2021: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2021)

[ghettosynth]

...

[elxsound]

I'm gonna give it a try.

It's too bad they only come in red because I really would like to keep the sizes as separate colors, but I'm curious if these will work well compared to a multi.

They're a "boutique" Seattle company.

@Shabdahbriah, if they're not legit, please flip em' off the next time you pass by.

One thing to keep in mind is that cables wear out. Mults, not so much. I mean they do, but it takes longer. There's no point in trying to fix cables, you just throw them away. Depending on the design, mults are easier to fix. The more junk that's in a cable, e.g., an embedded jack, the lower the expected life of the cable will be.

The other reason that I don't like stackables is if you want to move the cable on the bottom, you have to move the cable on the top as well. It's minor, but I'm sensitive to being annoyed.

Sensitive to being annoyed is definitely relatable!

I have 1 multi right now. I don't truly have a preference right now, except that I don't like the way multis spread out the wires, but how much that matters is something I don't know yet.

These $15 stackables should give me a good idea. I'm only using it on just Strega (that's not here yet) until 0-Coast+Ctrl come back in stock and then I imagine I'll have developed a preference.

[imrae]

I use these little split-cable things: https://polarnoise.com/product/eurorack ... -splitter/

They're cheap and can be combined with another patch cable to get the length you need.

[foosnark]

Any thoughts on these (5 for $15)? https://afterlateraudio.com/product/sta ... cable-red/

They look identical to the Modular Addict stacking cables. I have several of them and they're useful, but: the sleeve of the plugs at each end aren't connected through the entire cable. Which means they are not good when connecting devices that have different PSUs, unless there's already a ground connection between them. But they're generally fine for patching within a single device.

[elxsound]

Any thoughts on these (5 for $15)? https://afterlateraudio.com/product/sta ... cable-red/

They look identical to the Modular Addict stacking cables. I have several of them and they're useful, but: the sleeve of the plugs at each end aren't connected through the entire cable. Which means they are not good when connecting devices that have different PSUs, unless there's already a ground connection between them. But they're generally fine for patching within a single device.

Is this the big difference between the Tip Top ones?

Once I get the 0-Coast/Ctrl I imagine it could be problematic, but since the cables are on the way I'll have to put them to use.

I think I read back that justin3am was using a Cioks DC7 for his. I've got the Eventide PowerMax (similar but minus 3 variable ports) along with the Cioks4 so hopefully, I can get them up running the same without ground issues.

[elxsound]

I use these little split-cable things: https://polarnoise.com/product/eurorack ... -splitter/

They're cheap and can be combined with another patch cable to get the length you need.

I'm gonna bookmark this one. On Amazon, they were selling them x1 for the same price as 3 there. I'd just like to get over that over €60 for free worldwide shipping (which scarily is not hard to do for just cables )

[foosnark]

Is this the big difference between the Tip Top ones?

The TipTop ones also have thicker and somewhat stiffer cables, and shorter plugs/jacks.

Some people are afraid of this particular design because they think the height provides so much leverage it could damage jacks... but I haven't heard a single case of anyone really having that problem. You should never stack more than two deep in the same socket anyway, with any kind of stacking cable (you can always chain from the other end instead).

[vurt]

koma do some attenuator cables that come in handy, save on module space for any set and forget attenuation.
leaving the knobs for stuff you might want to change elsewhere in a patch

[justin3am]

Some people are afraid of this particular design because they think the height provides so much leverage it could damage jacks... but I haven't heard a single case of anyone really having that problem. You should never stack more than two deep in the same socket anyway, with any kind of stacking cable (you can always chain from the other end instead).

I've had a few jacks break due to jack nuts being over-tightened during assembly. I've never had a jack break because of cable leverage, even after my cat knocked my Shared System off it's shelf and it fell 4 feet to the floor, landing on it's face, while still patched. I've forgotten that long cables were connected and tripped over them while still connected. In my experience, the connector on the cable will break before the jack will. Thank goodness.

[justin3am]

I think I read back that justin3am was using a Cioks DC7 for his. I've got the Eventide PowerMax (similar but minus 3 variable ports) along with the Cioks4 so hopefully, I can get them up running the same without ground issues.

You will need to switch the outputs to 15v for Make Noise devices and use the type 2 (red) flex cable. https://cioks.com/products/flex-cables-type-2/

[pekbro]

Apparently I needed moar envelopes: A-Envelope from Velectronic.

https://velectronic.net/a-envelope

[LiteOn]

Lovely Knurlies like knobs, me thinks.

[imrae]

Oh wow that is pretty!

[whyterabbyt]

koma do some attenuator cables that come in handy, save on module space for any set and forget attenuation.
leaving the knobs for stuff you might want to change elsewhere in a patch

There's also the RYO Airtenuators.

[foosnark]

Apparently I needed moar envelopes: A-Envelope from Velectronic.

That's a sharp looking module. Nice to see a Euro module that uses encoders with LED rings, that's the right way to do it if you can't go knob-per-function.