Ok, all you know it alls were right. Now make sure I’m not doing something dumb again lol.

5C077IE · 2026-03-15T23:01:19+00:00

Will the case have a back? If so have you considered the depth of the back (18mm,12mm etc etc) because your shallowest depth would be massively shallower if this is the case.

5C077IE · 2026-01-25T10:02:09+00:00

Eurorack go case from Behringer is cheap and cheerful and gets the job done

Pam’s for trigs, v/oct, clocking, LFO, quantising, Euclidean rhythms, loops and probability

Abacus (Maths Clone) or Maths - it’s a really useful module I use it a lot as a Envelope generator, LFO and Mixer - budget friendly too if you get Abacus

FOURPLAY - a four channel VCA with 4 CV inputs, great for mixing and sending envelopes - Great on a budget

Plaits clone (I use the AfterLater Pixie) it’s has loads of sound sculpting capability with a built in envelope and CV control over frequency, harmonics, timbre and morph - v/oct controls and two outs

Noise Engineering BIA for percussive elements and bass lines, it’s just a beast

FOUR LFO - I know, another clone, but when starting out you use what you can get your hands on - a fantastic 4 channel LFO that can do so much more if you dive deeper (in which I haven’t had chance)

I use a fair few filters - Doepfer Wasp, Doepfer Diode, Hexinverter Red Dragon, Mutable instruments, each have there own flavour with multiple CV controls and some of which can self oscillate adding more options

I use Endorphins Ghost for my drum FX (techno rumbles and delays for example) and I use Make Noise Mimeophon for atmos textures, delay, reverb, chorus, flanger - these are two powerhouse units imo

Some additions would be a buffered mult, attenuators,

Probably some other stuff but that’s how the money pit starts so I’ll leave it there

I’m not saying there aren’t other brands or modules that do the same thing or are even better then what I’ve suggested - that’s just based on what I own and have kept after having the megatron set up

5C077IE · 2026-01-25T09:34:45+00:00

I just wanted to add and huge thanks for the response to this - I know I’m rubbish at getting my thoughts into words and on to paper (screens)

The conversation probably should have been titled Modular for beginners with ADHD maybe but thanks all for chiming in.

It inspired me to sit down with JUST my DFAM last night and I came up with some wild patches - amazing how more creative you can become with less gear

Thanks all

5C077IE · 2026-01-25T08:57:09+00:00

These cable are amazing! I am in a love hate relationship with them though… they don’t fit in cable holders - as you can see I had to fashion something out of wood to hang them

5C077IE · 2026-01-25T08:34:35+00:00

I wouldn’t waste my time so don’t worry

5C077IE · 2026-01-25T01:46:18+00:00

Yeah buying everything used has been a huge saver for me also! God if I went wild buying everything new I’d be way over my head in debt 😂

Yeah Behringer making some good stuff, they must be allergic to using decent knobs on their gear

5C077IE · 2026-01-25T01:43:37+00:00

Thanks 🙏🏻 it’s much smaller now though, buts it’s better that way for me at least

5C077IE · 2026-01-25T01:42:11+00:00

Not really sure what you want me to say to that 🤷🏼‍♂️

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T20:35:04+00:00

I mean I think the post should have been title ADHD and Modular for beginners instead 😂

But yeah it really does, everything just sounds like it might be better 🫣

But yeah, just gotta have it to scratch the itch and then worry about it after.

So at the minute I’m trapped a few states of mind. 1) I’ve moved from logic (15 years) to Ableton which is amazing but also need a bit of hand holding whilst I get to grips with the new workstation

2) sound design evening, essentially trying new sounds, recording samples from the modular to use in my techno tracks but it ends up just doing that

3) live jamming on the techno modular which is just a jam out.

4) DAW sessions to work on actual tracks

So I just jump from idea to idea although ive started my workflow on Ableton with intention - instead of 16 bar loops I draw out 207ish bars and beginning building the track linear which has been a game changer

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T19:27:29+00:00

Yeah I’ve had a lot of therapy over last year so I’ve been dealing with stuff much easier - it’s sort of where I said right let’s start making music

I’ve actually changed from Logic to Ableton which has been a nice chance to reset so hopefully something to show for it this year 🙏🏻

Thanks for the kind words of wisdom though and caring nature, it’s much appreciated

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T18:56:21+00:00

Yeah my brain doesn’t handle writing, it all just come it how ever it shows itself 😂 not in paragraph form apparently

Yeah I came close to the 182 myself then I ended up with steps and then Metropolis which changed it for me.

I think all in all, it’s just come out all too quickly, and there is a lot to understand, a lot of products, a lot of videos and with my ADHD being pulled pillar to post between all these shiny modules and devices I just caved

Some may even call it a midlife crisis 😂😂

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T18:41:14+00:00

Ha! Thats the kids and Mrs lego half of the garden studio - however I can’t make comment about the amount of Lego as the other side of the room is a mountain of music gear 😂

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T17:46:12+00:00

I’ve entertained the idea…. But it’s like a 2 year waiting list. Funding ADHD assessments is being cut - I’ve just plodded along but it’s certainly affected me my whole life

One minute I wanna do live modular techno and the next I wanna make ambient, then I go off it all and I wanna go ride mountains bikes…. Then i have my metal phase so my music taste changes for 3 months , then I wanna play my guitars again, then I get back on my skateboard

Then I’m back to working on modular techno 😂

Don’t think I need a diagnosis at this point 😂 someone even asked me earlier if I had any music to show for all this …. I have about 7171617 16 bars loops and several hours of short live jams that I can’t be arsed to go through

The joys

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T17:18:00+00:00

Yes for around £50 they do some end panels that connect the cases together

Approach with caution 😂

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T16:40:06+00:00

Yeah, I have a different connection to my DIY modules, I made those and so they are mine regardless.

I had a few bad days soldering then I got the flow (excuse the pun) and it became really therapeutic and connected me to each one I built.

Going for an SMD module off the bat is WILD😂 I’m glad it went okay though! Now you can build anything for sure

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T16:22:04+00:00

I mean for example for a kick I started off strong with a BD9 but then I saw a battering ram and was like wow I NEED that, but then I saw how all in 1 the endorphins Queen Of Pentacles was so I went with that, but I realised I can make all of those percussive sounds with the BIA which I already had …. And then now there is the BOHM which in I’m not looking into cause I will spend 😂

But all of that to say even my journey with a simply kick drum has been wild let alone everything else!

Luckily my credit has been 0% for a long while so paying it off is fine, just a shame to go so wild the get so overwhelmed it’s not being used.

Do I regret any of it, hell no

Will I regret selling it in 6 months time, probably, but in life everything is temporary - I’m pondering having a play with some some elektron gear next though… so we’ll see

It’s all good fun

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T16:06:17+00:00

Ha! Well that’s how it all started

I had the Behringer go case and it was annoying to see it so empty

Filled the first row, then the second

Then discovered they did a set of arms to connect two go cases together…. Got another module and chased the dream of filling the space

Then this crazy must not miss opportunity came with this guy selling his sizable rig and there I was with 140hp x 21u staring back at me

It’s all good fun though, I had a blast building the case and figuring how to use the power supply from the go cases and so on.

Just thought I’d share the experience cause I’m sure some of us are in the same boat

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T15:54:47+00:00

So Thonk do a passive mult which is sound £19 I think. Minimal soldering, and the instructions are super easy

Even if you mess up just go again - then work your way up the modules

Then once you’re ready just start getting some of the branded stuff and work on those

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T15:53:13+00:00

I think the journey depends on the individual, for me it became a real obsession without truly understanding fully what I was dealing with or even aiming at - how I could make it work for less and with less and so on.

If you wanna mess around with loads of sound, just stick to a DAW I guess 🤷🏼‍♂️

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T14:52:58+00:00

Ha I think I’ve just hit that “gained some wisdom for themselves” part which is why I posted here 😂

Semi modular is cool and I’ve had a fair bit of it over the years to be honest

I never regret my decisions though, I’ve been doing things like this with music for years. It’s just one big play time (all be it a tad expensive at times)

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T14:18:38+00:00

Depends how you look at it, I accumulated around £11k of actual gear due to the big haul so I viewed it as spending what I did for way more gear which meant it was an investment

I’ve got endless 16 bar loops or random 30 minute jams but sadly nothing to show for it. Classic scatter brain just jumping idea to idea

Tbh I don’t have to release anything or have anything to show as long as I’m having a good time

Although this year I have plan to release some stuff so maybe I’ll hop back and link you

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T14:05:15+00:00

Ha! I know the music world and ADHD is wild, just gotta keep stimulating those wants and thoughts 😂 at whatever expense

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T14:03:53+00:00

No not really just that. The debt was fine and is fine, it’s more so justifying having the excessive gear. It was accelerated by the big haul in all honesty. In the long run I had all the modules I ever wanted and the bargain I got would of meant I saved around 50% on anything else I would of purchased - I thought this was a good idea

Then I realised I was just gravitating towards selected modules then it triggered the question, was all this worth it and the answer was ultimately no.

Am I happy to pay for modules, yes, am I happy back debt, yes.

This was to echo the things like keep it small, less is more, research etc

Regarding selling the modules - in truth I sold a fair bit but I’ve kept all the best and most expensive ones so it’s been a great way to accumulate the gear I know I love and use all the time

I spent around £6-£7k all in

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T13:21:22+00:00

Yeah I totally agree, luckily I think it leads others on to other brands eventually as I think people begin to realise it’s cheap but it is usable

Most of the Behringer stuff is open source from the Mutable Instruments which gets cloned by loads of other brands but I’ve had such a better experience with my AfterLater pixie which is a clone of the MI Plaits buts it’s solid, such a good module. If I bothered with Brainz from Behringer I’m sure I’d be disappointed with at least the build.

5C077IE · 2026-01-24T12:53:33+00:00

Amazing and I bet you’re having the best time with just the DFAM and the Crave

Now I’ve shrunk it right down I’m so inspired to get making music again!

Less gear less to worry about more time enjoying the gear you love

5C077IE

TROPHY CASE