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"I own the Pico out and it's a great module, I throw it in tons of cases, but the odd hp size and the tiny pot drive me nuts. To counter the odd hp I usually pair it with 1 or 3 other Pico modules. Recently picked up a 1 hp blank to fill in the gaps if I find myself only able to use 1 Pico unit. That's all personal and ocd related, but worth considering. Have fun!"

Aaaahh.... I am little OCD myself, in fact, so actually this is a damn useful observation!

It will take a little while before I fill my 84hp so I have a bit of leeway and hopefully everything will add up (as mentioned elsewhere I rather like Pico too), but in the meantime I'm looking to get a little set of acrylic or perspex blanks cut.

Partly to hide as much Behringer as humanly possible. If I get them done in clear or smoked effect perspex, I can use the same material if I get into it and need a bigger case!

I'm excited af to get my Weather Drones so thanks for singing its praises, I look forward to some weirdness in my life. Peace!

Okay that's cool, you're basically confirming what I thought re: basic signal path, maybe seems like I'm too hasty wanting to add a second voice before I even understand what I'm doing with one, especially given what you and yeahivandalizm have said about WD's functionality.

Sequencing in-rack really fascinates me, but yeah, I'm also thinking about a Beatstep since I already use Ableton, hmmm.... as always, Pico and Ladik, thanks for the practical suggestions. Pico Seq would match the out I got for headphones... I will update this thread as I go ofc...

Cheers 33PO! You've really helped.

Nice! Here we run into one of the problems of modular that's already becoming apparent to me: SO many tempting modules, SO many ways to modulate and process...!

Literally all of the options you outlined appeal to me in one way or another, and I 'm intrigued by the idea of paired modules.

Probably the most budget-conscious option is one Pip, second Pip, then... probably MISO, which I really like the look of over O/A/x2. The QARV is another module like the look/feel of, so I'll be sorta keeping an eye on a bunch of these options on the wait'n'see principle over the next couple months, so another good shout there.

My last question... with preamble lol...

The idea of the rack is to have the core drone and wibble maker as discussd, then the quad VCA (or an erica double black vca) and the wee little arp and burst mods to generate basic bleepitude and melodicity, adding modulation and FX as i expand (to be used in both aspects, obviously).

How far off base am I in my expectations there?

Sorry to keep asking but it's really nice to get such detailed and useful responses!

EDITED Nov 27th 2022, 19:31

Weather Drones looks like a pretty complete noise-maker that would benefit from dynamic modulation and some effects.

Instead of the basic envelope / lfo consider Pam's New Workout (Pro), Zadar or maybe even Maths would give you a ton of fun modulation to patch in.

FX Aid to add a bunch of great effects algorithms
-- 33PO

Thanks 33PO!

Your comments are duly noted and appreciated, and I will definitely look at finding something more dynamic. Would love me some Pam action, probably looking at the cheaper modules or multiple simple units (at least for now). A YT video suggested Pip Slope plus O/A/x2 as a Maths replacement, which appeals to me bc two cheaper modules are easier to acquire for my broke ass! Any opinion?

FX are slightly lower priority at the outset bc I have Ableton and some pedals to fall back on for actrual projects, but FX Aid is a really nifty looking wee module, really flexible, so it's now on my official Want List.

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2077374.jpg?1669410001

Updated screenshot -- the one at the top of the thread is from earlier while I was tinkering!

Comments welcome on practicality of setup and order of purchase. I admit I have a steep learning curve as I'm leaping blind into this with no advice or experience, so be brutal and honest please folks.

My aim at the moment is to build a beginner's setup to use mainly as a drone-machine for ambient and industrial music (currently I'm all in the box) but with some capacity for me to also experiment with bleepy electro and basic sound design.

So far I have soe of the plumbing (power, mixer, mult, out) and a cheapo 84hp rack (held nose, bought Behringer). Next up is the Weather Drones as a central unit, plus the ADSR and Quad VCA...

The Takaab RLFO in December, but then I'll be broke af.

The arp and burst generator, which are more geared to the latter aspects of my interests, are going to have to wait until New Year.

Yeah I have zero concept of space and workflow in this context so this commentary is gold lol

Added to ferranadsr's comment above this is moving me away from an 84hp bundle toward a 104hp "proper" system.

Making a system from nothing is way more intimidating though...

Thanks, your English is good and so is your advice!

• Pamela's New Workout -- okay cool, I was looking at it bc it has a good reputation, so that goes straight in.

• The Cre8audio case has built-in audio and MIDI outputs, so that's covered here out of sight,

• Chipz and Cellz are mainly tempting because the ~£90 saving on bundle means you effectively get one for free. So fair point, but there's something to be said for a plug 'n' play system. Especially with a brain like mine.

• Envelope generators, noted, and I'm gonna check out some DMO demos as soon as I finish listening to this Terry Riley album, then update and maybe make a non-bundle version of this rack.

Thanks!

https://cdn.modulargrid.net/img/racks/modulargrid_2074210.jpg

My interests are creating bleepy bloopy electro and drone and textural weirdness from blissful new-age all the way to malevolent noise, so the Chipz and Cellz bundle plus Eowave Weather Drones gives me an intro to both aspects: two very different voices plus routes to combining them, for an unexpectedly reasonable price.

I'm trying to cover a wide range of musical and technical bases in a small footprint for a relatively modest cost, so the first purchase is the bundle, Chipz & Cellz with case and cables, plus the two Takaab modules. Next comes Weather Drones, then the 2hp modules to incrementally increase functionality in rhythmic and melodic areas. At some point I'll probably get a Beatstep Pro but initially I'll be exporting straight to DAW or into a Tascam digital recorder.

Since I have the knowledge of a gibbon and the skills of a neanderthal I've tried to approach it the way I would conceptualize a visual art or writing project, thinking things through in terms of thematic lines and desired affect. This technique has served me well making ambient music in MIDI, although I admit I might be an idiot for trying to apply it to literal pieces of actual technology.

Literal and thematic criticisms are, ofc, both equally valid and welcome, but try to be kind. Or if you're being brutal, try to be constructive!