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Now that many of us have gone down the eurorack rabbit hole, was it worth it? Knowing what you know now, would you chase that rabbit again?

I’m asking because I’m thinking about converting my setup to eurorack. I’m happy with my setup, but I’d like to be able to control and interconnect my synths in ways that are only possible using a DAW or eurorack. However, I know this is an extremely expensive undertaking, so, I was curious about how people who have gone this route feel about it?

Depends what you mean by worth it. I've had fun! But is it as good for music-ing as having a few dedicated synths for a similar or more likely lower price? Probably not really for me. I've been considering dropping down to a smaller euro setup because there is something fundamentally fun to me about patching stuff with cables and fiddling with my hands, compared to using menus. But the bigger setup, while fun, isn't something I find myself making entire songs out of much, so I'm not sure if that makes it worth it to me? But then, slimming down GAS is still kinda GAS so maybe I'm just thinking about this too much and I could just keep what I already have and be happy with it.

It's nice that every part of the system talks to every other part. If this was a collection of smaller synths, making the MIDI work to tie it all together would kill me (there's a reason I have not gone down this route), and definitely would not have the same level of flexibility in terms of what can control what. But also realistically, the way I make MUSIC most productively is to multitrack stuff so doing things part by part isn't the end of the world. Though, having it all together and interacting drives different compositions. The "happy accident machine" is my favourite thing about it, and I most often find myself discovering melodies or sounds that make me want to make music by starting with that as a base and then adding instruments I find more playable to develop things into proper ideas. The only fully formed music I can make with it is ambient, noise, and techno. All of which are fun obviously but they're not what I'm best at, or what I'm most interested in making.

EDIT:
Reading back this is a mess of jumbled thoughts like a drawer of patch cables. I think that's because I don't have a simple yes or no answer to the question. Ultimately, it achieved what I wanted, which was trying something new and learning about synthesis. I may have gone too far down the road of trying to make a setup I could make full songs with, and I've never quite been satisfied with it for that. But if I recontextualise it as just one of my instruments, it's a good instrument.

I know other people are better at wrangling modular, learn everything more deeply, and/or have different musical goals, so can easily make full music with less shit than I have. But that doesn't seem to work for me I don't have the drive to MAKE it do the exact thing I want, because if I know what I want, there are better tools (programmable synths, guitars, DAW, keyboards) to do that.


TL;DR. Maybe?

I don’t use a daw, so, everything is either midi synced or sequenced via an arturia beatstep pro. Sometimes I do just grab two or three synths/drum machines, midi sync them, and then just enjoy a relatively simple setup. But midi syncing isn’t always ideal, and the more I have to deal with different types of midi jacks the more frustrated I get. So, a big part of the appeal of switching to eurorack is being able to patch anything into anything without having to worry about midi and/or adapter cables.

My goal sounds similar to yours. I’d like to create a setup that effectively replicates what I can accomplish with two synths, a drum machine, a handful of pedals, and a mixer. That way I just have one thing to setup, as opposed to messing with six different power supplies, a midi splitter, and all the audio cables and adapters. With a eurorack setup I’d hopefully only have to deal with a third of the headache I currently have setting up, and I’d hopefully have access to more ways to manipulate sound with roughly the same amount of hardware.

I’ll probably download vcv rack and start modeling my hypothetical setup, just to see how much I enjoy working within the confines of eurorack. Where I’ve enjoyed using my SV-1 semi modular for multiple years, I’m hoping I will already feel comfortable using modular? It’ll also be a few months before I can afford to get started, and one of the key modules I want isn’t in production yet.

Yeah as long as you are happy with your euro sequencer(s), have clear eyes and know what you're getting into, that goal does sound doable. Personally I prefer the sequencer on my Oktatrack too much and can't be bothered to get a more full-featured euro sequencer so I just accept it can do a bit less.

VCV is a great idea especially if you have a really specific idea for a rack!

Have you heard a lot of modular music that you enjoyed? Most is shit! Bad techno, random noises, boring ideas under the guise of ambient. (No shade thrown at CBS for the comment about making these, I am sooo guilty here myself). CBS made nothing but great points.

My opinions are a bit mixed. I'm 5 years in now, with an account on ModWiggler that predates that by 8 years. I've made tons of noise in my basement by myself, often sharing snippet recordings with friends, occasionally releasing solo albums, recently participating in a creative weekly song challenges, have contributed to collaborations on ILF, submitted sounds for use in a song on a friends' band new album, and assembled soundscapes for samples used in my own band between songs. It's a lot when I type it out, but it has been fulfilling and even occasionally rewarding. I don't use modular every day, sometimes take breaks for months at a time. Initial goal was to explore more sound potential for creating drones and noise and maybe some melodic stuff with sequencing. It has become one pillar of what I do as a musician, which has further divided my attention and creativity with different instruments. I used to just be a guitarist that made a lot of weird noise, but now my guitar playing is more about slaying heavy riffs, saving the odd noise shenanigans for modular, drum machines, or sampling. There is some overlap between those disciplines but they are also distinct in purpose.

If you do it, have a goal you want to accomplish, try to find modules that fit that goal. After your initial purchases, slow down and take the time to learn what you have. You might have a limited setup for a short term, but it is really important to have that foundation to build knowledge and determine what else you should pursue in the future. Starting is a nightmare with a huge cost. Case, sound source, output module. Barely making a sound and not even having fun yet. You're trading MIDI cable mess for a tangled spaghetti of control voltage cables. The bit of frustration with CV is the voltage range delivered or required is inconsistent. Bipolar -5 to +5v, unipolor 0 to 10v, sometimes 0-8v. Most of the time it's fine, and there are certainly more modules to buy to help modify voltage ranges.

If you have an addictive personality type or have felt consumed by gear lust, then modular will feed those demons. A consumerist mentality will consume you. This is only reinforced by side quests like playing Tetris on ModularGrid to plan the most perfect rack, followed by constant tweaking that rack just to make it more perfecter. The hype train never comes to a full stop. You will want it all. You'll buy things that don't work for you, not the right sound, not the right control, maybe an interface that doesn't click with your brainwaves. And then there is always more to try.

Just buy a fuzz, man.

Eivind August wrote:Just buy a fuzz, man.

I've been enjoying myself the past 8 years. It goes up and down as does all music creation for me, but I enjoy it.

codetocontra wrote:Have you heard a lot of modular music that you enjoyed? Most is shit! Bad techno, random noises, boring ideas under the guise of ambient. (No shade thrown at CBS for the comment about making these, I am sooo guilty here myself). CBS made nothing but great points.

My opinions are a bit mixed. I'm 5 years in now, with an account on ModWiggler that predates that by 8 years. I've made tons of noise in my basement by myself, often sharing snippet recordings with friends, occasionally releasing solo albums, recently participating in a creative weekly song challenges, have contributed to collaborations on ILF, submitted sounds for use in a song on a friends' band new album, and assembled soundscapes for samples used in my own band between songs. It's a lot when I type it out, but it has been fulfilling and even occasionally rewarding. I don't use modular every day, sometimes take breaks for months at a time. Initial goal was to explore more sound potential for creating drones and noise and maybe some melodic stuff with sequencing. It has become one pillar of what I do as a musician, which has further divided my attention and creativity with different instruments. I used to just be a guitarist that made a lot of weird noise, but now my guitar playing is more about slaying heavy riffs, saving the odd noise shenanigans for modular, drum machines, or sampling. There is some overlap between those disciplines but they are also distinct in purpose.

If you do it, have a goal you want to accomplish, try to find modules that fit that goal. After your initial purchases, slow down and take the time to learn what you have. You might have a limited setup for a short term, but it is really important to have that foundation to build knowledge and determine what else you should pursue in the future. Starting is a nightmare with a huge cost. Case, sound source, output module. Barely making a sound and not even having fun yet. You're trading MIDI cable mess for a tangled spaghetti of control voltage cables. The bit of frustration with CV is the voltage range delivered or required is inconsistent. Bipolar -5 to +5v, unipolor 0 to 10v, sometimes 0-8v. Most of the time it's fine, and there are certainly more modules to buy to help modify voltage ranges.

If you have an addictive personality type or have felt consumed by gear lust, then modular will feed those demons. A consumerist mentality will consume you. This is only reinforced by side quests like playing Tetris on ModularGrid to plan the most perfect rack, followed by constant tweaking that rack just to make it more perfecter. The hype train never comes to a full stop. You will want it all. You'll buy things that don't work for you, not the right sound, not the right control, maybe an interface that doesn't click with your brainwaves. And then there is always more to try.

All great points! No shade taken on the ambient, mine is nearly all boring as soon as I record it no matter how fun it was to make

Couldn't agree more with taking it slow after getting a few things that make a decent little system and will make sounds together. I spent ages putting mine together and it was helpful to start by getting some basic stuff and figuring out the format and stuff. Some people are better at that but it helped me tbh to go through a whole progression of starting with really basic modules then moving to complex ones.

I've had a similar experience losing the need to make weird noises on guitar because I prefer doing that with other stuff.