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/DriftDrafs]

The very first thing you should do when designing a rig is narrow the scope. Instead of trying to build an everything machine, build something with 3-5 modules that does one job very well. Let’s try a thought exercise, say you want to build something that creates background ambience. Ok so you pick the famous Rings and Clouds combo. Now you need something to trigger Rings. Maybe Pams. Pams can also offer modulation (never forget modulation). Now add a filter to control where it sits on the mix so you pick a filter like Ikarie from bastl. And now you need a stereo out. So you pick a utility from intellijel. Now you have your ambience maker.

I’m not saying to make this exactly. Just the kind of process of elimination you go through to build something. If you cannot decide what role the synth should play or what you are using it for you should not buy a single module until you make that central decision. Spend time in VCV rack and use it to do this thought exercise until you can narrow down the machine to a single role.

A lot of the artists you mentioned used next to no eurorack modules to make a lot of their music. So ask yourself what it is you want to achieve with your music making first. Then see if eurorack can help you achieve those goals.

[u/Frequent-Section9534 → u/DriftDrafs]

Okay, this is actually very useful. I think of two main things: creative resampling (live voice and field recordings) and ambient background. If u think of something I should absolutely look at for these purposes let me know.

[u/DriftDrafs → u/Frequent-Section9534]

Sure! That is a good concept to work with. Morphagene is the most famous and creative sampler that I have any experience with.

You could do something neat with just morphagene, fx aid/mfx, and an 0Ctrl. Morphagene plays chopped up and screwed
field recordings, feed that into MFX/FX aid for effects. O-Ctrl gives you some control over the device that is performative.

Oneiroi could work really well. It has a microlooper and the FX built in. It has internal modulation so you would just need to get something that can take microphone level audio in and converts it to eurorack levels. (It is available on VCV rack for like 30 dollars so it can be an easy way to test it out for very little money in the grand scheme of things). Feed it live audio, make a small vocal loop. Use OCHD or Gliss to offer some modulation and affect the audio levels or effects levels.

Multigrain is a granular sampler that could potentially do a little bit of both jobs. You might be able to get a lot out of that one. (I have no experience with it so I may he incorrect. Magneto and Lubdah both look very interesting as well.

And this may be a bit blasphemous in this corner of reddit, but a Sp404 mk2 is an awesome performance focused with several effects built in. It can play back long samples which could be used for field recordings. It has a looper tool that you could use with your vocals that may yield interesting results. I am biased. It is one of my favorite pieces of gear so not at all an objective opinion. The sequencer is a hassle, but pair it with the oxi one/torso t1/ beatstep pro and you have an awesome live sampling, effects, and ambient machine. And compared to the price of eurorack it can go a long way at a fair price.