Share your AE Modular Story

You are definitely in the right world for synth DIY; they've even got me building kits and soldering!  Welcome. 


wiki.aemodular.com/pmwiki.php/AeDiy/AeDiy


forum.aemodular.com/board/8/diy-building

Enjoy, 

Greetings all,

My name is Joshua. I've been a long-time lurker who recently decided to jump into the AE modular community here on the forums. I reside in Florida, by way of NYC. My musical journey dates back to childhood in the late 80's/early 90's listening to pop and New Jack Swing through headphones on my father's stereo. Music has always played a major role in my life. As a teenager, I began exploring songwriting for personal fulfillment, mostly in the genres of hip-hop and soft rock. In adulthood, my musical passions became increasingly tied to production and different styles. These days, I listen to music spanning the spectrum. One day it could be synthwave or ambient, and the next could be heavy metal or stadium rock. I would describe my production style as a blend of techno, house and synthwave, depending on the vibrations of that day.

In the coming weeks, I'll be embarking on my journey into modular. At present, I've worked on software including Sony Acid Pro, Reason, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Studio One and MPC software. On the hardware side, I've spent time gaining familiarity with synths such as the Arturia Microbrute, Korg Volca FM, Yamaha Reface DX and the Volca Modular. There's definitely something to the tactile or hands-on feel of purpose built instruments, and after months of researching, it's now time for my excited descent into the world of modular.

I utilized the rack builder tool suggested here to plan out my compact system, based on my sonic tastes and workflow preferences. I look forward to sharing my progress throughout the build and hope you'll enjoy my periodic updates on its status. To the entire AE modular community (forums, YouTube, discord), I send my best wishes through these opening remarks, and look forward to interacting with you all. Live long and prosper.

Thanks for the welcome and the compliment on quote choice. Interestingly enough, it was your signature that encouraged me to add my favorite quote to mine. 🙂

Hi everyone. My name is Jeff. I am new to the forum (though I have read quite a bit on here since this past summer.) I recently completed (for now… ) my AE rack and have been busy making music with it. I also play guitar, bass and some drums, and play in a small rock band with my wife and others. We just did a livestream of 60’s and 70’s covers from our living room. We’re not quite comfortable with playing out again yet due to Covid. We also have a small jazz band. My main passion, though for the past few years in making electronic music. Any kind. All kinds.

I currently have my AE racks, a Moog Subharmonicon and DFAM and an ES-9 that I use with a Beatstep Pro, AKAI MPK225, and an Ableton Push controller. On my laptop I use VCV Rack, Bitwig Studio and Ableton Live. I work entirely in Linux on the laptop except when I want to use Ableton, in which case I dual boot to Windows 11. The ES-9 allows me to use all of this stuff at the same time and send CV from rack to rack and to and from the DAW. I love this setup!! The only thing I want now is waaaaay more modules - both AE and Eurorack.

Oh, and I should mention that I also enjoy using the live coding environments like PureData, Sonic Pi, and Tidal Cycles.

Basically anything that you can use to make electronic music.

I also want to try coding my own VCV Rack module (I managed to do the one they have as a tutorial to get started,) as well as try coding my own synths for Super Colider. I worked in IT for many years so have a little programming knowledge, but not much math or anything like that. So we will see if I can even make anything useful.

There’s probably more to say, but I don’t know for now.

I have a piece of music made mostly with AE that I just did in Support of Ukraine, so I’m going to hop over to the performance thread and post a link there.

I hope to get to know some of you on here.

Best wishes. -  Jeff

Hi Pol.
‘Thanks for going to check out my other electronic music on SoundCloud. I just started a new YouTube channel under the name SeldomSkyModular to post vids of Modular stuff. The Song For Ukraine video I posted here in the performance thread is on there. I do have an older channel where I posted our latest livestream of our band from a couple weeks ago. That link is below. I’m the one on the left playing electric guitar. Thanks for watching. I plan to seek out some of your stuff as well and check it out.  - Jeff

h#ttps://youtu.be/jZTJ0HG0QzQ

Hello there,

I'm from the UK I'd started a DIY Eurorack system in January and by March had only done a power supply and made three oscillators that actually worked. I realised it was going to take a lot longer than I anticipated, so went back to my model railway efforts this time in narrow gauge.

But as you do I kept thinking about a synth and looked at some ready made stuff and found Behringer and that their oscillators don't track very well. Seeing the back of one I knew straight away why they use CD4046 chips and unless you get some very old ones from for instance Motorola the newer ones are rubbish. Quote from 2010 "These particular ICs were the TI CD4046BE; they would not even make the first octave from 80 to 160 Hz"! Typing Behringer System 100 into Google eventually revealed this forum.

I was astonished at the AE prices after seeing stuff like, "Molten glass dripping from an icicle" for £600 and no idea what it did. I'd made a simple mono synth with a keyboard in the 80's couldn't play it gave it to a band. So I knew what I wanted and ordered some modules from Juno here in the UK and some from TW as well.

I like to author Blogspot blogs and turn them into sites and have started one here: aemodular.blogspot.com/

My modules have arrived and having sorted out the orientation of the cables I can start assembling it.

Cheers

Hello maydonpoliris

Thanks ever so much for the welcome.
Very good of you to do so.

Cheers

Hello pol,

I've never heard of the Transcedent 2000 I used Maplins for my stuff and found a Babani book called Electronic Synthesiser Projects by M.K.Berry I made the PCB's using Eileen's sewing carbon paper and a rigging brush with Humbrol paint. I recall getting hold of the MiniMoog ladder filter from a guy in Holland and being told to be very quiet about it. They were very simple circuits, somewhere I've got a photo of it. As far as I can remember Mr Berry's circuits didn't work but some 'all in one chips' from USA did, but soon went out of tune.

I went gladly back to making stuff from card for my model railway.

Cheers and thanks

Hey everyone well first I'm a musician my synth gear consists of a Korg electribe er1 an Alesis ion a Roland Juno 6 an Analogue Solution red square vs 2 and a novation circuit mono I've been wanting to do a modular system but I'm very nervous about doing it wrong I went on Analogue Haven's website and went to tangible waves and fell in love I love the history the concept and how the modules are made and the way they sound right now I'm planning my system and will purchase soon

Welcome elj6661975 !

Hope you enjoy the new adventure 

I would highly recomend just getting one of the starter system to begin, then you will find out what modules you really need to do what you want to do wihtin your studio/set up. Then there will be the modules you want!