Going modular; what to get?

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aMUSEd wrote:From the Doepfer minimal system let's break it down to see what is really needed and what could be substituted or added to at a later point - to me the great thing about this is one can add stuff gradually once a base system is created.[/quote

Ive pretty much kept my A100 intact, and added to it. I got mine second-hand and for what I paid, I suspect it'd be impossible to build a 'boutique' system with equivalent flexibility.
Mind you 'boutique' is basically used as shorthand for 'not Doepfer' isnt it. I dont know why but there actually seems to be more churn from the 'limited number of boutique modules' versus the 'one more crate of doepfer' guys. I actually like the fact that Doepfer is so cheap you can just throw in another ADSR and LFO instead of constantly looking for that new perfect flavour-of-the-week all-in-one all-singing all-dancing whatever.
1 x VC Waveform-Processor A-116 (not sure what this is?)
Think of it as a distortion module
1x Ring Modulator A-114 (here I would like something more interesting)


I kinda like the A114, and RingMods in general so Ive kept this and Ive also got a ModDeMod in my Euro system.

2x ADSR thomann A-140 (can you get more complex envelopes in modules?)


There are more complex behaving envelopes out there; however there's not much that's as cheap as the Doepfers, and I kinda think its more flexible in the long term to just have more EGs.
Granted Ive also got an MCV24 and an expert sleepers module.

1 x Audio-Divider A-115 (I assume this is a routing utility?)


Nope; its a sorta crude octaver, basically.

1 x Dual-S&H A-148
1 x Trigger-Teiler A-160 (not sure what this is either)
1 x Trigger-Sequencer A-161
1 x Dual Slew Limiter A-170


The A160 is a clock divider; ie it slows down a clocked input. Its tied to the A-161, and between the two of them, they can be used for all sorts of interesting retriggering/sequencing stuff.

What is certainly missing from this list are effects - I would want to add bitcrushers, delays, reverbs etc


The A115 and A116 will let you do a lot of stuff in the distortion/waveshaping area, and the A148 can be pressed into service as a sample-rate type bitcrusher.
A lot of effects modules arent as VC-able as I'd like, though, so personally, although I have a few delay/reverb type solutions (spring, TipTop A5000, some BBDs) I find myself sending stuff via an effects loop
as frequently, so I'd suggest that as an option.
.
Wouldnt say no to a free Z-DSP, of course, but right I'm more interested in something like the QuBit Nebulae which can run custom Csound patches. Its basically a Raspberry Pi welded to an arduino and some electrickery glue, but isnt outwith the realms of doing on a DIY basis.

On the other hand is there anything that is not really needed?


Im sure some people looking at the basic A100 would want to skip some of the less familiar types of modules but its actually these that flesh the flexibility of the A100 out into more experimental territory. The approach to using a Doepfer is a little bit more oriented around 'support' modules instead of 'all-in-one' modules.

(edited to fix broken quotes)
Last edited by whyterabbyt on Wed Oct 22, 2014 12:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Yeah I remember the SOS reviewer also saying that, good advice, don't skimp on things like multiples etc.

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aMUSEd wrote:Yeah I remember the SOS reviewer also saying that, good advice, don't skimp on things like multiples etc.
These look handy if you run out.

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http://www.schneidersladen.de/en/intellijel-hub.html
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I still have my original A100 system basically intact, because I almost never sell anything. I just find that I rarely use those modules anymore. Honestly, you really can't go wrong with any of this stuff. If you spend some time to spec out a system which makes sense to you, you'll most likely be very happy with it. The only exception being filters, which all sound very different from each other and are a matter of personal preference. That's why I have so many different ones!

Also, set aside some funds to get some Stackables. Having mults always at the ready will make a big difference to your workflow.
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.

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deastman wrote:The only exception being filters, which all sound very different from each other and are a matter of personal preference. That's why I have so many different ones!
That's a good point, Ive done much the same. I particularly seem to have gone down the route of bandpass-capable filters (including MS20 style HP/LP combos).
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If you have the time and patience, you can always go DIY to save a little (for more modules, of course!)

Blacet (full kits)
Oakley (PCBs only last time I checked)
MOTM
Paia (modular and other effects kits)

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Yep- Modular Grid and Muff's are great places to start.

Some things I've learned:

1) Give yourself some room to grow. No matter how well you plan your system at the beginning, you'll find you need something. The 4ms row cases are a great solution- buy the cases as needed, and they all fasten together with built in latches. I wish they had them when I started:
http://www.4mspedals.com/modularrow.php

2) Give yourself enough power. Modular Grid (and your online stores) provide current draw for each module- make sure you have some headroom.

3) The flashy modules like oscillators and filters are nice, but you can't have too many utility modules. You'll also want a sequencer or three- remember they can be used as modulation sources as well as for pitch/gate.

4) Show some restraint! Otherwise, you'll end up like me :? :help: :lol:

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ew
A spectral heretic...

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personally i wouldn't bother w/an ms-20 mini. cool little synth but if you want to go modular just go modular.

you'll only end up selling the ms-20 mini anyways. ;)

srsly though.. the arturia microbrute pairs nicely w/a modular. has a built in sequencer. super easy and streamlined.. sends cv/gate and no problems interfacing. good stuff. nice sounding monosynth too. sounds better than the minibrute imo.

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I've thought about this and i'm not sure if my interest for sound really goes this deep (probably not, or i wouldnt be asking myself this).

So instead i've made a bid for Dopefer Dark Energy + Dark Times, seems about as complex as i'd like it to be for now (maybe with the addition of some more modules and synths).

Is there anything fun i can add to these two to experiment with sound / sequencing a bit more? Turing Machine seems interesting.

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bemushroomed wrote: Is there anything fun i can add to these two to experiment with sound / sequencing a bit more? Turing Machine seems interesting.

well, what you get w/a dark time/dark energy is an analog sequencer and analog monosynth.

you get some patching.. so explore that and see if you want more.

there's a lot out there. adding xyz module to an analog synth/sequencer isn't going to resemble what's available in the modular world today.

so, i really don't know how to answer your question. there are 20 different things you could add to make it "more fun" :)

any random source that has gates linked to it will provide a clock source to clock the dark time from to give you funky sequences... basically.. any way you can modulate the start/stop/reset of the dark time will really make for funky things.

as for the dark energy... another oscilaltor would be nice.. you could FM them. a low pass gate would be cool too. makenoise optomix for example.

have fun whichever route you decide to go down.

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what about this http://pittsburghmodular.com/generator/ + http://pittsburghmodular.com/genxpander/
Would that be a good addition you think? I know a guy who's selling those two...

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As a 5U format advocate, let me suggest one of the Synthesizers.com entry system plans. One advantage of these is they let you buy it a little bit at a time, and everything ships on a regular schedule. (Be advised that it is common in the modular world that wait times can be long... it's definitely not an instant-gratification purchase like a software download is.)

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cornutt wrote:As a 5U format advocate, let me suggest one of the Synthesizers.com entry system plans. One advantage of these is they let you buy it a little bit at a time, and everything ships on a regular schedule. (Be advised that it is common in the modular world that wait times can be long... it's definitely not an instant-gratification purchase like a software download is.)

yeah.. but you have to grow a ponytail if you want to use 5u. :D :hug:

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On a side note, I love seeing the media exposure into modern electronic musicians music arsenals. Many times you'll see analog gear including extensive modular setups. Let's hope this always stays going because the amount of really well built modules and amazing digital/analog module combos is the best ever right now and just seems to be getting better every year. The more exposure these get, the more purchases, the better the competitive market and we really all benefit from that. Modular = a lot of freedom for me.

Right now, even in my less complicated compact setup, I still have many waveforms available with three osc., three different filters to choose from or run into each other for combined effect (4 if counting minibrute's filter because of audio input options on the brute), ADSR's that have time stretching options for envelope speed curves, ring mod, pulse width, fm, and all that becomes a nice learning tool too. The more you experiment, the more you learn. Being able to expand little bits at a time is great. You want MS20 filter sounds? Get a module with those filter types. I got a Polyvoks filter that is an absolute screamer. Moog ladder, and OB12 filter I can play with anytime and can expand that out if I needed an MS20 or other type filter.

Love those tip top racks!

Modulars are not just stuck in monophonic options either.

Someone mentioned earlier - the rabbit hole goes deep. Can in both options and financial result.

Flexibility. That's what you get. Real hands on routing. Many synths in one.

Have fun with the Doepfer stuff you got! Congrats on purchase. Great place to start and see if you become interested in more.
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dayjob wrote:
cornutt wrote:As a 5U format advocate, let me suggest one of the Synthesizers.com entry system plans. One advantage of these is they let you buy it a little bit at a time, and everything ships on a regular schedule. (Be advised that it is common in the modular world that wait times can be long... it's definitely not an instant-gratification purchase like a software download is.)

yeah.. but you have to grow a ponytail if you want to use 5u. :D :hug:
Don't forget the professor beard and glasses! 8)

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