All Posts

Bump to keep this on people's radar, I haven't been on top of things as much this year, but ping to my list from last year @Exposure, @defragmenteur, @Rassell, @mowse, @sacguy71, @funbun, @aphew_goodman, @zuggamasta, @farkas, @yalivec, @GarfieldModular, @mog00, @wishbonebrewery, @the-erc, @cyberneticOhm, and anyone else I'm forgetting...

EDITED Dec 18th 2021, 23:34

https://www.musicstore.de/de_DE/EUR/Intellijel-1U-MIDI/art-SYN0007655-000

In Europe it's in stock in a few stores (e.g. musicstore.de, martin pas in italy). Don't know where you are located. Probably you'll find it used, too. Like here on MG Marketplace (right on the module's info page below the description) or on Reverb.com, eBay maybe...

This is an attempt to design a Mono > Stereo Snd/Rtn + Dry/Wet & Pan Control patch. Haven’t tried it, but I think it works:

Audio Signal path: Oscillator > Filter > Splits to Dry/Wet (Snd/Rtn)
Dry (Snd) Audio Signal path: Filter > Panner > VCA_1 (Left) &VCA_2 (Right) > Stereo Mixer_1 > Output Mixer
Wet (Rtn) Audio Signal path: Filter > VCA_3 > Mixer* > FX > Stereo Mixer_2 > Output Mixer
Fx’s balance pot is always fully Wet because Dry follows another path*
Dry/Wet (Snd/Rtn) is now controlled by Attenuator’s pot:
Dry/Wet (Snd/Rtn) Balance: Attenuator > Splits to control Dry/Wet (Snd/Rtn)
Dry (Snd): Attenuator > VCA_1+2 (inverted)
Wet (Rtn): Attenuator > VCA_3
Panner’s pot controls L/R for the Dry signal

More voices can be Snd/Rtn to Fx by the same way.

*According to my tests Fx inputs are Stereo only for the Dry Signal. For the Wet Signal they are summed to Mono. Therefore, and as the Fx is always fully Wet Fx’s inputs doesn’t have to be Stereo. A Mono Mixer will have the same results.

[Updated: Click on image.]

EDITED Dec 24th 2021, 10:41

Those new panels are dope

I 🤔 think it would be ever more amazing if the wave edit program was higher wavesamples piston Honda would handle this no problem and Kermit also, the reason being , when randomizing waves it tends to put out a lot of duff cycles and 256 kind of hard to get an idea of the shape and renoise tends to help with editing the samples so higher quality all round makes more sense to me

Any news on a release date yet ?

This will be the current state of this skiff as soon as the Doepfer A-130-8 Octal Linear Amplifier arrives for installation. Using it with my Mother Brutron rig and other things listed previously:

I've checked every single site I know of and µMIDI 1U is OUT OF STOCK! ON EVERY SINGLE SITE! I'm trying to get this dude but I can't even press a single button that starts with "Add to". Any more sites I could try?

I like the 4ms Dual Looping Delay

I'm not sure that everyone realizes the very real exploratory limitations of the palette-as-instrument.

@farkas Correct, as @Lugia can attest. (I'm starting to think that pallettes only exist for YT videos...)

That said, Mylar does have a point about using loopers with modular. It allows you to add more layers to your sound without taking up as much space as more modules. (The exception, of course, is Mylar's setup.)

So it looks like sound-on-sound/looper modules are the way to go:
* 1010 BitBox
* Make Noise Morphagene
* ALM Squid Salmple
* Etc.

What modules do you guys use?

EDITED Dec 18th 2021, 16:45

Yeah, I'll step in to sing the praises of MylarMelodies as well. I've probably learned more useful information about modular from his videos and podcast than all of the forums out there combined. The generosity and modesty of his wisdom and humor is apparent if you look past a "clickbait" title on a single video. I'm not a big fan of the tiny palette videos out there, but I also understand that for a lot of people, modular is not a lifestyle but a hobby and a curiosity. These are just videos to show what can be done with a more modest investment, though I'm not sure that everyone realizes the very real exploratory limitations of the palette-as-instrument.
Mylar is the man. Respect where it's due.

very nice! kind of dark but still with an uplifting vibe:)
-- Audhentik

Thank you a lot ! Yes dark but with some hope :)

Oh yes, can’t wait! Good chance to set up the iPad to continuously record and pick out some good parts later 😀💪

Already excited to hear what everyone sends in this year.

@Lugia I'm glad to see you fired up as usual 🤣 but I must step in to defend our dear friend Mylar. He tends to be super transparent, loves breaking down patches and sharing ideas, and is overall a credit to the community. I think if you watched that generative vid for example you'd come away with an appreciation for someone who's trying to make things accessible without dumbing it down too much. Give it a shot in the Christmas spirit ;p

Generative patches are ones which have a LOT of crossmodulation and internal patch alteration in order to generate non-repeating patterns across SEVERAL voices so that the synth is spinning out a sonic result that is in constant flux.

@Lugia Wow. Did not know. Many thanks from a grateful noob.

Sounds great ambience!

I am down for it and plan to record some new modular tracks by year end.

Thanks Lugia here is the updated case:

This ends purchases for a while and will focus now on mastering my gear and recordings.

The Intellijel OUT that's at the left end.

Thanks Lugia!

By output tile what module do you mean? I will get a 1u dual VCA as well.

About the only thing that I would suggest is to move the output tile to the right end. This shortens the length of internal wiring needed to connect it with the 1/4" jacks, which helps avoid induced noise from your power electronics. Then another tile to add might be Intellijel's Dual VCA, so that you can have CV control over the output, putting that right next to the output.

Just like last year (album here!, forum post here and here) it's time to let the community shine a little bit and compile everybody's favorite tracks of 2021. So, if you're a member of the forum and have posted a tune in the last year, or even if you're totally new and just want to throw something into the mix, let me know and we'll get this thing put together. All tracks are welcome, pick something you've made that's interesting or that speaks to you or shows what you've learned since you picked this all up, say hello here so we can coordinate, and we'll highlight you and bring everyone a bit more attention for 2022.

I know things are a bit crazy out there at the moment, but this forum continues to be a bright spot for me personally and I'm excited to put together another cool album of everyone's tunes :)

Hi Jim,

Normally in most cases I would agree however, I am also planning to use it to sequence my other small cases (Endorphin.es Shuttle System) and ALM Busy Circuits Super Coupe that do not have sequencers. So I need a way to sequence many other small cases that lack sequencers. But as always, I am open to recommendations of course.

d'y not think the eloquencer and black sequencer in such as small case is a bit of overkill?

I was able to find a small LFO and envelope generator to complete my travel 7u techno case:

Thoughts? I have the essentials covered like quad VCA, attenuators/offset, FX, LFOs and envelopes and my audio sources and sequencers. At this point it should be able to stand alone or use with my two portable cases that also have modulation and support tools.

I can attest to what Lugia says and the smallest I could make a useful bit of kit was a 4u Intellijel 104 HP palette case and even then was challenging but used a large module Queen of Pentacles that has filter, 7 drum voices, and effects built in as my main sound source and most other modules are support modules. Then my other small setup is a 7u Intellijel case with mostly sequencers and support modules. I love having a monster case that really helps for larger modules.

Thanks @Lugia, yes that will be my next step, to re-run some of the cabling and try to distribute the draw more evenly across the 4 PSUs. Fingers crossed this will help!

hey there,
I've bought Arbhar 3 weeks ago and wanted to share my first patches i did with it. At the moment i mostly use it in reverb mode and to record different stuff, layering it etc just to play it back. Still have to check out the delay and stereo mode in depth and want to try some different things when i use it as a wavetable oscillator. These patches are all Ambient, hope you like it!

Ah, OK. Big Thanks.
I thought the Jacks maybe assigned / configured at the application layer. Moving on

beautiful patch! really love it:) thx for sharing

Yup...the rule goes something like this: "Always go with a cab (on MG or in real life) that you KNOW is too large...because in all likelihood, it's not." Going with a bigger cab from the start allows you to have better ergonomics, too. While people with small skiffs packed with tiny knobs struggle to control their rigs, someone with a bigger case can have bigger modules, and bigger modules = better ergonomics. When you want that filter sweep, you DON'T want to kick up the LFO speed, change VCO tunings, and other set-ruining nonsense that could be avoided...you just want that sweep!

very nice! kind of dark but still with an uplifting vibe:)

Gee-whillikers! I don't have a looper sitting with my modular, so I guess I'm just not hip and with it anymore.

Bollocks. OK, let's dig into what's going on here...

Why look, he's using a little skiff, so those must be the way to go...right? So...look more carefully, and you'll notice a couple of stompboxes, some additional things (including an Apex tile...uncased, far right) and the RC-505. Said RC-505 also has internal FX, too. So the synth isn't exactly doing what it's capable of alone. The patch is also difficult to sort out, mainly due to slinging patch cables all over the place so that you (and quite possibly, the presenter) can't really tell how things are routed.

Also, one of the links in the "more videos" bar shows the same little Intellijel skiff used for...generative? Maybe so, but probably not. Generative patches are ones which have a LOT of crossmodulation and internal patch alteration in order to generate non-repeating patterns across SEVERAL voices so that the synth is spinning out a sonic result that is in constant flux. Doing this in a tiny skiff is just not going to cut it; it would be the equivalent of hooking up a noise source to a sample and hold to a VCO and saying that that was "generative".

And therein lies another problem. If there was sufficient space in that Palette, the YouTuber would do FAR BETTER by fitting a Bitbox, Squid Salmple, STS, GXN, Rample, and so on into the cab because those can be directly controlled/modulated by sources within the build itself. But there's NOT...so we get to deal with a big, clunky Boss box that takes up about as much space as...

...wait for it...

...another Eurorack case. WHYYYYYYYYY!?!?!?!?!

OK, I'll calm down. But also, the thumbnail for this YT clips screams "clickbait", and that alone should be sufficient warning. If someone on YT has something SUBSTANTIAL to post, they won't need clickbait to get attention for it. When I talk about NOT paying attention to YouTube for your information...this sort of thing is PRECISELY what I'm talking about.

174BPM

Bloom Ch 1 - simple 4 note minor Do Re Me Fa sequence into LEAD input on Chord. Branches turned up manually to 4 part way in. Path moved around a bit.

Bloom Ch 2 - simple control of Chord's chord changes from i to v. Clock triggered S&H (via Pam's) turns the Voicing knob to create the cascading chords partway through (physically plugged it in).

Maths Ch 1 used for EG on SE VCA for Lead VCO from Chord Gate 1 output. Ch 2 for EG on SE VCA 2 to create snare sound from ModBox noise output.

Chord Mix out to Neutron VCF in -> VCA in ->SE Mixer. Gate 2 from Chord into Neutron EG1.

Mixer - 1. Snare(ModBox Noise) 2. Kick (Moog VCO/VCF/EG/VCA) 3. Lead from Chord (via Maths/SE VCA) 4. Mix from Chord (via Neutron)

Pams:
1. x1 gate for kick
3. /2 gate for snare. Euclidean used to rotate to 2+4.
4. Reset for Bloom with trigger set at stop (doesn't really work quite right)
5. x1 gate for s&h trigger in ModBox to trigger movements in Chord's Voicing input
6. x1 gate for Mimeophon clock
7. x1 gate for Bloom clock

Mimeophone L/R outputs to external mixer/PT.

EDITED Dec 22nd 2021, 04:44

It's a good idea. You can also loop internally with modules like the 1010 Music BitBox. It can look in sync with your CV clock or MIDI (if your sequencer supports MIDI). It offers a 16 cell grid of sample playback, so it can handle loops AND one shots like drums.

The only issue would be wanting to change your tempo later. But a quick trip to and from Ableton Live will solve that. You can open up a 16 cell kit in Ableton Live, warp your samples to another tempo, then save and replace your samples at the new tempo.

Oh and if you're handy with editing XML, you can quickly assemble new kits from any sample collection you have and save them to BitBox's SD card.

Thanks for the in depth replies. I did get lured into the small cases. They’re so damn attractive until I try and jam everything in them. I’m aware of the VCA uses but didn’t realize that some modules have VCA’s but aren’t the same as freely patchable VCA’s. I think the Modemix was a mistake while I was shopping for a VCA. It appears to modulate the signal more than anything. I’m going to keep forging ahead and diversify my racking evolution.
Thanks gang!
-- Lowtide

If you go through the rest of this forum, you will see the #1 issue... by far... is people trying to build-out a tiny first case. They make things exponentially harder using a small case. As you learn modular and more importantly, what direction(s) you want to go in, you WILL add more modules and possibly even get rid of a few others. But more often than not, what you start with won't be enough. They don't call it Eurocrack for no reason.

Give yourself the opportunity to broaden your collection and freely add more modules. Empty space in a case is a GOOD thing. If you do decide to go with a small skiff set-up (for whatever reason), there are plenty of synth-heads looking to upgrade to a bigger case... because the case they originally bought... was WAY too small. :)

No. They have the same basic footprint. But the inputs and outputs are different.

Temps Utile has 6 inputs and 6 outputs. O&C has 8 inputs and 4 outputs. Those ins and outs are configured for different signals (gates, triggers, CV) as well.

Makes sense, nick...have you tried rearranging the ribbons so that the draws become more even across all of the power distro scheme? It should be possible, if you more or less know your module draws, to snake things in there around so that everything becomes even, then if the P/S for that zone is still running too hot, you'll know that there's potentially a problem with the P/S itself. If not, though, you've gotten your current draws set up properly with those adjustments.

I’m going to keep forging ahead and diversify my racking evolution.
Thanks gang!
-- Lowtide

That's the right attitude, yep...you have to be ready to push past mistakes to head for a suitable goal. And that's not just in this, but pretty much anything in music. It's what keeps us in practice rooms for hours on end back in academic days, and it's how you, to borrow the Interwebz phrase, "get gud". It probably also helps that you've got people in the forum with more than a century's collective knowledge, garnered from personal experience, to draw on.

So, what I would suggest is to post up all of the modules you've got in a 2 x 104 hp cab (ie: a Mantis "footprint"), and then let a few of us rip into that, and see what entails. NONE of the results are likely to be the same, either, which should show that there's multiple approaches to a proper result. And don't lose the skiffs! We've still got a semi-running thread on here in which the OP was looking for ideas for a skiff-type device that's modulation-dedicated, for example, and THAT is a good use for them. For example, let's say you have something like a Matrixbrute...plenty of CV/gate I/O...so why not add a few extra modulation sources, including some that can be fired off by the skiff itself? THAT is what the small cases do best...little "mission-specific" tricks and extras.

Many amazing modules mentions in here, I definitely need one more voice in my rack to finally feel its complete for what I want to do.
Been watching videos and thinking about all the options:

Gravitational Waves: it's on Etsy at a good price, but don't think it will add much or do anything my Rubicon II already does.
Angle Grinder: after much youtube research, while it looks like something I would use it seems to have a bit too much of white noisy sound to it, so not really sure if it's the best to get right now.
Noise Enginnering VCOs : 20hp, can't fit it and the 10hp ones seem to have too much of the same sounds, not too versatile (still great modules tho).
Piston Honda: sounds phenomenal but so expensive, I'm tempted to go for one tho, only concern is the depth, think I'll have to move some stuff around; there's also Herts Donut... FUCK

I'm obsessed now, must have at least one and then I can make all the fucking noise in the world :D

What you guys think, between Donut and Honda?

Found this on Synthtopia this morning. I think it's a great idea.

Thanks for the in depth replies. I did get lured into the small cases. They’re so damn attractive until I try and jam everything in them. I’m aware of the VCA uses but didn’t realize that some modules have VCA’s but aren’t the same as freely patchable VCA’s. I think the Modemix was a mistake while I was shopping for a VCA. It appears to modulate the signal more than anything. I’m going to keep forging ahead and diversify my racking evolution.
Thanks gang!

I really enjoy my Krait. I keep three long cords plugged into to ready to plug into any module that I want to wiggle manually. It's the best third hand I ever had so far.

I have multiple of them. The OG Desmodus Versio is too good to change, same with the Ruina Versio. Swapping the firmwares holds no value to me other than for temporarily evaluating another version, since I plan on keeping the DV and the RV.

An alternative might be the Cloud Terrarium wave table VCO. Has nice color 3D screen and looks super awesome and less expensive than Piston Honda. It may be more clean but fed into a distortion effect should beef it up.

Oh, thanks! I did add two more tracks. I had a couple extra tunes that I had forgotten about. The original title was going to be "Which Coast?" It was meant to stir the pot a little to see if anyone could hear whether I used east-coast or west-coast synthesis. I used both equally.

Hello funbun. I really like how you built up the textures in the track "Bells", which I listened to yesterday along with a couple of the others and now I see you have added two more tracks. "Which Coast Christmas?" is nice and lush for the Yuletide and the coolest title!

All the best.

I reorganized the rack. Upper row is modulation now, lower row most of the voices. I started this due to the fact that Stages was already crammed in every patch if sitting in the lower row. And Ears is also back in a reachable position.

before:

after:

The position of the 2hp sine is a little fiddly as it is pretty long and could potentially touch the connectors on the back of the skiff.

Hey BrumoD, great point, yes the 4 PSUs do look do be 1 per quadrant vs 1 per row. Out of the quadrants in my rack, Q1 (upper left) has the biggest power consumption #s and the most heat.

SO looking by quadrant, MG estimates Quadrant1 draw of 1478 mA +12V | 848 mA -12V | 0 mA 5V. If the case's total specs divide evenly across its 4 PSUs then one PSU should give 2000mA @ +12V, 1200mA @ -12V, 4000mA @ +5V. AND if that's right, then my Quad1 draw is ~75% of +12V capacity, 70% of -12V capacity and 0% of the 5V capacity. Am I looking at this right? Are those %s high enough to be making a lot of heat?

Looing at the total case (all 4 PSUs) my draw vs capacity is about 55% usage at +12V, 52% usage at -12V, and 0% at 5V. SO, while I have lots of power headroom in the case overall, maybe I'm pushing 1-2 PSUs too hard and getting excess heat as a result...

What do you think of the #s above?

Thanks!