Total noob question here: I am very curious about eurorack, but don’t really want to totally dive in yet. However, I love Intellijel’s Atlantis and would love to create a super small minimal setup with it. What other modules would I need to add to get a very minimal system going? Nothing fancy, just a basic setup.
Appreciate any advice, thanks!
What would you want the setup to do?
What other gear do you have that would interact with the setup?
Mostly I just want to make some noise with the Atlantis. I have an Octatrack, so I could sync it from that. I really just want a super small eurorack setup centered around the Atlantis. I’m just wondering how to make that happen.
I don’t have any other modular gear, but I have gear with patch points: Boomstars, Dark Energy, Hydrasynth, Werkstat.
I’m slowly planing a small hybrid rig based around a synth voice, like yours. This’ll be my 2nd stint in Eurocrack (1st time it got ridiculously out of hand).
Here are several ideas that I’m considering:
Cases:
Non-Modular Utilities:
Here’s a Modular Grid rack. You can copy it to your account.
Intellijel recently updated their Metropolis sequencer, any word on an Atlantis update?
I don’t have an Atlantis, but I quickly looked at the specs.
The minimal set up that you would need would be a midi to cv interface to get data from the OT to the Atlantis, and an output module, to get the sound from the Atlantis to your OT (or anywhere else at line level). You also would need a case with PSU to power the modules.
This set up would allow you to get the sound of the Atlantis. Note that this set up would not “ feel very modular”. I mean I would not do that for myself, because it would only give you an expensive mono timbral subtractive synth. To me it would be more interesting to add some modules (a sequencer ? A random source ? One or two fx modules ?)
Or to look at standalone synths… you would get much more synth for the money by looking at standalone units. Or a semi mod.
But maybe you just want to get a modular started ?
Then go for it. It’s fun!
Get into modular, sure. Great fun. Expensive, but life is tragic farce, so anything that can keep us from self harm.
Atlantis does most things you would want for a synth voice, except sequencing. Thankfully midi-cv interfaces are plentiful. I would recommend the ALM Busy Circuits mmmidi, which is quite affordable. Together with a 4ms pod case, you would have a system that is fun and approachable. And about as cheap as it can get.
Get ready to expand though.
As has been said, it’s a very nice but relatively expensive SH-101 clone. With no additional modules, I guarantee* you will question why you did it instead of buying an SH-01A. However, if you get something like the small 4U Intellijel Palette case (which provides power and some extras like buffered mults), add the bare minimum for interfacing (the 1U Midi module and the 1U Stereo Out), you can just blank the rest of the case off and see what you think you might want to add after that. I would suggest LFOs, envelope generators, attenuverters, VCAs for starters.
That assumes you want to sequence it entirely from the OT. If you want a 101-style step sequencer there are a few modules that can provide that. Yarns was one, I’m sure others can suggest alternatives. Or if you want a looser / weirder modular sequencer you can use separate gate and pitch sequencers. Or use a pitch/scale quantizer to make melodies out of any CV signal.
*not a guarantee
I also love the sound of Atlantis and asked me the same thing as you many times. I also wanted to pair with metropolis/x, it looks like a very fun combo.
But I never could justify it. A rather simple synth voice with sequencer, plus rack and maybe some utitlity modules gets really expensive with that combo.
There are many beautiful desktop synth voices with patchbay and midi/cv built in, even with sequencer that cost you half or third the price.
If you’re dead set on atlantis sound do it, but imo it only makes sense as starting point for a not so minimal rack. Where you really commit to a system and use the strengths of a modular instead of having just that synth voice.
That at least was my conclusion so far
Good points all around. I thought about adding a Metropolix and maybe an LFO, but then I’m going down the rabbit hole. Being totally honest here, as much as I am a gearhead, I just haven’t been able to wrap my head around modular synthesis. I totally get it at the basics, but once you move beyond that and look at various modules and what they do, It’s like a foreign language. And the tutorials I’ve found only seem to cover the very basics.
The idea of creating my own custom synth through modular sounds so amazing. And the sound designer in me that loves to experiment and turn knobs wants so badly to get into this. But so far the toes that i’ve dipped in (Mother 32, DFAM), have been failures. Maybe it’s not for me.
Thanks for everyone’s feedback here, though! It’s totally helpful!
The creative modulation, randomization, and different takes on sequencing totally attracts me to modular. But inevitably there are attenuverters, mults, plogs, etc., that scramble my grasp on it all.
Totally in agreement here. I’m thinking i should just tackle VCV Rack for a good long while before I jump into any full on modular gear.
To keep it simple I would get a palette case and the 1u midi module. I think that’s all you need to be able to get audio in and out of the system and have midi -> cv to use with your octatrack. I might be mistaken in that you need some other 1u module to get the 1/4" audio in/out connections of the palette case hooked up
Yes, you need a line out module that brings the level down (on the 7U case there’s a double I/O module available that hooks up to both pairs of sockets). The built in sockets are there to be connected with your choice of module, so for example line out, line in, or the guitar pedal fx loop module.
Order an Intellijel 104HP palette case. Start with a case.
It makes a lot more sense with practical experience. It’s a lot more obvious how things work that way. Really you need a patient friend with a modular to show you the basic principles and let you have a play. VCV rack plus the Patch & Tweak book would be a great substitute though.
I don’t have any friends anymore. You guys are my friends. I got that Patch & Tweak book as a gift! I’ll study it and do some VCF rack and see how it goes.
I think I remember “friends”…
Does your Perfourmer have the CV/Gate option?
Either way, you already own 4x oscillators and 4x VCFAs.
Edit: Scratch that, that’s a lot more than 4x.
And a passive attenuator can work in a pinch to tame hot modular audio signals. Easy to solder, just a few €.
I’m using Pam everyday from last december: is super fun, despite tiny screen, IMO.
Slim line is dope! I have dual envelope, multimode filter and noise random. Great features in small package. But be aware of the sockets, are very much close. To solve the problem I needed to replace all my old patch cables with Doepfer ones, that fit perfectly having very small jacks. Very good cables, anyway, I’m happy with it.
Why were they failures? Yes the M32 is limited on its own, but it can sound very good (judging from some demos). Why did it put you off rather than wanting to add to it?