Like the title says: You got it (and hopefully checked in over on the Received Order/Tracking thread), but now… what do you think about what you got?
I’ll go first.
Got mine in and loved it. Streamed playing with it for two hours, testing modules and doing a couple basic patches for my community. They’re mostly there to watch me play games, but they dug the beeps and boops.
I had to take a bit of a break at the beginning to work in the breadboard. They weren’t kidding. Of course, minor variations in board and in pins make some of the modules a bit wonky to put in at first, but the board opens up nicely after a few runs.
I grabbed the synth kit and DIY starter and won one of the other modules via social media. I tested one module of most types – I didn’t mess with the envelope, ESP32, or Noise/S&H yet because of a time constraint.
We’re gonna start with the good:
The VCO/LFO module is insanely flexible and sounds really nice.
the two clock outputs per step were more useful than I expected.
the stylus having two gate inputs for each key helps make a rudimentary quantized sequencer when combined with the clock
the delay is shockingly lush
Filter sounds familiar and like a decently high-quality module.
Saturator makes the sound absolutely FAT.
Now for the bad:
Some of the module pins are not exactly lined up, which can make getting the module seated a bit of a fiddly task. Not horrible, though.
the speakers aren’t exactly neatly placed, but that’s not a game breaker.
The mono/stereo toggle on at least one output module is somewhat finnicky. *
I was able to produce a power-starved state where the entire thing shut down by using extreme delay or filtering.**
*I do have another output module that I’m going to check. It may be just that specific module. I know variation in components is a thing.
**I was running on a relatively full-load power supply. I’ll be swapping to a high-power wall-wart to see if the issue persists. I’ll also be testing my other power module, too.
All-in-all, I’m pleased as punch and will be spending most of the day patching it. Besides the power-starving issue, everything’s met or exceeded my expectation and I look forward to grabbing more modules down the line.
I was able to produce a power-starved state where the entire thing shut down by using extreme delay or filtering.
Please make sure your power supply provides sufficient voltage and current when using USB-C.
A single breadboard full of modules can usually run on 5V 1A, but for Type C it’s better to use a power supply that supports USB Power Delivery.
If you are using a fixed 5V supply, look for at least 2A. In practice, one power module can comfortably power three fully populated breadboards if your PSU can deliver enough current.
With a DC barrel jack supply, there is no Power Delivery complexity: just choose a reliable 5V+ supply rated for 2A or more.
Also, JFYI this small built-in speaker on the Output 3.5 module surprisingly consumes A LOT of power.
I had mine for almost two weeks now and it’s a fantastic instrument! I was given a full kit, and its a very well rounded, complete setup.
I’ve tried all sorts of patches, ranging from subharmonics and fm and ring mod to just distorting external sounds with the input all the way to +60db, passing through envelope generator and some modulation, it’s very juicy!
Some modules have their quirks, but so do eurorack modules that cost like this whole system! in particular I didn’t quite like how the resonance on the filters is voiced, but yesterday I patched it into itself and got this amazing singing sound, akin to a vocal processed through enormous amount of distortion.
So cool to have oscillators that play great together, including audiorate modulation. So cool to have at least 2, but usually up to 3-4 patch points on all modules, no need for mults and easy do feedback. Really nice to have counters, stylus keyboards, sequencers etc to build your own little melodic processes. Lpg is just chefs kiss, hope to get more of them in the future.
So yeah, it really warms me up during cold nights with it’s sound and it’s colorful leds) Maybe it was the microrack in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction all along haha
I was using the speakers and it’s a 5V 1A USB port on a Radial Power-1, but it may come in under 1A because of everything else on the distributor. I did have the speaker cranked to full volume and pushed the delay to the max one time and the filter the other. The modules still seem to work.
Turning down the volume and unplugging it/plugging it back in allowed me to continue using it. Cranking the volume caused it to die. if I turned down certain parameters on the delay and filter, I was able to push the speaker volume again.
Like I said: I figured my supply is probably just not quite enough, but I’m not surprised.
I’m having great fun with it. Running off a laptop USB port I could manage one breadboard of modules but as soon as I started trying to power two breadboards of modules I needed a wall supply. Really enjoying the sequencer, I’m glad I went for it.
Tomorrow is Synth Picnic in Norwich so I’ll be taking it to show off https://synthpicnic.com
I found out that usb cable matters. I had some shitty temu usb type-c cables, new, that looked okay, but they were not enough. After testing with charger doctor, I found out that these cables are capable of only 0.5A throughput, horrible. Switched to a better ones, and it is good so far and no more power starvation.
Funny thing though, that a first sign of power hunger was that esp32 midi module was missing the notes, when underpowered, it was confusing.
Also embedded speaker on the 3.5 output really wants some power, compared to all the other modules.
Yeah, my friend at Wonkystuff made a quick unboxing video and starved the amp and stuff too. It looks like the USB C power supply REALLY makes a difference between working and not-working.
Nice little overview of the system with a few modules, too.
I ran into power starvation! You REALLY need a solid USB C power supply and cable, and not a power brick with USB A and an A-C cable. It’s neat though!
There are a couple of bits that are a little iffy-- the stereo/mono button on my output module is pretty shaky. That one’s not a big deal (it’s the speaker module rather than the 1/4" output) but I hope that’s not going to be an issue.
There are a lot of very well-thought-out bits, like the way you chain the sequencers, although I may be missing something and it seems like if you want an 8-step sequence and have one VCO, you need to patch each sequencer to it separately-- is there something else I didn’t realize in there? This means really long multi-sequencer chains get kind of troublesome without a merger. Maybe at that point it’s time for MIDI. 8)
Anyway, it’s fun! It’s tiny and cute and the lights are very excitingly blinky!
I’ve got a nice patch going now using various modules. It’s a combo of bits of the ARP and drum and bass patches in the example cards, with sequencer thrown in for fun and a call out to a eurorack socket to allow sync with another synth. I’ll record a bit on SoundCloud and share. I used the patch documenter of @ignis32Micropatch it’s a beautiful tool and very intuitive to use.
Short recording here: Stream doctorbrassica_001.micropatch by DoctorBrassica | Listen online for free on SoundCloud
Unfortunately, we discovered that the switch button quality was not perfect during the QA stage. While small batches worked fine, in the larger production run some modules (about 0.5%) failed testing due to poor button contacts. We are currently switching to a better manufacturer.
In some cases, repeatedly toggling the button on and off helps clean the contacts and improves its operation.
About powering the system:
You can check the power consumption of each module in the microrack module docs.
The average consumption is about 700 mW per module. One power module can provide up to 7–8 W of total power (roughly 10 modules).
But if you use a standard 5 V / 1 A USB power supply, you can reliably power about 5–6 modules.
The output module with a speaker is a special case: at maximum volume it can draw up to ~2 W. With a weak power supply, this may momentarily shut down the entire system.
We are also thinking about adding an online power consumption calculator, similar to what ModularGrid offers.
We decided not to include a power adapter and cable in the kit because many users already have high-quality power supplies. Additionally, we are cautious about sourcing mains power adapters from generic suppliers. Purchasing a good-quality power supply locally is usually more reliable.
Packaging: Just fine, everything came out good and well protected.
Modules: Quality stuff imo! No bent connectors, knobs are perfectly seated. LEDs are awesome. Fit perfectly on a breadboard.
Wiring: Just enough female to female jumper wires (already ordered additional ones) for the amount of modules I have. Length of wires is fine
Patching: Easy to do, placement of the connectors well thought out. I have two 830 breadboards next to each other, interconnected by the powermodule in the middle.
Power: UGREEN Nexode 140W USB C Charger for power (5v/12v 3a), works great so far.
Sound quality: Excellent. Connected to my mixer and combining with a drummachine amplification is good. Sound is clear, no noise.
Addictive: Very! Already checking what modules I want to get next to expand on what I have.
Yes, I already mentioned that the switch button quality is not the best. Sometimes it helps to press the button a few times or gently move the button itself.
Already checking what modules I want to get next to expand on what I have.