Modular for the masses?

[Strange Tales]

Yeah, my bride bought me a Mother 32 last week to celebrate some things. Already looking to add a second (and later third) 60hp case. What's a good option for powering these, though? I realize I could just nab a uZeus (waited too long yours in B/S/T, Warp), but is there a better way to do this? One that doesn't sacrifice valuable hp?

You can always get an actual board to mount in the case. Cheap DIY options are coming out as well. Alternatively (this is way too much power for 60hp), you can get the Synthrotek power modules. It's only 4hp, but it powers my 6U 104hp case with no issues.

[oscillateur]

If they decide to grow and try to sell a lot more then they have to hire people and sell a lot more to be viable and lose quite a bit of flexibility over what they do/how they do it. Prices can't get much lower for things that go beyond very basic modules.

I am here to tell you that part isn't always true. I don't think the growth of modular synthesis is going to hurt those small companies. The bigger companies will start to make the basic, entry level stuff for cheap and leave the small innovative companies to kick ass. The small companies can't compete with the big guys on pricing, but they can continue to make wild, new stuff at a higher price and people will continue to buy it.

Yeah, but the whole point of modular is that you don't only use buffered multiples and 4 channels mixers... This is actually even more true for people new to modular, who tend to only focus on the fancy new shiny modules and forget all the basic utilities that make a modular functional .

And I never said small companies will get hurt, the ones who are already functional business-wise are doing fine, but they're very unlikely to lower their prices if they want to stay in business. I'm not pulling that out of my ass, this is based on what smart modular manufacturers like Olivier Gillet (Mutable Instruments) or Chris Randall (Audio Damage) have explained on Muffs recently.

[aens_wife]

I am not saying they should drop prices at all. I am just saying the market will sort those growing pains out for them and the good, innovative ones won't have to worry about the general price drops or additional companies coming on the scene.

[Warpsmasher]

Utilities...are so easy to come by now that it's barely even a thing to worry about anymore. They're almost like patch cables at this point. If I find myself in dire need of an extra mixer or VCA, I can spend less on lunch for a couple weeks and have it pretty quick. With affordable little combos like Links and Kinks, WMD/SSF Toolbox, and all the used Doepfer that's always going for so cheap, that stuff is never too far out of reach, even for tight budgets. The challenge nowadays is keeping enough rackspace & power for new stuff! All the cool hype modules tend to be pretty large, and a lot of the cheap Doepfer gets flipped because the more experienced users are always finding more functionality in less HP.

Me, well, I don't give a fuck about conserving space, because mine is a home system (which can be parted out into smaller portable rigs, if I ever need that). What a pain in the ass, always having to rule out this or that because of a few millimeters. I also like having room to twiddle knobs and push buttons. I started eurorack knowing that I would want at least 12u, but now that I'm on the Doepfer kick, I can see so clearly how 9u and 12u people end up at 24, 36 and up so easily.

SPOILER : show

America, fuck yeah

[Strange Tales]

Also depending on how competent you find yourself with soldering, you can save some coin by building your own shit. Most through-hole soldering is easy as shit (as in: even I can do it).

[penelope tree]

Is the Doepfer A-100LC3 worth considering for a beginner?

If you want something that size I'd probably recommend the new Intellijel 4U or Makenoise 3U cases instead. The LC6 is a classic though, but there are more and more options in the same price range these days. The main thing to know is whether you will want to move your modular around (for concerts, events, practice, etc.) or not. That will determine which type of case you need...

Cool, I'll investigate all of your suggestions. I'm familiar with subtractive synthesis and I think I know the basics but what elements does a modular system generally comprise besides VCO/VCF/VCA/LFO/EG?

[oscillateur]

Some other basic types of modules/functionalities in a module that can be super useful : sample & hold, sequential switch, noise source, clock divider/multiplier, wavefolder, logic module...

But what you need depends on what you want to do. I know a guy who doesn't use any VCA most of the time for example, because he's all into hand-controlled harsh noise/droney stuff .

[penelope tree]

Some other basic types of modules/functionalities in a module that can be super useful : sample & hold, sequential switch, noise source, clock divider/multiplier, wavefolder, logic module...

But what you need depends on what you want to do. I know a guy who doesn't use any VCA most of the time for example, because he's all into hand-controlled harsh noise/droney stuff .

I'd like to make some drones, what do you think would be a good combination of modules for a beginner?

[D.o.S.]

What kind of drones?