Eurorack: discussion, advice, learning, questions

[addamm]

Any number of weird things could happen under the hood, maybe the ribbon cable was a little askew when the teeth gripped and clamped it and there is just the tiniest short when stretched the right way (I have no idea, of course). I once had a cable that caused a VCO to fluctuate dramatically in pitch - very strange.

You were able to connect your module with a known good cable and had no issues it sounds like? These issues can be caused by modules, too, if there is some sloppy soldering. Scary stuff!

[desolationjones]

@ElectricaNada

power cable wired backwards

I was sent a cable like this and didn’t realize it at the time due to unshrouded headers at the module and PSU. Thankfully I discovered it right as I was selling that module!

The result of plugging such a cable into keyed headers varies depending on 10-pin vs. 16-pin but in your case @tyleretters I bet you shorted your +12V rail to ground. Thankfully a well-designed power supply will shut off (or at least blow a fuse) and prevent damage. There is also the possibility of reverse polarity power going to a module, which can damage it. Reverse polarity protection is a common but not universal feature of good modules…

[tyleretters]

@addamm

VCO… You were able to connect your module with a known good cable and had no issues it sounds like?

Yes! I also had an issue with a VCO. What was supposed to be a pure sine wave was coming out like it was mixed with a triangle. Thought I was losing my mind.

@desolationjones

Thankfully a well-designed power supply will shut off (or at least blow a fuse) and prevent damage.

TPS80W

Here are some very boring pictures in case anything might be gleaned from them:

[csboling]

Yup, one side of this is wired backwards. Red wire always should align with the downward pointing arrow molded into the plastic on the header. It is probably good to double check this on any cable you did not make yourself (well, certainly those too). You can cut off the header on that side and crimp a new one on.

[tyleretters]

Mind blown. I find it so immensely satisfying to learn like this.

Is this the arrow?

[csboling]

That’s the one. Citation here.

[simka]

good to know about the arrow! I knew the cable can be wired backwards, but to check I always put both ends together to see if they have the same orientation (ie. the piece of plastic that slides into the slit in shrouded header is on the same side, not mirrored, if that makes sense)

[shiddyunzo]

Alternative to MIA (Happy Nerding) with locked “zero-positions”?

I love the dual-poti, but I miss the locked zero-position.any recommendations?

[CaneMan]

I think that’s why some people prefer Intellijel’s Triplatt. The only other one I can think of off hand is Frap Tools 321. Either case, you’re swapping attenuverters for inverter switches.

[Starthief]

I had a 3x MIA for a while and had the same issues with zero, also shiny knobs that reflected glare and made it hard to see the pointers, and pots that were a bit scratchy after a relatively short time owning it.

I had a 321 for a while too, and liked the feature set in theory – but the small knobs and the tiny invisible black switches on a black background made it no fun to use IMHO.

MI Shades is the one I use, with a uni/bi selector per channel. It just works with no fuss.

[Therm0ptic]

I finally tested your question. Yes, you can. I’m using a S&H to Odessa’s mainCV input to ocassionally change the key of a sequence that I’m routing into Hel. It works!

[mdoudoroff]

Not quite the same thing, but Klavis Mixwitch takes a distinct approach with full counter-clockwise always being zero.

[yams]

Having a bit of a MOMENT as over in the ‘drum ideas’ thread this video popped up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmQ7AMnooj0

In it Dakim lays down a few hits in a delay, lets it loop out, and then slaps on a new sample. As one part (hats, kick, snare) slowly falls apart, he plays in a new pattern (or just a new sample) in its place. The result is a wildly consistent neck-snapper of an affair, that seems like a remarkably consistent way of improvisationally producing ‘beat tapes’ (think Devonwho’s betaloops – those short loop collections of pieces 30 - 120 seconds in length) that flows organically from one pattern to the next, with opportunities for sample-wide timbrel manipulation throughout.I used to do this kind of thing with the SP - 404 and mix it with atonal, asynchronous layered lo-fi samples and field recordings. My exploration of modular is an extension of this same impulse.

Looking at what I have, and how I might go about integrating this technique within the rack, it seems like it would produce the perfect accompaniment to the generative additive processes I’ve been going real heavy on these past few months (once the melodies settle into a groove, the drums will have fallen apart slightly, and after updating the drums, the melodies may be growing stale, resulting in this ‘alternating attention’ to an ever-changing landscape – something like ~the~ dream, from my perspective, a real ‘duet with myself’ informed by my two favorite forms – beat music and additive ambience).

I feel a little under-equipped in terms of knowledge for wiring up this drum system, and I’m looking for advice. I’m planning on playing drums off the morphagene in mono, and have Clouds, Chronoblob 1, Chronoblob 2, mimeophon, and another morphagene as my delay options. I also still own the 404, and have the means to send its audio to my rack (although I’d prefer to do this all in-rack, given the 404’s timbrel limitations and size). I also have various tools for signal routing: turning mono tracks to multi-tracks, filtering, creating sends, mixing, etc. Basically, if anyone has an idea on how to make this work, I’m confident I can execute it – I’m just not familiar enough with the behavior of each delay in full-on looper mode // complex delay feedback patches to navigate with confidence. I also lack the rack space to test from zero efficiently (although, even if someone were to hand me the patch, I’m anticipating months of practice before I reach a competency threshold).

Is there any direction / advice that might be on offer here? It feels like I’m on the cusp of realizing what I had imagined 10 years ago when I got into electronic music, and a ‘starter patch’ for this drum idea is the missing piece.

(to head-off the inevitable – once TT integration with disting EX is off the ground, I’ll be triggering my samples from there rather than the fun, but unwieldy, morphagene)

I know this is a bit different from what is typically asked here, but it does feel like a ‘general advice’ question, and a particularly interesting routing/application puzzle for the more-experienced…

[grey]

If you wanted to something like that with modular, the most efficient way I can think of would be something like Lúbadh, Launch Codes, and Squid Salmple. Pitch sequencing options are obviously many. Filter options many. Add a Lightstrip and or a Planar to record automations.

Though really, gear has very little to do with it, which is why he’s doing sick stuff with very little. Having the sensitibilities to select samples that gel and extensive practice layering compositions in that style seem significantly more important than a tight modular rig.

[varispeeder]

honestly, I feel you with the SP-404’s limitations, but I kinda wish I still had mine and I feel like you should keep yours in the setup. it has an immediacy to it that I miss, and it sounds like you enjoy it for the same reasons I did - alternating using it for drums and for background textures/transitions.

I think it’d be more efficient to use them as complimentary partners than try and replicate 100% of the 404’s capabilities in the modular, which will get very expensive very fast. Why dedicate a Morphagene to drums and another to ambience when you could have one or both taking turns with the SP-404?

[yams]

Right. That’s why my question is angled more toward “what’s the flow for this functionality” than “what do I need to buy?” I know what I have to be sufficient to meet these ends, but have precious little space in which to test ideas (covid displacement), and particularly given the multi-modality of the modules I have access to, the several layers of synced clocking, potential routing of samples to different filter channels (via boss bow tie), parallel fx sends for the other effects I like on my drums… It’s just an exponentially complex idea that will require months of testing to iron out before I can even ‘get back in the groove’ of performing drums in this way, with another month tacked on if I’m swapping out delays, configuring appropriate clocks, and generally compensating for differences between delay/mode A where I thought to start and delays/modes B through Zed that I may have to traverse (this is the stage I’m looking to cut out).

The question, more directly, is “which of those delays listed is a good place to start, and what are some settings / routings to take particular care with?”

@varispeeder on this… the 404 has been out of my workflow for years, and part of the concept is syncing everything with a potentially-changing clock signal, which doesn’t jive with the 404. Furthermore, neither morphagene has duties yet in this patch, as I’ve actually acquired them for a completely separate purpose (basically a 48 hp live rig with pre-recorded tracks to improvise on for sets where there’s just… a lot more than euro going on, as in three jazz players and a vocalist )

[robert.chiniquy]

Hi all! My question feels like a good fit for this thread. I’m making a mini-system to help me focus and also to be more portable, based around Teletype and Bitbox. Ansible, Sweet Sixteen, and a few other modules are definitely in the mix (I’m tearing modules out of my big system, lots of flexibility available). I’m discovering that making a smaller system is harder than I thought.

The two things right now that are killing me are modulation and effects. I’m worried that the modules I would want may not exist.

For modulation, I would love something dense with many (more than 4) triggerable complex functions. The nw2s b seemed plausible, but might be a dead project? Also it is big.

For effects, what I was hoping for was a multi FX unit with several parallel channels, each of which having separate selectable effects with CV-able params. I’m guessing if there is anything like this, it is the ER-301? But that seems like a real beast. I’m hoping there’s something simpler. The 1010music fxbox has two channels but also otherwise also doesn’t really do what I want.

I’m just kind of hoping to hear any ideas anyone has to help me reach outside my own knowledge to find new options.

Thank you!

[mopoco]

For modulation I can recommend several twin waves from Klavis.
And though it might not fit your needs for fx check out the doctor a from audiothingies…

[kveye]

Sounds like you are trying to recreate a polysynth in a small modular package. And it’s not really feasible:) A polysynth akin to Minilogue might serve you better.

Though I might’ve misinterpreted your intentions.

[a773]

Why not use the teletype for modulation? Maybe add a txo, which offers envelopes, lfos + more under tight control. Might be enough…