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

[elxsound]

Dude, I must be cured of GAS... not interested in new Make Noise or new Roland drum machine at all.
That UDO DMNO looks rad, love the VFD look of the display. Still not really tempted.

I feel like I've got so much time invested in the stuff I already use, I'm starting to be annoyed by the idea of spending the time it'll take to learn new gear.

That's an amazing feeling! I feel the same way about the Roland drum machine. I think its going to be an amazing box, but I don't want to learn how to use it!

Yeah, the MN stuff is still utility based and there's not a clear picture of the new system just yet. I do like that QXG will be pre-patched via the back connector, but it's still a bigger DXG. I'm curious to see how it all fits together and I think the curiosity won me over, but wouldn't call it GAS this time around.

If Elektron makes a Syntakt like box similar to Toneverk, I might drool a little.

[vurt]

Well, I didn't hold out long and ordered both Polimaths and QXG.

The backend connections got me, though now as I'm typing... I'll need to find a spot where they can exist side-by-side. Oh, damn. Case reorg time.

havent looked at the manual, but are they extra cable connections or over busboard?

In the video, they had said connected by cable in the back. I think I need to ask them about the length of what I'm assuming is in an included cable. I'm wondering how much freedom I have to move around, vs buying a separate cable.

Then there's mention of "When a $&%*#^!@ is also pre-patched to the QXGs’ signal inputs the collection of modules comprises the eight channel core of the New Universal Synthesizer System."

So that'll be a thing to consider too

Screenshot 2025-10-01 at 1.07.00 PM.png

ah thanks, i missed him say how it was connected.
i hope that is actually the name of the new module, wonder if anyone has de blurred it yet in some csi miami way?

[vurt]

while im here, i have two modules inbound for delivery tomorrow
riders in the storm and an erica, both ring mods. realised i only had the moddemix, wanted new flavours, these were peanuts prices and sound nice and ring moddy.

(my make noise 3, are friday)

[justin3am]

Yeah, the MN stuff is still utility based and there's not a clear picture of the new system just yet. I do like that QXG will be pre-patched via the back connector, but it's still a bigger DXG. I'm curious to see how it all fits together and I think the curiosity won me over, but wouldn't call it GAS this time around.

I'm really curious what the eventual NUSS equivalent of the Shared System will look like. I may go in that direction if it's compelling but I'm still trying to save for a 200e system,

[ghettosynth]

Inspired by this:



I have my first XAOC module...oooh!



However, I don't want to give the wrong idea and let people think that I'm recommending it, I'm not really. In fact, there are at least three or four XAOC modules that I would have rather had. However, I'm building stuff and I was inspired by the module above as well as the sounds of a PT2399 when the clock rate is slowed down for longer delays. I'm exploring lo-fi DIY rack modules that rely on clock modulation of PT2399s and FV-1s as a part of the sound.

So, I bought the timiszoara as a way to test algorithms for the FV-1 in my rack fairly easily. For that, I don't mind the price, but if not for that, I think that nearly all of the non-special purpose FV-1 Eurorack modules are vastly overpriced. This is especially true for the mattress sized TipTop module that essentially requires you to buy eeproms on a card in order to change the algorithms. The FV-1 is a fun chip, and it can sound ok, but it does not have enough memory to compete with better and more modern DSP based solutions. I didn't realize how many products make use of it, e.g., Erica's Pico DSP, Erica's Blackhole DSP, and quite a few others until I started exploring it myself.

[vurt]

Inspired by this:

ooh that does sound nice.

[ghettosynth]

Dude, I must be cured of GAS... not interested in new Make Noise or new Roland drum machine at all.
That UDO DMNO looks rad, love the VFD look of the display. Still not really tempted.

I feel like I've got so much time invested in the stuff I already use, I'm starting to be annoyed by the idea of spending the time it'll take to learn new gear.

I can see the lack of interest in the MN stuff and the Roland. I think that the latest MN efforts are very MN, but, very not in the general spirit of Eurorack. The feel of it in general reminds me of pre-midi Oberheim/Roland "system" competition. I don't want to say much about Roland's TR, I know that people will like it. I'm just not there anymore. The closest I get to that is my B.606 and if it wasn't so light, tiny, and simple, I wouldn't use it either.

[Shabdahbriah]

Well, I didn't hold out long and ordered both Polimaths and QXG.

The backend connections got me, though now as I'm typing... I'll need to find a spot where they can exist side-by-side. Oh, damn. Case reorg time.

havent looked at the manual, but are they extra cable connections or over busboard?

qxg-manual.pdf.png

[justin3am]

Dude, I must be cured of GAS... not interested in new Make Noise or new Roland drum machine at all.
That UDO DMNO looks rad, love the VFD look of the display. Still not really tempted.

I feel like I've got so much time invested in the stuff I already use, I'm starting to be annoyed by the idea of spending the time it'll take to learn new gear.

I can see the lack of interest in the MN stuff and the Roland. I think that the latest MN efforts are very MN, but, very not in the general spirit of Eurorack. The feel of it in general reminds me of pre-midi Oberheim/Roland "system" competition. I don't want to say much about Roland's TR, I know that people will like it. I'm just not there anymore. The closest I get to that is my B.606 and if it wasn't so light, tiny, and simple, I wouldn't use it either.

For me it's the idea of learning a new system that is unattractive. I tend to think that Make Noise stuff works best as a mostly self contained system and NUSS is like the fourth iteration of Make Noise systems. My favorite is still the first iteration and the idea of incorporating the latest iteration doesn't appeal to me at the moment.

Similarly, I'm sure that the TR-1000 has a lot of features that my AnalogRYTM doesn't have and I'm sure it will be very cool. But at this point, I have so much time invested in the AR, that I don't want to move away from it.

Who knows... by the time I'm finished with my current projects (probably 5 years from now, lol), I may be looking for something different and I may have the time to learn new gear.

[justin3am]

So, I bought the timiszoara as a way to test algorithms for the FV-1 in my rack fairly easily. For that, I don't mind the price, but if not for that, I think that nearly all of the non-special purpose FV-1 Eurorack modules are vastly overpriced. This is especially true for the mattress sized TipTop module that essentially requires you to buy eeproms on a card in order to change the algorithms. The FV-1 is a fun chip, and it can sound ok, but it does not have enough memory to compete with better and more modern DSP based solutions. I didn't realize how many products make use of it, e.g., Erica's Pico DSP, Erica's Blackhole DSP, and quite a few others until I started exploring it myself.

I remember talking about the FV-1 with Keith Barr, not long before he passed. He really had a passion for getting high quality tools in the hands of everyday musicians. Of course the FV-1 isn't really considered "high quality" today. The FV-1 and PT2399 are fantastic chips for experimentation and very robust in terms of their ability to put up with abuse. I'd also say that building a DIY clouds is a great path to developing DSP for STM platform. I'd really like to get into Daisy eventually too (that Seaside Modular Proteus is based on Daisy).

Check out the PT2395, if you haven't:
https://open4umodular.github.io/synthpa ... 4_ddb.html
http://www.sdiy.org/destrukto/files/vc- ... 5-2005.pdf

[ghettosynth]

So, I bought the timiszoara as a way to test algorithms for the FV-1 in my rack fairly easily. For that, I don't mind the price, but if not for that, I think that nearly all of the non-special purpose FV-1 Eurorack modules are vastly overpriced. This is especially true for the mattress sized TipTop module that essentially requires you to buy eeproms on a card in order to change the algorithms. The FV-1 is a fun chip, and it can sound ok, but it does not have enough memory to compete with better and more modern DSP based solutions. I didn't realize how many products make use of it, e.g., Erica's Pico DSP, Erica's Blackhole DSP, and quite a few others until I started exploring it myself.

I remember talking about the FV-1 with Keith Barr, not long before he passed. He really had a passion for getting high quality tools in the hands of everyday musicians. Of course the FV-1 isn't really considered "high quality" today. The FV-1 and PT2399 are fantastic chips for experimentation and very robust in terms of their ability to put up with abuse. I'd also say that building a DIY clouds is a great path to developing DSP for STM platform. I'd really like to get into Daisy eventually too (that Seaside Modular Proteus is based on Daisy).

Check out the PT2395, if you haven't:
https://open4umodular.github.io/synthpa ... 4_ddb.html
http://www.sdiy.org/destrukto/files/vc- ... 5-2005.pdf

Daisy is even more approachable now that you can use Plugdata to directly export to Daisy. That said, the effect that I'm after here is the specific artifacts of the FV-1 and the PT-2399. Both are weak choices for clean sounding DSP. I might have a PT2395 in my junkbox from way back when but the 40 pin dip format is a bit of a turnoff for what I'm working on now.

[vurt]

Well, I didn't hold out long and ordered both Polimaths and QXG.

The backend connections got me, though now as I'm typing... I'll need to find a spot where they can exist side-by-side. Oh, damn. Case reorg time.

havent looked at the manual, but are they extra cable connections or over busboard?

qxg-manual.pdf.png

are there any rear connections on the previous nuss bits??
it's all getting a bit complicated for me, i think im getting too old. tried looking at building a little micro modular rack with wonkystuff, couldn't work it out, gave up.

[elxsound]

Well, I didn't hold out long and ordered both Polimaths and QXG.

The backend connections got me, though now as I'm typing... I'll need to find a spot where they can exist side-by-side. Oh, damn. Case reorg time.

havent looked at the manual, but are they extra cable connections or over busboard?

qxg-manual.pdf.png

are there any rear connections on the previous nuss bits??
it's all getting a bit complicated for me, i think im getting too old. tried looking at building a little micro modular rack with wonkystuff, couldn't work it out, gave up.

So, looks like a yes on Multimod, and no for Jumbler!

*and they said cable included for connecting together, with each one. 15cm w/QXG and 30cm w/Polimaths.

IMG_2025-10-01-192505.png

[foosnark]

With Polimaths/QXG/Multiwave (the name was leaked in the QXG manual) it seems like they have picked a direction and they're turning it into an actual system, with these as the flagship modules, instead of a series of fun experiments.

Polimaths does seem like a clever module with a lot of versatility, but mostly it covers things I either don't care about or already have covered some other way.

I don't especially want to recreate polyphony as such in my modular. But I'm more interested in swarm oscillators, harmonic oscillators, crossfading and panning related signals around etc. I am super happy with my combination of Just Friends, Silhouette, Multimod, Nearness, and Doepfer A-130-8 (to which I'm adding Walk 4 when it comes out).

[vurt]

Well, I didn't hold out long and ordered both Polimaths and QXG.

The backend connections got me, though now as I'm typing... I'll need to find a spot where they can exist side-by-side. Oh, damn. Case reorg time.

havent looked at the manual, but are they extra cable connections or over busboard?

qxg-manual.pdf.png

are there any rear connections on the previous nuss bits??
it's all getting a bit complicated for me, i think im getting too old. tried looking at building a little micro modular rack with wonkystuff, couldn't work it out, gave up.

So, looks like a yes on Multimod, and no for Jumbler!

*and they said cable included for connecting together, with each one. 15cm w/QXG and 30cm w/Polimaths.

IMG_2025-10-01-192505.png

so if multimod connects to the input above where polimaths goes, that leaves 2 more on the 2nd qxg