Modular Synth For Guitar Players: A Beginner's Guide

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Modular Synth For Guitar Players- it's a topic that has been on my mind for a while now. So, I figured I'd grab my modular synth, throw some fresh strings on my guitar, and do my very best to help fellow guitar players navigate the tricky (and sometimes overwhelming) waters of modular synthesis.
This video focuses on getting started with modular rigs designed to process audio, and is very fx oriented. We don't spend any time talking about synthesizing sound with oscillators (just FYI). We'll talk about basic concepts, design a starter system (and jam on it!), do some Q&A, and build a big ole' monster patch in real time.
So, if you're interested in the intersection of guitar and modular but don't know where to start, grab a snack and buckle up. Comments and questions are welcome!
00:00 Intro
03:38 So...what is modular, exactly (asking for a friend)
08:42 Planning a system on Modular Grid
13:41 Jamming on our starter system
17:20 F.A.Q.
22:42 Patch From Scratch
40:58 Patch Complete, Let's Jam!
43:08 Closing Thoughts

Пікірлер: 58

  • @cicadasolberg1976
    @cicadasolberg19762 жыл бұрын

    About a minute in, literally my exact same situation of collecting strange pedals to get these ambient guitar sounds when I also stumbled upon the world of Modular, I have since sunk so much time and money into my rack and its been so fun, excited to see the rest of the video!

  • @alexfletcher9915
    @alexfletcher99152 жыл бұрын

    So much excellent information here! Thank you for taking the time to put this together!

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    My pleasure!

  • @wintermute101
    @wintermute1012 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for breaking this down into a digestible form! Very helpful to see how each of these modules work on their own and what kind of potential there is when it comes to stringing these things together! 🙏🙏🙏

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hey, thanks for watching!

  • @adamplouff5532
    @adamplouff55322 жыл бұрын

    This was outstanding Matt. The approach to your videos is so valuable because it’s not a tech demo/tutorial and not a silent performance. Both have their place, but I really enjoy hearing your thought process as you build music.

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching Adam. I’m glad you got something out of it!

  • @theliftedindex
    @theliftedindex2 жыл бұрын

    This was an insanely great video Matt. So well done. That patch at the end was really cool and your explanations throughout were helpful.

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks so much, I’m glad it was helpful! Cheers!

  • @-KingOfKhaos
    @-KingOfKhaos10 ай бұрын

    Gen X’er here… playing metal guitar since 1982, and still going loud and proud… I recently have been getting deep into VCV Rack 2 and purchased an Arturia 66 key controller and the full Analog V software for like $400 … making the switch from Guitars, Amps and Pedals to modular and synthesis after like 40 years of playing 6 strings and stomp pedals is like trying to learn Russian without any text books, online classroom time or an instructor… in other words, to learn it is quite challenging (they are such different worlds lol). Hoping to see if you can help me to break through a few of the brick walls I keep running into while patching my mods… like why I should patch into a VCA instead of a VCO or VFO or Mixer lol… and when to pay more attention to CV instead of the Gate… I swear I know LOGICALLY what the differences are, and yet when I go to patch, I mess them up EVERY time!

  • @MikkelGrumBovin
    @MikkelGrumBovin Жыл бұрын

    Thankyou Matt - this is gold !

  • @Limbic1000
    @Limbic1000 Жыл бұрын

    Oh Matt,these 44 minutes are so valuable!! thx

  • @markbooth
    @markbooth Жыл бұрын

    What a great demo for the nutters with 6 strings! Coming from the modular world, I really hope guitar players realise the potential for pedal replacement and having everything in one box with one power cable.

  • @roman2374

    @roman2374

    Жыл бұрын

    Ohhhh I’m still going to run my modular synth through my pedal board hahahah

  • @calderbischoff9739
    @calderbischoff9739 Жыл бұрын

    Such a great video

  • @SpiralFyre
    @SpiralFyre2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for making the subject of guitar processing in modular slightly less confusing and niche. Even though I barely touch the instrument anymore (since getting into synths, oops) this is some serious food for thought.

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    thanks for watching and for the kind words!

  • @Lomoholga2
    @Lomoholga27 ай бұрын

    I have a Rainger FX Snare Trap and man this has got me looking at these wild modular synth things. So overwhelming

  • @Oilpanicmusic
    @Oilpanicmusic Жыл бұрын

    The Befaco inamp is a budget friendly way to amplify a passive pickup. Add a bastl timber for overtones and a happy nerding fx aid for fx, and some basic LFO, and you got a mini system for less. You can build a diy power supply from frequently central. Actually, both the bastl and Befaco are available as diy kits, so you can build a lot of basic modules yourself.

  • @bartkuk1
    @bartkuk12 жыл бұрын

    Beautiful sounds 🤗

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @sph33_
    @sph33_2 жыл бұрын

    This was excellent, thank you!

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for tuning in!

  • @t1d3s
    @t1d3s2 жыл бұрын

    I've been really wanting to delve into eurorack with my guitar but was unsure, this video has solidified my decision, I like the idea of funding by selling, it's a good way to clear space and refresh your system without breaking the bank too much! Thanks for this, take good care 👌🙏

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    I’m glad it was helpful. Good luck on your journey!

  • @ghostandtapeDoesVideo
    @ghostandtapeDoesVideo Жыл бұрын

    Nice work! Keep them coming :))

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks so much!

  • @PandaPotPies
    @PandaPotPies Жыл бұрын

    excellent guide this deserves more views

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @dngrhndz
    @dngrhndz2 жыл бұрын

    this is it!

  • @mikegeary8056
    @mikegeary8056 Жыл бұрын

    OG Kermit is a bonkers sound source.

  • @boriscat1999
    @boriscat19995 ай бұрын

    HP is horizontal pitch. There are 5 HP to an inch.

  • @Simeon_Harris
    @Simeon_Harris2 жыл бұрын

    nicely done! i got myself an arbhar last year with a few 2hp modules for control and absolutely loved it. i then realised how much it would probably cost me to have the system i really wanted and realised i was on the brink of a very deep and very large money sinkhole. lockdown happened and i chose to sell it all. i do miss it, but i know if i carried on, i'd probably be bankrupt now! watching this hasn't helped, i gotta be honest! :)

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    Totally understand! It has eaten most of my guitar pedals 🙈🙈. Luckily this stuff all holds value pretty well. It kind of turns into a day trading adventure, lol.

  • @Simeon_Harris

    @Simeon_Harris

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@mattlowerymusic lol, yes! i have to say the arbhar is such a beautiful thing. i wanted to pair it with a morphagene and get some nonsense going on. maybe one day i'll sell all my guitars....

  • @noartifacts1983
    @noartifacts19832 жыл бұрын

    Great tutorial! I just bought my pallete case. I'm thinking of getting beads as my first module. Maybe pam and the morphogene next? But also i don't know what I'm doing hahaha

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    have fuuuuuuunnnnn!

  • @devilschadvocate
    @devilschadvocate Жыл бұрын

    Anyone got any ideas on how you might set up a path that is Guitar>Pedal Board>Modular Synth>Amplifier while still being able to bypass the modular synth for playing live? Most of my songs don't require modular synth, but I want to insert it strategically/also make weird noises between songs...

  • @traverschmidt1101
    @traverschmidt1101 Жыл бұрын

    Is there a way to get a de tuned double oscillator effect on a guitar? Like two signal paths in sync one tuned flat?

  • @RonaldBarron
    @RonaldBarron11 ай бұрын

    🙌✌️

  • @traverschmidt1101
    @traverschmidt1101 Жыл бұрын

    Also does anyone know a good way to learn more about this if you don’t have a synth shop?

  • @marcuslowrymusic
    @marcuslowrymusic2 жыл бұрын

    Hey matt! Quick question: Say you're planning to use this live, but then want to change the patch for the following song, like you would using guitar pedals, is there a simple way of by-passing certain circuits and switching them on and off? Beautiful video, learned a lot! Thank you! Cheers,

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    There are ways of doing this, but I don’t know of any that are simple. So it goes with modular 😅

  • @VirtualModular
    @VirtualModular2 жыл бұрын

    Nice! This is the best video I've seen on using guitar with hardware modular. What are you using for the guitar sound? Apologies if you mentioned that somewhere and I missed it, but I've seen a few videos where people have just DI'd straight into modular and it sounds awful. Guessing you're not doing that? Personally, I use software so I've got a few amp simulator plugins, which are good enough. I also use the free version of VCV Rack instead of hardware, so I'd totally recommend that if anyone wants to try modular without buying any hardware. It doesn't have direct equivalents for some of these modules, but you can make something fairly similar once you learn how to patch things together. The only sound I haven't been able to recreate is the Data Bender. I badly want a plugin version of that thing!

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    If I remember correctly, I had a Strymon iridium somewhere in the chain just to get some cabinet IR in the mix. Doing that in the daw is also a great approach though! So many wonderful options these days. Thanks for watching!

  • @VirtualModular

    @VirtualModular

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@mattlowerymusic cheers, sounds pretty good. I'm not a tone junkie, but you do need some kind of cab sim!

  • @connectadhdcoaching3658
    @connectadhdcoaching3658 Жыл бұрын

    great vid - for a cheap way im could try miRack on ipad or mac - $22 total to have a play

  • @jerrycharles66
    @jerrycharles662 жыл бұрын

    Matt, I'm just getting started and noticed in this video that you recommend the Injectr. Are you still using this for guitar, or if you're using something else? I noticed that Intellijel offers the pedal I/O which is less expensive but not as feature rich so I'm just trying to weigh options. Thanks!

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    I do still use it, yes. I think it’s the best option for going straight into a modular synth. But, as with everything in eurorack, there are a lot of ways to get there, and no wrong answer if you’re happy with the results!

  • @giorgiofesta3928
    @giorgiofesta3928 Жыл бұрын

    Hi. Great video. A question…do you plug the guitar directly into the modular or do you use a kind of amp emulator in between? Thanks

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    Жыл бұрын

    You can do either! Just depends on your goals. These days I typically do an amp sim before the eurorack

  • @KunchangLeeMusic
    @KunchangLeeMusic2 жыл бұрын

    Noobie question ; is there any difference in sound quality between guitar pedals and modular ? Is one higher fidelity/ better than the other ? Or are they just the same

  • @WhatWeTalkAbout

    @WhatWeTalkAbout

    2 жыл бұрын

    It varies greatly from pedal to pedal and module to module, manufacturer to manuracturer, etc. On the whole, I think that eurorack offers very "hifi" capabilities just like you can find "hifi" in pedals (Strymon, for example). These are my observations through use, and others who are more knowledgeable about the engineering could probably give a more technically informed answer.

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    There’s probably a super deep, highly technical answer to this question based around the voltage differences and DSP platforms most common to each class of device (and I’d imagine much blood has been spilt in the dark corners of the internet over this question), but I’m going to give you the pragmatist’s answer: “no”. The big difference between eurorack and pedals is that modules are designed to influence and depend on each other, whereas pedals are designed to be self-reliant. In my opinion anyway! For example, you wouldn’t choose the euro version of EQD’s Afterneath because it sounds better; you’d choose it because its parameters are exposed to cv influence, which lets you throw a bunch of LFOs at it to see what happens.

  • @nonospezial
    @nonospezial2 жыл бұрын

    ...and here you are - voilà!

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    2 жыл бұрын

    I am here!

  • @joeymc5272
    @joeymc527211 ай бұрын

    hey man do you a list of everything you have in this rig including case and modules? i am about to start my first rack and a lot of those modules i have been looking at including morph, mime, pams, injector, data bend, synapse etc... amazing stuff man subscribed

  • @mattlowerymusic

    @mattlowerymusic

    10 ай бұрын

    I don’t. Thanks for watching, and best of luck!

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