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I have planned so many racks on Modular Grid over the last two years. Every time I see the cost (without a case price!) I'm just like '...NO...'

My first "builds" are probably going to be some Bleep Labs things. They are "hackable" as well. It seems most of things that appeal to me are:
1. 'Comparatively' inexpensive
2. You can reprogram
3. Small

A MidiGAL (from first impression) seems to be all of those things so who knows? A few months from now, I might build one too.

$harkToootth wrote:I have planned so many racks on Modular Grid over the last two years. Every time I see the cost (without a case price!) I'm just like '...NO...'

My first "builds" are probably going to be some Bleep Labs things. They are "hackable" as well. It seems most of things that appeal to me are:
1. 'Comparatively' inexpensive
2. You can reprogram
3. Small

A MidiGAL (from first impression) seems to be all of those things so who knows? A few months from now, I might build one too.

I already have a toe in with modular with the Korg MS-20 mini. The types of sounds you can produce seems limitless. I'm thinking about going a bit further and going for the PAIA 9700 modular kit. It's DIY but you get 4 modules for $560 along with a rack.

JereFuzz wrote:

$harkToootth wrote:I have planned so many racks on Modular Grid over the last two years. Every time I see the cost (without a case price!) I'm just like '...NO...'

My first "builds" are probably going to be some Bleep Labs things. They are "hackable" as well. It seems most of things that appeal to me are:
1. 'Comparatively' inexpensive
2. You can reprogram
3. Small

A MidiGAL (from first impression) seems to be all of those things so who knows? A few months from now, I might build one too.

I already have a toe in with modular with the Korg MS-20 mini. The types of sounds you can produce seems limitless. I'm thinking about going a bit further and going for the PAIA 9700 modular kit. It's DIY but you get 4 modules for $560 along with a rack.

The Paia stuff is almost definitely not Eurorack. Probably Frac Rack, which is also 3U but not compatible at all.
There are lots of eurorack DIY kits available, might be better if you have any plans to expand a bit at some point.

I tried Eurorack and didn't love it at all, although the portability is rad, it was much too easy to just get sucked into consumerism with it since so many modules came out with strange names and wacky front panel design begging to be bought before I explored the last module. I liked modular enough to sell my euro to get some 5U, I can do a lot of the same stuff that people do in euro because I DIY most of it. I have Ken stone CGS PCB's for that serge flavor, a DIY Dixie with a ton of extra features and other stuff. Frac is fun, and serge is also very fun.

That's just me though 5U is very DIY friendly since panels are easy to make, and getting cases just mean buying whatever rack case you got laying around large enough. Although it is much larger, but Meh, most everyone here has carried a big guitar setup, so bringing a 10u roadcase on a small dolly never killed me.

oscillateur wrote:

JereFuzz wrote:

$harkToootth wrote:I have planned so many racks on Modular Grid over the last two years. Every time I see the cost (without a case price!) I'm just like '...NO...'

My first "builds" are probably going to be some Bleep Labs things. They are "hackable" as well. It seems most of things that appeal to me are:
1. 'Comparatively' inexpensive
2. You can reprogram
3. Small

A MidiGAL (from first impression) seems to be all of those things so who knows? A few months from now, I might build one too.

I already have a toe in with modular with the Korg MS-20 mini. The types of sounds you can produce seems limitless. I'm thinking about going a bit further and going for the PAIA 9700 modular kit. It's DIY but you get 4 modules for $560 along with a rack.

The Paia stuff is almost definitely not Eurorack. Probably Frac Rack, which is also 3U but not compatible at all.
There are lots of eurorack DIY kits available, might be better if you have any plans to expand a bit at some point.

What makes them non-compatible?

Voltage levels most likely. Euro runs +-12 while Frac (and most others) run at +-15.

Filter is real weak on the Groovesizer Strange Tales. I wouldn't advise you get one.

It is real fun though...

I was talking about the racks, mostly. If you have separate cases you're mostly ok, but that's a pain in the ass.

sergiomunoz74 wrote:I tried Eurorack and didn't love it at all, although the portability is rad, it was much too easy to just get sucked into consumerism with it since so many modules came out with strange names and wacky front panel design begging to be bought before I explored the last module.

Yeah, but that's not really a fault inherent in the format. You see the same thing with all kinds of music gear.

I'm holding off on Euro not because I have a problem with the format or what manufacturers are putting out...it is literally the opposite...I like everything too much!

Things like Make Noise Phonogene, Erbe Verb and every Harvestman Module are awesome. My favorite demo vids are the mylar melodies ones for the Metropolis and Atlantis. I rewatch those all the time.

D.o.S. wrote:

sergiomunoz74 wrote:I tried Eurorack and didn't love it at all, although the portability is rad, it was much too easy to just get sucked into consumerism with it since so many modules came out with strange names and wacky front panel design begging to be bought before I explored the last module.

Yeah, but that's not really a fault inherent in the format. You see the same thing with all kinds of music gear.

Well I don't know about you but a 12u case can end up being pretty easily filled to the brim and spend over 10,000 on it and yet it's still pretty dang easy to carry and not extremely heavy either nor too visually cluttered if you pick things that have more tame panel designs. If you compare a guitar or keyboard/tabletop synths that cost 150-500 bucks and buy 10,000 dollars worth, I'm sure the music room would look like a giant store pretty quickly. Same goes for many other type of gear, space goes pretty quick, and clutter happens pretty quickly too I feel like.

Doesn't stop people from doing just that but for me personally it's just too easy to get out of hand buying all these modules, it's not a bad format but there is a reason why it's called eurocrack.

Speaking of crack...I did buy the bleep labs kits. Will update once I finish them.

And crack...thinking of getting these...

The above fit my three criteria...posted earlier. I'm really enjoying what I'm hearing from BASTL desktop modules. They also come in as a kit for what equates to $66 per module.

I just got this but it's a little over my head, thankfully there were a few tutorials on youtube already.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsLKl0v0Tl4[/youtube]

Strange Tales wrote:Refusal to go modular is often the first step to going modular, see you in that world soon!

I think the MidiGAL might be more advanced and more up my alley though. The Arduino hackability of the Groovesizer MB though is mighty interesting. Hope that they get some kits of that back in stock soon.

Did you see the Noise Reap Reverb? I know you have their VCO. As said if I ever go EURO (which I won't) I want to buy all the DIY kits. I would fill these in a cardboard case.

Yea I'm curious about the Reverb but I really don't care too much about it. All my Reverb needs are covered by the RV-3.

I really do enjoy their VCO, and I have a kit that I'm about to order parts for for their VCF that I have heard good things about.