2025: A Year in Gear (What You've Bought or Want to Buy in 2025)

[Constructed Identity]

Last module?

Yaaa - it came with black screws! only had 2 left
Now I just need to move the OUT module and Disting EX up to the top; unscrew the eight screws holding the Kobol and take that out so I can attempt to plug the Echo Cinematic into the multi-plug going to the right power board so that I stay under an amp per board and finally plug in and screw down the ES-10 into one of the last open slots on the left power board. and two hours later I can turn it all on to see all the lights, can't use it yet because I am waiting on the cable to arrive...

[foosnark]

Went ahead and bought a new Doepfer A-130-8 and a used Nearness, to go with the Multimod and other things.

[Constructed Identity]

Well, found out the Disting EX is a little too deep to go in the top of a Behringer Go case so the ES-10 is on the top left. It is fine because it isn't a module to do anything with while playing it just means two longer cables out the Supamix to one of the INs on the interface.
...and yes, it was even more complex than I described above because the Echo Cinematic has a short power cable I had to switch it with the one that came with the Behringer Kobol which is extremely long for some reason.
Still have 2hp left, should I get a 2HP module?

[WatchTheGuitar]

Well, found out the Disting EX is a little too deep to go in the top of a Behringer Go case so the ES-10 is on the top left. It is fine because it isn't a module to do anything with while playing it just means two longer cables out the Supamix to one of the INs on the interface.
...and yes, it was even more complex than I described above because the Echo Cinematic has a short power cable I had to switch it with the one that came with the Behringer Kobol which is extremely long for some reason.
Still have 2hp left, should I get a 2HP module?

Some 2hp modules also require deeper cases.
If you’ve 2hp to fill you can’t go wrong with a Doepfer passive multiple. Really handy for pushing the same clock sync signal around different modules.

As for the issue with power lead lengths it will inevitably frustrate you at some other point as it did me so it’s worth checking out places where you can buy longer power cables. I bought a number from Thonk in the UK where they were listed as “10 to 16 way IDC cables”. 5 of the metre long ones cost me £13 after tax and I also got a few 50cm ones.

[whyterabbyt]

Still have 2hp left, should I get a 2HP module?

Zlob do some useful 2HP stuff. A couple of VCA variations, a mixer, a passive attenuator, and a couple of 'Chaos' generators.

[WatchTheGuitar]

I have absolutely no need of this, got a HydraSynth ffs, but couldn’t say no at £50 and I am kind of intrigued at the modulation possibilities

IMG_1028.jpeg

[Constructed Identity]

Still have 2hp left, should I get a 2HP module?

Zlob do some useful 2HP stuff. A couple of VCA variations, a mixer, a passive attenuator, and a couple of 'Chaos' generators.

Hmm, CHAOS would go with my selection of patch cables…. Would I be able to blend it with an LFO to make it more - chaotic?
Or I could just get a mult.

[werp]

I'm looking at a mint condition Elektron Analog Rytm Mk1.
It's very pretty in an industrial way.
this one looks exactly like the one I bought new (way back when).
I do wish I'd kept my printed manual...although the firmware version would have changed.
Let's see if I can make more sense out of it than last time.

[whyterabbyt]

Hmm, CHAOS would go with my selection of patch cables…. Would I be able to blend it with an LFO to make it more - chaotic?

I said there were two, but I think I may have been wrong, the Diode Chaos is 3HP, so just the Triple Cap Chaos that's 2HP

But yeah, there's a CV and an Input on the TCC, or you could do what I frequently do with a noise source; either feed it into an LFO's frequency input, or mix the two.

Mults are fine for using up spare HP, but I resent losing the space Ive pretty gone to external 0HP mults myself.

[WatchTheGuitar]

Mults are fine for using up spare HP, but I resent losing the space Ive pretty gone to external 0HP mults myself.

I did for a bit but then they kept getting in the way as you have to put them somewhere so I’d rather keep the spaghetti inside the case as much as possible.

[elxsound]

Hmm, CHAOS would go with my selection of patch cables…. Would I be able to blend it with an LFO to make it more - chaotic?

I said there were two, but I think I may have been wrong, the Diode Chaos is 3HP, so just the Triple Cap Chaos that's 2HP

But yeah, there's a CV and an Input on the TCC, or you could do what I frequently do with a noise source; either feed it into an LFO's frequency input, or mix the two.

Mults are fine for using up spare HP, but I resent losing the space Ive pretty gone to external 0HP mults myself.

Am I remembering correctly that only reason (aside from personal preference) to have them in the case, is if it’s a buffered mult, best used for multing pitch CV?

[McLilith]

I’d rather keep the spaghetti inside the case as much as possible.

.

[vurt]

I’d rather keep the spaghetti inside the case as much as possible.

.

i think it has 7?

[justin3am]

Mults are fine for using up spare HP, but I resent losing the space Ive pretty gone to external 0HP mults myself.

Am I remembering correctly that only reason (aside from personal preference) to have them in the case, is if it’s a buffered mult, best used for multing pitch CV?

I hate using case space for mults. I mostly use stackable cables but I do have a few mults which just sit beside my cases. For buffered mults, I have two of these: https://www.hungryrobotpedals.com/multiples

Many things that generate pitch CV have outputs which can drive many inputs without voltage droop. Pitch CV inputs are typically relatively low impedance, so they don't load the outputs to badly. It's nice to have a buffered mult when you need to solve a problem (I have more problems with clock/trigger signals than I do with pitch CVs) but I tend not to use them unless I notice an obvious tuning or missing triggers problem.

[whyterabbyt]

Am I remembering correctly that only reason (aside from personal preference) to have them in the case, is if it’s a buffered mult, best used for multing pitch CV?

Yeah, buffered would need power. Not seen much in the way of 0HP switched multiples either, FWIW. I have two 4HP Cavisynth Minipass 3x4 linkable mults, but stuck them in a separate little wooden box of their own.
But for purely passive I now use those 6 way 'star' multiples that Befaco etc do. And at about £6 each, they're much cheaper than any proper modules. Bit of hotglue and a neodynium magnet and they can be held out the way too (eg on rack rails)