Ooh, I like This Modular Rack...

[Stefken]

I thought i d share this.
Since the valhalla plugins are so popular and people seem not really content with a lot of modular reverbs/delays.

This module takes interchangeable DSP cards. The Halls of Valhalla cartridge is included.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/tiptop-audio-z-dsp

[imrae]

Thinking module selection should be on the basis of maximum CV inputs and modulatable parameters. That’s the whole points of Modular isn’t it?
Of course inflates the cost somewhat

Absolutely! On the cost front, the way I see it is that well-designed and chosen modules will have useful interactions with a significant fraction of the rest of your system. That means that each new module increases the utility of the system exponentially, not linearly! You hit diminishing returns once all the bases are covered, or when adding modules that have "one job".

[elxsound]

I thought i d share this.
Since the valhalla plugins are so popular and people seem not really content with a lot of modular reverbs/delays.

This module takes interchangeable DSP cards. The Halls of Valhalla cartridge is included.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/tiptop-audio-z-dsp

I think whyterabbyt has one

I would be interested but my setup is too close to the computer, that I can’t justify it

[Stefken]

Here is a studio setup with modular focus with some sensible, budget friendly choices, oriented towards classic music production. (so no bliepetiebloop ).

It makes quite some sense.

[SHall1000]

On the hunt for cheap filters with modulation inputs found this:



https://www.juno.co.uk/products/after- ... gIYyvD_BwE

Two audio inputs as well.

[ghettosynth]

Here is a studio setup with modular focus with some sensible, budget friendly choices, oriented towards classic music production. (so no bliepetiebloop ).

It makes quite some sense.

Meh. The dreadbox stuff is fine, but, I don't hear solid reasoning there so much as I hear inexperience and a desire to attract attention on youtube. Maths because everyone likes Maths, VCAs because someone else said you need lots of VCAs, Mutable Instruments stuff because they're popular too and must be great even though I don't have them yet. Pico synth voice because it fits and I need another voice, pico DSP because they fit and I want to feed drums through them even though they are really limited (I have one BTW) and aren't particularly necessary for the milk-toast drum beats being demonstrated.

I don't think that's someone with a focus for modular. I think that's someone with a low budget that wants to use modular for some reason even though there's very little there to explain why. The SE-02 is the star of the show.

Don't get me wrong, people can do whatever they want, no judgment there. You don't have to justify shit! But, if you're trying to tell other people that you have good reasoning for X, then it's reasonable to criticize said reasoning.

The best part there is the keystep pro which is great for hands on sequencing.

I read a tag line on GS that I think is appropriate. "Don't buy modules to fit the case, buy a case to fit the modules." I think that wanting to create, ok, I'll say it "normal," music is fine and very appropriate for modular, e.g., Switched On Bach, but it still requires a focus if you want to get something more out of modular than you could out of a very capable non-modular synth, which will cost less feature for feature.

[whyterabbyt]

I think whyterabbyt has one

Yup, the newer ZDSP version (NS). To be honest, I kinda felt for a while that I needed two, one for reverb, one for other effects, as the only other 'properly' effects modules i had in my rack were a very old mk1 Z5000, and an even older spring reverb. I dont think there's an algorithm on the cards I have that I dont like.
But its kind of a wide module, and I have a couple more modules in that territory now. I like having the flexibility of the ZDSP versus the smaller dedicated modules (ZVerb, FSU etc), but if you're only intent on using one card it maybe seems a bit overkill, in cost and width, and obviously multiple cards start to add up in cost a fair bit...
In-the-box I tend to sculpt as much with effects than the original source instrument, though, so what I have in the modular is more in line with that sorta thinking.

[Stefken]

The best part there is the keystep pro which is great for hands on sequencing.

Well, what i like about this setup is that he has a setup that is very transparent towards (classic) composition where you can easily manage the different channels (beats, bass, lead, ..).

Sometimes you see cases filled with tonnes of gear and all that s coming out of it, is two mono channels.
Was it not your remark that some of your friends just buy modules to talk about it and fill their case, but are not very oriented towards using it for music.
That is what i like in this setup : a decent musical orientation.

With regard to some specific module choices, it s up to everyone to make their decision.


So, you would not advise the pico drums? What would you consider a good way to get drums into your setup?

[vurt]

what do you mean by drums?
actual drum kits or machine? multi channel or loops?

there are different options depending on these requirements. loops is obviously least module and channels, so cheapest.
something like morphagene, while expensive for an individual module, allows fór slicing up loops, which you could then use midi to trigger. or you could load up lots of individual samples, then midi (could be a pain if you have different velocity samples to trigger, but doable)

[vurt]

not that im suggesting morphagene, just giving an idea of how it might be possible.

[Stefken]

what do you mean by drums?
actual drum kits or machine? multi channel or loops?

there are different options depending on these requirements. loops is obviously least module and channels, so cheapest.
something like morphagene, while expensive for an individual module, allows fór slicing up loops, which you could then use midi to trigger. or you could load up lots of individual samples, then midi (could be a pain if you have different velocity samples to trigger, but doable)

Some OK drums.
Say i go pretty nasty/acid with my wasp filter and i want a decent drum on there.
Say i create something ambient and i want a slow percussive sequence to complement it.

Loops is not my preference per se. I d like a bit of control.

If you suggest to NOT integrate drums into the modular and have a separate beatbox do the work, that is just fine too. (If i see that some modulars have like 4 separate drum modules and a quite limited sequencer, while a dedicated beatbox can do a lot more, then hmm ....)

[ghettosynth]

The best part there is the keystep pro which is great for hands on sequencing.

Well, what i like about this setup is that he has a setup that is very transparent towards (classic) composition where you can easily manage the different channels (beats, bass, lead, ..).

Sometimes you see cases filled with tonnes of gear and all that s coming out of it, is two mono channels.

Sure, but what's wrong with that, per se? I mean if you're music just needs two very complex mono channels, then that's not a problem. Also, because it's being used that way doesn't mean that it must be used that way.

Was it not your remark that some of your friends just buy modules to talk about it and fill their case, but are not very oriented towards using it for music.
That is what i like in this setup : a decent musical orientation.

Yes, my main point is that the trading of modules is their hobby, not making music. You absolutely should be thinking about how you want to use modular to make, let's say sound, music is in the ear of the beer-holder.

With regard to some specific module choices, it s up to everyone to make their decision.

Absolutely. Even more than that, they don't even have to make sense, have justification, or even have a stable reasoning behind them. I got the pico DSP when I was first starting with Eurorack. I didn't have any DSP in my DIY modular so I thought that I would get something small and cheap to try it out in Eurorack. After all, that's actually possible in Eurorack. The only DSP that was ever slated for my DIY modular is a broken micro-verb, that's still broken, and unmodified.

I still have the pico-DSP because it often fills some space in my nifty case when I'm setting up a case to experiment with. I wouldn't buy another one though, one is enough. Moreover, I'd probably trade the one I have on anything even slightly interesting that's worth about the same.

So, you would not advise the pico drums? What would you consider a good way to get drums into your modular?

No. But hear me out. I like Erica synths stuff, I have a number of their modules, even some overpriced ones, but I urge caution on anything tiny. Make sure that you have a really good justification for it. Pico drums, one, not two, is a simple sample based drum player with limited control and without the ability to upload your own sounds unless you buy the $30 programmer.

So, what would I use for drums if I really want them in Eurorack?

Brains (or plaits if you insist) With the DX 7 engine this is really a powerful choice.
Disting EX
Any versatile sample player
Some really interesting and generally expensive focused percussion voices.

But, really, what I'd use, wait for it, is modular. That's really the entire point! Why do I need a "drum voice" when I have high quality EGs, filters, VCAs, oscillators, noise generators and I can sculpt my own drum voices. Moreover, why does something specifically have to be a drum voice? One thing that is cool with modular is that when things are being step modulated some voices will start to sound like drums.

Now, I think that certain drum specific modules are worth considering if you specifically need those kinds of sounds. For example, a versatile kick drum voice if you're doing techno. I like things like Intelijel Plonk, or anything that's creating some kind of physically modeled voice that's hard and/or impossible to do sensibly without a dedicated module.

Modular should challenge your preconceived notions about what a "voice" is. Just a single oscillator can be a voice. A VCA plus EG plus noise, can be a voice, heck, even just DC into the an EG modulated VCA can be a voice. For that matter, just the EG patched out to the mixer can be a voice. So how much polyphony is in a modular? Well, that depends on how you patch it.

I don't use everything the same way every time I create some new track. Maybe that thing that was a kick drum last time is a drone this time. I want that flexibility. What are you going to do with a pico drum sample player other than use it as a drum? I mean, I suppose you could try some crazy processing on the output, but really, it's a drum and not much else. It's not what I would describe as a flexible module.

Some things are hard to do with a modular though. For example, x0x high hats are multiple harmonically unrelated square-waves mixed. So you have to use about six oscillators all detuned just so to get the core of that hi-hat voice. If I wanted that, I'd buy/build a noise module that created that specific sound. Although, for me personally, I'd just write a patch in Pd for Befaco Lich and use that when I needed that sound.

What I see in the video that you posted is that the author doesn't get it, not at all. He's taking a very simplistic approach and wasting his low budget buying things that he's not prepared to use and things that won't grow with him or continue to be useful over the long term.

So no, I wouldn't buy the pico-voice, the pico-dsp, or the pico-drums, one or two, although two at least has some control. The only thing that's tempting in that line for me is the pico-synth III because it's quite inexpensive per module, compact, and has low pass gates.

[ghettosynth]

On the hunt for cheap filters with modulation inputs found this:



https://www.juno.co.uk/products/after- ... gIYyvD_BwE

Two audio inputs as well.

It's based on the remake of the CEM-3320 chip. I would personally prefer the Doepfer over this just because it has more control onboard, no teensy pots, and for not much more money.

[Stefken]

And on the note of drum modular..... drum roll....

The Behringer Edge (~DFAM clone) and RS-9 (drum sequencer based on TR-909) are inbound.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/behringer-new-products

[ghettosynth]

And on the note of drum modular..... drum roll....

The Behringer Edge (~DFAM clone) and RS-9 (drum sequencer based on TR-909) are inbound.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/behringer-new-products

I'm trying to decide on whether I want TR style sequencing in my rack. I'm definitely going to sit the intro out for a bit on the RS-9 and see how people are using it and whether it fits naturally into a modular mindset or, if it's just trying to push a groovebox mindset into the rack. I'm personally not into DFAM at all so the last thing that I want is another box on the desk that tries to emulate the thing.

Gonna get the Solina though!