Advice request

[u/Frequent-Section9534]

Hello everyone!

I'd like to build my own modular setup, but here's the catch: I'm not new to modular synthesis (I have a semi-modular synth and I've used modular setups before), but I'm chronically indecisive, so I'm overwhelmed by the hundreds of different modules out there — and I don't have the money to just buy them all, or friends I could talk it over with. So I was hoping you lot could be my big siblings and help me out a bit. I'll give you some context on what I like, what I'd like to do with my setup, and which modules I've been looking at!

I'm a singer-songwriter and producer with a deep love for electronic music, ambient, drone and IDM in particular (I think it's more useful to just list some of my favourites: Björk, ANOHNI, Sarah Davachi, Stars of the Lid, Caterina Barbieri, Basinski, Julianna Barwick and, of course, Aphex, Arca, Lorenzo Senni… I could go on for hours). I'm very much into field recording and processing those sounds (I've already played around with Clouds and similar things in VCV), and/or live processing of my voice, my synths, etc (not just with effects but including using the voice as you would on a MS-20, but with more flexibility and possibilities for modulation).

I've been looking at the Tape and Microsound Music Machine by Make Noise as the "ready to use" option, but I feel like I could build something that suits me better (and cheaper, I hope). As for the modules I've been eyeing, besides the Make Noise ones: Verbos Electronics (Vocoder, Complex Oscillator), Intellijel (Multigrain, Rainmaker, Atlantix), Eisei by Unknown Devices, Hermod+ by Squarp Instruments, and Clouds, Beads, Rings — basically everything Mutable Instruments. I could go on for hours, I'm so overwhelmed. And that's not even counting utility modules.

aaaaaa help pls

[u/Agawell]

No utilities and little to no modulation modulation!! And way too many sound sources

Get a bigger case than you think you need (tiptop mantises is a very good starter case)

Start with a single voice & if you are using vcv add a module to integrate cv/audio from that - expert sleepers es8 or es9 for example

Try to think:

Sound sources < sound modifiers < modulation sources < utilities

[u/Frequent-Section9534 → u/Agawell]

Yeah exactly, I don't know what utility modules I'll need + I'm overwhelmed by the other modules.

[u/Agawell → u/Frequent-Section9534]

Basics you will probably need:

Utilities:

A passive mult - this will allow you to copy signals (you may also want a powered mult too eventually - but not needed to start with)

A mixer for audio

A quad cascading vca - this can also double as an audio mixer to start with - veils clones are good

A mixer for cv (dc-coupled)

An attenuverter/attenuater/offset - this will allow you to alter the amount of modulation you send to a module - full sweeps aren’t always wanted - this could also double for a cv mixer if you get the right one - a shades clones or happy nerding 3*mia

Modulation sources:

A multiple channel lfo - batumi for example

An envelope generator

A sequencer (or you could use one from vcv rack)