That's also a great way to narrow down your search for your first modules, by building a bunch of patches and then making a list of which ones you use most. Of course, the downside is that if you aren't careful your list will be "Literally all of them."
And it can also be a part of the system eventually. There are some incredible modules in VCV Rack, that can expand the range of sonic possibilities, and add different colors to a patch.
Thank you for this series! I just finished watching the whole thing. After resisting modular for the last 4 years or so, I finally gave in and of course you made a series about this wonderful... endeavor. It was a fun watch and the advice and insights were great.
The Koma Elektronic Field Kit FX would be a good semi-modular solution for those more interested in sampling & effects processing rather than synthesis. When paired with an original Field Kit it adds great utility for an electro acoustic workflow.
TwoKanMan The Field Kit FX is a multieffects unit containing circuits for looping/bitcrushing/frequency (pitch) shifting, delay, spring reverb (spring tank sold separately), with an integrated four channel mixer, plus four step sequencer/ADSR envelope generator. What sets it apart from other multieffects units is that all of these features can be modulated via control voltage. The Field Kit at its core is also a four channel mixer with a gain structure that amplifies instrument and mic level signals to line level suitable for a modular environment. Other features include CV controllable radio, variable LFO, envelope follower, DC interface for driving small motors and such like, the inability to interface with Arduino switches and sensors. Most, if not all, of these features are available as separate modules offered by other companies, such as Bastl, but none as conveniently packaged (or priced) as the Field Kit (FX), which is what makes it such an attractive starting point for a beginner, in my opinion. The units can also be mounted in a larger eurorack case if you do decide to expand at a later date. Hope that was helpful.
Lime thanks so much for the infos. A quick question: I’m a guitar player and I always loved to experiment strange and weird sounds with pedals. Might this kit be useful for me as a starting point to semimodular/modular controlled by a guitar? Don’t know if that makes sense, I will surely need some solid theory about the subject first :)
Down the rabbithole for quite a while - I find all in this series is very well put and surely will help those who look into this topic for the first time. Keep up the great work!
the dog at 5:53! was not expecting that. haha. ...thanks for the great videos on modular. inspiring as usual. i picked up a moog matriarch which i'm excited bout. i got it more-so for its synth features but hoping it will be a great gateway into the modular world for me.
Found your series today and I'm really loving it! I got into modular about ten years ago and I was so happy about the last video's advice on not listening too much to others, and to make your own path to modular. I finally have a system I am at peace with but of course I always want more... :)
thank you for this series. you've exactly summed up the past 6 months trying to figure this stuff out. i still don't have it, but at least i know i'm on the right track by starting with an interesting module, seeing what's best with it and expanding from there. keep it going! maybe a behind the scenes vid where your discussing more, showing patching in action.
So, I don’t know where to start... Let’s just be honest: I’ve been playing guitar for so many years and my music theory knowledge has always been next to zero. I’ve always been that kind of “play first, have fun, than learn to expand your boundaries” musician. At the end of the day, I’m still checking how to play scales sometimes xD but, my fortune (that’s what people during the years told me) is having endless passion and a natural ear for music, if you know what I mean. My goal has always been exploring sound with a guitar and make it sound as it is else. My first big inspiration was Robert Fripp, just to give you an idea. Said that, I had a long musical crisis, a period of time of around two years, in which I barely touched the instrument. I used to play and write music with Logic, a midi keyboard and a guitar for years and all of a sudden I stopped. It was painful and I’m still trying to understand what happened. Good thing though is that I used the past tense... that time is over now. I really believe it. Last week, I got all my stuff back, my guitar, my pedals, my cables and start to tweak and experiment again. And then, last night, I discovered this video series that completely opened (again) my mind. I had thoughts in the past of getting into modular but I was too young and not financially independent. Now I can try to reach and afford this equipment and I finally made a decision after watching Knobs series. I want to learn how modular works and get myself (happily) lost into infinite soundscapes. I want to build something around my guitar, use it as a controller. I love reverb, creating room, play with delays and making loops/samples. I want to make my own “drum patterns” and playing something on top, and add sounds and sounds and sounds to make a wall of sounds, noises and notes. Where should I start? What can be best for me? I know it’s personal, every journey is different and you know where you start but where to go... any tip, suggestion, hint will be very appreciated. Thanks @knobs and thanks to whoever will use his/her time to read this and answer. I feel much better now :)
tapographic delay by 4ms was directly inspired by frippertronics sound-on-sound setup popularized by Robert Fripp in the 70's. That being said morphagene is probably better at it and pedals are better aswell like his pedal he made blooper
I love this series. This niche unknown obviously doesn't market to as many viewers as traditional effect pedals, but it's a necessary step for the evolution of musical sound...
Could you plz make a similar video with your thought process, what you started with, some Early patches you made and perhaps a Quick recap of your gradual evolution with more modules and patches. I think there is a lack of such content on the web! People Always start of with their full 12u rack or similar doing pro patches
i started Three years ago i started with rings cloud and batumi ---------> perfect start! i also bought one microphonie and i was done! next year i bought a vermona qmi2 --- midi to cv so i could sequence my eruroack with my octatrack after 10 months i was waiting for a my res4 and shapeshifter, O_c and thomas white LPG after few months and i finished with the morphagene last year and now i cannot waith for my first reverb pedal Now i really want so much :marbles pam's workout and another filter and seriusly i am done beautiful machines and so cool sound! love modulars but also elektron (rymt octatrack are so cool combo with eurorack)
I can recommend Moog Mother 32 and 0-Coast as for starters. 0-Coast is amazing, I can't still understand it at 100% but makes for a good start, and the Mother has so many videos and such a high supply that it is possible to find it at around 380€ (got mine aty that price, new is 575€ in Thomann). Both complement each other, and they allow you to slowly enter into modular as you see convenient
friend of mine was the Ableton Master. once he bought 0coast...then he bought case, then cheap module, then Clouds and etc. sadly he completely abandoned his music making, sold Ableton Push and waiting for that new module will be improve his musical mind very well. It's not bad of course...but too much sacrifice for the creativity time. But maybe he doesn't want creativity and finished tracks...who knows!
Hmm. I was like that too. I think once you mastered something it is up to you to either marvel at yourself and use it to produce or to go and learn the next thing. I have a friend who is a masterful percussionist. Then he started learning the drums and first he really ducked at it and everyone was like why would you do this? Maybe he was just bored. I think if your lively hood depends on it it is different. You are looking for the quicker way to create output. But not everyone is ready to go down the slice.com path to produce one mediocre hit after the next. We want to go deeper. And modular is really that. Have I finished less music? Yes. Am I poorer for it? Na. It's just a new phase. Introspective if you want. There is sooo much music out there. They can go on without mine for a while.
On the topic of research and planning, do way more than you think you should. I hunted for ages to find a module that was vca's + mixing as compact as possible. I had my eye set on Mutable Veils (which is 12hp), but then I saw the Bastl Quattro Figaro and bought it almost instantly cause it was 2hp smaller. Now I know about the MIR from livestock electronics, which has 2 inputs *per* VCA channel, and hard clipping distortion, AND its the same width as the QF AND its cheaper. Seriously, do your research folks. P.S. Not hating on Mutable or Bastl, they both make amazing modules.
Bastl has some overlooked fantastic modules. Like the CV trinity - holy hell. The 6 channel CV knob recording has changed the way I do everything in modular.
@@StefanAuchda SAME! Trinity somehow makes it's way into every patch of mine. Lately I've been using the XOR shaping on the LFO and putting it through a S&H and quantizer to get pseudo-random sequences. A huge (and possibly overlooked) part of modular is just looking for useful modules and comparing them to others, I actually made a T-chart to decide between Batumi and CV-Trinity. ALL modules are good at something, it just depends what context you want to use them in.
One thing about the mir vs. Bastl Quattro is the bastl has a cv attenuation knob. Really useful feature. Seems to be the same width as the Quattro as well. Possible that the Quattro is more useful in stereo applications because it has two mixed out of channel a and b and c and d. It also has plenty of very nice drive in the last 25% of the knob range. Even enough to attenuate a line signal (summing it twice though). So I think in the end it comes down to preference between the two?
@@steletext Definitely up to preference, they're both great VCAs with unique character and their own pros and cons. I still have and use my Figaro, but if I could go back I'd probably get the MIR.
I was looking to make sounds like this with one of Behringer series(neutron or D) , Moog Mother 32, or the Sv-1. Every video you get more in face synth other than these beautiful sounds! Is there by any chance I can get these sounds with those options.
Absolutely (and I know what you mean). Each of those has its own voice / sound, but they can all get gentle. Everything you mentioned is a solid choice.
Thanks for this videos! I will start with the second hand dreadbox hades ( easy but with a fat sound ) and with koma fx ( because I’m interesting to the control the effects by cv ) now, some one could suggest me the better way to add my Sherman filterbank to dis couples of modules ? Could just an active attenuation be enough ? And if I would that lfo and eg of my minilogue have to be controlled by cv ? ( just for make all musically )some suggest ?
Moog Mother-32 is great and that's where I started, but the Make Noise 0-Coast is very cool as well although very different. Those are two very popular options and there are loads of cool demos online. Other options are systems from Endorphin.es or Erica Synths among others, but those tend to get a bit more modular in nature and more expensive. See what interests you and fits your budget.
@@yoink6299 the 0-coast is what's used in this video. It's great at a lot of things, but is a bit more experimental than the M32. The Moog is better for fat analog bass sounds and has a great sequencer built in. but I haven't owned the 0-coast myself so I can't speak for it as well
VCV Rack is also a good way for anyone to explore the modular realm before spending money
we're a tiny community and we need more people who can code cool modules
Yup! It kicks ASS!
I was just thinking of mentioning VCV Rack. This little video series definitely reminded me of it.
That's also a great way to narrow down your search for your first modules, by building a bunch of patches and then making a list of which ones you use most. Of course, the downside is that if you aren't careful your list will be "Literally all of them."
And it can also be a part of the system eventually. There are some incredible modules in VCV Rack, that can expand the range of sonic possibilities, and add different colors to a patch.
Thank you for this series! I just finished watching the whole thing. After resisting modular for the last 4 years or so, I finally gave in and of course you made a series about this wonderful... endeavor. It was a fun watch and the advice and insights were great.
The Koma Elektronic Field Kit FX would be a good semi-modular solution for those more interested in sampling & effects processing rather than synthesis. When paired with an original Field Kit it adds great utility for an electro acoustic workflow.
Aha! Yes, fantastic suggestion
Hey Liam, you mind explaining a bit more on what it does? It looks cool but I'm not sure what exactly it does.
TwoKanMan The Field Kit FX is a multieffects unit containing circuits for looping/bitcrushing/frequency (pitch) shifting, delay, spring reverb (spring tank sold separately), with an integrated four channel mixer, plus four step sequencer/ADSR envelope generator. What sets it apart from other multieffects units is that all of these features can be modulated via control voltage. The Field Kit at its core is also a four channel mixer with a gain structure that amplifies instrument and mic level signals to line level suitable for a modular environment. Other features include CV controllable radio, variable LFO, envelope follower, DC interface for driving small motors and such like, the inability to interface with Arduino switches and sensors. Most, if not all, of these features are available as separate modules offered by other companies, such as Bastl, but none as conveniently packaged (or priced) as the Field Kit (FX), which is what makes it such an attractive starting point for a beginner, in my opinion. The units can also be mounted in a larger eurorack case if you do decide to expand at a later date. Hope that was helpful.
Lime thanks so much for the infos. A quick question: I’m a guitar player and I always loved to experiment strange and weird sounds with pedals. Might this kit be useful for me as a starting point to semimodular/modular controlled by a guitar? Don’t know if that makes sense, I will surely need some solid theory about the subject first :)
Down the rabbithole for quite a while - I find all in this series is very well put and surely will help those who look into this topic for the first time. Keep up the great work!
the dog at 5:53! was not expecting that. haha. ...thanks for the great videos on modular. inspiring as usual. i picked up a moog matriarch which i'm excited bout. i got it more-so for its synth features but hoping it will be a great gateway into the modular world for me.
Found your series today and I'm really loving it! I got into modular about ten years ago and I was so happy about the last video's advice on not listening too much to others, and to make your own path to modular. I finally have a system I am at peace with but of course I always want more... :)
thank you for this series. you've exactly summed up the past 6 months trying to figure this stuff out. i still don't have it, but at least i know i'm on the right track by starting with an interesting module, seeing what's best with it and expanding from there. keep it going! maybe a behind the scenes vid where your discussing more, showing patching in action.
So, I don’t know where to start... Let’s just be honest: I’ve been playing guitar for so many years and my music theory knowledge has always been next to zero. I’ve always been that kind of “play first, have fun, than learn to expand your boundaries” musician. At the end of the day, I’m still checking how to play scales sometimes xD but, my fortune (that’s what people during the years told me) is having endless passion and a natural ear for music, if you know what I mean. My goal has always been exploring sound with a guitar and make it sound as it is else. My first big inspiration was Robert Fripp, just to give you an idea.
Said that, I had a long musical crisis, a period of time of around two years, in which I barely touched the instrument. I used to play and write music with Logic, a midi keyboard and a guitar for years and all of a sudden I stopped. It was painful and I’m still trying to understand what happened. Good thing though is that I used the past tense... that time is over now. I really believe it.
Last week, I got all my stuff back, my guitar, my pedals, my cables and start to tweak and experiment again. And then, last night, I discovered this video series that completely opened (again) my mind.
I had thoughts in the past of getting into modular but I was too young and not financially independent. Now I can try to reach and afford this equipment and I finally made a decision after watching Knobs series. I want to learn how modular works and get myself (happily) lost into infinite soundscapes.
I want to build something around my guitar, use it as a controller. I love reverb, creating room, play with delays and making loops/samples.
I want to make my own “drum patterns” and playing something on top, and add sounds and sounds and sounds to make a wall of sounds, noises and notes.
Where should I start? What can be best for me? I know it’s personal, every journey is different and you know where you start but where to go... any tip, suggestion, hint will be very appreciated. Thanks @knobs and thanks to whoever will use his/her time to read this and answer.
I feel much better now :)
tapographic delay by 4ms was directly inspired by frippertronics sound-on-sound setup popularized by Robert Fripp in the 70's. That being said morphagene is probably better at it and pedals are better aswell like his pedal he made blooper
Moog mother 32 is also a beautiful instrument, it is what got me into modular. Good luck everyone.
I love this series. This niche unknown obviously doesn't market to as many viewers as traditional effect pedals, but it's a necessary step for the evolution of musical sound...
The music in these is so wonderful
Could you plz make a similar video with your thought process, what you started with, some Early patches you made and perhaps a Quick recap of your gradual evolution with more modules and patches. I think there is a lack of such content on the web! People Always start of with their full 12u rack or similar doing pro patches
Oskar Lindberg i agree with this!
loving this series
thank you Knobs
i started Three years ago
i started with rings cloud and batumi ---------> perfect start! i also bought one microphonie and i was done!
next year i bought a vermona qmi2 --- midi to cv so i could sequence my eruroack with my octatrack
after 10 months i was waiting for a my res4 and shapeshifter, O_c and thomas white LPG after few months
and i finished with the morphagene last year
and now i cannot waith for my first reverb pedal
Now i really want so much :marbles pam's workout and another filter and seriusly i am done
beautiful machines and so cool sound!
love modulars
but also elektron (rymt octatrack are so cool combo with eurorack)
Thank you for the series! Hope you will continue feeding us. Cheers!
I do really love you so much Knobs
I can recommend Moog Mother 32 and 0-Coast as for starters. 0-Coast is amazing, I can't still understand it at 100% but makes for a good start, and the Mother has so many videos and such a high supply that it is possible to find it at around 380€ (got mine aty that price, new is 575€ in Thomann). Both complement each other, and they allow you to slowly enter into modular as you see convenient
Amazing series
Build around the fascinating module. Exactly, for me it was QPAS
friend of mine was the Ableton Master. once he bought 0coast...then he bought case, then cheap module, then Clouds and etc. sadly he completely abandoned his music making, sold Ableton Push and waiting for that new module will be improve his musical mind very well. It's not bad of course...but too much sacrifice for the creativity time. But maybe he doesn't want creativity and finished tracks...who knows!
Hmm. I was like that too. I think once you mastered something it is up to you to either marvel at yourself and use it to produce or to go and learn the next thing. I have a friend who is a masterful percussionist. Then he started learning the drums and first he really ducked at it and everyone was like why would you do this? Maybe he was just bored. I think if your lively hood depends on it it is different. You are looking for the quicker way to create output. But not everyone is ready to go down the slice.com path to produce one mediocre hit after the next. We want to go deeper. And modular is really that. Have I finished less music? Yes. Am I poorer for it? Na. It's just a new phase. Introspective if you want. There is sooo much music out there. They can go on without mine for a while.
@@steletext interesting take. thank you Steve.
Thanks, knob
Wow! Nice Series! Thanks for that!
We want to know more about @Knobs !!! You're so cool. :)
On the topic of research and planning, do way more than you think you should. I hunted for ages to find a module that was vca's + mixing as compact as possible. I had my eye set on Mutable Veils (which is 12hp), but then I saw the Bastl Quattro Figaro and bought it almost instantly cause it was 2hp smaller. Now I know about the MIR from livestock electronics, which has 2 inputs *per* VCA channel, and hard clipping distortion, AND its the same width as the QF AND its cheaper. Seriously, do your research folks.
P.S. Not hating on Mutable or Bastl, they both make amazing modules.
Bastl has some overlooked fantastic modules. Like the CV trinity - holy hell. The 6 channel CV knob recording has changed the way I do everything in modular.
@@StefanAuchda SAME! Trinity somehow makes it's way into every patch of mine. Lately I've been using the XOR shaping on the LFO and putting it through a S&H and quantizer to get pseudo-random sequences. A huge (and possibly overlooked) part of modular is just looking for useful modules and comparing them to others, I actually made a T-chart to decide between Batumi and CV-Trinity. ALL modules are good at something, it just depends what context you want to use them in.
One thing about the mir vs. Bastl Quattro is the bastl has a cv attenuation knob. Really useful feature. Seems to be the same width as the Quattro as well. Possible that the Quattro is more useful in stereo applications because it has two mixed out of channel a and b and c and d. It also has plenty of very nice drive in the last 25% of the knob range. Even enough to attenuate a line signal (summing it twice though). So I think in the end it comes down to preference between the two?
@@steletext Definitely up to preference, they're both great VCAs with unique character and their own pros and cons. I still have and use my Figaro, but if I could go back I'd probably get the MIR.
Have you had a look at the ALM Tangle Quartet? Quad VCA with mix output, only 8HP@@JohnnyCogs
Very good! 👍
It's kind of overwhelming at first, but I can see the goal closer everyday. The GAS though..
Are you making these videos just for me?
Yes
0:29 what the hell is going on in that short patch there? It sounds astounding. What's going on?
I was looking to make sounds like this with one of Behringer series(neutron or D) , Moog Mother 32, or the Sv-1. Every video you get more in face synth other than these beautiful sounds! Is there by any chance I can get these sounds with those options.
Absolutely (and I know what you mean). Each of those has its own voice / sound, but they can all get gentle. Everything you mentioned is a solid choice.
You are awesome
Each video confirms you're more into music for fish tanks than for concert halls.
100%
and
suddenly
i want to live in a fish tank
Thanks for this videos! I will start with the second hand dreadbox hades ( easy but with a fat sound ) and with koma fx ( because I’m interesting to the control the effects by cv ) now, some one could suggest me the better way to add my Sherman filterbank to dis couples of modules ? Could just an active attenuation be enough ? And if I would that lfo and eg of my minilogue have to be controlled by cv ? ( just for make all musically )some suggest ?
You guys should be making soundtracks to anime and films. It's so fucking good.
Please - more :-)
5:52 Doggo
0:29!!!
Does anybody know some cool portable Semi-modular units? I would love to make cool sounds on the go.
Moog Mother-32 is great and that's where I started, but the Make Noise 0-Coast is very cool as well although very different. Those are two very popular options and there are loads of cool demos online. Other options are systems from Endorphin.es or Erica Synths among others, but those tend to get a bit more modular in nature and more expensive. See what interests you and fits your budget.
@@harlanbeeton6869 I will probably start off with the 0-coast then the Moog Mother, what is the 0-coast good at?
@@yoink6299 the 0-coast is what's used in this video. It's great at a lot of things, but is a bit more experimental than the M32. The Moog is better for fat analog bass sounds and has a great sequencer built in. but I haven't owned the 0-coast myself so I can't speak for it as well
Oh crap, just saw the 0-coast is $500, I'm currently saving up for a piano and laptop right now so I might have to wait a while.
Behringer neutron is also a good option, especially because it has a lot of utility on board
oh you are adorable
I miss the pedals. 😢