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Hi Guys
I am a music producer for more then 20 years but worked mainly with Ableton for the past 15 years.
Am a fan of UK Garage, Dub, Ambient and my main influences are artists like Four Tet, Floating Points, Burial etc...
I really wanted to get away from the PC screen and start jamming more.
Thats why I wanted to build my first eurorack that would not be dependent of a computer screen and would be suited for live jamming, with drums, bass, a versitile synth and some rack for vocal sampling. Goal is to create live music on the go in the same music spectrum as the artists I mentioned above. My problem now I have no idea where to start and could use some help for creating this rack. Money shouldnt be an issue, I just dont want it to take too much space in my studio, so I could pack it easily.
Any suggestions very welcome!

I'm with you on this one. I think the patchwork aesthetic suits the modular philosophy

-- padmasan

Nicely put.

This seems strange to me, Why do people have an obsession with Black panels?
I'm enjoying the eclectic and wish those Red ADDAC modules were still a common thing, I don't want everything to be black, it can't just be me can it?
-- wishbonebrewery

I'm with you on this one. I think the patchwork aesthetic suits the modular philosophy

I was kinda wondering why there weren't more bright colors.

I'd rack iridescent chartreuse or dayglo orange if I could get them. Black and silver are boring.

YMMV! :)

EDITED Feb 18th 2023, 05:50

That's awesome! Well done! :)

If you're going with the 0-coast, you should probably take a hard look at the 0-ctrl.

It works as a clock, sequencer as well as an envelope, pulse, and gate generator.

Obviously pairs well with the 0-coast as they are designed to be used together.

Best wishes! :)

I’ve got it into modular rather late @64 yrs old and being honest it’s been mainly due to having more and more physical problems playing guitar so I got rid of some gear, bought a little Skulpt, then a Mother 32, got hooked, bought a Boog to go with it and then remembered my late little brothers huge Synthesisers.com modular rig, mostly built from kits, by the time he died it was damn near the size of Keith Emersons rig! Watched some YouTube vids and fell down the rabbit hole.
I thought ok I don’t really know what I’m doing so if I buy a rig I can see set up and running on YouTube then I’ll at least be on the right path. Yeah …famous last words..I know, so I bought a little ALM 6u 52hp Added Sono Abitus, a Rangoon, Monsoon, Vermona Melodicer & Pam’s new workout to start with, planning to add a nautilus delay & Morphagene later when funds allow. Ok so it works, it makes some rather satisfying and even occasionally tuneful noises but nothing like my chosen YouTubers little system pulls at what little hair I have left| I then got distracted and had an Oooh shiney moment when I saw a Brains module going cheap on Thomann along with a slim 4 channel mixer only to be slightly disappointed when it got here as I’d veered from my chosen path of a small ambient machine.
I’m persevering and have had lots of fun modulating with the Pam’s, and can’t wait to get my hands on the new one as the screen will be easier for me to see.
I’m not giving up though, I’m learning more each day from you guys on here and several YouTubers.

Thanks for the help and inspiration

Ian

Dear non-designer Euro manufacturers. They look bad. Stop listening to the vocal minority. Look at the synths of old. Look how good Rossum and Synthtech looks compared to After Later. They make me wanna barf while I off myself, crying in the corner. They look foul and diseased. They look tacky and the contrast is horrible. Even Folktek looks miserable. Take some prozac guys
-- intowhite

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Dear non-designer Euro manufacturers. They look bad. Stop listening to the vocal minority. Look at the synths of old. Look how good Rossum and Synthtech looks compared to After Later. They make me wanna barf while I off myself, crying in the corner. They look foul and diseased. They look tacky and the contrast is horrible. Even Folktek looks miserable. Take some prozac guys

They are so depressing and ugly. Spend all day looking at black cords and electronics everywhere already... Always get the silver panels when possible but apparently there are many edgelords with horrible design taste who are into eurorack, they are the majority. No big surprise - have you heard the youtube demos for most modules?

I'm going to order a Matt Black Vinyl wrap for my Toilet!

Well, not really starting modular for real for now, but things has moved a bit, and I'm gonna start a full 54 hour week training in synthesis next week.

My setup is like this for now :

-Make Noise Cheap Easel (I'll soon get the 0-coast)
-Moog M-32 (not mine, won't keep it for long)
-Drumbrute Impact
-Line 6 DL4
-Boss SD1
-Angry Driver
-Big Muff Bass
-Folktek Alter x
-Doepfer A-100 LC1 (that I'll get from a friend soon) with DIY Braids, Clouds & Ear
-Plus VCV Rack2 and all kind of plugins in Reaper

I'm clearly not mastering every part of this setup now, but I hope to very soon.
I want to buy a Keystep 37 to control the 0-coast better, considering that I don't have any controller as for now.
I also kind of want to buy a Tiptop Mantis case like pretty soon and get some modules, a few, to complete this setup.
I just don't know what modules to get with ths setup, I think that in effects I'm pretty good with what I have for now, same goes for oscillators.
Maybe some random generators, enveloppe, filters, switch, logic, mixers, looper, sampler, utilites or CV modulation would be good?
Maybe a all in one module, like the Disting, Pam Pro Workout, Ornament & Crime or something like that?
I'm not a big fan of menu diving but maybe that's the first good module to start?

Cheers

C39303

EDITED Feb 17th 2023, 17:26

Hey ! hope you are well ! taking some time to discover this forum, even if i'm registered from some time now !

here's one of my latest "patch" !

--> leave a comment under the video if you like !

have a nice week-end 😊

EDITED Feb 17th 2023, 15:22

Personally, I don't care about the colour. I just want it to work. But I have noticed that this 'black panel' phenomenon has been growing and gaining ground for some time.

This 'limited black edition' fashion affects all sectors. An example with this telescopic handler for agriculture... Well, I can understand it here, we see the same trend in cars and motorbikes. But when you find this also for your toilet...

I had a quick look and put this together:

I think you could still remove the passive and active mults in a case this size, you can get stackables or flying mults which will save you space, so I replaced all three Rides in the storm modules with the new Bastl Aikido, added a cheap and great LPG, 3x MIA for more mixing and attenuating, an extra stereo filter (you have so many sound sources in such a small space) and the FX Aid pro for fun.

I'd also like to have added an ochd, another clep diaz or memetic digitalis for more modulation, but I got obsessed with using all of the hp and trying to even up the odd hp width modules (hence the aikido).

Otherwise I'd consider swapping the pico VCO and Hysteria for a klavis twin waves, and you'd have space for a sample & hold or logic module.

But that is just what I'd do...

Ask yourself why you are struggling to connect with it and what is causing you the biggest barrier to using it or finding inspiration. I really struggled to find the right sequencer & modulation combination for me, and explored a lot of different ones. when I finally found the right sequencer that clicked it was a huge transformation for me, I'd previously bounced off of the Varigate 4+ even though I wanted to love it.

I haven't bothered much about panel colors so far, but what somehow bothers me more than the panel colors is the way each module looks so different from the other.

Even if you get all black modules, they still look different in style. Some have a shiny finish, while others are simply matte black; some appear "blacker" than others; some panels appear clean and minimalistic, while others appear busy and a little crazy; then you have gold on black and white on black trends too; don't even get started with knobs, as they come in all sizes and colors too.

Eurorack looks busy and intimidating, and I totally understand those who replace the original panels and knobs to make the instrument look homogenous, more clear, and more approachable. Maybe going all-in on black panels is a way to bring some order to this madness.

Hey there,

I am wondering if this is a typical beginner's blues? I am stuck atm and try to find modules to improve my setup. Every time I try to compose and arrange stuff, I end up with the same pains and loose motivation.

If this was your rack:
Which module would you keep and which one would you kick out / substitute with?

My long-term idea is to invest in an elektron digitakt as drum machine and into the eowave swarm to spice things up with drone sounds. I also have a Behringer crave and volcas. I had much fun with them, but I think I should get rid to avoid fiddling around with them and focusing more on Eurorack.

Thanks a lot!

Cheers

Funny, I'm the other way. All of my current modules are silver (Intellijel, MI, XAOC, ALM etc.) and I limit myself to not purchase any black ones. I've been burnt too many times by black PCB panels, which I dislike with a passion. Especially on something like Natural Gate, which is supposed to be this final word on LPGs it's comical to have a PCB panel. Brushed aluminium for me!

EDITED Feb 17th 2023, 11:47

Yeah, you guys are weird hahaha
I mean, my own cases are slowly turning quite black but its not by choice.

I've been searching for stereo spatialization modules, but the closest category is "dual/stereo" which includes dual ADSR's. Can we have a function of stereo spatialization?

I like the idea of MTM organ but can’t find any available.

Music Thing Modular Chord Organ - DIY module started as an alternate firmware for the Radio Music - you can usually get the kits and pcb/panel sets from Thonk (UK) or Exploding Shed (DE) - but they both appear to be sold out at the moment

Definitely going to need a bigger case lol.

we did tell ya!!!

I think the next thing I’ll add is a plaits or rings clone because they seem useful and I love the sound of rings.

then get rings - I'd go for a full size clone (ALA Resonate) - unless you want it to be near impossible to tune

Should I maybe swap the maths out for marbles or something similar??

no - completely different modules - you need both! (maybe)

EDITED Feb 17th 2023, 00:08

Should I maybe swap the maths out for marbles or something similar??
-- Jerkson

These are two VERY different modules. What exactly do you need and want the module in this space to do? Why Maths? Why Marbles?

Thanks! Didn’t expect so many useful responses. Sometimes it’s nice to get some outside perspective on things.

I’ll link my patch next time instead of a jpeg.

That FX Aid Pro looks very useful.. definitely adding that to the list of future additions.

I like the idea of MTM organ but can’t find any available.

Definitely going to need a bigger case lol.

I think the next thing I’ll add is a plaits or rings clone because they seem useful and I love the sound of rings.

Should I maybe swap the maths out for marbles or something similar??

EDITED Feb 27th 2023, 07:21

a chaos generator like Wogglebug

no - wogglebug is random not chaotic - so not a chaos generator

there's a difference... both produce "unpredictable" results but in different ways

random is as random as possible - usually pseudo-random, as the generator needs to be seeded, if using a processor to generate your random - you may be able to modulate the upper and lower bounds or the seed, but it's still random

a die roll is random - it will generate a number between 1 & 6 with an equal probability - let's call it r

whereas chaos will have some sort of rule - or an attractor - essentially a function - to influence the outcome - f(r)

possible very simplistic rule (attracts to 3.5ish) if more than 4 subtract 2 if less than 3 add 2 (3,4,3,4,3,4)
or if a product of 2 divide by 2 - so you get (1,1, 2, 3, 3 , 5 )

roll the die and apply rule

often the previous chaotically generated number will be used in the function to generate the current chaotic value - in order to give a more similar result - or maybe an lfo will be used to influence the outcome - possibly with speed and offset as modulateable parameters or possibly both strategies will be employed simultaneously

obviously these are incredibly basic examples - iirc there's links to much more in depth discussions of chaos on the nonlinearcircuits website (iirc Andrew the owner has a phD in designing chaotic circuits)
-- JimHowell1970

Thanks for the clarification!

Ha! I was just thinking about this. As I get to know my rack better, I actually do find myself half-wishing for a more uniform black panel look. When I was first getting started, I didn't really care and almost preferred an eclectic assortment. I'm getting a little more conservative the longer I do this though. Haha. It's funny that it matters to any of us, but it does for whatever inexplicable reason.

This seems strange to me, Why do people have an obsession with Black panels?
I'm enjoying the eclectic and wish those Red ADDAC modules were still a common thing, I don't want everything to be black, it can't just be me can it?

a chaos generator like Wogglebug

no - wogglebug is random not chaotic - so not a chaos generator

there's a difference... both produce "unpredictable" results but in different ways

random is as random as possible - usually pseudo-random, as the generator needs to be seeded, if using a processor to generate your random - you may be able to modulate the upper and lower bounds or the seed, but it's still random

a die roll is random - it will generate a number between 1 & 6 with an equal probability - let's call it r

whereas chaos will have some sort of rule - or an attractor - essentially a function - to influence the outcome - f(r)

possible very simplistic rule (attracts to 3.5ish) if more than 4 subtract 2 if less than 3 add 2 (3,4,3,4,3,4)
or if a product of 2 divide by 2 - so you get (1,1, 2, 3, 3 , 5 )

roll the die and apply rule

often the previous chaotically generated number will be used in the function to generate the current chaotic value - in order to give a more similar result - or maybe an lfo will be used to influence the outcome - possibly with speed and offset as modulateable parameters or possibly both strategies will be employed simultaneously

obviously these are incredibly basic examples - iirc there's links to much more in depth discussions of chaos on the nonlinearcircuits website (iirc Andrew the owner has a phD in designing chaotic circuits)

EDITED Feb 16th 2023, 17:51

simply choose everything but not HEAD

Indeed! I hadn't really used the panel selector much. It is possible to switch from HEAD to 1/N there, pointing directly at the most recent image.

in my opinion it makes sense to have modules default image set to HEAD because there are often improvements in quality or perspective.

I still think it would make more sense not to default to HEAD. In my experience, updated images are almost always a new panel color or someone uploading a (usually lower quality, and not matching other images from the same manufacturer) image of the actual panel from their rack. If someone uploads a higher quality image, it usually happens within a short time of a module's release, so usually that image is already in the database by the time I'm adding a module to my rack.

EDITED Feb 16th 2023, 17:11

Small option for chords: MTM organ..

Is there a way to set the current module image to something other than HEAD even if someone wants the current default image? (So that a rack isn’t following the HEAD image, and doesn’t update when a new image is uploaded.)
-- chaos215bar2

simply choose everything but not HEAD

EDIT
ensure you have enabled the panel selector (top right of the rack)

further i misunderstood your question :D
in my opinion it makes sense to have modules default image set to HEAD because there are often improvements in quality or perspective.

EDITED Feb 16th 2023, 16:39

Other people who have set their module image to HEAD version (default) will see your newly uploaded image.
HEAD means: always show the newest image.
If they switch to an older version it will stick there, newly uploaded images will not affect their racks.

Is there a way to set the current module image to something other than HEAD even if someone wants the current default image? (So that a rack isn’t following the HEAD image, and doesn’t update when a new image is uploaded.)

Seems like this would maybe make sense as the default behavior. Rather than setting the module image to HEAD by default, just set it to whatever the current default image is, but stick with that image permanently.

To use an example, if I add a module to a rack with, say, a silver panel as the default and only image, then that’s probably the version of the module I own. If someone uploads a black panel later, I probably don’t want my rack to get updated with the black image. Seems like there’s no way to do that now, unless I re-upload (duplicate) the silver panel image and select the old version when adding the module to a rack, which would be a bit silly.

It’s always a little weird to come back to a rack after a few months and find out a couple of the module images have been switched out to a version I didn’t originally have in the rack and don’t actually own.

I'm a newb so not much advice/perspective I can add other than to say, I had Plaits suggested to me for my setup, which also contains Maths/Dixie/Quad VCA, and I've been loving it.

e.g., Dixie pulses enveloped via Maths and used to trigger the percussive modes of Plaits gets some interesting ambience, if you play around enough.

With the firmware update, Plaits has an LFO mode, which paired with Dixie gives you good flexibility if you want one to act as the clock for the other.

Someone also suggested (to me) a chaos generator like Wogglebug to add an element of unpredictability, if you have room for it. Not essential but something fun to keep in mind. Ambient, in my experience, thrives on chaos.

FX Aid pro kept coming up in my search for FX, so sounds like you can't go wrong with that recommendation.

Good luck, have fun, and seriously consider wise people's advice when they say, "You may need a bigger case."

I started out with a 64 HP "budget setup" that quickly ballooned to 128 HP despite everything I could do, lulz.

While I'm very happy with a smaller setup, too small a setup might not achieve all the things you want, particularly polyphony.

Here's a link to a good thread from the forum on why polyphony isn't easily achievable....item #4 in particular.

Best wishes, good luck, and enjoy the ride! :)

Thanks!

get a bigger case,and a fx aid pro would be a good choice for reverbs and stuff

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/forum/posts/index/1749

Hi,

First of all, a link to your patch is much better than a jpeg.

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/erica-synths-black-wavetable-vco

Modules for ambient are usually large modules, so you need a lot more space to begin with.
For example, https://www.modulargrid.net/e/make-noise-mimeophon already consumes 16HP
You should think of another voice for those strings. A clone of MI plaits is very versatile.
I don't know what use you give to the two Distinguishings, I imagine effects. For the type of music you want, a resonator like MI Rings and the Mimeophon that I mentioned before would suit you well. You will need effects with a lot more control than disnting gives you. And to shoot everything some trigger/cv generator like MI Marbles (or clones)
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/after-later-audio-dice.
A noise source and some utilities like a sequential switch, mixer/attenuator/attenuverter.

So this is what I have. I’ve been enjoying everything so far but would like to get into more ambient music with polyphony/chord patches. Open to swapping any of these modules out for ones that make more sense.

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2155588.jpg?1676524364

Is there a way to lock the current panel images in a rack, so that they aren’t updated whenever someone uploads a new image?

It looks like if I select something other than the default image when adding a module, that image is saved. But if I use the default image, it isn’t saved and gets updated every time a new image is added for the module.

This seems like the opposite of the behavior you’d want most of the time. It doesn’t seem like there’s really ever a situation where someone would setup a rack, but want modules to update when a new revision comes out, or when someone uploads a custom image from their own rack.

I would like to see a section for studio rack gear. Ive had to add them to the guitar pedal section hidden but this seems like a logical progression

Fusion success! :)

Love the "sax" freakout solo!

I love all of Miles' music and appreciate the Brew influence...

Thanks for sharing!

https://blackwarriorlures.bandcamp.com/album/phrygias-dance

EDITED Feb 15th 2023, 17:14

Smart com and fine transaction with @Tanabarbier
Recommended Seller.

Great work, and I have to say it too, amazing visuals!
-- FredFoxtrott

Thank you :)

Thanks a lot :), thanks for listening and your kind words! Hopefully more to come, but got so little time for my synths...

All the Best,
jingo

Super chill, thanks for sharing @jingo

:), Thanks for listening, glad you like it!

Best,
jingo

Thanks for sharing! Love it! :)

A Buffered Mult: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-buff-mult

You will be able to modulate multiple parameters simultaneously with a single voltage source (1 x 6) or send the same pitch sequence to both Dixie and Plaits, or split the Out from Plaits into multiple paths (i.e one into MFX—one into Filter) and create a multi-dimensional layered sound that you could Pan around. Lots more.
-- Toccata

Excellent! That was my first instinct; again, we seem to be on the same wavelength. :)

I definitely like the idea of the flexibility and extra capability of a buffered mult vs. using stackcables or those multi hub thingys. And I definitely like feeding things into the x-pan.

Great advice, thanks as always! I will continue to think about it before making the decision, but this goes a long way towards helping me. :)

Any other thoughts on other possible ways to use up the last 2hp, anyone?

A Buffered Mult: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/intellijel-buff-mult

You will be able to modulate multiple parameters simultaneously with a single voltage source (1 x 6) or send the same pitch sequence to both Dixie and Plaits, or split the Out from Plaits into multiple paths (i.e one into MFX—one into Filter) and create a multi-dimensional layered sound that you could Pan around. Lots more.

EDITED Feb 15th 2023, 02:03