Ooh, I like This Modular Rack...

[ghettosynth]

Popularity threads are, wait for it, popular on KVR. Here's a hardware spin on this tried and true KVR formula. This thread is inspired by a recent thread asking for modular suggestions as well as the what are you going to by next thread. However, this is more broad in that the posted racks can serve any interest. For best effect, post your rack/system publicly on modular grid and link to both the rack and the image so that people can adapt and further the discussion. While I don't think that there need to be any strict requirements, and who would enforce them anyway, let's try and keep the posted rack/systems at 104HP and under. I think that 84HP is perfect because it can fit into a cheap 19" rack, but I'd also really like to see inspiring tiny systems that fit into the smaller pods.

Posts of videos demonstrating other small systems are also on topic.

So, inspired by the recent thread asking for suggestions, I give you this starter B.Roland rack with a modern twist and under $1000.



https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/2182449

84HP with a total cost of $856 without case. Now, you can get the Behringer rack for $20 more than they sell the power supply for and it comes with the power supply, so $876. To be fair, there isn't a strict output module here, that's probably ok, but, if not, you can add two attenuator cables for under $24, so $900. Note that there are no mults, mults are dead, long live tip-top stackables, you'll probably need at least four in a medium length, let's make it an even five so we're right at $30. That leaves you about $70 to fill out your cable budget.

Further, since the Behringer power supply comes with two flying bus cables, and you are only using one for this system, you can power a second rack without more power. Tip-Top ears and z-rails are $60. The power for this rack is 480ma on 12v which leaves you about half of the available power for the second rack. That's somewhat higher than most racks with this many modules owing to the digital modules. You would be limited to seven modules in your second rack, which is fine for Behringer modules as they are typically quite wide.

You get a classic sounding Roland voice, think SH-101, 2*ADSR, 2*LFO, RM, SH, White/Pink noise and all of that in classic analog. Brains gives you all of plaits plus some additional modes including supersaw. So, with Brains, you get an additional two virtual analog oscillators, or any one of the other awesome modes including 2 osc FM, chord mode, various drums, as well as a VCA/LPG. In order to effectively use all of the voices, e.g., RM, Noise, and both Brains outputs, you will need a mixer. The only mixer that really fits here is a 2HP passive. I added the Synthrotek because, like everything in this system, you can get it from Amazon. Finally, the Tip-Top DSP is massively flexible for the price and fits into 8HP.

Midi2CV implies that you are sequencing externally.

Comment, suggest alternative modules, post racks of your own...

[SHall1000]

I am looking to add this size rack to my Behringer 2600 but being a beginner and with so many options I have no idea where to start. I hope this thread has legs as it could prove very informative to the beginner.

My initial thought is to skip the Brains as the 2600 has three oscillators to work with but it would obviously bring different flavours.

I have seen some criticism of Behringer modules (e.g. small pots). What’s the consensus on the ones included here?

[elxsound]

Posting as a placeholder to come back to this.

As for Brains/Plaits (Microfreak/Minifreak) as compliment to 2600, it definitely could be. It’s versatile set of voices, but I can say I don’t use it. I do have plenty of other options (the same Blue Marvin, 0-Coast, Strega. East Beast, West Pest, XPO, Mindphaser. I also prefer using in a non-connected eurorack way, Microfreak over Plaits/Brains.

So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, but it would mostly depend on how much you want to expand with analog voices and if you think you’ll use it.

[ghettosynth]

I am looking to add this size rack to my Behringer 2600 but being a beginner and with so many options I have no idea where to start. I hope this thread has legs as it could prove very informative to the beginner.

Exactly, there are thousands of modules, it's a bottomless pit.

My initial thought is to skip the Brains as the 2600 has three oscillators to work with but it would obviously bring different flavours.

It would bring very different flavors, but, and it's an important but, whether it's useful or not to you depends on what you want out of your modular. If you are seeing it as a purely analog synth endeavor, then Brains isn't going to bring you much. I view modular this way for years and this is why I was reluctant to jump into Eurorack TBH. My homegrown modular and virtual modular was enough. I'm moving back out of the box for a while. I find it inspiring, but, it's more akin to playing guitar on the couch as opposed to being serious about releasing music.

OHOH, modern Eurorack is far more than that and you may, now or eventually, decide that embracing the digital side of it is more than virtual modular from a workflow point of view.

That said, I only posted that rack to show a breadth of flexibility in 84HP. It isn't the rack that I would recommend to someone trying to complement a B.2600.

I have seen some criticism of Behringer modules (e.g. small pots). What’s the consensus on the ones included here?

I have all of those. The ones that are dominated by small pots are irritating. The pots are really stiff. I'm not sure why. When there are just a few pots, they're ok. The sliders are great. I really like the ARP 2500 series. The Roland 110 is really an awesome module though.

BTW: I wouldn't suggest buying 84HP all at once unless you are going for a complete simple system. Buy the rack and add modules as you find things that inspire you.

What kind of music do you make?

[SHall1000]

The few tracks I have completed tend to sound like Tangerine Dream, no matter what I was aiming for I have been pleased with some of my Techno attempts but lean more to ambient. I enjoy making experimental bleeps and blops but they are never as satisfying as melody and groove.

[imrae]

I would drop the Brains for a real Plaits: save hp and support creators.

2hp is a miserable amount of space for something as important as mixing, bump that up to something more ergonomic. I like the 4hp Fonitronik Cascade as it also provides offset and inversion, but it's DIY and doesn't fit shallow cases.

I'm not a fan of stackables, they are expensive and apply extra torque to jack sockets. I use these things: https://polarnoise.com/product/eurorack ... -splitter/

I agree that output modules are unnecessary when getting started and a good place to save money. I also think that goes for end-of-chain FX like reverb or compression.

[ghettosynth]

I would drop the Brains for a real Plaits: save hp and support creators.

And lose extra models. I'm not into politics here. This happens when you open source things. The Brains is one of many implementations of an open source product created by someone who's retiring. If you really want to save hp, then one of the micro options might be a good choice, but it will cost you more and yo're still not supporting the creator.

However, Brains is a good implementation that brings new models.

However, Behringer has also added a few engines of its own - Supersaw, FM Drum, Cowbell and Toms.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/behring ... s-eurorack

So, in particular, the supersaw may be appealing to many. Further, Brains has a scope to visualize the waveforms. I think that's helpful for a beginner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHjXyUWbxtI

2hp is a miserable amount of space for something as important as mixing, bump that up to something more ergonomic. I like the 4hp Fonitronik Cascade as it also provides offset and inversion, but it's DIY and doesn't fit shallow cases.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of 2hp modules in general, but it was what was left over. The rack is available, you can copy it and make your own modifications. I was emphasizing low cost, some flexibility, and a blend of old and new. But I'd love to see your take on a low cost starter rack.

I agree that output modules are unnecessary when getting started and a good place to save money. I also think that goes for end-of-chain FX like reverb or compression.

That depends. I think that if you want to modulate effects, then no. A lot of my own style is dependent on that. But, if you're just replacing a plugin and have no intention of twisting knobs on the effects or modulating them, then absolutely.

That said, I'm not a fan of non-dsp effects in Eurorack. They seem to be just the right amount of mediocre combined with overpriced.

[ghettosynth]

The ultimate elite ambient machine. I'm not sure that it's possible to do less with more. Everything from The Tokyo Tape Center. You have white noise, frequency shifting, a slow random source for modulation, the incredibly powerful sharp cutoff filter, and the discrete equalizer and output circuit. Coming in at just under $2200 and only 215ma from your +12 rail.



https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/2183219

Here's a demonstration of the $250 white noise generator. Ok, yeah, I'm not on board with this level of commitment yet, what can I say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_nIiLsGfKA

[imrae]

I would drop the Brains for a real Plaits: save hp and support creators.

And lose extra models.

Latest Plaits firmware adds 6-op FM, user wavetables and more.

If you really want to save hp, then one of the micro options might be a good choice, but it will cost you more and yo're still not supporting the creator.

Nah, the ergonomics are rubbish on the micro versions and that's part of what I was trying to improve.

Further, Brains has a scope to visualize the waveforms. I think that's helpful for a beginner.

A scope is helpful. A scope that only works for one module is a waste of precious hp.

The rack is available, you can copy it and make your own modifications. I was emphasizing low cost, some flexibility, and a blend of old and new. But I'd love to see your take on a low cost starter rack.

I'll have a go when I can. Appreciate what you're aiming for here, just suggesting a minor revision really

That depends. I think that if you want to modulate effects, then no. A lot of my own style is dependent on that. But, if you're just replacing a plugin and have no intention of twisting knobs on the effects or modulating them, then absolutely.

[SHall1000]

I am thinking one or two alternative filters to start with. Maybe a Doepfer Wasp. Can anyone suggest good value alternatives to the ladder in the B2600? Or maybe a more expensive Uber flexible one.

[ghettosynth]

I am thinking one or two alternative filters to start with. Maybe a Doepfer Wasp. Can anyone suggest good value alternatives to the ladder in the B2600? Or maybe a more expensive Uber flexible one.

Personally I'm a fan of the Steiner Parker Synthacon filter. I have the TipTop Forbidden Planet, however, Doepfer has a vactrol controlled one that I wish I had purchased instead. The Steiner Parker is unique in that it has HP, BP, and LP inputs, not outputs. You can feed signals into more than one input. It's also quite the character filter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiMRaymq6MI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_S4kseauSc


The Doepfer wasp filter is also unique sounding, and bonus, looks cool in the special edition with the yellow knobs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-ZTgWFzDM8

Something else to consider is a fixed filter bank. If you don't want Behringer there are other choices, but the Behringer one is pretty cheap and is great to play in real time for Berlin School and ambient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNONfCcgSPk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdRz0mJVtQs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N_yQ_pVPp0

The Behringer 1047 ARP filter is a thing of beauty. Something that it has that your current setup does not is voltage control over resonance. This is really a lot of fun with sequencing. I happen to like the Behringer ARP series, but there are plenty of other filters that have voltage controlled resonance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBiFhUKeGEM

The polivoks filter is also somewhat different, but, it's not a precise filter and is easy to overload. That can be good or bad, check it out here. You get LP and BP, but no VC res.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUV0RdjNvtY

Finally, if you're ready to buy an expensive filter, I do think that Make Noise QPAS is an interesting "instrument." You have to decide if the high price tag is worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLTk4VizE0

[ghettosynth]

I really like this series, in which there is a LOT of digital, where the author uses three modules to create a piece. They're all pretty much ambient/drone/modular bloopfests. In this video he's using wogglebug to trigger noise in plats that triggers the resonator of mimeophon. This is modern modular, deep digital instruments with some voltage control from interesting analog sources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55V57Gi5AQw

[pixel85]

I am looking to add this size rack to my Behringer 2600 but being a beginner and with so many options I have no idea where to start. I hope this thread has legs as it could prove very informative to the beginner.

My initial thought is to skip the Brains as the 2600 has three oscillators to work with but it would obviously bring different flavours.

I have seen some criticism of Behringer modules (e.g. small pots). What’s the consensus on the ones included here?

This is my 2600 rack and it's my first eurorack build ever so I'm newbie to and I went with cheaper modules because my budget is not unlimited

From the left:
- A-138s Stereo Mixer - ignore this one, I used it for RD-9 before I got a mixer with more inputs.

- MI Ripples - a filter with 'Roland filter characteristics'. It's more 'acidic' and squelshy than filters in 2600. You can turn up resonance without losing level. If you like Roland sound, then it's a must-have.

- QAM - active signal splitter. I'm using it to split the output from 2600 into different filters that I mix later together. Also to split ADSR envelopes to more sources. Before I tried to split the signal with stackable cables and a 'spider splitter' but I had issues like Gate Out working randomly etc. So since then, I decided to buy an active splitter to not waste more money on tools that may or may not work.

- Behringer 140 - IMO best price/feature ratio on the market. Two ADSR envelopes + LFO and each ADSR has two outputs + additional negative output. I think that 2600 deserves more than 1 ADSR and I'm finding this module very useful for filter envelopes. LFO has 3 different speeds. I would prefer to have one continuous speed but then the fader would need to be much longer. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about build quality. It's as solid as 2600 is

- QUA attenuator - I'm using it mostly to attenuate LFO that I'm sending to filters (from Behringer 140). I would prefer a version where all in/out are at the bottom because now cables on top are making knobs less accessible.

- A-124 - Wasp Filter - best buddy for 2600 imho. Gnarly little bastard! With resonance turned up, it has very specific 'artefacts'. Very original filter. But even with resonance at reasonable levels, it feels like it's a missing part of 2600 that for some reason developers forgot to put in

- Alt 4xVCA - I bought it for one specific task: to give me the ability to do sidechain for bass patches when Kick is kicking. I'm sending filters to input 1/2/3, sending Kick's Gate from MPC that is triggering envelope for those inputs, and then 4th input is the final Amp Envelope from 2600.

- Zverb - stereo reverb. This one is tricky and depends on what you expect from the reverb effect. In my case, I love lush, airy reverbs that are adding reverb to the source signal, not becoming sound of its own (problem of many cheap/bad reverbs). So far, my small experience is eurorack reverbs are 'ok' at best. I don't need modulation for reverb and I put reverb quality above that and so far no eurorack reverb (that I heard a demo of) could get close to pedal reverbs (or plugins). I mean, those that cosat $500 and more probably are great but it's way beyond my budget for reverb effect I would advise you to spend plenty of time and listen to a lot of demos if you want to buy reverb for eurorack. Myself, I'll not buy another eurorack reverb.

So far I feel like this eurorack completed 2600 for me and I'll add different filters to enhance its palette.
If I would go with more oscillators etc, I would just buy another semi-modular from Behringer. Neutron or Proton (I'm waiting for the latter actually).

[Shabdahbriah]

https://youtu.be/wE5Phto2OJw

Or maybe a more expensive Uber flexible one.

https://youtu.be/F77GvvqPZV4

[SHall1000]

Thanks guys. I am on the cusp of ordering a Behringer 19 inch rack kit and a Doepher wasp filter to get me started. I notice the quoted max depth for the rack is 39mm and the wasp is 45mm. Can anyone comment on usiing the B. rack as a table top skiff.