Awesome vacuum machine
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Two vacuum cleaners! That’s just GAS on another level! 
Both pretty stylish though.
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one is a steam mop
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Wait til you see my broom collection. 
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Ooh, you little tease, you!
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They are ‘real traps’ made in US. I got a really good deal on gumtree. It was money well spent. Good luck. Cheers
Made some changes and I have a long explanation from my Reddit post that I’ll copy and paste for you:
This is the 7th iteration of my synth setup. I want less complexity, so now it’s just sampling drum machine + FM synth + Buchla-esque Eurorack. The picture shows the setup un-patched so it’s more of a glamour shot than anything.
Some history
When I fist re-discovered my love for synths I wanted to get away from the computer, since I work on it the whole day, so I started a HW based jam station on a desk.
In some point I wanted to make some Synthwave music and I realized how easy is to finish full songs ITB so I ended up with 2 separated workflows. ITB for Synthwave, HW for jamming and having fun.
After some time I wanted to use less space in my living room and to have an hybrid workflow so I merged my desks and sold a bunch of stuff to make everything fit. Then I realized that stuff was also using too much space in my head so I started to simplify my setup.
After some time I haven’t been actually using the laptop for making music but I’ve been just jamming on my HW. I’ve been using a lot each instrument individually to really get a deeper understanding of their capabilities.
In the end I’ve realized than it’s hard for me to use more than 2 devices at the same time, so I can have subsets of the setup like Digitone + Modular or Digitakt + Digitone depending on what kind of music I want t jam on. It would be wise to get rid of one of the Elektron devices, but I really enjoy them.
What I’ve learned
- For people like me, having less choices and less complexity helps a lot. Less devices, less MIDI routing options, simple audio path and more time to explore each piece of gear.
- In my case the sequencer sets a mental model, with a linear sequencer I tend to create full songs and with a step sequencer I tend to jam.
- It takes time to refine a setup and to come up with a workflow that works for you, we all like pics and videos about setups but they vary a lot depending on your musical goals, experience and general preferences.
- Saving money each month for synths and buying used is a double edged sword. In one hand I have money for gear and it’s easy to get rid of something without losing money but on the other it makes easy to just add or swap gear without diving deeper in the things you already have. In the end you need to know that making music is one hobby and buying/selling gear is a different one.
- Don’t be afraid of getting rid of nice stuff, for example I sold a Cirklon because I was under-utilizing it.
The setup
- Digitone: FM groovebox.
- Digitakt: Sampling drum machine groovebox.
- Eurorack skiff: Buchla-esque modular.
- Doepfer A-100LC3: Great and unexpensive rack.
- Endorphin.es Shuttle Control: MIDI to CV converter with extras like uncertainty source, LFOs, envelopes, etc.
- DPO: Complex oscillator.
- Maths: Dual function generator.
- Optomix: Dual low pass gate.
- Keystep: MIDI and CV controller.
- MOTU UltraLite mk4: Audio interface that can work as standalone mixer.
- Adam A5X: Studio monitors.
- Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro: Headphones.
- Old Macbook Air: Not using it for music right now, but it has Ableton 10, TAL-U-NO-LX, the U-He pack that was on sale and the Samples From Mars pack that was on sale.
- Sensel Morph: MPE controller, not in the picture. It doesn’t work directly with my MIDI to CV converter so I may return it.
The signal path is super simple, Digitakt and Digitone into the audio interface, I usually connect the modular into the Digitone to use its effects. Alternatively, I can connect one of the outputs of the interface into the Digitakt to sample something.
MIDI out of the Digitone into the MIDI in of the Digitakt, so I can connect the Keystep into the Digitone when I want. I sequence the modular with either my Digitone or the Keystep.
Where’s your music tho?
I haven’t uploaded any music made with my HW synths but you can listen to:
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This post is fantastic. Not just for the excellent use of markdown formatting, but there is a lot of good advice and info in here. I can definitely relate to the need to maintain a simplified setup. I especially like the comment about not being shy about selling something if it’s not getting used or just doesn’t fit into the overall setup. Thanks for sharing.
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Great post
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Thanks for your answer! I’m fairly new to the modular world. Okay, you bought the frames and you have built a wooden frame for that. What’s the measure of that frame?
If I wanna do this, what more needs to be done? Is it only the power supply for the modules that’s left to add? Which power supplies do you use to run your modules?
dope china cabinet
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Update on my setup:
New edition Microvolt 3900 standing in for Microbrute currently.
Also nightmare rack drawer added (had to take everything out of the rack to install, and angle grind off the ridiculously long rack ears, then pull the desk out and reconnect everything).
Still awaiting my Expert Sleepers order which I placed in JANUARY! So I can get 8 separate outs from the Eurorack.
Couldn’t seem to get a good angle on these pics today. Oh well.
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Not with the greatest attention to hiding cables but with a lots of gigs that I have these weeks I am constantly unplugging and moving stuff. The way my setup is arranged allows me to reach everything from my sitting position. This is important, I don´t use gear that is too far away. All synths are connected to the patchbays in the rack on the right side, from there I also interface with the computer with the Apollo and MOTU midi express.
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Yes!
Yes!
Yes!
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Is that a custom made desk? Looks awesome!
WORD!!! Took years for me to get to this point. So true!
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It’s the Outputs Platform desk.
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