What physical layout do you like for your modular?

[donkey tugger]

Like this;

exchange.jpg

I do wish those women would f**k off now though.

[ghettosynth]

I also don't like flying bus cables but, AFAIK, the Synthrotek filtered bus is the only assembled bus that I can buy at a reasonable price? What did you end up using?

I had one Synthrotek filtered busboard, before I decided not to do business with them anymore for unrelated reasons.

Then a Genus Modu LIBB. A bit pricey but I thought I was investing in a better, bigger future case but then I got one that was powered anyway. Sold it for almost what I paid though.

I've ordered a NANO modules busboard. It was inexpensive, has screw terminal inputs and a built in low current 5v regulator. Assuming that it doesn't give me any problems, it's idea for my needs.

[Scotty]

For me ... suitcase style like a pair of Arturia 6U rackbrutes. One laying flat the other tilted back slightly. That's small enough to impose some discipline and big enough to explore. https://modwiggler.com/forum/userpix2/9 ... 8a47_1.jpg

[ghettosynth]

For me ... suitcase style like a pair of Arturia 6U rackbrutes. One laying flat the other tilted back slightly. That's small enough to impose some discipline and big enough to explore. https://modwiggler.com/forum/userpix2/9 ... 8a47_1.jpg

I like those and I almost went that route some time back. The problem is that they will make it challenging to integrate my existing non-eurorack stuff. While I'm going to get rid of the generic stuff, I'm holding on to my DIY bits. Maybe when it's all said and done I won't care and I'll get rid of those, or rebuild them into a eurorack panel, or something else.

[Constructed Identity]

I'm specifically looking for discussions on workflow. I have some modular stuff that is rack mounted and I don't want to get rid of (some of) it. I also have some Behringer 80hp synths that I want to include but I don't see the point in taking up 80hp of a modular case. I also have a very small but growing slowly collection of eurorack stuff.

In the past I've found that too much verticality gets tedious. I also don't like racks that go all the way to the floor.

I'm trying to think "big picture" in terms of laying out my modular/semi-modular gear in terms of workflow. At the moment I'm thinking that going with desktop racks, either commercial or home-made, and buying rack-mount friendly modular cases is the best approach. I'm thinking roughly 3*10u, maybe 3*12u, all side by side with enough left open at the bottom to slide my deeper groovebox like tools underneath.

I'm looking for input from those of you who both, move your gear around to get workflow, and actually make music. I have friends whose advice is useless because, even though they have a lot of gear, their hobby isn't making music with it, it's talking about and collecting eurorack.

Pretty close to how I am thinking about eurorack aswell. Haven't bought anything yet and I know it has to be left to right: sequencers -> tone generators -> percussion
I want something that will sequence in ways I wouldn't think of otherwise and hopefully mix sounds with drums in an organic way. But I can't even decide on a case!

[ghettosynth]

Ugh, one item out of seven is not correct. I hate mail order. Oh well, hopefully tomorrow will be better and at least the bus board is exactly what I'm after. I'll try to pick up another one of those.

[pekbro]

My stuff is mostly vertically stacked rows that I have up on the wall so they are out of the way and take up no desk space. That said I have some smallish satellite systems that I operate off the desk and are face up on the desk with the far row angled towards me a bit.

*The desk cases are brand name and made of metal. The wall mount stuff, are wooden cases I made myself mostly.

[ghettosynth]

Well, after doing a bunch of work on mg, including importing fake 84hp modules of a lot of the rack gear that I want to bring in to the picture, I went with 3*16u. The intent is that the top 4u will be for non modular gear that I want in the same case but doesn't need to be futzed with much once it is in the rack. I'm going with building in 84hp racks with tip-top z-rails and, at the moment, tip-top z-ears and some Behringer ears, but, I'll probably switch up to just making my own rack ears out of aluminum angle bracket.

Switching power supplies are not expensive anymore so I have a 5AMP +- 12 with 5v output, although, my busboards have their own 5V regulator and I'm just going to use that rather than running the 5v line. I was going to just use the Behringer supplies, but I realized quickly that it would be a pain to run the flying busboards to them across multiple panels if they weren't adjacent and this was forcing me to order my modules in a particular way. I did not like that so I went with some standard passive busboards. The Behringers will get some life in a portable case or two, or end up getting traded for something, who knows. One will go on my bench for sure.

I'm going to build up a box for the whole thing. Not too deep, but deep enough that it will stand by itself, however, I have an ultimate support stand that I've had for decades that is a bit too wide to be useful normally, but is perfect as a home for this. This will allow me to elevate it some 4 to 6 inches off of a narrow ikea desk-top underneath. Power supply and busboards were under $150 total, but you do have to be comfortable wiring things up. I get that's not for everyone. I suspect wood for the case and some brackets for stability will be another $100 or so. Obviously I won't be enclosing the back for that price. That's ok, I intend to mount additional rack rails in the back to mount other hidden gear, e.g., power conditioners, on. Rack rails were just over $100 for all three sets. Hopefully I can find a cool stain to give it some life.

I'm not sure if I saved all that much, I saved some, for sure. The case sans panel racks is about $400 including the rack rails. Each 84HP panel adds $65 if you buy the tip top ears, and about $50 if I just make them myself. The flying bus, which is optional depending on how many modules are in a panel is another $15 or so. There's not really any savings if it's 1u vs 3u, so I'll just compute for 15u * 3 and assume the 1u would be used for rack gear or a blank panel. So, if I were to build the ears and use flying busses for all 15 racks that would be $975 + $400 = $1375 for 1260 HP. That's not bad for 1260 HP, but it's not chump change either and I still have to put it all together myself. Obviously I'm not factoring in the cost of the desktop or the ultimate stand. For that matter, I'm not including the power strips that are going inside either, but those wouldn't come with any other modular case either.

For me, the win comes from having a bunch of unfinished projects that are in standard rack cases and wanting to use some old rack gear that's been gathering dust. I can rewire my FRAC stuff for 12v and put the best of that in there as well. The other part that's easy is building rack panels instead of trying to futz around with the rat's nest of wiring that ends up in the bottom of cases. I don't like it with my nifty-case, I won't like if if there are more cables. I get that this isn't ideal for either power handling or grounding, but based on my experiences so far, I think that it will be fine. I'll find out soon enough, and if it doesn't work, I might have to double the busboards.

[pdxindy]

I have a couple big almost vertical cases. I built a long low shelf over the desk so I can have a full size controller/synth on the desk and it tucks under the shelf so the modular cases are within reach. I also have a couple small desktop cases for when I want to add some modules alongside say my Voltage Research Lab and not have to run long cables to the big cases.

[ghettosynth]

I have a couple big almost vertical cases. I built a long low shelf over the desk so I can have a full size controller/synth on the desk and it tucks under the shelf so the modular cases are within reach. I also have a couple small desktop cases for when I want to add some modules alongside say my Voltage Research Lab and not have to run long cables to the big cases.

Yes, I ended up with some 104 rails that I'm going to make a custom desktop case from, later, there's an associated DIY project that has to be finished first. In the meantime I also have a couple of skiffs. When it's all done, I'll swap the skiffs for a jar of peanut butter or something. But, what I got there was that you have a Voltage Research Lab, nice.

I should add that I want something smaller than that, like a pod or something. Right now I use my NiftyCase, which I don't like, for little experiments in module exploration. I want something smaller, three modules max. I'll just buy some z-rails and put them into a handbag or something.