All that 2hp? Yikes.

I see it's the 5U Stuff. Cool. Couldn't find 'em at first.
You could spread those utility modules on the top around.
What do you plan to control it with?

EDITED Oct 28th, 02:41

Well, I didn't break anything, I think.
This build is for projects coming this winter, mostly auto-generating noodles.

I tried to get the things I use together closer to each other this time,
and keep the vertical arrangement of modules in mind as much as the horizontal.

There's a little of everything in there. Kind of Doepfer heavy, as usual, but not too much this time.
I think the mixer section in the lower right will be interesting with the split fx in the middle.
The complex note clock in the upper left does such cool things.
Oops, I just noticed that I put the Frap Tools 333's in upside down.

The A-180-9 Multicores are joined by two ribbon cables in the back,
so they act like a snake between the note clock and the synth voices on the right,
so I don't have a bunch of 3 footers draped across the front.
One of my favorite tricks. Takes no power. Read about it in the Multicore manual.

A full Doepfer A-111-4 set (envs/vca/filter/lfos) takes up so much room, with wires all over.
This time I split it into two rows, stacked, and it feels a lot more compact.
Had to do some bus trickery to get the Precision adders working right.
Light adder controls the light block, dark adder controls (most of) the dark blocks.

The MIDI polyphonic section in the lower left should also be a lot of fun.
Going to try using the SIG Inspiration Generator to generate MIDI via CV Thing, for the poly modules.
Maybe it'll work, maybe. The NerdSeq sends MIDI i/o down there too,
and provides keyboard in and HDMI video out down there in the left corner.
But that might get replaced by a Rossum Locutus for MIDI i/o from the Assimil8tor.

I like the vertical active multiple backbone down the whole thing. Handy.
"Wow, he sure likes active mults."

The wood on the bottom makes it look like a 1970's Whirlpool fridge.

Here's the plan:

(thanks MG)

EDITED Oct 24th, 05:47

I would sacrifice the ochd and put a Synthrotek MST '07 Buffered Multiple next to the Pam's
to set up a common clock and start/stop/reset with the drums, and sequencer, and the rest.

There's lots of function generation and audio processing there,
but it needs maybe two more voices for them to chew on and wobble.

You have four drum voices and they would benefit from a 4 channel stereo sub mix.
Maybe pair that stereo mixer with your MFX, placed next in the chain.
That's an interesting and versitle set of modules.

here's my edit:

It's a tough layout with so many larger modules.
I dropped Maths, it's so big and you've maybe got some Pam's EGs that can kinda do some of that.
It's the earlier Pam's and I don't know it. But yeah, you could use some envelopes now.

I kept the osc and utilitiy function generators bunched in the upper left
and to get some modules closer to each other. The upper left looks nice, a complete interesting sparkle voice.

The addition, a Monumatic gives you wide stereo polyphonic variety and washes to feed those fancy fx.
I moved the sequencer over there because that's where the action is with marbles, midi, and clocks.
Not ideal, but better, and moves the intellijel voicing closer to the mixer and the mults above it.

The bottom row is clock, drums, submix, fx, and mixer. I chose the Doepfer A-138s mixer. Good as anything.
I'd like to hear that row.

EDITED Oct 16th, 21:21

Ok. I'll try Harmonaig again, study how you and others are using it, and try and figure it out.
I have four of those blue QZVCOs that could be interesting with it.

I really like the idea of it, but I was having such difficulty sequencing it the CVs it wants
in the order it wants, and could never find the melody/chordings I was looking for.
Mosly from difficulty in setting those three modals using a stepped CV, precisely.

I'll take another look at it, and thank you for your assistance.

EDITED Oct 12th, 01:56

Interesting. Lots there and enough to play with.
Give it some active mults and offset/attenuators and you're all set.

EDITED Oct 11th, 03:59

I got a Harmonàig. Afford isn't the consideration.
I was dissapointed that the thin bare board and gold nuts aesthetic seemed so cheap, that and its frequent stray notes.
Flaky meh firmware.
Still have it, and it always looks like it should be interesting, but I can't find a good place for its 18hp.

EDITED Oct 10th, 02:54

Dump the fixed filter bank, it's not much fun.
Replace it with spreading around active mults to share those generated signals.

Stuff's sort of scattered all over that rack.
Mostly because how modules are built, but also from tradition, the easier layout, going left to right is:
clock/input->gen cv/en/lfo->osc(s)->filter+en->vca+en->fx->mix->out
Consider what's next to each other, down the line. Is it a nessecery pairing (vca and it's env)
or a convienient or usual pairing? Or the heart of a thing you just want to hear work together?
Put them close. Then pair the pairs.

Why? Its the wires. People forget about the wires.
Two footers, back and forth along the interface, then all the shorter connects woven in-between.
For me, it's a distracting pain having to dig thru the nest to find a label or tweak a knob.

I know that's also the point, the switchboard, the drape, and eurorack's fun is uniquely that.
I'm just saying, stuff's sort of scattered all over that rack.

EDITED Oct 8th, 19:44

Pretty neat little thing. Sounds great so far.
I wanted to make something that pushed me in different directions from tradition,
so there's a Doepfer ribbon controller driving two of Moogs oddest modules with the Mavis intended as the ribbon's front and back end.
The red panels came from a guy on etsy, very nice work, but I left the wood panels too. Moogs gotta have the wood.

It took 44 of those little knobs Moog used to sell to complete it.
Looks so much nicer, and they work and feel way better too. I don't understand why they didn't come with those in the first place.
Moog knew they were needed, would have only cost them a few bucks, and they made and sold($$) them, but were discontinued.
I don't get that.

The new ribbon controller works well so far, it's jumpy in pitch sometimes, but it's early and I'll figure it out.
Lots of possibilities; MIDI and/or CV, three seperate outs or one into another, sequencer/ribbon/keyboard control...
The A-185 adder helps. Lets me change octaves with a switch, and an input to add wobble or fine tune it, with three CV outs to feed everything.

It all seems to work so far. The Spectravox is a very peculiar animal, and the Subharmonicon is an engineer's fever dream.
Thanks to Dieter Doepfer for not forgetting the ribbon and his persistance in bringing out the improved A-185. Good job.
Lots to explore, but I won't be boring you with video. Nobody wants that :)

P.S. Finally played with it tonight. It's a screamer. Controller is expressive and sensitive. I have to figure out legato and envelope retriggering.

EDITED Oct 7th, 04:31

You probably haven't seen one of these yet.
Came today after waiting all summer. Yay!

Too busy today, maybe I can play with it tonight. Here's the system it's going into:

EDITED Oct 3rd, 20:57

I recommend maintaining a good relationship with your opthamologist.

I was dumb and arrogant, and I apologize.

Here's why I commented (poorly) on this build .
We've all built crazy boxes here, MG's built for it, and it's easy and fun, and lots of people come here to learn the dork arts.
Part of the equation for me though is that the pile of fun should be... kinda feasable, and 'playable' (whatever that means :)

Mostly, it's the wires that people forget:
Are there enough distribution points to connect and control and share those ten-things-all-alike?
Should those ten-things-all-alike, and the other-thenty-things that they'll require to work, be interleaved instad of in banks?
Will you have to drape wires from the northwest to the southeast over and over to get what you're hoping to hear,
covering up the good stuff in the middle?

Those here that have put four or more 2hp modules all in a group must have felt that 'uh-oh' once they hooked them all together.
It seems like a cool idea, but it's really hard to get and keep them dialed in because it's so cramped and touchy.

I've been doing synth stuff forever, I still have my EML101, that I bought new, sitting downstairs, but the thing I didn't see coming
is that my eyesight would fail over the years and I'm approaching the point of not being able to read the module graphics any more,
so things like what Make Noise does on it's panels drives me batty. Bad design as marketing virtue.

So that's it.
Think Systemic.

Again, I apologize.
Thank you to everyone here at Modular Grid.

--

EDITED Sep 19th, 08:43

Yes.

We see this a lot.
A baseball card collection is not a baseball team.

Just wanted to share this.
It came out nicer than I had hoped and certainly improved the functionallity and visual clerity.

Knobs by synthcube.

I tend to think: reset/run>masterclocks>generate>modulate>duplicate>share>repeat
You could put a Pam's Pro Workout on the far left, theClep Diaz, then combine them with the Frap Tools 321.
Lots you could do with that pairing.

If you're wanting to split/share CVs (notes,not gates,envs, or triggers) use an active multiple
instead of something like the A-180 passive multiple.
It'll be a lot easier to get and keep it in tune with itself and others.

Yikes.

Had to put 'em someplace. I put them here.
The 2500 part is getting a Befaco Midi Thing, a 2hp ARP, a third EG, and some needed mults next week, then I'm done changing for a while.
This config feels good. Things in the right places. It's bigger than I thought it would be. Heavier too.
Behringer's not so bad. They let me make this pile of stuff. Lighten up, will 'ya?

EDITED Sep 8th, 00:02

This is how I did a 4 note analog poly voice section. Kind of big, but does a lot in the space.
I arranged it this way to get all of the connections and controls closer together.
The A-180-9 connects with two ribbon cables in the back to another A-180-9 in the note clock section.
This avoids having up to 14 wires draping across the front. That's how this section is usually fed notes, gates, and modulation.
The Ethernet-looking-but-not connectors also still work to talk to other systems with a single cable. Really handy.

Four LFOs for independant wobble or PWM. The Synthrotek active mult is perfect for this config.
The Precision Adder shares the bus with the VCO, so I can switch inputs, modulate, or change octaves without needing extra cables.

Nothing exotic or boutique, but it stays in tune, is readable, plays sweet and soft, or it can knock your head off.
In compariison, it makes Saïch, and most of those supersaw all-in-ones, end up sounding like wheezy arcade chiptune music.
Here's what this poly quad sounds like by itself: https://noodlehut.bandcamp.com/track/lamp-of-lament

EDITED Sep 4th, 18:08

$2400 vs. $314? Yes, it is more, and it is much more.

Gets a third voice this way.
It would be a fun box with lots to play with.

--

EDITED Aug 30th, 00:32

It certainly looks complicated, expensive, and would make noises.
But draped with two dozen patch cables to connect it all, it would be pretty tough to use.

--

EDITED Aug 28th, 16:48

Think multiplication instead of addition.
Utility modules that multiply the value of the modules that are already chosen.

Nice voices on the top row. Probably enough for a while.
Maybe add a (sub)mixer on the end.
A Doepfer A-135-2 Quad VCA / VC Mixer would work nice there
and adds four voltage controlled VCAs too.

It could use a master clock. I like the Synthrotek M/DIV for that,
but it really wants a Pam's Pro Workout.
Then the sequencer doesn't have to step everything.

A Frap Tools 333 would let you combine, transpose, wobble, and share those note CVs
and also adds the mults it needs. Super handy.

--

EDITED Aug 27th, 15:44

Save yourself while you still can.

YouTube closed captioning really sells the NerdSeq

Don't feel deflated. It's going to happen.
We've all dinged modules along the way, some that we loved.
There are complexities in the craft and The Red Stripe Lesson is a harsh one.

I found these in a box. Unobtainium, unopened. Yay!

They work so nice on Doepfer pot stalks. Perfect.

Should I sell 'em, hang on to 'em, or use 'em?

EDITED Aug 5th, 18:55

They're so cute when they're babies.

Really nice.
Maybe add two or three Buff Mults to share those hard won signals.
As long as you're using the Arp, a 2hp Euclid always brings cheap thrills.

The main modular. Planning took forever. Lots to test. So far, yikes it sounds big.
I tried to keep the most typical connections to be close enough for the Little Yellow Wires.
I'm using a Deftaudio midi hub down next to the Misha, but MG doesn't have their listing.

Note use of the two Doepfer A-180-9 Multicores. The cool thing is that you can use two ribbon cables and connect them from the back.
That gets 14 lines from the note clocks on the left over to the voice modules on the other side, without draping a dozen wires across the box.
The 'ethernet' connectors still work for connecting other synths.

I have to go back and study the Misha and Nerdseq manuals a bunch more.
Hopefully someday I can tame that Mob of Emus. They are always ornery.

EDITED Jul 31st, 19:22

This build is more 'play notes' oriented than 'funny noise' oriented, with lots of sequencing and step counting from the left side.
Turned out nice, and formidable too. Stereo four voice polyphonic, and eight parts is a stretch, but possible.
Sounds great so far and it even stays in tune with itself, mostly.

The GO cases and internals are pretty good, plasticy but sturdy enough. Their joining bracket is a little wonky.
The joined pair is solid, but in no way road worthy, and the whole thing is way heavier than it seems.

Despite it all being Behringer, the ARP side sounds distinctly different from the Roland side.
Glass-ey vs. woody maybe? The 2500 modules also tend to have way wider output ranges than the System-100M Series stuff.

I count 81(?!) pot shafts sticking up from the System-100M modules.
They all really deserve knobs. Feels unfinished. Ick.

Still testing and learning what it can do.
No video, but I thought I could share a picture of it.
Fun.
Questions?

EDITED Jul 27th, 16:26

Needs a master clock to feed the sequencer, dividers, and pachinko,
and active multiples to feed those note CVs to more than one module.
Kind of weak on LFOs, and Typhoon reaaly likes modulation.
Maybe give up one of those Plaits?
As cool as that sequencer is, it takes a big bite, but just the seq* running the synth voice,
and maybe that into the typhoon, just that, is a perfect to learn where you might want to go.
You can do a lot with just those pieces (and power)..
*but I'll bet you'll want a quantizer soon....

EDITED Jul 7th, 04:50

too many modules, close to the limit, and it got hot
or
it got hot
or
it's broken

pull your modules, the power supply might be risky now,
and measure the three voltages with a scope/meter, then you'll know what's next

there's a possibility of a bad module pulling down power or a ribbon cable short too,
but i'd check the +12 -12 and +5, and avoid debugging by swapping things around too much

I approve.
- Your Opthamologist

I always like a master system clock with a feedback path, like a Pam's with an Axon-2.

Some meter/scope would be useful.
There's a lot of complex waveforms being generated, for flying in the blind.

Well, this is different.
Second Life is still around?
It is! For 23 years, which is a long time for any online thing.

This is for their annual birthday celebration, so this year, it's SL23B.
People get together, get a plot to build on, and make something new in about a week.
We built an interactive synth, with the sequencer based on JohnConway's Game of Life.
It took around 2,000 of LSL scripting language. I am tired, but it sounds really nice.

SL23B opens in a week and runs for a month. Come find us and play it, we're in the 'Spectacular' simulator.

EDITED Jun 15th, 20:44

My dream system:

Cage 286'39"

EDITED Jun 4th, 15:57

That 4x4 mixer doesn't seem worth the space. There's better ways to do most of that.
Add as many active multiples as you can stand to spread those expensive-to-generate signals around, accuratly.
I like the MST '07 Buffered Multiple and the Rides in the Storm QAM.

Another boring module is the lowly offset/attenuator.
The Doepfer A-183-2 is a simple, clean one channel 4hp one.
The Frap Tools 321 is a nicer 3 channel one in 6hp
The Frap Tools 333 Sum and Distribution lets you transpose and wobble 3 channels of note CVs, and more, in tune.

These utility modules are the glue that unifies everthing you have into a systemic whole.

EDITED May 23rd, 02:49

Dieter chose some intereting modules to start with.
Hope they can get enough parts to make them.
https://www2.doepfer.eu/index.php/en

I wish people were this passionate about using more active multiples.
Priorities.

Oh yeah, another thing while we're planning modules and buying cases...
My hopes get dashed by this too often: module depth vs. case depth

I ended up recommending modules that might be too deep for the case you want.
It's always something.

You have to power it from the front.
All of us here are haunted by wires.

What you've planned will do a lot already, it's lots of enough.
Just install a blank panel as a koan to disclipline.
This is a nice one:
https://modulargrid.net/e/stochastic-instruments-4-33
"What can music be?"

This is a little cleaner and cheaper too.
The Behringer seq does more, costs way less, and can act as another system clock.
The nanorings is smaller. works the same, and is easier to find.
Finding a Beads, or any authentic MI module, is tough now. Do you already have them?

I put them in an order so they can often interconnect with those nice short yellow Doeper patch wires.
Love those little yellow Doepfer wires.

EDITED May 13th, 19:54

I built a three tier Moog like this. The red frame is from a guy on Etsy that 3D prints them and it wasn't expensive.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Releas3DPrints?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1458591935&from_page=listing
Very sturdy and nicer than I had hoped. He prints them in colors other than red.
Really good work. Currently just $75. Can't beat that.

I kept the wood end cheeks but you don't have to. I thought they would end up lost in a drawer so I kept them on.
(To do that, I had to get 24 longer screws than what came with the frame.)

For the top row, I used the very nice empty Moog case that they used to sell.
They don't make them anymore, so you'll have to hunt around, but they're out there. A perfect match.
Unlike the other two, that empty case doesn't have it's own power so I used a Behringer PS,
running it all with one (big-enough) wall wart with a 3-way splitter wire to power the whole thing.

I did end up swapping rows 1 and 3 to keep the wires out of the way of those nice Subharmonicon knobs.
Worked way better on top. Here's how it ended up, as "The Squealer" (that really needs some mults).

For me, patch cable spaghetti never gets that bad.
I get lost on discovery road and forget what I'm doing, way before I run out of jacks and the wires to connect them :)

EDITED May 12th, 17:59

6hp left?
Doepfer A-185-2v Precision Adder.
You can then have one sequencer transpose the other, in tune, up or down,
and then share those new notes to that nice top row.

The power supply is fine.
The modular ribbon cable never carries audio. Just power and ground,
and sometimes, one gate for event on/off, and one cv, usually for notes.

Those two Moog sequencers are very different animals and can play nice together,
but the Subharmonicon is a demanding instrument to tame and integrate into a mix.
It's harmonic based, and always brings it's own special notes.
Spectravox is even weirder. For me, both of them are more for seasoning than a main course.

If you like that three-tier Moog format, consider maybe two Mother32s might take you further.
That'd be fun.

EDITED May 12th, 11:46

The purists don't care for Doepfer and Behringer that much, for differing reasons.
But I think this almost final build came out looking and sounding wonderful. Lots of melodic discovery to be had.
Clean and readable. One of those synths, that for me, are enjoyable to just look at, as well as play.

Here's the layout:

I tried to design more horizontally and vertically this time, a challenging constraint.
Vertically, 36 hp for event generation, 16 hp for envelopes, 64 hp for voicing, and 24 hp for mixing and output.
Horizontally, each row can also work as a separate synth, standalone from the others.

It is kind of delicate to transport, surprisingly heavy to move and really needs 8 more envelope generators.

I wish I could have shown it to my younger self that was reading the ARP catalog and 2600 manual obsessively in 1974.
My first synth was an EML 101 that I still have, and I see echoes of that here, and a hint of EMS Synthi 100 in there as well.

And long live Alan R. Pearlman.

EDITED May 4th, 23:21

"a tuning oscillator with 3 selectable frequencies (200/400/800 Hz)"

Well, there's your problem right there.

For the not-really-that-into-Doepfer players out there.
Clean and mean.

Why did Moog put Mavis' i/o on the left side, unlike all the other modules?
So I flipped the Mavis over to get everything on the right side.
This is kinda dumb, but not as bad as I thought.

You certainly have many modulation sources.