User Posts

Thanks, @farkas!

Thanks, @savagemessiah. Out of curiosity, do you know of any other 4HP modules that offer at least stereo reverb and delay?

Hi all,

I am considering an Fx Aid from Happy Nerding for my Intellijel Palette case. However, I see that the module depth is 45 mm according to ModularGrid, although I can't find confirmation of that on the Happy Nerding website. The case's depth is also reported as 45 mm in the specs, and when I measured it myself and calculated the depth it came to 45.24 mm. That strikes me as so close that I am now concerned about getting the module and discovering that I'd have to damage it just to get it installed. Just how much clearance am I likely to have? Has anyone else successfully installed an Fx Aid module in a Palette case?

Thanks, @fredeke - that gives me more to think about!

@farkas Thank you!

That makes sense; what I'm trying to say here is that as a newcomer to modular -- that is, not knowing the specific modules' functions beyond what I have learned from other synthesizers -- it is just not possible for me to think about the whole system beyond the level of VCO/VCF/VCA/modulation sources if I'm trying to pick from a large collection of multi-function modules. If I were building a system out of just plain VCO/VCF/VCA components, then I absolutely could think about the whole system! But I'm not at all interested in building a system out of just those simple components because there are clearly much more interesting modules that can play multiple roles. Incidentally I had already been eyeing Plaits as my first module; I like the sounds it produces but the missing piece for me was that the LPG could be opened fully.

@farkas Thanks! That all makes sense to me. My ask here about a first module is not about learning synthesis, but about cost and just not knowing the specific modules. I have been putting together rack builds on this site but it was becoming too difficult to tell whether an overall build was going to work for my purposes. Instead I wanted help getting off on the right foot by choosing a first module so I can learn how others think about this. I definitely get it, multiple modules are going to be important, and longer term I hope to get more. But given that so many modules seem to be capable of so much that isn't obvious at first glance, I thought I'd ask for recommendations!

(To put it another way: I don't understand what role the LPG plays in Plaits.)

@farkas Thanks! I'm also learning about LPGs and I'm confused about how those would help with drones/ambient; based on my reading about what LPGs do, wouldn't they be useful for shorter sounds like plucks or percussion?

Hi all,

As a newcomer to modular, I've seen many folks offer the same advice: start small, build up slowly as you discover what you need.

So I ask: if I have an empty case and can buy only one module to start with, and if my goal is (ultimately) to be able to have lots of modulation and play around with making ambient/drone/evolving sounds with lots of texture, what do you recommend as a starting sound source module? (Assume I have audio I/O for the case as well as a MIDI/CV interface.)

Ideally it'd be something I could start playing with by itself to start learning it and get some fun out of it before having to build up the rest of the signal path.

EDITED Jun 4th 2020, 02:14

Thank you so much @Lugia and @toodee - I didn't know about the 1U formats and I will definitely look into the 3xVCA!

I made changes my rack, but anyone with the old image cached will need to force-reload. When people update their racks to discuss here, is it typical for people to update the existing rack? Or make a new one? Since I updated my rack, some of the comments above will now be confusing since the image will show the changes for new viewers.

Thank you @wishbonebrewery and @dinorrific!

@wishbonebrewery: thanks for the reminder about a goal. I am finding it hard to choose a goal partly because I don't know what's possible, and I think my mindset is stuck in "subtractive synth" mode and the more I learn about modular the more I realize that's a really limited view. I think what drew me to modular is seeing people's sequencing setups, but also the more dreamy ambient/atmospheric sounds that I've seen some people create. I don't know whether this build would be especially good for that, but I think that's what drew me to the Plaits.

@dinorrific: are you referring to this? https://www.modulargrid.net/e/synthrotek-1u-unity-gain-mixer

Hi all,

I would love feedback on this Intellijel Palette case build. I am new to modular, but not to synthesis in general. I have loved the things I've seen about the Mutable Instruments line, so I tried making a build with a handful of those to cover sound sources, shaping, modulation, and some VCAs. I am still unsure of what my goal for my modular system would be and I am hoping that the feedback I get will help me figure that out! I am interested in having sequencing ability, lots of modulation, and interesting sound sources. I would love to hear thoughts on alternative modules to the ones I've selected as well as ways to max out this small case to get the most out of the space. Let me know what you think!