The Modular Synthesizer Thread

[APK]

That is a gorgeous looking box of tricks you have there, Julio.  8)

I sense that eurorack is becoming more and more digital.

[LNerell]

The Bitbox is a 24bit 48k stereo sampler for eurorack.

Damn, I was waiting for the Rossum sampler module but this may be better for live use. I'll be checking this one out soon.

[Julio Di Benedetto]

That is a gorgeous looking box of tricks you have there, Julio.  8)

I sense that eurorack is becoming more and more digital.

Hi Anthony.....It is becoming more digital. My system is about 50 /50 analog and digital.  The most exciting modules do seem to be coming from the digital side, oscillators, processors and Fx. An analog oscillator will be just that and much needed but a digital oscillator does not have to operated by analogs guidelines that still have not really changed over the years both in design and circuitry.  Perhaps electricity has its limits.

Even though my system is half of its former size it is still very capable and with the addition of the Bitbox sampler now has actually more potential than when it was a larger system.  :) 8)

[Julio Di Benedetto]

The Bitbox is a 24bit 48k stereo sampler for eurorack.

Damn, I was waiting for the Rossum sampler module but this may be better for live use. I'll be checking this one out soon.

Dave Rossum showed his sample at Superbooth in Berlin.  Seems it maybe more powerful for sound manipulation.  Loren I do think for live performance the Bitbox maybe it.  Im using the Bitbox more like a Daw but it would be so straight forward to record parts of a set prior to a performance and trigger those sounds live as well as the unit has 12 presets available so that actually is 12 x16=192 possible sounds depending on micro sd memory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvYvJnpckSI

[Julio Di Benedetto]

A few interesting modules from Superbooth 2017 in Berlin

4MS 6 Oscillator Wavetable Module

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t5ck9B8Bx0




Audio Damage recreation of their Eos Reverb plugin into eurorack



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar0JD3EWyvo

[APK]

Yes, I read about the Audio Damage Eos Reverb -- 
a $45 reverb plugin (a nice one too), becomes a $500 eurorack module !!!   :o

Compare that to Behringer coming out with a complete 3 osc Model D synth clone in eurorack format for around $400.

[Julio Di Benedetto]

Yes, I read about the Audio Damage Eos Reverb -- 
a $45 reverb plugin (a nice one too), becomes a $500 eurorack module !!!   :o

Compare that to Behringer coming out with a complete 3 osc Model D synth clone in eurorack format for around $400.

Yeah things do get more expensive once you put on a nice suit and tie....Sean Costello of Valhalla DSP is the coder for the Eos soft verb for Audio Damage. Not sure if there was any new coding for the eurorack module.  Halls of Valhalla dsp card for the $500 Tiptop audio Z-DSP FX module was $75 and Shimmer was $75. I have had them. 

Generally Im not that fond of reverb within the eurorack format....but this seems a lot more focused.

As to the Behringer Model D....from what I have seen it sounds very good but a Moog model D....No. Better to have the Moog Mother 32. I sense this is Berhringer trying to prove some sort of point.

Hopefully this might spark Moog to enter the eurorack market and do it right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOic2lk0CuQ

[Julio Di Benedetto]

APK posted in the "currently listening" r Beny's, Full Blossom of the Evening...a mostly eurorack modular recording so I thought id post some of his modular video performances here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0we7tkr-jh4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGhaCkhqne8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e5FhmuGtcQ

There are quite a few more videos that you can track through youtube.

[APK]

Yes, he has some fine youtube videos.
Also videos on the Electribe 2 ... solo, and with other instruments. As in third one above.
It's his work that made me pick one up.

[LNerell]

Damn, I was waiting for the Rossum sampler module but this may be better for live use. I'll be checking this one out soon.

Dave Rossum showed his sample at Superbooth in Berlin.  Seems it maybe more powerful for sound manipulation.  Loren I do think for live performance the Bitbox maybe it.  Im using the Bitbox more like a Daw but it would be so straight forward to record parts of a set prior to a performance and trigger those sounds live as well as the unit has 12 presets available so that actually is 12 x16=192 possible sounds depending on micro sd memory.

Good to know, that was what I was thinking about using if for. Right now I use Mainstage on my laptop for that, it works pretty well. I actually just bought a newer but used (mid 2012 model, the last with firewire) Macbook Pro to use Mainstage 3 for my upcoming performance on June 3rd. I guess if I do some sort of modular only show I could get a bitbox and use that instead, not sure if that would be considered cheating though.  ;D

[APK]

Yes, modular used to be totally hands on 100% analog tweaking. No presets, no cheating   :D
Now it appears that everything that digital can offer is being ported over to it, and you see more SD cards hanging out of the modules. :o
It had to happen I guess.

[APK]

I did pick up the little Make Noise 0-coast recently.
Certainly fun to play with. Flexible architecture.

[Scott M2]

Nice! I'm thinking about a 0-Coast myself, cause I like small these days. Ants seems like a good partner for it, so I'm pondering this one too.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/planktonelectronics/ants-analog-modular-synthesizer

[APK]

Yep, Ants looks interesting. Was not so keen on the sound in the demo vids though.

I do like the Pittsburg Lifeforms SV-1 :

http://pittsburghmodular.com/lifeforms-sv-1

But its the wrong color to sit with the 0-coast!   :(

[Scott M2]

I agree that the sound in the Ants demo did not encourage me
and I agree that the Lifeforms SV-1 while sounding better in their demo,
does not match the 0-Coast colouring, while the Ants even have the same knob style.
It's interesting how the visual appeal is important to us as artists too.

I can see the Ants as 4 LFOs, 2 ARs and sundry modules for an 0_Coast, that also can make sound on its own, as a bonus.  ;)

I can also image it as all of the above plus more Oscs for my MicroBrute - so it's still tempting.

[Scott M2]

I'm bumping this to make it a little easier for me to find. I've finally started a small Eurorack system and I'll peruse everybody's suggestions and their modules. I plan to keep it small (and black) for as long as I can!

[Julio Di Benedetto]

Happy for you new sonic journey.....it is an amazing adventure.  I had a lot of modules come through my system while I had it. I don't recall any module that was not good, some could be one trick ponies when they seemed like they could do more, some took up to much real estate for their function but all did what they were designed for and the sound and build quality was always excellent.

[Scott M2]

Well... after a few years of getting going with Eurorack, I've finally started a modular only performance series. There's overhead views for us gearheads. 2021/09/23 - I just updated the link from the 1st video to a playlist for the whole Springscapes series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBifQzMsNZg&list=PLQnC43raIspzPytLk6qQb8CVCP36RfiWI

[chris23]

Bumping this so I can find it more easily.

I started exploring the modular world in earnest about a month ago. I'll share some stuff when I'm ready, but, in the meantime, I want to be able to go back and re-read this thread on a regular basis.

If anyone has new input, ideas, acquisitions that they're excited about, please post. :D

[Scott M2]

Congratulations on launching your serious modular voyage Chris!

It's not a new insight, but granular modules are perfect for ambient manipulations.
I currently have the Nebulae 2 and a Morphagene and plans for an eventual Arbhar - which was last on my list because of the mono input.

Morphagene gets lots of love out there but the Nebulae has the very valuable ability to treat pitch and time separately - so samples can be slowed and stretched without lowering the pitch - or the pitch raised and then the speed slowed back down. There's also some great hidden randomization functions that are rarely talked about. It's an excellent module for creating and manipulating an ambient layer.