THE YEAR IN EURORACK
“MUCH DISCUSSION HAS BEEN HAD”
Although the ADDAC 112 is our pick of the year for modules, others stood out too. Following the general trend of granular’s popularity is Mutable Instruments Beads, the successor to the equally popular Clouds, which takes the original concept and makes it neater and smaller.
Erica Synths have had an impressive year with consistently impressive modules. While the Black Series 2 as a whole offers many great offerings, we feel that the Matrix Mixer is something that could benefit any modular synthesist. It offers so much potential for sound designers and could make patch teardown anxiety a thing of the past. Being able to store patches from any and all different modules, adapt them and instantly recall them is something that has only really existed for desktop or standalone players. This was a close call for first place but the ADDAC 112 wins out purely for its sonic capabilities as an instrument.
Much conversation has been had about choosing a format to delve into when it comes to modular synths, with forums and user groups expounding the virtues of each. The various exponents could be a step nearer to finding some common ground though, as Buchla and Tiptop Audio announced their joining of forces for the
200 Series Eurorack modules. The system is sparsely populated at the moment, with just six modules released this side of New Year, including sound sources, voltage controllers and function generators. Having the classic Buchla tones and workflows in
Eurorack format is something special, so we look forward to these new sonic opportunities growing.
Buchla may be one of the big names but they aren’t alone in making waves this year. Moog, while quiet on the new module front, have made some very appealing packages using their massively popular Mother format. While the instruments aren’t new, the Sound Studio bundles are and don’t just arrive as a box of existing products but include mixers and accessories that make for a fantastic entry into the world of Moog in an easy-to-palate system. Better still, these can easily be expanded, or added to existing
Eurorack rigs. Anything that helps drive artists to explore modular, or new areas of sound creation, is a very good thing.
Our other close contender for the top spot is the wonderful Metropolix from Intellijel. This jam-focused sequencer builds on the existing Metropolis, adding so much extra functionality, from an extra track to the superb, game changing accumulator, to an OLED display which aids in the instant playability of the module to a range of functions accessible on the fly, keeping with tradition while introducing truly remarkable sequencing capability.