Started building a modular this weekend

Only 3 modules deep so far, but tried to get fairly interesting ones ––– here're things as they currently stand – http://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/104604

MicroBrute is currently covering a lot of the utility functions (midi=>cv, eg, lfo, misc).

Plan to incorporate some other gear soon (machinedrum UW, most notably), but it's been pretty great fun so far, if somewhat underwhelming (at least in appearances) for how large of an initial investment it is. That said, w/ this foundation in place it should be pretty easy to grow :X

Anyway! Will post some stupid noises later. And probably never make real music again.

great! I wish I was intelligent enough to build something like that.

Nice! I've only got 6 modules so far, myself. Probably be picking up that Maths soon, though.

I might suggest something like Outs. It's not very fun to buy, but man, the amount of times I had my modular coming into my audio interface at unbelievable volumes makes it pretty much essential to me.

  On 6/24/2014 at 7:00 PM, danke said:

Nice! I've only got 6 modules so far, myself. Probably be picking up that Maths soon, though.

 

I might suggest something like Outs. It's not very fun to buy, but man, the amount of times I had my modular coming into my audio interface at unbelievable volumes makes it pretty much essential to me.

I plan to pick one up eventually, but in the mean time I've been running through my normal mixer which works fine... it'd be nice to have a self contained unit tho!

I love my modular! I've got 21u of euro with some spaces to fill & some 5u macbeth..

I wish I'd got into it sooner ! Have fun

Welcome to the "Road to Poverty and Divorce." The sounds are great, when you can hear them over the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Did you ever collect Matchbox cars? Dinky die-cast? So bright and shiny and new, it was practically an orgasm to blow that $1 or 50p on one...and it was your FAVORITE until you got the next allowance.

Yeah...that's modular synthesis.

I'm at 70-75 modules of Eurorack, another 70 modules of 5U Moog Format. I'm currently sitting here, shuffling the Eurorack into larger racks and fondling them EXACTLY like I did my bright, shiny toy cars. Oh, and I'm drunk on Scotch and the fumes gassing off patch cable casings.

Run. Just turn around, back slowly out the door....and RUN.

http://www.modulargrid.net/s/racks/view/82411

  On 6/26/2014 at 5:10 AM, oopfoo said:

Welcome to the "Road to Poverty and Divorce." The sounds are great, when you can hear them over the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

Did you ever collect Matchbox cars? Dinky die-cast? So bright and shiny and new, it was practically an orgasm to blow that $1 or 50p on one...and it was your FAVORITE until you got the next allowance.

 

Yeah...that's modular synthesis.

 

I'm at 70-75 modules of Eurorack, another 70 modules of 5U Moog Format. I'm currently sitting here, shuffling the Eurorack into larger racks and fondling them EXACTLY like I did my bright, shiny toy cars. Oh, and I'm drunk on Scotch and the fumes gassing off patch cable casings.

 

Run. Just turn around, back slowly out the door....and RUN.

This is actually what kept me away for so long, as I tend to have pretty addictive/obsessive tendencies already...

Should I actually run? I guess it's not too late :(

ps: Tally eh? Used to live and Jax and ended up there pretty regularly as my lady was there. A fine city :D

I really wish I had the capital to start a modular.

  On 6/26/2014 at 8:25 PM, Braintree said:

I really wish I had the capital to start a modular.

Using the microbrute as the core makes it a lot more approachable, but yeah. It's a stupid amount of money for a thing, no matter how you slice it :X

Perhaps a bit dumb, but the first recording of the modular in action

https://soundcloud.com/rob_sickmode/ro-sham-bruh

hat tip to the misses for vocalizing.

This is great, and the vocals make it hilarious! Keep it up; diving in headfirst is the only way!

Have a look at my stuff.

It is a slippery slope, granted, but I found that there's a point where you say "I think I'm done". Whether this is a decision based on functionality or physical space or a combination of the two, I'm not sure. But it's great fun, and you can waste hours just patching and having fun. Being productive with it can take time though, I spend a lot of time patching and listening to complete junk, but maybe 2 or 3 patches out of 10 are actually very usable, get tracked and go on to make a full jam. It's difficult, but you'll get there in the end.

I'd like to make my own modular but in software. But I know shit all about making a VST and ReaJS is too fucking slow to handle something like that

BLOK has a limit of like 64/128 effects/generators/etc. and I find myself running out often. Dunno how people bang stuff out on a real modular without the convenience of everything on a screen. Like lol let me take this patch that's 20 screens across and put it into REAL LIFE and instead of a mouse I have to make the connections manually. Like same thing I can have some 1000 lines of code and as long it's on a screen I can manage it. If it was on paper or something I would die

I love the idea of modulars tho, I honestly do wish I could swap a different flavor of filter instead of the same digital one every once in a while. Otherwise I like the idea you can make everything you need from like 5/6 parts/components

seriously though I would find a real modular imposing or THREATENING or something. Anything that can't fit onto a screen with that level of complexity really

is there a good forum to buy and sell modular pieces from each other? (both DIY and commercial)

Analog haven isn't exactly a forum but it might work for you.

And maybe muffwiggler?

whats the best format these days? eurorack?

do modules' rack ears align to regular studio outboard gear rack rails?

of course i know these things may vary.

No format is inherently better, but Eurorack is certainly the most popular. I chose a mostly Doepfer system mostly because of the sheer variety of modules he offers.

It needn't be the end of your marriage or bank balance. Just remember you're buying these tools in order to use them to create music, not for the sake of collecting them.

  On 7/9/2014 at 10:51 AM, ZoeB said:

It needn't be the end of your marriage or bank balance. Just remember you're buying these tools in order to use them to create music, not for the sake of collecting them.

Totally true. I've been very happy w/ my 3 modules so far and have lil in the way of additional gearlust ... that said, I plan to continue expanding it slowly over time... and there is definitely a collection tendency with this or any gear, or plugin, or whatever. But so long as you keep pressing record and think analytically about the next piece it seems... okay.

  On 6/29/2014 at 6:48 PM, cloudbreaker said:

Perhaps a bit dumb, but the first recording of the modular in action

 

https://soundcloud.com/rob_sickmode/ro-sham-bruh

 

hat tip to the misses for vocalizing.

that was entertaining :)

  On 7/9/2014 at 10:51 AM, ZoeB said:

No format is inherently better, but Eurorack is certainly the most popular. I chose a mostly Doepfer system mostly because of the sheer variety of modules he offers.

 

It needn't be the end of your marriage or bank balance. Just remember you're buying these tools in order to use them to create music, not for the sake of collecting them.

and thanks again ZoeB, you're a fount of knowledge!

can i just say i effin love my modulars, saved me musically. i was in a rut and they sparked life back into me

muffwiggler forum ftw

cant wait to start building my eurorack, im saving for it at the minute.

I probably should start looking into specific units i will need that i dont quite understand however i have a good idea of what i need out of the synth im gonna make. It just seemed like it was the only logical step forward for me in production.

can anyone recommend any good videos or sites that explain the fundemental units i will need in my modular synth?

muffwiggler.com forum

its weird with modular, you really need to free your mind from traditional synthesis architecture, as, for example, (cycling) envelope generators can be oscillators & LFOs and other stuff you wouldnt ususally expect coming from traditional synthesis. an LFO is just a oscillator going slowly as another example

you need an osc, envelope gen, VCA, filter to get started. and some way of triggering it, so a sequencer or interface - MIDI or Silentway from the computer (which is the nuts btw)

you also really need 2 or dual oscillators to have some serious fun with FM