If you can get more sonically pleasing results than you can from virtual modulars such as Reaktor and which are so f-in special they’re worth the many extra dollares and the disadvantage that you can’t save any presets.
The downside is the listener can’t hear all those pretty and impressive flashing lights.
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Can we start a gofundme, and instead of selling each module, can we vote on how you destroy each module on camera? This could be your YouTube modular channel.
How much you want to run over a WMD mixer with a lawnmower?
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The thing that makes Eurorack special is that it ever became a standard adopted by dozens/hundreds(?) of designers and manufacturers. That’s the main thing which has driven innovation.
Compare that to the 5u world where it seems every manufacturer has a different set of “standards” for panel format (MU/MOTM), power requirements (12v/15v), and power connector. That’s what will kill 5u.
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Sounds like the EU needs to get involved
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Of related interest
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There’s a module for that 
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Sounds like a gateway module. Does it emit psychotropic substances?
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So is an Anyma Phi. It’s pretty much a modular system implemented in firmware. The limitations are 32 patch cables and 16 modules (plus 3 oscillators and the built in reverb). So if you really want 5 Lfos, 5 ADSRs 5 filters and a math module, you can do it.
Downsides: it’s digital and you ‘only’ get the huge number of modules the makers offer. Which includes MI braids, a few resonators, and a whole slew of weird modules from the modular world I have no use for.
I think the modular nature makes it so there are more than one answer. For me:
In the size of one decent size knob per function synth I have 5 knob per function voices in a 6U 104hp case.
Of course other characteristics typical (but not exclusively) to modular is the ease and depth of modulation, all of which can be modulated again. Because of this it can feel pretty alive, where things are interconnected. (Again, something that you could partly do with synths with deep routing options.) People rightfully say because of this that the A4 feels pretty modular in that sense. But I prefer the pot-per-function of my modular voices over the rotaries+screen of the A4 for this.
But to be fair, I opt for my 6U case more for the portability reason than for extensive modulations.
Plus there’s just a lot of cool specific voices to choose in Eurorack. You can really pick and choose a selection of sounds that you like. (Especially for percussion and mono voices)
Your post make think about why after a lot of desktop units I ended to stuck on modular: I love the workflow. I like to imagine the patch routing while I’m watching all the modules in front of me. I find patching relaxing and fun. Simply I found something that fit with me. I can’t explain why, but everytime I go modular I end the session with something interesting for me. It’s not the same with other powerful desktop gears (for me). Currently I’m in love with my MPC One: I’m seriously learning it and I believe it’s amazing. But I struggle with it. Then to have fun I sit in front of my modules and feel at home: relax and make things I instantly appreciate.
I’m just an hobbist, after all: amusement it’s all I look for.
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My feeling is that there isn’t much individually that can be done better in Euro than on standalone gear. A decade or two ago, euro felt much more cutting edge.
I suspect that the main benefit of Euro today is that you can build a compact custom synth that does precisely what you want. If you want to spend Lamborghini money on a wall of modules, you can do that. If you want a few modules for a live performance that aren’t much bigger than a mechanical keyboard, you could do that instead.
This is also the downside of Euro. Making music is one thing. Designing instruments is another. It can be easy to slip into the hobby of designing Eurorack systems. Or you can become engrossed in just trying stuff out. There is nothing wrong with either activity, but if your goal is making music then be aware that Euro can be distracting.
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diving down the expensive rabbit hole of obsessive fart noises
nothing else quite like it in the music realm…
I’ve lost good friends and great producers to soldering and cable noodling sadly they stopped making tracks and would simply disappear into a miasma of unmusical sonic musings
light some candles for the fallen
I’m looking forward to picking up a cascadia soon 
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I think modular and semi modular synths are great.
Fuck Eurorack though. Too small and fiddly.
Everyone seems to be making modules with way too many functions in too small a package, kinda defeats the purpose. 4u or bigger if I ever go back to modular.
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The problem is a lot of 4u is getting crowded too. My pet theory is that there is so much generative Eurorack because the interfaces for so many modules are so tiny.
Euro because of the range of possibilities.
Modular because of control voltage. And modulating the modulators. And learning synthesis.
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- Completely disregard musical frequencies.
- Have an insane dynamic range that is really hard to mix.
- Eat hours of your time with no usable results in the end
- Be tons of fun nonetheless
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For modular in general - the custom routing and voicing (pick your own oscillators and filters; add ring mod, wave folding, or other wave shaping to taste).
Can you do a lot of that in fixed architecture synths? Sure, and it can be hard to add something like a wavefolder to a fixed architecture synth that does not have one already. Some fixed architecture synths give you quite a lot, though (like the Novation Summit - especially with the added front panel controls over the peak). OTOH, it’s not a carryon sized synth.
Eurorack specifically? The largest market format. That doesn’t necessarily mean the best, but the dominant tech will draw makers because it is the dominant tech.
I saw Euro, 4u, 5u, and AE modular well represented at Knobcon. With enough motivation you can make any format work with any other, too.
Are they happy though?
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If you spend enough time with a euro rack system your hands warp into little 3-pronged pincers. The pain WILL stop eventually.
If you spend enough money ($2k or more) on a euro rack it can come close to the musical abilities of a korg monologue, but without the pesky saved sounds or sequences.
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It’s all about the meditation. Get a row of R*S Serge or Tip Top Buchla eurorack modules (or 4U even better) with wave folders, random voltage modules and slope generators and cables that can be stacked. Work out how to create self triggering patches.
As for subtractive synthesis I don’t really think it’s worth all the money and hassle – and I have owned quite a lot of euro in my time. I’d rather work with hard wired or semi modular gear.
But if I ever get rich I will definitely have a wall of 4U west coast modular.
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