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how do you decide what goes where? |
hawklord2112
Wiggling with Experience
Joined: 07 Feb 2010
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Location: deepest darkest devon, in the UK
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 Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:56 pm Post subject: how do you decide what goes where? |
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how on earth do people with HUGE cases decide what modules go where?
i know i'm jumping the gun given my current module-light and case-free situation but playing with modularplanner is giving me a headache and my wallet a migraine.
how do you decide?
so far i have gone by
-row 1 for audio sources
-row 2 for modulation
-row 3 for sequencing and time control
----or----
row 1 for Doepfer
row 2 for MFB and whatever doepfer doesnt fit in row 1
row 3 for "other" (so far i want QMMG, Wogglebug, dalek, vulcan, and uLFO)
what avbout the rest of you? or does the inherent modular-ness doesnt really need planning like this?
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JP
Wiggling with Experience
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Last Visit: 02 Sep 2010
Posts: 322
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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I put all my non audio stuff in the bottom right near the power. Midi in the very bottom right as I knew that would almost always be plugged in.
Then I just did OSC in the top right, and filters in the bottom left.
I guess eventually you'd put stuff where it makes sense for the patches you make. |
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Waz
Wiggling with Scurvy
Joined: 02 Mar 2009
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Location: Detroit, Michigan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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I go by aesthetics.
I also would have posted this in "Modular Synth General Discussion". Eurorack isn't the only format...
Last edited by Waz on Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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tortug
Wiggling with Experience
Joined: 04 Jan 2010
Last Visit: 02 Sep 2010
Posts: 319
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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For me it's a mixture of
1. functionality (how will I use/patch the modules, audio in filter/waveshaper, filter in vca, modulation of ..., often combined used modules are near each other, if case with PSU inside - no audio near the PSU...)
2. how will fit the most HPs
3. and to a small amount how does it look if 1. and 2. doesn`t matter. |
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J3RK
Veteran Wiggler
Joined: 22 Dec 2009
Last Visit: 01 Sep 2010
Posts: 537
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I do something similar. I have a mid-sized suit-case type setup. Anything that would general connect to something outside the case, I keep on the edge somewhere. I keep performance controls (like Pressure Points) at the front of the case, and then group modules by function more or less, but not by rows necessarily. Aesthetic also plays into this a bit. (group my Wiare/Malekko modules for the Celtic Column effect, etc.) |
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hovatron
Learning to Wiggle
Joined: 23 Jun 2009
Last Visit: 09 Aug 2010
Posts: 30
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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so what is exactly the rule of thumb regarding placement of modules in relation to the PSU?
I have heard to keep oscillators away from the power source... any other tips or information on this? is this to avoid hums or tuning issues? |
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JP
Wiggling with Experience
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Last Visit: 02 Sep 2010
Posts: 322
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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Doepfer says:
| Quote: | | In the area near the power supply (bottom right) no modules should be assembled that are sensitive against transformer hum. We recommend to assemble only control voltage modules in this area (e.g. LFO, ADSR, trigger delay, clock divider/sequencer, sequencer, slew limiter, MIDI interfaces and so on) but no audio modules (VCO, VCF, VCA, VCP, frequency shifter, ring modulator, spring reverb and so on). Even modules width increased depth (e.g. A-113 or A-126) cannot be assembled in the power supply area. They have to be placed in a position outside the power supply area. But this applies only for a few modules. Normally it is no problem to arrange all modules by mounting modules with smaller depth in the power supply area. |
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qu.one
Plastikman
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Last Visit: 02 Sep 2010
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Location: Bronx, NY
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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i tend to place modules in order of patching: VCO/VCF-VCA/EGs-Modulation/MIXERS going top down in my 4 row 12u. So i'm kind of patching in one direction mostly.
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hovatron
Learning to Wiggle
Joined: 23 Jun 2009
Last Visit: 09 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Right, thanks! And so the unwanted effect would be hum?
My VCA is in the top right corner-ish and I haven't noticed anything... or are we talking strictly lower-right being off limits (I have the doepfer 6U portable case) |
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wetterberg
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chinard
Ultra Wiggler
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Location: Toronto
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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I TRY to group things together based on signal flow but it doesnt always work out that way.
In the end it usually becomes nothing more than a game of tetris to get all your modules to fit. |
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JP
Wiggling with Experience
Joined: 07 Jan 2010
Last Visit: 02 Sep 2010
Posts: 322
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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| hovatron wrote: | Right, thanks! And so the unwanted effect would be hum?
My VCA is in the top right corner-ish and I haven't noticed anything... or are we talking strictly lower-right being off limits (I have the doepfer 6U portable case) |
Depends where the big hunk of metal doing your power transformations is based. That's the bit you want to avoid with audio units.
http://www.doepfer.de/a100p_e.htm
doepfer site has details for each case. |
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READYdot
Common Wiggler
Joined: 09 Jan 2010
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Posts: 198
Location: Luxembourg, EUROPE
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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6 rows, from top to bottom:
6: empty
5: filters
4: Oscs and related stuff like RM, WS etc.
3: ADSR
2: LFO
1: VCA and efx
Roughly, but not exclusively. Filters at the top so I can rock of standing XD
OSCs in the middle so nothing's specially far away.
VCAs at the bottom, most cables go there... |
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mark_snipz
Wiggling with Experience
Joined: 27 Apr 2009
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Posts: 264
Location: South London town
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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I try to avoid big bunches of cables in one place...but still haven't found a solution!
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stretta
Veteran Wiggler
Joined: 17 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| I think we can all agree the lime goes in the coconut. |
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dougcl
Number 6
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Location: Portland OR
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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| minimize cable length |
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A Dingleberry Monstrosity
Adam Henry
Joined: 23 Feb 2008
Last Visit: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 1874
Location: Blacksburg and Fairfax Virginia
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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I try to put my mixer "somewhere in the middle", then I just try to group things together. Oscillators with oscillators, filters with filters....
I only have 3 6U cases though so my setup is considered tiny bother some standards here.
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dkcg
The Enabler
Joined: 14 Jul 2008
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Posts: 4549
Location: LA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| mark_snipz wrote: | | I try to avoid big bunches of cables in one place...but still haven't found a solution! |
Some modules just breed cables tho, like the A-152 and Z8000, and even denser cable breeding grounds like the Cwejman quad VCA.
I have my system arranged into working preference.
Lexington - mostly additive synthesis
Doepfer 6u - experimental sequencing & control
Wing A - I/O for audio processing (env followers, preamps, gain, filters, Stilton for guitar pedals, RS-290, mixers, more envelopes)
Wing B - mostly subtractive synthesis (most my ASys, more filters)
But each section has some overlap (mixers, envelopes), mainly to not have to patch across 6 feet and have cables in my face. |
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felix
Loves the manuals!
Joined: 20 Apr 2007
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Posts: 3558
Location: Campbell, CA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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| wetterberg wrote: | my best advice would be:
1) Don't over think things. Just put things in where they feel right to you? |
| dougcl wrote: | | minimize cable length |
This are the two I focus on most. In general I have "tone generators" on the left side of the case. VCAs and voltage processors in the middle so they're more-or-less equally close to everything, and then voltage generators (EGs, random, etc) around the middle and right sides for no particular reason other than they feel right there - I tend to use them more with filters and vcas than I do with VCOs/tone generators.
It all depends on how you patch though. Just put all your shit in and pay attention to what you most frequently patch into what and over time you'll see what works best where. There really is no "perfect" way, imo, but there may be a perfect way for you.
| mark_snipz wrote: | | I try to avoid big bunches of cables in one place...but still haven't found a solution! |
I have tried the same, but fwiw, I think this is impossible, unless you have a pretty standard way of patching that rarely deviates. It's largely dependent on the module (both function as well as design/layout) too. For example, there's no way to avoid that fact that I'm going to have a bunch of cables going in/out my QMMG or my pair of A-132-3s. If they weren't at the heart of my system, it might be spread out a little more, but then both of those are not more-or-less equidistant to everything.
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MrManson
Common Wiggler
Joined: 07 May 2009
Last Visit: 02 Sep 2010
Posts: 113
Location: SW London / Paros, Greece
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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Mine tend to go in depending on:
1) the order that I buy them, and...
2) which side of the case I'm sitting on when I pick up the screwdriver.
I'm sure there's a perfect way of placing modules, but for me sometimes mixing them up leads to new discoveries - so I tend to stay random...
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