modular diary: upcoming main rig changes
i felt like writing down some changes i’m gonna make to my main performance rig. i’m at the point where i have 5x104hp of eurorack room (i have the Make Noise CV Bus case for performance, TipTop Mantis for a stay-at-home rig, and a spare Make Noise Skiff that’s just collecting dust for now) but i really want one solid rig in my CV Bus Case that i can carry around and have everything i need to do a live jam.
my current modular performance setup:
my planned near-future modular performance setup:
main changes i’d like to make are...
swapping out the Qu-bit Chord in favor of the ALM Akemie’s Castle. i just ordered the Castle after watching a dozen videos about it and i cannot wait; i feel like i should’ve gone with it over the Chord to begin with. it sounds so dirty, so metallic, so acidic, and yet the chord functionality can make it really lush and atmospheric. gggaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!
swapping out the Rene for the Pressure Points. i just got the Pressure Points a couple weeks ago and it’s changed how i think about performative modular; it seems essential for breaking apart a song into discreet sections, completely live and via easy taps. the Rene is great and i’m gonna keep it in my stay-at-home rig, i’ve found it good for basslines.
swapping out the Erbe-Verb for the 2hp Verb. this is perhaps the biggest sacrifice. i absolutely adore the Erbe-Verb, the noise waves i can make with it sound deeper than the ocean... but it takes up way too much space. for performance, i just want a simple reverb, so the 2hp Verb will do. i’ll keep the Erbe-Verb in my stay-at-home rig for when i want to record things.
swapping out the Dynamix for the 2hp VCA. again, just to save space. i rarely use the advanced features of the Dynamix so i feel like i won’t miss much here. i just need to be able to patch in an oscillator and the Contour.
swapping out the Pico A Mix for the Ladik M-176. i’m actually swapping out a small module for a big module here, but the Ladik M-176 will let me mix in stereo sources (lookin’ at you DSP, Morphagene, and Verb) for live performance, which feels like a must now.
taking out the 2hp Pluck and sticking just with the Pico Voice. the Pico Voice is really good because it not only has the same kind of voice as the Pluck, but also has insanely good sounding bassline, pulse, and supersaw voices. the Pluck can definitely make some beautiful harp-like sweeping vistas... but it’s not worth keeping for only that one thing.
adding in the Pico DSP and Make Noise Morphagene. i currently have these in my stay-at-home rig and use them when recording stuff, and the more i use them the more i can’t wait to get them into a live performance of some kind. the Morphagene takes up a ton of room but it feels worth it.
lining up all of the sequencing and modulation sources to the left side of the rig, and all of the sound sources and drumkit to the right side of the rig. hopefully this’ll reduce the amount of cross-rig patching i have to do. i’m keeping the Pamela’s New Workout front and center for all of my clocking, and not pictured is the Make Nose CV Bus that goes between the two rows in the middle.
the Wogglebug and the Game System are two modules that i’m still figuring out how to utilize to their fullest potential. from a naive angle, they’re just weird sequencer/randomization modules, but in practice i’ve gotten close to making the Game System a robust drum sequencer and the Wogglebug a modulated flavor-adder. i need to spend a lot more time with them.
the Doepfer Wasp Filter is the only filter i’ve ever heard and thought wow, that really adds something. i’ve watched tons of videos on how filters could/should be used, and nothing has ever really inspired me, but this filter is a beast. adds a great metal growl to anything i put through it.
the Pico Drums and 2hp Kick feel like the only drumkit i need. the 2hp Kick is so fat and heavy, i love it. the Pico Drums can do two drum samples, and usually that means a snare and a hi-hat. i still have a lot to learn about drum sequences. i have a Mutable Instruments Grids off to the side in my stay-at-home rig but i’ve never figured out how to make it sound good.
the Metropolis, Maths, and Contour are like... the most essential pieces in the world to me. the Metropolis is hands-down the most fun sequencer i’ve ever touched. the Maths is the cleanest function generator. the Contour brings full realistic envelope control to any weird oscillator. must-haves, haven’t found better.
