Immediate Techno Rack

[calvinsomething]

This is what I actually have right now. Bought a few things 2nd hand that I knew I might resell.

[calvinsomething]

Okay, updated my hypothetical techno rack on the first page.

Here's the link, too: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/600635

I kept some modules that I already own because I think they are good enough, but I still cut a lot of them. I have some empty space that I would rather get some advice on than just fill it with something I'm not sure about.

For the sake of an all in the case techno setup... other than an outboard mixer and a BSP to trigger, what else would you add (or take out)? And again, preferably not random related.

I was also wondering whether a 808 style kick with a distortion option is more versatile than a 909...

[th0mas]

I was also wondering whether a 808 style kick with a distortion option is more versatile than a 909...

I have a Nava 909 clone as well as a legit (but needs some repair) TR-808.

I go for the 808 about 9/10 times these days. snare and kick are both more versatile for techno/house. I was afraid when I got the 808 that it would be hard to get it out of 80s boom bap but it just sounds really great

[calvinsomething]

Thank you... I had a feeling. I might want to get a TT BD808 to save space.

[Tumulishroomaroom]

I prefer 808 sounds as well, but again, it depends what kind of techno you wanna do. 909 still reigns supreme for certain things. For basic sounds I'd go with the TT modules / a couple One and have a few ways to process them (DPLR is great, + filters + distortion etc...)

[th0mas]

personally in eurorack I would go for something that offers more modulation like a SSF entity, but I guess the One or the tiptop 808 is pretty narrow

[khyber]

Quadnic can do some pretty powerful things for such a small footprint but unless you're sold on the sound I would consider a different digital oscillator as your sole digital. Klavis Twin Waves and uBraids come to mind

[calvinsomething]

Quadnic can do some pretty powerful things for such a small footprint but unless you're sold on the sound I would consider a different digital oscillator as your sole digital. Klavis Twin Waves and uBraids come to mind

Yeah, that's just what I happen to have.

Here's what I plan to buy shortly: https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/538182

I'm actually pretty happy with the sounds I can get... there's always that grass-is-always-greener feeling.

The SSF Entity stuff was what I originally put in the "dream" techno rack, but for immediacy, there certainly is a lot going on with those CV inputs.

The new Erica Synths kick and snare both seem like very good options. The kick sounds less "floppy" than the BD9, imo (but it's 1hp bigger).

[calvinsomething]

I would replace the hihats with a Chimera once I feel everything else is good.

[spinalbeatz]

+1 for the Copper Traces seek.

[calvinsomething]

Over Varigate 4+??

[calvinsomething]

Updated the first post to this:

Didn't want to make a new thread, so here's my current situation:


https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/1147955

Here's an example of the kind of music I'm jamming out:


In the past I've gotten a lot of advice about maximizing the potential of modules, and doing more with less. I'm not interested in that advice anymore I am more interested in playability, and if that coincides with increasing utilization, that's great.

I have removed a few things to make room for stuff that will help smooth the workflow out. So I think I need a new envelope generator, mults would be nice, and switches of sort maybe, and honestly, I want at least one more filter to make sure I have one for the Chord, the Nebulae and the Basimilus.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

[calvinsomething]

Oh, and there are 2 Eventide H9's for the mixer Aux sends.

[Bonobo]

How do you use voltage block? I'm weighing up between it and a z8000 matrix sequencer as the heart of my techno rack for modulation, is that what yours is for and how do you find it? Also do you feel the need to attenuate it if its modulating voices?

[calvinsomething]

How do you use voltage block? I'm weighing up between it and a z8000 matrix sequencer as the heart of my techno rack for modulation, is that what yours is for and how do you find it? Also do you feel the need to attenuate it if its modulating voices?

The Voltage Block is great. It's too bad they wasted features on the scales/quantization, because it's essentially useless. If you want to control tuned notes, you will want to attenuate then quantize... but overall, it's super useful and immediate. You can quickly test modulation patterns and rewrite on the fly, and fine tune if you need.

Right now its one of my most necessary modules. It's strength is percussive modulation and it goes extremely well with the BIA. I also use it for changing chord types on the Chord, which it's fairly good at also.

Oh and I've used it to speed up or slow down samples to get transients to be more in time.

[Lest]

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

No suggestion, sorry, but a question:

Do you know of there's a way to harmonize the Chord v2 independently from turning the frequency knob? I'd love to send the root as a CV instead... Which is impossible on the V1.

[calvinsomething]

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

No suggestion, sorry, but a question:

Do you know of there's a way to harmonize the Chord v2 independently from turning the frequency knob? I'd love to send the root as a CV instead... Which is impossible on the V1.

Sorry I don't really understand your question. CV doesn't send absolute note values, it's all relative. The Chord V2 has to be tuned the same way any other oscillator does... Am I misunderstanding you?

[Lest]

The "I'd love to send the root as a CV" is quite misguiding, sorry.

Both versions of the Chord can automatically harmonize a chord progression. E.g. If the Chord is tuned in C, it will harmonize the chord on the C major scale (the V\oct being the root note of the chord relative to the tuning).

Is it possible to send another CV to shift the harmonization to another note, let's say F?

[calvinsomething]

Sorry, I still don't really get what you're asking. You send CV for the root note, and you can send CV for the voicing and the type of chord. You can get out 7th chords or triads, or have outputs for the individual voices.

[Lest]

I'm the one who's sorry, I got some issue to explain my ideas as I don't have proper musical knowledge. I tend to mix terms a lot.

The global idea is to improvise following the circle of 5th: Start on C then move to G, D,... Using the Chord V1, to harmonize between Major\Minor chords on a Key I either need to change the chord quality with a CV\Knob (as you suggested) or use the Harmonization feature. I tend use the Harmonization but it is heavily limited.

Here's from the Chord V1 manual:

When harmonization is enabled, the Chord will automatically harmonize diatonic and
modal interchange chords of the Major scale based on the voltage present at v/oct.
The Chord will treat the voltage present at v/oct as a bassline.
[...]
Note:
The starting pitch will be the frequency defined by the coarse pitch knob.

So basically, when tuned to C (using the Frequency knob), the V1 will harmonize the C as a Major chord and the G as a minor (C and G being sent to the V\Oct input, similar as on the V2). That pushes me to tune it every now and then.

From the Chord V2 manual:

Harm
Controls the Auto-Harmonization, and Quantization settings.
This will quantize the input V/Oct to the selected Harm mode’s scale, and automatically
adjust the chord quality to stay within the key

They don't specify how the key is selected but this behavior could be the same as on the V1.

Yet the V2, it seems that this behavior can also be changed to something else:

QUANTIZE_AUTOHARM
When enabled, this quantizes the V/Oct and Lead inputs to the appropriate scales when
Harm is enabled.
When disabled auto-harm modes are not quantized, and the modal interchange chords are
included.
This is similar to the V1 Chord.
Default Value: 1

Do you know if it means that the Harmonization's key can be set with the Lead CV input ? i.e Allowing to harmonize from a Major C by sending a C as CV to the Lead input then to a Major G key by sending a G as CV ? (Freeing me from tuning the module when switching from a key to another)

[Lokua]

I also make techno. Below is my rack (actually two in one view). I only use the bottom three rows and that's the portable rig. Everything on the top will be sold except the permutation expander and I would not recommend any of those as there are better alternatives IMHO.

I'm pretty happy with this, though will certainly change some things - most likely a VCO or filter swap here and there. Perhaps it gives you ideas or you've considered some of these. Happy to talk about my experience.

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/1273351

[kabes]

edit: posted in wrong thread

[calvinsomething]

I'm the one who's sorry, I got some issue to explain my ideas as I don't have proper musical knowledge. I tend to mix terms a lot.

No, you said the right stuff I just wasn't familiar enough with the module. I don't have it in front of me so I was just going by memory... I always have Harm turned off, so I didn't even remember that feature lol.

When the LED is blue Auto-harm is Major. Both the V/Oct and Lead input will be quantized to the major scale.

So here, and for the minor mode, it says it quantizes the V/Oct, which means that it must work the same way as the V1 :( I guess they wanted to allow you to still utilize the lead function...

But, to be fair, harmonic mode sounds very limited, as there's only two scales and no way for accidentals. I prefer to just control the chord type through CV. If you have a good CV sequencer that can send gate + 2 CV signals you're set.

[calvinsomething]

I'm pretty happy with this, though will certainly change some things - most likely a VCO or filter swap here and there. Perhaps it gives you ideas or you've considered some of these. Happy to talk about my experience.

What modules do you have that make you feel like, "That was convenient," compared to the rest?

[Lokua]

I'm pretty happy with this, though will certainly change some things - most likely a VCO or filter swap here and there. Perhaps it gives you ideas or you've considered some of these. Happy to talk about my experience.

What modules do you have that make you feel like, "That was convenient," compared to the rest?

Interesting question. I'm going to answer it with modules that have literally made me think, "well, that's convenient"

ModDemix as it can be VCA, Ring Mod, which of course is handy, but the cherry on top is the aux in / sum out - super convenient. Same deal with Optomix but my second channel is weird and the sum out is super quiet.

Blinds. It's just there whenever you need it. Scale, offset, mix, whatever the hell - ya want 4 ring mods - go for it. Every channel has LEDs for the signal AND the CV.

I see you have stages. I used to depend on it but now it's one of the "free" modules in my rack - if that makes sense. I particularly find these two uses to be super convenient and really, really fun as they are both live, hands on features:

single segment orange step mode with gate unpatched = slew limiter (with offset!)
single segment red hold mode with gate patched = pulse generator, but I think of it as "gate lengthener" which I use to have more dynamic sustains between my sequencer gates and EGs. Discovered that this week (I mean I knew about it, but only when it's practical do these features come to life).
I find myself using those more than the modes that inspired me to purchase the module in the first place.

OK last and I'll stop: the Z8000 because a hands on stepped CV pattern is just always a nice to have especially when I can pipe it through a stages slew, offset it, then bring it back down. This is almost _always_ more fun than an LFO. All the knobs in front of you, no menus = yeah. That said it's too big and the LEDs confuse me, but the point is that I think a no non-nonsense sequencer where every voltage is a physical knob or fader is a good thing to have. I'm still hunting down what is best for me - perhaps Varigate 4+, but I don't like that I can't see all four channels, but then we're back to too big.

Thanks for the question. It was really fun for me to think about, and inspired me to right now go patch 4 typical audio ring mods, because I've actually never heard just 4 voices ring mod each other at the same time and nothing else.

OH speaking of, I feel like your rack needs ring mod? Or am I missing something that does that already?