#67

Hi friends.

So after using a “traditional” pedalboard for a decade+ now I’ve been leaning towards a more hands on approach to my fx boxes. And I’ve started playing around with the idea of replacing my pedalboard with a semi small case of modules.

Current setup:

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Chain is:

  • Julia chrous/detune/vibrato
  • Super fuzz
  • Boss
  • Old Blood Noise Dark Star Reverb
  • Stereo Memory Man
  • Ditto X2 - the signal splits here and 1 line goes into a mixer while the second goes into:
  • Zoia - Signal splits again and goes into another line in the mixer and the second line goes into:
  • Pladask Elektrisk Form2(end of chain, into another line of the mixer)

The mixer has my FATES in an aux send/return.

What modules would people recommend?
I am trying to see how much it would cost me to go all modular with my guitar setup, and if I can flip my old equipment to get enough bank to not go broke doing this shift. Also, is this a good idea?

I know the only way to “replace” the Zoia would be with the Euroburo Zoia, so lets keep that out of the equation.

I would love:

  • a good/creative delay, same with reverb. (Erbe Verb/morphagene)
  • a granular delay
  • a looper.
  • a guitar/ext instrument interface(if this has stereo ins, for my OPZ, that would be cool).
  • a good/creative modulation unit, VCOs etc.
  • a mixer?
  • a aux send/return or fx loop(stereo) for my FATES

Anything else I should get?

I guess the drive/dirt can still be pedals, I mostly just use the BOSS to add saturation/drive to my signal, so that can stay outside of the modular, unless someone has a great “drive” module.

Any thoughts/insights/tips is highly appreciated. Thanks!

#68

TBH, all of this could be accomplished with a basic, small mixer. You can do it in Euro but it will be expensive. I own the Bastl Hendrikson and use it for this (not in stereo). Its flexible and works well.

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#69

Might be a good idea to look into the er 301. It’s going to cover a lot of what you listed (granular, granular delay, multiple looper options, mixing, panning, vco, vca, filters, etc. I’d also recommend Knob farm ferry as send/return. If you have a clean boost you could use xaoc tallin to add some dirt and bring it fully up to modular level, otherwise ears is great. Stages for modulation with er 301 is a good combo. I’d also recommend mimeophon with thos setup as well as a random source like ssf ultra random analog and a noise source.

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#70

This could be a cheaper option than replacing everything, though not the true modular experience for modulation but would give more flexible signal flow.

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#71

Hmmm so you want to create a modular system primarily for mixing and effects. I’ll say those are two areas of eurorack that tend to be particularly cost-ineffective compared to standalone hardware. A decent reverb or delay in eurorack will cost $200 minimum in most cases. And mixers are even worse.
Not saying it’s not a good idea creatively, but it certainly wouldn’t be cheap!

Also, strangely I’ve yet to find any eurorack module that actually does straightforward ditto-style looping. All the loopers in eurorack tend to do much more at the cost of losing their simplicity / ease of use.

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#72

I am using a mixer at the moment. But I kind of don’t want to. The fewer «separate» parts the better

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#73

Correct, but with the flexibility of module patching and modulation. Pedals usually exist very much in theie own separate worlds, but with a euro «fx unit» I feel like I could get something that works closer as a ecosystem of sound manipulation.

Oh, and a looper that can add complexity is just a bonus.

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#74

This is actually the area that I would be most interested in regarding getting into modular but rapidly arrived at this conclusion too, which is why I have a wealth of guitar pedals and assorted standalone units, alongside several iOS devices to fill in the blanks (granular isn’t covered well by any pedals I can think of, for example, but there are around half a dozen truly superb granular devices on iOS).

The one thing I’ve always been taken with - which I’ve yet to find an alternative to in pedal form - is something akin to Make Noise modules like Morphagene and the couple of others of that ilk.

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#75

Boredbrain are a great Richmond company local to me----they make sweet patch cables too.

#76

I just compared prices of some interessting modules, and the price point is not that bad compared to your “boutique” pedal makers or strymons etc, and I feel like the use patterns on modules are a lot less linear compared to pedals. If that makes sense.

#77

I mean a Mimeophon may be on par with a timeline but you also have to think about an in/out module, plus external modulation just to get the functionality of a standalone Timeline. But I’ll stop being a scold :slight_smile:

Something like the Qubit Mixology or Xaoc Praga could be a cool mixing centerpiece. Both have send/returns built in. You could look at that plus a few big effects (maybe Mimeophon, ErbeVerb, Clouds) and a big modulation module like a Batumi or Stages. That would be a cool start for sure.

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#78

I get it from an aesthetic standpoint, for sure. As far as separate parts, just remember that you will have to have a module for each instrument you wish to amplify coming into the effect rack (or one module with many inputs), hi-z inputs for the guitar (and outputs), a mixer type module or two for sending aux signals and mixing the returns. Its a lot of stuff.

I built a small mixer that I originally intended to use with guitar, pedals, an OP-1, or whatever I had around. It uses a Hendrikson, a Quattro Figaro, and an ABC Mixer - all Bastl. It has a nice wooden aesthetic that I like and I found/fitted a small wooden box to house them. It works well. The Quattro Figaro is well equipped with normalled inputs to do a lot of what you want.

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#79

yeah, don’t think I need a full sized mixer since most of the stuff I do in the mixer is splitting effects into different channels. kind of modular already…ish.

#80

If you are fine with really just a reroutable signal in / signal out type flow and aren’t actually trying to mix multiple voices, you could also consider just getting the full Make Noise Tape and Microsound system and adding on a Strymon AA.1 to get guitar in and out. Then you’d have a little bit of width left for one smaller effect module.

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#81

Someone mentioned the lack of any great simple loopers in euro. I agree with this. I’m on a quest (again) to find the most simple solution for looping guitar to euro stuff via clock. I’ve been through a few loopers that take midi: Ditto X4, Eventide H9, Zoia, but the midi implementations have been quirky at best, they usually tend to drift after a while.
Morphagene does lock to clock, and it seems to work decently, however it still is a little quirky in that if I do any sort of granular processing to it and try to return to the base loop it totally goes out of sync.

One idea I had was to get that Ditto X2 Jam pedal. It has that ‘beat sensing technology’ and takes a mic via 1/8" input and I was hoping I could just send it a clock and it would follow it. Anyone tried this?

Anyone have any other solutions?

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#82

Intrigued with this idea. Mainly a guitar jock, I’ve recently acquired a Chase Bliss Blooper and would love to bring it into the modular world. But I don’t have a way to get the levels right yet. Guessing the dip switches could hold the answer to your modular looping questions. Chase Bliss stuff has typically thought of everything. Which is typically worth the price of admission.

I’ll likely end up going with a Bastl Hendrikson as well. But am I wrong in thinking a Make Noise Rosie could work for using guitar pedals too? Assuming you have a 1/4” to 1/8” cable to use in the Rosie’s effects loop?

These pedals are def on my short list to bring over for a play date: Chase Bliss Mood/Blooper/Thermae, CT5, Earthquaker Disaster Transport (cool!), H9.

#83

While the amazing Patchulator has been mentioned, Boredbrain also has Intrfx for this exact purpose:

#84

As far as syncing to clock coming from modular, a while back I did email Chase Bliss and they said they thought it was possible with the Tonal Recall, into the tap tempo, but it required some finesse with levels and such. I’ve tried clock into tap tempo other delay pedals and some of them work and some don’t. The only one that worked perfectly was the Carbon Copy Deluxe. Since that’s analog though you can’t loop with it (freeze the delay in the buffer) Someone out there needs to build a simple looper that syncs to an analog clock. I wish I had enough electronics experience, i’d build one. I only know how to tinker with tube amps.

#85

The new Chase Bliss Blooper can sync to CV.

Also, with it’s repeats knob it could be used as a synced delay as well as a looper (just leave it recording into a loop and adjust the repeats knob to use as a ‘frippertronics’ type delay).

When I found this out I pre-ordered (there are hardly any loopers I could find that sync to CV).

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#86

Recommendation for the Knob.farm Ferry from me too. Small, stereo and connects with modules using Intellijel’s 3-pin Link connector.

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