A4 + Modular...any ideas?

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#6

Seems to be the universal truth of eurocrack™

I’m only just dipping a toe in myself… the DFAM was what inspired me to go from thinking about it to actually getting a rack. It was immediately fun and interesting, playing with the patch points. So now I’m piecing together an 84hp 3U with the intention of generating “tougher”/“deeper” synth sounds, mostly.

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Mutable Yarns
Mutable Links
Mutable Kinks
Roland 540
Roland 510
ALM MUM M8
Intellijel µFold II
Intellijel µVCA II
Intellijel Dixie II+

Happy to discuss my thinking around each of those modules if that’s of any interest. Basically, I really like the core sound of the Roland/Malekko modules, and the Dixie and the MUM M8, and then I’ve added a load of modulation options and a wavefolder, and a Yarns for midi to CV / clocking / basic sequencing. I already have a couple of the Aira modular effects that I can use as well (I especially want to try the Bitrazer through the MUM M8).

There’s such a wide variety of modules now and a big difference between some of the “all in one” modules and the traditional “component” type modules that are smaller and do less complicated things. Some of them are pretty complex in and of themselves, with screens and menus and stuff. That wasn’t what I wanted.

For rhythmic… Akemie’s Taiko… the Noise Engineering stuff like the BIA… or the TipTop drum machine components paired with a sequencer all seem popular. For drone/granular there’s the Mutable stuff or the Morphagene… For modulation, MN Maths, etc etc… there’s just so much tbh. I’ve found Mylar Melodies and DivKid’s channels both very informative in terms of “what is this thing and what does it do”. But yeah, there’s lots of useful info here and elsewhere from people with more experience than me. I just wanted to chip in with the ol’ “what do you want it to do” because what “a modular” is is such an open question. I live local to London Modular so I’ve popped in there for a chat a couple of times and that has been really helpful.

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#7

You only need a single euro module to start out when used in conjunction with the A4.
You could start with nothing but a complex digital wavetable module like the E352 or Shapeshifter. You could control it via sending CV from the A4, and then send the oscillator audio straight into the A4 inputs to process via the A4’s env, filters, effects etc.
By using the A4’s onboard ‘modules’ it saves buying all the utility modules, and adding just a single complex wavetable module will add vast sonic potential to the A4.

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#8

nothing.
Master what you have and don’t follow the hype.

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#9

buying eurorack is hype, but buying elektron is fine? :wink:

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#10

there is a piece of paper on the wall of SchneidersLaden in Berlin saying something like ‘after six years of planing I finally bought my first module’. If you don’t know what to buy, chances are that you don’t really need this. But this is just my opinion and please prove my wrong with your music.

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#11

You’re right, don’t buy anything, sing and clap your hands ! :sunny:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD9i2okmtnA

I began modular with my 15€ Monotron !
A4 and modded Monotron

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#12

Thanks guys for the detailed replies. That Modular Grid site seems very interesting to see what your building. What I’m basically visioning is messing up with the sounds that come out of the A4.

I like what this guy is doing here with this small modular setup:

I produce techno btw.

#13

Your opinion is legit. Mine is different.
I don’t like these kind of arguments like modular is only hype, or only expensive bleep and bloop machines or prove me wrong with your music.
I won’t prove anything. I don’t play games like that

6 Likes
#14

This is what they’re using there:

Noise Engineering Basimilus Iteritas Alter - percussion synth
WMD Chimera - granular percussion synth
2hp LFO
Make Noise STO - VCO
2hp Mix
Make Noise LxD - kind of a combination of a filter and a VCA
Make Noise Function - function generator, makes looping rise/fall envelopes and loads of other stuff (similar to some of the 0-coast functions)

So they’re not actually processing the A4 audio with it at all. They’re using the A4 to trigger, control and sequence the modular, and passing the mixed sound back into the A4 to run through its effects.

I’m guessing it’s the tone of that stuff that you like? There are some really nice crunchy / sharp / FM sounds in there. A 0-Coast might be a good first buy for you, or look more into those brands and see what else they make that you like.

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#15

Thanks man for taking the time to build and explain that. Highly appreciate it. My concern with A4 (which I’ve had for about 9 weeks now) is that I’m not finding it to be crunchy / sharp for a techno environment…hense why i thought about adding Modular to push the sound of the A4.

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#16

That’s alright, no problem at all. Definitely take a look at Noise Engineering, Make Noise, WMD stuff etc. and look at incorporating some FM and wavefolding to get those edgier sounds. Maybe some bitcrushing. The Bitrazer can be found quite cheap and can be reprogrammed to be almost anything you want if you get bored of it…

Another thing to try might be components that respond well to being driven quite hard to get some nice saturation/distortion, eg the Roland/Malekko 505 filter that’s based on the SH-5 filter or the Manhattan Analog DTM, which is based on the Moog CP3 mixer (which is what they’ve also put in the Grandmother).

Maybe check the DFAM as well. It’s fun, it packs a punch, and costs less than some modules.

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#17

In your opinion, what would be the first buy to go with the A4?

#18

I don’t think I could say, honestly, it’s got to be your choice. If I were you I would look into stuff a bit more and see what you like the sound of the most.

Here are some Mylar Melodies videos on some of the stuff I mentioned:

DFAM:

0-Coast:

B.I.A.:

DivKid’s stuff is useful for demos of individual modules’ functions but Mylar Melodies is more interesting in terms of musical context (IMO).

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#19

maybe search for modular techno patches/performances on youtube to find stuff that sounds like what you’re looking for. Most people list their modules/soundsources in the video description

#21

yeah brad, thats exactly what im after. I want to manipulate whats coming out of the A4. Could you please suggest some hardware?

#22

Sherman Filterbank or Analog Heat? Aira Torcido and Bitrazer are also useful standalone CV-controllable stereo processors and could form the start of a eurorack modular. A wavefolder like the Intellijel uFold can get some really tough results too, you’d probably want to have at least an envelope generator and VCAs to go with it though.

Here’s a quick bit of Bitrazer on an SH-01A I just recorded:

That’s all default settings, no modifications, no CV control, just me twiddling the front panel knobs.

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#23

You want edgier & ‘crunchy’ sounds, semimodular-style? Then look no further than 0 Coast!

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#24

Sounds pretty good. i would think of adding more simple ADSRs. They crucial for a system.

The 510 is a nice oscillator module, that adds a lot of warmth and sound excellent (especially the square). The filter in it is “ok”, but not a killer, but therefore it also has a VCA which is cool.

i would recommend also take a look into “make noise” stuff… especially “maths” was a game changer for me.

mutable is a great addition to a setup. rings is also a cool sound that combines well with analogue stuff…

also take a look into erica synth stuff… for cheap money you can add cool effects or synth voices and they take no space in your rack… pico voice and pico DSP are amazing little tools…

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#25

Thanks, I appreciate that.

The 540 has two separate ADSRs on sliders, which is what I wanted (rather than knobs) and each has two positive and one inverted out. I thought that would probably be enough to be getting on with to begin with, given that I’m not really expecting to be making more than one sound at a time with it (though it easily could, obviously). Plus like you say the 510 is normalled to use the filter envelope as the VCA envelope which can free up the others in a a lot of cases. I’ll see how it goes when I’ve got it all together. The other thing that’s a possibility is reprogramming one of the two Aira modular effects I have to be ADSR generators and/or LFOs and/or all sorts of other stuff depending on what I’m trying to achieve.

I’m generally good for hardware effects but Maths is definitely something I’d like to have, it just takes up a fair chunk of an 84hp rack. My intention is to use a Roland SYR-E84 case for this and stack another one on top if I really get into it, at which point I’ll be looking a lot more into mults, logic stuff, granular and rhythmic things, maybe effects. But that’s a way off (hopefully).

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#26

Ahh, right. the AIRA can be configured. Thats cool.
ADSRs: i noticed having like three or four separate ADSR settings to be cool (even better if they are loopable). i found them to be perfect for creating all that nice movement into a sound, that goes beyond classical filter/vca ADSRs (different pitchcurves on two OSC, variable speed sequencer clocking and so on)
Modular is a never ending (expensive :-)) story… i have 4 rows 84HP full of stuff… now that i am that deep into it, i want even more… great fun to cable down sounds and play the best parts as samples on my mpc or octatrack :slight_smile:
have fun with your system!!!

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