Eurorack: discussion, advice, learning, questions

mateo · 2024-02-09T15:41:59.066Z

There’s this one that was recently released, but I haven’t tried it:

The one in the MS-20 is also useful, but not necessarily super accurate. That’s part of the fun though!

Net · 2024-02-09T15:49:24.880Z

There’s also the Audiospektri Guitar Analyser, which is capable of tracking the pitch and amplitude of each of a guitar’s six strings independently.

Audiospektri

Guitar Analyser | Audiospektri

Product Line Guitar Analyser Plug and play! The Guitar Analyser module converts the incoming guitar’s six string signals into synthetic ones and gives you the option of 6 CV note and 6 audio/amplitude outputs. The rest is up to you and your Eurorack...

Est. reading time: 3 minutes

Just remembered it. Audiospektri are based just a few km from where I live!

clwilla · 2024-02-09T18:17:59.861Z

Bite the bullet. Buy a Knob Farm Ferry. There’s no guess work. No questions about ruining gear. No forgetting to attenuate enough.

pandafish · 2024-02-09T19:12:20.680Z

I installed TouchOSC on my phone the other day and it’s a night and day experience when using Disting (I had MIDI broken out to jacks already). Plug it in, set up your patch parameters with no menu diving, unplug.

eblomquist · 2024-02-09T19:42:11.699Z

Can you say more? This sounds very useful.

How did you break out the MIDI? ETC?

ghostclub · 2024-02-09T20:13:52.263Z

I recently discussed trying to find a good setup here (there are links to the Touch OSC templates too). Probably the easiest solution is the Expert Sleepers Tiny MIDI breakout but there are plenty of DIY solutions discussed in that thread too.

Glamaig · 2024-02-10T18:44:34.003Z

Hi there all, maybe an unusual question here but looking for some input/advice from any users out there.

I have a bit of budget to bring something new into the studio and am looking at Intellijel Cascadia vs Mannequins Mangrove/Sisters/Cold Mac/Just Friends/Crow Skiff.

I have patched up mangrove style patches with function generators for ages. The mannequins stuff if tempting but I am interested in a more open addition to my ARP 2600 which I completely adore and love the idea of having a cooking cupboard for those ideas which can be mega fun in analog.

Also have a Norns/Grid hence thoughts on a small Mannequins skiff.

Just interested if anyone is dipping any toes in similar waters

sammm · 2024-02-10T20:45:40.132Z

These are really quite different What are you looking to accomplish?

tofuBahnMi · 2024-02-10T23:47:14.762Z

anyone using 2hp midi or USB2MIDI to sequence from OP-1? either seems like either of those would be a good, compact solution. just wondering if there’s a preference either way

edit: looks like neither of these is my solution. op-1 isn’t a midi host (as far as i know) and 2hp midi requires a host. i’m not sure what usb2midi is actually for at all

Glamaig · 2024-02-11T04:58:26.121Z

I am looking for some analog modules with which I can use in a little set up with Norns/Grid but don’t want to chopping and changing modules, wondered if any cascadia users have mannequins stuff too or vice versa and had any experience to offer on these over time. My basic thought is that Mangrove is cool but can be patched on Cascadia, three sisters seems often used as a pretty standard filter, cold Mac is also interesting but star seems to me to be Just Friends when taken in concert with Norns. However, would I have a more open trajectory by getting more creative with Cascadia?

sammm · 2024-02-11T16:50:38.958Z

Hi. This is obviously only one person’s opinion, but I’ve had these Mannequins modules as part of a larger set of Eurorack for many years, so maybe it’ll be of some help even though I’ve never used the Cascadia.

If you’re excited about interfacing with Norns and Grid via Crow and you don’t mind that JF is a digital module, then the i2c stuff definitely provides something you can’t do with the Cascadia.

JF is my favorite of the Mannequins modules, though I mostly use it as an FM synth these days (it’s a great oscillator). I’ve gone through periods where its modal nature was kind of frustrating since 6 outputs with one set of shared controls in any mode required me to adjust my initial expectations regarding its flexibility. I think when I got a larger case and more utility modules the issue basically went away.

Sisters is a fun filter but I mostly enjoyed using it to scan through frequencies of multiple inputs which is something I couldn’t do with other filters. I didn’t find it particularly inspiring as a general purpose filter, but I liked it in an experimental context. Probably just depends on what your goals or needs are. I actually sold it a while back because I have other filters which I just like better.

Cascadia seems like a really nicely designed instrument. I haven’t been too inspired by the demos I’ve watched but there’s a whole lot there to experiment with which seems very fun. I appreciate the number of dedicated utilities and the built-in normalization. It looks beautiful and I’d love to play with one. Not sure it can go quite as many weird places as the Mannequins set, but maybe you don’t need it to?

3-foot-1 · 2024-02-12T03:07:44.171Z

I’d say that if you are interested in polyphony and/or scripting/livecoding, then go with norns + crow + JF. Three Sisters would be an OK addition to that set, and maaaybe Cold Mac if you can find one, but I bet there will be not much of a role for Mangrove because JF is going to want to take center stage as a six-voice synth.

But if you want a box that you use for arbitrary analog patching experiments, then go with Cascadia. That is what it is built for, and it does that job very well.

Caveats: Cascadia is very much a monosynth. If you are trying to let a norns script speak through your patch (via midi) you may feel limited, because norns so easily invites polyphony, and then Cascadia alone ceases to be enough synth for norns.

There are also a few annoying omissions in the Cascadia interface (IMHO). (1) There is no straightforward way to get access to the VCO A sine or square outputs. They go straight to the mixer. (2) The utilities are a bit limited, probably because of space and cost constraints. The combined mixer, attenuverter and constant voltage source is brilliant, but I often want more than one of these functions in a patch. I wind up using a bunch of 0hp attenuators and sometimes a passive mixer.

I personally have never felt like the Mannequins modules lend themselves to general analog sound design. They are all really interesting modules with great sounds, and of course you can patch them all sorts of ways, but they are also pretty opinionated. I feel like I patch them to see what they are capable of, but I don’t reach for Mannequins when I want basic building blocks.

So, to me Cascadia vs. a Mannequins skiff with crow is not a question about choosing between two different tools. It’s a question about choosing between two different jobs. If my focus is on norns, then I grab crow + JF as a very direct tool for letting the norns script speak. If my focus is on patching and sound design, then I grab Cascadia and let almost any norns sequencer supply notes while I experiment. I wonder if the second job isn’t already covered in your case by ARP 2600 plus midi-to-cv conversion.

Glamaig · 2024-02-14T19:28:20.679Z

@sammm @3-foot-1 thanks so much for your very thoughtful replies, really have helped a lot in gaining perspective on this consideration. In the end I went for function generators to do format oscillator patching and a JF. Thanks again!

Net · 2024-02-17T17:34:14.798Z

Is anyone here using Pulp Logic format 1U? A couple of years ago I received in a trade a bunch of case materials including a 4U rail set with a PL 1U rail. Having never used it I’ve now listed it for sale, but since PL is nowadays overshadowed by intellijel, I don’t foresee much interest. And I’m in the market for an 84hp skiff (I’ll DIY one if I keep these rails). I would like to see them go to good use; they’ve reposed in my cupboard long enough.

I just didn’t really want to invest in a bunch of 1U utilities all over again, especially as PL products are poorly represented in the EU.

I suppose what I’m asking is, does anyone think PL would be a good investment? I could always just use some of the materials and make myself a 3U skiff instead.

shellfritsch · 2024-02-17T19:21:15.206Z

i have a lbz-54 lunchbox, and a custom 96hp 7u case i built with the help of john at pulplogic. i sent him measurements of my aluminum briefcase and he built a custom bracket, shock mounting system and dc input/switch tile that i was able to quickly install on my own.

i prefer the small power connectors for pulplogic tiles. also i can fit IJ format tiles into the PL rails but not the other way around. you can see my midi to gate/cv module here is IJ format, but with some washers the lower edge is held very securely.

pl-1u1920×2560 569 KB

i think PL provides a great selection of affordable and very functional 1u tiles -but i’m on the u.s. west coast - so shipping is quick and easy.

monopole · 2024-02-17T19:38:10.299Z

Net:

Is anyone here using Pulp Logic format 1U?

IMO there’s no reason not to take 1U pulp logic rails if given the choice. Fixing only one side of Intellijel modules is perfectly fine as torque is minimal at that height + you can fit PL tiles which are very nice + you can get Plum Audio’s O_C with USB on front (cv ↔ midi) and VOR (exclusive for PL size) and the best feature is that you can fit 6HP 3U modules on 26HP with an adaptor. It doesn’t even look bad if you care about that little gap.
Ah, the 7U is still cabin plane friendly.

IMG_34241920×1920 216 KB

Net · 2024-02-17T20:28:21.584Z

Thank you both! I’m now feeling encouraged; it looks like I might as well hang on to this set after all, if I’ve any wish to make myself a skiff (and I have).

barrford · 2024-02-17T20:54:06.265Z

If you can DIY then there are quite a few PL 1u tiles available from Thonk, Pusherman and Etsy/Tindie/eBay etc.

bloc · 2024-02-25T17:05:56.992Z

Hi all

Does anyone know a module that is basically the wavefolder gain stage from Blades?

I absolutely love Blades for that part but i also love my 2 three sisters. I cant house them all and would love to have something like the wavefolder part of Blades that also does the gain stuff and in between. I really like how you can basically have it as a gain knob with a small touch of wavefolding and get the fuzzie part in it. At this point im using that part of Blades and then filter it with three sisters which makes this setup a bit to big…

QuietWilds · 2024-02-25T17:25:49.459Z

I dont have blades but I have and have tried a TON of wave folders and can really recommend:
WMD Ultrafold - a top single-purpose module
Intellijel Bifold - cool flexible option with a ton of tricks, great for a smaller rack as it can be used as multiple things
Doepfer A-136 - kind of a weird distortion/waveshaper combo that can make a lot of really unique timbres, sort of just its own thing that’s hard to replicate elsewhere. If you’re looking for something that can do gain as well as wave folding this is the ticket.