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I think I need another VCA! I just bought Noise Engineering Loquelic Iteritas. I have MI Veils, but using three inputs (splitting the ALM MCO sub, PWM and Wave) and East Beast is in the last input.
I might get the ALM Tangle Quartet. What's the deal with the Pip Slope and the O/A/x2?
The Loquelic Iteritas has inputs to modulate both Pitchs, Modulate, Fold and a couple of other things.
The more I get into this the more I realise its about modulating voices to get movement.
EB
This is a really good and thorough beginner's guide:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2bo9boedEs
I like his vids and demos a lot in general.
So for what you want, I think it's essentially a synth. And the question is, what will it do that a conventional non-modular synth won't? "Sound better" is a valid reason btw, but you should be confident that it will actually sound better and in the way you want, and in a way that isn't achievable more cheaply in non-modular.
Where modular has a big advantage is in a couple of specific areas, mostly 1: modulation and 2: generative/random stuff. The fact you can patch a ton of modulation up to anywhere you like (including to other modulation) is quite fun and liberating.
So I would say for basics you need sequencing (sounds like you have this sorted), sound generation (sounds like you are looking at the MCO for this, I have one and it's a cool module, also being digital it is tuning stable), filtering (if you like the look of ALM stuff the MUM M8 is a killer filter, it's based on an Akai S950 and sounds ace), modulation (Quaid Megaslope is cool but maybe overkill in a small rack, or the DivKid Øchd is a really cool and compact way to get a bunch of triangle LFOs going), slope / envelope generation (eg Pip Slope and/or an ADSR module), attenuation/inversion/attenuverters (eg the O/A/x2), VCAs, mults/mixers, and an output module (if you want to get it down to line level to mix with other gear). You might also want some kind of FX or other sound modifying modules like a bitcrusher or wavefolder for more variety/weirdness. For checking tuning, I have a little oscilloscope unit in my rack, but you can also just use a guitar tuner.
One module that I think is fantastic to have in a small rack is the Intellijel Dixie II+. It is a very good sounding analogue VCO but it is also an excellent LFO.
Apart from that… up to you to find "flavour" stuff really. Do you like the east coast sound of Make Noise, the glitchy digital Noise Engineering vibe, the vintage Roland sound of System 80, etc etc.
Whatever you pick you'll be changing things up as you figure out what you like and don't like.
These are my two little racks at the moment (which I tend to treat as one synth):
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/1239486
https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/1478036
Click the links, and you can see what all the modules are. The buffered mults built into the Palette case get a LOT of use for multing triggers/envelopes. Any questions lmk. I'm going to lose the Pons Asinorum at some point as I keep forgetting how to work it… have a Pip Slope to replace it with. Also have a Jove / 860 filter that needs to go in somewhere.
Oh, also this arrived a few weeks back…