At this point I probably sound like some kind of expert sleepers advertiser… but I highly recommend getting an es-8 or es-9 (I can vouch for the es-9 as that’s what I have) and trying a hybrid VCV setup with your existing semi-modular stuff. It gives you such an insane amount of options, that if nothing else it’s a great way to see what kind of hardware you might want to add to a physical rack.
I was definitely in the infinite module buying/selling loop until I picked up an ES-9, it made me think a lot more about adding more physical modules to my rack, because every time I think I need something… I just figure out a way to do it in VCV. You can also do things like host VST plugins inside VCV and control them with either VCV cv or external CV, its very powerful, as long as you’re not completely alergic to futzing with a computer (which I totally understand).
I think knowing what I know now if I could reclaim all the cash instantly and start over, i’d probably just get a make noise shared system + an es-9.
P.S. If you do go the expert sleepers route, make sure you get a deep enough case, their modules are all very deep - the 4ms PODx series will fit them just barely.
What a pretty synth. I have thought about The Pulsar, Lyra, Ornament combo a lot recently. Maybe that’s all I need. I like tuning by ear, and maybe I can make Lyra my own with enough practice (I imagine treating it like a guitar and getting better at playing it with time) but something about the lack of CV inputs/outputs irks me
It is very easy to tune the Lyra by listening to beat frequencies. If you need better precision, Ableton’s tuner in graph mode is great. There must be very good standalone tuners, but I haven’t really gone there. The MS70CDR tuner is all but useless - too slow.
There are a number of inputs on the back, but I have yet to use them. Most of the time I just plug it into a reverb: the NTS-1, Eventide Space and MS70CDR all play nicely with the Lyra. It’s also very pleasant all by itself, which is good because I think all of my ‘verbs are on the moving truck.
As far as finding your own sound, that’s easy with Lyra. The sonic territory it covers is vast, and if you zero the knobs at the beginning of each session you will only ever come close to where you’ve been before. Or maybe you can return to the exact same place. Only the machine elves know for sure.
All right, you’ve definitely convinced me to give one a go next weekend at Elevator Sound before dismissing it outright. They might have a Pulsar in stock too. I like how people say Lyra is meditative.
I was anxious about finding a good place to live earlier today. 20 minutes with the Lyra and all I can think about is how good life is (despite waves vaguely in the general direction of all of that stuff). Absolutely meditative. Great way to start a cult if that’s your jam.
I started with an 0-coast a few years ago. Then charged straight into several modular cases without a clear idea of what I wanted, or was doing. Now I’ve ended up with a mix of semi and modular.
I do have an aim now though, I think that’s really key to avoid spending thousands and ending up with a system that just replicates desktop gear.
I use modular for generative, ambient & drones, noise and ‘modular’ techno. I have 2x v1 dreadboxes which sound pretty unique to my ears. I have an 0-coast to run with OT & Rytm for techno. I have 7u case for the generative stuff (not yet complete). Plus a couple of other noise boxes with CV control. It’s (as usual) too much for what I need, but there is definitely a collectors aspect to this for me too (Grendel drone commander, some of the Trogotronic kit, the dreadboxes are just really nice designs and unique sounds).
I was trying to write you about my own experience, some other manufacturers, even about Ciat Lonbarde and Ieaskul F. Mobenthey…etc which could distract you even more. I don’t know what to say about using several semi-modular synths from different manufacturer as I found it not a very convenient workflow, at least for me… I like using them solo or together if they’re from a single manufacturer, just like Pulsar - Ornament - Lyra.
I know your sound and your obsession with textures + bass, even sub. So the Pulsar is perfect for this job. The Shared System is obviously deeper and more versatile than the Pulsar but Pulsar has this special texture which I couldn’t find anywhere else. It’s all about personal needs, not the potential or flexibility of a gear.
“Full” modular is a point you probably never reach. I haven’t got several semi modular devices but they could easy and effortlessly be combined to the “full” modular system. My experience is that modules sharing the same physical case feel like “one” instrument somehow. I know its pure psychological but that just how the mind works i guess.
At this point i’m thinking about expanding with semi modular units too, exactly for the reason that you cannot buy so much of utility in seperate modules then for the price of semi modular. I would however focus on sem modulare that have the eurorack form factor to always be able to screw them in (for the reason mentioned above).
It’s quite smart to start with some semi modulars to have a midi cv converter, some adsr’s, some oscillators and lfo’s along with some multiples and a filter for a reasonable amount of cash. Add a new filter and that initial semi modular sounds way different. Another LFO, sequencer, fx or whatever and the story never ends.
This is a good point. And as you say Pulsar looks very attractive for my needs currently. In fact, I might get Lyra over the summer before moving country and explore that on its own for a while. I can take one box with me if it works out, and if not sell it before moving having scratched that particular itch. Then add Pulsar/Ornament later on.
IMO the SV-1 sounds fantastic, there’s a lot of functionality thus v good value for the second hand prices it can be had for. I got mine with the 96 HP case minus the touch pad and have since filled the free 48 HP see here for details. The HP (and financial) limit made me be very selective. I’ve toyed with the idea of replacing the SV-1 for a set of modules, but realized it’s be very hard, if not impossible, to replace all that the SV-1 packs into 48hp, and I’d miss its oscillators and filter. The Midi to CV converter is solid: the clock syncs to external midi v well. I think it’s safe to say there’s no fixed architecture mono which has the flexibility of my modest rack! Next purchase will be CV:OCD to get more modulation sources from my OT.
Don’t dismiss Doepfer. Complete Doepfer systems can sometimes be had for a great price. The A-110-4 oscillator is a beast!
As for in the box modular, to my ears Reaktor has considerably better sound than VCV.
Great idea. Lyra can do much more than some beautiful ambient sounds. It is already very deep with its internal modulation capabilities and FX which can be also used as another sound source.
Lyra is fantastic but wouldn’t recommend it for someone who’s decided the patching lifestyle is for them - there’s two CV inputs: a less than useless pitch input that doesn’t track 1V/Oct and a slightly more useful one for delay modulation. All kinds of cross-talking madness that you could achieve with patching is happening inside the box, but it’s impossible to know for sure what exactly is going on. It’s kind of the opposite experience to (semi-)modular, more about embracing the mystery and enjoying the ride. I deeply enjoy the Lyra/Pulsar/Ornament combo in any case.
Personally, if you have some semi-modular equipment already what I’d go for is a small case (eg a skiff or a Tiptop HEK) with a few choice modules based on what’s difficult to do with semi-modulars alone and treat it as an extension of your semi-modular and see how that feels. If you can’t find said modules that fit that spec, that probably indicates you’d be pretty happy with a bunch of semi-modular synths instead. It can still be useful to have a small case/pod just for boring plumbing jobs (eg getting voltage into the right intervals for your semi-modulars to talk to each other nicely).
Single manufacturer cases are good for taking some of the instrument design out of your hands if you’re less interested in that (and the Make Noise Shared System is beautiful, I have many of the modules in it and they’re all masterclasses of design) but they’re pretty much all a huge upfront investment. Over here a Shared System is about £4500, which is a serious chunk of change. Yes, building a similar sized case will end up costing you that much anyway, but when you build up yourself you don’t have to buy it all at once!
These 2 points are also what came to my mind. Listening to that most recent project, you’ve done a lot with 2/3 distinct pieces of gear - though maybe you seek greater experimentation.
I think an interesting and efficient route is finding a semi-modular or deeper piece (Pulsar?) and pairing it with 2-3 powerful or unique modules in a small 24-48hp case.
My own perspective… I’ve owned a Minibrute 2s that I’ve never really got on with in a proper way. I could not imagine having to chain together multiple semi-modulars, nor deal with the desk space. On the other hand, I’ve recently started building a 7u case and am absolutely loving it. It works for me because my current budget allows relatively free buying and experimenting and I don’t feel like I’m chasing anything, but rather following where the case takes me.
Good that instruo don‘t have a full system, that would be another thing to daydream and watch yt videos like erica , mn shared, alm etc. But check out instruo on vcv, sounded great, while i also think reaktor and probably bitwig sound a bit better, probably, i can‘t listen good quality or loud and don‘t open vcv often unfortunately. The developer says the old vcv bridge vst sucked, but to get audio to bitwig (from now free vcv ) always worked ok for me, and should be still available somewhere. But you probably use the noises from vcv anyway more for dt…
Semi-mods are tremendous value, but, compared to full modular, are still pretty conventional in terms patching and routing options.
For example, when I had my Microvolt, I so badly wanted to cv control the utility mixer; LFOs wouldn’t clock; the VCA wouldn’t AM (or was it that it couldn’t ring mod…)etc. Full modular makes light work of these things.
But I learned I wanted these things along the way with semi-mods (had an M32 before, which showed me I wanted a wavefolder). Full modular is dangerous without a plan. Manufacturer systems are a plan, and the Shared System is probably the epitome of a plan (I used it as a model on which to base my decisions). Random*Source are planning to release some 3U panels which, honestly, would have made me reconsider my initial foray into ModularGrid.
If you’re feeling the modular bug, I don’t think a bunch of semi-mods are going to itch it. Just make sure you know what you want; have a clear-eyed plan.
All excellent advice. Keep em coming if you’d like to share your experiences for others who might search this thread later on. As for me, I’m gonna try the Soma Trio first til the end of the year, then later on, I might build a small FX case, Erbe-Verb looks amazing and maybe a Bitbox to continue my sampling experiments too. Who knows from that point, but I’ll let my experiences guide me in the years to come. Thanks again, everyone!
