What are some of the more popular modules that you either are not excited about, don’t like or don’t find useful?

[Kawouddd]

Did you try out waveshapers? I found the beauty of Saich shining in my Metasonix waceshaper and angle grinder of Schlappi. But any waveshaper does magic to those saw waves and the fader gives extra performance to make interesting compositions/arrangements....

Got to say, actually, I went back to it this afternoon, nudged my matriarch up a couple of octaves, transposed the Harmonaig down significantly, and ended up enjoying it for the first time, probably, since I’ve had it.

I’ll try waveshaping later. Cheers.

[ultar]

Definitely the Disting mk4. It's not fun or intuitive to me. I sold it but bought it again for one mode: D2 Tape Delay. I love that algorithm and almost never change it. Open to any suggestions of a full featured module that has that sound.

I don't find the typical way Rings is used very interesting. However I love it when used as a sound processor and especially love feeding it back into itself. It's weird module that I feel is both overrated for certain sounds but underrated for certain other applications.

[lisa]

Disting has so many simple algorithms that most folks should be able to find good use for it without much befuddlement. I use 3-5 algorithms often and I learned them rather quickly. For a live-set I did a while back I used the two Distings as VCOs with waveshaping. Never used that algorithm before but it was very intuitive; one input for pitch, one for waveshaping and one knob for octaves. Perhaps there are other, hidden parameters but I didn't care to investigate.

[Gringo Starr]

For me it’s the Rainmaker. There’s an uninspiring bland sound to the Rainmaker that sucked the life out of everything I put in it and the menu diving got old quick.

OCHD is another one. Meh.

[Estes]

Disting has so many simple algorithms that most folks should be able to find good use for it without much befuddlement. I use 3-5 algorithms often and I learned them rather quickly. For a live-set I did a while back I used the two Distings as VCOs with waveshaping. Never used that algorithm before but it was very intuitive; one input for pitch, one for waveshaping and one knob for octaves. Perhaps there are other, hidden parameters but I didn't care to investigate.

Comparing the menudiving on the disting with the ornament and crime I have to say the disting was a creativity killer to me. Of course its handy in many situations but my musician mind is not there. And then I would never use digital oscs in Eurorack. For digital things I'm ok with my computer.

[AnalogDigits]

For days I thought this was a somewhat-dumb idea for a thread... who likes the negativity?
But I thought about it and realized that you pose a reasonable question. We can all learn from each other's experiences.
UI issues are the most common deal-breakers, in my experience.

So, I'm not selling it, but for me the answer is Disting EX. It's the screen, and the levels. Not. Fun.
OTOH, I absolutely love the Zadar, Quadigy, Freak, and the Synthesis Technology modules, but most other modules with LCDs/OLEDs are off-putting to me. That said, I have to admit that sequencers etc. (e.g. Five12 Vector, Sinfonion) are usually exempted from my anti-screen bias.

YMMV.

[muleskinner]

Plaits just sounded like a bunch of presets on a stock DAW VA to me. I got a kick out of changing the modes with cv to start with, and some OK stuff out of the chords mode when heavily post-processed, but generally I found it bland, inconsistent and uninspiring.

I realise I'm in the minority though.

[studio460]

I don't know how anyone can look at a Frap Tools panel and know what's going on.

Kinda agree, but at least it's an aesthetically pleasing design. Their cryptic design choices are part of what swayed me away from a Brenso and toward the very legible UI of the Hexinverter Mindphaser. Still, the Frap Tools 321 is my favorite offset-generator due to its three channels, small price, and beautiful (albeit, cryptic) panel-design.

Plaits just sounded like a bunch of presets on a stock DAW VA to me. I got a kick out of changing the modes with cv to start with, and some OK stuff out of the chords mode when heavily post-processed, but generally I found it bland, inconsistent and uninspiring.

Can't say I totally disagree, but still glad to have it in the rack. Plus, it matches my Mutable row of double-Stages, Warps, Veils, etc. However, I like Braids' sonic selections more, so I have two of those (albeit, clones). Both Quadrax and Tides have been mentioned, and although I'm having my own challenges with Quadrax, I believe the frustration with its confusing button-states will eventually be rewarded by its generous feature set, once fully realized. Batumi and Zadar are never leaving the rack with Zadar's UI being among the most intuitive in modular. But I'm sure I'll be happy to have a Quadrax once I've mastered it.

[wickfut]

Disting Mk4. Owned since it first came out, used it nil. It's not the menu diving as such, it's way you menu dive blind using that screen and those knobs. I would probably love the EX.

Beads. I expected a hugely improved Clouds. The alternate clouds firmwares do more for me than beads does. Sold my clouds too. Oh well.

Dreadbox Nostalgia. Their design brief must have been to make the most unusable horrible sounding delay effect.

[studio460]

Disting Mk4. Owned since it first came out, used it nil. It's not the menu diving as such, it's way you menu dive blind using that screen and those knobs. I would probably love the EX.

Beads. I expected a hugely improved Clouds. The alternate clouds firmwares do more for me than beads does. Sold my clouds too. Oh well.

Dreadbox Nostalgia. Their design brief must of been to make the most unusable horrible sounding delay effect.

I'm with ya on Disting, but that's stunning news about your Beads! Say it isn't so! I'm still keeping my Supercell and plan on also getting Beads this summer when demand tapers off. Also, Nostalgia; I love it! And Euphoria! In fact, the entire line of Dreadbox Chromatic-series modules have really impressed. My row of Dreadbox modules is giving my "fancy" modules a real run for the money—combined, intra-modulated, they sound fantastic, effortlessly attaining weird, subtlely exotic timbres I haven't heard from my pricier modules.

[Estes]

Plaits just sounded like a bunch of presets on a stock DAW VA to me. I got a kick out of changing the modes with cv to start with, and some OK stuff out of the chords mode when heavily post-processed, but generally I found it bland, inconsistent and uninspiring.

I realise I'm in the minority though.

I aleays felt the same with plaits.

Also with clouds, I just never produced a result I liked. In the end I prefered my Valhalla plugins ony my analog oscs...

[studio460]

I've also come to dislike Make Noise panels . . . their general usage of icons and what have you in their panels is confusing to me.

Yeah, I have a huge aversion to their panel-designs: Great modules; ugly panels. So I made a vow to never buy a Make Noise module unless Grayscale made an alternate panel for it.

[Jopy]

I know it's not a module, but as an add-on to even my original semi-modular system, Beatstep Pro never worked for me. It's tantalizingly close to unlocking a vast set of cv sequencing resources, but I still ended up banging my head trying to get anything really interactive going on. The more I did with BSP, the more it became programming and preset saving to get the most of all the features. It was one of those "solutions" that made me wonder why I wouldn't just use a MIDI to CV converter and a laptop running Reaktor (I do use cv.ocd and Reaktor now for the kind of sequencing BSP can do and I'm quite happy with that--lots of nice screen real estate!). For more classic sequencing outside of the case, I honestly prefer the SQ1 because I know exactly what it's doing with zero hassles, and I can't get lost in a rabbit hole of saving presets. This isn't a critique of BSP at all, it's a great solution for many work styles.

[studio460]

I know it's not a module, but as an add-on to even my original semi-modular system, Beatstep Pro never worked for me . . .

Yeah, BSP is another device I've yet to master to get the full benefit. It's been hard-wired to my Alesis SR18, and it makes a great drum-machine programmer. But I've only scratched the surface on its melodic sequencing capability (although I just bought a Pittsburgh Micro Sequence B). My biggest regret, however, is that I didn't know they made a black version of the BSP at the time I bought mine—it looks wicked-cool in black!

[jkanizzle]

Plaits and Rings. Agree with the presets in a stock daw synth comment re Plaits. I want to love it, so much, and keep trying to no avail. As for Rings, yes I’ve used it in all the ways yet maybe a desire for a completely unique sound to every generative patch on YouTube is part of my disdain.

Also, Wogglebug v1. I have not tried 2, and I love the idea....yet the uncontrollable nature of it and wide hp has me super interested in replacing it with the Qubit Nanorand.

Erica Graphic Wavetable VCO - it sounds SUPERB, yet the menu diving and non-delivery of the web based editor had it in and out of my rack in a week.

Akemie’s Taiko - let me say that sometimes I LOVE it. It can be so drippy and weird and bubbly. Yet it’s unpredictable nature because of the voodoo known as fm synthesis, combined with its ‘snapshot’ triggered sound under modulation, has it currently moved to an underused rack of modules.

LxD - okay okay I do like it and use it sometimes. Yet all of the hype it gets was just never there. Maybe because I have a Natural Gate and it puts all other LPG’s to shame.

[nexgen23]

Mostly I am fine with them, but agree about the clock inputs/outputs on a lot of their gear. For some reason it never sinks in. 0-Ctrl is fine though. On others, a few red Bananuts help a lot.

Maybe I should get me one of these (but in blue) to solve this issue on Mimeophon (only MN module I have now), I mean I know its not terribly confusing on Mims, but it'd still be cool. I know I'd probably have to buy a package of them, but if I took a look around my rack, I'm sure there are some other jacks Id like to have a color code on

I don’t think it’s one or the other.
I would probably use teletype for more creative and interesting purposes, and keep pams for what I use it for.. boring but incredibly important clock/sync functions.

Indeed, I feel the same way, about a lot of modules really, that is the beauty of modular

The cloud aspects of the architecture are not simply additive but multiplicative as regards the range of what can be done. Yeah, it is a fair bit of dosh, but if sound exploration is the goal it is Mariana Trench deep.

This is going to likely be the reason I may eventually try one

I feel a topic like this is a bit unfair. To put together a modular system is (or will be beyond some point) a very individual affair, everyone has his or her own ideas and concepts of what to do with it and how to get there, and eurorack has evolved into a platform that offers nearly anything imaginable and more or less reasonable. And as different as these concepts may be, as different will be their target customers. Pointing a finger of blame at this or that module or manufacturer doesn't do any good to anyone, because you can bet there will be a whole lot of folks who have a different opinion.

I dont disagree with you at all, it is very personal thing. Not trying to say any of these modules are bad at all, just what modules we thought would work in our system but did not. It does not mean it will not work in someone else's setup at all starthief said it best, this thread should not be read as a "Dont get this module because it sucked for me" more of a "I tried this module, it did not fit my needs, but it could for someone else"

And I am going to say something controversial maybe : modules I don't find useful ? Complex oscillator. I prefer very much making my own even if it takes time, cables and several modules. At least I have something which sounds unique and that cannot be replicated in any way unless you have the exact same combination of modules.

I get the desire to make your own, but sometimes (for my at least) it's nice to just throw a patch together real quick and come up with something complex without trying

Did you try out waveshapers? I found the beauty of Saich shining in my Metasonix waceshaper and angle grinder of Schlappi. But any waveshaper does magic to those saw waves and the fader gives extra performance to make interesting compositions/arrangements....

Got to say, actually, I went back to it this afternoon, nudged my matriarch up a couple of octaves, transposed the Harmonaig down significantly, and ended up enjoying it for the first time, probably, since I’ve had it.

I’ll try waveshaping later. Cheers.

Waveshapers/folders are my new best friend Harmonaig is the only physical Instruo module I have (though I have played with others in VCV, and I sometimes consider selling it, then I throw it into a patch and get it doing what I need, and I'm glad I have it

For days I thought this was a somewhat-dumb idea for a thread... who likes the negativity?
But I thought about it and realized that you pose a reasonable question. We can all learn from each other's experiences.
UI issues are the most common deal-breakers, in my experience.

So, I'm not selling it, but for me the answer is Disting EX. It's the screen, and the levels. Not. Fun.
OTOH, I absolutely love the Zadar, Quadigy, Freak, and the Synthesis Technology modules, but most other modules with LCDs/OLEDs are off-putting to me. That said, I have to admit that sequencers etc. (e.g. Five12 Vector, Sinfonion) are usually exempted from my anti-screen bias.

YMMV.

TBH I debated even starting the thread for that very reason, I did not want it to turn into a brand bashing sea of negativity. However, as you said I think we can all learn from others Like you I'n not selling my Disting EX (may get rid of the Mk4 at some point, to free up space), menus and the screen are not fun, but for a module that does as much as it does in a small package, it's to be expected, and I am okay with it because I usually set it to a mode and leave it on it (I use myn mostly as a wavetable oscillator, and for multi-sampling/playback).

My row of Dreadbox modules is giving my "fancy" modules a real run for the money—combined, intra-modulated, they sound fantastic, effortlessly attaining weird, subtlely exotic timbres I haven't heard from my pricier modules.

I'd like to give some of the Dreadbox modules a try at some point, I was actually considering picking up two Hysteria's to play with but then decided I needed some thru-zero fm and never got back to it.

BTW, those MN Grayscale panels look amazing, should be original equipment on their modules

I’ll bite. For starters, anything with a black panel. Korgasmatron II, just didn’t like the sound of anything I put through it in any configuration.

Now that you mention it, I also was not a fan of Morgasmatron. It survived in my rack for longer than it should have, but it has since moved on, and the new owner LOVES it, case in point that just because we individually are not blown away by a module, there are others out there who will be

[Karl_Joseph]

I’ll bite. For starters, anything with a black panel. Korgasmatron II, just didn’t like the sound of anything I put through it in any configuration. Same goes for DinSync Sara Filter.

Any iPhone after the 7.

A lot of the other modules mentioned in this thread I love though. Quadrax? Come on guys it’s not that difficult. OLED screens? I love my IME mkIII modules... including Kermit which has a mind bending amount of button combos for the cross mod but it’s not that difficult once you put a little time into it with the manual open. The preset system is a little fiddly from module to module but I love that I can fire up my system, load my presets, and pick up where I left off.

Rainmaker is sick and yeah, as a delay it’s lackluster but the shear amount of sound variety that module can produce just randomizing select parameters is mind boggling.... endless really.

I look back on tracks I made with my DPO and realize that is an amazing sounding module... but yeah I can’t stand MN panel graphics.

[tokidoki]

Frap Tools 321. Those tiny slide switches... in black, hiding in the shadows of a black panel.

Great module with a little improvement. Colors not definitive.

[Gringo Starr]

Frap Tools 321. Those tiny slide switches... in black, hiding in the shadows of a black panel.

Great module with a little improvement. Colors not definitive.

Where did you get those knobs? Too bad you don’t have green ones but still cool. I’d like to get some of those to put on mine.

[hitchy96]

I really didn’t get on with the Disting, zadar and maths. I’m glad I’m not the one who can’t get into LCD screens and weird panel designs. I love make noise but their panels are a little bit like working out riddles

[ultar]

Akemie’s Taiko - let me say that sometimes I LOVE it. It can be so drippy and weird and bubbly. Yet it’s unpredictable nature because of the voodoo known as fm synthesis, combined with its ‘snapshot’ triggered sound under modulation, has it currently moved to an underused rack of modules.

I totally get this, though now I completely love Akemie's Taiko. It is one of the modules that I've sold and bought a second time. Mainly sold it because it just didn't fit in with patches, instead usually sticking out in a bad way. For me it's best as the star of the show being used as the central voice and adding around it. One of those modules that can make sounds ranging from horribly annoying to strange & interesting to sublime & beautiful. It's also one of my favorite all-time modules aesthetically- the font, the knobs, the asymmetrical layout & that one solitary red LED all just gel for me.

[ultar]

Where did you get those knobs? Too bad you don’t have green ones but still cool. I’d like to get some of those to put on mine.

Those knobs are from Thonk & they now come in two shades of green! https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/tall-trimmer-toppers/

[psienide]

Clouds for me (monsoon version). The least used module in my setup. Besides using as a sample player or a reverb I just can't seem to coax much of anything I like out of it. Even fully modulated.

[Randy]

Maths. One of the first modules I bought and the first I punted. Disting, too much menu-ing for me. I usually leave it set at one thing. I have bought and sold lots of modules, but not really because I didn't like them. Sold Ripples because it was just too, uh, smooth. Sold my DPO because I'm an idiot, I miss that one.

[psienide]

So back on clouds, since I see it mentioned alot here. Did anyone in the same position have better luck with an alt-firmware, and which?