The most important things I've learned in my first year of modular

[electricfence]

10.2 A real master can produce gold with nothing but an oscillator and amplifier.

10.2 was brilliantly demonstrated by Jack White in the intro of It Might get Loud.

That’s sort of how it all began. A Theremin is basically just an oscillator and an amplifier with antennae rather than knobs.

[Genox]

I learned that modular is really hypnotising and hard to tame ! I get stuck in "stupid" loops and cant move forward for hours. It's like when I get an idea and try to do it the modular takes back control from me and guide me elsewhere

I finally was able to get rid of all my odd hp modules when I decieded to buy the piston honda mk3, here we go again.

[HZR]

1. i dont need any vcas (at this time)
I have a MI Veils in my Rack and mostly use it for distortion (i got a heartbroken veils btw)

2. an eurorack synth doesnt has to be a monosynth
This holds me off for years to buy a rack, i just didnt get my head alund the modular idea

3. i need more vcf‘s
I recently tried out pinging filters on vcv rack, and i love it, so i need more filters i guess
Btw this is the first situation where a vca makes sense for me

4. if you wont modulate drum modules, consider getting a drummachine instead
I wanted to build a fully working groovebox but its so damn expensive to even get a basic drumkit together, i keep the kickdrum i‘ve build from Davids pcb but i will soon get a Drumbrute impact for shure. It costs a little bit more then a erica hihats module so...

5. dont try to get a themed eurorack appearance if your rack is not finished (even if its never finished)
Painting modules black is fun and it feels cool to get an module which no one has in this colour, but resale value goes to zero if you also handwrite everything on the panel.

[kingsmore]

1. You definitely need Make Noise Maths in order to be true.
1.1 Unless you want to be really true, then you don't have Maths, but for a different reason.
1.2 So either way you're not true. This is like lifting weights. Do you really lift? No you don't.

2. Your modular case always tunrs out to be 1 HP too small.
2.1 So you buy another case. That one is also 1 HP too small......

i like this format!

something should be said about mixers....both in and out of the rack....real roller coaster for me at least

[Agawell]

you need a mixer
- you probably need more than 1 mixer
- 3 may be a good starting number in a smallish starter case
- 1 each of: end of chain, modulation (I like a matrix mixer for this) and utility/submixer

this is about the end of chain mixer
- it does not matter if it is in or out of the rack
- if it is out of the rack then you may only need appropriate cables and possibly attenuation - unless you need balanced outputs due to power issues
- get more channels than you think you need - double is a good start - or admit that you may need to upgrade in the future - or find one that is expandable - so you can add as many channels as you need

the last 2 points also work for audio interfaces and the last one also for mixers outside the rack

for mixers outside the rack
- get the other functions that you want or can imagine needing - listen to the effects if there are any, check out how many send/returns etc...

this is about matrix mixers
- lion looks great - but it is expensive and has small parts that can be lost easily - especially if you have small children or over zealous cleaning activity nearby (possibly by a partner, a cleaner or a cat)
- the doepfer one is large, but inexpensive and ergonomic
- the others are either (relatively) inexpensive and tiny or expensive and big and add vcas etc - the possible exception being the rebel technology offering - small, relatively inexpensive and vcas - ergonomics not an issue as no pots or trimmers - just jacks and leds

nb: other mixers are also incredibly useful for modulation purposes and matrix mixers are useful for things other than modulation

this is about utility mixers
- they are really useful
- get a few of these
- make sure some of them have other functions (eg links, shades, veils etc - precision adding, offsets, inversion, vcas, buffered mults etc) or desirable characteristics (eg cp3 - overdrive etc)
- probably 1 or 2 per row is a good amount