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Really cool!

Went ahead and did a fill-out of this, since there were some modules not in the rack itself that gave me some good ideas on how to proceed:

So, this has the audio on the top row, control/modulation on the bottom. This lets you run your audio path across the top, and then you bring the lower row signals up to the top when/where needed.

TOP: Starts with a Konstant Labs PWRchekr to keep an eye on your DC rail health. Then for the external input, I went with the ol' reliable Doepfer A-119. Sure, it's been around about 20+ years...but that's because Dieter designed it right and it became sort of the "gold standard" for good external inputs. It not only allows you to have that crucial step-up in voltage, you also get a comparator that fires a gate when a given level is exceeded, and a proper envelope follower to derive dynamic signals from the inputted audio. I doubled the Orage VCOs (one VCO good, two VCOs MUCH better!), and added Erica's PicoRing, which is a single ringmod with an internal carrier oscillator. This then goes to the Veils, which has four VCAs and allows you to split the mixbus; given the multiple waveforms of the Orage VCOs, it seemed like the combo of those + the Veils was a good fit to allow shifting between waveforms for more timbral variation. Chucked the 12 dB VCF in favor of something WAY more versatile and which also lets you go from mono to stereo...which you need for the Clouds. The Wiard reissue (from Malekko) of the Dual Borg not only gives you a pair of multimode VCFs, they can also work as gates...and not merely lowpass ones, either! Coming out of the Dual Borg, you hit an After Later dual VCA based on Veils topology. Then the Clouds, now fed with a stereo signal, feeds to the new version of Happy Nerding's output module, which also has a headphone preamp and also has your main output level control.

BOTTOM: For a decent and user-definable MIDI interface, I went with Hex's Mutant Brain. Then the new version of the Qu-bit Nanorand provides ample random signals for the Marbles to chew on. After that is a pair of CVable LFOs from Volt-a-tone and then, of course, Maths. I should note that Maths is one module that can be confusing at first, but once you decipher the way YOU want to use it, it becomes apparent that this module is majorly OP! After that, a Frap 321 and another After Later VCA pair gives you a pretty good modulation processing pair, then we get to the Quadrax...which now has its expander.

This isn't too shabby...fact is, it's a great basic small modular with loads of sound design possibilities, and every basic module you'd need (and then some!). One note: there aren't any mults here...which is what you want, as builds like this demand function in every panel HP. Use inline mults or stackcables here when needed for that. Also, keep the max depth of 45mm in mind here...some cabs don't tend to run that deep, although these days manufacturers are getting more savvy about their module depths.

interesting - not too many people have video modular... which I think is a shame as I love it... mines all combined with my audio - cos I use so many of the utilities and waveshapers for both...

but here's the link to my instagram https://www.instagram.com/jimhowell1970/

looks like a decent start to me...

connect mac - do you really need midi or would you be better with native cv? which DAW are you using? which audio interface? for midi either the mutant brain or befaco midi thing look good to me - for cv - expert sleepers es9 may be the best option - or possibly the bored brain optx (depending on if your audio interface is dc-coupled or has adat i/o)

correct level for audio interface - do you need this? doesn't the Apollo x4 have a pad? if it doesn't or the pad is not enough - then you should be able to reduce the volume using the veils... and go straight from that... if you'd rather use a separate module try passive attenuators 1st (if you decide you still want a dedicated output module, then your clouds will thank you!!) use 1/4"->1/8" cables and not adapters...

headphone output - alm hpo?

Maths - ok it's a great module - download the 'maths illustrated supplement' and work your way through that a few times- it's a great starting point - try to think about why and what it's doing - not just blindly patching... why do you think you need an adsr? if you do feel you need one then maybe the doepfer vcadsr

you'd need some kind of lift to reach the upper modules.... or a staircase built of smaller racks... :-D
-- dennis123

LMFAO staircase built of smaller racks-- Now were talking
-- MrMagpie

That's doable. Japanese furniture makers have been making "staircase tansu" for centuries. Just add some rails and distros, and there ya go!

It would be nice if each module had a specific field for the manual, guide, build docs, etc.
-- zmorriss

It sorta does...but the field doesn't see enough use, IMHO. There IS a field in the new module markup page that should be filled with a manufacturer's URL so that there's on-page links to the module's (or the line in general's) manufacturer, etc. It just doesn't get filled out by a number of posters.

Hi Gumbo23,

Nice to hear from you again! Fantastic, a complete album! Nice work and I love the cover you made :-)

The music is peacefully and very enjoyable. After this feedback I will continue listening at it, let's see to which planet you can hyperspace me ;-)

Thanks a lot for sharing this with us and kind regards, Garfield.

Hi there,
this is my first rack. I tried to do my best.
I still miss some things :
Connect to my Mac in midi
To have the right audio output level to attack my UAD Appolo X4
A headphone output
I don't master MATHS yet. I think I'm also missing some simpler ADSR ?

Do you have any suggestions or remarks ?

EDITED Mar 27th 2022, 21:43

My questions is: if I were to plug an attenuverter into the sequencer resets, can I turn it from low to high to trigger them? My intuition is trigger inputs are triggered by the voltage going from below some threshold to above the threshold (maybe with hysteresis to prevent double triggers), so I don't need a dedicated trigger signal necessarily, I just need something I can make go from low to high voltage.

Do I have the right idea, or in practice is it better to use a dedicated trigger signal (a short pulse) to avoid strange behavior?

adamj

Yes, this would work. But there is a much simpler way: simply patch a cable into the reset input and press the tip of the other end with your thumb ;)

That’s a handy hack !

Thanks @Sweelinck, that's very helpful info.

If you really need a manual reset trig, you should use an appropriate module (the FSR 1U seems to be convenient). Other methods would be less suitable and could bring you latency.

Concerning the cables, different colors will help you to visualize your patch more easily. And several lengths can be adapted to the in/out distances. However, the longer cables allow you to free up space to access the modules. Personally I prefer this solution and have mainly 100cm cables (Black Market in various colors).

The right angle patch cables can also free up space at the top: this is useful for the passage of hands to the knobs; they are also handy for the live performance cases, those with two boxes that close on top of each other.

Stackables seem a good solution 'a priori'... but they add obstacles for the passage of hands because they stack up high (and they are expensive). 1-in/5-out splitter hubs or 2-out splitters are more practical (and cheaper).
https://www.sweetwater.com/black-market-monomult/series
https://polarnoise.com/product/eurorack-patch-cables-splitter/

You can start with a mix and then expand your cable set. So, again, same advice here: go slowly.
Modular is like wine, an art of living, it must be tasted and enjoyed in small sips :))

please share ur work. maybe you could like.... make a video ...XD

lorrel

you'd need some kind of lift to reach the upper modules.... or a staircase built of smaller racks... :-D
-- dennis123

LMFAO staircase built of smaller racks-- Now were talking

It would be nice if each module had a specific field for the manual, guide, build docs, etc. Obviously it would be awesome if MG acted as a repository and uploads were enabled (to preserve data should mfg's go dark), but hosting ain't free, so links would be cool, with the ability to create a mega-manual for a rack, of all of the links to the manuals. Obviously these links will break and it's up to the community to keep them fresh or host the data if a manufacturer isn't any more.
Maybe this exists, and I'm missing it, so sorry in advance (I also didn't see it requested when I tried searching forums).

Also, thanks for making and maintaining such a great community resource.

EDITED Mar 26th 2022, 20:14

Expensive. Pointlessly so, too, especially since you have Moog's "stacker" frames AND you can put them together in a configuration that's something like this. See here:

they have great prices on fold-up portable cabs AND they can do custom row additions, including tiles in both the Pulplogic and Intellijel formats ... With one of those (and they can go up to 168 hp in a portable cab...see the website), you can have ample space, ample power, however many tiles you need, AND still make the build portable.
-- Lugia

Thanks @Lugia! I will take a look.

Thanks for the thoughtful reply @Sweelinck

The only important type of module that I don't see here is an active multiple (Buff Mult type): indispensable for pitch cvs or other signals requiring high precision.

The Disting Mk4 should be kept, it will always be useful even in a larger configuration. And for example in this setup: if you need a delay or a Bit crusher. It's a little 'comfort' module that is good to have in reserve. That's what made it so successful.

I keep thinking I will want a dedicated buffered multiple so I will plan to get one at some point. I could easily swap it with the 2HP S&H, because there is already a S&H and the Disting could be another S&H as needed.

I know I will want more utility modules and delays but I need to spend time with the actual hardware and really learning how to use it, to see what makes sense for me. The Disting could be very helpful to experiment. If I am always using the Disting for a certain purpose, I would eventually buy a dedicated module for it and then try using the Disting for something else to see where to go next. I feel like this will be a good strategy for slowly expanding my rack (and eventually into another/bigger case) without wasting money on "unnecessary" modules. Even if the Disting is not my favorite due to usability challenges, I think it will still offer a lot of value.

A controller, or a manual trigger, could also be recommended. This is the interest of the physical modular, beyond the tweaks, to be in direct contact with the physical dimension. See LS1lightstrip, Ears, TP8... while waiting for a Planar, or a Tetrapad for example.

Hmm, I'm glad you brought this up. I realized I want to trigger things like the sequencer resets without needing to hook up a MIDI controller.

I have a question about this. I have found there are often many ways to accomplish a task in modular. To reset sequencers, I could of course use a slow clock division to reset and re-sync everything periodically, but I will also want to do it manually. This module can be worked into my plan and seems perfect for this need, plus I get pressure sensitive CV control too: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-fsr-1u

However, if I don't buy a dedicated controller/manual trigger right now, I believe in theory I could use an attenuverter to trigger the resets and other trigger inputs. The attenuverters are normalized to DC, meaning I can plug in the output and control the voltage directly with the knob. My questions is: if I were to plug an attenuverter into the sequencer resets, can I turn it from low to high to trigger them? My intuition is trigger inputs are triggered by the voltage going from below some threshold to above the threshold (maybe with hysteresis to prevent double triggers), so I don't need a dedicated trigger signal necessarily, I just need something I can make go from low to high voltage.

Do I have the right idea, or in practice is it better to use a dedicated trigger signal (a short pulse) to avoid strange behavior?

My advice would also be not to buy everything at once. Restrict yourself, at first, to the ones you are sure to want absolutely.

Good advice. I feel comfortable with my current plan, and I am open to the plan changing once I get started. So my next step is to figure out where to start. Every time I try to refine my plan, certain modules are included, so clearly they are a good place to start.

The main thing at this point is to decide what cables to buy and I have no idea yet. This is part of what I could never experience in software and I have no point of reference. I am thinking I should get a few "standard" cables (that stick straight out) of various lengths. It has been recommended I get cables with different shapes, I guess you would call it an "L" connection, like these: https://tendrilscables.com/ And I know I want some stackable cables. I guess I will get a mix of maybe 30-40(?) different kinds of cables and see how it goes, unless someone has some advice here?

I can't recommend building a drum machine setup within a modular. The problem becomes apparent when you look at the problem purely from a fiscal standpoint.

For example, let's look at Uli's recent redux of the Roland TR-808. This gives you sync I/O, each voice has an output, got MIDI and USB, etc. Cost = $329.

Now, let's build a VERY SIMPLE module complement for doing as much as the RD-8 above (hint: it can't):

Now, that contains most of the RD-8's sound complement, clocking, the VCF and waveshaper, stereo mixer, and stereo out with a headphone preamp. Even trying to keep the cost as low as possible, this still comes in at $1182. That's a difference of $853.

How many drum machines does $853 buy, hmmm?

My suggestion would be to go with a case with more panel room AND which plays nicely in live situations. I suggest Case From Lake, actually (https://www.casefromlake.com/), as they have great prices on fold-up portable cabs AND they can do custom row additions, including tiles in both the Pulplogic and Intellijel formats. They even let you spec the power supply...either Meanwell or Doepfer. With one of those (and they can go up to 168 hp in a portable cab...see the website), you can have ample space, ample power, however many tiles you need, AND still make the build portable.

I would lose the kickall and put in a vpme qd, and an erica synth sample drum

Hi Guys - I've been quiet on the forum for months as I've been busy putting together my new concept album, made on modular and MPC - hope you find something you like!

Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/3ILMeKY
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3NnVEzN
Apple Music: https://apple.co/35dQ2a0

To be honest, when I first saw the setup my though was Hermod, PAMS... then bring down an FXaid, the Cosmotronic and Caio.
One case for most of your inputs, sequencing and for your final FX and outputs to whatever.
I do think you'll have no problem sequencing all the things regardless what you decide for the drums (all good choices of course).
Cheers!
-- Dub007

Thanks for the feedback...Still struggling a bit on what the best 'extension' use of the 3U might be but appreciate the response!

I'd go with a full size Supercell, which has built-in VCAs, CV ins for every parameter, ability to send one source of CV to all parameters and attenuate each one. If you have the HP, it's a great option.

I don't know all the modules included here, except 7 that I own. So, on my part, some simple advice and opinions; other modularists who regularly intervene in these forums will be able to complete or help more knowledgeably (I have two or three names in mind ;)

The design of the whole seems to me well balanced. We can see a certain experience thanks to the path already taken with the virtual modular.

Concerning the power supply, no problem. It is generally advised not to exceed 70% to 80% of the available power. (Sometimes less, up to 50% if all the modules were working together in the same patch, and with all the lights on, etc. Which is quite rare).

The only important type of module that I don't see here is an active multiple (Buff Mult type): indispensable for pitch cvs or other signals requiring high precision.

The Disting Mk4 should be kept, it will always be useful even in a larger configuration. And for example in this setup: if you need a delay or a Bit crusher. It's a little 'comfort' module that is good to have in reserve. That's what made it so successful.

A controller, or a manual trigger, could also be recommended. This is the interest of the physical modular, beyond the tweaks, to be in direct contact with the physical dimension. See LS1lightstrip, Ears, TP8... while waiting for a Planar, or a Tetrapad for example.

My advice would also be not to buy everything at once. Restrict yourself, at first, to the ones you are sure to want absolutely.

First of all, to be able to take the time to read the manuals well. This allows you to concentrate on mastering them (for example Marbles, a wonderful module, very powerful; or even just Rings which is user-friendly but has a lot of resources). I'm talking less about 'knowledge' than about 'mastery'.

You have to get used to the physical approach of the modules, a dimension naturally absent from their software version. And gradually, things will seem less abstract to you. In the real world, it is easier to see what you really want.

It can also be useful to notice the differences between the various manufacturing qualities, depending on the modules or the manufacturers.

So, your theoretical approach seems to me to be globally good, which is quite rare at the beginning. Your experience as a 'software modular user' has been beneficial. Your only small deficiencies are currently linked to this non-experience of the physical dimension of modular: which is logical today :)

How does a shop get added to the list of such places that might sell a module?

-- DJMaytag

How do you get people to read stickies ?

-- toodee

The closest sticky post I saw was regarding being added as a manufacturer. Nothing about being added as a store, and that post hasn't been responded to. from a month ago: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/801

EDITED Mar 26th 2022, 08:38

In your user preferences you find a drop down menu Country Selection.
Select a country within the EU there.
Click here: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/users/edit
-- modulargrid

How does a shop get added to the list of such places that might sell a module?

-- DJMaytag

How do you get people to read stickies ?

If you want run them into your daw, check out the ES-8 or ES-9 modules from expert sleepers. They’re Eurorack format audio interfaces with a lot of i/o. Super useful especially for small or hybrid setups.

I'd not worry too much about an 'audio interface module' - they aren't necessarily needed

first: try the individual modules

if you get clipping (unwanted/unintended distortion) then try second: if your audio interface or mixer has a pad function try this - otherwise try passive attenuators or vcas (you hopefully already have these, but if not attenuators are inexpensive)

if you are still getting clipping then try third: output modules - the bad news is not all are the same - if you've got to this point and your audio interface or mixer is expecting balanced signals - then look towards either ladik or happy nerding as they have some relatively inexpensive dual ones - you might want to look at the brand nw2s - they have some audio interfaces (including balanced ones) with a lot of i/o - other than that I don't think there's a whole lot of options - if it's not expecting balanced signals - then I would try to determine the source of the noise - it could be ground loops - there's a lot been written on that - in which case I believe it would be really useful to look at upgrading your audio interface/mixer to balanced i/o

Hi Warmofada,

I agree with Plragde about "wrong" questions, they don't exist! Only wrong answers might exist, so my apologies to you if this is a "wrong" answer ;-). Therefore don't worry, that's why there is this forum :-) So "shoot" your questions at us, we try our best to respond and you are welcome :-)

Still, I like to stress out the importance of testing as many as possible modules in Perfect Circuit, then if you are hesitating about module A, B or C (just an example) then of course you can ask their help to advise you, however test first, it gives you a much better understanding of each module that you might consider.

Good luck with this modular adventure, it sounds pretty exciting what you are sharing here with us. Besides all the excitement, I wish you good luck and lots of modular fun, welcome to modular synthesizers, one of the best inventions :-) Enjoy your first abroad travel, I hope it will be a good memory for you in the future! Kind regards, Garfield.

I will be there in end of May, so until then maybe I will be the boring guy asking lose and wrong questions, i'm trying not to spam anything.
-- warmofada

Don't worry about asking questions or about asking "wrong questions". You have some unique constraints, you are clearly thinking a lot about actual purchases and not just fantasizing, you are paying attention to what people are saying. I have not been to Perfect Circuit in person but from what I have read, they are helpful and honest.

Hi, so I’d like to eventually build a drum rack and wanted to see if it’s possible to track say 8 or more modules individually. Anything out there with multiple outs so I could connect to a mixer or interface?

Grateful for your time!

Hi Warmofada,

Sorry to hear that the availability of Eurorack modules is such an issue for you, where you live, though Plragde is right that every where the availability of items is getting an issue.

I know you mentioned your available budget of 1 till 1.5k (which is a bit too less by the way for Eurorack), I still would like to advise you to go at least for a 3 row-rack casing if you didn't bought the casing yet, rather buy a larger rack with a fewer modules to start with than when in the near future you realise that you need more HP space, which will happen, guaranteed! ;-)

It's very difficult to advise on which modules you should take. You are totally right, the current choice of modules, though huge, it's crazy, it's close to impossible to have a good view of what is on the market and what fits one wishes, requirements, not even mentioning to make a "good" (what is good?) choice out of such a huge assortment of possible modules. I made myself a list of about 2500 modules over the last 3 years or so to try to stay focused on what I feel is kind of interesting, 2500 modules! That's crazy... out of that list of 2500 I feel it's a nightmare to make the right choice, so sometimes if I am too lazy to choose between two modules, I just take them both ;-) Then still 2498 modules left to choose from the next time... however every year so many new modules are produced that one year later there are 2698 modules to choose from, etcetera...

Here in modulargrid.net are currently a little 9700 modules listed, that's even crazier! ;-)

What I miss from your above explanation (but I might have overlooked it, so please do forgive me if I did) are filters... did you consider one or two nice filters? Well, go at least for two filters, one is just a bit too meagre, minimum is two I would say. Look into Doepfer filters they are affordable and can sound pretty well, how about that SEM filter A-106-5 which is a bit milder filter than the Wasp filter A-124, both filters are great and you can find my review report about them on my website (see link below my signature). If you allow yourself a bit more expensive filter module then consider the Erica Synths - Black Dual VCF, a serious great dual filter that can be either used in series or in parallel. There are so many filters, I can't all discuss them here :-)

Don't buy too many modules in one shot though. You need to build up experience, that costs time and once you gained some experience you will see that here and there you start to adjust your view on certain modules and that your requirements might shift a bit. I understand you are a bit limited to your shopping possibilities but still try to keep that a bit in mind.

If you go and visit one or more modular shops in the USA, then try to test as many as possible modules in those shops. Don't only buy them, testing them is so much more important to give you that first instant feeling about a module, how the user interface is, how it sounds, your first impressions are pretty important before you should buy a module. So test as many as possible modules even if you are not going to buy them, that's fine, keep testing till they close the shop or till you have to take your plane back home. Then when you come back home and start to save money again for the next batch of modules then you took valuable test experience with you that you can then use to decide for the second batch of modules what you might want to buy.

By the way, do you know the brand EMW from Brazil? Not sure if you live nearby Brazil or perhaps even in Brazil? Then perhaps, those modules might be easier for you to buy. If you don't know EMW yet, check them out, it's a Brazilian modular manufacturer who makes reasonable Eurorack modules. I consider them the kind of South-American-Doepfer :-) I have a few modules from them but it's a bit difficult to get them here in Germany. I still try to get a filter and a VCO from them.

Besides testing as many as possible modules as you can, the second best advice is to buy a bigger case if you haven't bought that yet.

Good luck, enjoy your time in the USA and enjoy the modular time in those shops :-) Kind regards, Garfield.

-- GarfieldModular

Nice text, really appreciate your time to help!
I know I'm a bit loose and lost in this, unfortunately I already have the case so I will be stuck at the beginning with the 2 row, and just got that because of limit desk space, my wife would kill me if I got a giant rack out of nowhere hahaha I love DIY wood work, so the next I will probably jump in that hole.

I just ordered the Squid and the Pamelas, I made some extra jobs and still have $1 to 1,2k left to play, I was thinking not to order anything more and just grab something in the spot with the advice from the sellers (hope they are nice and honest), with the schedule I just planned a trip to Perfect Circuit in LA.

It's too sad that I will travel without playing with the most part of my modules, so I will be blind with what I really need. It is not ideal, but even if I grab something not so good for my system it will have value, and eventually I could even make profit selling here, probably would take time but I never ended up stuck with nothing.

I will stick with your advice and find a good VCF, and with the advice from plragde don't invest in another voice, makes sense.

I will be there in end of May, so until then maybe I will be the boring guy asking lose and wrong questions, i'm trying not to spam anything.

Furthermore, I know the EMW stuff, here we have the Reco synth (https://www.recosynth.com/) they make an amazing analog drum machine, the Vinicius stuff (https://viniciuselectrik.com/) the order time is LONG!!! 9 months now waiting from a direct with him order and Pantalalabs (http://pantalalabs.com/) which is more to the DIY side, good price and practical. I will have one of each of them in the future, but the opportunity to buy without taxes in US is just something that never happens (it will be my first time outside my country), 3 years of work to manage the money to do it!!

A reasonable rule of thumb (not to be taken strictly) is one voice per row. I would count the Salmple as more than one voice, though it's hard to put a precise number to it. The Lizard VCO is another. Do you need more than that? If so, maybe consider the Noise Reap Paradox and the WMD C4RBN. I have read that Optomix is difficult to get hold of these days...
-- plragde

I considered the Optomix because they were available in Perfect circuit. Now they are out of stock :(

You are right, I will not invest in another voice, I'm going to keep reading and searching.

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!

In your user preferences you find a drop down menu Country Selection.
Select a country within the EU there.
Click here: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/users/edit
-- modulargrid

How does a shop get added to the list of such places that might sell a module?

EDITED Mar 25th 2022, 17:30

Hi Smashburn,

I agree here with Jim for almost 100%, that 1% I don't agree is that you should still buy that large Eurorack case, the HP space you are going to need sooner or later anyway ;-)

But yes, putting all those Moogs in a large Eurorack not sure if that's financially a great choice. Or was this just for fun? Some more background information on "this project" might be useful :-)

Have fun with your Moogs and perhaps consider a separate Eurorack case for some nice Eurorack modules. Kind regards, Garfield.

Hi Warmofada,

Sorry to hear that the availability of Eurorack modules is such an issue for you, where you live, though Plragde is right that every where the availability of items is getting an issue.

I know you mentioned your available budget of 1 till 1.5k (which is a bit too less by the way for Eurorack), I still would like to advise you to go at least for a 3 row-rack casing if you didn't bought the casing yet, rather buy a larger rack with a fewer modules to start with than when in the near future you realise that you need more HP space, which will happen, guaranteed! ;-)

It's very difficult to advise on which modules you should take. You are totally right, the current choice of modules, though huge, it's crazy, it's close to impossible to have a good view of what is on the market and what fits one wishes, requirements, not even mentioning to make a "good" (what is good?) choice out of such a huge assortment of possible modules. I made myself a list of about 2500 modules over the last 3 years or so to try to stay focused on what I feel is kind of interesting, 2500 modules! That's crazy... out of that list of 2500 I feel it's a nightmare to make the right choice, so sometimes if I am too lazy to choose between two modules, I just take them both ;-) Then still 2498 modules left to choose from the next time... however every year so many new modules are produced that one year later there are 2698 modules to choose from, etcetera...

Here in modulargrid.net are currently a little 9700 modules listed, that's even crazier! ;-)

What I miss from your above explanation (but I might have overlooked it, so please do forgive me if I did) are filters... did you consider one or two nice filters? Well, go at least for two filters, one is just a bit too meagre, minimum is two I would say. Look into Doepfer filters they are affordable and can sound pretty well, how about that SEM filter A-106-5 which is a bit milder filter than the Wasp filter A-124, both filters are great and you can find my review report about them on my website (see link below my signature). If you allow yourself a bit more expensive filter module then consider the Erica Synths - Black Dual VCF, a serious great dual filter that can be either used in series or in parallel. There are so many filters, I can't all discuss them here :-)

Don't buy too many modules in one shot though. You need to build up experience, that costs time and once you gained some experience you will see that here and there you start to adjust your view on certain modules and that your requirements might shift a bit. I understand you are a bit limited to your shopping possibilities but still try to keep that a bit in mind.

If you go and visit one or more modular shops in the USA, then try to test as many as possible modules in those shops. Don't only buy them, testing them is so much more important to give you that first instant feeling about a module, how the user interface is, how it sounds, your first impressions are pretty important before you should buy a module. So test as many as possible modules even if you are not going to buy them, that's fine, keep testing till they close the shop or till you have to take your plane back home. Then when you come back home and start to save money again for the next batch of modules then you took valuable test experience with you that you can then use to decide for the second batch of modules what you might want to buy.

By the way, do you know the brand EMW from Brazil? Not sure if you live nearby Brazil or perhaps even in Brazil? Then perhaps, those modules might be easier for you to buy. If you don't know EMW yet, check them out, it's a Brazilian modular manufacturer who makes reasonable Eurorack modules. I consider them the kind of South-American-Doepfer :-) I have a few modules from them but it's a bit difficult to get them here in Germany. I still try to get a filter and a VCO from them.

Besides testing as many as possible modules as you can, the second best advice is to buy a bigger case if you haven't bought that yet.

Good luck, enjoy your time in the USA and enjoy the modular time in those shops :-) Kind regards, Garfield.

make noise appear to have just shipped some optomix...

I hear what you're saying. It is pretty clear I will outgrow this case. I'm going to ease into this and buy a subset of the modules, spend some time with those, and re-evaluate. Maybe I'll completely change my plan or decide I don't even want to proceed (I doubt it though).

I wanted to have a solid plan for fitting everything I needed into that case. It was going to be "the rack". I think this was partially to establish a maximum budget on this because it is pretty darn expensive, but it's leading to bad compromises like buying a module I probably won't like to "fill in the gaps". The fact is I'll be spreading my purchases out over time and at some point I will have the budget for more if I want them.

I think I may stick with this case though. Maybe it's stupid but for some reason I like the 1U form factor, and this case seems relative easy to transport, which is a factor for me. You can actually join two of this model of case together, so my plan is when I outgrow the first one I'll buy another (probably one horizontal and one vertical which seems like a common approach?). If I'm seriously thinking about buying the Disting, it might mean it's time to get that second case!

PS - Yeah I had Stages in my virtual rack at one point. I think I will pick one up eventually. Thanks to Softube Modular and VCV Rack I am already a Mutable Instruments fanboy.

Why only 2 dfams?
Be better to just get 3, 3 piece sound studios, or 4, 2 piece this way you get 2 subs, 2 moms, and 4 dfams

A reasonable rule of thumb (not to be taken strictly) is one voice per row. I would count the Salmple as more than one voice, though it's hard to put a precise number to it. The Lizard VCO is another. Do you need more than that? If so, maybe consider the Noise Reap Paradox and the WMD C4RBN. I have read that Optomix is difficult to get hold of these days...

Hi everyone, can I get some help.

I already bought the Pamela's + Squid sample. The rest is in the wishlist.

I finished the first part:
- Put a INJCTR + 2hp MMF to plug my guitar and envelope
- PNW + SQUIDSample + Low pass gate = combo sample + percussion

I'm between a joystick or another voice. Feel bad to have such a rack and have a direct 1 voice.

Anyone with more experience can say an opinion if it's possible to fit another voice, which modules should I look for?

Looks like I have a decent amount of Attenuator, one VCF for the first voice and one for guitar envelope, 3 LFOs with a multi sounds good enough, 2 adsr looks ok and just 2 simple VCA . With what I read, to complete a ''simple'' new voice, I would need a small VCO, more VCAs and a filter.

I haven't spent much time with Beads, but Kammerl is a fantastic thing if you spend the time to get it down. A lot of people get intimidated with it, as when you first use it, it can be like a bucking bronco that hasn't had lunch yet. But well worth sticking with in the end. Super fun - there might be something out there similar, but that's on me if I don't know it.

Oh sick! Dude, thanks for the info on those that’s really helpful! Also, I have a Beads, Kammerl surely offers more in the beat repeat sector ya?

oh my...

Sorry , forgot to mention the addition of an FM cv control on the Typhoon variant is really a huge factor for me.

Salut!

As usual, it's in French with uk subtitles :) I've to admit that it's not the more complex/featured drive module but what it does, it does it well!

-- -ADR-

Very nice - Merci!

Agreed on the topic of ergonomics. The original Grids was a lot bigger than it needed to be in my opinion, but these micro clones that aim to be literally as small as possible overshoot the mark.
-- jgoney

uGrids is by far the "u" module that is least impacted by the downsizing (maybe tied with uO_C) , as there was a lot of room on the original. The main thing to consider is if you like the feel of the larger knobs or not.

I would get one with sliders, so Typhoon or Monsoon - much more playable for the minute variations that can send Kammerl into different places so easily

The big advantage as far as firmware with Typhoon is that you can have all the alternate firmware on board at the same time, so you'll have Parasites as well to play with. That's here in case you haven't seen it https://mqtthiqs.github.io/parasites/clouds.html

Typhoon's VCAs come in handy as well for expressive control.

Full disclosure: I'm Calsynth, and sell all of the above, but that's my personal opinion, not a sales pitch. You'll be well served by Michigan if you go that route.

EDITED Mar 24th 2022, 18:32

Looking at picking up a Clouds/clone to run Kammerl firmware on. Hard to tell which version is the most comfortable to tweak without having them all in front of me so turning to your recommendations. I hate trimmers, but if it's for set and forget stuff like gain in, output level, wet/dry, then it's fine. Looking at uBurst from Momo, Typhoon, and Monsoon from Michigan Synth Works. Or maybe even just an OG Clouds. Thanks for your insight!

Received and built one. Yes, useful.

Be warned the company became untrustworthy for ordering since 2021, they shipped many empty boxes to many customers with wrong addresses in order to generate Covid slowed down false tracking data. $500 in unsent orders from me.