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Is modular now a feasible option for the everyman like myself?

I recently saw the add for the Moog 60hp case and realized that I could build a small system today for much cheaper than it would have cost me two years ago when I initially became interested.

https://reverb.com/item/2037850-moog-60 ... oCi27w_wcB

I am really wine drunk right now. But $80 + $100 for a case/power supply (albeit small) is much more reasonable than the $400+ case+power supplies of yore.

Discuss.

Sorry - drunk.







Wine drunk.

It's definitely a great time to buy cases and power supplies. Ebay has been giving reduced fees for gear sales lately, presumably because of all the business they've lost to reverb, and the new pittburgh cases are causing all the old ones to get flipped for great prices. The new Trogotronic power supply is also an incredible value, replaced my two uzeus, which I just flipped/converted to a new module.

Modulars are really interesting instruments but they're definitely not for everybody... Anyone interested in this should try one if possible and read as much as possible about synthesis/etc. to make sure that they understand what the modules actually do.

And a 60HP case is a great way to be frustrated because you don't have enough space to put more things . There are more eurorack case options than before but a decent case with a decent power supply will always cost money. If you don't want a portable case and can do some DIY you can make something good with a decent euro power supply (Synthrotek, Trogotronic, Intellijel) for a reasonable price, though.

Oscillateur - wisdom, experience, caution...the angel on your right shoulder.

Warpsmasher - the devil on the left. Reckless, splurgey tempter who will buy shit just because it looks cool, and figure it out later.

Hahah, you need both I guess

I looked at modular for years and figured i would never afford it, even with DIY. Got a cheap Mother 32 two weeks ago and now i might be here to stay. As with everything; popularity increases, entry price decreases.

Is the Doepfer A-100LC3 worth considering for a beginner?

psychic vampire. wrote:As with everything; popularity increases, entry price decreases.

The thing is, not really. Most cool modular stuff is made by small companies, and they can't keep making them unless the price is high enough so that they can make a living doing that. If they decide to grow and try to sell a lot more then they have to hire people and sell a lot more to be viable and lose quite a bit of flexibility over what they do/how they do it. Prices can't get much lower for things that go beyond very basic modules.

penelope tree wrote:Is the Doepfer A-100LC3 worth considering for a beginner?

If you want something that size I'd probably recommend the new Intellijel 4U or Makenoise 3U cases instead. The LC6 is a classic though, but there are more and more options in the same price range these days. The main thing to know is whether you will want to move your modular around (for concerts, events, practice, etc.) or not. That will determine which type of case you need...

oscillateur wrote:

psychic vampire. wrote:As with everything; popularity increases, entry price decreases.

The thing is, not really. Most cool modular stuff is made by small companies, and they can't keep making them unless the price is high enough so that they can make a living doing that. If they decide to grow and try to sell a lot more then they have to hire people and sell a lot more to be viable and lose quite a bit of flexibility over what they do/how they do it. Prices can't get much lower for things that go beyond very basic modules.

I meant more entry price and peripheral prices. Theentry point has gone lower recently, and cases and power supplies seem to be cheaper.

Yeah, that's true but the overall cost for a full, playable instrument is still quite high. A bit less than before but still a lot.
Especially when compared to guitar/bass for example.

oscillateur wrote:If they decide to grow and try to sell a lot more then they have to hire people and sell a lot more to be viable and lose quite a bit of flexibility over what they do/how they do it. Prices can't get much lower for things that go beyond very basic modules.

I am here to tell you that part isn't always true. I don't think the growth of modular synthesis is going to hurt those small companies. The bigger companies will start to make the basic, entry level stuff for cheap and leave the small innovative companies to kick ass. The small companies can't compete with the big guys on pricing, but they can continue to make wild, new stuff at a higher price and people will continue to buy it.

Yeah, my bride bought me a Mother 32 last week to celebrate some things. Already looking to add a second (and later third) 60hp case. What's a good option for powering these, though? I realize I could just nab a uZeus (waited too long yours in B/S/T, Warp), but is there a better way to do this? One that doesn't sacrifice valuable hp?

There's the Trog?

60HP is a little small, but it's definitely a cheap entry point, and way cheaper than things used to be. One thing I don't like though is that there are very few rail nuts: only enough to properly secure four modules.

I don't know if you're into DIY, but you can get 60HP rails from erthenvar for only about $20. Stick those in a simple wooden frame and you're good to go.

You also don't technically need rails either... you can just build a wooden box and drill holes in it for the modules (there's a few like that in this thread).

One other option that you might want to consider is the Pulplogic Lunchboxes. They're even smaller, but the power is sorted out for you and you get a row (or two) for tiles which is really useful. Plus they're great to gig with.