https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2246108.jpg
greetings -
this is my first rack. i'm experienced with synths and recording, but am wondering if I should roll w the case that fits perfectly, or opt for a little extra space. my GAS is bad but i think i have my basics covrred with these modules.
what am i missing?
Here you go - 
Enjoy your spare HP, don't rush to fill every last space, this is not like filling sticker books. Resist the urge to 'complete' your rack, its never complete so just relax.
this is my first rack. i'm experienced with synths and recording, but am wondering if I should roll w the case that fits perfectly, or opt for a little extra space. my GAS is bad but i think i have my basics covrred with these modules.
what am i missing?
-- dreamboat
The general advice is to get a bigger case than you think you need. You never know when GAS will strike! Also, you may find that you want to swap out some modules and suddenly that case isn't such a perfect fit anymore.
That being said, yeah, looks like a good rack with basics covered. The only things I might recommend are more ways to control signal path and timing (e.g., sequential switch, switch multiple, router, logic, clock dividers, etc..) and maybe more mults/vcas. Otherwise though, it looks like a fun place to start.
How do you plan to play the instrument? Are you using external gear to control things, or is this a standalone?
noted. can you recommend some of your favorites? i've been eyeing 4ms clock distro / multiplier / divider, addt'l Intellijel logic.
i'm in the writing phase of a project right now. i inititally made the plunge into modular for the Pittsburgh Safari drums - it quickly got out of hand.
my initial intended use was for rhythm and bass (to compliment acoustic and elec guitar, vox) but i'm sure the possibilities will take on a life of their own.
i plan on using ableton as master, possibly thru my sq-64 and into Pam's. i've heard ableton is a bad clock but i've seen it done. that being said, i intend to use standalone as well. not necessarily into bleeps and bloops outside of atmosphere / percussive elements.
noted. can you recommend some of your favorites? i've been eyeing 4ms clock distro / multiplier / divider, addt'l Intellijel logic.
Sure thing. I've really gelled with Doepfer's A-182-1 Switch Multiple and A-151 Sequential Switch. They're pretty cheap as far as modules go, and add a lot of flexibiltiy in just a little hp. I recently got the 4ms QCD and I love it. It's just straightfoward and good at what it does, and is decently easy to adjust in real time. I'm thinking about getting the expander, too. For logic there are a bunch of options; I currently use a Tesseract VC Logics, which gives you two channels a several logic options.
You may want to consider tools like Joranalogue's Swtich 4 or Route 2. I've also been playing with their Morph 4, which on the surface gives you 4 vcas that you can morph/scan through, but it goes so much deeper, and might be an interesting way to mix and blend your signals. I'd also suggest some attenuators or attenuverters to help tame and control things.
There are other interesting modules that might interest you, like comparators to pick gates off of a changing voltage, or slew limiters to give you some glide. Also, I am a big fan of randomness and off-kilter rhythms, though it doesn't sound like that's your main interest. However, even if you want to keep things steady and regular, subtle touches of randomness can really add to the life of a patch. Match random voltages up with a S+H or T+H and suddenly you're in some really interesting territory. Pass it through a quantizer and suddenly you have a non-repeating melody. Using an attenuated smooth random signal to subtly and unpredictably modulate some parameter over time gives a lot of movement to your patch.
Luckily, Pams is already capable of doing both random voltages and smooth random voltages, and has the ability to attenuate, quantize, and do logic. It can also do euclidian patterns, so you can make funky off-kilter patterns. It's another reason to get more mults; you will quickly use up all 8 outs on Pams.
i plan on using ableton as master, possibly thru my sq-64 and into Pam's. i've heard ableton is a bad clock but i've seen it done. that being said, i intend to use standalone as well. not necessarily into bleeps and bloops outside of atmosphere / percussive elements.
If you were gonna play it standalone, then you might want to think about the ergonomics and actual playability of the intstrument. It's not gonna be enjoyable if you build it all and it turns out it's no fun to play. In addition to swtiches and attenuators, you could consider mutes to go along side your matrix mixer.
Good luck with the rack!
thx very much i appreciate the info
