plastic Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Yeah, I'm really thinking about getting their Quad Pingable LFO, even though it doesn't have some things I'd like it to have. Mostly using modular in conjunction with a DAW, so that would be killer. Sometimes though it seems like they just want to pack as much of the same thing into one module, either needlessly jacking up the price on some of their modules, or sacrificing space for additional features. Like, I could totally do with a dual pingable LFO that had additional features instead of 2 more LFOs. Guys are pretty nice too, I've talked to them a tiny bit here in town at the synth/modular shop. Though actually, I did an intro to soldering/building your own modular case and power supply class with... can't remember the guys name right now (one of the top guys there), but the class was totally a waste of cash for someone like me, and the case was pretty shite, too (fell forward all the time once I put modules in it, totally unbalanced). Anyway, replaced the case (minus the rails) with a handmade red oak case and installed the power supply I had put together into it, so at least there was the power supply a sort-of template for the case. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awepittance Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 ive heard very good things about the quad pingable LFO, most of the serious modular guys i know have one and I've often had to hear their lecture of why i should replace my existing envelopes with it. I'm not totally sold on it, but it seems like a nice idea. I like the idea of being able to CV control the shape of a looping envelope, especially if it can get up to audio rates/frequencies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kakapo Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 so waht's everyone's fav+ tone generator? I like the MakeNoise STO, particularly the variable wave shape on it. Haven't tried the DPO, but the demos I've heard haven't done anything for me. Of the complex oscillators the furrrrthrr generator or whatever it's called has the nicest tone, but is predictably the most expensive, and it's aesthetics are an acquired taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gigasturtz Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 In terms of complex analog oscillators in the eurorack world there are a few options: the Make Noise DPO, the Endorphin.es Furthrrrr Generator, and the combination of several Intellijel modules, Rubicon, uFold, and Dixie. There 's a thread with a pretty extensive comparison between the three on muffwiggler if you can figure out how to use the fairly terrible search function. The only one I have/have even seen in the wild is the DPO. It took a little bit of time to get used to, but once I figured out what everything did on it I started loving it. It's super flexible. It might look like one of those modules that just tries to cram a bunch of extra stuff in to inflate the price, but every jack and control on there does something awesome. For simple analog oscillators, there are a ton out there, but my favorite (enough so that I have three of them in my system) is the Intellijel Dixie. Straight up no bullshit VCO with 6 wave shapes, sync, lin fm, excellent v/oct tracking, and it functions as an lfo as well, so if you expand to something more complicated you can still get a ton of utility out of it. Outside of euro my heart really belongs to my 261e. It's amazing. It sounds so good. The way it articulates every subtle change is fantastic. mmmmmmbuchla. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gigasturtz Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 oh yeah, also the Verbos stuff looks A++++ amazing. The dude has been making clones of old buchla stuff in the buchla format for a while, it's pretty awesome to see him branch into euro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcock Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 ive not been posting, but i have been taking in all advice while getting stuck into muff wiggler, cheers watmm. gonna start my collection when my paycheck comes in next month, got 1500 to kick around initially so i think i should be able to make a pretty interesting start. definitely will be making music with it incidentally, even if its only crazy noises that come out, i like to just reloop unusual shit into my relentlessly 4/4 passion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awepittance Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 playing a modular synth set at Duende in oakland in about 1.5 hours, late notice but i posted it in live upcoming events and i don't think anyone saw ithttps://www.facebook.com/events/362653227212661/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skibby Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Anybody know a good line of DIY kits or PCB Gerber files with component lists? I can google of course, but its always good to ask modular synth experts first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gigasturtz Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Catgirl Synth sells a number of board for Serge and Serge like modules, with components listed on the site. http://www.cgs.synth.net/ Elby Designs sells full kits out of Australia. http://www.elby-designs.com/ Thonk sells a lot of eurorack kits out of the UK. http://www.thonk.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psn Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Anybody know a good line of DIY kits or PCB Gerber files with component lists? I can google of course, but its always good to ask modular synth experts first. Check out Roll Your Own kits from Sweden's Ljunggren Audio. I just built their distortion module, easy to build and fun to use. Should be quick and cheap to get to your area. http://shop.ljunggrenaudio.com/en/home.ryo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeyemusik Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Like Messiaen I've been finding this thread hugely useful although I'm unlikely to have a similarly big chunk of spare cash hanging out the back of a pay packet any time soon. I'll get there in a more considered approach. The one area I am considering though is whether it's better to hang off on going for a Microbrute and saving for an Analog4 as my starting "bridge" into the modular world. I didn't realise it could be quite so flexible with it's CV outs etc. Plus the A4 on it's I'm sure will be the absolute business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Diao Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 The only thing I can really stress is to buy what you really want first. By that, I mean if you want an osc that costs $300, but don't want to spend that much starting out, so you decide to get something that is pretty close to the same thing but only costs $200. In the end, you will be selling the $200 osc for less than you paid for it and end up buying the $300 one you wanted in the first place. So, do your research, check out as much as you can as far as demo videos, soundclouds, etc. go, and don't hesitate to ask people questions. Us gear heads like nothing more than to talk synths with fellow musicians, so always ask someone if you are unsure or want some advice on something before you splurge on your awesome new modular! Last, but not least, patience isn't just key on having the funds for stuff you want, but also waiting to find things in stock. For example, I thought there were several Cwejman modules I would never get because they were never in stock, and I gave up and spent the money elsewhere. But, sure enough, as soon as I had spent the money, I had the chance to buy what I wanted. So then I had to take a loss on selling some brand new stuff used to get what I originally wanted. Don't make those mistakes! OK, one more thing, and then I'm done, I promise. Just because something is more expensive than another module of roughly the same features, doesn't always necessarily make it better. Doepfer makes some of the best stuff, not to mention some modules that you just can't get from any other manufacturer, but a lot of time people write him off because his modules are so cheap. The prices on his stuff is a good thing! Take advantage of the fact that Doepfer has been around forever and can afford to bring us modules at incredibly low prices, his stuff is fantastic! That said, there are a few areas in his lineup that other companies do better versions of, but for the most part his modules are top notch! OK, happy patching! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awepittance Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 OK, one more thing, and then I'm done, I promise. Just because something is more expensive than another module of roughly the same features, doesn't always necessarily make it better. Doepfer makes some of the best stuff, not to mention some modules that you just can't get from any other manufacturer, but a lot of time people write him off because his modules are so cheap. The prices on his stuff is a good thing! Take advantage of the fact that Doepfer has been around forever and can afford to bring us modules at incredibly low prices, his stuff is fantastic! That said, there are a few areas in his lineup that other companies do better versions of, but for the most part his modules are top notch! OK, happy patching! glad somebody else stressed this, i don't know how many times I see recent modular initiates modular setups and they have only $300-400 modules in it, it makes me a little bit sad as if they have totally written off companies like Doepfer simply because of his marketing power (or that he doesn't have fancy squiggled lines or cool fonts on his face plates). He makes absolutely top notch modules and seemingly for the best prices. If you end up getting an all doepfer system you will have twice the modules and power for the same price as a modern Makenoise or Intellijel-esque setup. the only thing i can say as a word of caution is be careful with 'older' modular synth manufacturers and using their modules in 'newer' cases. For example the Enclave brand of portable cases, have depth that isn't deep enough for about 25% of Doepfers modules, the circuit board just extends a little too far to screw it into the rail, causing it to hit the back of the case. I'm not sure how you'd find information like this out, but i found it out the hard way. Maybe there is way to find depth measurements, but most modular companies only list length measurements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoeB Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Diao's post above is spot on. I wish I'd realised all that sooner. Not just with modulars either, but synths in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcinsu Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I have 2 nord modular g2s. I love them dearly. I'm probably not allowed in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awepittance Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 that counts man, you are totally allowed :). The nord g2 is fucking amazing, don't ever sell those. I've been interested in a Nord G1 simply because it has controls on a front panel. Are Nord g2 patches compatible with it? A friend of mine CV modded his G1 so each knob has an input jack to control them from his modular synth, pretty jealous of that setup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcinsu Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I'll never sell them! Unfortunately no... G1 and G2 patches do not work on the different versions. You can't even load G1 patches on to the G2. That's an awesome mod! The G1 is a bit nastier sounding than the G2, and some people prefer the G1 for that very reason. I have a couple hundred patches I've made over the years that I've never used in tracks... I really need to sit down and record them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plastic Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I'll never sell them! Unfortunately no... G1 and G2 patches do not work on the different versions. You can't even load G1 patches on to the G2. That's an awesome mod! The G1 is a bit nastier sounding than the G2, and some people prefer the G1 for that very reason. I have a couple hundred patches I've made over the years that I've never used in tracks... I really need to sit down and record them... Please do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DerDingoBaron Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I just bought my first hardware synth ever a couple of days ago, an Arturia Minibrute. Complete beginner synth of course, not modular per se, but I love the possibilities it gives you to control modular synths. You have the audio in, that makes the input act like another waveform in the Minibrute. You have CV/Gate in and out, which allows you to patch it into modular systems in various ways (for example modulate the Minibrute filter, amp or pitch through external gear). It also converts midi to CV (although just the midi notes/key presses it receives). And it's a kick-ass analog synthesizer all by itself. For beginners, I imagine it's awesome as an interface between the PC and a modular system. If only it had some more CV ins/outs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AsylumSeaker Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Starting with a semi-modular or two is a good idea. Something with a voltage scheme compatible with modules you'll buy later. I get a fair bit of use out of my doepfer dark energy: Haven't got any other modules yet (will soon), but I use audio from other sources to drive some parameters. It's got USB and midi > cv, so it can act as a bridge between PC or other gear and your modular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DerDingoBaron Posted March 8, 2014 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Wow, that's some crazy patching for such a little synth, I've never even seen such an adapter with five ends. I don't think there's a whole lot I can do in terms of cable-patching on my Minibrute without any other external gear. Like I said, if only it had more CV ins and outs. Look at your little Dark Energy, it has so many inputs, and many more outputs. Four CV outs. I have no clue what CV it's sending or how you control it, but that's a lot more than the Minibrute has. They added some more patchability to the Microbrute, which additionally has CV outs for the envelope and LFO and CV ins for every waveform. Very interesting, but as a standalone synth, it's much more of a toy than an actual musical instrument than the Minibrute, I think. Here in Germany, the Dark Energy (389€) is a good deal cheaper than the Minibrute (469€). I paid 420€ for my Minibrute, though. For that you also get a sweet keyboard, so it pretty much balances out in terms of value. The keyboard is much more fun than my cheap-ass 61 key controller keyboard which sucks. Even has aftertouch (although I really think the aftertouch parameters are shabby on the Minibrute...Filter cutoff and Vibrato, come on). It all depends on what you want. Personally, I didn't even put that much thought into it. I wanted something in that price range that's a good all-round analog synth, and I knew that was gonna be my only analog hardware for quite a while. I would love to own a huge wall of modular synth, but that's too expensive for me. Maybe my next buy will be a cheap vintage digital synth. Anything upwards of the Yamaha DX7, preferably with many knobs. Obviously, there's way better choices if you want to go modular. Like the MS 20 mini. Or if you have the cash, just get a damn keyboard and converters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DerDingoBaron Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Well, looks like the Minibrute has been modded to be a lot more capable. LFO outs, Osc outs, Envelope Outs, Clock in and out...Sweet! And some of it seems to be quite easy to do. http://www.muffwiggler.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=92699&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=40 There's also going to be a dedicated Minibrute modding website from Yusynth, co-creator of the Minibrute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AsylumSeaker Posted March 9, 2014 Share Posted March 9, 2014 I've never even seen such an adapter with five ends. It's just a cheap headphone splitter.. $1.95 from china. Intellijel do a four-way splitter which is bound to be higher quality, but rather expensive in comparison: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skibby Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 I want to use a filter module to use as a send effect, What do you need to watch out for in terms of frying things? Will a headphone level signal damage a module? In other words, what are the standard voltage numbers to use as a guideline when introducing outside sources? Are there modules made for that purpose? Also, if I want a module that can turn midi into CV (freq, velo, on/off, etc.) What should be used for that? I want to use a D-50 as a midi controller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psn Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Get the Moogerfooger filter or a Sherman Filterbank for instant mixer send setup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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