so was kind of interested what others would think about the assemble. I have fun atm but would be open for changes (-; I now its pretty subtractive and I think its time to drift forward.. the chord doesn't gets this much cables its deserves, also im not so sure about the moonphase but both have some sweetspots to discover ... rubicon is an fm beast and really like its behaviour but always needs help from outside and therefore its kind of to big for me.. maybe a klavis twin wave or 2 dixies...
One of the distings usually ends up as a reverb /fx which feels kind of squanderedy, so maybe a fx aid if space pops up...?

sooo what's on your minds?

Thanks and enjoy that u enjoy

12u 80hp

Also building cases out of old military boxes. But that maybe another thread with pictures :~~~~~~~~~~)

EDITED Jan 22nd 2022, 19:15

tysm Warlock016!
Somebody once told me you can never have too many oscillators. I guess like any other obsessions, a "junkie" can justify just about anything. :)
I do have a mixer, so I'm covered there. Thanks for pointing out the absence of modulation. I think I have sequencing cover outside the rack with the Keystep Pro, Moog Sub 37 and DAW. I'm hoping Yarns will help make that happen. But I don't know much. It's all learning and most importantly, fun!
Regarding the planning, the rack shows what I already have. I might sell of bits to make a more useable rack or give them to my kid to play with. Just think of it... giving my kid Maths to mess with. That just might score me as one of the hippest days (oops, using "hippest" disqualifies me instantly)
Initially, I'm looking to create a soundscape that interacts with acoustical instruments. Hoping the acoustic instrument will inform the environment with pitch and sequence rate. Funny, I can see it but I'm not sure I can explain it. Again, it's all about having fun.

Thank you for making time to review! Much appreciated!

I agree that more variation in notes would be more appealing. Tried some different things, but did not like the result.

If I would work with a DAW, I would have recorded the "main patch" and started something new, to work on this one later.

The patch is "saved" in my head, the jam recorded.

BTW, thanks for the sub (scription, not bass)!

Wiggles

EDITED Jan 20th 2022, 21:59

(I made a note for myself to go back and listen to this on good headphones after having a quick listen on the go, so here is a "full" review, haha)

I really enjoyed this jam and I wouldn't have noticed a to loud clap/snare without you pointing it out. Gets me in the mood to buckle up and have a long night of coding/programming.

Tips for future jams? While sounding great you could transpose and move the bassline a bit and go und and down some halftone steps to shift into another mood. Then staying there for a while and coming back to your root note. But that's more personal preference than anything else.

Keep wiggling those knobs!

First of all, thank you for all this good advice!

NP

first of all - bigger case - but keep this one and add 6u of 104hp

Yes, that is obvious by now, haha. I will order more rails and put together a nice case for it. I'm a woodworker by trade so I have some nice materials for it laying around. I kind of like the 1U form factor, is it worth it to include a couple of rails for this, or is it mostly a gimmick for keeping cases small? Until I get a use for it it can be covered up by a nice wooden panel.

1u is a tricky question - lots of people like it, but it really is just a way of cramming in a bit more without using an extra 3.5"

as for is it good value? in terms of building cases - I don't think so - a pair of rails is a pair of rails, so the same price as for 3u - if you are a wood worker then in all likelihood the cost of materials is effectively nothing, depending on what lengths of wood you can buy in - whenever I've built cases the piece of wood I bought would have easily had enough space for either - and they still take power slots!

as for functionality - there's nothing compelling enough to put a 1u row in, if you can fit a 3u, imo, and you can fit way more in 3u/104hp, than in 1u/104hp - at least 3 times as much... also I think it often encourages people to marginalize utility modules - which imo are equally important as sound sources or modifiers, or modulation sources!

personally I wouldn't bother, but don't let me put you off!

the befaco excalibus is a great DIY power supply

Do you think my uZeus with the booster brick will be too small for this? For what I paid for it (used) it seems to deliver good juice?

quite possibly, yes - always remember you should lead 30% headroom on all rails to allow for inrush... worth noting is that whatever brick you run for the uZeus -ve rail is maxed out at 500mA

As for PNW, Maths and the multi-utility/effects/thingies they are all on my wishlist and I hope to be able to add them to my system in the future, but right now the budget is a little tight. Never seen the Xaoc devices before, so thank you for bringing them up, they look super useful.

Unless something used pops up, I think my next shopping cart will be filled with DIY filters, envelopes, and LFOs. I kind of hoped O&C could do a lot of this for me. I had my hands on a used WASP, but some other dude offered almost shop prize for it.

yeah used prices can be insane at the moment, but unless you can get at least 20% off, I would buy new, if you can - support and warranty are often useful...

one thing to pay attention to - work out the cost per channel and if the DIY version is comparable at that level - for example the tta/buchla quad function generator is about 200(insert major currency) - which works out at 50/channel - it's quite difficult to get a DIY function for much less than this - so once you factor in time etc... it's not always worth it... but sometimes it's fun - my racks are about 50/50 DIY and bought...

Thanks again for the good advice, gotta go write a letter to Santa..

-- Geir74

good luck with that!

thank you ! yeah, nice (like most of RMR stuff), tho this one is a real video of the actual manual, i guess you'd know your module like no other after a viewing ;)

EDITED Jan 21st 2022, 21:34

EDITED Feb 27th 2023, 07:11

As I'm looking at it now, that system draws less than 1 amp in power, and there's 17 modules. Any system with 20 power connectors and 1.4 amp of power should work fine, assuming your ribbon cables are long enough to reach the connectors.

My distribution board also has 3 lights and the middle light dont light up as much as the 2 others.
Is it the psu that got damaged?and can I do something to fix it or do I need to buy a new one?

Hi community,

2 of my young students bought the MK2 of Klavis' Twin Waves, but they don't speak english so I did a full instructionnal video about this dual oscillator/LFO. It has chapters too. Hzppy viewing

Todages i rearrangged my case
I have a 12u 84hp travelcase with 2 bus boards.i have the konstant labs pwr checker modules with the 3 green lights

I noticed the the middle light on the one module doesent light up now.does this Mean my bus board is screwed?

Im on the train right now.can take some pictures when im home on sunday

EDITED Jan 20th 2022, 16:27

Well, with those two modules, you will have an arm and a leg of a drummer. So that is allready a half drummer :)
-- M01C

Hehe, well Iv'e used Jomox drum machines and modules for years so I know the sound I'm getting with them. The decision to grab the modular version was easy there. It's a big 20hp module but well worth the investment IMO.
Along with the Mantis case I also bought the brackets in case I ever expand in future. Might mean the decksaver might not fit then but that's ok.

I'm just shopping for a good sequencer now but I wouldn't rule out 2 or 3 in future for different tasks. I'm just using an AKAI MPCX for now till I decide what sequencer modules to buy for the case.

Rob

Well, with those two modules, you will have an arm and a leg of a drummer. So that is allready a half drummer :)

1 x Ladik A-520
1 x MI Veils
1 x HN 2XSAM (http://www.happynerding.com/category/2xsam/)

If you want to use the Mantis live, consider a decksaver and a (2nd gen) bag.

Please keep in mind that some Ladik and Doepfer modules won't fit in the Mantis. The A-520 should not be a problem.
-- M01C

Hi there,

Yeah I already bought the Mantis decksaver along with the case last week so I'm ok there but I will be buying the bag too shortly once I have some actual modules. So far I only have the dedicated bass drum "Jomox Mod Bass 09 MK2" and a Behringer Brains module (so cheap but sounds fab)
I may end up going with euro rack drum modules once I know what I'm doing but for now I really would like to use my drum machines as it's fast hands on workflow is what I'm used to.

I'll check out those modules you mentions mate thanks again.

Rob

First of all, thank you for all this good advice!

first of all - bigger case - but keep this one and add 6u of 104hp

Yes, that is obvious by now, haha. I will order more rails and put together a nice case for it. I'm a woodworker by trade so I have some nice materials for it laying around. I kind of like the 1U form factor, is it worth it to include a couple of rails for this, or is it mostly a gimmick for keeping cases small? Until I get a use for it it can be covered up by a nice wooden panel.

the befaco excalibus is a great DIY power supply

Do you think my uZeus with the booster brick will be too small for this? For what I paid for it (used) it seems to deliver good juice?

As for PNW, Maths and the multi-utility/effects/thingies they are all on my wishlist and I hope to be able to add them to my system in the future, but right now the budget is a little tight. Never seen the Xaoc devices before, so thank you for bringing them up, they look super useful.

Unless something used pops up, I think my next shopping cart will be filled with DIY filters, envelopes, and LFOs. I kind of hoped O&C could do a lot of this for me. I had my hands on a used WASP, but some other dude offered almost shop prize for it.

Thanks again for the good advice, gotta go write a letter to Santa..

The CP1A can power two rows comfortably. Not sure about the uZeus. I think there's some kind of booster adapter for it. Look into that. In any case, if you want to position the PSUs where they are now, you'll need flying bus extensions to reach the two upper rows. The ones provided with the units won't reach.
I don't know about the uZeus, but the CP1A is designed to be placed on the left for comfortable connections. Either that or upside down on the right.

1 x Ladik A-520
1 x MI Veils
1 x HN 2XSAM (http://www.happynerding.com/category/2xsam/)

If you want to use the Mantis live, consider a decksaver and a (2nd gen) bag.

Please keep in mind that some Ladik and Doepfer modules won't fit in the Mantis. The A-520 should not be a problem.

Thanks for the replies @MO1C and @bopodoq it's much appreciated here. It's so confusing coming from an all hardware background hence my questions.
I didn't really want to use a DAW at all. Only for maybe recording the stereo outs of whatever comes out the case. I was more thinking for when I play live with 1 case and 1 drum machine out on the road.

My plan was to use the drum machine either by:

• Using the fx, filter modules in the case to process individual drum sounds coming in from the hardware so BD, SD, TOMS etc sent anywhere in the euro rack, processed and/or sequenced then back out again.
• Or using a sequencer such as Eloquencer or Circadian Rythms to trigger sounds and NOT use the external drum machines sequencer

Basically I'd like to use the external hardware for both the above depending on the situation.

Thanks
Rob

I like the eudemonia having a built in vca, and I am familiar with dreadbox products.
But the third filter for the drums could be anything. Doesn't have to be that particular filter module.
I would think of one each hysteria eudemonia ataxia forming a voice, but I see what you mean. I also have considered an Erica double bass in place of the antidote.

EDITED Jan 20th 2022, 01:15

Three Hysteria, one Eudemonia and one Ataxia and that would be a voice.

But you want three filters? Why choose for three Eudemonias?

Thanks for your detailed reply, Jim.

That's interesting to hear your feedback on the Rings tuning issue. I have been messing around in VCV 2 with Rings, but have yet to notice that issue. I presume I am far from utilizing the module to its full potential.

I appreciate your other points regarding the ergonomics and supporting the manufacturer. Basically, I already plan on purchasing Plaits and Beads, but have very limited $ and physical space for a bigger case. The ability to process sound in Rings still seems like a winner.

BTW Do you have a YouTube channel or Instagram related to your modular system? I learn a lot from your posts on the MG forums and would like to support.

Thanks again.
Ian

The eudemonia vcas are dedicated to the filter, so the quad is to provide more free vcas for modulation routing.
One eudemonia per voice, with one for the drums

Two ataxia a provide 4 envelopes or 4 lfos, with the delay and attenuverter modules also providing 3 more lfos.

I want to design a modular with 2 voices, a drum, and enough mod and signal source to also do ambient generative stuff.

Would love to hear your thoughts

EDITED Jan 20th 2022, 00:37

Further to my previous post, you may want unbalanced version.
I believe they have stock.
https://nw2s.net/
Having said that, I just noticed someone suggesting MI Veils which I think is a great (honestly better) idea. It can boost line level signals, can mix to a single output if desired, and it much more flexible.

NW2SIO BALANCED module:
(May be currently sold out, have a look here under ‘External’ modules. NW2S does have a website.)
8 inputs and 8 outputs each to a separate Db25 connector. You could get an 8 x 1/4” to Db25 snake to connect them. Attenuation +/- 6 dB is done within the module. The module and snake are a bit of an expense but then you are able to combine what you already have and keep using it with your new eurorack setup. The 8 outs could also be routed to an audio interface onto separate tracks in your DAW.

As long as you connect the ribboncables in the right way to the busboard, it will be functional.

To me it is a bit an odd system. A quad VCA and three Eudemonias? Only two Ataxias?

What is your intention with your system?

EDITED Jan 20th 2022, 00:16

Welcome!

Instead of using 10 preamps(!), you could look at the Mutable Instruments Veils. A VCA, but for sure you can pump line level to modular level with it. Maybe Intellijel's Quad VCA can do the same.

Maybe you want to go a different route with your modular within a few months. Then a VCA is for sure good to have. I doubt if 10 preamps are ;)

But if you want 10 preamps, you can get three of these:
http://ladik.ladik.eu/?page_id=1143

Hi all,

This is my first post here. I'm coming from an all hardware synth background so my modular journey is just beginning now. I have just received my first case and one drum module. The case I chose to start with was the TTA Mantis and the drum module a "Jomox Mod Base 09 MKII" which was a straight replacement for the "MBass1_1" I just sold recently. I decided to stay with the Jomox sound as I have done for years and know what I'm getting with regards to bass drums.

So my question is this.

I only have the 1 drum module for now as these are pretty expensive in euro rack format however I do have a newly delivered Behringer RD-9 drum machine which I like a lot. What I'm wanting to do tho is take all 10 outs from the 1/4" jacks and somehow feed them directly in to my case so that I could process them, mangle them within the euro rack modules I intend to invest in then back out again either as a stereo mix or multi track.
Is there such a pre amp module/audio input module with lots of inputs that will allow me to do this? If so what would you recommend? I could do with some general advice on this subject if there's anyone out there who knows about this stuff.
As I said I'm just starting out after 30+ years of hardware synths so any advice on this would be most welcome and appreciated.

Thanks

Rob

Hey graigless! Welcome to the community! I think you have too many oscillators, since I've counted six without the two present in the DFAM. Can you justify 6 oscillators in 9U 84HP? If you can, then you would need some sort of mixer to bring the signals together. What about the guitar pedal interface? Do you have an external tape machine to hook it up to it? I don't see enough modulation and no dedicated VCAs or basic utilities.

Maybe you could explain what you have in mind with your setup in order to get a better picture of what you want to achieve with it. In the meantime, I would suggest thinking about way fewer voices and making them more complex through modulation and sequencing.

I'm also quite new to the modular world, so please take my advice with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, looking at your rack reminded me of my own conceptual mistakes in the beginning. That's why we got modular grid for, so we can try out stuff before committing. Could you post a list of the modules that you already possess? This would be a good start in order to see what can be done to complement/expand them instead of creating parallels that compete with each other.

Hi All,

New to modular racks and already hooked!

Over the past few months, I was able to get a few modules (as shown).

The rest of my gear includes; Arturia ProStep, Moog Sub37, ARP Omni2, Roland Integra-7, Roland GR-55 guitar Synth, & an array of guitar pedals.

I am exploring mixing synths with acoustic instruments (guitar, piano, drums, etc.). This is so much fun!!!

Any advice, observations, etc. is appreciated. I don't know what I don't know so am I missing key functions or is my rack unbalanced?

Many Thanks!
Graig(less)

EDITED Feb 27th 2023, 07:11

Tried to focus more on the production side of things. I think the snare/clap is a bit too loud.

Any tips/feedback for future jams?

...thanks al lot for your input! Befaco looks good. Now i might compare some filters :D

Personally I do not like the miniature versions. For the reasons Jim mentioned.

Price-wise as well as width-wise there is this one too: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/bearmodules-matrix-mixer
Great value for the buck, practical, good feel, and the unipolar / bipolar switch is a great extra function.
B.
-- law-rah

I have this one too and I like it. It feels solid and I don't mind the little knobs.

Another Division-6 product, this time their CEM 3340 VCO.
Good kit, a simple and straightforward one. A reasonably plain VCO, but good since you can never have too many oscillators. Build is suitable for a beginner, maybe your 2nd or 3rd build. Recommended.
C.K. builds a Division-6 CEM 3340

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_1812537.jpg

Aiming for 3 voices and a drum, with generative potential, in smallish box

New to modular, but very comfortable with synthesis.

Took me a minute to figure out that I needed separate vcas to go with the envelopes 🙄

Please let me know if this would be functional or if I'm missing something obvious.

Thanks in advance

apparently the build quality is very good, but...

Rings is notoriously hard to tune - even with full size pots & knobs - the trimmers that are used on the micro clones are very poor in terms of precision - so if being able to tune the module is important to you - and it may not be - then I'd steer clear

things to think about

reduced size = poor ergonomics & eurorack is already on the 'small side' - personally I prefer bigger modules with full size knobs - all my mutable modules are full size - either originals or DIY versions

support the original designer where possible = whilst micro cloning is not completely without effort, the much more effort went into the original design - not only the hardware, but the firmware

support = can't comment on support from cloners, but Emilie is fantastic at support!

price = are you really saving that much - mostly it seems to be a good night out on the beer... so in the big scheme of things it doesn't seem like that big a deal to buy an original to me over a cheaper clone, especially if originals are still available!

another alternative to the vca/mixer conundrum is a quad cascading vca - kill 2 birds with one stone - veils is very good, for example

104hp gotta last forever?? oh well...

hahahahaha - I thought the same with 144hp - now I have 10 times that... there's a very good reason why people (including me) always advise others to get bigger racks to start with - especially if you are going to get into DIY...

So with the current collection as above, what would your advice be for the future be? I am quite good at tinkering and know my way with a soldering iron, but not so with SMD's yet. My wishlist consists of effects, O&C, Pams WO, and someday a Befaco mixer.

first of all - bigger case - but keep this one and add 6u of 104hp - the befaco excalibus is a great DIY power supply - which should power 6u/104hp quite well as long as you stick to mostly analogue modules

O&C get the plus version - through hole diy! but will you really need it if you get a PNW? maybe... get the PNW first and then decide

effects - it's hard to beat an fx aid xl... at least for the size/price/functionality...

SMD - nonlinearcircuits or the AISynthesis SMD module are both good places to start...

envelopes and lfos would be a good area to invest in - Maths is especially good if you are more interested in learning modular synthesis instead of synthesis with modules - if you see what I mean - see the 'maths illustrated supplement' as a good jumping off point/primer for that.. Stages is also exceptional - as are batumi and zadar... also take a look at the new tiptop/buchla offerings they are very good value for money - first 2 are available for preorder!

also a filter or 2 or 3 or more - personally I like the doepfer offerings - inexpensive and do what they say they do, based on classic filters - but otherwise hit up youtube - maybe not the best quality audio, but you will get an idea of what you like don't like

at some point more vcas, more utilities - I like links, kinks, shades, veils - as a starter - but not DIY friendly! and kinks is discontinued - wmd/ssf toolbox is a good substitute - a matrix mixer is also incredibly handy...

you'll probably want another 'melodic voice at some point - again the tiptop/buchla offering looks really decent for the price

Easy transaction with @Tomkrut

Yeah, I try to practice the same, module-after-paycheck, although I cheat a bit with cheap used utilities.
Tricky question! To me the separate VCas are needed as soon as a traditional vco shows up in the rack. And although I use an external mixer for stereo out I quickly found I needed mixer modules as soon as I had more than two sound sources going. I like being able to pan mono voices and/or have a few stereo possibilities as well (esp with Rings, Clouds, Beads…). The Intellijel has stereo out, right? (First time around I just had the niftycase and its weakness is the mono out so I had an in-rack stereo mixer right away).
Maybe a simple dual vca and a little mixer at the same time as soon as you decide on another sound source in the rack? If /when you need to upgrade later they’ll probably still be useful utilities.
But – this is just my way of reasoning, related to how I make my music. There’s no absolute truth :-D

So, after some years of playing with Reason and its rack, I decided a few years ago that I wanted to do the same in a more physical way. Daws are cool, but I'm not really into recording, arranging, and saving my music for later, it's more of a "get lost in the moment" kind of therapy if you know what I mean? I mainly get lost in minimal house/techno territory, so that is my aim. So I started collecting some modules as I found good used deals on the local online marketplace. I figured I could buy myself a 104hp case when I had enough for a start. I mean, 104hp gotta last forever?? oh well...

So with the current collection as above, what would your advice be for the future be? I am quite good at tinkering and know my way with a soldering iron, but not so with SMD's yet. My wishlist consists of effects, O&C, Pams WO, and someday a Befaco mixer.

It would be interesting to hear your thoughts!
Thank you!

EDITED Jan 19th 2022, 08:14

Thanks Noctopolis, I’ve been meaning to hop on here for recommendations for utilities and you actually answered a question I had been thinking about as far as the mults go. I took the whole go bigger with the case advice to heart and snagged a relatively affordable 7u Intellijel performance case and I’m glad I did, but I still have my eye on getting a niftycase in the future. I’m only able to buy a module once every paycheck, would you prioritize a mixer over let’s say vcas? So far I have mi rings, clouds, ears, and a maths.

EDITED Jan 19th 2022, 06:28

Thanks everyone for your thoughts! I didn't expect any comments on my first rack, but I'm glad to find such a vibrant community on ModularGrid.

I appreciate everyone's perspective here, and I can see there are many directions one can take when entering the world of modular synthesis. I'm happy to report that this rig is more than meeting my expectations and I've learned a ton so far interfacing with other gear that I already have, which was one of my main goals (the Data has been extremely useful for troubleshooting issues and for waveform visualization). Most importantly, I've already made some great sounds that I'm happy with, and am having a ton of fun. I really wanted to go full modular and build a "staging" rack so I could master each new module I purchase. While the B. 2600 looks pretty great for someone just starting to learn about synthesis, I felt like I already had enough gear with similar functionality and desired to be more intentional with every module I purchase as I focus and discover my sound.

plragde,

Thanks for the encouragement and tips! I appreciate the guide you have written, as well.