biggest value module you own?

[mother misty]

I would like to say Disting Mk4 but I honestly hardly use it. When I do it often gets relegated to the handful of algorithms I know by heart just because I don't want to crack out the manual. It does most everything well and I love it, but the dense UI makes it just something I don't go to that often.

+1 on this.
my choice would be MI Stages, because it does so many things and is incredible flexible.

[Hovercraft]

ER-301

Yes, it's not an inexpensive module, but it's endlessly flexible, and handles multiple functions simultaneously. Indispensable for sample management, looping, granular processing, and essentially designing your own module when you need it. I built a quad spatializer with over 40 VCA's--how else could i do that in my rack? Four parallel loopers--each with their own processing chain--no problem. Last show, I used it as a sampler, mixer, and processor.

[EPTC]

Dead Man's Catch on Peaks effectively sold me on never getting another digital module, maybe ever. For me, it's got it all.

It's not a Disting but close.

[solipsvs]

ok i didnt say what i thought yet but i absolutely love my alyseum ms-812 and al-88c, i have multiples of both. they let me incorporate any noisemaker in my studio with a minimum of hassle into my software/hardware environment/workflow and even though they are dead products they are amazing imho. and cheap for what they do. copperlan is so minimal with its use of regular ethernet technology, i dont need to crowd my usb busses or have some outdated data connection standard like pcmcia (although my xp tablets are populated with used rme goodness and run xp sp3... copperlan runs on almost anything. it also allows you management of any midi hardware at all that is present on your system. you can even connect 2 computers with only an ethernet cable and away you go!

another contender might be the audiodamage odio, which is the only usb sound interface for euro + xp that im aware of and was cheap. its actually perfect for sampling into soundforge or recycle for editing and then spitting over scsi to emu/ensoniq/akai for midi manipulation from any sequencer in my copperlan network... and the beat goes ooooonnnnn... and the beat goes ooooonnnnn

oh, the addac vc transitions is dopeness for cheap too

im actually trying to whittle down my mods to only dopeness + utility

[otnemem]

Mine would probably be the Intellijel quad vca or PNW. I use them in almost every patch and can’t imagine not doing so. They are indispensable to me.

[señor-bling]

I have my Expert Sleepers FH-2 doing a LOT simultaneously, [...] outputting envelopes with long release times instead of gates so that I can scale their amplitude with MIDI velocity and mult those to scale the amplitude of the actual Euro envelopes I use.

That's clever, thanks.

The FH-2 (plus FHX-1 expander) is still quite new in my rack but it's quickly taken over all those "set and forget" jobs, I feel dedicated modules are kind of wasted on. The Intellijel Quad VCA is one of only a small handful of modules that survived a "getting rid of all modular" phase last year and it's always doing something.

[soggybag]

Ornament and Crime. I get a lot of use out of the different modes. I can always find a place to use it in a patch. There are so many modes and options it’s always good for an inspirational boost.

[fredke]

Befaco A*B+C !

It is
- a 2x2 or 1x4 mixer,
- a dual bipolar VCA with offset and 200% amplification
- a dual ring modulator (which sounds great)
- a quad CV source with a +/-10v range

My only qualm is it's hard to get exactly 0v from it, because of the bipolar nature of every pot.

It's 6hp, and it's about 150E. I've got 4 of them. They cover most of my VCA/mixer needs.

[windchill]

I would like to say Disting Mk4 but I honestly hardly use it. When I do it often gets relegated to the handful of algorithms I know by heart just because I don't want to crack out the manual. It does most everything well and I love it, but the dense UI makes it just something I don't go to that often.

+1 on this.
my choice would be MI Stages, because it does so many things and is incredible flexible.

I had the Disting MK3 (which is admittedly harder to use than the MK4). It was the most powerful and best value module I ever owned... and I hated it. I tried so hard to make it usable, using favourites, cheat-sheets, memorising, practicing, etc, but it was a total pain and I started to avoid using it. I honestly feel a sense of relief that it's now gone, even though I have lost a lot of functionality.

If Expert Sleepers released a new version which was a bit bigger and had a more usable interface, it would be straight back into my rack.

[thermisonic]

Just belatedly discovered Expert Sleepers Disting (Mk 4) after years of not bothering to find out what those funny little 'stick' modules where all about.

As soon as the penny dropped - it just took a moment - I immediately bought one... cheap (more so if you buy an earlier version) and multi-functional... you could build a whole modular system out of these little shape-shifters!

One is quite enough for me, a whole system of not being sure what a module is doing visually would be hell!

But function wise they are stunning value

[fredke]

I had the Disting MK3 (which is admittedly harder to use than the MK4). It was the most powerful and best value module I ever owned... and I hated it. I tried so hard to make it usable, using favourites, cheat-sheets, memorising, practicing, etc, but it was a total pain and I started to avoid using it. I honestly feel a sense of relief that it's now gone, even though I have lost a lot of functionality.

If Expert Sleepers released a new version which was a bit bigger and had a more usable interface, it would be straight back into my rack.

I feel you. I've kept away from the disting because I fear exactly that, and I too would consider it with a more extensive interface.

[fileandplot]

I'm going to go with Five12 Vector Sequencer. What can't it do? Melody? Check. Percussion? Check. Chords? Check. Random/Chance Ops? Check. Slew? Check. Transposer? Check. Macro Controller? Check. Extra Triggers? Check. Clock? Check. Stepped Modulation? Check.

And I know I'm forgetting things with more features forthcoming. Well done, Mr. Coker.

Edited to note: that I didn't take this thread as most function per HP. I interpret it as most function per dollar. I guess either is valid.

[Buttons ARE toys]

Without a doubt my Happy Nerding 3x VCA. Having 3 VCA's with onboard bias control and bipolar CV attenuation in 6hp is ridiculous.

[lisa]

If I go beyond oscillators there are tons of modules of great value. Klavis Mixwitch is the greatest though. I have three of them and I wouldn’t say no to another one.

Without a doubt my Happy Nerding 3x VCA. Having 3 VCA's with onboard bias control and bipolar CV attenuation in 6hp is ridiculous.

Cheap too. Great module.

[daveredline]

I have got a RENE for free because the guy had problems with the touch plate, but it works fine in my eurorack case. So I am happy

[mheumann]

Doepfer A 160-2, Clock Divider II is about as cheap as a module can get but is used in every patch I create.
Same for Intellijel Dixie2+

[Sync]

I'd have to vote for the Happy Nerding 3xMIA. A simple and inexpensive module (about $100 US) that is a triple and each section can either be an attenuverter/offset or a 2-input mixer, and the outputs can be merged so it can be a 4 or 6 input mixer as well. In 6HP

[deftinwulf]

I had the Disting MK3 (which is admittedly harder to use than the MK4). It was the most powerful and best value module I ever owned... and I hated it. I tried so hard to make it usable, using favourites, cheat-sheets, memorising, practicing, etc, but it was a total pain and I started to avoid using it. I honestly feel a sense of relief that it's now gone, even though I have lost a lot of functionality.

If Expert Sleepers released a new version which was a bit bigger and had a more usable interface, it would be straight back into my rack.

I'm right there with you. I had a Disting mk3 and absolutely hated using it. The binary LED system was utterly confounding. Talking to Os, it's apparently elementary for a genius like him. Sucked for me, though.

I upgraded to a MK4 and am MUCH happier with it. Night and day difference, IMO. That said, I've echoed your sentiments to some other folks I know. I'd definitely be interested in a 6 or 8hp Disting MK5 with an OLED screen similar to uO_c or what have you. Something that can display more information, perhaps with an additional control knob and more inputs/outputs if they fit, too.

[Byzero]

God I love Optomix right now. It's so versatile and I love the sound of pinging low pass gates - especially when modulating the tonal characteristics of the inputs.

[The Junglechrist]

I recently bought an Ears from Mutable / Music Thing, and i'm blown away by how usefull it is for just about 80 euros second hand. I rediscovered the joy of playing bass guitar by putting it into the modulars, I can play percussion on my case, and simply use it a distortion in the system when I don't need the contact mic.

KILLER MODULE !

Exemple with the bass here :

[Fabong]

Nice bass! Might try something similar with my guitar and A-119.

[weirdo]

CTG-VC, for me the most valuable in terms of features/possibilities.

[solipsvs]

i do have 3 disting mk4s and a midi breakout panel. i use them as tempo synced LFOs with extreme flexibility over midi

[ckwjr]

Doepfer A-111-4. Versatile, big sound for multi-voice patches. Dirt cheap on a per-VCO basis.

[wiperactive]

Just belatedly discovered Expert Sleepers Disting (Mk 4) after years of not bothering to find out what those funny little 'stick' modules where all about.

As soon as the penny dropped - it just took a moment - I immediately bought one... cheap (more so if you buy an earlier version) and multi-functional... you could build a whole modular system out of these little shape-shifters!

One is quite enough for me, a whole system of not being sure what a module is doing visually would be hell!

But function wise they are stunning value

Ha ha, well I agree wholeheartedly with you. Maybe I should've inserted "not that I would want to, but theoretically" before that last line.

Had mine a few weeks now and a Disting cheat sheet is a near necessity for my ageing, increasingly forgetful, brain. I've got just the one too, principally to plug the occasional function gap that may arise in my still relatively nascent system.