How to use modular utilities - Mixing, Attenuating, Inverting, Offset (with Happy Nerding 3X MIA)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Support my project on Patreon: www.patreon.com/monotrail Or shop through my affiliate links: US: link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/8-12626-267461-9759 EU: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?partner_id=32555

[@jgrzinich]

Your channel is like Eurorack University! Most channels use the terminology but rarely, if ever, explain what those terms mean (let alone show diagrams). It will take me days to go through each video but I'm learning so much. I can't thank you enough.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Eurorack University, love the sound of that :) Thanks for the apreciation, nice comments really makes doing this worth it! One of my bigger plans for this year is to make a beginner friendly "modular 101" series, covering all the basics, from oscillator, filter etc, to modulation and patching. Anyway, you're more than welcome!

[@l1fef0rm]

3x MIA is such a powerful tool for me. Simple and elegant design. I like your video, you are a good teacher.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad it was helpful! It's a great tool indeed! I keep recommending this module to people all the time :)

[@brettchassen2888]

This is a very good tutorial !! Thank you 🙏

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sophiestellakis]

This vidéo helped a lot 👍 thank you!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad to hear it! :)

[@dialnfornick]

This is great 👍 thanks

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

You're welcome!

[@donjezza]

great video, i subbed :)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Awesome, thank you! Really like this one to, haha. It's often the detailed control over CV signals that make the patch. Cheers!

[@ogulkoker]

Would Quadratt handle the same functions?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Yes, all the same funcitons. But with subtle differences in signal flow and options.

[@mcshafty1]

👍

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

:)

[@instruktor6467]

This is a great channel! As a beginner in modular, it's often difficult to get a understandable explanation of the possibilities that modular offers. So I'm glad you're sharing your experience and insight with us. The charts you are using are also really helpfull. Thanks!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks for letting me know! I'm happy to, especially in these times, I'm happy to share. But glad to hear people apreciate it! All the best with your modular journey!

[@PWMaarten]

It’s also a great channel when you’re not a beginner! Some great patch tips.

[@NICUofficial]

"invert a trigger signal, then offset it back into positive range" LOL - the concepts that I NEVER would have thought about when I first started in Eurorack that are now starting to make sense to me (and even can imagine simple use cases). I only got there because I listened to channels like yours for the past 1-2 years. thanks for the educational content and cool sounds :)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey there! Thanks for the kind words, these comments make it worth it :) Happy to add some knowledge to a lovely community, cheers!

[@Digital__rb]

I know this is an old video but im stuck between this and the 4x mix, is the 3x mia able to do stereo mixing?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hi there! You can use 2 channels of mia to mix two stereo signals. The MIA is the better CV tool, does also offset, inverting etc. 4X mix is the better stereo mixer :)

[@GeorgeLocke]

Happy Nerding should make a 2xMIA as a 1U module.

Damn I love your videos, Recently got seriously into modular and it's just fun to learn and test your patches ! This is what KZbin was meant for. Thanks a ton !!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks for letting me know! Making these videos is totally worth it if I hear people get value out of them, enjoy :)

[@joshuamorganmusic]

This is by far, the best eurorack themed channel on YT. Thanks so much for making these vids🤘 (just got this module btw!)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you enjoy it! And enjoy the module :)

[@JayHughes-zv5qr]

I'm trying to move a CV pitch sequence up and down automatically in key. For example, using a gate/trig/CV signal to move a pitch sequence from it's original "C" up a 4th to "F" for 16 bars, then up automatically again to "G" for 8 bars, then down again to the original "C." I don't want to manually twist a knob to accomplish this, I want the rack to do it. Anyone have ideas on how to achieve this using specific modules and patches?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

If you want to transpose in key, the best way is to mess around with signals, and then run them through a quantizer. You can just mix a sequence, with a gate (for example from a clock divider), and then run it through a quantizer. Some sequencers also have the possibility to transpose in key directly.

[@wadehathawaymusic]

Great information that can be applied to many modules and situations. I've been doing eurorack for a while but your graphics really solidified some concepts for me. Thanks!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad it was helpful! And indeed, always try to make the ideas applicable with other modules. Thanks for your comment! :)

[@jonkruth4157]

Please keep on your work !!!! it helps me realy a lot !!!! by the way i have the same moduls like you...almost all of them hehehe THANK YOU BRO 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey, thanks for letting me know, happy to make these as long as people like it! Cheers :)

[@Mromain148]

Hey, thanks a lot for your videos, I have a hard time understanding the difference between mixing 2 modulations with like the 3xmia or "mixing" these 2 modulations with a vca / polarizer (one modulating the other) Thanks in advance !

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hello! That's hard to explain without a proper visual, but let's try! Imagine you have two sine wave LFO's, lets call them A - a fast audio rate one, and B - a slow moving one. When you mix two signals together, the result is the sum of both signals. They are added up. In our example, if you mix A and B and listen to it, you will hear a steady tone of audiorate LFO A. If you look at this on a scope, you will see signal A, the fast audio rate LFO, move slowly up and down relative to the center because signal B, the slow LFO is added to it. The amplitude of signal A will stay the same. When you send A to a VCA, and B to the cv input of that VCA, the signals are not mixed at all. In this case B is determining the amount of signal A passing through the VCA. So if you listen to this you would hear audio rate LFO A go up and down in volume with the speed of B, but if you look at this on the scope signal A would be steady around the center, changing in amplitude.

[@distorson]

10:48 so what is shown on the diagram attenuating a signal and mixing it with an offset can be done with one channel in MIA right? I just need to leave the second input unpatched to have the 5V offset available.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Exactly! The fact that MIA has 3 channels, each able to perform that trick, or mix two external signals makes it very powerful :)

[@cvdheyden]

Can you please stop presenting cool modules? I will get broke because I buy them all 😂😂😂😂😂

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Sorry about that! ;)

[@tonymitchell1461]

Why did you choose to put the MIA in your small case rather than one of the intellijel Triplatts that you also have? Similar functionality?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hi there! Similar, but not the same. Most important difference is that the MIA can be 3 independant 2:1 mixers. Al with attunverters. So a lot more ways to mix audio and cv in different ways.

[@dmitriysviatashov1966]

Thank U...for me its a so important info and the way U r sharing- Fantastico!!!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad it was helpful!

[@experimentalme7438]

Attenuverter vs Invertebrator

[@philox100]

Thank you for sharing. What kind of OSC is that on min 10:10 ? 🙏

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey! This video is from a while ago, but pretty sure the entire patch is on-screen, so then it must be the Intellijel Dixie II!

[@OlivierSarfati]

Have been following your channel for a while now. Actually since I took the plunge into modular. It has been extremely helpful and is very appreciated. Would you happen to give one to one advice by any chance?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hello! Glad to hear it's been a help on your journey! I have a tier on Patreon where people can ask me questions. I also just started to experiment with 1 on 1 sessions via Zoom through Patron, but have to explore how that works out before I invite more people. If you just have a one-off request let me know :)

[@OlivierSarfati]

@@MonotrailTechTalk Thanks for the kind message. It is not a one-off request and would probably have a lot of questions and advices to ask :) Let me know when we could have a 1 or 2 hours session. Willing to pay for this of course. Thank you for your time.

[@marco_correnti]

Great video! Quick question: what is creating the synth voice you are using in the patch in the "mixing" section? Edit: Is it Peaks?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! And if you mean at 5:15, you can trace the cables. It's a wave form the Dixie II >> Echo delay >> Wasp filter >> VCA :)

[@marco_correnti]

@@MonotrailTechTalk thanks so much 🙏 I'm a total newbie 😊 😅

[@stefanhansen5882]

WOW! This is brilliant! Any chance to get in touch with you for some help designing a modular system?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! And sure, probably best to shoot me a message with your e-mail adress to either of my monotrail channels on facebook or instagram :)

[@stefanhansen5882]

@@MonotrailTechTalk Just wrote on Insta. :)

[@nth7485]

Very pedagogical. Well done. One question: does the 3x MIA have a notch in the middle for the knobs, so you know when it is set to zero?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Haha, thanks! Hopefully not to much? This is all pretty new to me, still looking to relax more on camera and find the right speed and tone. Anyway, it does not. It's a bit of a shame in my opinion, because that would make it easyer to find the zero point for audio and cv, although with cv, that works fine without. Cheers!

[@JeremyWWWWW]

@@MonotrailTechTalk I think the lack of a center indent is a pretty serious omission. For a great alternate solution, check this out. intellijel.com/shop/eurorack/1u/quadratt-1u/ Being able to throw a switch and turn the attenuverter into a simple attenuator allows absolute certainty of where zero is.

[@-erikros-]

Love all the theory, would love it even more if I can hear what you are trying to explain!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Turn on your speakers ;)

[@-erikros-]

@@MonotrailTechTalk yeah, I said hear, but I should have said see. I think it will be very cool to see you do it! anyway, the way it is, is really cool too!

[@mage2k]

How does the 3x MIA handle mixing audio and DC signals, e.g. and audio signal to input A and both A and B knob?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey, I don't fully get the second part of your question. But the Mia can handle both audio and CV. For audio though it's not ideal, because all inputs have attenuverters, without a center dent. So it's not so easy to fully mute a signal with the knobs.

[@mage2k]

@@MonotrailTechTalk Sorry, what I mean is if you input an audio signal into an A input and then add an offset or DC signal it's paired B input, does it shift the entire audio signal from A up/down? I get the "hard to hit zero for audio attenuation" part, much like channles 2 & 3 on Maths.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Ha get it now, yes it works like that indeed. You can use the offset to move the audio up and down. It's easy to make it clip that way though. But say you use A for audio, you can use that knob to attenuate the audio a bit, then use B to add offset and bring the entire audio into the positive voltage range for eample.

[@afi6061]

Very helpful! 👍

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Brendalo1]

Thank you ! I use a WMD Pro Output, thinking I needed to amplify the signal leaving the euro rack , my synth is quite small, consisting of Benjolin v2, Erica Synths Sample Drum, Make Noise Maths, Mordax DATA , WMD pro output, & Make noise 0- Control for a touch pad & a powered speaker, My worry is burning up a module, due to improper set up, any suggestions on interfaces or mixers what works well for you? I know your busy I appreciate you taking the time to reply to my messages, Buen Camino

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

No worries happy to help if I can. And that sounds like a nice setup! As long as you use the power cables for the modules properly you wont damage them :) And a lot of choices when it comes to interfaces and mixer, to much to mention all. It really depends on what you're after. When you like to multitrack the modular, and or other instruments it's worth it to look at an interface with multiple inputs. You could record directly to an interface that way. Or use a mixer to mix the signals, so you can easily use the EQ and or effects sends, which is nice to look into. Then you have mixers that work as interfaces as well, which is a really interesting option these days. You can just plug the modular or other gear in the mixer, and multitrack that via usb or something!

[@LEdHeadW]

This video makes me think I need another 3XMIA or two between my two cases. It's so powerful for such a small footprint, and despite its size doesn't feel too cramped. Even though I still have a bunch of hp left to play around with, having a bunch of mixers/offsets goes a long way to keeping everything interesting and playable/explorable.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

All very true! This is basically the only module I keep recommending to everyone :)

[@softsmoken]

Good stuff.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you enjoyed it, cheers!

[@FrankPSF]

I’m In the process of building my 1st system I’ve been going through and triple checking the function of each module. I keep having the feeling that there is something missing. But just watching this video gives me confidence that I’m on the right track. There is a big difference in knowing what a module does, and in knowing what it could do in conjunction with other modules. The video is very helpful.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Very true! Often nice patches exist in the interaction between modules, not just their feature set. Enjoy the journey!

[@Greg-ms3hp]

All your videos are top notch! I'm tempted to just dump all my paycheck into your Patron account. Seriously, best and most useful examples, and the patch diagrams make everything easy to grasp no matter which modules you have. So many great ideas in this video alone. I have a bunch of mixers with invert and offset. Making my head spin with new ideas. Thanks man!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Wow, thank you! These comments matter a lot to me already! Got into it because I had the idea my graphic skills and flowcharts could add to the community, didn't' see it so much. And it's really nice to hear a lot of people really appreciate it! I'm quite amazed by the support so far, cheers!

[@tiefklang]

Mega! Thx so much for explaining everything like you do it for childs.. hammer, dank dir i‘m getting deeper and deeper

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! That's the idea, everyone should be able to understand modular :) Cheers!

[@rayderrich]

So much information about something so easily overlooked, thank you man!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

You're welcome! I still love this video as well. It's getting old, so updated my camera and light work since this, but the info is still good. Glad to hear you liked it!

[@rdomain]

Just stumbled across your videos and I've found them very refreshing for someone who has been into modular for many years as it's explaining all the things that make modular exciting. Too many videos are just about showing off the latest all in one modular and many users don't actually know about some of these basic but very powerful options of modular synthesis because we're spoit for choice these days. Fundamental stuff imho. Subscribed.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad to hear it, thanks! And I agree, for sure there are exciting powerful modules that are basicly an intere synth that are great. But always love the aproach of building complexity with basic, hand-patched signals. I'm working on a full introduction to modular series!

[@dmitriysviatashov1966]

hey..Does its has Stereo outs?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Nope. It's three 'Mono' channels. Happy Nerding does make a stereo mixer, but that is really a different tool!

[@dmitriysviatashov1966]

@@MonotrailTechTalkThank U..is it possible to pan it? just looking for item what can ttok one Stereo and one mono signal mix them and in the same time to connect them separately to my Roland SP sampler..maybe u can help me?

[@ScottofOakland]

Very informative! Thanks for the video! I have a hard time looking at the bright white background but otherwise the video is great!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad it was helpful! And that was a hard choice indeed, I know the "night" or "dark" backgrounds are hip these days, but decided to go for these, "print ready" design :)

[@lasideasfugazes]

I like this module a lot in terms of the possibilities it offers. On the other hand it feels so technical and the kind of module you're gonna need some time to figure out and make nice patches with.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

This is possibly my favorite module of all time! If it breaks, I'd order another without a thought, that's pretty rare with a the options out there these days. Hope the video helps a bit. In any case I'd say it's easy to start using it. Mix two signals, adjust the strength of a signal. From there you will find the need for more, and then find it can handle all of it :)

[@Nuin373]

Thanks you from France for all your videos. They are great and very very useful for the beginner i am. Wish you the best.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you like them! That's exactly why I started this channel, so that's good to hear :) Cheers!

[@seansnyder7744]

I'm really excited to see what I can achieve with the 3x MIA and the North Coast Synthesis fixed sine bank :)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey, that seems like a great combo to create mixed synced modulations, enjoy!

[@idonovan]

I recently bought a 3xmia due to this video and that module has already been very useful to me. Thanks for this video and all your other videos. I have learned a lot from your videos.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad it helped! The Mia is still one of my all time favorite modules, and recommend it all the time. Enjoy! :)

[@JubileeGiggles]

Great video. Really good, clear explanation. Just in time, as I finally found a seller for this module. Knew I wanted it, but now I understand it better. The offset/attenuvert feature is what I really needed. It's cheap, compact and I love the bigger stacked knobs instead of 6 small ones

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey, thanks! Its a great module with a lot of power for the size :)

[@ThroughTheBag]

What do you think about the Intellijel Triplatt opposed to the 3xmia ??? Would love to know your thoughts as I’m tossing up between the two

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hi there! I prefer the 3x Mia for all things with control voltages. The 6 pots and inputs, combined with it being 3x a 2:1 mixer (or other configurations) it can just handle a lot more patches than competitors. On the other side, the MIA has 6 bipolar control knobs, without switches or a clear 'center point'. This is not so much a problem for CV, but when mixing audio it's pretty hard to turn audio off. The Triplatt solves this by using a switch. In short I'd say 3xMIA is king for CV, price, and footprint. If mixing audio is a big deal to you, space and price is less relevant, Triplatt and another cv tool can be a good option as well. There are quite some options from different makes. Make sure to check the manuals for the little differences! (I can be wrong about things as well :)

[@ThroughTheBag]

Thank you for your reply and input! I’ve decided to go with both given the functions of the Triplatt fit my audio needs perfectly and love the cv capabilities of the x3 mia

[@johntheyouthminister]

Love this video! New sub for sure. Tip: if you explain something that is possible as an example, give us a visual/audio example of what you mean. You did that a few times and it made way more sense than when you just explain.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks for joining the team! And for the feedback :) As for audiodemos I have to admit that's somewhat limited by the time I currently have for these videos, this channel is way to small to earn money from (yet ;). As for visuals, that should be one of my selling points, I felt like I can add something with the simple illustrations. Could you point out places in this video were you feel like I could have visualised something better/more? Info to help me improve these is always welcome. All the best!

[@redwick00]

Top video again. Very useful content and well preented. Actually I went for a Tiptop Miso which also has scaling and a crossfader. Utilities rule.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Great tool as well, so much choice! All the best!

[@saren6538]

Got this module because of your little sampler case (in fact I got all the modules in the same 60hp case) can’t believe you’ve made a video on this thanks so much, might have to become a patreon now :)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hi there! Haha, that's kinda nice to hear :) Quickly checked your channel to see if maybe you made a video with the same case, would be fun to watch what someone else would do with it! In any case hope you're having fun! All the best!

[@Robert_Babicz]

super video, you explain it in a very good way

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thank you! Glad to hear you like it :)

[@Robert_Babicz]

@@MonotrailTechTalk looking forward for more....

[@manuelsteinmair]

Technically I knew what these things are, but now I got a bunch of new ideas how to use this in a patch. Thanks 👍 I made some DIY attenuators for my half modular stuff with a potentiometer soldered into a patch cable. Not pretty, but gets the job done ✅

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

You're welcome Manuel! Glad it brought you something :) Patch cables with an attenuator in it? sounds interesting actually. I made a small quad attenuator for my case, really usefull, but I don't really trust my soldering in live situations :/

[@PspiralifeTutorials]

Very nice. I was wondering if you could help me understand the better choice between the MIA and the frap tools 321? Thanks for your top quality video!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! I actually have no experience with the Fraptools 321, so dont take my word as final advise, but recently read up on it. The biggest difference to me: The MIA has a lot more mixing power. It can be three 2:1 mixers, up to one 6:1. The Fraptools can only do 2:1 or 3:1 if im right. On the other hand the knobs on the MIA are always attenuverters, wich makes it hard to find the zero point, wich can be anoying for mixing audio. The Fratools you can choose, normal or inverted output, so easyer to find to zero spot in performances and so on. When it comes to attenuating + adding offset they are very similar.

[@PspiralifeTutorials]

@@MonotrailTechTalk Ok great thanks so much for your help. Its still a tricky decision because I know what you mean regarding the zero point. Cheers :)

[@timothydavis9120]

thank you ! So many good ideas in this video for someone just starting out like myself. Can’t wait to use offset with my sequencer/quantizer. I am also interested in finding that sweet spot on filters using the offset and attenuator! The graphics were super helpful. Going to watch other videos soon!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey, thanks for letting me know! Glad to hear you got some things out of it :)

[@aaronn7576]

Really enjoy your videos. They are very informative and useful. Thank you! 🙏🏼

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! glad to hear it!

[@drd8974]

Igor missed an opportunity to name this module MIAO, in my opinion.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Haha, yes! I have to agree :)

[@LazarusGordon]

can you explain how to patch this module to use for offset? you say if nothing is connected to the input it works as offset generator... so what you connect to the module and where?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hi! So the 3xMIA has three identical parts, each with two input and one sum output jack. Each of the inputs and the attenuverter connected to it becomes an offset generator if you dont patch anything into it. You can dial in the amount of offset with the knob for that jack, up to 5v. Then you can send it anywhere you like. I often send it to my Make Noise LxD for example. A low pass gate without any knobs, this way I can use the offset control from the MIA to open the Gate by hand.

[@australianaliens5942]

@@MonotrailTechTalk thanks , that is a great application for offset.

[@NunyaB1s]

seriously one of the best learning resources on YT! =-)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thank you! All the best :)))

[@bak4320]

Thanks for this series. I’ve learned more practical tips from these than I have trying to figure things out on my own

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks for letting me know! Thats great to hear, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@massimopetrozzi1451]

Very cool and inspiring video, thanks for sharing!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey, thanks for letting me know! Makes me happy to hear people appreciate it!

[@bobbfett.musiclab]

I got a 3xmia, it’s really great, I want more of them.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Me to, more is better!

[@janhenckell4178]

these videos are so cool and useful. I thank you!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you like them!

[@psychomafia]

This really helped me with my new MIA, thank you.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you got your hands on one, have fun with it!

[@chrisdaniels4420]

This is a fantastic video, so helpful. Thank you

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks, glad to hear it! All the best :)

[@moritzhopner3404]

I fricken love your videos man!!!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thank a lot! Glad to hear it's apreciated :)

[@sonomute]

Thank you for a very thorough explanation!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

You're welcome, glad to hear you liked it!

[@mcshafty1]

Great tips and lots of ideas here.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad it was helpful! Cheers!

[@doverbeachxyz]

best tutorial on youtube. Subbed.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! And welcome :)

[@Limbic1000]

Very helpful, thxxx!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad to hear it, cheers!

[@AndrewPRoberts]

Can you use the Mia as a headphone out?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

All regular jacks in modular land are mono outputs, with a pretty hot signal, and so are the ones on the MIA. Of course you can attenuate the signal, but it will still be mono. For headphones a dedicated stereo out is your best bet.

[@AndrewPRoberts]

@@MonotrailTechTalk Okay then I think I'll go will the 3x stereo mixer instead, thanks!

[@Gruftgrabbler]

Oh yeah thank you :)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you liked it!

[@joseph.nicolaus]

great ...

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks!

[@caveofsleepers]

Killer, man!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks!