Introducing Luna: A Lunetta style groovebox & eurorack synth module

video upload by mylarmelodies

Check with dealers on the right on pricing and availability.

"This is your official introduction to the Neutral Labs Luna - a new lunetta-style “groovebox” desktop & eurorack compatible synth. It’s patch programmable, letting you both create tones and rhythms from 5 oscillators (2 with step sequencers inside), logic and pattern generators, all at the same time. Three 'LPG's take the raw tones and let you gate and filter them. 13 effects in 2 blocks effect and shape sounds further.

Enormous thanks to Martin at Neutral Labs for commissioning me to make a vid of this. The world needs more shift registers. Note: I used my own red Tiptop Audio Stackcables in the video, but the desktop module comes with 12 braided patch cables."

Neutral Labs Luna – the first serious Lunetta synthesizer

video upload by nyppy

"Available as a DIY kit or assembled desktop synth or 42 HP Eurorack module.

Video by the amazing ‪ / ginko.ltd

#synthesizer #eurorack #diy"

Update:

What's a Lunetta synthesizer and why should you care? // LUNA from Neutral Labs

video upload by DivKid

"Join us for an exploration of what Lunetta Synthesizers are, what the new Luna from Neutral Labs is and why you should care.

The short answer is that it’s an interesting series of raw digital building blocks from a sonic sculptor (Stanley Lunetta) with lots of modern quality of life features that allow you to approach timbre as rhythm, rhythm as timbre then round that out with low pass gates and FX.

More info at https://neutral-labs.com"

*TIMING INDEX // CHAPTERS*

INTRO
00:00 Hello & previews
02:13 What is a Lunetta synthesizer?
02:54 What is Luna?
04:07 Luna feature run down
06:14 How this video is a bit different

PATCHES & SOUNDS
07:05 Comb filter drones for dark industrial soundtracks
07:55 Hypnotic drones & dual oscillator lead lines
11:20 Bouncing bass & low end swells
11:55 New rhythms from AND & XOR logic
16:05 Fireside crackles & sputtering motorbike engines
16:35 Characterful lo fi LPGs & FX for modular synth voices
19:04 Ambient gritty echoes for happy synth blips
19:29 Shift register rhythms - gate delayed musical canons for your rhythms
23:25 Metallic bass hits & interactive rhythms
23:56 Modulation ‘hooks’ from binary counter clock dividing
26:39 Experimental expressive noise wrangling
27:05 Binary counter sub octaves & external modulation of filter FX
29:12 Alien critters clashing into ambient space
29:48 Monstrous sounds from multiplexing
33:13 Metallic synthesis & bell like tones & swells
33:49 Metallic synthesis for cymbals + dynamic LPG modulation



"Logic, Unbound. Meet Luna. The first serious Lunetta synthesizer.

Look beyond clean waveforms and predictable polyphony. Luna will take you back to a time when digital didn’t mean perfect. It meant raw. Inspired by the subterranean DIY culture of the 70s and 80s, Luna is a love letter to the Lunetta machines of old: Living, breathing organisms built from CMOS logic chips. But where those machines were fragile experiments, Luna is a weaponized instrument of sonic confusion.

The Nervous System Exposed. True to the Neutral Labs philosophy, we don’t believe in hiding the magic behind an opaque face plate. Luna features exposed CMOS inputs and outputs right on the front panel. You're not just patching cables, you are rewiring the brain of the synthesizer itself. Combine signals, bend logic, and physically intervene in the computation to create sounds that shouldn't exist.

Rhythm is Timbre. Timbre is Rhythm. In the world of Luna, there is no difference between a sequencer and an oscillator. The same digital pulse that drives a bass line can be accelerated into a screeching lead or folded into a metallic drone.

5 oscillators provide the raw material. A chaotic array of logic blocks (XOR, NOT, AND, shift registers, counters, multiplexer) will chew up those signals and spit out complex, evolving mathematical noise.

Taming the Digital Mess. Raw logic can be harsh. To turn this binary chaos into music, Luna feeds its digital soul through 3 organic low-pass gates. These analog circuits impart a natural decay and percussive punch to the madness, transforming mathematical errors into bongos, plucks, and thumping basslines.

Drench it in Atmosphere. Once you’ve constructed your signal, destroy it again. Luna comes equipped with a suite of effects — distortion, delay, reverb, chorus, bitcrusher, phaser and more — to smear your logic into a wash of ambient bliss or gritty industrial texture.

5 oscillators
logic gates (2 XOR, 2 NOT, 2 AND)
5 logic blocks (5-step ring counter,4-bit binary counter, 2 shift registers, 4-channel multiplexer)
3 touchpads that generate logic signals
3 channels for audio manipulation (low-pass gates with adjustable decay and switchable trigger mode, gain, tilt EQ)
13 audio effects that can be freely assigned to 2 effect slots running in series (drive, delay, reverb, 6 filter types, bitcrusher, phaser, chorus, comb filter)
CV control for effects and 2 oscillators
MIDI control over 2 oscillators, all 3 low-pass gates, and 3 logic outputs (MIDI TRS A socket)
2 sequencers with up to 64 steps, syncable to clock or MIDI
audio output is headphone compatible
available as a desktop synth or 42 HP Eurorack module (desktop version comes with a 12-pack of black/gold braided patch cables)
See more videos and photos on Instagram.

Note: For sustainability reasons, the desktop version does not come with a USB power supply, just a USB-A to USB-C cable. You will need a 5V supply, such as a phone charger, power bank or laptop.

Note: The desktop version has a Eurorack power header and can be placed into a Eurorack. The desktop case however has 5V USB power and no Eurorack rails, you cannot use it as a 42 HP rack without modifications."

First Steps with OXI One MKII / EP. 6: Random Generator

video upload by OXI Instruments

All parts

"In Episode 6 , we explore one of the most powerful creative tools inside the sequencer: Random Generator.
Random doesn’t mean chaos.

It means inspiration.

In this video, I’ll show you how to generate unexpected yet deeply musical patterns in MONO, POLY, and CHORD modes — and how to control every parameter so the results always stay intentional.

We’ll cover:
• How to access Random Generator
• Understanding Bias, Scale, Range, Rand, V&G, Ties, and Density
• Using Humanize, Order, Pitch, and Flip creatively
• Turning raw randomness into refined musical ideas
The goal is simple: give you a spark.

This is Episode 6 of First Steps with OXI One MKII series — a structured deep dive into mastering your sequencer from foundation to advanced workflow.
If you’re building a hardware-centered studio like I am, this one will unlock serious creative momentum.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Våld Labs Tresse: a multiengine synthesizer based on Plaits, for desktop.

video upload by Våld Labs

This one was sent my way via Meska who had the following to say: "It's 'basicaly' a standalone MI Plait with 3voice and extended oscilator models."

Video description follows:

"Tresse — 3-voice polyphonic desktop synth, 38 engines

Hey all,

Been working on this for a while and it's finally at a point where I want to share it.

*Tresse* is a standalone polyphonic synthesizer built around Mutable Instruments' Plaits DSP code, running on an ESP32-S3 with a custom PCB. Three voices of polyphony, 38 synthesis engines, USB, DIN/TRS and Bluetooth MIDI, and perhaps Ableton Link and our upcoming stack (VMB) Våld Modular Bus, expected to ship this summer, and which will a new wireless comms protocol with negligible latency, auto discovery and machine mesh capabilities (to be released soon).
Also enough knobs and encoders to actually play the thing without menu-diving, and a battery for when you're bored outside of your studio.

*The core idea:* take the full Plaits engine library — all 24 algorithms — and make it polyphonic in a self-contained hardware instrument. Then keep going and add 14 more custom engines on top.
There are hundreds of options similar to this in modular systems and i thought why not bring all these god-level creative tools to bedroom, desktop producers who don't have the money or the space (or will) to mingle in the modular space, and bring them one contained box with all they need.

What's inside

*ESP32-S3* doing all the DSP across both cores (voices 0+1 on Core 1, voice 2 on Core 0, parallel render)
**PCM5102A DAC**, 24-bit output, 32kHz sample rate
*4 pots + 4 rotary encoders* through CD74HC4067 mux and MCP23017 I2C expander
*OLED display* (128×64) for patch info, engine select, preset browsing
*USB MIDI + BLE MIDI* — works with everything, no adapter needed for wireless
Custom PCB, all through-hole friendly

38 engines

The first 24 are straight from Plaits — East Coast, Phase Distortion, all three DX7 variants, Terrain, String/Chords, Chiptune, Wavetable, Speech, Swarm, Particle, the Rings modes, the three drum engines, etc.

Then 14 custom engines built from scratch:

*Karplus-Strong* — proper physical string modeling with excitation morphing (noise → impulse → tonal)
*ByteBeat* — 8 classic formulas with pitch-tracked rate, gets wild
*CZ Phase Distortion* — Casio CZ-style, three distortion shapes
*Supersaw* — up to 7 detuned saws with PWM, the obvious one but it needed to exist
*Formant* — vowel synthesis with 3 bandpass resonators, gender shift control
*2-Op FM* — clean FM with 13 ratios and operator feedback
*Wavefolder* — sine/tri/saw/square source into a proper folder with bias
*Noise Drums* — SVF-based with pitch envelope, covers kicks through metallic hits
*Modal Resonator* — 8 tuned bandpass partials, morphs from harmonic → bell → bar inharmonicity, with a bowed excitation mode
*Sympathetic Strings* — 3 coupled Karplus delay lines with controllable coupling and interval ratios
*Comb Resonator* — 4 parallel comb filters with spread control
*Drawbars* — organ-style additive with 8 Hammond-ratio partials
*Complex Oscillator* — FM into wavefolder, Buchla-adjacent territory
*Grain Noise* — granular noise with smoothing, good for textures and pads

Controls

Three parameter layers accessible via toggle buttons:

*Normal* — Timbre, Morph, Harmonics, Color on pots; Attack, Decay, FM, LFO Depth on encoders
*MOD* — Fold, Detune, Ring Mod, Chorus on pots; LFO destination/shape/speed/sync on encoders
*SHIFT* — Filter Cutoff/Reso/Env/Type on pots; Portamento, Octave, Vibrato depth/speed on encoders

Hold both buttons → engine select overlay. Double-tap MOD → system menu (randomizer, MIDI config, play mode). Double-tap SHIFT → preset browser across three banks (own patches, generated, branches).

Play modes: Poly, Mono, and chord modes (Major, Minor, 7th, Sus4, Power, Octave).

The randomizer is one of my favorite things — it generates random patches with procedural names (stuff like "Velvet Moth" or "Iron Shard"), you scroll through them with the encoder, and save the ones you like to a generated preset bank. 512 slots each for generated and branch presets, 128 for your own.

What it sounds like

Honestly covers a lot of ground. The Plaits engines already span everything from classic analog to FM to physical modeling to noise, and the custom engines fill in some gaps I wanted — proper supersaw, real Karplus-Strong, the modal/sympathetic stuff for metallic and evolving tones, and the ByteBeat engine for when you want to go full chaos. The global FX chain (filter, wavefolder, ring mod, chorus) ties everything together.

The project should be available from April 2026, in kit or assembled units! Price to be discolsed once i have the final FINAL prototype, but shouldn't hurt the wallet.

This is a *Våld Labs* project from Lisbon Portugal. Much more to come.

Would love to hear what people think, and happy to answer questions about the build or the DSP. Be aware that this is a pretty advenced prototype, but still a prototype"

https://valdlabs.com

Note they also have the Consequencer pictured left but no additional info aside from the following on it yet.

"A portable, desktop-first sequencer with modular DNA — built for the art of shaping chaos."

CubuSynth also has a Consequencer announced back in 2024, but they appear to be unrelated.

The "Easel" Spirit in 3U - A West Coast Eurorack Deep Dive

video upload by Sean Graves

The following is in via Sean Graves, who had the following to say:

"The piece, 'The 'Easel' Spirit in 3U: Rebuilding a Buchla Soul in Eurorack,' documents my five-year journey to replicate the specific workflow and 'soul' of the Buchla Music Easel using a curated Eurorack system."

"This post explores the creative power of 5-step sequencing (the 'migrating downbeat'), the 'origami' of wavefolding via the Verbos Complex Oscillator, and the organic harmonic dampening of vactrol-based Low Pass Gates. It’s a technical yet accessible look at why the West Coast workflow remains the 'holy grail' for performance - based synthesis."

The full write-up follows, with a demonstration of the system in the video above.

The “Easel” Spirit in 3U: Rebuilding a Buchla Soul in Eurorack

The Buchla Music Easel is legendary. It isn’t just a synthesizer. It’s a self-contained performance ecosystem. For many of us, the “Easel” workflow is the holy grail of synthesis. However, instead of chasing original hardware, I’ve spent the past five years rebuilding its specific soul within the Eurorack format. Because everyone deserves a hobby, right?

The Chef vs. The Sculptor
Most East Coast synthesizers work like a sculptor. You start with a massive block of harmonic noise (Sawtooth or Square waves) and carve it away with a filter. The Buchla workflow is different. It’s like being a chef in your own Hell’s Kitchen. You start with basic, “bland” ingredients (sine waves) and spice them up with Frequency Modulation (FM), Amplitude Modulation (AM), your choice, and then fold until the sound sizzles.

My current rig recreates this spirit by focusing on three pillars: Uncertainty, Complex Oscillation, and the iconic Sequential Voltage Source.

Part One: The Modulators (The Brain)
In a true Easel style setup, the Tokyo Tape Music Center 5-Step Sequencer acts as the brain. While most modern sequencers favor 4-8-16-32 steps, the 5-step limitation is actually a creative superpower.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Frap Tools MAGNOLIA – 8-voice analog thru-zero FM synthesizer – OUT NOW

video upload by Frap Tools

Check with dealers on the right for price and availability.

"Magnolia is an eight-voice analog through-zero linear FM synthesizer. Besides the classic analog polysynth sounds, its design allows programming some less conventional timbres closer to the world of modular synthesizers, and especially of the so-called “complex oscillators.”

Magnolia allows to bring modular synthesis techniques in the world of analog polysynths, with all the known advantages of the latter: polyphony, immediacy of use, powerful sound, and those little unpredictable details generally known as “analog warmth.”

Magnolia is a highly playable instrument thanks to its expressive Fatar keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch and encourages sound exploration through its large and relaxing front panel.

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Elmyra2 has never sounded like THIS before (version 2.4 update!)

video upload by Oscillator Sink

See the announcement post from earlier today here.

"The Elmyra2 continues to be one of my favourite, weird little drone synths, and over the last two and half years it has got better and better with each new update. Version 2.4 is arguably the best and most important update yet, not only for the huge number of sonic, creative and quality of life improvements, but it opens up an entirely new sound-world for the Elmyra for you to explore.

Transparency notice: the Elmyra 2 was kindly provided to me by Neutral Labs (back in 2023) for free for the purposes of making videos on it. No editorial oversight has been provided to Neutral Labs and no other payment has been received. As always I'm only interested in featuring instruments that I'm genuinely excited about on the channel.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:16 UX Improvements
02:50 General Sound Improvements
03:20 New Improved Default Filter Model
06:11 Improved Shortcuts
07:46 New "CHRM" Shortcuts
08:58 Voice Stacking
10:38 LFO Motion Recording
12:46 Short Envelopes
15:56 New Mod Mode: Oscillator Sync
18:03 New Reverb
22:29 Comb Filter Mode (physical modelling vibes!)
27:01 A little moment of sonic chaos
28:21 Voice Following Comb Filter
31:04 Final Thoughts"

Generative Patches: Behringer Edge+Crave+Spice Live Jam Demo

video upload by Anton Anru

"🟪🟧🟥 ECS Generative is a collection of 25 patches (+Crave patterns) for the semi-modular system by Behringer: EDGE + CRAVE + SPICE.
This genre of sound design is highly popular within modular culture, and the Behringer synths offer an excellent feature set to explore it.
Controlled chaos and randomness, probability, non-repetitiveness, tempo shifts, pattern uniqueness, the alternation of short and long sounds, unexpected changes, silence and density, harmonic and FX-like tones, and glitchy bursts throughout sequences — all of these elements are part of the soundset.

📦 Get these patches: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/ecs-...

CLICK FOR MORE »

Generative chaos

video upload by Meska (Meska)

"Semi generative patch :

Voices , are sampled radio on the casset player to typhoon
'bell' is element
Bass is 2fm op, one FM the other mixed with noise to vacium tube drive and feeebback to centaur gate for filtering
Noise is parralelle procesing of the bass voice to resonanant FB to ikarie
Voice 1 is Carbon as oscilator with noise to centaur gate vca
Voice 2 is warp internal oscilator with noise wavefolde to an LPG
The generative part is prodiuce by Zadar and Juniper , respectivly creating VCA/VFC modulation and quantizing voltage



Thank you for watching.
My name is Meska of the statik collective . I've been making mostly 'dark and expérimental' music for more than ten years now, i'v learn so much online, now it's time for me to share my knoledge, my exploration and this channel is a place to talk about the tools, sound design and techniques to make music with.

You can stream my albums and EPs at https://statikwave.bandcamp.com/

If you'd like to support the channel​ consider buying music from bandcamp ;)
Contact/booking: meskastatik@gmail.com"

Colin Benders - Reunion - #Eurorack Jamsession & an Analysis by BRiES

Sep 5, 2016 video upload by Colin Benders

"Ever since I came back home I've been pushing out tracks non stop. finally got something of a workflow going it seems. Not looking forward to editing it all later but thats another story.

-
2020 Edit:
Still haven't released this track lol. I have been plenty active since I have recorded this track though!"

BHSTS / REUNION by Colin Benders / compositional analysis

video upload by BRiES

0:00 the track
17:33 the analysis

On the larger system:

ER101 & 102 Microtonal Experiment | Modular Mayhem with Colin Benders

video upload by Colin Benders

"Last weekend I was asked to do a full ambient show with no drums, so I got creative with some patch ideas and stumbled upon a feature I had never used before... let's see how deep we can go with this! expect lots of polyphony and wild sequences, things can get crazy today...!

Go ahead and have some fun with the 'Prignalia' stems: https://linktr.ee/colinbenders
You can upload version over there if you want to! _________________________________
Sole but far-from-lonely emperor of a monster 243-module rack, genre-unbound sound explorer, modular mad scientist to the bone, call him whatever you like it’s a fact: Dutch wave-tumbler Colin Benders defies the conventions of so easily tag-slapped electronics as much as his music confronts gravity itself. Untamed and unshackled from today’s main line of tepid production behaviourism, striving in an artistic lane truly his own, Benders has completely veered off the grand street's accepted modus operandi to operate his gear and imagination in utterly innovative fashion.

Having garnered a more than solid experience of the first-hand musician-to-listener experience, Benders keeps on cutting new trails for live electronics, away from drowsy standards and mimetic attitudes. Instead, the Dutch performer pledges to rethink our whole consumption and digestive process of music through lengthy, free-jazz-like momentums to lose your mind and body to. The knowledge and time spent perfecting his craft both apart and before his online audience shines through these patched-up symphonies of boisterous sine-waves, all-engulfing lo-end swells and hair-raising crescendos that have already conquered the likes of Dekmantel, Awakenings, ADE and Berghain. #modularsynth #colinbenders"

IT’S ALIVE!!! My monstersynth is done!

video upload by Colin Benders

"Its done!!! The synth is up and running! after 3 weeks of chaos and many more of evading the task, I finally have the layout I always wanted... time for a quick recap! I'll take you through the steps of how I approached the eurorack design of my monstersynth in this final vlog entry of my build series.

if you're interested in the layout and have a look at the guts of this gargantuan thing, follow these links!

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/v...

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/v..."

Rhythmical & Atmospheric Arturia Pigments Ambient IDM Sounds

video upload by Anton Anru

"🔊 Noise Canvas is a collection of 50 presets for Arturia Pigments. It includes: 21 Rhythmical Timbres, 6 Arps, 10 Synths, 7 Pads, 2 Keys, 2 Strings, 1 Seq, and 1 Pluck. Each patch delivers lo-fi, noise-driven textures designed to command attention—gritty and characterful. Beyond the rhythmic core, this collection includes a selection of deeply immersive, evolving pad textures.

📦 Get these sounds: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/pigm...
👤 The author of the soundset is usefull.
Minifreak and Pigments presets can be imported into Arturia Analog Lab V.
If you like these sounds but don’t have Minifreak or Pigments and only own the Analog Lab V plugin, you can still purchase these sets and load them into Analog Lab V.

🎧 How it sounds
Lo-fi noise synth sounds with analog warmth and digital edge
Textured, rhythm-centric patches that pulse, crackle, and evolve
Distorted, saturated tones ranging from subtle grit to full-on chaos
Attention-grabbing presence—perfect for leads and hooks

CLICK FOR MORE »

Aggression Therapy | Looking for mean and vicious sounds in Eurorack

video upload by Cinematic Laboratory

"The word 'aggression' is used in this video to express a certain quality of sound and music. It's not indended and should not be associated with any form of violence. In music, it can emphasize the emotion or reveal what's happening in an actor's mind. It's an element of storytelling. Use it wisely.

For some reason, people love aggressive sounds and we wouldn't be having heavy metal, noise muisic and industrial grunge without it. Some brands, not calling names, specialize in it. So I've been thinking. Does an 'aggressive' VCO exist? Modules like Three-Body, Plasma Voice, Loquelic Iteritas Percido and WaveRazor came to mind, but the level of rudeness completely depends on who's patching it. Not calling any names again. I think 'aggression' - it's a bad word, I know - is a recipe where you'd drive your gear into distortion, self oscillation and cross modulation. However, it's often about grit, dirt, filth and grunge. You don't need violence to enjoy it, it's just 'colors' and many of these colors are all over mother nature.

The ultimate showcase would be Noise Music, but I think that noise doesn't tell a story and emotions need to develop. So it needs some kind of storytelling. In this video, I'll explore some VCO's and combos that will balance the edge of noise, and then try to manage it. Even the most brutal noise becomes percussion when you sculpt it, and even the most civilized module can reap havoc and bring chaos."

Generative Patches: DFAM+Mother-32+Subharmonicon. Jam Demo

video upload by Anton Anru

📚 DMS Generative is a collection of 25 patches for the semi-modular system Moog Sound Studio: DFAM + Mother-32 + Subharmonicon. This genre of sound design is highly popular within modular culture, and the Moog Sound Studio offers an excellent feature set to explore it.
🎛 Controlled chaos and randomness, probability, non-repetitiveness, tempo shifts, pattern uniqueness, the alternation of short and long sounds, unexpected changes, silence and density, harmonic and FX-like tones, and glitchy bursts throughout sequences — all of these elements are part of the soundset.
🎚 Generative timbres can serve as a strong addition to, or the main element of, ambient or techno tracks, jams, and performances. You can also record fragments into your DAW or sampler, slice them into one-shots or loops, and obtain unique material for further processing.

📦 Get these patches: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/moog...

🕹 The key idea behind the soundset is a high level of interconnection. In this patchbook, the timbres of the synths are intertwined — they cannot exist independently:
🔹 They modulate each other with LFOs and envelopes.
🔹 A sequence from one synth may change parameters on another.
🔹 Trigger interactions, clock/rhythm, and run/stop modulations break predictable patterns.
🔹 Audio signals from VCOs may be used as modulation sources to create harmonies, intervals, or wild experimental inharmonic tones.
🔹 Alternatively, they can be used as audio sources routed into another synth to be processed through its unique filter and envelope — giving the signal a “second life.”
DFAM, M32, and SUBH each play distinct and defined roles — it’s not a sound mess, but a tightly integrated system where the synths work in close cooperation.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Eurorack Jam Case… What Could Go Wrong?!

video upload by Dots

"Join me for another Mini Modular Moments episode as I unveil my brand new studio recording and jamming Eurorack case! In this video, I walk you through every module in my compact modular synth build — from the Frequency Central Product to the Squarp Rample drum sampler — and explain why I chose each one. Then, I power it up for the very first time on camera to see what kind of noise (or magic!) it can make.

Featuring voices, drums, filters, modulation, and a Keystep Pro for control, this case is designed for full jams in a portable format. Expect some happy accidents, a little chaos, and plenty of patching fun.

🎛 Modules Featured:

Frequency Central Product
Knobula Monuatic
Nano Modules ONA
Mutable Instruments Veils
Klavis Quadigy
WMD Carbon Filter
Squarp Instruments Rample
Endorphin.es Cockpit
…and more!

Whether you’re into Eurorack modular synths, studio jam setups, or just curious about how a live performance case can evolve into a studio powerhouse, this one’s for you"

Monotrail Starting with Modular
video upload by Monotrail Tech Talk

1. Getting started with modular - 4 eurorack systems explained

There are many ways to get started with modular, and many reason to be interested in it. There is no single solution, modular is a journey and you have to discover and experience your own. This video is part of a series where I share some thoughts and ideas I wish I could find when I started out. Take or leave whatever you like :)

Timetable:

00:00 – Introduction
02:17 – The Monosynth
06:32 – The Sonic exploration lab
10:26 – The Performance system
15:34 – The Dedicated tool

2. What modules should you buy when starting with modular?

Getting started with eurorack can be confusing. The number of modules available grows ever week. And on top of that, what you need depends on what you want to do with your modular. In this episode in a longer series, I look at a 4-module starter voice as an option.

Timetable:
00:00 – Intro
00:20 – Building a mono synth
02:49 – Oscillators
05:08 – Filters
07:47 – VCAs
10:26 – Modulation
14:47 – Patches

Back to Dots:

Watch our whole Mini Modular Moments playlist here:

Introducing Behringer BM-12 RING MODULATOR

video upload by Behringer

"Adam walks us through the BM-12 RING MODULATOR, a revival of a classic 2000s-era pedal known for its wild, unworldly tones. With extensive I/O, detailed controls, and a vibrant preamp that stays active even when bypassed, BM-12 offers powerful sound-shaping versatility—essentially two pedals in one. Perfect for adventurous musicians seeking bold, experimental textures." Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to BM-12
00:59 Ring Modulation
01:32 Paranoid-ish
02:22 The joy of Ring Modulation
03:00 Demo time
03:47 Controls
05:33 LFO demo
06:09 IO

The Behringer BM-12 RING MODULATOR is a vintage fully analog unit that delivers rich and otherworldly textures in a compact, pedalboard friendly format. From shimmering harmonic shifts to wild metallic clangs, BM-12 opens a portal to untamed soundscapes.

Deep Control, Endless Possibilities
At the heart of BM-12 is a versatile carrier oscillator with a sweeping frequency range that can dial in everything from slow-motion tremolo to piercing robotic tones. An onboard LFO lets you animate the effect in subtle or extreme ways, with independent controls for Rate and Amount. The Mix knob gives you precise control over how much of the modulated signal blends in with your dry tone, while the Drive control let you adjust gain to fit perfectly in a mix.

From Studio Experiments to Live Chaos
Whether you’re a guitarist looking to add eerie textures to ambient passages, a synth player pushing into experimental territory, or a producer craving unpredictable modulation in the studio, BM-12 delivers. Use it to make bell-like arpeggios shimmer or turn simple riffs into alien transmissions. With CV I/O on the rear panel, it’s also ready to patch into your modular or semi-modular setup for even deeper exploration.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Behringer Edge + Spice Generative Modular Patches Sound Demo

video upload by Anton Anru

"Welcome to the soundset for the semi-modular system Behringer Edge + Spice. ES Generative is a collection of 25 patches. This genre of sound design is widely popular in modular culture, and Behringer synths offer a great feature set to explore it.
🟪🟥 Controlled chaos and randomness, probability, non-repetitiveness, tempo breaks, pattern uniqueness, alternation between short and long sounds, unexpected changes, silence and density, harmonic and FX-like tones, freaky splashes within sequences — all these elements are included in the soundset.

📦 Get these patches: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/es-g...

Generative timbres can be a great addition to — or the lead part of — ambient or techno tracks, jams, and performances. You can also record fragments into your DAW or sampler, slice them into one-shots or loops — creating unique material for further processing.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Sounds from Superbooth 2025: WMD Skorpion

video upload by Perfect Circuit

"We're on the ground in Berlin at the year's biggest synth event. Stay up to date with all the latest gear news, announcements, and preorder info on our Superbooth coverage hub."

WMD's Skorpion is a next-generation analog wavefolder module that redefines how timbre can be manipulated and modulated in the modular environment. Featuring eight cascading fold stages controlled by a powerful vector core, Skorpion introduces a dynamic system of thresholds and voltage targets, allowing users to morph basic waveforms into harmonically rich, evolving shapes. Its hands-on slider interface offers intuitive control over folding behavior, modulation depths, and macro animation, while the hybrid analog-digital architecture ensures both sonic depth and interface precision. Whether you're after subtle saturation or full-spectrum harmonic chaos, Skorpion provides a versatile platform for creative signal transformation.

Beyond its core wavefolding capabilities, Skorpion offers a wide array of modulation tools including a dedicated macro envelope, internal LFOs, CV routing, and stereo widening functions. Unique features like target Order, Sync modes, and symmetrical/asymmetrical modulation application give users the power to craft entirely original textures with fine-tuned control. Designed to be both exploratory and exacting, Skorpion delivers a deep synthesis experience for sound designers, live performers, and modular enthusiasts alike.

SKORPION FEATURES
8-stage analog wavefolder with threshold and target voltage control
Hands-on slider interface with macro animation and modulation layers
Internal modulation sources: macro envelope, threshold LFOs, CV modulators
SYNC and TARGET ORDER modes for advanced waveform manipulation
Stereo WIDE output with second vector core and delay-based processing
Hybrid analog-digital design using high-speed CMOS circuitry
Extensive CV I/O including rectified, differential, and gate outputs

Digitone II Easy Guide: Polymetric & Odd-Time Compositions

video upload by EZBOT

"Today I decided to push my limits—and my gear—by diving into the Digitone 2's arrange mode using the challenging yet inspiring time signature of 7/8. Honestly, it felt like a creative stress test, pushing the workflow to the edge to see what hidden gems might emerge. Will the complexity of odd rhythms, short patterns, and the arranger spark fresh ideas, or just lead to musical chaos? Either way, I'm excited to explore the possibilities!"

EZBOT resources available at https://www.patreon.com/ezbot

Roland RS-505 49-Key Paraphonic Synthesizer

Note: links to listings are affiliate links for which the site may be compensated.

via this Reverb listing

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Elektron Octatrack and Roland SH-4D - Live energetic performance

video upload by Jay Hosking

"A live synthesizer jam performed entirely on hardware.

This is a remix/reimagining of "Suantrai" by Jan Steiner, which is on his new EP. Jan is a friend, and a member of my Patreon community, and he reached out about the idea of a remix. The song itself is quite sparse, but beautiful and melodic, and the whole EP is a little hard to predict; I tried to take the beauty and melody, and add my own type chaos into the mix.

I started with altered versions of four of Jan's instruments (string thing, bass drone, Rhodes, light percussion) and went wild with my own additions (my own orchestra sound, off the top; mangled drum breaks; glitched percussion). This left me with some audio files I could work with in the Octatrack.

Once in the Octatrack, I realized I wanted additional melodies and sounds, so I hooked up the Roland SH-4D. The SH-4D is a four-part multi-timbral synth with a fifth layer for drums, very useful for making songs. The melody, arpeggio, extra bass, and midrange distorted drums all come from the SH-4D.

Altogether this left a pretty full arrangement, and the scenes/fader—the magic of the Octatrack—helped to bring out the performance. Most scenes were to alter the drum breaks, by reordering, repitching, and/or retriggering the drum slices, plus with additional effects like phaser, sample- and bit- reduction, distortion, etc.

The end result captures what I loved about Jan's track, and his EP in general: beautiful and melodic, sprawling but intentional, but with a little chaos thrown into the mix. I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for listening.

Elektron Octatrack MkII - Six audio sample tracks playing eight or nine audio sample parts across the song, plus effects, plus sequencing of everything (including MIDI), plus mixing of the audio from SH-4D, plus scenes

Roland SH-4D - Three synths (melody, arpeggio, bass) plus minimal drums in the finale

Performed and recorded live to a stereo output, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.

https://jayhosking.bandcamp.com"

Behringer Edge+Crave Generative Modular Patches No Talk Demo

video upload by Anton Anru

"«EC Generative» is a collection of 25 patches (+25 patterns for Crave) for semi-modular synthesizers Behringer EDGE + CRAVE.
⚙️ This genre of sound design is very popular in modular culture, and EDGE + CRAVE provide an excellent set of features to get you started. Controlled chaos, randomness, probability, non-repetitiveness, tempo variations, pattern uniqueness, alternating short and long sounds, unexpected changes, silence and density, harmonic and FX-like tones, freaky splashes during sequences—all of these elements are included in the soundset.

🟪🟨 Get the soundset: https://antonanru.sellfy.store/p/behr...

Generative timbres can add to or lead in ambient or techno tracks, jams, and performances. You can also record fragments into your DAW or sampler, slice them into one-shots, or create loops to obtain unique material for further processing.

🔮 The main focus of the soundset is a high level of interconnection. In this patchbook, the timbres of the synths are intertwined and cannot exist separately:
🔸 They modulate each other with LFOs and envelopes.
🔸 A sequence from one synth alters parameters on the other.
🔸 Gates and triggers interact to disrupt predictable patterns.
🔸 Audio signals from OSCs may serve as modulation sources to create harmonies/intervals or wild, experimental inharmonic tones.
🔸 They may also be used as audio sources sent to the other synth for processing with its different filter and envelope, giving them a 'second life.'

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