Modular Monthly

Explore Eurorack as a platform for processing drums and beats

Using Eurorack as an effects platform

Rather than exploring a specific module or technique, here we look at processing drum sounds and beats with Eurorack modules. There’s a huge range of potential from distortion, filtering, audio rate effects, delays, granular processing, resampling and more. We’re focusing on four key areas, going from some basic applications of processing to some more advanced techniques to really push your drum sounds further.

First we’ll look at filtering and Eurorack has a huge range of filters including lots of filter types, flavours, and designs. While filters commonly remove harmonics from their inputs, we use them with audio rate modulation to add harmonics and overtones imparting new colours and tones over otherwise standard drum sounds. Another way we can add harmonics and colour is to use audio rate modulation to control amplitude and this is called AM synthesis. With AM short for amplitude modulation we’ll need something to control amplitude and something to modulate it. In walks the humble VCA, seemingly simple but perfect for adding overtones and audio rate modulation to a variety of sources.

We also look at distortion, a staple in a guitarist’s setup and in electronic music common for processing kicks and other drum sounds too. But with a Eurorack distortion we can use sequencers, LFOs and envelopes to manipulate the distorted tones over time.

Finally, we look at delays. Not just average background echoes but fast audio rate delays for Karplus-Strong synthesis and overtones.