Need help building little modular system !

[JTurbide]

Ok, I just order a 4ms Pod 60.

I want to keep it at that so I need a functional system in 60hp. Also this is not the 60x so depth could be a issue for some modules.

My setup consist of guitar and bass gear, a nord electro 5, a minibrute and a 1010 blackbox which I mostly use for drum purposes as well as sampling my instruments and process them with the granular feature, the filter and do some slicing. I also have an NTS1 which can be useful primarly for fx but other stuff too.

If that helps narrowing it further, I am not looking to do techno/house/acid stuff and will never do live performances with a euro setup.

I seem to prefer soothing sounds. rbeny, lightbath, emily sprague are some of the channels I remember liking alot a few years ago when I started looking into eurorack...

After 2-3 helpful comments on muffwigglers, I made this up:

- FMOGRE or other similar vco
- Pachinko (smaller and less expensive than marbles and Bloom)
- a filter like ALM MCF for example (only 6hp so that's cool) or maybe a dual filter like the ADDAC one.
- another sound source like either mutable rings or 4ms ensemble oscillator
- a small function generator like ALM pip slope, ALA Tilt or Endorphin airstreamer
- small lfos like ALA Baker or doepfer quad lfo
- and finally depending on module choices I'd have around 10-6hp to squeeze in some vca/mixer
- if I end up with like 2hp left I can squeeze in a mult other utilities or a tiny second filter



Would that be a functional setup ? Any suggestions ? I forgot something ? Too much of something and not enough of another one ?

Halp

[JTurbide]

Pachinko and nRings incoming.. (mutable rings and marble in smaller format). Now the rest...

[JTurbide]

Thanks for the tip! Here is an updated version based on the fact that I ordered Marbles and Rings. I changed the VCA which was only linear for this one which can do linear and exponential. Changed the VCO for a smaller one but could go back to the fmogre or anything else really. Also changed the lfo because there was no sine wave on the other one. If I was to have this I would have rings, marbles, an oscillator, dual filter, an envelope (airstream), 8 lfos, 2 vca, Pam's workout for more envelope lfo and for clock/sequencing, a 4 attenuators/mixer, and 4 hp left...

Does this make more sense ? Forgot anything? Too much of something ? Still not enough mixing ? I am not set on any of these modules except the two I ordered so...

[breakdown]

How about some sort of random or sample and hold module? Although I guess Pachinko kind of does that...

Or maybe some sort of compact strange sound source like Radio Thing? I came across Grains by Ginko Synthese that’s super cheap and small and actually sounds pretty decent... ?
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/ginko-syn ... -new-panel

Or maybe more vca’s?

[coldbrightsunlight]

I would try to jam a delay in there, if it were me. Though more VCAs wouldn't go amiss..

Have you thought about Disting Mk4? Not always the easiest to use but it does everything so it's good for a small rack and "oh I wish I had an.... X"

[dubkitty]

"little"

you do realize that they grow like kittens, right?

[JTurbide]

@breakdown that could be fitted in the 4hp left. Cheap is always a plus but I think they might be diy only ?

@Coldbrightsunlight I was thinking the nts1, blackbox and pedals would cover me for fx. A reverb and delay module would be cool indeed but it might take too much space for a 60hp rack. 2 vca wouldn't be enough for this setup ? I could jam a 2hp vca and a 2hp vco like the grains or go with the disting in the space left. There is also envelopes and filter that I hope I'll have enough... If I get Pam's I should be fine on the lfo, envelope, clock side...

@dubkitty I'll really try to limit myself to this 60hp case. Might add a tiny unpowered diy one for passive modules like mults, OR etc...

[greyscales]

Here's my take (after experimenting with some 62hp systems):

You seem to have a ton of modulation for 60hp. I wouldn't want PNW, Marbles, Airstreamer, and Ochd for two voices.
Personally, I was disappointed in PNW for envelope use. I couldn't get a long decay which is nice for more ambient sounds. It's very plucky. But it is excellent for LFOs.
Ochd is going to have a lot of overlap with PNW and can need lots of attenuation or VCAs. You have attenuators built in to a lot of modules but not all of them.
The 6hp Endorphin.es modules had a lot of complaints about noise levels so be wary of that for the filter at least.


Maybe consider substituting Stages for a couple of those modulation sources. It's more flexible in a small system and can do envelopes, LFOs, S&H, VCO, and sequencing.
And definitely consider a module like Shades or Triatt for attenuation/offset/mixing. Or a VCA that can mix like Veils or Tangle Quartet.

And remember your hands are modulation sources! Give them room to wiggle knobs and don't worry about cramming as much as possible into your case.

[JTurbide]

Was just about to order a disting mk4 when I figured it is too deep for the case. I might encounter this problem with other modules so I think I'm just gonna go full Bob the builder and use wood pieces to elevate the thing. Like I could screw 4 pieces of wood on top of the rails (from under the rails) and simply screw the modules on wood. Would look stoopid but work.

Greyscales : thanks I'll look them up !

[JTurbide]

Ordered the Ochd. Well this is already getting expensive. The stages look really nice but takes quite some space and is not cheap. Shades also takes a bit more space than I'd like for a mixer. Maybe I can find some alternatives... ?

So for now I have nRings, Pachinko and Ochd. I will likely want something that can give at least one other lfo because ochd is only triangle, sine would be nice. I was thinking Pam or disting could do that and more but I'm still looking for other options. Thanks for the headsup on endorphin.es, I'll see if I can find replacements. Man this is complicated

[coldbrightsunlight]

Here's my take (after experimenting with some 62hp systems):

You seem to have a ton of modulation for 60hp. I wouldn't want PNW, Marbles, Airstreamer, and Ochd for two voices.
Personally, I was disappointed in PNW for envelope use. I couldn't get a long decay which is nice for more ambient sounds. It's very plucky. But it is excellent for LFOs.
Ochd is going to have a lot of overlap with PNW and can need lots of attenuation or VCAs. You have attenuators built in to a lot of modules but not all of them.
The 6hp Endorphin.es modules had a lot of complaints about noise levels so be wary of that for the filter at least.


Maybe consider substituting Stages for a couple of those modulation sources. It's more flexible in a small system and can do envelopes, LFOs, S&H, VCO, and sequencing.
And definitely consider a module like Shades or Triatt for attenuation/offset/mixing. Or a VCA that can mix like Veils or Tangle Quartet.

And remember your hands are modulation sources! Give them room to wiggle knobs and don't worry about cramming as much as possible into your case.

Yeah this is all very true!!!!. I didn't comment on it because... I like all that modulation on first look but on second look you are totally right greyscales it is A LOT of modulation for this much actual sound stuff. Perrrssssonally I would ditch marbles or ochd because PNW does that stuff (more SORT OF when it comes to marbles, but entirely covers ochd though obviously if you need more channels you need more channels), plus is a great clock source. But then on the other hand you could ditch PNW and ochd kinda covers a lot of what you might use PNW for.



EDIT: Oh you bought ochd already Personally I'd recommend PNW but maybe I'm just too much of a stan?? But it does sequency stuff, LFOs of many shapes (with inbuilt attenuation which is amazing) and all sorts of cooool options.

You are totally right that if you're expecting long envelopes from PNW you'll have a bad time, the maximum decay is still super snappy.

Stages or similar (e.g. befaco muxlicer) is a great suggestion.

VCAs that can mix are a godsend in a small system - particularly those with snazzy normalling that lets you use some channels as VCAs for other stuff and some for a mix. Tangle Quartet and Veils are bae

[JTurbide]

Yeah veils looks great. Muxlicer and stages both look great too but not cheap and take quite some space. I'll have to figure out how many envelopes and vca/mix I'd need...

[JTurbide]

Perhaps that would be better ? I'd have more vca thanks to veils and plenty of lfo and envelopes thanks to ochd and Zadar. I would not have Pam's tho but would I be missing much if I have lfo, envelopes covered and basically sequencing too thanks to pachinko and even my minibrute. rings, instruo (or other little vco), and even zadar as sound sources, a dual filter, nice little verb and mixer at the end, and I'd take care of mults and stuff like that with little star-like splitters or putting a few passive modules in a tiny non-powered wood box.

[lumena]

I think you really need something to match pedals in and out. If you are planning on using externals you will need something to balance the voltages. Lots of options there but I would look for stereo like the Strymon A.A since stereo is actually 2 mono and you might want to do something in that way.

[JTurbide]

I think you really need something to match pedals in and out. If you are planning on using externals you will need something to balance the voltages. Lots of options there but I would look for stereo like the Strymon A.A since stereo is actually 2 mono and you might want to do something in that way.

idk if that changes anything but I was planning on mostly using korg nts1 or blackbox for external effects. Would I still need that king of module ? If yes, then I guess I could swap the oscillator for an even smaller one and maybe get the 2hp verb out so I have the space for something like the AA1.