What makes your modular unique?

The modular scene is expanding, and with it the amount of options you have when building or expanding a modular system. In this video I ask the question ‘what makes a modular unique’ and try to answer that by having a look at four interesting topics.
I wanted to make this video for some time, but have a lot more to say! Let me know if you have questions or topics you would like me to dig more into!
Patreon: / monotrail
Generic Affiliate links:
Perfect Circuit - US - bit.ly/3Yn0Gll
Sound of You - EU bit.ly/3DzdFYi
Clockface - AS - bit.ly/3YkDJ1B
Follow my channel ‪@Monotrailmusic‬ if you are interested in my music!
Timetable:
00:00 - System overview
02:55 - Signal flow & tools
07:53 - Creative sound generation
13:45 - Inspirational modules
20:04 - Sound design concept
Special thanks to Legendary & Crazy Patrons:
Michael Rutchik
Wayne Cowan
Steve Williams
Glnds
Kickroot
Christoph von der Heyden
Giorgio Festa
Sebastijan Semiz
James thompson
Redheart/Freak Nasty
Quinn Fahey
Let’s connect!:
Instagram: / monotrail
Facebook: / monotrailmusic
Soundcloud: / monotrailmusic
Bandcamp: monotrail.bandcamp.com
KZbin: / monotrailmusic
#monotrail #eurorack #modulartips

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hello everyone! I wanted to make this video for some time, but think each of the chapters could be a video on it's own. Let me know if you like me to dive deeper in any of this! - Affiliate links: Perfect Circuit - US - bit.ly/3Yn0Gll Sound of You - EU bit.ly/3DzdFYi Clockface - AS - bit.ly/3YkDJ1B

[@MarteenMayjer]

This is real talk the best YT channel on modular. Thanks so much much for the work you put in to these videos 🙏🏼

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you enjoy it! And thanks for letting me know, these kind of comments make it worth it! Cheers :)

[@scottadams7820]

Zadar is awesome! I like running the crazy shapes thru a quantizer and messing with time and voltage ranges for melodies

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey, that's an awesome idea! Might steal that for a future patch :)

[@StepRecorder]

Your tutorials are very inspiring. Wish I had more hours in the day to think through this stuff with my rack.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thank you! I know the problem, time is the biggest limitation these days :) All the best!

[@TomChurchill]

Great video, you really nailed what I love about Xaoc stuff and produced some lovely patches along the way! 👊

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hello Tom! Thanks, glad to hear it, and love your work with the Xaoc modules :) Was nice to meet as SB23, keep up the good work!

[@xavierxeon]

You have landed in modular geekdom when you get excited about utility modules.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Very true! But also, they're just a lot of fun, haha :)

[@valeriobiagini3644]

Always very educational. Thank you!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you like it, cheers!

[@russ254]

inspirational, as always!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you think so! thanks for watching :)

[@TPsynth]

I really appreciate your detailed and visual approach to teaching.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hey, thank you! I made a living as a freelance graphic designer up until I went full time with this channel. Always good to hear people like my work :) Cheers!

[@RealBassist]

awesome vid as always

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Glad you liked it! Cheers :)

[@temporoboto]

very very💙cool. thanks for sharing.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

You're welcome! Glad you like it :)

[@tomnaustin1]

nice video!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@mikegeary8056]

I would like to see your take on the Zadar in a full episode.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

There are some deep videos about it already, so have to say it's not on top of my list. But think I will come back to it in any case :)

[@BrewsterBee]

this was a amazing video ... have you done anything else of Zadar..? i could not find anything in you older videos.. thanks..

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hi there! Glad you liked it! I plan to do more modular-thoughs videos in the future, but feel I can improve on the format a bit :) And no, not yet. There are a few videos out there already by others, but quite some people asked, so might put it on my list anyway. It's a great module and if people are interested I'm happy to make a video on it :)

[@BrewsterBee]

yeah there some video out there.... but a bit hard to follow sometimes... personally i think you present well and clearly .. i think its a great idea as a series to cover all the Xaoc devices ... as they seem to shy away for presents... i learned a bunch of new stuff from this video...🙂

[@NEVERSLEEPmovies]

I had to laugh 😂 when you showed the Wasp filter as a „conventional“ module, remember the issues it caused on your last Berlin Modular Society gig :-).

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Haha, that's true. The wasp wasn't responsible for the heavy ground hum we fixed though. But it's bleeding for sure :(

[@NEVERSLEEPmovies]

@@MonotrailTechTalk yeah, but don’t we all want to have blood, sweat & tears when we perform live 😂?

[@kleonholiday]

what was responsible for the noise? just interested =)))

[@vb6714]

amazing vide, thank you! on 25:16, the pitch-shifting reverb is what module exactly? sounds amazing!

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! And it's the Xaoc Timiszoara

[@mikegeary8056]

Zadar is a really great FM source for another oscillator. Very easy to dial in.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Very true!

[@theproblembelief7549]

You have a lot to do but it would be great if you could do a video on the Toppobrillo Sport Modulator 2!

[@colinstratford9952]

Great video, can I ask what case are you using for the Xaoc system?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! It's a basic 104 hp Moog case without power. I replaced the right panel with another plate with hole, and mounted a power supply inside.

[@supercompooper]

I have a drop the mic module. It has a large marx generator capacitor chain and destroys anything plugged into it 😅

[@lucaslorenz8812]

Speaking of uncommon modules, have you checked out New Systems Instruments? They make excellent stuff but seem to fly under the radar somewhat. In particular I'm a big fan of the Harmonic Shift Oscillator and the Inertia.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Nice, will have a look at them! :)

[@TomChurchill]

I’m also a big fan of the New Systems stuff 😀

[@huangjiyang6533]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@000aleph]

Thanks, such "meta-videos" about modular are far too rare. About Zadar: can you confirm that there is no simple sine shape to be found on this module? I was looking through the table of waves, but couldn't spot one. I was slightly baffled by this.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Thanks! I plan to do more, but have to find the right format a bit, think there is some room for improvement :) In any case, about Zadar: the closes to a sinewave is Bank E shape 2. That one isn't completely symmetrical though, but using the 'responds' parameter you can set it close to a pretty perfect sine.

[@000aleph]

@@MonotrailTechTalk Thank you, I appreciate it

[@kaszaniarz]

stop pushing me to buy Sofia! ;)

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Haha, sorry! Just using the things I like :)

[@GeorgeLocke]

Unless I'm mistaken, all the reverbs on Timiszoara are mono to stereo. More news at 10000000. ETA i was mistaken

[@pe00000001]

Not true. There are 6 fully stereo reverbs on the factory card. Most of the other effects are also full stereo.

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

There are some true stereo versions indeed :)

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

Great video. "Katowice", however, is pronounced as follows: Kato (like the japanese name) followed by the German word for jokes "Witze", but with a long "i". Maybe somebody can help with phonetic transcription?

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Ah yeah, I did the google translate polish text to speech thing :)

[@russ254]

how do you pronounce Moog?

[@GeorgeLocke]

Incidentally, X occasionally refers to Jesus because of Greek chi, hence xmas.

[@pe00000001]

There is absolutely no religious associations with the X. The Greek letter existed long before any biblical stories were anchored.

[@Freakinsweet1234]

I believe it is pronounced “Zay-ock” There is no language in here an “X” makes a “C” sound

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Here's the man himself :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGTFioekZcepr8U

[@Freakinsweet1234]

@@MonotrailTechTalk wow, why would they do that

[@xavierxeon]

@@Freakinsweet1234 Because they are polish?

[@Freakinsweet1234]

@@xavierxeon I have no idea

[@THARTHURs.THOUNDS]

I’m not quite aware what language is meant originally, but word “Xaoc” in russian is pronounced as [ha:os] and means “chaos”

[@MyPruha]

it looks like a collection of conceptual modules but sounds like nothing special. 🤷‍♂

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hi there! In case that isn't clear: I am just using this setup to talk about a few concepts worth considering. This is not a demo video off what this specific setup can do at all! :)

[@johncuba1612]

Hello :-) personally,the reason for me was to create sounds that result far away from traditional sound synthesis in the usual guise. I started with Reason 3.5 almost 20 years ago & I always found the concept of Reason ingenious (especially via Rewire connected with Ableton Live). However, I missed the haptics. After various devices like Korg Electribe Series, Roland System 1M, Arturia Micrubrute & various pedals, the journey regarding Eurorack started in 2018 :) I was familiar with CV & GATE handling through Reason. So I just wanted the best of DIGITAL & ANALOG - Eurorack is the best of the BEST! :) In the meantime, I own an official fleet of equipment, SFX/MFX - Eurorack as well as desktop/Studiogear. 2 good mixers + Erica Syntsh matrix mixer, KRK V8 monitors, 2 patchbays, Macbook Air M1 including Motu Ultralight audio interface (plus a subinterface Focusrite Scarlett Mk2, which is directly connected to the patchbays). PS: get the BORED BRAIN InterFX V2 if you want to integrate pedals into Eurorack ;DDD

[@MonotrailTechTalk]

Hi there! Thanks for sharing, enjoy the good stuff!

[@xavierxeon]

I have some dedicated modules that just do knob/slider to midi CC, so that I can control virtual instruments, which I then pipe back into the modular with an audio interface module. It is much more satisfying turning a knob than it is to do the same thing with a mouse.