The cm guide to MODULAR SYNTHESIS

Modular, aka Eurorack, synthesis has taken the production world by storm. Here’s your complete guide on how to get going, as we go from zero to modular hero…

Eurorack has taken the music production world by storm over recent years. The hardware modular synth format essentially lets you create your own custom synthesiser by assembling modules that control various aspects of the synth signal flow yourself. The idea is that you might well end up with a collection of sounds that no other musician on the planet has. But how can you safely explore this phenomenon from the comfort of your own computer? Well, you’ve come to the right place, as this feature is designed to cover everything Eurorack!

Introduction

Eurorack is a truly creative beast, and it’s one that has many heads and viewpoints. Many of these are specific to the sort of music you may wish to make, but we have to address the modularelephantine-beast in the room and discuss why anyone might want to go down the path of modular, when there are perfectly good software modulars available? The answer to this is often down to your experiences to date with synthesisers. Like any hardware music-making device, it’s the tactile approach that can feel more rewarding, and unlike off-the-shelf hardware synths, Eurorack grows with you.

We eluded to the fact that Eurorack has many uses; these can range from the most basic scenario of providing a single synth voice, to acting as an effects processor, with the ability to sample, capture and manipulate audio in realtime, or as a stand-alone system which is akin to a good old-fashioned groove box. Your direction of travel will be informed by the music you produce, but Eurorack has the uncanny knack of delivering the odd mishap and mistake, which might also dictate your next musical direction.