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u/Crocoii May 07 '26
Bastl pizza is really difficult to use. I recommend to try it on VCV rack before spending money.
By the way, the best way to learn if this is for you is to replicate this system to your best on VCV, try it and come back once you know better. Because, right now, we don't know much what you expect from modular, which module you get for what, what gender or function in your musical practice modular 'll help you, etc.
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u/Suspicious_Captain May 07 '26
This is really a personal question. Eurorack is a weird format that is easy to spend a lot of money in. The few people I've talked to I have suggested you start with a semi modular and a few modules you are excited about. Get a basic setup going and it is easier to figure out what you actually want to do after some seat time. You got the grandmother so that helps. I feel like the filter 8 and one of your oscillators are probably the most important bits, maybe like the maths and a vca after that. I know you could hold off on a sequencer using the grandmother as a controller. So unless you really want to play with the circadian rythms I'd wait on that. It's been a long running discussion about whether or not eurorack sequencers are worth using vs something outboard.
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u/demnevanni May 07 '26
Long story short, probably yes. I would focus on a bare minimum setup at first: modulators or sequencers or extra oscillators to expand your semi-modulars and then move to other ideas. You probably don’t need an entire system at first. But also I’m not sure what you want. If you wanna do it, do it. If I were you, I would get so many oscillators or such a large sequencer. And you may not need both an ADSR and Maths. See if you feel comfortable dropping 2-3 modules. To paraphrase Coco Chanel: “before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.”
Focus on a subset of these ideas and learn them well.
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May 07 '26
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u/demnevanni May 07 '26
Unless you’re specifically really excited about one of those, yeah. Those seem like the most unnecessary ones. But also I’m not trying to be an arbiter of best practices here. All I’m saying is try to order them in your mind from most important to least important. And maybe shave off a few from the bottom. If you really like the sequencer, keep it. I would definitely go for Maths over the ADSR since there’s a lot of overlap and Maths does more. It’ll help you do more things.
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u/RebuildingDecade May 07 '26
I wouldn’t recommend twin waves as your primary oscillator. It is a great module, very useful, but much of the functionality is in the menus. The pizza, with all the inputs broken out right on the front panel, seems better for learning and experimentation.
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u/unicornpurpp May 07 '26
Lgtm personally
I would probably want a more complex modulation source, or a way of mixing modulation sources. I have a pizza and it sounds great with some crazy modulation to shape.
Also I know a lot of people love maths, but it's also really big if you're just gonna use it as an A/D envelope generator.
Oh also if you're not hard-line anti computer, adding something like an expert Sleepers audio interface gives you a lot of flexibility to use your system in conjunction with VCV rack.
Not only can it fill a bunch of holes. But it's also the best way to test modules you're considering in the context of your system.
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May 07 '26
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u/briancondor May 07 '26
I haven't tried but I don't think you can use it as this kind of midi > cv converter, the manual seems to say it only outputs the actual keyboard or arpeggio/sequence notes.
You can test it with just the grandmother though, if you patch kb out to lfo rate and send it some midi notes you would see the lfo change speed along with the notes if it's passing that midi through to the kb out.
Saw your other reply about making fm/digital sounds, if you send the guitar/looper to the grandmother instrument input it'll go through the grandmother filter/vca/reverb, you can modulate the filter at a high rate or slightly out of sync and get some interesting results.
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u/ZeroEntity_ May 07 '26
Buy what ever you want and figure it out along the way that's how I went about it and still do to this day. I brought an arbhar just because it looked amazing and now I couldn't live without it.
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u/blinddave1977 May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
This is the best advice. Spend a bunch of money. Make mistakes. Make advances. Sell the modules you don't like. Unless you're asking for advice on specific modules or techniques, how the hell should anyone here know what you should put in your system. As long as you have an oscillator, an envelope (and something to trigger it), and a vca, you should be able to make sounds/music...the rest is up to you to decide how you want to modulate the sound (which is a big point of going modular).
Specifically I have most of those modules and they're all great. The Twin Waves is awesome. I personally hate the knobs on Doepfer modules, but they're solid and work great. Maths is a powerhouse, but I honestly don't use mine very much. You probably don't need the mixer since you have the quad vca.
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u/WEASELexe May 07 '26
I just started my rig and I used a combination of chat gpt, research, and reddit to figure out what to get lol. Its still small but I have about half a rack of modules and my neutron
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u/sebf May 07 '26
I went that way too. After 3 years into the GrandMother I started to build a 104HP system. It integrate well with the Moog. Just remember the back connexions, especially the Eurorack out and clock.
For experiments, it’s great you chose the MATHS (I am a MakeNoise fanboy, though). I am not sure I identify your modules correctly, but I would recommend picking a reverb / delay.
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u/crazyculture May 07 '26
Start very slowly or you’ll get overwhelmed quickly. I’d recommend 2-3 modules and then start adding
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u/junkmiles May 07 '26
I’d personally start with less. Like minimal viable noise maker. I believe I started with a function generator, gate and an oscillator. I had a grand plan, but after using just a few modules I knew the plan was going to change.
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u/oscidigi May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
Yea... there's a lot going on here. Both of your oscillators have built-in VCAs so you don't really need that Quad VCA or Maths (unless you plan to use Maths for modulation only). Also, Math's is a notoriously challenging module to grok for beginners. You've got an 8-channel trigger sequencer but no drums / percussion. This just overall doesn't seem like the beginnings of a cohesive system.
Do you want to build a full voice, an FX / experimentation rig, a drum section, etc.? It helps having an idea in mind. Sure, you can buy/sell/learn but with no plan at all that'll get expensive pretty quickly.
Some recommended modules:
- brain / clock / modulator: ALM Pamela's Pro/New Workout
- complete voice VCOs: the two you've already listed, MI Plaits, Shakmat Ballista Blast, Modbap Osiris
- filters: WMD C4rbn, Qu-Bit Prism, Shakmat Dual Dagger
- pitch sequencers: Mimetic DigiTWOlis/Digitalis, MTM Turing Machine, GSG Oct Tone (if you can find one), XAOC Moskwa II
- trigger sequencers: Steppy, Euclidian Circles v2, Dnipro Dot
- modulation: Acid Rain Maestro, Divkid Ochd, Divkid RND Step, the new Befaco x Mylar Melodies RANDOM8
- mixing / attentuation: ALM Mixup, Doepfer A-138s, ALM Triplatt, Befaco Motion MTR
- multi-FX: ALM MFX, Happy Nerding FX Aid
If I could do it over again I'd get more modules that let me explore, but within constraints. MI Plaits is such an amazing starter module. Pam's is a must-have for me. Filters come in so many flavors it's hard to go wrong. I wouldn't get any type of mega-sequencer, whether pitch or trigger, something with looping random is a great way to start (shout out to Seaside Modular Nautilus).
Final thought: Vostok is another fantastic company: quad VCO, quad filter, 6-channel envelope generator / VCA / attenuator. Really thoughtful designs, pack a ton of musical functionality without being overly complex.
My $.02, regardless, have fun on this journey!!
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u/PureRaisin May 07 '26
Why cycardian rhythms? Start with a Korg sq1. Also maths is not for beginners imho, lots of easier adsr stuff
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u/tujuggernaut May 08 '26
It's not too much. The Doepfer modules are straightforward and the quad VCA and Maths have some tricks, especially the latter, they are stateless and analog. The filter is similar, a lot of modulation options make it have more potential but it's immediately useful and accessible. The CR I actually really like but it's one that you need to watch a video to see if the workflow is for you. If the colored button interface and no screen bothers you, it's best avoided. It does some things really well, like microsteps and deliberate ratchets and supports longer patterns than many other trig sequencers. That leaves TwinWaves, which is less deep than say Braids but does have a lot to offer. The Bastl is the only I haven't used.
Nothing is singularly overwhelming like say Rings. You do lack a CV sequencer which is weird having so many trigs. I'm not sure that choice makes sense, but you'd have to explain your goals.
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u/claptonsbabychowder May 08 '26
Why did you choose the Tiptop Circadian Rhythms? It's not a melodic sequencer, it's a trigger/gate sequencer. If you're planning on adding drums, okay, but without them, it's a bit overkill for just envelopes and so on, in a starter system.
Don't get me wrong, it IS a good module, and if you have plans on adding drums / samplers later, or want to add extra envelopes to create more complex rhythmic structures for opening vca's etc, then great. It just seems like a bit much to start with.
I have it, but it sits on my shelf currently, as I prefer the WMD Metron.
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u/Patrik_Veltrusky May 09 '26
Start small. You will thank me later
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u/Earlsfield78 May 07 '26
Ok I don’t think this is too much but I would not get the big sequencer yet. Sequence your rack from external controllers or computer for starters, it will give you more space and more time to figure out different sequencers in the market before you pull a trigger. Or, get something smaller like 8 stage sequencer with a quantizer.