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Post by MikMo on Jun 2, 2020 16:02:14 GMT
Welcome to the AE family
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Post by korporation on Jun 25, 2020 3:52:09 GMT
I was flipping through Reverb.com one night and decided to search "modulst synths" and started sifting through all 5000+ results to see what was around. Hours later hahaha, I stumbled upon the Noisebug listing of the TW stuff and thought it was an awesome thing to be able to get a system for that little cash, so I did a YouTube search of the AE and was floored. Went back to the page minutes later and that system had sold hahahahahah... So I contacted Robert and he said that he had sent Noisebug another shippment, so I waited. Finally after a few weeks the listings were back up on Reverb and I purchased immediately. I now own 2 SR2's and one SR1 and will be purchasing more SR2's once some.of my eurorack stuff sells. I just can't get enough of this format, and I've owned Synthesizers.com stuff, ARP2600's, Moon Modular etc... and this is the coolest and most nostalgic system to me. I do mostly Musique Concrete, Early Industrial (think SPK/TG/LUSTMØRD, not NIN), Dark Ambient and Berlin School stuff and the AE is awesome/perfect for it.
Couldn't be more happy about the AEM. Brilliant!
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Lugia
Wiki Editors
Ridiculously busy...ish.
Posts: 556
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Post by Lugia on Jun 25, 2020 22:19:47 GMT
Oh, just wait...once you figure out that you can cram something the size of a Dotcom Studio 110 down to a couple of foldup cases that would fit into a gym bag, you're going to lose it totally!
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Post by korporation on Jun 26, 2020 3:37:48 GMT
Oh, just wait...once you figure out that you can cram something the size of a Dotcom Studio 110 down to a couple of foldup cases that would fit into a gym bag, you're going to lose it totally! Hahahah I just ordered my 3rd SR2 😂😂😂 I'm really floored at the power of these systems. Blows my freakin' mind!!!
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Post by Daniel Linger on Jun 28, 2020 14:06:16 GMT
Here's my story.
I bought my first synth back in 1988 - a Roland Alpha Juno 1, which I still have and love. From there I ended up (thanks to the recession at the time) going back to college to learn audio engineering. Got to play around with some truly great equipment, and not only that but in Manchester at the very time rave was in it's prime! Great times.
I became disabled about 25 years ago, and gradually my left hand side has got weaker and more erratic. I can't work and am housebound (Mostly bedbound to be frank). In recent years I'd still dabbled with messing around with synths, using the magic of Ebay over the years I've picked up an Akai S3000 sampler, a couple of cheap Yamaha SQ sequencers, A Novation Xiosynth (nice but an AWFUL layout, unreadable display and labelling), and a few other bits of stuff like Behringer FX and Alesis mixers.
But it's really been a golden age in the last few years for me, with limited income but lots of time. So, I've picked up an Arturia Minibrute 2S (as I wanted to dip my toes into trying a semi-modular - you can tell how well that affected me for the reason that I am here!), then a Microfreak, and an Elektron Model:samples to replace the dated old drum machines I had.
The Minibrute pushed me into wanting to go modular, and when I heard of the AE modular, I couldn't wait. That was right up my street, and I've not been disappointed. In fact, that in turn has pushed me into buying a couple of Arduinos and getting off my backside to dig into that more.
And my setup largely consists of this - all sat on or around me in bed, for convenience:
Minibrute next to the AE modular to make patching between them easier. Microfreak as both additional synth and a simple keyboard controller (gotta love that capacitive keyboard for expression). Trigger outputs of the TRIQ164 sent to the Elektron Model:Samples (or just the Samples running along on it's own with it's clock controlling the AEM). When writing or experimenting, I have a Yamaha QY doing the multitrack sequencing (just for ease of use, as I vastly prefer using physical equipment than PC software). Eventually if I do anything worthwhile, I can then record it to DAW.
I also have a couple of Volcas and Teenage Operator POs which I mostly use for embellishing as and when (the PO 12 is great for adding percussion to the Elektron Sample's rhythm).
And that's about it. I'm rather lazy, so this is what works for me as it's small enough to sit in bed using this all, and I don't have to move around to get to it all.
I tend to venture into electronic dance and pop more.
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ernyj
New Member
Posts: 12
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Post by ernyj on Jul 1, 2020 20:42:34 GMT
I was flipping through Reverb.com one night and decided to search "modulst synths" and started sifting through all 5000+ results to see what was around. Hours later hahaha, I stumbled upon the Noisebug listing of the TW stuff and thought it was an awesome thing to be able to get a system for that little cash, so I did a YouTube search of the AE and was floored. Went back to the page minutes later and that system had sold hahahahahah... So I contacted Robert and he said that he had sent Noisebug another shippment, so I waited. Finally after a few weeks the listings were back up on Reverb and I purchased immediately. I now own 2 SR2's and one SR1 and will be purchasing more SR2's once some.of my eurorack stuff sells. I just can't get enough of this format, and I've owned Synthesizers.com stuff, ARP2600's, Moon Modular etc... and this is the coolest and most nostalgic system to me. I do mostly Musique Concrete, Early Industrial (think SPK/TG/LUSTMØRD, not NIN), Dark Ambient and Berlin School stuff and the AE is awesome/perfect for it. Couldn't be more happy about the AEM. Brilliant! Interesting to me that people move from a format like Eurorack to AE. I know cost may be a factor but as someone new to all of this it gives confidence that someone with experience with other formats would choose to do that. Lets me know that I made a good choice buying my SR2 and joining the community.
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Post by korporation on Jul 2, 2020 8:19:18 GMT
It was not a decision to move away from larger formats because of price. It was because soooooo many eurorack companies cram way too much into their modules making them cluttered, and to me, annoying. The thing I really like about Synthesizers.com systems is that their modules 90% of the time are a single function module. A filter is a filter. A VCA is a VCA, etc....
Enter Tangible Waves! I love the fact that not only do the modules feel and sound killer, but each module is what it says it is and nothing more. Also the aesthetics really connect to me because I love the old school work flow of system and the sound of course is just amazing.
I think you're gonna love your investment!!
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Post by Gaëtan on Jul 2, 2020 10:14:21 GMT
I had actually sold all my (modest) eurorack before I found AE. I just got tired of the endless module chasing. This is much easier in AE, since there is only one manufacturer, and the modules are very straightforward without being boring. Plus, I can always indulge a bit without spending a fortune.
Ironically I am returning to eurorack at the moment : having matured in what I want, I have chosen to assemble a Make Noise System Cartesian module by module. It will be a very good complement to my AE, as well as a great standalone instrument, and I won't have to worry about compatibility, power or module picking.
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paulyv
New Member
Getting to grips with it all....still.
Posts: 13
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Post by paulyv on Jul 3, 2020 15:39:34 GMT
Hello everyone, really pleased to meet you online. You appear to have a wonderful forum and community here and I look forward to getting to know you all over the coming months.
I received a forum welcome email by a moderator which suggested I drop my story here so I will do so and make it as brief as possible.
My first exposure to synthesizers was when my late father took me to 'Carlsboro Sound' in Nottingham (UK) around 1985. They had a basement into which they had crammed as many synthesizers as they could. I can still remember the dim lighting and glowing LED displays. Yamaha DX's, and a CX5m spring to mind as does the seemingly 'huge' LCD display of a Kawai K5m. About 12 months later as things were going well for the family I was lucky to receive a Roland HS60 to accompany my ongoing piano lessons which sat atop my existing Viscount VS20 organ.
I played throughout school, saved up for my own D50 in 1989 as a result of teaching piano locally and eventually went to University to study music and photography on a degree course which gave me exposure to plenty of studio equipment which including a Tascam 24 track setup. My first student loan was pretty much blown on a pair of decks and much record buying ensued. I left University in 1995 and through the 25 years that have passed many synthesizers and samplers have been through my ownership. It's only over the past few years however that I have had time to get back to spending afternoons programming and indulging my love of manipulating sounds and getting my playing technique back in order.
I've been so familiar with synths over the years and have seen them develop that the 'analog v digital v softsynth' debates really mean very little to me - it's all there as a tool to make music and so many of us, me included at times, get too caught up in what makes the music rather than the audio itself, be that patches or full compositions. I have a great Native Instruments/Ableton system here at home in London, based around Maschine, Komplete, Arturia V collection and a Casio digital piano as master keyboard. I still own several analogs including a Bit One, a Siel Cruise, a couple of Rolands and some older effects units which sometimes get a look in but I have to confess I do find the Native Instruments environment very polished and it suits the way my mind works. We live in a London flat so I cannot have my keyboards taking up too much room which has caused me to focus on the instruments that matter.
Modular is new to me but I have been interested for some years and at 1am a few nights ago I stumbled across the AE Modular 1 on eBay. The look caught my eye immediately as did the price. It's only a month old and seemingly didn't suit the individual who originally bought it. I read up just a little, liked what I heard, and clicked on BuyItNow - it turned up the very next day. Now here I am getting to grips again with the basics though my years of exposure to analog synths means I am familiar with many of the terms and concepts. My modular is going to be driven by my Arturia Beatstep and doubtless in a month or two I will graduate to a second case with a few extra modules therein. It's a wonderfully designed system...Robert should be proud and I hope feels rewarded for all his hard work. Some great compositions on here too which I hope to add to in a few months.
I regularly take holidays in Berlin (or did!) and end up in the dark bowels of clubs like Tresor or Berghain three or four times a year, so I think that gives some idea of the type of techno that I enjoy listening to, dancing to and writing. I find Maschine really intuitive for this genre and look forward to spinning the AE into that world. That said over the years I have seen all the classic acts - Jarre in 1988 and 1990, Tangerine Dream in 1991, Kraftwerk many times, and of course all the raves I could fit into the 1990s! Musically I have a very broad outlook and enjoy classical orchestral concerts as much as I enjoy musicals and being thrown around at an Ice T Body Count gig. Life is a little short to be too dismissive of different types of music.
Thanks for reading this far and I hope to speak with you more on the forum.
Best wishes
Paul
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jumpinjohnathon
Junior Member

No... Seriously... I have no idea how I created that Sound!
Posts: 53
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Post by jumpinjohnathon on Aug 15, 2020 1:19:03 GMT
Good Day!
I'm no stranger to music and own numerous synth's and devices, including a Prophet 2002+ (yep with two boxes full of samples on floppy disks). With that said, I am a newbie to the modular scene. I currently do not own a rack but because of the Price-Point, I have decided to purchase one shortly from AE.
I'm trying to soak in much as I can from what I have read on this forum before taking the plunge. So you could say that this is my "What he did before sharing his AE Modular Story" as it hasn't been written yet.
Johnathon
So, way back when it all started back on page two of this thread...
It took a little over a year to make it a reality, but I'm now the Happy Owner of an AE 2 rack systems with some add-ons. I added the Solina, Nyle, MultiFx and a 4i/o module.
Been having a blast so far and can't wait to add the ADSR, Grains, Wave Table and a Polamix modules.
What's great is that I've got this idea for a Frankenstein-like concoction that will merge the AE with my other gear.
AnyWay.. I'm bouncing around the studio with thoughts of Sonic's traveling through my head.
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Jihel
Full Member
 
knobs, knobs, and knobs !
Posts: 241
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Post by Jihel on Sept 3, 2020 6:19:30 GMT
How did I get the Tangible Waves syndrome ?I met modular synths in the early 70s (a long time ago in another galaxy). In November 2016, I read this article about AE Modular : www.gearnews.com/ae-modular-cheap-cheerful-modular-synthesis-tangible-waves/The writer was a bit hard about construction and design, but I don't care about that; I found the design and the concept perfect. In December 2016, I read this article about best modular synths of the year : ask.audio/articles/best-of-2016-eurorack-modular-synths/ae-modular#articleBut at that time I had other projects in mind and I forgot these articles. In 2019, I worked on a project with a friend who own a "big" Eurorack system (very unreasonable in size - no way for moving it). It was a great pleasure for me in discovering again a modular system.
And I enter the hell of Modular Grid... and in the bottomless pit of Eurorack system (mainly a financial pit). In searching some informations about Eurorack modules on YouTube, I found this video by chance : The BoBeats YouTube channel - AE MODULAR REVIEW — the affordable modular we’ve all been waiting for?
This video was linked to the THE TUESDAY NIGHT MACHINES YouTube channel where I found this video : AE Modular Synth: Thoughts after 1 Year
"Ringing in my head"... I remembered the articles of 2016 and I went to the Tangible Waves site and on the AEM forum where I quickly caught the AEM syndrome virus. And now I am waiting my AEM system ! Later, I would present the evolution of my AEM in the form of a "roman-photo" (photo-novel ?).
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Post by mdmtek on Sept 21, 2020 11:49:54 GMT
Hey everyone, just managed to get an opened but unused starter rack 2 on ebay and am looking forward to joining the community very soon! I love the compact, minimalist design and DIY possiblities that AEM offers so can't wait to get started with it. I may even make use of it as part of my degree course (Sound and Music Computing), and hope to use it as a learning tool for creating my own DIY modules and standalone instruments.
I've been messing around with various bits of music software and hardware for years, but have recently been trying to focus in on just a few pieces of equipment as I find less is more when it comes to actually getting tracks done. I intend to use the AEM as a hands-on sound design tool that I can use to generate different samples, which I'll then process further and arrange using either my Octatrack or Ableton Live. If anyone uses theirs in a similar way I'd be keen to hear about their creative process and which of the modules they find most helpful. Cheers!
Sam
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Lugia
Wiki Editors
Ridiculously busy...ish.
Posts: 556
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Post by Lugia on Sept 22, 2020 1:11:29 GMT
Hey everyone, just managed to get an opened but unused starter rack 2 on ebay and am looking forward to joining the community very soon! I love the compact, minimalist design and DIY possiblities that AEM offers so can't wait to get started with it. I may even make use of it as part of my degree course (Sound and Music Computing), and hope to use it as a learning tool for creating my own DIY modules and standalone instruments. Well, welcome to the electronic music rabbithole of modular! At least with AE, slobs like me can afford a ginormous system that would easily soar into the five-figure range in Eurorack. And the sonic results DO give Eurorack a run for its money!
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Post by dizzeesatchel on Sept 22, 2020 22:49:33 GMT
Hey  I'm Gavin in the UK. Long-time bedroom guitarist with a side interest in bleepy bloopy things.
For a while now I've been searching for an electronic music environment which was 'the right fit' for me...along the way I've taken detours starting with pocket operators, a few Volcas, soft synths on an iPad...finally I ended up at AE, which I'd had one eye on the whole time but was reluctant to dive in. At last, having bitten the bullet and got a starter rack 2 I think I've found what i was looking for, the ideal mixture of tactile feedback, sonic possibilities, and affordable expansion! Speaking of which I'm already well on the way to filling this unit and idly contemplating what i'd put in a future third row; let's just say the C19 lockdown has been punishing on my wallet  . On the other hand, being musical is an excellent way to put aside the stresses of the outside world for a time. I'm very excited to see what future modules the AE ecosystem brings us!
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Post by rodney on Sept 23, 2020 4:32:38 GMT
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Lugia
Wiki Editors
Ridiculously busy...ish.
Posts: 556
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Post by Lugia on Sept 27, 2020 1:06:50 GMT
I'm very excited to see what future modules the AE ecosystem brings us! It's getting interesting, that's for sure. I ordered one of the first batch of Wonkysound matrix mixers, and that's somewhere in transit right now. And the Dove Audio WAVETABLES collaborative module is also on order, too.
People are figuring it out: AE is going to be a big, BIG deal as that module line grows...and the prices DON'T!
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Post by dizzeesatchel on Sept 27, 2020 11:25:13 GMT
Ah yes, I also have the WAVETABLES on order, which is very exciting. In the demonstration video i'm hearing some tones not far removed from the Twisted Electrons MegaFM, at a fraction of the price!
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Lugia
Wiki Editors
Ridiculously busy...ish.
Posts: 556
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Post by Lugia on Sept 28, 2020 0:28:19 GMT
Ah yes, I also have the WAVETABLES on order, which is very exciting. In the demonstration video i'm hearing some tones not far removed from the Twisted Electrons MegaFM, at a fraction of the price! Ohhhh, it's crazier than that. WAVETABLES gets the AE into PPG Sonic Carrier turf. The scanned wavetable methods that make that sound so wonderfully gritty and aliasy are the selfsame ones in play in that module. You could now technically build a clone(ish) of the PPG 1003 in AE!
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Post by itsvulc on Sept 28, 2020 2:04:35 GMT
Bit late to post here - my system finally arrived a little while back and has been blowing me away for the last few weeks. Here's the first patch I came up with after a bit of exploration: www.facebook.com/itsvulc/videos/3924733057646732Loving the AE format - big ups to Robert and the team for exceeding all expectations.
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Jihel
Full Member
 
knobs, knobs, and knobs !
Posts: 241
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Post by Jihel on Sept 28, 2020 15:58:24 GMT
itsvulcNice sounds !
But video too short...
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Post by joshsemans on Oct 19, 2020 13:51:31 GMT
Hi, everyone! I'm Josh, and I play the ondes Martenot. I have been interested getting into modular for a while. I built myself case with a set of rails in a few years ago, but I never managed to fill it with anything other than a power supply! I wrote off eurorack as 'not for me' for a few reasons. I ended up selling the case to a student from Oberlin that came over to me in the U.K. for some ondes Martenot lessons. All's well that ends well! Anyway, my AE Modular system arrived earlier this year. It started off life as a Starter Rack 2 with a KICK added. Since then I've added a quantiser and I have a SEQ16 and another 2LFO on the way. I really love my system, especially since getting the quantiser - that really opened up the AE Modular for me! I certainly have the next few steps planned, as far as expanding my system goes. I'm expecting to be getting another case in the next few months, the rate I'm going! I haven't yet used it in any of my recorded music, but it will find its way in there soon. I do post daily videos on my Instagram, mostly revolving around the ondes Martenot, but the AE Modular makes frequent appearances and often gets special attention from people. The spirit of the Tangible Waves is really admirable, and I really do think it's very good of Robert to make the playful and powerful environment of modular synthesis more readily available to people. I'm very excited to see this format expand and evolve! Josh
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Post by solipsistnation on Oct 22, 2020 20:21:41 GMT
Okay, I guess I'm not lurking any more so I might as well say hi. Hi! I've had a pretty great time talking on the discord and listening to everyone's music. I've been messing around with synthesizers of various sorts since I first acquired a Casio CZ101 in high school. (I sold it later, then bought another, then sold it, and now have a third one I'm going to hang onto.) Since then I've been in a few (mostly unimpressive) bands around the Boston and Worcester MA area, and I've played with a vast assortment of gear, some borrowed, some owned, some traded, and mostly not around any more. I made a bunch of music with an Emax, a Mirage, an MKS-30, and a TR505. I own none of those any more. Friends and I have played out live with a bunch of drum machines and grooveboxes (before they called them "grooveboxes") and keyboards with arpeggiators, doing what the kids these days call "DAWless jams" before they were cool and then became uncool (I guess). I've built my own gear-- I had a pretty junky homebrew modular for a while, then gave it to a friend who I think did something interesting with it (he's building esoteric homebrew instruments these days).
Then I moved away from Massachusetts, ditched a lot of hardware gear, and started building arduino things. I wrote a step sequencer for the arduino-based Meggy Jr RGB called MeggySeq (it's still out there if you want to play with it). I built a bunch of Eurorack modules from kits. I kind of dropped out of actively doing music, though, and never got back in until pretty recently. Now I live in a smallish house with no permanent music space, which isn't great. I noodle on guitar and occasionally set up keyboards and mess around, but having to set up and tear down every time is kind of hard on my creative process-- I need a space for doing stuff where I can leave things and come back later and pick up where I left off. A friend was selling his AE rack and some modules, so I bought that from him and started playing with it. This turns out to have been pretty much exactly what I needed-- small, relatively inexpensive (compared to Eurorack, especially!), and designed to lend itself to quick setup and teardown. I picked up a second starter rack (since ordering from Noisebug in the US is WAY faster than ordering from Tangible directly) and some more modules. It's kind of eaten my fun budget for the past several months, and I'm having a pretty great time making good ol' Klingklang-style rhythmic stuff with it. I have packed my rig with sequencers and spend a lot of time clocking them from different things and running things through rhythm-synced delays. I have a soundcloud set up with a bunch of old music here: soundcloud.com/solipsistnation/tracks
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Post by jedisynthor on Nov 11, 2020 14:20:35 GMT
I have been here since the beginning, but as a maker there was always something different. It all started with a few Korg machines. Then I built myself a xoxbox and as a relaxation I always played a little bit with it. Later I added the Mircobrute. Then the Eurorack started ... I was more in the mood for building than playing. When I saw the AE system, I fell in love with it, because I build and solder many of them myself. Therefore I have a large system here, but I hardly have the time to do anything. To lower the hurdle, I just built everything into a battery powered case, so I can at least do a session here and there. The system is primarily designed for techno and acid. I may need some advise on new modules but I will open another threat.
Regards Jedi
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Post by 1heundertaker on Nov 14, 2020 9:51:36 GMT
... and so - like for many already here - 'it' begins... ... have just received a B stock AE Modular ... now, i learn how to navigate, how to stroll, to run, through sonically diverse soundscapes ... where i am able to go, the heights and depths of possibility ... ... step, by step ...... beat by beat ...... waving and shaping ... heart emotions expressed through electronic musicality all made possible through the passion and vision of Robert, of and this journey is so much enriched by and through all of you in this community !best regards = hope to cross paths and sojourn with you !
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derp
New Member
Posts: 27
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Post by derp on Nov 14, 2020 16:47:24 GMT
Hi, my name is Derp! I'm a huge modular slut that's cultivating a small Dot Com system and I'm up to twelve six-row cases of Eurocrack. I picked up a Folktek Mescaline a couple years ago for my collection and while it presents a rather unique approach to modular, the synth section consists solely of an unfiltered square wave. I picked up a Bastl Kastle to go with it and expand the synth section, but I wanted more to expand the Mescaline to have a more comprehensive synthesizer section.
I'd had my eye on the AE system for a while, but it wasn't until I found an expanded Starter System 2 on Reverb for a very reasonable price that I pulled the trigger. That was last month. Now, including modules I'm waiting on from Robert, I'm up to two full double row cases, an extra single row case on the way, have got a plan for an all AE album, plans for an AE performance set for the local occult store, and I'm seriously considering selling the Mescaline.
What started out as an expansion for another system has become a creative workstation for me. I think the appeal is that my Dot Com is set up to be a singular instrument that works in tandem with other machines, and the Eurorack is a giant color palette for me to sample from, but not for composing. The AE system is somewhere between these two; it's a complete composition system that begs to be played instead of just sampled. I love this little format, and I love the places it takes me.
I'm very active on GearSlutz, but the hope is that I'll be active on this forum as well because I want to support the format as much as I can.
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