Treat it as an expensive hobby, like building a model railway. Unless you're producing music for money, don't expect too much and above all, enjoy it! 😎
I treat it as a tool in my arsenal to make music, gives me option I wouldn't have otherwise. I don't absolutely need a gigantic case for it to be "worth it".
I bought a MOOG Grandmother during lockdown and decided to extend its functionality with a modest modular skiff, obviously it got completely out of control 😂, but I have retired now and like you say it is my ‘old man’ hobby, I managed to put the breaks on my expenditure so it not really a financial drain anymore ; I am pretty sure that golf clubs and club membership would be an expensive hobby as well 🤔 anyway I blame COVID…
The only way I try to control it is to deny myself new rabbit holes….maybe one day I will replace my current rabbit hole with a new one. There is so much to explore, I came to the conclusion that you cannot explore everything, time is the limiting factor, and thats not for sale.
I decided a long time ago to impose a simple HP limit (252hp). Once I hit that limit I had to just make an informed decision about how to best use the space and if that shiny new module I wanted was worth giving something else up. It’s still expensive, but this has kept me from going off the rails and living within a self imposed limit. The way I see it, modular is all about impermanence. I don’t save patches and once they’re unpacked, they’re gone forever. I just extended the philosophy I had about patches to the modules I would own as well. Here today, gone tomorrow. That said, modular has been absolute priceless in what it has taught me and how it has forced me to be creative in new ways.
Let's not forget the OG here! Dopher modules are both cheaper and have a great build quality. The A-111-6 is an incredible little synth module that has oscillator, filter and envelope for $180! That's your start. Get two of those a mixer a quad LFO or two a couple of VCAs and a nifty case and a cheap VC compatible keyboard or sequencer. That is all going to cost a little under 1K! Then you add from their. Second hand, is always a good way to keep things cheap. And a disting will open up that bad boy. Get the EX if you can afford it but the MKII is again under $200. And will give you many effects and will always make it's self useful as your case grows. And of course you can hold your nose and get beringer modules! The Brains for instance is fantastic. And less than $100! But you start with the case an A-111-6 and a way to trigger and control it. I think the nifty case comes in a bundle that has its own sequencer, for about $260 that bundle alone is a starting point! In other words you can make it work and play notes. So that an A-111-6 and a disting will give you all you need for around $500! You can run a sounds through the A-111-6 filter (a lovely analog LP) and you can use the envelope! So the next fancy voice you get like the beringer brains can be run through it! Or another Disting! And then you can get utilities for it to keep things interesting. Stick with dopfer or beringer. The Disting will have all the effects you will need and even the little one has a wave table osc! So the no brainers for a new cheap system are the nifty case bundle, A-111-6, disting mkii. The no brainer starter system. You can make music with effect! Less than $500. Job done! Btw the nifty case bundle comes with 2 modules already. Including a touch control sequencer and a chip tune voice. So you will have alot to play with. And I agree if you started of with the DAW never go fully DAWless! It definitely makes no sense. You can get out of the DAW as much as you like. But you will always want to edit your creations and use effects like reverb even on the master bus. Also as for the rabbit hole get a case double it and then NO MORE! 2 nifty cases, or the Arturia case. After that one in one out. You can still try out new or better modules but you are selling the one you replace. If you look at those massive cases that cost the price of a car to fill. They are not using half the stuff on the regular and they definitely have a few modules that are never used. So keeping it medium is the ideal.
Wow, thanks for sharing! Lots of valid tips here for starters! I also wanted to mention the one module enters, one module leaves but I have a hard time parting with them. I am afraid I qualify as a 'collector' too - no I am sure of it :(
@CinematicLaboratory I think it's your job to collect and demonstrate modular! So keep up the good work!😁 and keep collecting and demonstrating. You have a great channel. This subject is close to my heart though. And I believe that a small well thought out system is the best way to go. Because once you have the basics in place you can then get the mental osc's like my fantastic Piston Honda module at a later date. You are still always investing, but at a pace that is affordable. Most great modules are well under 300 anyway. If you spend $1,000 a year on it that's 3 or 4 great new modules a year. That's enough to keep things interesting. And spending $1,000 a year on any hobby or interests is about average! This is not as ellete as people think and if you stick to the OG pure modular of dopfer you are definitely an academic wizard! Those modules are the pure soul of modular and you will learn modular better because of it! Same with the reissues from beringer. The ability to make mini versions of old 70s modular is irresistible! I'm such a nurd!😆
@CinematicLaboratory 😆 I like the TipTop Buchla modules! I'm definitely having a gas moment! My computer has broken so I need a new one! And that has triggered something in me! I'm spending thousands in my head at the moment! Computers are easy and nesisery. So 2 minutes looking at computers turned into 3 hours of TH-cam myler melodies and cinematic laboratory videos!😆 Much more interesting! I will check out some Surge stuff. OG again!
I'm newish to the hobby, but I control it like I control all my other hobbies. Giving myself an allowance and spending under that. I was shocked at how quickly my fun money ran out once I started building a modular system, but I haven't outspent myself somehow. Ultimately, it is easier to spend more time shopping for things than using them. Controlling your spend makes it easier to force yourself to sit down and use the things you bought. One of the neatest discoveries I had in this hobby is that when you have an idea of what you are trying to do, spending time with your set-up can outright make your purchasing decisions. I thought I didn't have enough modulation sources, but I found a lot I hadn't thought of in my last extended session. Now I'm trying to figure out if I have enough function generators.
Thanks for sharing this. This is exactly why I use the MakeNoise Shared System as a template for an ecosystem. It only has two VCO's which are more than enough. Then there's maths and wogglebug for modulation, randomness and functions, there's reverb and delay, there's a looper/recorder, two VCA's, two LPG's, a clock, a touch interface and a sequencer. I always add the XPAN mixer too and then the case is full. Any modulargrid excercise layout should have these functional roles taken care off. You can actually see the relationship between voices, FX and utilities. Most of your case is utilities. And you should not forget power and output.
I'm containing it to a Doepfer 3 PSU, that's what I'm capabel of controlling in a live performance. Every new module has to be a real improvement in functionality. But I still own far too much and should sell some. Finally I'm happy having this rabbithole...it's giving me back a lot.
My journey started with Re-Birth, then I bought an Access Virus B and was later gifted a Sherman Filterbank2. I used Reason for 20+ years. Then I learned of VCV Rack. And Bitwig. At present I derive huge educational value from watching specific modular hardware demonstrations and sometimes trying to emulate them in VCV Rack and now Bitwig (which feels more efficient and is generously featured). I am moving into the box and away from outboard. The rabbit hole goes as long as I do. What matters most is that I make music. Most of it is awful, but it is in service to better understanding of audio engineering, music theory and finding a path to most quickly entering the creative flow state. I continue to orbit about Buchla, Benjolins, Audio Modelling’s SWAM French Horn VST and melding this together in Bitwig. You may feel lost, but you are a beacon that helps to guide, inspire and inform my journey and for that I am very grateful. Thank you.
"Many hours to discover your favorite music" is probably the best note to give people that are thinking about getting started with hardware modular. Really appreciate your take on this.
My one criticism of VCVrack has been that there is no real friction to patching with infinite modules, where the hardware forces/encourages you to be clever.
@@howardyermish So true. I forgot to mention this in the video even though I planned it. With VCV you always have this risk of 'doing something else', where a real modular encourages commitment.
I am still under the impression that music theory doesn't work, but I have to admit that learning some of it (for me it's like learning Traditional Chinese) was really beneficial to my music. I guess this also qualifies as studying and investing in yourself instead of gear.
to finally have access to a maths, even a clone, is incredible to me. i can finally achieve many modulation and utility possibilities, among countless other sonic opportunities. im glad that you are honest when it comes to creating your own synthesizer in eurorack format
It's simple. Maths is an amazing module so the Abacus clone is inevitably also an amazing module. Buchla is open source, so anyone has the right to build a function generator. Maths isn't open source, but it's not patented because it's using open source tech. If you can afford Maths, get one. If not, get an Abacus. Just make sure you learn how to use a function generator :).
@ I was talking more in the realm of cost, befaco and make noise are more expensive than the abacus sadly. I was referring to finally having access to abacus means I have access to maths functionalities. If that makes sense! Nothing wrong with rampage, a favorite for me in vcv rack
Great video! I haven't really experienced the 'rabbit hole' phenomenon. When I started building my first case, a 104 utilities skiff, I knew exactly what I needed to support my semi-modular studio. It worked out perfectly and exceeded my needs and expectations. All that case contains are utilities modules--no sound sources or audio processing, just clock dividers, switches, mixers, inverters, attenuators, offsets, and extra VCAs. Then I decided to go beyond a skiff of support utilities and build a sensibly-sized full-featured rack synthesizer in a 9U by 84hp travel case. I knew what I wanted and needed and focused exclusively on building an all-analog case with particular attention paid to functionality that VCV can't provide, like analog sound sources and analog cv processing and analog harmonic mixers. I filled that case, leaving a bit of room for additions down the road, and stopped there. It's been the most inspiring and rewarding synthesizer gear I've ever used. I'm not a fan of shiny new boutique modules, possibly with screens and little to no KPF, that are designed to do a lot of the work for you. That's not what I've ever wanted out of Eurorack. And, at any rate, all the digital modules are basically just virtuals in a box. I don't see the point of that. I've found it much more rewarding to use older, more straightforward technology that forces me to become highly skilled at developing good sounds from scratch.
Utilities are the backbone of any well thought-out modular system. Without them, it's impossible to get the most out of the modules you have or even to use some of them at all! I already had a number of semi-modular synthesizers in the studio, so I only needed more of the functions that I started to run out of on the semi-modulars, or that weren't included in them at all. NOTE: When I use the word "skiff," I do not mean what most retailers refer to as skiffs. My skiff is full-depth and so I didn't have to worry about how deep the modules are. Most skiffs that are offered are much shallower than a full-depth case, and so care must be taken when choosing modules to ensure they are not too deep for the case. BE SURE TO VERIFY THAT ANY PARTICULAR MODULE YOU WANT TO BUY WILL CLEAR THE BACK OF THE CASE BEFORE YOU BUY IT! Here's what I filled the skiff with-- ----Mix, attenuate, invert, and offset: 3x MIA (Happy Nerding) * XXM (Rides in the Storm) A-183-2 Offset / Polarizer / Attenuator (Doepfer) ----Clock and pitch utilities: A-160-1 Clock Divider (Doepfer) A-160-2 Clock Divider ll (Doepfer) * A-166 Dual Logic (Doepfer) A-156 Dual Quantizer (Doepfer) * ----Switches: A-150 Dual Voltage Controlled Switch A-151 Quad Sequential Switch (Doepfer) " ----Ring Mod and S&H: A-148 Dual S&H (Doepfer) A-184-1 Ring Modulator / S&H / T&H / Slew Limiter (Doepfer) * ----VCA: A-135-2 Quad VCA / Mixer (Doepfer)* A-133-2 Dual VC Polarizer (bi-polar VCA; Doepfer) A-134-2 Dual VC Crossfader Most of these modules are Doepfer in 4hp, so not expensive and very easy to find room for. They do what they are supposed to do and do it well. I've placed a star after the modules I think are critical, meaning that if you only have money and / or room for one of these it is the one I would buy. There are many different modules on the market that combine all of these functions in one way or another, but they are often much more expensive and often have screens and menus and not enough inputs / outputs for my needs. And, importantly, they are rarely if ever able to do all of their functions simultaneously, so you're stuck with choosing just one or two of the things you need at a time. Also, decisions about which modules you want and need have a lot to do with how your brain works, how you like to work with your modular system. Some people don't mind menu diving and configuring. I find such things tedious and disruptive to my workflow, so I prefer modules that just do the thing I need them to do whenever I plug them into a patch. Modules like Pam's New Workout and Disting can both do an enormous number of useful things, but they are not for me. They are, however, immensely popular. ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: There are some digital modules that are critical to have in your system if you want to do certain kinds of sound design, like sample players, wave tables, granular, and VC effects to name just a few. I use DAW based technologies for these roles, but most folks want rack modules for these as it is then easy to control them via CV. Here is a VERY good video that can help you decide what utilities you will need and how to use them. I regard it as required viewing for anyone new to Eurorack or VCV Rack: th-cam.com/video/MYtLmrVx4MY/w-d-xo.html
I guess that totally feels different - more personal - because you didn't just buy it, you had to build it. I built my Plinky a few months back and it felt great.
This is where I am in my journey. Was at the soft cap of about 800hp a few months ago when I started looking more closely at Nonlinearcircuits modules. Before I knew it I had about a dozen kits on their way to me, and now I'm developing smd soldering skills to complement this modular affliction.
Modular is super affordable now. Behringer 2600, Abacus, and West Pest is a perfectly reasonable starting point for around $1000. A trio like that would have been 4 times the cost only a handful of years ago.
thanks for this. very helpful. I got started when a friend made a small 44hp unit for me with a morphogene, wogglebug, disting and an audio out. I had a M32 and O coast from when they came out. the rest came from watching your channel. I think in small 4ms pod sizes, next a Benjolin with 2hp loop, 2hp lfo, and 2hp audio out. Then a Strega, then and O control. Eventually a small pod of effects, A small pod of utilities. Then an XPO and Filter and a VCA. 7 years later it is suddenly looking for the right case. Little by Little. Take your time. I never resonated with VCV rack but I had a version of Plaiits, Rings and Clouds on my iPad. record them, with effects into morphogene,, etc. Borderlands for granular on iPad. I was recently listening to recordings I made on my iPhone and came across a piece I did with just Strega and a very old Moog CP-251. I thought, why didn't I stop there! It was a great piece, for me. So you can do good things with small units.
case size is a good way in controlling the gas, in my case i started with an already potent case ( tip top mantis ) and expanded on this but not too far
So when the revolution comes there will be a street or two where it’s all modular synth enthusiasts hung from the lampposts. When I first heard of modular I immediately thought, as a guitarist, that it was like guitar pedals for keyboard players. Not in the functionality but in the 'Honest, honey, just one more module' aspect. It’s lottery or dead-rich-relative stuff.
the feeling is mutual with the vcv thing and the ( I don't wanna know what my system coasts ) thing. sometimes I feel silly as well. but I did lots of shit in my life, but there is nothing in the world that can give me the feeling sitting in front of my system . . even if I am studioless at the moment and all my modules packed in countless boxes and I only work with monome norns, grid and crow and the Roland compact series such as s1, p6,t8.. What I mean to say is that nothing in this world gives me the feeling of a true modular system. great video as always.
Over the last few months I’ve been trying to turn some serious Buchla GAS (mainly for an Easel) into a creative impetus, trying to explore similar techniques with what I already have. Interesting ride! A combination of a Mavis and an SQ-1 can take you to some wonderful places in conjunction with an iPad running AUM (not a DAW, but you can use it instead of one) and a bunch of effects. Likewise NYSTHI modules in MiRack, and couple of iPad West Coast type synths (eg Branches in conjunction with an expressive controller like KB-1). All of which led to one extra hardware purchase, in the form of the Volca Modular, which is fiddly to use but insanely good fun, and as I had some Amazon vouchers I got it for the price of the mains adaptor. Your recent video about the Moog Sound Studio has made me rethink the DFAM and Subharmonicon, too. All of which boils down to thinking outside the box and changing how you approach your existing stuff.
Speaking from experience, the difference between "cheap rack" made with cheap modules and "expensive rack" filled with Make Noise and Instruo is the physical size. You will pay exactly the same for both - as much as you can afford.
how about a tiny rack with expensive modules? I don't like Berhinger modules not only because they are unoriginal copies with ugly designs; but mainly because they take enormous amounts of rack space that I don't have.
I appreciate the discussion. People say that it's expensive and I think if you are careful about it, it's no more expensive than any other gear. I've done all used and black friday sale deals, and I have 9 modules for less than $500, none of them Behringer. I have one good used Semi-modular (DFAM) I got for $350 combined with an 84hp rack of modulation modules for it. This money was spread across two years, so that's like $35 a month which is less than people spend on most other habits. It doesn't sound budget either, because I've got Moog oscillators and filter, deeper and Erica synths and dreadbox modules. I think it's all about how you approach it, if you are patient and frugal, and to your point you really learn each module and how they interact, the sky is the limit.
I ended up not doing budget modular and just pretending I'll sell it all at some point so it feels like saving up. AE Modular looks promising. Limited range, but it seems mostly limited to the stuff modular does best.
after collecting several semi modular gear, last year was my entry into the "real" modular with Niftycase bundle + Capt'n Big-O and Function Junction + Doepfer Filter and Quad VCA. I soon found out that there wasn't enough modulation and VCOs. This year I slid further into the rabbit hole and got myself a Rackbrute 6U, 4ms Metamodule and Behringer Victor, Brains (even when virtually available in the Metamodule), Four LFO and the Abacus is underway. After a hard day's work I can now switch on my system, dial in my favourite patch and start from there or just leave it as it is and relax. Currently couldn't be happier. On my list is the Xaoc Zadar and some filters and envelopes.
I wanted to try Pittsburg Modular Voltage Lab 2 and now it's on sale so I bit the bullet. Another big problem next to money is space though... And time!!!
Also: cool thoughts about combining daw and Eurorack. Still learning but there is so much power to use what you already have (in my case Ableton Live Suite and many plugins). It’s good to stop a bit the GAS. Lately I like using Expert Sleepers Fh-2 for cv/midi and midi/cv - quite a big thing combining with a DAW and or VCV
I’ve restricted myself to 4 x 6/7u cases, I’ve tried to focus on building systems in cases, to some degree and avoid having too many unracked modules. Ultimately GAS is restricted by time, space and finance. There is a limit to how much you can get out of a module if you keep acquiring new ones without mastering the existing. Modular is a weird journey, it takes time and learning to understand what makes a good system. My first module was Plaits, a voice with a built in vca / lpg which hides the building blocks of modular. More recently I’ve been buying AJH synth modules which are building blocks of moog goodness. I could buy behringer clones at a fifth of the price but I like the AJH style…. Anyway, I’m rambling, I’d like to see more videos which dissect and design systems in 7u!
@@CinematicLaboratory Between 3 and 4 years. Initially I DIY'd alot, I liqudated 90% of my guitar pedals. I tried to stick 2 cases but that went out the window when I started buying modules > 40hp (five12 vector, metropolis/x, plinky, altantix etc)
Ive reached my critical mass in the last year since my cases are all full. Far too many cases though. Lately though ive been using alot of m4l sequencing and using soft synths, and VCV of course. It stresses me that I never use all my gear, like my Cirklon. But software can be exciting also. Sometimes I wish I would stay in the box, but im scared.
Thanks for the video. Curious to know one thing. I am very bad at following the tech. How do you merge the video and the sound? Image that you have small clips, images..and you place them on a composed line of melody, which is processed in the DAW with FX
I use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit my videos, which is not unlike working in a DAW. It has video and audio tracks and you can simply cut, paste and move things around on a timeline. You can add VST's to your audio tracks and there are FX and transitions you can add to your video clips. If you need to sync recorded audio with video footage from e.g. a phone, try to record the DAW countdown while shooting the video. Then it's easy to sync the video with the DAW recording.
One thing I notice people doing in VCV (did it myself) is going too big. I use VCV as a hardware modular to try to extract and learn as much as possible from a small set of modules. After a while, I wanted something more tactile and built my 84hp/6u rack and can't be happier.
@@CinematicLaboratory Exactly... like using half Maths (or Rampage in my case) as a VCO and the other half as the envelope or filter... and so on. Sometimes I see VCV patches on Reddit with hundreds of modules and that's unreal. Of course it's cool to have an infinite modular rack but the secret of modular for me is extracting different things from the set of modules you have. And when you do something new it's such a joy!
In retrospect, my biggest single ‘mistake’ was going modular at about the time that Emilie ceased production. I bought my Plaits new, but paid premium for other MI gear on reputation alone; most of it is now sold on. Of course, it doesn’t help being a completist with ASD either- but the limiting factor is financial. I do have a life outside the studio. Of sorts…
Well you still have a tiny baby modular compared to my Tardis mothership. Don't worry. The rabbit hole actually burrows through the earth and you will emerge on a whole new plane of existence. 😊
Interesting thoughts, man. It's pretty hard to impossible, from what I've been shown, (and experienced, to smaller degrees) to eek out all the different types of satisfying results, out of these newer mainstream modules. So, there's that, and trying to imagine, what the next years will bring for new module issues. The first thing I'm going to ask myself is, .. "Do I already have this, in a some related form?" Watching someone explore these new modules, now .. and I've somewhat an ear from what I've recorded from my own system .. so, it isn't as compulsive of a feeling, as a few years, back. And so true, .. the investment of time to "arrive" in modular, is something to respect. (Later edit) .. For totally selfish reasons, .. I am going to miss the Cinematic inventory ..
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It’s a personal journey and the only problem for me is to control the GAS. I began 8 years ago and I built a lot of full diy kits and I bought second hand modules. Two ways to save money. But nowadays it’s reducing the number of interesting modules. Many of them are redundant with older ones.
For analog experience limit yourself to modulars like the VCS-3 / Synthi-AKS or semi-modulars like the ARP 2600 or the Easel (actual and future clones included).
many thanks for this video. victor abacus brains and chaos together 336,- (black friday deal) thats crazy, but as a deep sky photographer, i ordert yesterday the galaxy cluster in spain
@@CinematicLaboratory hmmmm, i´m just 18 month in modular, and for me it was B to bring me in the hobby, and now i have tip top buchlas, endorphines, weather drohnes (after looking your videos) and maybe next week the laniakea (its on the way) AND you get what you pay for, how good feels it to make "noise" with beautiful "tools" ?
Really well said. I wish had any profound learnings to share) Maybe it's wise to keep an open mind and to play other, non-synth instruments, where the musical outcomes depend more on your skill level and\or musical intuition, rather than the amount of gear. And those activities might inform each other in a positive way. My little eurorack system is a good exercise of doing what you can with what you have, and VCV Rack is a good exercise of exploring what you can do with little to no limits.
Thanks for sharing. I think any modular case should at least have a way for human interaction like a touch plate or joystick. It's also great fun to use an old guitar and plug it in, even when you can't play it. I have one for just that. I am also learning the japanese Shakuhachi flute, which can sound amazing with modular FX. My next video is about what you can do with almost no gear (deep-fried filters)
@@CinematicLaboratory I wish I had a touch plate or joystick but for me playing the fine tune knobs and opening vca's became the most used way to play it. I have a Linnstrument 128 and Seaboard Block, both of which I can use with modular thanks to ES-8, but I rarely do that, it's just simpler to stay in software realm for polyphony and patch saving
Hive mind my next rabbit hole is drums. I have drum samples on disting and a zularic repedtor to sequence. Should i buy a drum machine, drum synth like dfam or collect drum modules? Basimilus is beckoning to me. Im not huge into techno or acid house but i like industrial music
When I see videos, where noiseboxes are patched through a couple of pedals, I always remember to try this in my laptop. So patch a kontakt mic in my interace, throw some VSTs to the input and et voila, here we go. Enough cash spent on eurorack and stuff lying around here. I want some Serge hey!
The one thing that vcv rack doesn't do very well is feedback patches, especially no-input. Otherwise, I honestly tend to prefer using vcv (technically cardinal) over my real rack because I have access to so much more
That's because the noise floor can zero out when simulated. So one has to inject an impulse or seed noise for it to get going. Other than that, gains can get carried away too, if no effort is made to limit them. Once you understand the issue of the zero and infinity, then you can figure out ways around it. (May not be ideal still, but it lets you experiment anyways.)
Just bought not one, but two Behringer Neutrons for less than $180 each used. One is for my niece, the other is to make sure I can help her with hers… lol. Behringer really is a tremendous value. Last I checked they were selling their entire system 55 with case and everything for $1700. If you go with their 100 series they are super cheap. Used ones are incredibly cheap. I have tried using VCV rack and I hate it.
From a standpoint of actually controlling the thing with predictable results I've taken to a workflow that leans heavily on recording the thing and playing it back within the eurorack modular environment itself. I recently made this video demonstration of how the bitbox mkII can be used as a very powerful clip launcher and how to capture perfect loops and play everything back in perfect musical timing. It's a very fast and powerful workflow and I've included detailed patch notes in the video description: th-cam.com/video/aOLdGAEnTLU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JkXkP62dosKervO7
I understand, but Behringer is controversially cheap. Doepfer is very, very respectable and I rather consider Doepfer affordable top quality. Mutable was also affordable with $220 for a Plaits. It all still feels brand new and always works. It wasn't my intention to name any brand, but couldn't get around Behringer.
If I were to start over .. I’d build a Tiptop Buchla rig. Could do a whole lot with the: Complex Osc Quad Dynamics manager Quad function generator SOU cv processor module And an inexpensive output module. And basic bitch case with power Me personally I’d build the full set. But to start those few modules I listed could really get someone a LONG way before they maxed out those few modules
Yeah, but what's really missing is effects, clocks, a sequential switch, human interaction and a quantizer. I use a Beads for my Buchla case, and the Springray2. And Desmodus. So now I am using a small utility case that can be shared with lots of setups.
@@CinematicLaboratory100% Was just saying for a getting started setup. .. not how we’d use the stuff. A beginner not gonna worry about clock dividers and touch capacitive modules and FX modules .. or likely wouldn’t. ..except the fx modules everyone likes the fancy fx stuff) Those few Buchla modules (or a few serge modules) would allow someone to learn a lot more And to go a lot further into exploration than a braids, a filter, an env, and a vca and say… a fxaid.
Space controls how big or many systems I can have. I don't have room for more or bigger systems. I spent lot of time planning to make systems versatile. If I want to add something new I have to take something away and lose some of the versatility. That have kept the gas away for the most parts. Unless someone releases something really revolutionary my systems should be able to do most things I could ever want from modular synths.
My control is simple: I just don't have the money to afford most of this. This 69$ Abacus looks very tempting though... I always wanted a Maths... *sigh*...
I reached that critical mass, as put by Dungeon Music Theather, at around the 10k mark. Admittedly, some modules can go. Now whenever i see a new or interesting module, i tend to think on how to create the same with what i already have. This is also the moment where i start to appreciate “regular” h/w synths a bit more again. So much easier to get something nice out. After the Hydrasynth and Iridium i honestly thought that i would never need a new synth again….I just ordered the GR-Mega. What’s next?😂
My recent spree puts me at about 10k and I feel my system is pretty much complete now and I’m not really GASing for anything else. The XAOC Leibniz stuff looks pretty neat, but I already put my remaining synth funds into a limited access savings account with a view to access them in a year or so once I’ve had my fill with my current setup. I have analog, FM, wavetable, additive and noise synthesis well covered (not that into Karplus/Strong) plus all supporting modules/utilities to make it all work together nicely. At this point I’d have to shelve or sell modules to get anything new and there’s nothing I’m prepared to let go of or regularly swap in and out. I will try to scratch the itch for new and shiny by building modules for other people to buy and use 😅
Ah yes lust after the liebniz too bit I resist because it truly seems like a rabbit hole within a rabbit 🐇 hole and I have not explored the more trodden paths enough yet
If you have an interest in learning the craft too, DIY is a slightly cheaper way entry point into the modular world. You could build yourself an 84HP mono synth for about 1k which although a lot is about 1/3 compared to an equivalent setup of pre-made modules.
I think I'd love to spend time and learn DIY. But I also need to learn where to source all my parts because some of these kits only have PCB's and faceplates. I'd love to build a Serge 4U panel.
@@CinematicLaboratory Powering up a self made module for the first time and it working is a great feeling. It’s a big time suck though and modular is already a black hole 😅 I built 5 modules over the weekend and while it was time well spent because I enjoy the process, it was time not spent using my system/making music. That’s why it’s important to enjoy/appreciate building as its own thing. Sourcing your own components isn’t too scary although that’s easier for me to say, as I do it as part of my dayjob! Vendors like Mouser so make it easy even more amateur builders. They stock a huge range and have great search and filtering and you get better at reading and comparing data sheets with practice 😃
I am quite prone to giving in to my music gear desires and getting into eurorack I was kind of scared since I know how easy it is to hoard. As such I have promised myself that I will never have more than one case. So far it has been working great and I constantly discover new ways to play my small 6u 88hp system. Do I want more modules? Sure. There are a lot of things I am missing in my rack. But I just don't buy any more. Problem solved.
Low budget? Need something physical? Buy used. Just wait, and something that fills a _need_ will pop up. Cruise all of the on-line sources, and patience will be rewarded. Keep GAS in check with ... music! Discover your music, pursue your music. Your only driving factor should be music. Music is directed sound, and you need to discover what that means for you. The only reason a person should have anything to do with modular synthesis is because what someone else built isn't giving you the sounds you want. I started in the mid 1980s with a used Yamaha CS-15, and then I drilled holes and cut traces to get more sounds from it. Yes, synthetic sound is cool, but the real rabbit hole is exploring and creating new _music_ that non-electronic instruments can't produce. The surface has only been barely scratched. Imagine, and do.
Don't watch videos about new modules for a start. Instead of planning the next expansion to your modular, make some music!! See how small a system you can be and still make music. Alternatively, spend this months salary on some new modules; it's fun!!!!!
MATHS can take a decade to learn it if ya really think about it. I’ve had the OG CV bus system since 2016 I think .. I still learn stuff on it each time I use it
Totally agree. I said weeks or months not to scare people off. I probably mentioned I also started with the OG CV bus in 2018 and still have it. It's never going away unless I am forced to walk with the Gods.
Someone has to say VCV in the comments, right? 😂 I know everyone loves hardware on TH-cam, but plenty of software options are available. Bespoke, Hyperion, Voltage Modular, Cardinal if you want free DAW integration with VCV...
Let limitations guide you along the path of discovery. e.g. I can’t do what I want because the user interface limits my involvement (PC -> hardware). I can’t do what I want because I want the circuit to interact in ways not governed (digital -> analog). I can’t do what I want because I want to add harmonics and not subtract harmonics (“east coast” -> “west coast”). I can’t do what I want because no one has built the circuit that way (“Buchla” -> “Serge”). Etc.
Well. I got a Mother 32 seven years ago, started to watch eurorack videos and then I saw Clouds and thought: "maybe I can get only that one and find a way to power it?" So I got a low cost doepfer case, and E352 on sale, dead cheap, and then I got Clouds second hand. Later talking to Olivier Gillet (MUtable Instruments) I realised I needed modulation, and found the E440 filter... (A few moments later meme here). It's for a reason that we talk about falling down the rabbit hole and some call it eurocrack, but the first module is seldom free...
I periodically unfollow / snooze the FB groups where ER is traded (Aussie Wigglers here in Australia) and enforce a policy of not watching any YT videos of modules I don't already own.
really output modules are useless. I have a doepfer quad vca with bias as a end of chain and it's perfectly fine; saves money and HP if you have a tiny system. tiny systems are fun and portable for gigs. Also you don't have to use only modular to make your music; it can be just part of a larger setup.
I wish I never would’ve spent so much time and effort on this stuff. It’s so tedious to make music with modular synths. When I switched back to using simpler vst synths, I felt like I had so much more time to actually focus on making music. I’m starting to realize that (for most people) modular eurorack synths are more of a fun hobby and not really practical for daily studio use, unless you’re making experimental ambient soundscapes and calling it “music.”
Used Proton (meant Neutron, the ugly red one; still solid and future proof advice, fight me) before anything modular from Papa Uli is still the way to go when you decide to start throwing money at hardware.
Treat it as an expensive hobby, like building a model railway. Unless you're producing music for money, don't expect too much and above all, enjoy it! 😎
I am pretty sure the model railway also has a rabbit hole in people's basements and attics :)
I treat it as a tool in my arsenal to make music, gives me option I wouldn't have otherwise. I don't absolutely need a gigantic case for it to be "worth it".
Expensive hobby that is still cheaper than drinking and or cocaine and or classic cars 😅
I bought a MOOG Grandmother during lockdown and decided to extend its functionality with a modest modular skiff, obviously it got completely out of control 😂, but I have retired now and like you say it is my ‘old man’ hobby, I managed to put the breaks on my expenditure so it not really a financial drain anymore ; I am pretty sure that golf clubs and club membership would be an expensive hobby as well 🤔 anyway I blame COVID…
@@BappinProductions Don't forget smoking. You could save yourself a modular.
The only way I try to control it is to deny myself new rabbit holes….maybe one day I will replace my current rabbit hole with a new one. There is so much to explore, I came to the conclusion that you cannot explore everything, time is the limiting factor, and thats not for sale.
I decided a long time ago to impose a simple HP limit (252hp). Once I hit that limit I had to just make an informed decision about how to best use the space and if that shiny new module I wanted was worth giving something else up. It’s still expensive, but this has kept me from going off the rails and living within a self imposed limit.
The way I see it, modular is all about impermanence. I don’t save patches and once they’re unpacked, they’re gone forever. I just extended the philosophy I had about patches to the modules I would own as well. Here today, gone tomorrow.
That said, modular has been absolute priceless in what it has taught me and how it has forced me to be creative in new ways.
Thanks for sharing. I also realize I would have done it differently if I didn't have this channel - and the time of my life.
VCV Rack and Voltage Modular for the win!
Let's not forget the OG here! Dopher modules are both cheaper and have a great build quality. The A-111-6 is an incredible little synth module that has oscillator, filter and envelope for $180! That's your start. Get two of those a mixer a quad LFO or two a couple of VCAs and a nifty case and a cheap VC compatible keyboard or sequencer. That is all going to cost a little under 1K! Then you add from their. Second hand, is always a good way to keep things cheap. And a disting will open up that bad boy. Get the EX if you can afford it but the MKII is again under $200. And will give you many effects and will always make it's self useful as your case grows. And of course you can hold your nose and get beringer modules! The Brains for instance is fantastic. And less than $100! But you start with the case an A-111-6 and a way to trigger and control it. I think the nifty case comes in a bundle that has its own sequencer, for about $260 that bundle alone is a starting point! In other words you can make it work and play notes. So that an A-111-6 and a disting will give you all you need for around $500! You can run a sounds through the A-111-6 filter (a lovely analog LP) and you can use the envelope! So the next fancy voice you get like the beringer brains can be run through it! Or another Disting! And then you can get utilities for it to keep things interesting. Stick with dopfer or beringer. The Disting will have all the effects you will need and even the little one has a wave table osc!
So the no brainers for a new cheap system are the nifty case bundle, A-111-6, disting mkii. The no brainer starter system. You can make music with effect! Less than $500. Job done! Btw the nifty case bundle comes with 2 modules already. Including a touch control sequencer and a chip tune voice. So you will have alot to play with.
And I agree if you started of with the DAW never go fully DAWless! It definitely makes no sense. You can get out of the DAW as much as you like. But you will always want to edit your creations and use effects like reverb even on the master bus.
Also as for the rabbit hole get a case double it and then NO MORE! 2 nifty cases, or the Arturia case. After that one in one out. You can still try out new or better modules but you are selling the one you replace. If you look at those massive cases that cost the price of a car to fill. They are not using half the stuff on the regular and they definitely have a few modules that are never used. So keeping it medium is the ideal.
Wow, thanks for sharing! Lots of valid tips here for starters! I also wanted to mention the one module enters, one module leaves but I have a hard time parting with them. I am afraid I qualify as a 'collector' too - no I am sure of it :(
@CinematicLaboratory I think it's your job to collect and demonstrate modular! So keep up the good work!😁 and keep collecting and demonstrating. You have a great channel. This subject is close to my heart though. And I believe that a small well thought out system is the best way to go. Because once you have the basics in place you can then get the mental osc's like my fantastic Piston Honda module at a later date. You are still always investing, but at a pace that is affordable. Most great modules are well under 300 anyway. If you spend $1,000 a year on it that's 3 or 4 great new modules a year. That's enough to keep things interesting. And spending $1,000 a year on any hobby or interests is about average! This is not as ellete as people think and if you stick to the OG pure modular of dopfer you are definitely an academic wizard! Those modules are the pure soul of modular and you will learn modular better because of it! Same with the reissues from beringer. The ability to make mini versions of old 70s modular is irresistible! I'm such a nurd!😆
@@rodnee2340 I think you'd love Serge so much! For me, that turned out to be my holy grail. No, just don't read this :)
@CinematicLaboratory 😆 I like the TipTop Buchla modules! I'm definitely having a gas moment! My computer has broken so I need a new one! And that has triggered something in me! I'm spending thousands in my head at the moment! Computers are easy and nesisery. So 2 minutes looking at computers turned into 3 hours of TH-cam myler melodies and cinematic laboratory videos!😆
Much more interesting! I will check out some Surge stuff. OG again!
the A-1116 module is truly one of the greatest modules in the world.
I'm newish to the hobby, but I control it like I control all my other hobbies. Giving myself an allowance and spending under that. I was shocked at how quickly my fun money ran out once I started building a modular system, but I haven't outspent myself somehow. Ultimately, it is easier to spend more time shopping for things than using them. Controlling your spend makes it easier to force yourself to sit down and use the things you bought.
One of the neatest discoveries I had in this hobby is that when you have an idea of what you are trying to do, spending time with your set-up can outright make your purchasing decisions. I thought I didn't have enough modulation sources, but I found a lot I hadn't thought of in my last extended session. Now I'm trying to figure out if I have enough function generators.
Thanks for sharing this. This is exactly why I use the MakeNoise Shared System as a template for an ecosystem. It only has two VCO's which are more than enough. Then there's maths and wogglebug for modulation, randomness and functions, there's reverb and delay, there's a looper/recorder, two VCA's, two LPG's, a clock, a touch interface and a sequencer. I always add the XPAN mixer too and then the case is full. Any modulargrid excercise layout should have these functional roles taken care off. You can actually see the relationship between voices, FX and utilities. Most of your case is utilities. And you should not forget power and output.
I'm containing it to a Doepfer 3 PSU, that's what I'm capabel of controlling in a live performance. Every new module has to be a real improvement in functionality. But I still own far too much and should sell some.
Finally I'm happy having this rabbithole...it's giving me back a lot.
My journey started with Re-Birth, then I bought an Access Virus B and was later gifted a Sherman Filterbank2. I used Reason for 20+ years. Then I learned of VCV Rack. And Bitwig.
At present I derive huge educational value from watching specific modular hardware demonstrations and sometimes trying to emulate them in VCV Rack and now Bitwig (which feels more efficient and is generously featured).
I am moving into the box and away from outboard. The rabbit hole goes as long as I do. What matters most is that I make music. Most of it is awful, but it is in service to better understanding of audio engineering, music theory and finding a path to most quickly entering the creative flow state.
I continue to orbit about Buchla, Benjolins, Audio Modelling’s SWAM French Horn VST and melding this together in Bitwig.
You may feel lost, but you are a beacon that helps to guide, inspire and inform my journey and for that I am very grateful. Thank you.
"Many hours to discover your favorite music" is probably the best note to give people that are thinking about getting started with hardware modular. Really appreciate your take on this.
My one criticism of VCVrack has been that there is no real friction to patching with infinite modules, where the hardware forces/encourages you to be clever.
@@howardyermish So true. I forgot to mention this in the video even though I planned it. With VCV you always have this risk of 'doing something else', where a real modular encourages commitment.
I don’t control it. I sit before it, late in the evening, and say Hello Carl. Where are you taking me tonight?
music theory is the best module! While I was learning that I saved thousands , and it expands the functionality of every existing module.
I am still under the impression that music theory doesn't work, but I have to admit that learning some of it (for me it's like learning Traditional Chinese) was really beneficial to my music. I guess this also qualifies as studying and investing in yourself instead of gear.
Look how many musically poor videos there are representing modular...even a little knowledge would be beneficial.
to finally have access to a maths, even a clone, is incredible to me. i can finally achieve many modulation and utility possibilities, among countless other sonic opportunities. im glad that you are honest when it comes to creating your own synthesizer in eurorack format
It's simple. Maths is an amazing module so the Abacus clone is inevitably also an amazing module. Buchla is open source, so anyone has the right to build a function generator. Maths isn't open source, but it's not patented because it's using open source tech. If you can afford Maths, get one. If not, get an Abacus. Just make sure you learn how to use a function generator :).
What's wrong with Befaco's Rampage??
@ I was talking more in the realm of cost, befaco and make noise are more expensive than the abacus sadly. I was referring to finally having access to abacus means I have access to maths functionalities. If that makes sense! Nothing wrong with rampage, a favorite for me in vcv rack
Great video!
I haven't really experienced the 'rabbit hole' phenomenon. When I started building my first case, a 104 utilities skiff, I knew exactly what I needed to support my semi-modular studio. It worked out perfectly and exceeded my needs and expectations. All that case contains are utilities modules--no sound sources or audio processing, just clock dividers, switches, mixers, inverters, attenuators, offsets, and extra VCAs.
Then I decided to go beyond a skiff of support utilities and build a sensibly-sized full-featured rack synthesizer in a 9U by 84hp travel case. I knew what I wanted and needed and focused exclusively on building an all-analog case with particular attention paid to functionality that VCV can't provide, like analog sound sources and analog cv processing and analog harmonic mixers. I filled that case, leaving a bit of room for additions down the road, and stopped there. It's been the most inspiring and rewarding synthesizer gear I've ever used.
I'm not a fan of shiny new boutique modules, possibly with screens and little to no KPF, that are designed to do a lot of the work for you. That's not what I've ever wanted out of Eurorack. And, at any rate, all the digital modules are basically just virtuals in a box. I don't see the point of that. I've found it much more rewarding to use older, more straightforward technology that forces me to become highly skilled at developing good sounds from scratch.
so, what was in your first skiff? I have a hard time to find out which utilities are interesting and useful (and worth the money) at the same time.
Utilities are the backbone of any well thought-out modular system. Without them, it's impossible to get the most out of the modules you have or even to use some of them at all! I already had a number of semi-modular synthesizers in the studio, so I only needed more of the functions that I started to run out of on the semi-modulars, or that weren't included in them at all.
NOTE: When I use the word "skiff," I do not mean what most retailers refer to as skiffs. My skiff is full-depth and so I didn't have to worry about how deep the modules are. Most skiffs that are offered are much shallower than a full-depth case, and so care must be taken when choosing modules to ensure they are not too deep for the case. BE SURE TO VERIFY THAT ANY PARTICULAR MODULE YOU WANT TO BUY WILL CLEAR THE BACK OF THE CASE BEFORE YOU BUY IT!
Here's what I filled the skiff with--
----Mix, attenuate, invert, and offset:
3x MIA (Happy Nerding) *
XXM (Rides in the Storm)
A-183-2 Offset / Polarizer / Attenuator (Doepfer)
----Clock and pitch utilities:
A-160-1 Clock Divider (Doepfer)
A-160-2 Clock Divider ll (Doepfer) *
A-166 Dual Logic (Doepfer)
A-156 Dual Quantizer (Doepfer) *
----Switches:
A-150 Dual Voltage Controlled Switch
A-151 Quad Sequential Switch (Doepfer) "
----Ring Mod and S&H:
A-148 Dual S&H (Doepfer)
A-184-1 Ring Modulator / S&H / T&H / Slew Limiter (Doepfer) *
----VCA:
A-135-2 Quad VCA / Mixer (Doepfer)*
A-133-2 Dual VC Polarizer (bi-polar VCA; Doepfer)
A-134-2 Dual VC Crossfader
Most of these modules are Doepfer in 4hp, so not expensive and very easy to find room for. They do what they are supposed to do and do it well. I've placed a star after the modules I think are critical, meaning that if you only have money and / or room for one of these it is the one I would buy.
There are many different modules on the market that combine all of these functions in one way or another, but they are often much more expensive and often have screens and menus and not enough inputs / outputs for my needs. And, importantly, they are rarely if ever able to do all of their functions simultaneously, so you're stuck with choosing just one or two of the things you need at a time. Also, decisions about which modules you want and need have a lot to do with how your brain works, how you like to work with your modular system. Some people don't mind menu diving and configuring. I find such things tedious and disruptive to my workflow, so I prefer modules that just do the thing I need them to do whenever I plug them into a patch. Modules like Pam's New Workout and Disting can both do an enormous number of useful things, but they are not for me. They are, however, immensely popular.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: There are some digital modules that are critical to have in your system if you want to do certain kinds of sound design, like sample players, wave tables, granular, and VC effects to name just a few. I use DAW based technologies for these roles, but most folks want rack modules for these as it is then easy to control them via CV.
Here is a VERY good video that can help you decide what utilities you will need and how to use them. I regard it as required viewing for anyone new to Eurorack or VCV Rack:
th-cam.com/video/MYtLmrVx4MY/w-d-xo.html
I try to control it by buying a lot of DIY modules and putting them together in my garage. It really only slows the bleeding.
I guess that totally feels different - more personal - because you didn't just buy it, you had to build it. I built my Plinky a few months back and it felt great.
This is where I am in my journey. Was at the soft cap of about 800hp a few months ago when I started looking more closely at Nonlinearcircuits modules. Before I knew it I had about a dozen kits on their way to me, and now I'm developing smd soldering skills to complement this modular affliction.
Modular is super affordable now. Behringer 2600, Abacus, and West Pest is a perfectly reasonable starting point for around $1000. A trio like that would have been 4 times the cost only a handful of years ago.
abacus 69 at th....n, brains 99
thanks for this. very helpful. I got started when a friend made a small 44hp unit for me with a morphogene, wogglebug, disting and an audio out. I had a M32 and O coast from when they came out. the rest came from watching your channel. I think in small 4ms pod sizes, next a Benjolin with 2hp loop, 2hp lfo, and 2hp audio out. Then a Strega, then and O control. Eventually a small pod of effects, A small pod of utilities. Then an XPO and Filter and a VCA. 7 years later it is suddenly looking for the right case. Little by Little. Take your time. I never resonated with VCV rack but I had a version of Plaiits, Rings and Clouds on my iPad. record them, with effects into morphogene,, etc. Borderlands for granular on iPad. I was recently listening to recordings I made on my iPhone and came across a piece I did with just Strega and a very old Moog CP-251. I thought, why didn't I stop there! It was a great piece, for me. So you can do good things with small units.
case size is a good way in controlling the gas, in my case i started with an already potent case ( tip top mantis ) and expanded on this but not too far
Dreadbox Chromatic series, more expensive than Behringer, but a lot cheaper than others, and well worth the money.
Just bought a Erica Synths Pico System III. Affordable and certainly a part of my rabbit hole moving from the Minifreak towards a modular system 😅
So when the revolution comes there will be a street or two where it’s all modular synth enthusiasts hung from the lampposts. When I first heard of modular I immediately thought, as a guitarist, that it was like guitar pedals for keyboard players. Not in the functionality but in the 'Honest, honey, just one more module' aspect. It’s lottery or dead-rich-relative stuff.
the feeling is mutual with the vcv thing and the ( I don't wanna know what my system coasts ) thing. sometimes I feel silly as well. but I did lots of shit in my life, but there is nothing in the world that can give me the feeling sitting in front of my system . . even if I am studioless at the moment and all my modules packed in countless boxes and I only work with monome norns, grid and crow and the Roland compact series such as s1, p6,t8.. What I mean to say is that nothing in this world gives me the feeling of a true modular system. great video as always.
Over the last few months I’ve been trying to turn some serious Buchla GAS (mainly for an Easel) into a creative impetus, trying to explore similar techniques with what I already have. Interesting ride! A combination of a Mavis and an SQ-1 can take you to some wonderful places in conjunction with an iPad running AUM (not a DAW, but you can use it instead of one) and a bunch of effects. Likewise NYSTHI modules in MiRack, and couple of iPad West Coast type synths (eg Branches in conjunction with an expressive controller like KB-1). All of which led to one extra hardware purchase, in the form of the Volca Modular, which is fiddly to use but insanely good fun, and as I had some Amazon vouchers I got it for the price of the mains adaptor. Your recent video about the Moog Sound Studio has made me rethink the DFAM and Subharmonicon, too. All of which boils down to thinking outside the box and changing how you approach your existing stuff.
Speaking from experience, the difference between "cheap rack" made with cheap modules and "expensive rack" filled with Make Noise and Instruo is the physical size. You will pay exactly the same for both - as much as you can afford.
hilarious, because it’s true
how about a tiny rack with expensive modules? I don't like Berhinger modules not only because they are unoriginal copies with ugly designs; but mainly because they take enormous amounts of rack space that I don't have.
VCV has the best price, but it can still be expensive if you're not afraid to look away from your computer towards the clock on the wall.
I have a secret module that keeps me from plunging into this rabbit hole.
I appreciate the discussion. People say that it's expensive and I think if you are careful about it, it's no more expensive than any other gear. I've done all used and black friday sale deals, and I have 9 modules for less than $500, none of them Behringer. I have one good used Semi-modular (DFAM) I got for $350 combined with an 84hp rack of modulation modules for it. This money was spread across two years, so that's like $35 a month which is less than people spend on most other habits. It doesn't sound budget either, because I've got Moog oscillators and filter, deeper and Erica synths and dreadbox modules.
I think it's all about how you approach it, if you are patient and frugal, and to your point you really learn each module and how they interact, the sky is the limit.
another perfect video.Thanks
I ended up not doing budget modular and just pretending I'll sell it all at some point so it feels like saving up.
AE Modular looks promising. Limited range, but it seems mostly limited to the stuff modular does best.
after collecting several semi modular gear, last year was my entry into the "real" modular with Niftycase bundle + Capt'n Big-O and Function Junction + Doepfer Filter and Quad VCA. I soon found out that there wasn't enough modulation and VCOs. This year I slid further into the rabbit hole and got myself a Rackbrute 6U, 4ms Metamodule and Behringer Victor, Brains (even when virtually available in the Metamodule), Four LFO and the Abacus is underway. After a hard day's work I can now switch on my system, dial in my favourite patch and start from there or just leave it as it is and relax. Currently couldn't be happier. On my list is the Xaoc Zadar and some filters and envelopes.
Interesting use of Maths/Abacus as a sound source/oscillator... could you do a vid about that or maybe post some info/patch notes?
I wanted to try Pittsburg Modular Voltage Lab 2 and now it's on sale so I bit the bullet. Another big problem next to money is space though... And time!!!
Also: cool thoughts about combining daw and Eurorack. Still learning but there is so much power to use what you already have (in my case Ableton Live Suite and many plugins). It’s good to stop a bit the GAS.
Lately I like using Expert Sleepers Fh-2 for cv/midi and midi/cv - quite a big thing combining with a DAW and or VCV
I’ve restricted myself to 4 x 6/7u cases, I’ve tried to focus on building systems in cases, to some degree and avoid having too many unracked modules. Ultimately GAS is restricted by time, space and finance. There is a limit to how much you can get out of a module if you keep acquiring new ones without mastering the existing. Modular is a weird journey, it takes time and learning to understand what makes a good system. My first module was Plaits, a voice with a built in vca / lpg which hides the building blocks of modular. More recently I’ve been buying AJH synth modules which are building blocks of moog goodness. I could buy behringer clones at a fifth of the price but I like the AJH style….
Anyway, I’m rambling, I’d like to see more videos which dissect and design systems in 7u!
Thanks for sharing your journey. Just wondering how long it took to fill those four cases!
@@CinematicLaboratory Between 3 and 4 years. Initially I DIY'd alot, I liqudated 90% of my guitar pedals. I tried to stick 2 cases but that went out the window when I started buying modules > 40hp (five12 vector, metropolis/x, plinky, altantix etc)
Ive reached my critical mass in the last year since my cases are all full. Far too many cases though. Lately though ive been using alot of m4l sequencing and using soft synths, and VCV of course. It stresses me that I never use all my gear, like my Cirklon. But software can be exciting also. Sometimes I wish I would stay in the box, but im scared.
Thanks for the video. Curious to know one thing. I am very bad at following the tech. How do you merge the video and the sound? Image that you have small clips, images..and you place them on a composed line of melody, which is processed in the DAW with FX
I use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit my videos, which is not unlike working in a DAW. It has video and audio tracks and you can simply cut, paste and move things around on a timeline. You can add VST's to your audio tracks and there are FX and transitions you can add to your video clips. If you need to sync recorded audio with video footage from e.g. a phone, try to record the DAW countdown while shooting the video. Then it's easy to sync the video with the DAW recording.
One thing I notice people doing in VCV (did it myself) is going too big. I use VCV as a hardware modular to try to extract and learn as much as possible from a small set of modules.
After a while, I wanted something more tactile and built my 84hp/6u rack and can't be happier.
That's a very good point, because the fun of patching is in the little combos. Kind of like my Serge example in this video.
@@CinematicLaboratory Exactly... like using half Maths (or Rampage in my case) as a VCO and the other half as the envelope or filter... and so on. Sometimes I see VCV patches on Reddit with hundreds of modules and that's unreal.
Of course it's cool to have an infinite modular rack but the secret of modular for me is extracting different things from the set of modules you have. And when you do something new it's such a joy!
beautiful video, beautiful music.
In retrospect, my biggest single ‘mistake’ was going modular at about the time that Emilie ceased production. I bought my Plaits new, but paid premium for other MI gear on reputation alone; most of it is now sold on. Of course, it doesn’t help being a completist with ASD either- but the limiting factor is financial. I do have a life outside the studio. Of sorts…
Need more eurosergeeee. Let’s see that VC eq vid
Well you still have a tiny baby modular compared to my Tardis mothership. Don't worry. The rabbit hole actually burrows through the earth and you will emerge on a whole new plane of existence. 😊
Interesting thoughts, man.
It's pretty hard to impossible, from what I've been shown, (and experienced, to smaller degrees) to eek out all the different types of satisfying results, out of these newer mainstream modules. So, there's that, and trying to imagine, what the next years will bring for new module issues. The first thing I'm going to ask myself is, .. "Do I already have this, in a some related form?" Watching someone explore these new modules, now .. and I've somewhat an ear from what I've recorded from my own system .. so, it isn't as compulsive of a feeling, as a few years, back.
And so true, .. the investment of time to "arrive" in modular, is something to respect.
(Later edit) .. For totally selfish reasons, .. I am going to miss the Cinematic inventory ..
It’s a personal journey and the only problem for me is to control the GAS. I began 8 years ago and I built a lot of full diy kits and I bought second hand modules. Two ways to save money. But nowadays it’s reducing the number of interesting modules. Many of them are redundant with older ones.
For analog experience limit yourself to modulars like the VCS-3 / Synthi-AKS or semi-modulars like the ARP 2600 or the Easel (actual and future clones included).
many thanks for this video. victor abacus brains and chaos together 336,- (black friday deal) thats crazy, but as a deep sky photographer, i ordert yesterday the galaxy cluster in spain
For the record, MakeNoise Maths is 319,-. It's not fair and I often wonder if it's decent.
@@CinematicLaboratory hmmmm, i´m just 18 month in modular, and for me it was B to bring me in the hobby, and now i have tip top buchlas, endorphines, weather drohnes (after looking your videos) and maybe next week the laniakea (its on the way) AND you get what you pay for, how good feels it to make "noise" with beautiful "tools" ?
Really well said. I wish had any profound learnings to share) Maybe it's wise to keep an open mind and to play other, non-synth instruments, where the musical outcomes depend more on your skill level and\or musical intuition, rather than the amount of gear. And those activities might inform each other in a positive way. My little eurorack system is a good exercise of doing what you can with what you have, and VCV Rack is a good exercise of exploring what you can do with little to no limits.
Thanks for sharing. I think any modular case should at least have a way for human interaction like a touch plate or joystick. It's also great fun to use an old guitar and plug it in, even when you can't play it. I have one for just that. I am also learning the japanese Shakuhachi flute, which can sound amazing with modular FX. My next video is about what you can do with almost no gear (deep-fried filters)
@@CinematicLaboratory I wish I had a touch plate or joystick but for me playing the fine tune knobs and opening vca's became the most used way to play it. I have a Linnstrument 128 and Seaboard Block, both of which I can use with modular thanks to ES-8, but I rarely do that, it's just simpler to stay in software realm for polyphony and patch saving
Hive mind my next rabbit hole is drums. I have drum samples on disting and a zularic repedtor to sequence. Should i buy a drum machine, drum synth like dfam or collect drum modules? Basimilus is beckoning to me. Im not huge into techno or acid house but i like industrial music
When I see videos, where noiseboxes are patched through a couple of pedals, I always remember to try this in my laptop. So patch a kontakt mic in my interace, throw some VSTs to the input and et voila, here we go. Enough cash spent on eurorack and stuff lying around here. I want some Serge hey!
The one thing that vcv rack doesn't do very well is feedback patches, especially no-input. Otherwise, I honestly tend to prefer using vcv (technically cardinal) over my real rack because I have access to so much more
That's because the noise floor can zero out when simulated. So one has to inject an impulse or seed noise for it to get going. Other than that, gains can get carried away too, if no effort is made to limit them. Once you understand the issue of the zero and infinity, then you can figure out ways around it. (May not be ideal still, but it lets you experiment anyways.)
Just bought not one, but two Behringer Neutrons for less than $180 each used. One is for my niece, the other is to make sure I can help her with hers… lol. Behringer really is a tremendous value. Last I checked they were selling their entire system 55 with case and everything for $1700. If you go with their 100 series they are super cheap. Used ones are incredibly cheap.
I have tried using VCV rack and I hate it.
From a standpoint of actually controlling the thing with predictable results I've taken to a workflow that leans heavily on recording the thing and playing it back within the eurorack modular environment itself. I recently made this video demonstration of how the bitbox mkII can be used as a very powerful clip launcher and how to capture perfect loops and play everything back in perfect musical timing. It's a very fast and powerful workflow and I've included detailed patch notes in the video description:
th-cam.com/video/aOLdGAEnTLU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JkXkP62dosKervO7
I'm surprised you didn't mention Doepfer or ladik.
I understand, but Behringer is controversially cheap. Doepfer is very, very respectable and I rather consider Doepfer affordable top quality. Mutable was also affordable with $220 for a Plaits. It all still feels brand new and always works. It wasn't my intention to name any brand, but couldn't get around Behringer.
There is also Cardinal vst
If I were to start over ..
I’d build a Tiptop Buchla rig.
Could do a whole lot with the:
Complex Osc
Quad Dynamics manager
Quad function generator
SOU
cv processor module
And an inexpensive output module. And basic bitch case with power
Me personally I’d build the full set.
But to start those few modules I listed could really get someone a LONG way before they maxed out those few modules
Yeah, but what's really missing is effects, clocks, a sequential switch, human interaction and a quantizer. I use a Beads for my Buchla case, and the Springray2. And Desmodus. So now I am using a small utility case that can be shared with lots of setups.
@@CinematicLaboratory100%
Was just saying for a getting started setup. .. not how we’d use the stuff. A beginner not gonna worry about clock dividers and touch capacitive modules and FX modules .. or likely wouldn’t. ..except the fx modules everyone likes the fancy fx stuff)
Those few Buchla modules (or a few serge modules) would allow someone to learn a lot more
And to go a lot further into exploration than a braids, a filter, an env, and a vca and say… a fxaid.
Space controls how big or many systems I can have. I don't have room for more or bigger systems. I spent lot of time planning to make systems versatile. If I want to add something new I have to take something away and lose some of the versatility. That have kept the gas away for the most parts. Unless someone releases something really revolutionary my systems should be able to do most things I could ever want from modular synths.
My control is simple: I just don't have the money to afford most of this. This 69$ Abacus looks very tempting though... I always wanted a Maths... *sigh*...
I reached that critical mass, as put by Dungeon Music Theather, at around the 10k mark. Admittedly, some modules can go. Now whenever i see a new or interesting module, i tend to think on how to create the same with what i already have. This is also the moment where i start to appreciate “regular” h/w synths a bit more again. So much easier to get something nice out. After the Hydrasynth and Iridium i honestly thought that i would never need a new synth again….I just ordered the GR-Mega. What’s next?😂
My recent spree puts me at about 10k and I feel my system is pretty much complete now and I’m not really GASing for anything else. The XAOC Leibniz stuff looks pretty neat, but I already put my remaining synth funds into a limited access savings account with a view to access them in a year or so once I’ve had my fill with my current setup.
I have analog, FM, wavetable, additive and noise synthesis well covered (not that into Karplus/Strong) plus all supporting modules/utilities to make it all work together nicely. At this point I’d have to shelve or sell modules to get anything new and there’s nothing I’m prepared to let go of or regularly swap in and out.
I will try to scratch the itch for new and shiny by building modules for other people to buy and use 😅
Ah yes lust after the liebniz too bit I resist because it truly seems like a rabbit hole within a rabbit 🐇 hole and I have not explored the more trodden paths enough yet
If you have an interest in learning the craft too, DIY is a slightly cheaper way entry point into the modular world. You could build yourself an 84HP mono synth for about 1k which although a lot is about 1/3 compared to an equivalent setup of pre-made modules.
I think I'd love to spend time and learn DIY. But I also need to learn where to source all my parts because some of these kits only have PCB's and faceplates. I'd love to build a Serge 4U panel.
@@CinematicLaboratory Powering up a self made module for the first time and it working is a great feeling. It’s a big time suck though and modular is already a black hole 😅 I built 5 modules over the weekend and while it was time well spent because I enjoy the process, it was time not spent using my system/making music. That’s why it’s important to enjoy/appreciate building as its own thing.
Sourcing your own components isn’t too scary although that’s easier for me to say, as I do it as part of my dayjob! Vendors like Mouser so make it easy even more amateur builders. They stock a huge range and have great search and filtering and you get better at reading and comparing data sheets with practice 😃
I am quite prone to giving in to my music gear desires and getting into eurorack I was kind of scared since I know how easy it is to hoard. As such I have promised myself that I will never have more than one case. So far it has been working great and I constantly discover new ways to play my small 6u 88hp system. Do I want more modules? Sure. There are a lot of things I am missing in my rack. But I just don't buy any more. Problem solved.
Yes. Its called VCV rack.
_"The Rabbit Hole has a bottom. I've reached it in 2023"_ ***** Was it a huge homogeneous rack composed of Mutable instruments modules? 😃
Low budget? Need something physical? Buy used. Just wait, and something that fills a _need_ will pop up. Cruise all of the on-line sources, and patience will be rewarded. Keep GAS in check with ... music! Discover your music, pursue your music. Your only driving factor should be music. Music is directed sound, and you need to discover what that means for you.
The only reason a person should have anything to do with modular synthesis is because what someone else built isn't giving you the sounds you want. I started in the mid 1980s with a used Yamaha CS-15, and then I drilled holes and cut traces to get more sounds from it. Yes, synthetic sound is cool, but the real rabbit hole is exploring and creating new _music_ that non-electronic instruments can't produce. The surface has only been barely scratched. Imagine, and do.
Don't watch videos about new modules for a start. Instead of planning the next expansion to your modular, make some music!! See how small a system you can be and still make music. Alternatively, spend this months salary on some new modules; it's fun!!!!!
MATHS can take a decade to learn it if ya really think about it.
I’ve had the OG CV bus system since 2016 I think ..
I still learn stuff on it each time I use it
Totally agree. I said weeks or months not to scare people off. I probably mentioned I also started with the OG CV bus in 2018 and still have it. It's never going away unless I am forced to walk with the Gods.
with DIY it's much more affordable...... merely resulting in more modules 😂
Yup 😂
Someone has to say VCV in the comments, right? 😂
I know everyone loves hardware on TH-cam, but plenty of software options are available. Bespoke, Hyperion, Voltage Modular, Cardinal if you want free DAW integration with VCV...
Ah, you did mention it in the video. Commented before I saw that!
VCV is getting more and more brilliant. I really enjoy exploring new ideas for videos without having to mount a new combo.
Let limitations guide you along the path of discovery. e.g. I can’t do what I want because the user interface limits my involvement (PC -> hardware). I can’t do what I want because I want the circuit to interact in ways not governed (digital -> analog). I can’t do what I want because I want to add harmonics and not subtract harmonics (“east coast” -> “west coast”). I can’t do what I want because no one has built the circuit that way (“Buchla” -> “Serge”). Etc.
…unless they pay me a fortune ❤ thank you
I would rather eat my own feet than support behringer no matter how cheap it is. So many good clones and second hand modules. Just my 2 cents
Thanks for sharing. It's a valid opinion and your 2 cents are as valuable.
Well. I got a Mother 32 seven years ago, started to watch eurorack videos and then I saw Clouds and thought: "maybe I can get only that one and find a way to power it?" So I got a low cost doepfer case, and E352 on sale, dead cheap, and then I got Clouds second hand. Later talking to Olivier Gillet (MUtable Instruments) I realised I needed modulation, and found the E440 filter... (A few moments later meme here). It's for a reason that we talk about falling down the rabbit hole and some call it eurocrack, but the first module is seldom free...
I periodically unfollow / snooze the FB groups where ER is traded (Aussie Wigglers here in Australia) and enforce a policy of not watching any YT videos of modules I don't already own.
really output modules are useless. I have a doepfer quad vca with bias as a end of chain and it's perfectly fine; saves money and HP if you have a tiny system. tiny systems are fun and portable for gigs. Also you don't have to use only modular to make your music; it can be just part of a larger setup.
Dig upwards
You have an absurd number of Stages
I don't see anything weird :)
I wish I never would’ve spent so much time and effort on this stuff. It’s so tedious to make music with modular synths. When I switched back to using simpler vst synths, I felt like I had so much more time to actually focus on making music. I’m starting to realize that (for most people) modular eurorack synths are more of a fun hobby and not really practical for daily studio use, unless you’re making experimental ambient soundscapes and calling it “music.”
Used Proton (meant Neutron, the ugly red one; still solid and future proof advice, fight me) before anything modular from Papa Uli is still the way to go when you decide to start throwing money at hardware.
Short answer….no
boo. behringer. Not worth the budget. If you have to go behringer, go home.