How many of you have more modules than you have space in your case(s) and you custom “build” your rack based on the patch you’re going for (vs having all modules in the rack all the time)?

I just bought another module that won’t fit but I plan to swap it and another module out from time to time based on what I want to accomplish. Just curious how common this is.

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I have a small overflow case going at the moment, outside my main 6U case, but I’m getting reeeeeally close to selling it off. Unfortunately some of the modules have sentimental value, like my Maths, which was one of the first modules I bought, and it’s serial no. 5000 (not really sure why that’s significant, but it feels like it is). When it comes to smaller, more focused systems, I think this is fairly common.

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I second the overflow case approach. That’s where I stick new modules that I’m not yet sure how I’ll incorporate, or modules that questioning the longevity of.

It has helped me to be honest about getting rid of what I don’t use, as well. If it’s in the overflow case & I’m not missing it, it’s probably time. Or if it’s in the overflow & I am constantly still working it into patches (which is a pain, because I like to move my main case around the apartment / take it outside), again, it’s pretty clear.

I have found that 6U 104HP main & 3U 104HP overflow works well for me, although I suspect that is completely arbitrary / subjective / dependent on how long a person has been in the modular world :slight_smile:

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Is there any danger with multing a signal going into a module? (i.e. 2 sources going into one trigger input). I’d like to have a main sequence from Varigate go into my drum modules but be able to tap in some live extras if posible.

It’s not a recommended practice to mix signals with mults - they are meant to have one output connected to many inputs, not the other way around. It is possible to damage modules if those modules aren’t protected against that sort of situation (which nowadays most modules are - for example, all mannequins modules are explicitly protected against this). In any case, the results may not be exactly what you expect, because what you’re doing isn’t really straight-forward mixing.

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This is the subject of some debate I think. In theory yes, you shouldn’t do it, but if you check out Mylar Melodies drum/percussion video he uses a Doepfer switched mult for the purpose you describe.

I have the Low Gain Short Bus, which I think is a proper ‘OR’ circuit and irradicates any danger.

Apologies for vagueness, I know little about the theory here but presumably if you add up the voltage from multiple gates that might be problematic…

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Gates are usually binary signals (on/off) with high voltage peak (~8V) if you simply sum with a mult and two gate signals hit at the same time, you can get very high voltages.
If the module is not protected against those, you can potentially fry circuits. As stated before, nowadays it is best practice to have onboard counter measures agains this (Make Noise for example claims all their modules are protected).
However, you might not want to take a guess and take measures to prevent problems.
Solutions: OR gate combiner, simple passive diode based module (e.g. by intellijel) or an active logic module with OR function Erica Pico/ MN Maths. Alternatively, modules with mix/sum function can do the job too. E.g. mixer like MI Shades or VCA like MN Moddemix. The usually clip excess voltages.

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(voltages with magnitude greater than 12 in either direction will be clipped just because the whole circuit runs on +/-12V.)

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Mults don’t sum. It’s closer to “passive averaging” but really you’re not going to get voltages above 8V if both inputs are 8V. The risk with “passive mixing” is having current flowing into an input (edit: output) that is maybe not designed to sink it appropriately.

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arrrrr, yeah. now you mention it. — had a little knot in my brain.
yeah, risk will rather be getting current in an output than too much in an input. :flushed:

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Thanks for the replies, glad i asked. I’ll look into the mylar video.

Totally see your points but i neither could ($) nor would want to invest in a big system as that.

Actually i slimmed further down kind of. I have a wonderful case now wich i am installing rails right now. Acrylic with metal enclosure, i will use the same part as a cover. Just 56 hp but i could some time later install rails into the cover too and get another 56 hp…

Moving around pixels ad modulargrid its really hard as you say to build sth functional in that size. And about not getting cheaper at all yeah…it draws my attention back to er 301 as its so much in there.

About cells, what dont you like? Its hard to beat 10hp of cv keyboard and sequencer all dual and appregio able… its like a mini rene kind of. Ofc simpler wich suits me fine.

I am kind of halfway on the edge to put in an TE PO 33 as a sampler and not forcing myself to have a real euro sampler. So much simpler and cheaper. I would need to multiply its clock tho and that woukd eat the distings use wich is kinda limiting…

The size is ok for me, i want to make an instrument. Synth-sampler-recorder. Not the most complex modular of all times.
But i allready see i ll need a function gen and to pair it with mangrove JF makes all the sense ofc

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I don’t have anything against Cells in particular, I just would personally take every opportunity to do things out of the rack instead with a small case like that.

(Though I did own the desktop Therapsid and AY2 from Twisted Electrons; Therapsid had some design flaws in addition to all the SID chip’s quirks, the AY2 developed a problem with some LEDs stuck on and others not lighting, and the build quality of both was… minimal. I’ve heard better things about their Euro builds.)

From my interpretation of the manual, Phase should move the selected output with regard to ITS time, not with regard to the 1x pulse. So I would set your second gate to anywhere past 75% and see if that works? Note—I don’t have PNW, so I can only be minimally helpful.

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I don’t have Rene and only an amateur understanding of PNW since I’m also quite new with it but my primary thoughts are that perhaps you could CV control the level of Output 2, such that it is not sending any discernible signal. Unsure if this could be done with say a Start pulse of another output of Pam’s but definitely worth investigating!
Or you could simply manually mute the channel and unmute it just after starting the pattern.

You can also use renés snake mode if you simply want to play one row after the other.

Is this how you want Pam’s outputs to fire?

1: X X X X / X X X X / X X X X…
2: O O O O / X O O O / X O O O…

If so, just set the 2nd output to /4 with Delay % at 100% and Delay Div at 1.

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apologies for this terribly n00by question; i’m wanting to build a compact system (for free-form percussion / drone / sound art etc.) - maybe 2-4 voices – i’ve got a few external effects (filter, delay, etc.), but i presume I’ll be mixing signals (pre-output, within the system) – will i need something like the MN Rosie, for a final (summed, mixed) signal-output (?) - i don’t fully understand how utility / function modules work yet. Any feedback is appreciated.

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It really depends on what you’re going to plug the modular into. Something like Rosie (or other output modules) would give you more flexibility, but external mixers, audio interfaces, etc. can often handle Eurorack signal levels just fine.

I don’t play out, and I have a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 that will handle 8 analog inputs – I connect directly to that and do my mixing in a DAW, though I also have a few Euro mixers for other purposes.

(I used to have a Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6… that one does NOT handle Eurorack levels very well and requires some attenutation first.)

Rosie seems great as an output module, but she’s not really a mixer; you’ll definitely want something else for that purpose. The main benefit of her (or another output module) is that modular signals tend to be very “hot”, which can cause problems for interacting with line level gear, or headphones.

Whether you want the mixer in the rack or not mostly depends on portability concerns as well as if you intend to mix before further in-the-rack processing (like how the mixer section on a multi-oscillator subtractive monosynth comes before the filter).

ETA – “problems” in the sense @Starthief describes. It seems unlikely you’d break something, but you might get too much clipping