Module which unexpectedly blew you away?

[The Mule]

Threads like this are so dangerous... I now want to buy a bunch of new stuff!

For me, it was the Benjolin. Took me awhile to wrap my head around how it worked, and thought it would end up being just a crazy noise machine, but when I took a little time and patiently explored it, I realized how complex and beautiful it is. I now have two Benjolins in my rack.

[jkanizzle]

WORNG LRMSMSLR. Secret weapon for giving old amazing mono effects (like aforementioned Echophon) a brand new WIDE life.

TINRS Wobbler - This thing is effing baller af.

Mangrove - I held off on the Mannequins train for a really long time because I found their user manuals to be more pretentious than multiple flavored sparkling waters on tap at a coffee shop in Williamsburg. But. Then a seller in a fbook group had one for cheap. So I had to try it. The hype is real. It sounds amazing.

[SB-SIX]

Recently picked up an ADDAC 601. Wouldn't recommend it for small systems because it requires alot of modulation to shine, but it is able to create very complex soundscapes from just 1 sound source. It's awesome to process all bands individuallly, it has built in vca's for all the bands, and because of the nature of it, nothing overlaps mixwise so you can go really crazy with the processing.

[BlinkyLights]

ColdMac is pretty fly.

[sir stony]

I can't really say any module ever blew me away unexpectedly, as I usually knew what I would be getting. Some at least impressed the hell out of me, however, and still do. Like the Klavis Quadigy or the Riversynths Dendrites.
But some modules did the opposite. After watching videos beforehand and seeing them do all sorts of crazy stuff, getting my own hands on one I find myself deeply turned off by the actual workflow or some little bugger that I had never expected which would keep me from using it as I had intended. Or I find a module to really be just a one trick pony, and once I've had my fun with the small range of "sweet spots", it fails to keep my interest alive.

[studio460]

#2. 2hp Vowel.

Sounds much better than it should. Excellent formant module, among the best, actually. The sonic-range, the fidelity of the oscillator, that hi-fi sheen—just superb. The little pots aren't that hard to tweak. It really is one of my better-sounding modules. I almost didn't buy it, foolishly thinking a 2hp module shouldn't cost that much, but so glad I did. Now I want ALL of their modules. They kind of seem like Synthesis Technology—everything they make sounds awesome.

Also, been wanting a Mangrove but they're few and far between and the ones available are selling for stupid money. Sadly, still searching in vain for an E951 to control my E950, another gem of a module.

. . . But some modules did the opposite . . . Or I find a module to really be just a one trick pony, and once I've had my fun with the small range of "sweet spots", it fails to keep my interest alive.

Right! Thankfully I only have 1.5 of those (jury's still out on the EMY). Either I don't know how to use it (very likely), or it's got an infinitely small sweet-spot. Oddly, it's a SynthTech module, where I believe all of the rest of their stuff sounds incredible.

Actually, I have a new category of module: Ones that you thought sucked initially, than after massaging through the right signal=chain became amazing.

#3 Flame Talking Synth [sub-category: Modules you thought sucked, then didn't].

Sounded brash, peak-ey, and over-modulated upon first-play and limited word vocabulary. Not like the 2hp Vowel or Synthesis Technology E950, both of which are smooth as silk. But it's its graininess that is its strength, contrasting incredibly well with the other formant-oscillators. Through the right effects-loop (Demora + Torcido), it's really amazing and a fantastic drone-machine if processed right (though, is still limited in word-count).

[noisewreck]

Plague Bearer. So many gnarly tones can be had from it. Every setting seems to be a sweet spot.

[R.U.Nuts]

Maths.
When I started building a modular system the first two modules I got were a Phonogene and a Maths. Initially I wanted to add a classic synth back end to the Phonogene: VCF, VCA, LFO and ADSR. But I got a cheap deal on a used Maths and went with that. So I started patching:
Derive an envelope from an audio signal? Maths.
Lengthen a trigger? Maths.
Add a voltage offset to a CV? Maths
Basic lowpass filtering? Maths.
A droning audio oscillator mixed with Phonogene's signal? Maths.
Etc...

It opened up so many possibilities and took care of all the basic utility needs in the beginning.
And it was educational. I dare to say that perhaps 80% I know about modulars I learned from the manual of Maths and the crude Doepfer Homepage.

[Chopper]

Unexpectedly.. i'd say the Nanozwerg Pro.

This.
Also, TIDES (well, most of Mutable instruments modules actually). Got three so far. It does plenty and everything it does it does it very well. A joy to use.
Also, Klavis TWIN WAVES. Tons of functions and waveforms in 8hp, dual Osc with sub out, and although there is a menu, everything is no more than a click and turn away. And if you think digital means thin, think again
...
The doepfer lowpass gate. Sounds great, as a LPG, normal VCA or resonant filter. The gate inputs to control and chose the functions allow you to do a lot. Did I mention it sounds great?

[Estes]

#1. Interstellar Radio:

I ordered an Interstellar Radio from Schlappi Engineering based on a couple of limited YouTube videos expecting kind of a one-trick pony: radio-tuning noises. Right out of the box, it was WOW! So much sonic-range, with such interesting detail and harmonic content!

Plus, it's ALL sweet-spot (not one tiny 1mm-range of the pot). Now I want to buy everything Schlappi makes! (Angle Grinder is NEXT on the list!) Incredible dynamic-range and hi-fi sonic quality. What other hidden gems have you found?

I would love to hear some demos.

[rayultine]

Plague Bearer. So many gnarly tones can be had from it. Every setting seems to be a sweet spot.

Hah! I posted about the Plague Bearer in the epic "Disappointing modules" thread. I'm always wanting to hear more from people who love this module.

I have a PB on semi-permanent loan so I have had lots of time to explore and revisit. I have grown to love it a bit more in the last six months. One eureka moment: duh! It has two inputs because you are supposed to create feedback loops with it. And it certainly seems to work more magic on quieter input signals.

[luketeaford]

Smooth/Stepped Generator is probably the biggest surprise for me. I knew of its patch programmability, but I didn't realize how much it could do, how good it sounds, how the two sides and comparator work together, etc. It's excellent and I am always finding new ways to use it or small differences in CV/panel settings dramatically vary a patch.

Runner up: the Morphagene firmware updates that have made it much more useful to me as it's gone on-- so I bought it as a bit improved Phonogene and to my surprise it has become even more flexible and useful (including the ability to change morph chord ratios which was too "tell tale" for me in the stock configuration).

[mmpingo]

Tides v1 as VCO with Parasite firmware. Bought it when the v2 was on the market for a long time i.e. two months ago. I've heard all the good opinions but I wasn't planning to buy it at all. But I came across a great sale. Thought another modulator would come in handy (only this). The reality exceeded my expectations!

[miles_macquarrie]

Threads like this are so dangerous... I now want to buy a bunch of new stuff!

For me, it was the Benjolin. Took me awhile to wrap my head around how it worked, and thought it would end up being just a crazy noise machine, but when I took a little time and patiently explored it, I realized how complex and beautiful it is. I now have two Benjolins in my rack.

Could you provide a few tips on mastering/taming the Benjolin? I have a Benjolin v2 on it's way to me now and I've never used a Benjolin before.
Thanks in Advance.

[The Mule]

Threads like this are so dangerous... I now want to buy a bunch of new stuff!

For me, it was the Benjolin. Took me awhile to wrap my head around how it worked, and thought it would end up being just a crazy noise machine, but when I took a little time and patiently explored it, I realized how complex and beautiful it is. I now have two Benjolins in my rack.

Could you provide a few tips on mastering/taming the Benjolin? I have a Benjolin v2 on it's way to me now and I've never used a Benjolin before.
Thanks in Advance.

There's a V2??? Oh man... I don't know about mastering the Benjolin per se, but one thing is to find an interesting module to interact with it. I almost always use the Benjolin's oscillators as a sound source, but I imagine you could get very creative using it as a modulation source. For me using a Befaco Rampage to manipulate the Benjolin works well, and I believe Maths would work great for this too. I've heard of folks pairing their Benjolin with the Mannequins Just Friends, but I haven't done it myself. The oscillators are very warm sounding but can get extremely harsh, mangled and insane sounding once you start cross modulating, etc. The best tip I can give is to be very subtle with your adjustments, as turning a knob more than a few mm in any direction could take you from a warm, fluid drone into psycho robot clown territory in the blink of an eye. Feel free to PM me and if I can think of any other tips I'll be happy to share.

The Epoch Modular version comes with a nice manual too:

https://www.analoguehaven.com/epochmodu ... manual.pdf

[dip_registered]

Klavis quadigy, 4 x envelopes. All of the clock dividing and extra features make this ALMOST a modular brain, with just a few simple triggers to get it going. It's just so quick and easy to use and sits at the center of my setup.

[lordymosh]

Recently picked up an ADDAC 601. Wouldn't recommend it for small systems because it requires alot of modulation to shine, but it is able to create very complex soundscapes from just 1 sound source. It's awesome to process all bands individuallly, it has built in vca's for all the bands, and because of the nature of it, nothing overlaps mixwise so you can go really crazy with the processing.

I've wanted it for quite some time now. I'm happy to hear its still sounds great with just using one sound source! Seems like it would be perfect for drones. What vcos do you use with it?

[DSC]

...

[waveglider]

Gieskes VCOFan literally blows me away!

[AlanP]

Mutable Elements. I soldered one because I figured it might be good for making "more natural" sounds, but I didn't expect it to sound good to the point where I had to force myself to not use it in patches.

RYO 3xVCA. It's such a humble little module, but it's a real workhorse, useful in damn near everything, and with only 4HP, I don't feel like taking it out for something else, plus I'm not trying to work titchy little 4HP knobs.

[starthief]

Smooth/Stepped Generator is probably the biggest surprise for me. I knew of its patch programmability, but I didn't realize how much it could do, how good it sounds, how the two sides and comparator work together, etc. It's excellent and I am always finding new ways to use it or small differences in CV/panel settings dramatically vary a patch.

Have you used the Sport Modulator? Your post had me looking into the SSG more closely than I have previously, and I'm kind of intrigued, but Sport Modulator also looks like a fun option (which I've considered before).

[BLogic12]

#1. Interstellar Radio:

I ordered an Interstellar Radio from Schlappi Engineering based on a couple of limited YouTube videos expecting kind of a one-trick pony: radio-tuning noises. Right out of the box, it was WOW! So much sonic-range, with such interesting detail and harmonic content!

Plus, it's ALL sweet-spot (not one tiny 1mm-range of the pot). Now I want to buy everything Schlappi makes! (Angle Grinder is NEXT on the list!) Incredible dynamic-range and hi-fi sonic quality. What other hidden gems have you found?

you have any Interstellar Radio recordings or videos posted anywhere? id love (hate) to be convinced of needing one

[Gringo Starr]

Smooth/Stepped Generator is probably the biggest surprise for me. I knew of its patch programmability, but I didn't realize how much it could do, how good it sounds, how the two sides and comparator work together, etc. It's excellent and I am always finding new ways to use it or small differences in CV/panel settings dramatically vary a patch.

Have you used the Sport Modulator? Your post had me looking into the SSG more closely than I have previously, and I'm kind of intrigued, but Sport Modulator also looks like a fun option (which I've considered before).

About a week ago I scored a brand new Sport Modulator that was quietly sitting in the stockroom of a store. For some reason I asked knowing it wasn’t on their website and turns out they had one left. I’m only a week in but it’s a super nice module. I was looking for one for a couple months prior. I didn’t see any hit the BST or Reverb/Ebay during that time so if you see one grab it fast.

[ATW]

µo_C SE by Tall Dog, with Hemisphere suite. I've barely scratched the surface, and already found it to be incredibly useful and immediate for sequencing, using as an "analog" shift register, and alternative to the unobtanium Skipmin. This module also has one of the more rational, useable panel layouts for o_C I've encountered. I keep it next to Pamela's New Workout, solid duo right there.

[studio460]

I would love to hear some demos.

I'll make some this weekend!

. . . you have any Interstellar Radio recordings or videos posted anywhere? id love (hate) to be convinced of needing one

Not yet. Only played with it for a few minutes so far. I’ll post some Soundcloud demos here this weekend!

For functionality and overall use I can't beat them . . . I'm telling you Korg is straight sleeping on these!!!!!!!!!!!!

That looks awesome! How/where do you buy one?