My DIY Eurorack Modular Synth

[@ericMT]

I love this so much. I’ve built over 150 different eurorack modules now, mostly from PCBs people designed and I get my own parts. I also have about 6 of my own designs as well. It becomes addicting once you really get into it and I love my modular system so much, it’s like an audio playground with unlimited potential.

[@LillySchwartz]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video! 150, wow, that’s quite a lot. I think I built around 30 now, I’d have to count, 2 of my own. I’m gonna slow down now and make music with it for a while, play a little on the modular playground 😀 what kind of modules did you design for your system?

[@Il-Cane]

yeah .. that is the goal.....make music, otherwhise is just flexing, because great artists can do alot with just a fuzz and a guitar so ...

[@ChrisMills-AmbientSpace]

This is so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your story. I look forward to your future instalments.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you Chris, I’m glad you enjoyed it 😀

[@goldCrystalhaze]

I don't know how you did it, but you have just inspired me to start over my mechanical engineering studies that I gave up 20 years ago! I guess it is your passion, the one I've lost somewhere on the way...Thank you for that!

[@CastleHassall]

hey good luck with that! the Khan academy app is great for any maths or physics stuff.. from the ground up

[@ivelise38]

This world needs more people like you ❤❤

[@PhillipHolt-f9r]

Hi Lilly I I haven't seen you since you molded your bullet mustang. You give me life on diving in too accomplish what you start out.

[@LillySchwartz]

Hah, I always try to finish what I started. Even if it’s something as massive as that!

[@jakme8237]

Thank you for posting this, I definitely can relate to your journey. Your perseverance is impressive and this testing of patience is very telling of your personality and character. Hats off, dude.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you for watching 🙏 I’m stubborn I guess 😅 I wanted to prove to myself that I can do it!

[@WarrenPostma]

@@LillySchwartz Stubborn people rule.

[@LillySchwartz]

We sure get stuff done 😂

[@Fred_Klingon]

Exactly what I thought, it takes a lot of perseverance and focus to overcome every fail (which is inevitable). I'd like to build a module too, but I know that it requires a lot of effort and time...I'm considering using a microcontroller for my first project, as coding is easier for me. FPGAs are an interesting topic too, but also very complex. The positive aspect is that once you know how to program them, you can design an integrated circuit just with code, avoiding re-design everything (hardware I/O cannot be done this way though). Keep it up!

[@MikeS-1969]

Every now and then the algorithm shows a video that I 'll manage to watch it thru the end and I won't regret spending half an hour watching it afterward. Not very often thought. Congrats for everything you have succeeded.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thanks Mike, well done for making it to the end! 🙏

[@robygamboa8479]

What a wonderful journey! I love hearing about adventures like yours. You are a true inspiration! Best wishes in all of your future projects and successes!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you so much! ✨

[@toubakiful]

Lilly ...great and very inspiring the way you have achieved things by gradually honing up your sills over the years!! Zillions thumbs up👍👍!!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you! It was a slow process, but I got there eventually 😀

[@Projacked1]

I have so much respect for people who are not scared to learn. Awesome story you have lady! 🤘😁👌

[@LillySchwartz]

I love learning new stuff! When I’m in over my head I’m essentially in my comfort zone.

[@information-source]

What an absolute delight this video is! You've approached this with such pragmatism and shown such wisdom in the lessons you've shared in your journey into modular synthesis: careful planning is essential to avoid spending whatever money you have on an instrument you don't enjoy or understand, but all of the information you need is out there if you care to find it. Importantly, you recognise that the instrument will never truly be finished: you need to slow down, play, and appreciate what you've made. Enjoy the journey!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you so much. I think with the Pokémon effect of modular -gotta have them all - it’s really very important to plan beforehand. I got tripped up by really silly things along the way. I thought the Mutable Peaks and the Befaco A*B+C looked great for a small system. Only problem is, envelope levels of the Peaks aren’t high enough to trigger the VCA in the A*B+C. Oops. Luckily one can never have too many VCAs and by now I have other modules that can provide envelopes for the A*B+C.

[@information-source]

@@LillySchwartz Voltage level incompatibility is just one of the many issues one doesn't even think to consider when starting out! I accidentally overloaded the power supply in my first case without realising until one knight when it blew up - thankfully the modules in the case survived, but it was an expensive way to learn. It's very easy to get excited about unlimited possibilities, but much harder to temper that with a careful read through the documentation. The way in which you've shared your journey reflects an awareness of how important that is, without making it sound scary: try your best to understand, first, as fully as you can, be aware that you will make some mistakes but that you will learn and improve from them. It's so very good to see that, and I hope it inspires others to take a similar approach. Thank you.

[@LillySchwartz]

Oh wow, that’s scary! I always make sure not to overload the power supply, I’m very careful with that sort of thing, maybe even overly careful. I just don’t have the money to replace any of it if it breaks. I’m glad to hear the modules survived and there was no further damage or injury! I think a lot of people aren’t quite aware of how deep the rabbit hole goes and how difficult a learning curve it is to even get a sound out of these things. Everyone on KZbin makes it look so simple 😅 First time I tried to use a modular system it stayed silent and I gave up after an hour, oops 😂 mind you that was 20 years ago and I didn’t even know what a VCA was!

[@information-source]

@@LillySchwartz the first time I ever used a modular VST I couldn't even make sound with it! It's a very rewarding instrument if you enjoy learning, and a very frustrating one if you crave instant gratification.

[@LillySchwartz]

It definitely took me a while to wrap my head around the workflow. Once you figure it out it becomes very rewarding though. And suddenly things start making sense on regular synths that didn’t seem to make sense before. It’s really great for deep diving into synthesis!

[@amandahuber6639]

I really enjoyed this video. I too want to build a synth with my own hands but am afraid of all the maths involved! I have been a fan of Look Mum No Computer as well which has inspired me to not give up. The fact that I, an art and humanities person through and through am interested in electronics through synth music is wild, I never would have thought possible. Also so happy to see fellow women learning electronics, we have a long history with electronics and technology from the very start, amazing! Subscribed :)

[@LillySchwartz]

Thanks Amanda! Glad to get a comment from a woman who wants to learn this! Yay! Girl power! Don't be afraid of the math, you really can do a lot by just tinkering and reading Make Electronics! And don't let the Humanities background stop you either. Back in my Robotics degree we had a few people who came over from philosophy, including myself actually. Media Studies BA, Philosophy BA and then I went into a Robotics MSc from there. Building my Eurorack definitely involved far less maths than my Masters degree. It's always great to see women on the tech side of things! Women have a proud history of being deeply involved in electronic music and tech in general!

[@Dr.Cuevalius_Rectus_85]

I would love to have a module built by you,even if its just multiples.Inspiring.

[@LillySchwartz]

Aw, thank you for your support! At the moment I’m writing music with my system, so I’m not building any new modules, but when I’m done with the album I’ll start with the module designs again. Who knows, I might come up with something then that might be of interest to other people too!

[@pjforde1978]

Thank you for sharing your journey. I am incredibly inspired, now.

[@LillySchwartz]

I’m glad you liked it 😀

[@K-ORA]

Amazing, what a journey! That's so cool you did this, bravo. And it sounds so awesome as well. I use "The Crave" as well, it's crazy how good it sounds for the price! Cheers 🤘🏼

[@LillySchwartz]

Oh hey Caleb! Glad to see you here! The Crave is such a great little synth, I really love the way it sounds, especially for drones with some sub oscillators to fill it out. Would love to hear how you patch it!

[@K-ORA]

@@LillySchwartz I subbed on my other channel awhile ago 😊. Yes, agreed! The Crave was the main synth in my track "Future Ghost Runner". I'd totally buy a basic modular start up pack from you, if you ever made one 😆🤘🏼.

[@LillySchwartz]

Nice, I enjoyed that track quite a lot! The Crave is such a capable machine! Now that’s an interesting question. What would be a good Modular starter pack. It’s such an individual thing to build a Eurorack. Hard to give recommendations when there are so many options and directions one could take. And starter pack as in exploring Eurorack the first time or DIYing for the first time? Two very different requirements. Some modules that I find essential are quite hard to build.

[@K-ORA]

@@LillySchwartz Aw, right on - thank you🤘🏼! Yes, I agree the Crave and Neutron are amazing for the price and sound. These are all great questions. Imo, I'd say a starter pack for exploring Eurorack, and indirectly it would be DIY. Like the bare minimum to get started, because I think most dont know where to start (and it's so expensive lol). Rack, power, oscillators, filter, maybe modulation and possible audio input/outs. That's more then enough :D. Just an idea 😅😆🤘🏼. I sent my email in a FB message, whenever. No worries. Thank you for these great vids!

[@LillySchwartz]

Maybe I’ll make a video on how to expand the Crave with Eurorack at some point. I have my system split, 52HP in one smaller case that I have to accompany and modulate the Crave and the rest is in two rows of 78HP. There are quite a few videos that explain how to get started with modular in general already, but maybe I’ll check out how many exactly. I bet the niche is small enough that one more won’t hurt 😅 I’ll go over to Fb now and reply to your message there. I’m not very fast with responding to messages, because I get quite a lot. Sorry about that!

[@MapaiiMusic]

Congrats for your project and also for inspiring by sharing. Have a beautiful day.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you 🙏 You have a beautiful day too!

[@PhilR0gers]

What you have done is excellent. I'm right at the beginning of the modular journey and watching your video is inspirational. Thanks.

[@rudy5360]

That feeling of your first working pcb you designed, then realising you can make anything now ❤

[@LillySchwartz]

Oh yeah, that’s the best part 😀

[@jordantheman25]

super relatable! I love it. It all starts with a single step.

[@LillySchwartz]

Glad you like it! The realisation that you can do it is always the first step! 😀

[@aarnnprojjectss]

I think you are an amazing woman. I do work with many electronic musical equipment brands , EURORACK is the best in custom attributes, sliders, knobs , mods, designs. Digital assemblies are hard to extend, love🖤.

[@maarzt]

awesome and inspiring! thanks Lilly

[@LillySchwartz]

Glad you liked it 😀

[@brianbrill]

That was a very enjoyable account of your adventure. Congratulations and have fun with it!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you Brian 😀

[@garaughty]

Lovely work on this Lilly !

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you! 😊

[@bigtom6443]

This is seriously impressive. I’m currently planning to build my own modular from scratch, pretty much starting entirely with Look Mum No Computer’s designs. Thanks for uploading this, it’s so encouraging

[@thomas0101]

Lilly! You're BACK! Great to see you in my YT feed looking forward to finding the time to watch your new DIY content!

[@LillySchwartz]

Yes, I'm back! Been too long, but now I'm all set for new vids. A lot more stuff coming soon.

[@alan_wood]

That's very inspiring, thank you for sharing.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thanks for watching, Alan!

[@NerdMusician]

Great story! Thanks for sharing.

[@LillySchwartz]

And thanks for watching 😀

[@CreateListenCreate]

Super inspiring. What a wonderful journey.

[@pablobarria296]

heyy you are amazing, thanks for sharing your progress, its massive inspiration for me ☺

[@user-kill666]

wow Lilly i'm amazed to see we had sooo similar learning curves in synths, you did almost exactly the same steps as I did! The first thing I have built was a "ms20" guitar pedal from random schematic from internet, then I got a 3018 cnc to make my first pcb prototypes, I still use it to make pcbs at home but now I just drill and cut on it and I print the circuit with photoresist film method. My first semimodular was.. yess, behringer crave! Then I started filling my rack with behringer modules because they are cheap and they help planning your modular so I used them as kind of functional blind panels and now I'm replacing them with more expensive modules. After that I ordered my first pcb assembly in china of guess what... yes, mutable instruments peaks! :) I'm software engineer so firmwares and digital modules are closer to me and I'm going to build more of MI modules and use one of those as devboard to write my own firmware from scratch. But analog circuits are so cool I even got the same book about analog circuits you have in the video. Recently I ran out of rack space so I 3d printed more space for it. I got my first befaco full kit two weeks ago (vc adsr) and today I'm going to build three more kits during "modular day" workshop organized by befaco in barcelona. We did progress in so similar way, I wonder if it is kind of common usual road everyone who wants to make synths takes. So you know the next step: starting your own mini company, I think I'll come there in few years and I'll find my modules or my diy kits in synth shops one day. Good luck and have fun building more instruments for you and for other musicians!

[@kallemustonen]

Thank you, this was really relatable approach to modular rabbit hole 🐇

[@LillySchwartz]

I'm glad it resonated! I bet most people get super confused at first. It's wild enough to make music with those things, building the modules from scratch gets even more intimidating. It's really not that hard though!

[@valk_real]

Thank you for this amazing deep dive into the process of module building, I've always wanted to build some modules and I think I will over the next year or two. I started with sound systems and a fuzz pedal too, but the fuzz pedal failed and I couldn't source some of the parts I needed at the time so my soldering iron started gathering dust. I went for the Behringer Neutron as my first synth because it's as close to all-in-one for what I wanted and pairs fantastically with a midi keyboard and Ableton. Inspired, easily subscribed, I look forward to seeing more of your creations and hearing your music.

[@ohmuseek4290]

So inspiring and awesome to see your process

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it 😀

[@tmbrwn]

OMG, LILLY, I didn't know you were into Eurorack! Congrats on achieving the dream of building an entire rack of modules with your own hands. As someone who bought all of their modules for a 208HP case, I wish I did what you did - it would have given me an even deeper connection with my synth. Either way, I can't wait to hear more sounds from your synth!

[@LillySchwartz]

Synths are my sweet spot, I always use tons of them in my music! Eurorack was one of those things that couldn't be avoided 😂 Entirely doomed as soon as I stumbled into it, perfect mix of freaky experimental sounds and cool DIY. And it can't be easily emulated either, virtual cables just aren't the same, I play VCV rack entirely differently. Since when have you been into it? I remember messing about with Reaktor already 20 years ago. I could never get the hang of it until I had actual knobs and patch cables in front of me! Sounds from the modular coming very soon!

[@tworoundrobins]

this was really inspirational, thank you so much for sharing!

[@robscouto]

This is very inspiring. Looking forward to building my own modular modules!!

[@LillySchwartz]

✨ good luck with it!

[@jepulis504]

So glad I happened to stumble across your channel!

[@LillySchwartz]

That’s always nice to hear 😀

[@ricksanders]

Super cool 🙏

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you 🙏

[@intotheluminiferousaether]

Thanks for this! Nicely compiled story. It was very inspiring and informative. And most of all it made me want to pick up the soldering iron again. Cheers!

[@LillySchwartz]

I’m glad it made you want to build stuff again! Have you build synth stuff before then?

[@intotheluminiferousaether]

@@LillySchwartz No not synth stuff yet, I started by building pedals like you did. Less parts, more room I guess. I have parts for one synth project but it has been on waiting for me to get other things out of the way first.

[@LillySchwartz]

Ah, you’re almost on your way then! Go for it! I find modules easier because I don’t like wiring much!

[@intotheluminiferousaether]

@@LillySchwartz Thanks, will do. I think I'll order one of the less complicated kits for starters. Yeah, wiring can be a bit annoying sometimes.

[@LillySchwartz]

Kits are definitely the way to go in the beginning. It’s already such a learning curve to make sure to find all the right parts sometimes! Do you have a specific module in mind already?

[@jimgoodinmusic]

Congratulations on your quest and seeing it through, doing so much DIY. Thanks for sharing your story and I agree with comments as well on Behringer. Their prices make the modular synth quest an option. My setup is a mix of DIY and 3 commercial modules of whiich 2 are Behringer 110 and 172 which are both awesome values! Keep up the good and positive work Lilly!

[@_c_y_p_3]

You are inspiring, Im familiar with everything nyou are talking about but I avoided this rabbit hole😱 but now I wanna build or compile an fx box. Thanks for sharing your story!

[@LillySchwartz]

Careful, it’s addictive 😂 No regrets though 😉

[@BetoStudioX]

My father was an electronics technician, he instilled in me a love of electronics from a young age, he even taught me to solder. Now that he is gone, I feel that my great passion, which is music, is so connected to electronics that I began to study the electronics of synthesizers and sound design. In a way it keeps me close to him. I've always thought it would be great to make a synthesizer.

[@LillySchwartz]

That’s so nice that your father taught you to solder! My dad taught me coding, so we’re also connected through technology like that. Definitely give building synths a go, it’s easier than I thought and it makes you feel so much more connected to your instrument too. Thank you for sharing your story too 😀

[@BetoStudioX]

@@LillySchwartz Glad to read that!

[@maloycastillo3473]

This is very inspirational, I also had the same dream of building my own synth. Thank for sharing. Regards from Peru.

[@LillySchwartz]

Go for it! ✨

[@-frantsel6403]

very cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@CallMeChato]

You are absolutely charming. I built Heathkit stereos (look that up, ha) in the 60s. Taught my kids how to solder. But circuit diagrams were always intimidating. Great video.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Circuit diagrams become less and less confusing the more you deal with them. Easy enough to pick up while you’re building stuff from schematics!

[@scholasticdeth]

This is incredibly helpful with all the websites and sources. And your story also shows it's not that hard, just learning step by step. Thank you. Best video to start with diy synths.

[@LillySchwartz]

I’m glad you found the video helpful! 😀

Branches was my first smd project too. Thanks for sharing!

[@LillySchwartz]

It’s a lovely easy project to start with and I find it so useful too!

[@jt_via]

Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us. Glad you kept going through it all. It's also really great to hear a fellow woman talking about electronics. I look forward to hearing your music.

[@LillySchwartz]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Not that many women talking about electronics, that’s true. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to make the video 😀

[@Solargarlicc]

This is so motivating I loved every second of this. I appreciate people like you who make videos explaining their journey, quite inspiring.

[@FrankPSF]

I Envy your skill and determination. Congrats and happy noodling!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you! 🙏

[@cedric2280]

hi Lilly, i also found in love my music, and started to build some module to complete my eurorack setup ... i burn a lot of € but i love it... very nice video happy music

[@belectroart]

Wow your story matches my journey exactly everything from liking synthesisers from young , learning electronics, programming and finally making.

[@LillySchwartz]

It’s a common path nowadays I believe because coding arduino is so much more accessible than analog electronics. I think it’s a good progression. What are you building yourself these days? 😀 I have some guitar pedals on my list next!

[@belectroart]

@@LillySchwartz Thanks for your reply. I've designed and built a step synthesiser with the Teensy 4.1, it has 6 Programmable 32 step sequences, 8 harmonic oscillators, 2 filters, ADSR envelope, CV Gate input and is made with acrylic. I'm also building a dirty analogue video mixer to glitch live video. I've also made a very weird device again with arduino using the CapSense library, it works a bit like a theramin, spelt wrong I think, it has transparent sensors that are very responsive to hand gesture movement. Some demos in my feed.

[@belectroart]

@@LillySchwartz kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqayioOgoNKdpposi=BGLmzSwbbNaLlpIU

[@belectroart]

@@LillySchwartz kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJe3ZYeupK58iLcsi=vOJPJH38s17jpYE3

[@TimGregory]

Watched the whole video.. enjoyed the story and didn’t realise just how long this had been a dream of yours

[@LillySchwartz]

A very long time! Even before I had access to a computer fast enough to deal with a reasonable DAW. And the first schematics I actually downloaded a couple years later, still on dialup. I remember waiting for a really low res image of a schematic to load very slowly because some genius had put the unshielded phone line into the same cable guide as the rest of the electric installation in the flat where I lived 🙄 56K modem already, but it usually connected at 14.4 kbps! Back then I didn’t even own my first midi keyboard yet and still put tracks together with a mechanical keyboard and a mouse 🙃

[@mmorage]

Its good to see you back !

[@LillySchwartz]

Aww, thanks! 🙏

[@TobilektroNoizeferatzu]

Thats great to hear, getting into diy modular.

[@LillySchwartz]

DIY modular is so much fun! How are you progressing? 😀

[@TobilektroNoizeferatzu]

@@LillySchwartz finished planning my case, big one 1m wide 196TE, the brackets and stuff i build myself so that i could have 6U+1U Intellijel or 12 U in one part. for the bottom part i have 6 rows 3U + 1U row intellijel. Power was a bit challenging i planned 3A +12V and 3 A- 12V for each row if 5v would be needed it would be generated in my powerboards. Start constructing think mid summer

[@LillySchwartz]

Oh, that’s going to be big, cool! Power is always such a headache. I keep expanding with single power modules and flying bus boards. But of a pain in the neck, but it’s been working well for me.

[@DelmaRaySmithJr]

What a wonderful surprise to find you here, keep posting!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you! I’m working on the next video already 😀

[@albertmeyer8983]

Fantastic build! Nice review!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you Albert! 😀

[@youjuhwan9697]

hello, thank you for sharing your stories about your journey through DIY modular synth :) i was always wanted to do DIY stuff with music and didn't have a courage to try, however I recently attend DIY Eurorack Modular Class in Seoul, and i'll go forward from here. your story really telling a good depts of journey.

[@LillySchwartz]

Oh, that sounds great to have a class that teaches it. This kind of thing always tends to be more intimidating if there is nobody to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to try it though, it’s definitely easier than it looks, isn’t it?

[@hhhAmbientElectronic]

What a great journey! Congratulations on achieving your dream, Lilly! You're an amazing woman.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you 😊 I’m glad you enjoyed the video.

[@jukkaniittymaa]

This video is solid gold. Also, I love your calm presence and still personal approach to this complex topic. Therefore, I subscribed after a few minutes of video.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you so much for subscribing and I’m so glad you enjoyed the video!

[@SISKworks]

So cool! great video. I can relate to so many parts of this. Thanks for sharing

[@mpstrgc112]

I love the panel on your crave.

[@LillySchwartz]

It's so much better than the original, the colour coding makes all the difference. And the orange always bugged me 😅

[@OlufLorenzen]

UUh, such a calm, relaxing, interesting video. Thanks.

[@LillySchwartz]

Glad you enjoyed it, Oluf! 😀

[@LegoBeto]

This is one of the biggest and most intricate projects i've seen someone put together. This project really puts a lot of engineers including myself to shame. Amazing work. Can't wait to see more.

[@LillySchwartz]

Aw, thank you! I’m glad you as an engineer approve! It was indeed a really big project and funnily it’s not actually done. I have PCBs for the next row already, just taking a break now to explore what I have in more musical detail! There will be more coming about this one soon! 😀

[@EverHappyDude]

So happy I found your channel, this was very inspiring!! Thank you!!

[@LillySchwartz]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😀

[@geoffjoyner2617]

You give me hope. Thank you.

[@LillySchwartz]

That’s always nice to hear! I’m glad! 😀

[@joelaplaca1546]

What an amazing story! I'd love to know how learning your advanced electronic skills has effected your music.

[@DarkLiskaOfficial]

Great video, I've been an electronics technician for years and I have a lot of knowledge about CMOS family 40, I recently started studying synthesizers for assembly and they are helping me improve my music, it must make some sense that I studied CMOS family 40 for a long time, it must be now that I should use them for something great.

[@LillySchwartz]

Sounds like you have the perfect skills! Good luck with it!!

[@Digiphex]

I had the same revelation as you did when I decided to learn about synths, but starting in my 50's, I learned first the scientific calculator, then basic Algebra, then trigonometry, then Calculus 1, 2 and 3. I didn't let it stop me! Sounds like you didn't either.

[@LillySchwartz]

Well done, that’s quite the dedication! I definitely didn’t let it stop me either! 😀 and I’m making progress on the maths too. I learned Algebra so far, still need to cover the rest of your list!

[@kilhua7783]

You are awesome!. Congrats and also thanks for sharing this info. :)

[@roadcrewworker5190]

Holy carp, thats the _coolest damn video/project_ the algorithm has let me stumble on this month. Personally I've mostly stuck to a few years of coding my own VCV or VST utilities or ideas, analog circuit design is just on a whole other arcane level.

[@LillySchwartz]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! At some point I would like to get into the VST stuff too since I originally got into tech through coding. I’m hoping that there will be some cool digital modules that I designed myself in my future, that would be great! Those kinds of modules always tend to be the most expensive ones to buy.

[@irzaip]

your story inspire me. thanx.

[@dillipphunbar7924]

Very impressive achievements. Thankyou for sharing your journey. SMD is beyond me, even through-hole is a challenge.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thanks! What's your soldering iron like and what kind of solder wire do you use? Those are usually the main culprits when through-hole is challenging. I had trouble in the beginning because I didn't have my iron hot enough. SMD is easier in some ways, but time consuming. You really just need a good magnifier. Try out one of those SMD soldering practice kits, you'll see that it really isn't so hard!

[@pallenda]

Super cool! I like how you in the beginning don't add many technical terms. When hearing this story I thought of another cool DYI person Jeri Ellsworth.

[@LillySchwartz]

It’s difficult to talk about this stuff without all the jargon because Modular is such a technical way of making music. I tried my best to keep it accessible and explain what I’m talking about. Not sure I managed throughout, but I guess it’s like Star Trek episodes when the technobabble starts 😂 as long as most of it makes sense you can just ignore the technobabble and enjoy the ride anyway. I have to check out that channel too, it looks super interesting!

[@wolfgangbudde2737]

Great learning story and achievement, and you presented it in a very enjoyable form, thanks a lot!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it! ✨

[@greencontact]

Great video! I have also bought the same 3D printable eurorack case design. The best I have found.

[@LillySchwartz]

It is such a useful design for sure and it has saved me a lot of money too! 3D printers are great.

[@benjaminseelbinder892]

Thank you Lilly ❤

[@nagchumpalot]

Thanks.. This was a very inspiring description of your journey.. I also want to start building some simple circuits and learn more about analog builds so this video was an excellent insight.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Go for it! I found the process really rewarding and I learned a lot in the process!

[@metafuel]

I'm not sure how your video popped up on my playlist but I'm glad I did. very engaging story and you have a lot of talent. Subscribed. Great work Lilly!

[@LillySchwartz]

Aw, thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it and thanks for subscribing 😀

[@shabbadahutt358]

Awesome stuff, more please. Peace

[@a0-zu3dt]

You are one reason i started up building modules!

[@LillySchwartz]

Oh yay! What have you built recently? I’ve been on a bit of a DIY hiatus so that I can focus on writing music with my modular!

[@klors]

very inspiring! I too loved the megadrone

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you! And the Megadrone was such a wild project! The sheer amount of soldering involved alone! Really impressed me.

[@klors]

@@LillySchwartz yes, my soldering is far too bad for that, but seeing your journey has made me think I could try and build some simple modules. I definitely couldn't afford a big eurorack to match what I do in the virtual rack software, but maybe I could follow in your footsteps a little bit, thank you

[@LillySchwartz]

Don’t be intimidated by the soldering! Your soldering will improve almost automatically with practice, it’s inevitable. Just make sure you start out with modules or pedals that have their components a bit spaced out, then it’s easy. Perfect beginner soldering modules are the Erica Synths Edu projects, to the point that I find them too big 🙃 And the explanations for them on Moritz Klein’s channel are excellent. I can definitely relate with the VCV rack stuff. I somehow always end up with three clouds on my patches in software 😅 I use the hardware rack entirely differently by the way, because I rarely use the knobs on VCV. Just tedious to map all that. Hardware is worth it for me for the immediacy alone.

[@klors]

@@LillySchwartz that's great info, thanks!

[@andewprod]

I actually began studying electronics so that i can build modules myself aswell. If buying modules is expensive and soldering kits/pcbs is less expensive then designing and building them from scratch is probably the cheapest. Maths is a fundamental part of electronics, at least if you want to get serious, because you are not going to be able to ignore basic things like voltage dividers, opamp circuits etc which need some rather basic to intermediate maths, but if you stay analog its really not too hard. Its very inspiring to see that there are more inspired DIYers! Greets and thanks for the great video!

[@LillySchwartz]

I actually considered studying Electrical Engineering at first, but I ended up in a more specialised Robotics degree instead. There was quite a bit of maths involved in that too, but I always approached it in a goal oriented way, so I have many gaps that still need filling. I definitely realised that it’s hard to get around the maths if you want to come up with your own schematics instead of building other people’s designs. There are decent resources for learning maths though, like Khan Academy. Definitely helped with the maths I needed so far!

[@andewprod]

@@LillySchwartz yeah, for sure. Here in Germany we have a program called "Erfolgreich starten" or "start with success" where we split the first semester in two semesters, the first semester having a big focus on doing maths and refreshing your knowledge (what you should have known from school, but lets be honest, everyone forgot at least half of ot). Its not really the maths being difficult, its us having to do it, and that regularily. Because if not, you may know the theory but when it comes down to a real project you arent sure how to approach it. My recommendation: do maths everyday, even if it is a little, try to combine it with schematics but ofc thats a time consuming thing to do, so be aware of that. I mean there are prob many seminars and online courses to guide you because doing all of this on your own might be a bit challenging. If not you can also just get some books about maths for electronics (with exercies!). Greets!

[@LillySchwartz]

Ah yes, I remember the German system too well. I was always put off by studying science related things there because they really make it unnecessarily convoluted. I’m from Chemnitz originally and at the TU there I doubt I met anyone who passed the Linear Algebra exam of their Informatics degree. Most of my friends dropped out and just did apprenticeships instead. As if you need LA to become a coder! In the UK it was far less ticking boxes for the sake of it. We learned just the maths that was actually needed, but obviously my more advanced maths is a little patchy now. Luckily my degrees taught me how to self study so I think all the exercises on Khan will be enough for me to get it to a point where Circuit Analysis isn’t such a pain anymore. It’s just one of those grind stone things, where you have to keep at it in order to get better at it, like practicing musical instruments or any skill, really.

[@AlexIsASeraphim]

Thank you Lilly. That was inspiring. I've been thinking over the lasr few months about embarking on a DIY eurorack journey as I'm lucky enough to live near both a retailer that stocks Befaco as well as a couple of electronics component stores. You've helped to give me some confidence that this is achievable for someone like myself who has never held a soldering iron. All the best and more posts please.

[@LillySchwartz]

Oh, you can definitely do it! Try some guitar pedals before heading into Befaco modules, Befaco use small resistors so they tend to be a bit close together. Needs a little practice at first. Pedal projects are a lot cheaper too, so it doesn’t matter so much if you don’t get it to work at first. Good practice for sure and in the end you can run your Eurorack through the pedals too. Start with a fuzz because they have the least parts, then work your way up to bigger projects. I like the kits from Musikding personally. They have a lot of schematics on their website too!

[@geminidefect]

i came here for the story, but stayed here for the expressiveness of your eyes... inspired and fascinated :) i built my first fuzz box and reverb when i was 16. never got back into it, but since im deep into synthesizers, im thinking turing machine

[@Theknifejug]

Thank you for the video! Sam's vids at LMNK also got me interested in modular synthesis, and I got a prep built kit A few months ago. Trying to figure out what to do next, and the thing that helps with that is seeing other people's journeys

[@LillySchwartz]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video! And Sam is such an inspiration, watching him do his thing always makes me want to build stuff. I think Befaco kits tend to give a good range of complexity and their modules are really cool! You can even try many of them in VCV rack first to see whether you actually use them.

[@BottleMakesMusic]

Great video! My Eurorack journey is somewhat similar - I started with Modular Grid to flesh out a case (a 32HP Doepfer beauty-case), thinking that it would be sufficient for all my needs (oh, how naive I was at the time!). I then went down the semi-modular route with the Makenoise 0-Coast and then enlarged my Eurorack case needs by building a 6U/84HP performance case and a 3U/42HP portable/off-grid case to run off of battery power. My first DIY modules were bought as kits from Thonk - Turing Machine and a quantizer and a clock divider. You're absolutely right though, it is a deep rabbit-hole!

[@ivang2490]

So inspiring !!!!I We need more videos like this, because everybody shows amazing skills in internet, but nobody speaks about the process of learning. I am learning electronics for make audio stuff. First I am learning repair, arduino, and basic theory in a presential course. I am building my first midi controller, and next I would like make a simple synth. I love your video, it give me perspective about this. Thanks and best regards.

[@johnduval482]

I found the Serge format right for me plus i knew the guys who were building them so i went down that rabbit hole. Euro rack was barely a thing back when i started and Buchla was even more expensive than Serge. Also incorporated the Doepfer system in my kit with two A-100 frames. Thanks for taking the time in posting up these videos. Very enlightening and empowering. After releasing several projects i left the entire paradigm and went back to guitar and am now being sucked into the pedal paradigm. LOL. .love your channel and videos. My system became known as the Fist of God and was quite obscene and somewhat embarrassing in its size but a lot of fun. Wish you much success on your journey and always have fun.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thanks John! Serge does look very interesting to me too, precisely because it’s more esoteric these days. Back when I first started investigating the schematics it was still such a super niche thing to do, it was barely even clear what the size was supposed to be. Eurorack definitely wasn’t a thing yet but I can’t remember what it was I wanted to build. I have to dig around, maybe I still find some stuff on an old drive somewhere. It involved etching your own boards, that’s what really put me off back then. I will probably look into Serge modules too at some point. Whenever I see videos about Serge clones for Eurorack I’m intrigued. Guitar pedals are great, I want to build more of those too. They combine well with the rack too. I’m not much of a guitar player myself, just play a bit of drone and that’s it, but I’m known to plug almost anything into my pedals. Steel tongue drum into pedals is always a trip 🥰

[@2NZday]

10/10 recommend Came as a non-sub, hobby synther, play some keys in a local band and run a couple music programs through disability support companies, but never NEVER have I tried anything this in-depth. Bought a cheap little freq mod off a fellow musician and 100% loved what was coming out of it, how I could control it with my keyboard, how I could add components so that I’m running beat loops with synth while playing live guitar/piano. So, I have a tiny toe in the water. Stumbled upon this video to see how easy it would be to throw a few components in a box. Annnnd it looks way more difficult than I could ever imagine. Yet you begin with the simplest stages of exploration. Who does that? It makes me feel like it’s possible for commoners like me, and it’s not just people with alien-technology enhanced super brains who are able to do it. I really appreciate that.

[@LillySchwartz]

Don’t be afraid to try it! Just start simple and build your way towards the grandiose projects. It’s really cool to be able to build the instruments / effects you envision and it’s much less complicated than it looks. You can do it! ✨

[@2NZday]

⁠@@LillySchwartzthank you for that. I appreciate the encouragement. Working with the gear I’ve acquired will teach me at least what there is out there, then I can consider what components would suit my style. I really enjoyed hypnagogia by the way. I just got it and listened from beginning to end. It was a musical page-turner. It was nice to hear your explanations of the darker tracks, but not even necessary. People might think of Carmina Burana as that creepy Omen theme, but those who’ve enjoyed the larger work see how it goes from deep misery to limitless joy and back again. One wonders if those who can’t process darkness are capable of experiencing such joys.

[@LillySchwartz]

​@@2NZday it's difficult to know in the beginning what to build and whether it will suit your needs. I definitely made some wrong choices along the way too, but I'm using those tools anyway and making them work which is really rewarding too. I'm so glad that you enjoy my new album and that you listened to all of it! So true about Carmina Burana. I never really thought of it as the Omen theme, but mostly remember the joyful parts of it. There definitely has to be darkness so that we can see the light and I think I managed to hold the balance quite nicely on hypnagogia. What I like about it is that when you reach the end it kind of re-evaluates the earlier tracks too. Listening a second time I find that the first tracks on the album seem more ominous than when you listen to them in isolation. For example, I've used 'drift' on my photography videos quite a few times and taken by itself the feel is entirely different. And I love that you call it a musical page-turner, thank you for that! If you could leave that on bandcamp as a comment, that would be so cool!

[@2NZday]

@@LillySchwartzcomment submitted! (I think). Yeah, I only recently found out that the O Fortuna/Omen connection was an internet rumour, and in fact the score was something different entirely. Thank you for the encouragement and suggestions. Once my mastering skills improve, I might bandcamp something :)

[@LillySchwartz]

Sadly I don’t think the comment went through, I checked everywhere, but it doesn’t appear 🤔 Thank you for trying though! Sometimes the bandcamp website is just weird. Mastering is definitely a dark art. Many mysteries to unravel. I think I have the sound I like pretty well dialled in now for my ambient stuff, but it took me a while to get there and I’m still trying to figure out whether I can get my synth / dark wave stuff to shine as well. Not easy.

[@crashandrun]

Very inspirational video. Thanks.

[@LillySchwartz]

Aww, thank you! 😀

[@paaftube]

Wow, very inspiring. Now have fun making music!

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you!

[@LuiWallentinGttler]

Very good journey through your experiences. These kind of videos really shows what you're getting yourself into. And most important of all: happy accidents ;-)

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you 😀 Eurorack DIY definitely is a wild ride, quite the learning curve involved, but it’s so satisfying when you have a nice shiny module in the end that makes cool sounds or changes them in interesting ways! And of course we all need to channel our inner Bob Ross more 😂 patience definitely helps when the pad just lifted or you burned yourself on the soldering iron for the umpteenth time 😅 Happy little trees 🥰

[@tonyennis1787]

If you're building surface mounts you're a better builder than I'll ever be

[@smakabe]

You have such a lovely and endearing character ♥

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you for the kind words 🙏

[@AndyVonal]

Thank you for sharing your journey! It was wonderfully relaxing listening to you talk about your experiences. I am NOT a DIY builder, but I might be one day!

[@LillySchwartz]

Glad you enjoyed it! I actually find building those things very relaxing. I mean, not when things go wrong obviously, but when it works out it’s really just very meditative like most mildly repetitive work 🙃 give it a go, it was a great experience for me!

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

Normally I don't watch these kinds of videos on KZbin, but somehow the first few minutes already appealed to me, maybe because I've been planning to go exactly the same way for some time, but for various reasons I didn't have the time for it so far. But the description of your journey up to the point where you are right now in terms of knowledge in the DIY field gives me a great momentum to finally tackle it and maybe be able to build a successor to the Schmitt synthesizer in 20 years. ^^ Math isn't that hard, and can be just as much fun. Good luck with it! Awesome video, thanks for sharing this experience.

[@LillySchwartz]

Go for it! 😀 it’s not as hard as it looks in the end. Totally achievable for anyone I would say. Time is of course always an issue. It did take me quite a long time to solder this whole thing together. Worth it though! I’ve started tackling the maths too, but that will take me a lot longer still 🙃

[@Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

@@LillySchwartz Yeah, that's the point. Because time is an issue I prefer to buy them and use the time to make music. But when I start with computers and electronics again it will probably be Eurorack modules. So many ideas, so few time ...

[@LillySchwartz]

I can relate. I do an awful lot of different things and there is never enough time to do it all. I do get around to most of the stuff I want to do eventually though. Sometimes it just takes 20 years 🤣

[@derangedsynthesizer7598]

So friggin cool!! I loved hearing your journey :)

[@guitfidle]

Excellent video!! Congrats on your progress. This is giving me some inspiration! 🤩 I have wanted to get started in modular synthesis as well, and likewise decided Eurorack was the best size for me. Fortunately I have a background in engineering, as well as some practical experience in tech (did surface mount repair for a job for a bit) and have built a few guitar pedals too. Made a couple fuzz pedals as well as an Atari Punk Console from scratch with a schematic on perf board. I got the Make book on Synthesizers, which contains a build-along for the Music From Outer Space Noise Toaster, which is a hybrid sound source module. It has a VCO, LFO, VCA, envelope generator, white noise, and I did the mod to give you an instrument input so I can plug my bass into it. I also modified the unit to fit Eurorack- the original board fir, but it needed a whole different front panel with a new layout. Not quite finished with that one, but in the meantime I also built a delay unit from a kit from Synthrotek, another great source for affordable DIY stuff. I currently have everything running on 9 volts (like you would a guitar pedal) but have already added the parts to connect to standard Eurorack power supply once I get one. I found an antique plywood suitcase with a powder blue tolex type covering, I plan on setting everything up in there once I have a few more bits. I also got a few other things that will work with the modular setup- a Koma Elektronik Field Kit (fantastic unit for interacting physically with synthesized and electronic sounds, also contains a mixer, preamps for stuff like contact mics, LFO, voltage controlled radio, analog and digital in- and outputs), a stand alone multi oscillator synth someone else made (no info, I found it at a second hand store) and a theramin. I too hold on to my old gear, which means a bunch of other pedals, keyboards, and random instruments to mess with. The book from Make magazine also goes over how to build all kinds of different modules, so one of these days I'll get around to cobbling some more stuff together.

[@Burt_Cokaine]

Love using VCV Rack! i couldnt afford the 2,000 modules i got for free in VCV. its a great way to learn modular. Much respect to you for taking the journey

[@LillySchwartz]

VCV rack is great! I always fire it up when I need more than just one of the same module. I use it entirely differently from the hardware rack though. Real knobs and patch cables make all the difference for me. To be honest, I never really managed to get my head around it until I had a real instrument sitting in front of me.

[@ingor.779]

Very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

[@LillySchwartz]

Thank you for watching 😀