in a small rack a full voice module is very smart. Aka Manis yes vs Dixie
lapsus os is a luxurious module that I wish I got instead of the cheaper attenuator I got (aka yes, invest in good stuff that will always have a use)
for me, sequencing has the highest difficult yet important ratio in Eurorack. Still figuring it out. But to complicate things: I loved the Mimetic Digitalis at first for my small 3U rack, but when you use it as 16 step sequencer, I missed the 8step sequences (which are great for techno). Iām very happy I have a 8 step sequencer now, that also does 2-7 steps. When you find a nice pitch/gate sequencer, Mimetic still is great for modulation or secondary gates
so you really need a pitch Quantizer? If you do, fine! But in my case I thĆ³ught I did, put lots of effort and budget into it, only to find out that for my type of techno thereās zero need for quantization. You can sort of find pitch by ear, and it will sound adequately badass like that without a Quantizer.
I tend to need S&H sometimes.
I donāt particularly love my uO_C but itās very easy to handle and I often find a use for it. The hemisphere version is even more flexible. I use one half of it for S&H currently.
Pons Asinorun only does one shape at a time (down>up, up>down, or down>up>down. Aka if you use one of the four tracks for envelopes the rest dont work for (triangle) lfos)
will add more when I think of things
Added:
Steppy is cool. Smart choice, can be accents, trigs, clocks. When you choose to get Mimetic, something to reset it is good, so you can change the step length of Mimetic. One of the Steppy tracks could do this
Itās never gotten to the top of my to-buy list, but - especially for small rack - one of the Versioās could be smart and fun
I thought I should get a Plaits because people kept mentioning it. Didnāt really like the sound. Have a good listen on YT if itās sound appeals to you. I had the same with Microfreak, bought and sold cause I didnāt like the sound signature
Have a look at mutant brain from hexinverter. I use it to sync my Digitakt with my Modular. You can send 4 CVs and 12 gate signals from any midi device and is freely configurable.
Definitely get a bigger case as you will need it. Maybe an Intellijel 7u case that gives you room for support modules and still portable. Iām using an Intellijel 7u case for my mobile modular techno rig and it barely holds what I need.
Setting yourself a size limit will help you focus on your needs and help force you to get the most out of a small system you know very well. It can breed creativity.
Both approaches are valid, I just wanted to offer the alternative to āmore more moreā
S&H: Iād advise a micro ornament and crime (uO_C running hemisphere) Just because it can do so much in a small system. For its price itāll give loads.
Clep Diaz I have, not fully sure if Iād advise. Not for envelopes. Iād probably try a Quadrax next time around: Everything from envelopes to bipolar lfos.
I get your point but based on my experience in modular, more space is better than not enough and you can always put blank panel in if you donāt use space at one time. I filled a 104HP 4u palette case and still needed another 7u case for what I wanted to achieve without hauling a monster case with me.
ornament and crime is super awesome! I have one of them in each of my travel cases- one with Hemisphere and other with stock firmware. So useful! Now I want a few more for my 14u MDLR case and one for my Doepfer monster case in 1u and normal format. Way easier to use than Expert Sleepers Disting EX and powerful. I especially like the many types of cool envelope function generators, quantizers, and unique sequencers.
I would also advise a larger case, but if you are dead set on starting in 62hp, then I suggest this: on ModularGrid, fill your case as much as you plan on starting with, and post a link to your rack here instead of a screenshot, because the discussion might change your mind on some details. If you are planning on starting with more modules than will fit in 62hp and swapping them around, then mock up two or three alternate configurations as well. That way, instead of just focussing on what you might do (most of which will not be possible), we can also talk about what you canāt do or what is difficult.
Modules mentioned above I have personal experience with and would recommend: Pamās, Quadrax. Note that Hexinverter Mutant Brain is an in-rack version of CV.OCD; I went for out-of-rack. Also a quantizer is needed if you use Mimetic because the shredding isnāt quantized.
I wrote up my choices and the reasons for them, if you are interested in reading that. My criteria are different so it shouldnāt be considered as advice, but I did try to make it coherent and informative. 3 A Eurorack System
Something to keep in mind when starting with modular is that almost everything can be connected to anything. Only outputs canāt be connected to another output but can however get mixed to be used without issues. Every patchpoint is sending or expect ing voltage. Even audio can be used as control voltage and control voltage can be audible if the frequency is within hearing range. So a lfo that can run fast enough can be used as a sound source. If you want to sequence and have clock from midi devices you need to start buying a suitable midi-cv converter. I suggest at least 8 gates and preferably 6 cv channels and clock. Clock dividers, multiples or, buffered multiples for vcoās are essential. Next to keep in mind that every module that spits out audio eventually has to be routed to an external mixerchannel or to a mixer module if you just need 2 channel out of the skiff.
Mults you can do with a couple of Tiptop stack cables. Clock dividers are really nice though. You could use uO_C for that a bit. Or one or two tracks of Steppy. But a dedicated clock divider is really nice. Not sure how to fit here. I donāt have a Pams. If thatās good enough for lfos (does it also do envelopes?), you could swap the Quadrax for a Pams? EDIT: Clock dividers become more relevant with more modules in a rack though, come to think of it. So not really a priority for you here.
(Looking at your current skiff, the Quadrax looks most redundant for its size vs necessity. Yet thatās how Iāve ended up without a Stages / Quadrax and currently longing for one of them:)
If you only have 1 voice and a lot of clock destinations from a MIDI source (like DT or MD) then mutant brains has you covered. The brain surgery site is worth a look as it will let you see how you can configure the module before you dive in. http://mutantbrainsurgery.hexinverter.net/
