What makes eurorack "special"?

The Lounge Other Gear
#63

For me, modular isn’t entirely about the sound. You can get most of the sound possibilities of modular elsewhere. It’s about the workflow: I find it way easier to actually make music & finish tracks on a modular, and I much prefer the modular workflow to a series of hardware boxes awkwardly connected via midi (or to making music itb, which I find incredibly difficult and annoying). Also, it’s fun! Sure, I can get many of these sounds from VSTs, but that’s no fun. Why do this if it’s not fun?

Having said that, there are some things you can easily do in modular that would be annoying in other formats. I’ve recently gotten really into sequential switches (including audio rate switching), and although it’s possible to do this kind of thing in a non-modular setting, it’s a lot more time-intensive to set up. In general, plugging audio rate modulation into anything and everything is a really fun part of modular! There are also some modular oscillators (eg Kermit mk3) that don’t really have any analog elsewhere.

3 Likes
#64

Yep.

Max MSP costs the same as one Euro module and can do more than any size rack of them can do.

Yep

2 Likes
#65

To me, eurorack is special because of:

  • open architecture
  • complex modulations that would be impossible in software or fixed architecture synthesis

:heart:

1 Like
#66

that is true and I do not even think about what I spent on my large eurorack setup. Fortunately I am at gear saturation point and no need to buy any new modules. I filled the open rack with nice art blanks to avoid buying more. Plus no space now.

1 Like
#67

People have been known to spend a fair amount on the hardware associated with a computer: monitors, keyboards, point-and-click devices, and other interface peripherals, as well as for the software itself, above and beyond what comes installed on the machine or is freely available. You could view Eurorack as another such choice.

That said, I tend to avoid digital modules, especially ones that that expose more of the programming aspect, and I look to see if I can do what a potentially interesting module can do, but on my iPad. I know that a preference for analog is largely psychological, but we fool ourselves and others all the time, on much more weighty matters. There are “virtual analog” softwares I’m impressed by, and others that leave me cold. Could I tell the difference in a fair A/B test? Probably not. But no one is requiring me to.

2 Likes
#68

For me it is three things:

Feedback

  • You can freely make your own feedback paths. The most obvious example is a delay feedback loop adding filters or distortion to your delay
  • Taking this a step farther you can patch audio back to control CV inputs for CV feedback, my favorite version of this is taking the output of a filter and using it to modulate the filter cutoff.

Mixing

  • When you generate multiple voices and mix them in modular, you can make them interact with each other, like having a kick drum envelope modulate the filter cutoff of the Bass, or any other timbral aspect, for things kinda like sidechaining, but more freeform.

Freeform Voice Structures

  • The ability to patch any number of different oscillators into filters, or set up complex FM patches, or audio rate modulation, basically lets you think like an instrument designer (for better or worse) and design whatever structure you desire at the moment.

Also core to all of this is that it exists off of the computer, with real physical controls. You can almost certainly do all of this on a computer, but it brings me no joy.

6 Likes
#69

Some are on heroine and others are on eurocrack. Don’t try to be special, it’s too dangerous!

2 Likes
#70

I can quit any time…

4 Likes
#71

the hands on knobs and patching of creating sound from scratch is another fun aspect of eurorack.

1 Like
#72

i’m going to get a bigger, newer iPad, i try to mess around with MiRack on my ipad air2 but i’m blind i need a bigger screen, and a mouse, gotta get a USBc ipad…

#73

Yeah, i’m trying to figure out to make something with PURPOSE and not just add random modules and see what i like, i don’t have “Lamborghini money” LOL

2 Likes
#74

There are more rumours going around these days about a bigger iPad coming. Maybe it’s worth the wait.

2 Likes
#75

Mirack is legit. Ive got a bog standard ipad 9.
Have made a fair few bits with mirack. It also killed my gas for getting more hardware. I do have a very small eurorack system, more for fun than anything else.

Theres also Spectrum, a free collection of mutable instruments modules ported for use in AUM or similar. Polyphonic MI synths anyone? Yes please.

3 Likes
#76

Eurorack is a Continuum.

highly customizable jazz machine.

there’s a BIG difference between „virtual“ rack systems (running the whole architecture of a module) and the Hardware module itself.

It’s called Physics.

#77

giphy-24

8 Likes
#78

Yep. He’s got the real thing. And theres no one there to watch it. A big empty room.

2 Likes
#79

the Richard divine xmas special jejejejejeje

#80

Don’t do it. Stay the fuck away. I said exactly the same thing and genuinely meant it. This is 3 years later. :joy:

If there’s one thing it’s particularly good at, it’s perpetually emptying your wallet and savings.

IMG_5665 2.HEIC
IMG_5665 2.HEIC4032×3024 3.73 MB

7 Likes
#81

He said he was honest but he was totally faking it.

#82

Legitimate banger.

No Eurocrack* in sight either.

*Ha!, my phone now autocorrects to Eurocrack. :joy:

5 Likes