modular etc etc

[tone-def]

Where can you actually buy the tip top happy ending?

It's not ideal for me but I want a case that can go in a rack and is 6U. All cases with rack ears seem expensive except the tip top.

[oblioblioblio]

analoguehaven.com

good people

[oblioblioblio]

you could also make your own case using pieces of angled metal (easily available from hardware stores), and the Doepfer DIY kit which comes with a power supply, rails (what you mount the modules on) and bus boards. You need a drill and a hacksaw, not too hard.

I wouldn't trust those happy ending kits though. A good power supply and power system can make quite a big difference to audio quality and overall system noise/crosstalk, and some of the Skiff/happy ending power solutions are designed more for conveniance than quality.

I'm getting Graham Hinton, who used to work for EMS, to design me a power supply and custom frame for mounting modules, but he is quoting me a high price.

I reckon the Doepfer kit is the best way to go for you. check with emismusic.co.uk

[steevio]

i would echo oblio's advice, all my modules are mounted in doepfer kits, in DIY frames made from alloy angle - no problems whatsoever, and you get 4 rails and 2 x bussboards so you can expand up to 6 U when your 3U fills up.

you need a box to put it in though, so you would have to be handy with a saw or buy a second hand small 19" rack case maybe on ebay or something.

edit; someone on the muffwiggler forum was saying that IKEA do a cheap box almost exactly the right size for this

[metaBit]

I'm looking for some advice from some modular heads that are into techno. Maybe that is a redundant moniker but maybe not...

Anyway, my current modular is pretty basic. Here is what I have housed in a Monorocket Mission6 Case:

TipTop Audio Z3000 Smart VCO
TipTop Audio Z2040 4-Pole VCF
Malekko Heavy Industry VCA
STG Soundlabs .Mix
Doepfer A-143-2 Quad ADSR
Doepfer A-143-3 Quad LFO
Doepfer A-190-2 Low Cost MIDI-to-CV/Gate Interface

My goal for my modular is to generate rhythms, sounds and textures to use in minimal techno productions but I am unclear whether I should be looking at getting sequencing modules or LFOs or clocks or more filters or oscillators or...?

I'd also love it if I could have the modular synced to my other gear and computer as well.

I think I should definitely get another filter (maybe the Corgasmatron) but if anyone has any advice for expanding my setup I'm all ears.

[Audio Dependent]

I'm looking for some advice from some modular heads that are into techno. Maybe that is a redundant moniker but maybe not...

Anyway, my current modular is pretty basic. Here is what I have housed in a Monorocket Mission6 Case:

TipTop Audio Z3000 Smart VCO
TipTop Audio Z2040 4-Pole VCF
Malekko Heavy Industry VCA
STG Soundlabs .Mix
Doepfer A-143-2 Quad ADSR
Doepfer A-143-3 Quad LFO
Doepfer A-190-2 Low Cost MIDI-to-CV/Gate Interface

My goal for my modular is to generate rhythms, sounds and textures to use in minimal techno productions but I am unclear whether I should be looking at getting sequencing modules or LFOs or clocks or more filters or oscillators or...?

I'd also love it if I could have the modular synced to my other gear and computer as well.

I think I should definitely get another filter (maybe the Corgasmatron) but if anyone has any advice for expanding my setup I'm all ears.

ok, looks like you have a good straight up bare bones mono synth there. now there are a 100 different directions you could take it depending on what you want to achieve.

Do you want to expand the sonic diversity of your synth? add ring mod/wave folder/distortion
Do you want to add other notes or layers of sound? add VCOs, filters, noise sources.
Do you want to add some randomness to you modulation? look at sources of uncertainty
Do you want to start sequencing with the modular? look at clock dividers, sequencers, quantisers.

what other gear do you have?

there are so many directions you could take from a solid starting point like this...

[steevio]

I'm looking for some advice from some modular heads that are into techno. Maybe that is a redundant moniker but maybe not...

Anyway, my current modular is pretty basic. Here is what I have housed in a Monorocket Mission6 Case:

TipTop Audio Z3000 Smart VCO
TipTop Audio Z2040 4-Pole VCF
Malekko Heavy Industry VCA
STG Soundlabs .Mix
Doepfer A-143-2 Quad ADSR
Doepfer A-143-3 Quad LFO
Doepfer A-190-2 Low Cost MIDI-to-CV/Gate Interface

My goal for my modular is to generate rhythms, sounds and textures to use in minimal techno productions but I am unclear whether I should be looking at getting sequencing modules or LFOs or clocks or more filters or oscillators or...?

I'd also love it if I could have the modular synced to my other gear and computer as well.

I think I should definitely get another filter (maybe the Corgasmatron) but if anyone has any advice for expanding my setup I'm all ears.

the secret to techno is in the sequencing, and i'd advise anyone who wants to make techno on a modular to get some sequencing modules, however you have to have something to sequence, and your set up at present is effectively a basic monosynth, so buying sequnecing modules would be a bit pointless at this stage.

you've chosen well with the modules you have, but i think you need another VCO and VCF before you start thinking about sequencing.
i would add a tiptop Z3000 mk11 and another different filter.
the Z3000 mk11 is great because you have waveshaping which only affects the sine and triangle, which means you can almost use it like two VCOs in one, and it works great with another Z3000, they compliment each other well.
there'll be people who will say get this or that VCO but really VCOs are the part of your system which have the least affect on the final sound, and i think filters are more important and theres so many to chose from.
Z3000s do everything you need really and theyre great because you can see which frequencies youre using, that makes them worth every penny imo.
of course you're going to need another VCA, the Doepfer basic ones will do the trick.

you should be alright for LFOs and ADSRs for a while.

hope thats some help

[Phase Ghost]

I'm gonna counter Steevio's point and say maybe don't get another Z3000. There has been a bit of a boom recently in new analog oscillators such as: Bubblesound vcob, Intellijel dixie & the Pittsburgh oscillator. Plus a few others that have been on the market for a while. The dixie's lack of cv input attenuator knobs kills the deal for me, which is a shame. I get the whole "pack a bunch of stuff in a small place" vibe of Intellijel, but this thing is taking it too far. If I were buying a new osc, I'd take a hard look at the vcob even though it's a little less feature dense than the Z3000.

Definitely get at least one more VCO and VCF. Maybe sell the midi to cv module and grab something from expert sleepers until your ready to dive into analog sequencing.

Also, no Maths! (just kiddding)