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@wishbonebrewery

Back on MG. I'm a bit late...
But among the things that hold my attention here, there are these relaxed tracks from the Wishbonebrewery :))

So, another piece that doesn't lack charm (even if sometimes a little bit long; honestly, I stopped after 23 minutes, but I had a pleasant little trip under the 'starry vault' of the first part; and I also saw quickly the last part with the voices, which looks like a kind of return to earth).

Two questions:
- Do you remember how you proceeded with those little percussions with some delay (and triggered by Pam, I guess...). The ones that appear around 5:10. They form beautiful clouds of galaxies :)
- How is your black cat? (I have a cousin of his here, on the other side of the channel, in the Somme).

Thanks in advance for your answers, and congratulations for your publications !

When I read your 'intention', yes... (Ideally Zadar + Nin).

Zadar :)

Tarot seems to be a great module, like everything else that Modulaire Maritime does. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for getting new timbres and sometimes a deeper or more aggressive touch. I would go with that. But the choice of one (or more) module is mostly dependent on the musical direction you want to go in.

“Mr. Hammond, after careful consideration, I’ve decided not to endorse your park.” (Dr. Alan Grant - Jurassic Park).

That’s a nice trip! Modular is a long river.

Good atmosphere, nice little ambient trip to start a Sunday afternoon thanks to this piece, the guinea pigs and your music-loving cat. A proper conditioning before joining my own home studio. (BTW do not forget to feed the chickens :)

This patch, inspired by the french musician and writer Boris Vian: ‘the monkey > the man > the fool’.
So sometimes it’s good to pull the plug.

@farkas is right. My first manual about a modular subject was for the Make Noise O-Coast. The pedagogy of this manual invited me to continue towards modular.
One Make Noise exception: the Maths manual. Fortunately Demonam has been there :) https://w2.mat.ucsb.edu/mat276n/resources/systems/CREATE_teachingSynth/manuals/8c_Maths2013-V1.11-printable.pdf
Otherwise, for their nice readability: Mutable Instruments.

May I just add to all these suggestions Qu-Bit Data Bender which is an authentic sound processor. Much more than a simple 'destruction' module :))
I had first adopted it for this ‘crusher’ function and I discovered that it can also do much more, and beautiful things.
Again, it's all in the use of the tool...

Plaits is French, Twin Waves is Belgian.
I use Plaits, but Twin Waves is a ‘bloody little module’ with a lot of ‘little grey cells’ (so many great features) and it sounds absolutely wonderful!
I don't know how I haven't given in to temptation yet...
I'm a ‘bloody little frog’.

I use both mixers. They are excellent (and no noise problems on the StMix!).
My most frequent configuration: StMix and/or A-138s as sub-mixers (either of which can end up on a stereo effect: reverb, Data Bender, etc.), and the Black Stereo Mixer V3 as the final mixer before the Listen IO output module.
Some details differ (see the manuals) like a 5th input on the Befaco or the merge of mono channels on the Erica Synths.
The choice will depend on the context of use.

Nice tracks, beautiful travel diary. Very interesting cross between European and Japanese influences.

Nice topic.
I think I'd start having fun with this... while thinking about the next 104 HP ;)

Is there a way I can tell the cat that the mess is actually part of my rack? I like cats - but this cat is annoying me.
-- cosmicmusicfoundation

No, you can't. Cats can't be trained. But that said, try to coax him with kibble. Salmon kibble?

Sad news. ‘Planning for the future’ is ‘impossible’... A situation that many companies are experiencing. A page is being turned in the world of modular.

Some basic remarks although I'm not the most 'expert' here.

For 'experimental drone/ambient-like/random/generative stuff' you will need many modulations. In a small case, DivKid Ochd (8 Lfos in 4HP) is worth considering.

The A-180-2 can easily be replaced by passive multiples like Black Market Monomults or Tiptop Stackables: you will save some space. You can even replace it by a buffered mult which is very recommended for a better distribution of the v/oct signals.

Concerning the empty 4HP, a recommendation often shared: the Disting mk4, the famous Swiss knife of the Eurorack.

To conclude, but you will need a little more place, listen carefully to the NE Demodus Versio. This is a tool that may be suitable for your musical orientation. A flexible and modern module with the possibility to change the firmware.

PS: a larger case... sorry :))

White flag! May I just confirm that Limaflo Motomouth is genuinely an excellent Formant Filter, with numerous adjustment possibilities. (And that this Grendel, surely very talented, is not about to win its international beauty contest either :)

It's like an ode to fermentation (this interpretation is obviously under influence ;) Anyway, a nice track. Smooth and relaxing (not to mention the cat).

Upon hearing the student enter the secret chamber, Zosimos of Panopolis had only one word: 'Before you venture into the transmutation of sound with all these devices, you will begin your spiritual quest by first experimenting with the Moog DFAM, young Padawan’.
-- Sweelinck

Eh...can't I just fuck around with this EML 400/401 I found in a dumpster somewhere? (not really)

-- Lugia

Zosimos quietly pulled Master Lugia into a corner of the laboratory and whispered: '500 bucks and you give me the address of that fucking dumpster'. Lugia looked down at the tips of his Nike shoes with a compassed expression... Zosimos: 'Ok 750, my Behringer Swing and a signed copy of Fifty Shades of Grey’.
But a noise was suddenly heard on the stairs: it was the Padawan running away with a Vermona DRM1 MKIV under his arm!

Upon hearing the student enter the secret chamber, Zosimos of Panopolis had only one word: 'Before you venture into the transmutation of sound with all these devices, you will begin your spiritual quest by first experimenting with the Moog DFAM, young Padawan’.

@clusterchord Yes. For all its features, but also 'intellectually' :) Maths remains a must-have. The best cigar money can buy :))

Great answer from Lugia on the Maths cigar :)) Humor is too often absent here. VCA: I've been using the Intellijel Quad Vca for 3 years, solid as a Montecristo Nº 4. EG: Zadar recently completed (with Nin) my other modules like Tides. It's more like a VegaFina: a unique taste and concept, excellent value for money!

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 :))

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 :)

I have a Rackbrute 6U. In facts, it has 89hp by row (instead of 88). The power unit takes 5 hp.
-- ClaudeP

You’re right. But, please, that little extra hp in each row (one up and one down) must remain a secret! And it could have been a nice surprise for @davidkcolman, especially for his modules... You shouldn't try to fill those 2 small spaces: they allow for better ventilation. I have three RackBrute 6U. They are beautiful and smart :)

RackBrute 6U: 176 HP - 5 HP power module = 171 HP

Beyond the very good advice of @JimHowell1970, I note your faithful love for House, Techno and Trance music. I would therefore advise you to include at least two types of modules absent from your current selection: a beefy oscillator (Noise Engineering for example offers a few like the Manis Iteritas), or a complex oscillator (like the Furthrrrr Generator). And at least a kick module (like the Tiptop Audio BD909, or more widely an Erica Synths Sample Drum).

Still not speaking drone, but many good ideas in this thread and lots of inspiration.

-- Exposure

Perfect. The best way to speak another language is, knowing the basics, to practice it over and over again...
So now, good luck!

Hi Gaz, well... you know... actually...
And you’re a really wonderful guy... but...
(Ahem)

@Broken-Form: yes, I tried on my side too, but using Nebulae (instead of Plaits) and Cloud Terrarium, with of course some Lfos, Filters and FXs... You need to adjust the dosage and find the 'sweet spots'. But I confirm that the method is effective.
Thanks @Ronin1973

@Ronin1973: ‘great initiative... pass of the ball...’
@Broken-Form: ‘perfect interception... and... gooal!!!’
‘Wow! Great! The ModularGrid team has a wonderful collective game tonight!’
(More seriously, @Ronin1973, @Broken-Form, I’ll humbly try it too on my side :))

@Lugia: thank’s for these precisions, we can indeed travel very far in time and space.
By the way, originally, we all have an old relative called 'Homo habilis' who lived in Tanzania 2 million years ago. Under the milky lights of full moon nights, he probably sang strange and wonderful kind of drones, like 'plainsongs' mingling with those of other animals in the plain. (Etymologically, 'plain' comes from the Latin 'planus' which can be found in 'cantus planus', in French 'plain-chant'). Today, I think that we don’t do anything else with our drones: we still question ‘The Great Mystery’...
For my part, I prefer to focus on the History of Western music; starting with the Gothic Period, it's already a long way :)

@troux : thanks, I'll read it with pleasure.

Excellent! Fierce and combative. Thanks for having shared this track here ;)

@troux, @Lugia
Decidedly, since the bids rise easily here, I will claim in my turn that, in the Western world, the 'drone' was born with the plainsong, in the sacred music, in the Middle Ages. And that it finds its own roots in the psalms of the synagogues, then at the birth of the Christian era. This spiritual or mystical 'sap' is the very essence of 'drone': from the origins to our days (cf. Radigue, La Monte, etc.).
It is a sacred music, not profane.
Who says better ? :)
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva ?
Not so bad... :))

Take a look at ‘Synthesis Technology - E352 Drones N Stuff’, a video by DivKid on YouTube. It's quite explicit.

-- Sweelinck

Quite explicit? Mmmmm...hot sexy wavetables...

-- Lugia

Definitely. On the other hand, not to mention Ben's strong performance. So romantic.

The E352 Cloud Terrarium seems to be popular for drones, I have seen it mentioned several times in that context. What is it that makes it so good for drones?

-- Exposure

Take a look at ‘Synthesis Technology - E352 Drones N Stuff’, a video by DivKid on YouTube. It's quite explicit.

Excellent proposals from @Amenbreak (with the Monotrail Tech Talk video) and @Lugia (with the technical suggestions). For my part: E352 Cloud Terrarium, Nebulae and Morphagene are some of my favourite modular sound sources for that musical genre.

But I think that with various means (and sometimes little means) we can obtain interesting things, because it's actually and mostly a question of mindset when creating and listening.

We can refer here to the music of bagpipes (wind sounds), Ravi Shankar (string sounds), and the historical works of La Monte Young (‘Trio for Strings’) who is one of Eno's references.

(...) Does the Xaoc Batumi have this ability? I do suppose I could look myself…
-- aheath73

‘The reset/sync input is an user-defined trigger input that can serve as either cycle re-set or external tempo sync’ (Batumi user manual: http://xaocdevices.com/main/batumi/)
The pleasure of opening a manual...

I like to use every kind of noise (white, pink etc.) a good filter and a snapy envelope and a VCA or better a Combination of Envelope and VCA like the Befaco Percal or Schlappi Enginering - Boundary .

-- Next_G

Yes, and thank you for this comment!
This is really an alternative: start with a noise, shape it with an envelope, use a filter, a vca, some random, a delay, etc. Everyone has his own modules, his own recipes, and you end up with something that is personal and that suits the track perfectly.

It is for this pleasure that we buy modules that have a cost... and that we have even sometimes turned away from ready made sound banks and computers.

The price of a module (let's say from 100 to 1000 euros) is also the price of the pleasure of freedom and of working as a sound craftsman.

To illustrate my previous comment and answering a bit more precisely the topic, ladies and gentlemen... the amazing, the magnificient (and fairly low cost) 2hp Hat!
:))

I don't have a really dedicated module yet: neither for HH nor for Kick. It's a will since the beginning. I use drum machines. But I might change my mind. When you look at Richard Devine current live setup, you can see a 2hp Hat and a 2hp Kick. I'm heading towards this solution. Why not...

Lugia is right. We can also want a piano without a pedal, a microwave without a cooking time setting, an airplane without an altimeter... Funny Club. Everything that is imaginable is not necessarily reasonable ;)

At this moment I see that the Noise Engineering Loquelic Iteritas Percido is available at Modular Freq, on their website and their Reverb store... It's an incredibly powerful module: a wide range of sounds (from percussion to drone), very fat with a lot of dynamics. Do not procrastinate... :)

The power consumption specs regarding the modules is crucial. When submitting a module, mandatory fields on this point would be useful.

@Lugia Patience and good recovery!
(In our countries, in the United States or in France for my part, we are fortunate to have tremendous expertise and resources in the medical field. This is a privilege. The passion for music being another, so we are doubly privileged :))

Hi, gang! Now that XODES has come up with these really excellent tile frames, and there's also some other similar devices...could we get a way to add tiles/modules to these, sort of in the same way that the half-height Buchla modules work over in that part of the site. It seems relatively simple (just alter the image/grid layouts so that you can drop tiles in) to implement, which of course is probably totally wrong on my part.
-- Lugia

Yes please!
-- hpdr

So now, 3rd wish for this possibility to combine XODES tile frames with 1U modules :) Thanks!

And I'd like to point out that Surgeon is an especially cool dude after being awake for 30+ hours and having Denny's for breakfast afterward.
-- Lugia

Yes, really. He seems very humble, very friendly. Very patient too. A whole attitude and philosophy which you can find embodied in his works. Respect.

@jb61264 Maths is a bit like the church in the middle of the village: you don't necessarily enter it every day, but you think about it often.

The video and discussions at Elevator Sound are very interesting. In particular this notion of limitation: in the inflation of modules and the temptations which are related to it... Thanks for sharing.