What are your patching and unpatching strategies for your modular synth?

[Halfgeleider]

I once was ambitious and wanted to patch by color code which i had in mind, but eventually i bought a pile of 100 cables 2nd hand from someone, and that was the end of my plan. So
- no coding by color
- cables will be reorganised if a patch becomes larger and more done.
- unpatching can take months because i only unpatch when a song is completely done and recorded or notes have been written down for recall.
- big pile of cables, sometimes in hangers, but not often.
Reason for this is not lack of time, because i could make music 3hr a day, but being a dad of 2 and fulltime job makes me lazy at the end of the day and the moments i make music, i want to make music, it will be a spaghetti mess, but thats the way it is.

[naturligfunktion]

I particularly like the idea of patching up the core structure with the power off.

Pretty much the default for me (at least with the volume down, not necessarily powered off). It's very distracting when you're trying to concentrate with "oooooooooooooooooo" going on in the background.

I have recently started with this and I am enjoying it greatly! It also does something when you "see" how cool it gonna sound. Makes you eager to put the speakers on

Besides that, I dont really have a system besides that I sort my cables by length. I also like to tear down the patch after I have played with it.

[Lux A Turner]

As somebody who has only recently started out with modular, I hadn't really thought about 'strategy' until I read this thread; although now that I do, I can see that there are some patterns emerging...

Most wiggles at the moment start out with the intention of learning 'something more' - either about a specific module, combination of modules or aspects of patching. One time it might be different ways of clocking the system; another time it may be an investigation of Stages, or things to do with a sequential switch.

Eventually - if the experiment is successful - it will generate something I like and want to build on - a sound, a sequence - just some little 'hook' that piques my interest. At that point I'll slip into 'creative' mode and start playing with it- a bit of filtering / modulation / FX / EG-ing - to see how nice / nasty I can make it.

My rack was put together to be a 'happy accident machine' and initial plans and preconceptions are often swept away by what emerges; but when it gets to the stage where I'm no longer improving things, then I'll set about creating another part / voice to compliment the first. It could be anything - a rhythm, a bassline, a melody, a call / response thing - it just depends on what the original hook inspires. Once I have a voice 'locked in', I'll generally add on/off control over it with a Mutes channel.

Then maybe I'll see if there's any way I can use some (say) modulation to enhance the interplay between the two parts. Then rinse and repeat for a third part (if necessary), tweaking modulators and attenuverters along the way. 2-3 voices plus some rhythm and the patch is generally done. I may be able to squeeze another voice in, but things will be starting to get a bit full by then and there's little point in adding stuff for the sake of it, to the detriment of the overall sound.

Unpatching: Right to left. Dunno why, I just do.

Cables: I started out with one colour per length, but was unable to get the length I needed in the right colour one day. Now I have two colours per length, but that's handy for local differentiation of signal types at module inputs.

[Phitar]

I always patch from scratch.
My patches are stored on a rotating towell holder (very handy!), colors correponding to size, on the left of the modular:

Nice setup. Do you use a step stool to patch the stuff near the ceiling? I’m getting to that point since my only option for expansion was straight up.


As far as the actual topic...
For me.... stuff that is always patched and I usually don’t mess with: Pams into mult, Caltrans into oscillators (Twin Waves, Dixie II+, 2Hp), Intellijel MixUp out into Worng LRMSMSLR, a MN ModDemix into Optomix aux right next door. There are also midi cables, Lightpipe and usb stuff too of course that always stays for ES-3,6, FH-2 and Befaco VCMC

I keep cables sorted by length using a Hex hanger. Sorta color coded by length but having the colors I wanted in the sizes I wanted from sellers didn’t always work out. Hopscotch and stackables are grouped together by length on the hanger.

Used to unpatch everything at the end of each session but in the last year I’ve started leaving patches in place for a week or more If I hit on something I like and want to explore. I unpatch by length since it makes the sorting process quicker.

For patching... that is usually driven by thoughts of “I wonder what that would sound like”.

[Phitar]

... but being a dad of 2 and fulltime job makes me lazy at the end of the day ...

That’s not LAZY! That’s called Tired! Totally understand!

[Halfgeleider]

... but being a dad of 2 and fulltime job makes me lazy at the end of the day ...

That’s not LAZY! That’s called Tired! Totally understand!

Indeed, tired as hell!

[Ema41]

Nice setup. Do you use a step stool to patch the stuff near the ceiling? I’m getting to that point since my only option for expansion was straight up.

In fact, I'm tall (1.90 m) but I built the cases so that I remain in my chair for patching: You may have noticed that Eurorack seems huge on photos, but are actually not that huge in reality...
A big problems is that I've got a 18 months son, and in the studio he's constantly attracted by my colored patch cables. He always want to catch them. He's got some (lot) of his toys in the studio, but he prefers mine...

[deft_bonz]

A big problems is that I've got a 18 months son, and in the studio he's constantly attracted by my colored patch cables. He always want to catch them. He's got some (lot) of his toys in the studio, but he prefers mine...

Mine is 2, and my cables are always, ALWAYS way more interesting: "cable MINE"

[Ema41]

So, to answer the topic: my patching strategy is to patch when my son isn't in the studio.
Life is simple...

[funeralcake]

You may have noticed that Eurorack seems huge on photos, but are actually not that huge in reality...

Off-topic, but yes. I think one of the first modules I bought was a Voltage Block. I don't think I'd ever seen a eurorack module "in-person" before that. I was really surprised by how tiny it actually was.

I had the same experience when I bought my first Danelectro mini pedal many years back.

[Hovmod]

You may have noticed that Eurorack seems huge on photos, but are actually not that huge in reality...

I should be dedicating my remaining years of eye sight to building a nice 5U system with BIG KNOBS, so that I can keep making space noises into my rapidly approaching old age (sorry for the morbid focus, my birthday is tomorrow and the number is getting ridiculous).

[msegarra]

after watching a loo pop video with Julia bondar I’ve sorta realized I need to make a master patch that I can use as my jumping off point to create from easily and leave that setup for long periods and play more and record more

[ferran]

I always patch from scratch.
My patches are stored on a rotating towell holder (very handy!), colors correponding to size, on the left of the modular:

You must be young, how lucky, I could not spend much time handling the modules that you have in the upper part. Nice idea the towell holder.

I have no strategies. Only I try remember to switch off the power, and then, unplug the cables. This is due for precaution, sometimes the hanging unconnected ends of the cables may cause shotrtcircuit on the modules already connected, moving over the surface of the rack.

[Ema41]

In fact I'm taller than young (I said it few posts earlier)...
And I uses the upper part for patching less than the others, that's true. There are always modules that I use less than others, their position is generally not the more accessible.
But things have changed since this picture (extensions came on the right). I should post a new one.
The towel holder is really extremely handy. I found it by chance, but maybe I should patent this idea...

[Parnelli]

I started out with the idea of color coding by function, audio, cv, etc., but kept running out of the color I needed at the moment. I went to purchase cables in the color I wanted in 24", but they were all sold out, so I got what I could.

Since then though I have come to realize the importance of shorter cables, I mean really short for modules next to one another. I hated buying them early on because they are damned near as expensive as the long cables; take Stackables for instance, I can buy an 8" for the same price as a 36", and one will reach many more destinations than the other, so I shunned buying short cables. I have since rethought my position on this though, and have found that it is very convenient to have a pile of 6-8" cables for close patching, makes for much less spaghetti!

Far more productive to me than color coding was.

[SkyWriter]

I have a couple hundred all black cables; 8 lengths. I just lay them on my Kronos.

I don't color code, I'm color blind, and all these colors just look like a mess to me.