Ready to go modular? 10 Common Beginner Questions
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- I get a lot of questions regarding the (often expensive) jump into modular synths, so here's some answers along with some example setups and tips. Nothing I have recommended or mentioned in this video is "sponsored" by any particular product, just my dumb old preference.
Modulargrid link: www.modulargri...
Who downvotes this? This guy is giving invaluable information to people who need it. Honestly he basically talked me out of getting into modular synths. I love the sounds they make and they look super fun but it’s more tinkering that I have time for. He just saved me a ton of money and kept my wife from being pissed at me. Thanks Benn I’m gonna keep watching your channel because you know your stuff, I enjoy the music and you seem like a cool guy.
i know this is mostly a music channel but you're actually funnier than a lot of comedy on youtube
Every video has at least one zinger, it’s great!
Not really dow
I love the vocoded title cards. You can tell Benn really put a lot of effort into these lol
after all, they WORK perfectly
Bro I'm musically analyzing a 2 second long transitional title clip help me
ha synthfeld ruled
p l e a s e m a r r y m e
just ordered a 3 3340's, 2 electric druid vcdo wavetable synth chips, 2 vcf chips couple vca's and im going to build 3 thomas henry VCO-1 circuits for sine wave ocs's. gonna be a nice little piece of kit
Didn't expect to see you commenting in a beginner video lol
LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER bring back synthfeld
Scratch my back?
I think the price is tied to the fact that most of modular companies are really small business, doing a lot of things by hand, and for the most part are based in USA and Europe, where people want to make an adequate living out of their jobs.
Well said. 👌
I want it to stay expensive just in the idea of it keeping away people that aren’t serious and flooding the market.
Just look at computing-once cheap computers with serious CPU power became available everyone became a laptop DJ/musician.
@@elissitdesign Yes, it also made it possible for plenty of really creative types to make music that may have never been possible without the cheap software.
And don't act like modular is exclusive to SERIOUS MUSICIANS that know better. A lot of modular gear is bought by people who make the same sounding ambient patches that go nowhere so they can film it the same way everyone films their gear and put it on youtube.
Being able to spend money on gear has absolutely nothing to do with ambition or musical purity.
Also, economy of scale. Several a year, or several dozen a year or even several hundred a year is a far different per-unit cost than several hundred thousand or millions per year.
@@OgamiItto70 or both; economy of scale, and slave labour. i.e. ; behringer.
On the 'Why not just make modules myself' question I totally agree that if all you want is a modular synth then DIY is not the way to go. I've built over half my system. If you don't already have the electronics building skills and equipment building modules just because you wanna get them cheap is a bit misguided and a recipe for massive frustration. I build because I want to expand my system AND because I want to learn electronics. Turns out that building synth modules is a great way to learn because there are a bunch of very simple and useful circuits that you can build and there is a relatively clear path to increasing complexity and unique functionality. I can now build stuff that I can't buy. That's the reward that comes from learning.
Maybe in a few years, but for now I'm happy learning on VCV Rack. Awesome video though, it's very informative.
That's a good point! I mostly agree on what Ben said, but I think there's a whole lot to be said for using something like VCV Rack to *learn* about how modular works, about what you actually want to use it for, and to let that, to some degree, dictate what you'll buy if you eventually decide to go to a physical system. Also, you can get an awful lot done in Rack, and maybe most importantly, you can use it to tell if this is just a fad for you, and you'll loose interest, or if it grows on you and organically lead you to get to the physical gear. I have seen a lot of this going on in the Rack community.
Just getting back into Syth after 30 years and wow the gear has changed.....so many new toys!
I’m an old Roland RS09, MS20 Korg owner looking for new toys and sounds and love patching.
Thanks for the show n tell👍
This is an excellent video but it's taught me I'm not ready for modular ...yet.
I've been dancing around getting into modular for a few years. I really appreciated the starter examples in this videos!
I love the fact that many module makers have a hard time describing what their products do.
The creativity and imagination is just amazing.
00:39 What is a modular synth?
01:24 How is a modular synth better than a standalone synth?
02:32 How is a standalone synth better than a modular synth?
03:52 Why are so many modular videos just awful noise?
05:15 Can you make good music on a modular synth?
07:51 Why are modular synthesizers so expensive?
10:00 If your spending all this money, why not make/design a synth yourself?
12:00 Why have a modular when you can use VCV rack?
15:11 So what modules should I buy?
Get this to the top!
00:00 Synthfeld
5:42 What's the difference between CVGate and MIDI?
At any part does he state how to set one up? I am just trying to understand the compatibility with my setup before I purchase one....
I like the well-structured approach to your videos, saves me time and frustration, thank you for this content.
Great video Benn! Glad to see more people adress beginner questions in a clear way.
So glad this wasn't the first video of yours I watched.
This was really useful and beneficial as a starting point. I'm going to go down the route of premade modules and home made to try to force me to learn and understand the technology behind it. Already started on my first module. Simple ocillator. Great fun.
Love to see another builder's work. Great tutorial and a great looking rack.
I was googling around about modular synthesis for beginners... stumbled across this video...
I was blown away when I realized you made one of my favorite albums. I've been in love with 'Planet Nine' since I first heard it at the Chicago Planetarium.
1010s Bitbox, toolbox modules are definitely a BANG for the money. There's so much I can do on my bitbox is a modular package it's incredible and the touchscreen and instant 16 note polyphonic through midi of an instantly recorded sample is just incredible to me
Some modules are a BANG for your buck
This was incredibly helpful. I've been thinking about modular synth for a while now, watching loads of videos, using simulated rack systems to learn, and this video answered all my questions. I'm not going to be able to commit enough time to make this work for me. Kudos to all the awesome folks i've seen doing this well along the way.
Thanks for this video, it's just what I needed. I've recently just got my first synth. A Moog Grandmother along with a DFAM, Ableton 10 and a Push 2. I know I'm not as set up for life as I think I am with this gear but it should give me enough to really get experience with. I'm a photographer and know just how expensive anything can get if you want it to be. With video, cameras are just arriving in 12K etc. So there's always something. I'm looking forward to the time where I try and do more with less within making music. When you have a big old camera and bags full of lenses and you start wondering how fun it might be to only use your iPhone and see how you can apply the knowledge you have. The process for most things is the same. And even though I recognise that at some point I'll want to try and reduce the music gear that I've not even bought yet, the trip is still really fun. As long as it's creative and you can learn something then I'm up for it. Ben
That intro. You bloody genius.
love the whole video, but especially the intro! I'd love to see more short creative clips like that!
This video is gold, wish I had found it 6 years ago!
Nice one, Benn. I think there are ways of getting deeper into music creation, Modular synthesis is where you can truly develop an original sound with patches, therefore, if you want to enhance your sequencing, maybe the digital realm is where you can do things surgically. When you have instruments on the go (with DAWs and Trackers), it changes your focus for composing , people lean towards elaborating the phrases and pattern structure. When you go modular, the "instrument creation" on it self becomes de music, that is why generative, drone and ambient fits so well with it. just a thought, cheers
Well spoken and a cerebral wit. I bet his music reflects his intelligence. Im a hardware synth guy, two Yamaha CS-80"s, Two Andromedas, Modal 002, Schmidt 8-Voice, Knifonium, Nemorymoog LAMM. The list can keep going. I look at modular synths and salivate but have never taken the plunge. Modulars scare me. Imagine having a friend coming over down in your basement studio and they see this beautiful monstrosity of knobs and wires. You explain to them what it does, or properly tweaked, is capable of. Then I fire it up and proceed to make a farting sound, and if I'm not lucky, just unpredictable sound. They look at me, and then look down at their phone saying they forgot about an appointment and that they need to excuse themselves, never to be heard from again.
With my hardware synths, I get to at least relate to musical expectations to some degree.
That being said, I really, really want to build one. Benn, thanks for the wonderful video. You are so conversational that is very east to listen to you speak for the duration. Keep them coming please.
So well spoken and informative!!! Also, that is the best outro anyone can have. Thank you for all the effort you put into this guide!
hands down best video to explain modular on youtube
"Finally there is a small amount of modular synth who are just not musicians."
Damn, you got me.
I absolutely love VCVrack, it's the first thing I do when I get home from work. Absolutely awsome!
Tried it but it dies not work on my Laptop - can build Systems and patches but get nö sound
The intro with the Seinfeld theme played on a moog bass is just hilarious
Cool video! A couple of observations: Mutable Instruments discontinued Clouds last year, so the only options for that are used or one of the clones. The 0-Coast is not rack mountable without modifications (unlike the Mother 32 which is easily rack-able).
I had to rewind and make sure it wasn’t an ice cream cone the whole time. Got me shook.
I use Softube Modular, and you would hear the difference side-by-side doing nothing but making a patch and comparing the two. However, I'm not convinced that software modular that's been through the full production process in a piece of music is going to sound all that different. For me, it's cheaper (and sometimes even cheaper still on sale!), I can save presets, I don't have to buy a second, third, etc unit if I want multiple units of a particular model, it can come with me on a plane, and I never have to solder a thing. I don't have access to the boundless Eurorack market, but I'm covered for enough of the main device types to make it worthwhile for me. If I ever changed my mind then the world of Eurorack is still there, but I only wanted to dabble in it as a side-venture so this is perfect. (And I've seen what happened to my friends when they started building walls of the stuff, and it ain't pretty.)
I've been diving into this stuff lately and that's been my understanding too, especially as computers and the software get faster. If you want to have tactility, you can use midi CC, and with that you can freely map the controls how you want, including switching things around to switch between different modules. You can even add analog to your setup if you really want, routing CC in/out of the computer. And I don't really buy the argument that you can't get the same sound out of software.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video man. Haven't seen anything more clear or concise.
Best intro to a synth video I've ever seen.
The intro literally killed me, i already love this guy
The opening skits are so good. I'd love to get some of the background music to relax/study to.
I love your little skits. Do more. And while youre at it Red extensions part 2!
I legitimately laughed my ass off at the vocoder voice. Really good job dude 👍
Thank you, great questions and great answers. I have been subtractive sound designing on digital synths for 30 years, recently began FM. My favorite is the Roland Gaia SH01 because of the three of everything. Obviously the sound quality of the oscillators are a little weak but are acceptable when in deep polyphonic big chords. So I have been watching modular for years now as I wish to build a similar synth to the Gaia but with much greater modulation routing and a big analog sound. Also a stereo field is a big part of my design so routing amps to a mixer and panning oscillators across a stereo field is a big requirement also. Monophonic leads would be my goal with modular, sequencing is not. I would like to begin with semi-modular then add modules as I become skilled in design. My thought today is a Arturia MiniBrut2s - Moog Mother - Behringer Nuetron - some extra ADSR's and LFO's all in a 176hp case. Then a dedicated sub-mixer to build a stereo field. What do you think, a waste of money?
Great video! The Seinfled clip was awesome! I would recommend this video for anyone toying with the idea of getting into modular
I am a guitar player and I am subscribing after seeing this. Excellent.
Your channel is ridiculously good.
Hi. LOVE the channel and thanks for doing so much educational content that us noobs can just gobble up. I have been toying with the idea of modular for a while, and I have a Minibrute 2s and a Boog Model D, both of which are semi-modular. I felt that those would be decent starting points for going into eurorack. This video was a godsend and answered very many of my questions. Sadly, it hasn't stopped me from wanting to spend inordinate amounts of money on building my first rack. At least I have a better understanding of where I want to start with it. Thanks!
As a guitarist/bassist AND photographer who is ALSO a computer gamer, who just got into eurorack: Yes, photography is my most expensive hobby. It's not even close.
That beginning was so cute. You seem really happy these days
Great video as always! I just took my first steps into the eurorack world and this was super helpful in figuring out where to go next
Great video. I'm learning Voltage Modular (Cherry Audio) right now and may get into this. I really like that idea of a swiss army module.
Maths, Clouds, some oscillators, filters, vcas, multis, and say 8 of those swiss army modules. And this thermos. And this paddle ball game. And that's ALL I need.
Yes, Navin Johnson probably spent half of his two hundred and fifty big ones on modular
One reason the price of modular gets a bad rap is there are no entry level-priced modular setups like there are with other traditional instruments -- like the $99 electric guitar or bass.
__Being a lifelong musician, in the past I've spent ~$20,000 on two high-end kits, and about $10K on guitars and amps, and thousands more on PA systems and all sorts of gear. I could've built a HUGE modular setup with that dough! Ask any working musician what they spent on their gear, and they're gonna give you a figure in the thousands. Making music is rarely a cheap endeavor.
__HOWEVER...You can build a _nice_ little modular synth for ~$2,000. That's the same price as a Les Paul with a decent amp, a nice drum kit, or a nice [insert musical instrument]. Modular certainly isn't _cheap,_ but it's no more expensive than any other professional-level instrument.
i already decided to go modular. but i like watching you videos. after i saw the beringer video, i like your videos more :D
Great stuff Benn , im a 23old music producer wannabe from argentina and these kinda vídeos are very helpfull for people like me, you have a new subscriber! Keep it up
Great info for an on-the-fence candidate and served in an objective way. I'm going modular though.
You got a synth brain. Amazed how much you know.
Hey, this is an amazing video! Thanks for the info and the humility, fab!
A good start is one of the Behringer semimodular synths. Get it, learn the ins and outs, then get a case and an effect or two and expand from there
Plus, Behringer just came out with a line of System 100 and System 55 modules that will cost between between $50 and $100 per module. Super affordable :D
@@medotata5356 Also theres the dreadbox chromatic modules. Similar price range
@@SorchaSublime Good to know :). I've just bought a Neutron recently, but I am already thinking about buying something more. I am a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of modules though.
@@medotata5356 thats just the nature of eurorack im afraid
IMO, a Minibrute 2 is a better entry to modular because you can buy the Rackbrute for cheap and it attaches directly to the MB2. Also, the Cre8audio nifty bundle is great.
For someone wanting to maybe get into modular but are unsure i would say either start with a semi modular or get an AE Modular starter rack. I started with a behringer neutron along side a used clouds and ornament&crime modules with a microzeus power supply and synthrotek rails. 2 months later I'm on my third power supply and building a second 6U case.
Nice video Benn. I love the Seinfeld bit. I would say the first part is for beginners and its really clear but the second part of the video is for people who have some prior knowledge. So if you get lost on the second part, don't worry, just watch another 100 videos on modulars and you'll sort of understand it ;-) . Subscribing now.
great video. loved the acid seinfeld theme.
Excellent video. Now I want to listen to Baseck.
Whaoooooah.... this is a killer video, in both production value and content.... WELL DONE!
this is a wonderful and sincerely underrated video... definitely going to share this with folks asking these questions. thanks so much!
Fantastic video! You almost convinced me to go over to the dark side. I was planning on getting a Neutron and never considered hitching a Clouds module to it, until now. Dammit, you might have gotten to me after all. At $832 it gets quite compelling.
"At $832 it gets quite compelling." More like bankrupting. It never ends, you just keep adding more and more and more as you realize you left behind all the functionality that kept your wallet fat. Srsly.
This vid helped me determine modular is not for me. Thanks! :D
Thx for the video.
I have semi-modular gear and want to expand in a small modular rack and your video helped me a lot.
Great video! Should be a required stop in beginner research. I say that as a beginner. Synthfield was awesome, too!
I almost didn't get into euro because I subbed to the reddit euro board and saw so many videos of ten thousand dollar systems making early 2000s ringtones. Then, I spent 300 bucks on a neutron, then I decided I needed a few little things to beef up its sound, and I spent 2 grand in a week.
Benn, great vid. Nicely done as usual. I'd really love it if you could do a video on your Kilpatrick Pattern Generator, especially since you have the midi expander as well. There aren't any videos I'm aware of about using CC messages to change the patterns/scales, and that's a shame because the general lack of CV control over these is why so many people either never buy it or end up selling it. Thanks, and keep making these excellent videos!
Thanks for sharing...some good thoughts to consider about setting up a Eurorack.
This is a great resource. It's fun and reasonable. Thank you.
That intro made my day. Thanks
Kudos for the video, very clear, dynamic and informative. Just want to point out that the 7bit (128 levels) limitation in MIDI (which I don’t think is pretty decent for some parameters like frequencies due to stepping), can be circumvented with the usage of 14bit messages (16384 levels) when available from the synth manufacturer.
Just a full hour of skits next time please!
The intro is great. 🎉
Really enjoyed this video. The ending track was stellar!
Modular homes, beyond storage units, are built better than most homes here in the states. They use far more wood and are also cheaper AND are going to last WAY longer than the way they're built here. Modular synthesizers and homes are amazing.
Another great vid. I'd love to se you do a smaller pallet case of just fx, to run grooveboxes through, think akai force/mpc/op1/mc707, that sort of thing. I have seen others do this to great....effect.... but your way of explaining things is so fantastic that I find myself wishing you'd do a video on it.
Thank you to encourage us to buy more Behringer Eurorack modules at low price ! ;)
You explained such a complex concept so easily thankyou
Hey, I watched this video many months ago but forgot the contents. Over the past couple weeks I've started to design my own first small modular, got a few modules to go with my 0-Coast... and to my surprise, it's basically turning out to be the Alien Machine. So I guess in some roundabout way this video must have helped me!
Thanks man, real nice video about the basics. I'm just planning my first modular system, mostly for "analogize" vst sounds.
Finally, someone with a studio tan like mine.
What an amazing overview! Cheers for that!
I tried my hand at building my own fuzz pedal, and while I succeeded (more or less) I now have a FIRM understanding of the value of well built and engineered effects pedals. Not that I didn’t before but the process really nailed it home for me. I assume the same would go for synth modules. Too many people under-value the skills of the people who build this shit and by extension the value of the gear it self.
I love how "they're making them a lot slower than people are dying" implies two ways to mitigate the problem.
Thumbs up for ice cream gag! 🤣
Awesome video man. Format, subject, production. Good stuff.
I wanted a big enclosed case that I could still easily cool and have all I need to make noise in one spot. I went with a $300 portable 10U+4U Gator rack case. I spent $140 on mounting hardware from Synthrotek and Matrix Modular taking up the top 10U. In the 4U below I am putting in a drawer and vented panels. The back holds a surge protector and will hold a fan array.
MIDI can technically do up to 16,384 values (14bit) when you consider NRPN messages. That's higher than a lot of digital CV modules!
As for calibration - if you need to recalibrate every few months, then there's likely an issue with your analogue VCOs. Some of mine are over 10 years old at this point and they never really needed to be recalibrated.
watching that really complicated my life ;) seriously though, very informative and much to consider but starting small and simple seems to be a wise approach. Now to save some money!
Thanks so much for trying to break it down for us in reasonable language. But I still can’t wrap my head around what sound or technical methods I could do with mod synths that I can’t do with Kontakt or Reaktor or Max/DSP (Max for live) Or even something like a decent fx chain around a solid soft synth like say Massive X controlled with a few well equipped midi controller and an iPad for anything that’s not knob, button, key, pad etc?
* u kinda just answered this as I was writing it but I still don’t see how this could possibly make my work more unique and certainly seems like a huge amount of effort and reading which is fine but after many reads of the Ableton and Max docs and all the custom mods templates and mapping I’ve built, it took me about a year to get my setup to be well integrated/router to my gear and purposes and this is with 30+ years using analog instruments and even drum machines and recording hardware use since the age of ADATS! So talking on modular just doesn’t sound like anything that can’t be done without some looped up outboard gear if digital sound still doesn’t do it somehow,
And I get that feeling, I mean, I used to spend the extra money to bounce my recodings from tape into protools instead of using a mic on my amp setup in an isolation room being fed into protools directly because of my own dislike for digitally recorded sound in the early 2000’s, but I’m even loving going through a preamble and DI with my guitar and then using Guitar Rig w little more and it sounds better and heavier than my favorite stack back in the day!
I just have this seriously skeptical feeling about modular and euro rack when Ableton with max and natives stuff have made pretty much any sound I can possibly want to make possible and even perform able in ways that are so uniquely custom letting me feel that feel I got jamming with a band again even with a computer at the center of my system (I do however use a tablet running TouchOSC to show me all i need from the DAW and devices so the actual computer is out of sight for me to have The sense that I’m playing actual instruments (think Tim Exile setup but with foot pedals and a guitar midi controller used at times since I’m so so with keys by comparison) which seemed like the main appeal of euro rack and even hard synths in general!
So aside from a pissed off girlfriend watching me spend hours a day reading and spending more money on audio gear than i do, is there something I’m missing about Mod that seriously does make a difference in my capabilities than what I use now? If there is, I wish I could see a clear example or get an answer. I LOVE tech and music and always looking to make my music sound better and methods more practical and fun! It feels like I MUST be missing something here w so many videos on the subject but I can only think of one major band I’ve seen really using this type of gear which is Nine inch Nails in recent years. Their studio rack setup is def total tech porn and I can drool over that stuff all day but what can’t I do with my 6 very different types of controllers, mixer, interface, tablets, midi floor pedals and guitar and mic?
So sorry it’s so long. I just really feel lost for the first time in a massive movement of new Audio tech and this scene is huge and I don’t see what I dont see and I’m not cynical enough to think it’s a bunch of snobbery and fetishizing over stuff that’s def not affordable to most people anyhow...besides, the best sound example video I could find sounded like noisy cinematic ambience at best which seems super niche yet the videos are posted by the thousands on this topic! Thanks again and sorry so long
I am a hobbyist photographer and I have one single compact camera: Fuji X100S. Long time ago had DSLR with couple of lenses but I've sold them.
Man how haven't I found this channel before?! Fantastic video Benn, thanks a lot ♥ Happily subscribing!
Man... you really cut through the tinsel. But seriously... thanks for the straight info on the subject. I’m pretty new to this stuff... and actual quick digestible information is harder to find than I thought. I am a Electronics savvy person, so “just the facts” is my mantra at this time. You know... voltages used, what’s a gate voltage? That kind of thing... thanks again! Oh yeah... I am a Musician from way back... but I still enjoy making bleeps and bloops. Ha ha. Blooooop🤖✨
That intro was really good.
This is gonna be a classic.
the price is high on modules because they're small companies that makes small batchs of modules themselves. they aren't as big as like... KORG, that makes 10.000 units of one product on offshore factories.
Thanks Benn! :)
Thumbs up Indiana USA.
the most helpful video so far :)
god tier opening