What's In My Rack?

How I Learned to Stop Complicating My Eurorack and Fall in Love With Simplicity

A while ago I had posted a YouTube video encompassing practically a how to build a Buchla Music Easel from Eurorack modules. It was my take of synthesizing information from other artists who inspired me to deep dive their ideas and cultivate my own incarnation, though this idea is not necessarily new, however, one thing I had not seen was a whole story on growth when an artist decides to attempt to build a well-regarded synth out of the parameters of Eurorack. If you take a look at the last blog post, I document pretty well how and why I decided to build my first (AND ONLY) Eurorack based on the Buchla Music Easel.

Here is what happened a year later.

Research requires more research

First thing I noticed was the fact I researched and had a pretty good idea of what exactly I thought I needed to create a Eurorack based on the Music Easel. It stated earlier this year I couldn't find a five-step sequencer, however, with enough snooping around the net and looking at what manufacturers were creating. Boom! I found a five-step sequencer (Thank you VERBOS). Already a huge part of the puzzle I seriously thought was going to be something I would need to suck up and accept as part of my utter defeat was finally resolved. The consequence was the amount of HP was eaten up because of how huge the module is compared to the compact, simple four-step sequencer I had swapped it out for. Well, it also meant I had to figure out a few more things such as what modules did, I absolutely HAVE TO HAVE!

For a time, my Eurorack was riddled by modules which were about 2HP in size, this included the VCAs for Amplitude Modulation, the Clock source and a Multi. Ultimately, the VCAs got updated to a 4HP module. The Clock source had been updated to a 4HP LFO module. As for the multi... It ultimately had to go. Meaning, the second thing I noticed is a lot of the modules I thought were going to be main stays... Quickly moved out because of the HP, or the applicable modules updated... thanks to the manufacturers.

Later on, (as time permits) I realized theres a simpler way to achieve FM/AM synthesis without the nuance of plugging in more cables here and there. Worrying about weather or not I can transition between different modules. Thank you Complex Oscillators! Literally dual Oscillators with wave-folding and a whole section of modulation one can easily activate and deactivate.

Regardless, four modules later... almost half of Eurorack modules later and I suppose I can now say, I have successfully built nearly the closest thing to a Eurorack Buchla Music Easel.

Modules have a Nuance

One lesson I have learned in building a synthesizer based on Eurorack modules is the saturation of manufacturers as well as quantifying what is really needed, vice all the extras which I'm sure just comes, I'm sure, because of creativity as well as inspiration by the engineers. Maybe even just based on companies listening to what synth-heads are asking from them...

Another lesson I've learned is when to know what modules fundamentally fit into the paradigm of the goal. Reminder to those who didn't know, the goal is to create a Buchla Modular Easel with Eurorack modules, bare minimum, frugal, and within 104HP of a case. Not the smallest of Eurorack cases... But... it's still relatively confining, to most synth-heads. The thing to really take away from here is the modules you may have, i.e., the Random Voltage from Doepfer was updated with a Sample and Hold/ Trigger and Hold as well as smaller in a 4HP module. I quickly realized a lot of the modules aside from the modules specifically made in the vein of Buchla modules are going to range a little bigger than 4HP. Still waiting on the Spring Reverb module to update with something smaller... (Just saying) ...

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." – Leonardo Da Vinci

Remember the Goal and Your List

I've already stated my goal above, however I will say remembering the goal and what I set out to do really kept my head in the game. I'm not the kind of person to give up on a project until I feel absolutely satisfied with the outcome. Another huge part of what really helped me out with finally completing this build was the parts list:

5 Step - Sequencer

Function Generator

Random Source Generator

LFO for Clock

Complex Oscillator

Mixer (to blend a sine wave and another wave to create more timbers)

Dual Low Pass Gates

Mixer 2.0 (to blend which timber gets primary voicing)

Spring Reverb

Outs

Just to name a few things to get from the store from the master list.

Now we Bleep-and-Bloop

Overall, this project of creating something called a Eurorack based on the simplicities of Don Buchla's Music Easel was a fun build. I think one thing I found and sometimes find myself is a moment of trying to figure out if I actually finished the project or going back to those shops to see if maybe... just maybe there's a module out there that will optimize the basics of what I've created so far. I'd like to say from this point on I've successfully created a Eurorack which will get the job done.

Thank you for reading, and check out the YouTube channel for more content based on the Eurorack. Who knows, maybe you'll see more updates to come?

-Sean