Modular Madness Megathread

[ElectricPuppy]

How's that case working for you, D-Crunk? Looks clean and tidy, but I wonder if the upper and lower controls and patch points bump into each other where the case bends?

[donaldcrunk]

Originally Posted by ElectricPuppy

How's that case working for you, D-Crunk? Looks clean and tidy, but I wonder if the upper and lower controls and patch points bump into each other where the case bends?

surprisingly this hasnt been a problem. given the geometry it does become a bit of a rats nest though. typically im either sitting or standing directly in front of it so manipulating controls isnt an issue yet. i have a lot of utility modules that allow me to only modulate key easy-to-get-to parameters and still change the sound drastically, so that helps.

the flame clockwork is driving me slightly nuts at the moment, apparently every time you press the E and F keys at the same time or near the same time the Midi to cv convertor locks up and the whole modular needs rebooted. very irritating. i love the uniqueness of the module and the interesting rhythms and white man techno patterns it inspires, but not the constant bugs.

there are so many new modules being released, i think theyre averaging 2 or 3 a week at this point. i can no longer keep up. i just try to buy according to desired function.


our friend Urbanscallywag is hard at it again, he and his business partner have invented a whole new sub-format of 1u "tiles", meant for the odd gaps that people are often left with when using off the shelf enclosures and briefcases. he also has a very ecenomical little euro-case for sale that would make an awesome starter i think

http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=65340

[Gribs]

Oh I forgot to post my Echophon Test 01 patch here.

[donaldcrunk]

i'm restarting my series of eurorack performance videos. this one is all the synth, with the Make Noise DPO providing the main progression

you can hear the analog uncertainty in this oscillator, and the range of tones i produce in this video is only the tip of the iceberg on this great device. high pitched noises come from a z3000 and a cyclebox modulating a self resonating STG PLLF (really interesting sounds/control achieved this way). 'cymbals' are STG .SHN and noisering 'noise' out. everything controlled by clockwork.

[Gribs]

Here is a Space Drone patch using the Echophon and shoving a Doepher distortion into the feedback loop with varying CV on the magnitude. This a harsh-sounding patch but I really like the distortion sound and have always been a fan of controlled feedback.


Alas having a family and children kept me away from the Trash Audio event and will also keep me away from Knob Fest. I have lots of extended family in the Chicago area so next year I have to do some better planning about arranging something for wife + kids to do while I am away at the event.

[LameAim]

Originally Posted by donaldcrunk

our friend Urbanscallywag is hard at it again, he and his business partner have invented a whole new sub-format of 1u "tiles", meant for the odd gaps that people are often left with when using off the shelf enclosures and briefcases. he also has a very ecenomical little euro-case for sale that would make an awesome starter i think

http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=65340

Oh I'm gonna have to keep an eye on this. Been curious about going Euro for a while now - seems like a way to get started without immediately going overboard. Plus I don't have much space anyway.

[LameAim]

{censored}. I {censored}ed up and started looking at Make Noise DPO videos. Now I'm wondering if 26HP is enough to construct a full voice around one of those. Help.

[Gribs]

Originally Posted by LameAim

{censored}. I {censored}ed up and started looking at Make Noise DPO videos. Now I'm wondering if 26HP is enough to construct a full voice around one of those. Help.

Welcome to the wonderful world of modulars... heh.

For a first case I would first decide if you want portable like that or something more studio. Matthew Goike studio-style skiff/cases come up for sale frequently at muffwiggler.com. I am not entirely sure why you see them for sale frequently as they are awesome - maybe there are just a lot out there now. Also a lot of people change formats and dump stuff to go Serge or Buchla (not for me personally). That is when opportunity arises for a circling vulture like me! Matthew's lead time is about 8 weeks if you want to order exactly what you want. He does a really nice job mounting and wiring the TipTop power boards too, with a switch on the side and jack for a DC power supply. He also stocks the Cinkon power supplies. I bought all of mine directly from Matthew and the wait has been worth it.

The Erthenvar case looks really sweet too. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the came up with a larger version. I also have to say they seem like good guys and unlike some case builders are good at communication and have a real continual presence at MW. I have purchased several bunches of cables - power and 3.5 mm - from them. You can always start small and grow too. The DPO is a nice oscillator, and is the "flavor du jour" but it is not the only game in town and certainly not the only game if you are looking for good value used. I decided to skip it. I am more excited about the Intellijel Rubicon and have one on reserve when they arrive at Analogue Haven (and money in the PayPal account waiting for it too).

[LameAim]

Why, thank you. The jury's still out, but I've been in fact-finding lurker mode on Muffs for a couple of months now.

Size is a primary concern for me as I just don't have the space to spread out. That makes the Erthenvar Lunchbox appealing to me - I guess I really like the idea of breaking those utility modules out to tiles under the main set, and being able to mix and match to your needs. Conceptually though, for me it all hinges on two things: the implementation of MIDI-CV control (as I'd be using my Octatrack for note entry/sequencing), and mixing/monitoring.

There is tons of variety in Eurocrack, but I find that I'm really drawn to the smaller, multi-function module setups. Forces you to commit to audio, move on and start stacking. I could use less undo in my life. I stumbled across a thread on Muffs yesterday where someone started out with a Harvestman Hertz Donut and Double Andore... really got the gears mashing. Guess I got some more reading in my future.

[donaldcrunk]

Originally Posted by LameAim

Size is a primary concern for me as I just don't have the space to spread out. That makes the Erthenvar Lunchbox appealing to me - I guess I really like the idea of breaking those utility modules out to tiles under the main set, and being able to mix and match to your needs. Conceptually though, for me it all hinges on two things: the implementation of MIDI-CV control (as I'd be using my Octatrack for note entry/sequencing), and mixing/monitoring.

i think lunchbox could definitely be a cool first case! it's economical enough that you could even move up to a larger case after a year or so if you like and not really be at any sort of loss. can always keep something like that around as well. goike's are great too, monorocket good, not as impressed with gorillabox.

when the lunchbox was first announced, i think everyone thought the tiles were such a cool concept that they were trying to find an excuse to need this case, myself included. i calculated that in actual 'functional' size, you're getting around 60-70 something hp with the lunchbox, depending on your tile selection. i decided against, but if i had an elektron product as you do to sequence, quantize etc it's much more of an option. the Double Andore as you mentioned would be an awesome 'core' module. a pair of oscillators / a complex oscillator, a modifier and whatever else you would like. leave the mixing & attenuation to the tiles! maybe take an output back into your octatrack, with a small synth like that you could repatch so very quickly and come up with some really intense IDM jams.

[donaldcrunk]

oh, and in regards to the DPO as a first oscillator - i could definitely see some pros and cons. as a con, that's a lot of oscillator for a small space - but as a pro, it has it's own built in modulation bus, timbral modification etc. it's definitely a pleasure to work with. if i were in your shoes though, i would probably consider something like an analog + digital oscillator combo. Dixie + piston honda, malekko osc/anti osc + E350 etc. a digital sound source is a cool thing to have right off the bat i think, but that's an audio aesthetic choice i guess.

[LameAim]

You raise a good point, Senor Crunk. Despite my appreciation of the DPO clips I've heard, an analogue/digital oscillator duo makes a lot more sense. Looked into the Intellijel Dixie - a VCO/LFO module of that size seems destined for a case like this. Hell, the Corgasmatron sounds like a winner, too... I can tell I'm going to be trapped on the Intellijel site for a while now. I wonder how fast I can push myself out of 54HP.

[donaldcrunk]

Originally Posted by LameAim

I wonder how fast I can push myself out of 54HP.

it depends on your initial budget and income really. with eurorack, you will be constantly imagining t he possibilities that come with more equipment. its a game of constant decisions if you let it be. i think the best thing for the modular noob to do is to spend plenty of time researching and planning, pull the trigger on a complete small system all at once and stick with it for a year, adding a module or two at most.

i did this, and was freakishly productive with it for my first year. still remaining pretty prolific even with 9u filled, and with a much more directed sense of purpose now that i can translate complex musical systems from my head onto a real synth with no menus in the way. its been a fun ride, and quite unlike any other musical instrument ive ever purchased. it almost becomes a lifestyle in a way.

[ElectricPuppy]

 

Originally Posted by donaldcrunk

it almost becomes a lifestyle in a way.

 

I would say that the MW forum is a testament to this!

[LameAim]

Originally Posted by donaldcrunk

pull the trigger on a complete small system all at once and stick with it for a year, adding a module or two at most.

Well said, and that's probably the route I am going to take. There's still quite a bit I don't know just yet, and my budget is dependent on selling a few things first anyway.

Open question to the class out of curiosity... - if you were building a 2-osc synth inside of a Lunchbox, what would you put in there?

[ElectricPuppy]

Good question. With 2 oscillators, you'll clearly have to get a detuning module. What you do after that, though, is anybody's guess.

[Gribs]

Patch of the week. Should I keep linking in my weird patches or are my noodlings too weird and goofy?

[mate_stubb]

 

Originally Posted by Gribs

Patch of the week. Should I keep linking in my weird patches or are my noodlings too weird and goofy?

 

Link away. This is the Modular Madness Megathread, not the Barry Manilow Blandness Thread.

[LameAim]

Bring it on!

[donaldcrunk]

 

Originally Posted by Gribs

Patch of the week. Should I keep linking in my weird patches or are my noodlings too weird and goofy?

 

this one is really weird and awesome! i like it a lot.

[donaldcrunk]

Originally Posted by LameAim

Open question to the class out of curiosity... - if you were building a 2-osc synth inside of a Lunchbox, what would you put in there?

some options. as pedro the lion tells us, it's good to have options:



this i think would be a really fun setup, the double andore would make a great core module for the lunchbox as you mentioned earlier.



i think this all-wiard setup would be a blast, though you would lack a filtration device. the anti-osc can add harmonics to its signal via waveshaping, so not all is lost. the noisering can also process audio believe it or not, it's sort of a weird bit crusher/ring mod.



i think this would be a really interesting setup. the plog could provide no end of complex gate setups, and with plenty of 'strike' inputs it's a setup that could go from percussion to drone very quickly.


something i didn't think to ask before making these though, do you have a way to get midi control from the octatrack into CV? if not, you'll need a midi to C/V module

[donaldcrunk]

while i'm at it, i just uploaded a 13 minute selection from the set i played on WNUR earlier this month. it is on my soundcloud right here. interesting variety of noises in primitive song-form.

[LameAim]

Originally Posted by donaldcrunk

this i think would be a really fun setup, the double andore would make a great core module for the lunchbox as you mentioned earlier.

This is actually close to what I came up with yesterday - though I replaced the filter shown with a Corgasmatron and cackled in glee until I realized I was 4HP over. Then I angrily shook my fist at the world for a solid minute.

The Double Andore is a fairly solid lock right now, the Intellijel Dixie II seems versatile and the clips I've heard sound great, and the idea of a dual multimode crossfading VCF modeled after a MS-20 filter matches what I have in mind for this box... so for the moment, the question has become "what kind of digital oscillator can I get in 11HP?"

The job of MIDI-CV conversion will either be handled through one or two 1U tiles in the Lunchbox (several suggestions have been made for this and there's an example unit in the thread at Muffs with a MIDI port in the case, so will wait and see if that shows up as a tile soon), or I'll snag a breakout box instead. I could also try the Silent Way route with my 828, though that will tether me to the computer instead. There's also an outside chance I may lean toward something like a Monorocket Skiff instead.. some of that extra space would be taken up by the MIDI-CV unit and other utility modules, but I'd have a little extra room to spread, should the desire (and money) come up.

Thank you for the suggestions. Will have to search out some Wiard clips later.

BTW, I listened to your EP while at work today. Sounds great! triangle is probably my favorite track, had that one on loop for a good while. Care to fill me in on how that track was assembled?

[donaldcrunk]

Originally Posted by LameAim

Thank you for the suggestions. Will have to search out some Wiard clips later.

no problem, Wiard is pretty good stuff. it all has pretty unique sound and functionality, and you'll get used to the panel graphics

Originally Posted by LameAim

BTW, I listened to your EP while at work today. Sounds great! triangle is probably my favorite track, had that one on loop for a good while. Care to fill me in on how that track was assembled?

cool, thanks! that EP is pretty much all live, it's just the 9 u modular being controlled with the iPad, one channel from the modular going into RE201 space echo and the other going into Akai Headrush, then both into the DAW. usually i tend to multitrack, but i spent a lot of time practicing live takes for this one and decided to go with a more raw feeling & sound.

[LameAim]

Still on the fence about this adventure, but I'm thinking that if I commit, I'm going to end up pushing out to a full 3U - most likely through a Tiptop Audio Happy Ending kit, Makenoise skiff or some other similar type of case.

To that end, what seems like the more versatile oscillator pair? A Intellijel Rubicon / Harvestman Piston Honda set, or a Make Noise DPO / Intellijel Dixie II combo?