Thank you for your lengthy, thoughtful reply. It's very helpful.Stefken wrote: ↑Sat Jun 03, 2023 8:52 am My adventures in eurorack/modular are fairly new.
So here is my take on it.
I think what sets hardware modular apart from other implementations (software, hardware 'premade' synths) is: tactile response, experimentation, modulation. And if you go into hardware modular I think these are the reasons to do it for.
And if you do it for other reasons, there are probably better alternatives.
Tactile response: I experimented with software modular, but the tactile response of putting in patch cables, turning knobs and just messing/experimenting about was not something I experienced with a software modular on screen.
Experimentation/modulation: I think there is a strong 'culture' in modular of ... what if i mix these signals and than modulate this with that and then ... and then... It s a lot about experimentation. And using basic tools in a university synthesizer kinda way to see what tonalities will emerge. Modular is in my view more of a sounddesign tool than a music production tool.
Sure, you can adopt groove box methodologies and i think it is important to retain a musical sauce in your rack so you get more out of it than quirky sounds and patterns. But imo it takes more work (and more money) to get that musical sauce in modular.
Do you want instant chords, do you want a fair amount of tracks? You might be better off with a groovebox or a premade synth where everything is ready to go for that very purpose.
Modular is a world of possibilities. I have a ton of different voices, filters, synthesis methods in one rack. No premade synth can offer this many choices. It is hardware. The filters are typically analog, the digital modules all have their own processor so you are sure they will not lock up. This is a very good basis for good sound quality and probably gives you an edge with regard to software.
Modular is also a world of limitations. Mono is mainly the name of the game, chords are the exception. You need a ton of modules just to get one voice going. Especially if you use basic components (think Doepfer) you will need a TON of stuff to get things going. Presets are pretty much not existing. Some modules are hyped of being the best thing since sliced bread. The physical modelling in Rings for example. It s very nice for sure, but I find there is physical modeling in software that is a lot more powerful than Rings.
As for your target of making awesome sounds, sampling them and then using them in a software sampler. I m not really sure if hardware modular is the best way to do it. Software like Zebra or software modular might do the trick already at a much lower pricepoint. But then again, as you progress in modular you might find that your targets change as well. Initially my target was also to create an awesome monosynth that combined several filters not present in any premade synth but along the way my target shifted as i learned new stuff.
Where to start? You can read this thread, sure. You will come across many modules that people discover.
A very interesting place is also Modulargrid. Have a look at the most popular modules for starters.
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/modules/b ... ection=asc
There is usually a reason why they are popular. Don t just put them in your rack without knowing why. But you will see that these modules often provide solutions towards the problems you will face or the 'gaps' that you need to fill to get something working.
You can start off with some cheap modules if you want to see if it is your thing. Behringer offers a lot of modules for around 100 dollar/euro. I started off with these but along the way, i abandoned money constraints, and focused on functionality instead.
I have about 20 analog, hybrid, and digital hardware synthesizers (mostly rack mount units with programmers and desktop modules). And I own lots of synth plugins and effects including Zebra. So I don't REALLY need to go down the rabbit hole of hardware modular synthesis. But it seems like it might be fun and open up some new sound design possibilities.
On my hardware Sequential Circuits Pro One, I never play sounds from the keyboard in my tracks (even though I am perfectly capable of playing parts without quantizing them). I strictly use it as a sound design tool. If I come up with something unique, I sample it in exhaustive detail to create really expressive patches. These sampled Pro One instruments could never be created on the Pro One itself because, for instance, most of them feature different "velocity layers" even though the Pro One isn't velocity sensitive. I change the filter cutoff, resonance, filter envelope decay, PWM depth, and even oscillator shapes and modulation routings per layer (though usually not all at once). And because they are sampled instruments they use hardly any CPU resources.
I'm really comfortable using the Pro One this way. So if I could get a small, flexible modular rig that doesn't cost too much, I would probably approach it in the same way.
Thou shalt not play chords in modular. 
