Making sense of 5U modulars ...

[Reptil]

yes.
ModCan: the good stuff, but it can take a while (as some slutz can attest to) to get your orders filled.
MOTM: IF it's in stock it's also good stuff. I have the 440 and 190 module (kits) and both are stellar performers. Paul is a good guy but busy, so if he has to build something for you it can take a while.
DotCom: only have two modules myself but they're unadventurous, cheap, good quality. Sort of the Datsun family car of 5u. It's a good way to get utillity modules (LFO, ADSR etc. on a budget)
Oakley: they do kits and also you can buy modules made by Krisp1. Good stuff. Their Oscillators sound good I've heard. They also have some cool retro VCA etc.
Rob Hordijk: I only have one of his modules, and it's like having Superman, Batman, Spiderman AND the Joker for coffee at the same time. Brilliant stuff, highly recommended. A little different than everyone else. Entrainer got a pure 100% Rob Hordiijk system and he seems quite happy.
Moon Modular: more good stuff. awesome sequencer modules and seq. support modules (I have their CV->midi module)
COTK: mysterious people, living on a farm in Portugal (something I'd like to do as well LOL). Some of their gear is REALLY good sounding. There's some issues with quality control and return of DOAs (dead on arrival) or stuff that imploded.
But I'm sure the few COTK guys can assure you in the end it was worth it. They're not scammers or anything, their stuff is real and unique.
DIY: Ken Stone Yusynth etc. etc. etc. There's more DIY stuff in 5u than in eurorack!! And it's some awesome unique stuff.
Macbeth: Does it need an introduction? Does it get more classic sounding? I don't think so.
Curetronic: It's cheap, it's good, and it doesn't look like Moog.
here's a list of all (most?) manufacturers.

I'm a guy that likes to mix and match. So a few MOTM (different size) share a rack with a dotcom size (a little bigger) filter and the Rob Hordijk Dual Phaser.
BUT.... most ppl. I know of stick to one system, or have 80% one system and 20% what they couldn't find and got elsewhere.

I have one case of 5u (stuff I could only find in 5u) and the rest is eurocrack. They play well together IMO. Yes there's some issues with levels, but that's what buffer amp modules and attennuators are for. If you want everything playing perfectly, get stuff from ONE manufacturer. But most 5u is quite compatible, it's not the eurocrack jungle. Would you miss something eurocrack if you went all-5u? It depends on what you expect of course. The current eurocrack is quite awesome in scope and different possibillities. Sequencers, wavetable oscillators, clock dividers and multipliers, etc. OTOH ±15 is more dynamic range, and components (I'm thinking MOTM, Rob Hordijk, ModCan) are as good as the best eurocrack (Cwejman, ADDAC, Intellijel, Makenoise, The Harvestman, Macbeth etc.). I hope some users will chime in that also use both.

Size... AFAIK most 5u are big in the front and most are big in the PCB. THere's only a few that do shallow modules. (Moon is one) I think you'll have to check that module by module.

Another observation: Most of these companies are small, one man firms. So, new modules come in small batches. The marketplace is smaller, so there's less stuff out there.

PSU is ± 15 Volts. There's two format connectors. MOTM and DotCom. Nevermind about MOS-LAB. if they want to reïnvent the wheel, let them. Probably AWESOME modules, but eeehmmm... why another connector? Anyway.... If you want it, you can get a seperate (Doepfer, Condor, any linear) 12 V AC PSU and connect it to their busboard. Not a biggie.

[living sounds]

I really love the sound I get out of my Mos-Lab system. It's about as close to the original Moog stuff you can get today. Build quality is top notch as well.

[gordonmerrick]

I have a MU system and I've been really happy with it--I'm not going to reiterate what's already been said, but I'll just add that I spent a long, long time researching and decided to start with dotcom for any number of reasons and I've never regretted it.
I started with a basic system and have had a lot of luck mixing and matching a really odd, useful instrument with help from a wide variety of small manufacturers like Synthetic Sound Labs, Suit and Tie Guy, Analog Craftsman, MegaOhm, and Corsynth. There are lots of reasons I suppose not to go (relatively limited choices compared to euro, size, weight, cost, etc), but there's something about the format that just works and it's nice to see that it's expanding to include a wider range of modules beyond the basic subtractive stuff (which is awesome, btw--really well made and reliable) that dotcom has built a business on. Anyway. Good luck!

[The Hamburglar]

I have a hybrid system of dotcom, oakley (courtesy krisp1), modcan B, suit & tie guy, and megaohm. They're all great. I plan to add modules from synthetic sound labs and analog craftsman soon. Synthesizers.com is a fantastic value and their build quality is great. Don't let their prices fool you into thinking less of their quality.

It goes without saying that you need to join muffwigglers and check out the 5u forum.

[bloodsample]

Originally Posted by Reptil

It's a good way to get utillity modules (LFO, ADSR etc. on a budget)

That's what I was thinking as well. dotcom adsr: 97$, modcan adsr: 400$. Of course the modcan one looks much more flexible so I guess you get what you pay for.

Originally Posted by Reptil

Rob Hordijk: I only have one of his modules, and it's like having Superman, Batman, Spiderman AND the Joker for coffee at the same time.

lol. Haven't heard of him, I'll check it out thanks.

Originally Posted by Reptil

Macbeth: Does it need an introduction? Does it get more classic sounding? I don't think so.

I'm ashamed to admit I didn't know macbeth did 5U... in my defence I only heard about him fairly recently because of his eurorack + older M5N stuff + micromac.

Originally Posted by Reptil

components (I'm thinking MOTM, Rob Hordijk, ModCan) are as good as the best eurocrack (Cwejman, ADDAC, Intellijel, Makenoise, The Harvestman, Macbeth etc.).

That's good to know. Part of my "mission" with going modular is to focus on quality vs quantity (impossible, I know).

Thanks for all the info!

[bloodsample]

Originally Posted by The Hamburglar

I have a hybrid system of dotcom, oakley (courtesy krisp1), modcan B, suit & tie guy, and megaohm.

In the same case? Is it a dotcom case?

[bloodsample]

Originally Posted by living sounds

I really love the sound I get out of my Mos-Lab system. It's about as close to the original Moog stuff you can get today. Build quality is top notch as well.

It's actually the link to the youtube demo of the mos-lab 8 you posted in another thread (I think it was you) that got me into this wild 5U chase. The thing sounds huge.

Mind you I'm not exactly looking for a moog sound, but I'm not against going in that direction either. We'll see.

[living sounds]

Originally Posted by bloodsample

It's actually the link to the youtube demo of the mos-lab 8 you posted in another thread (I think it was you) that got me into this wild 5U chase. The thing sounds huge.

Mind you I'm not exactly looking for a moog sound, but I'm not against going in that direction either. We'll see.

A lot more demos here (you might have to sign up to listen):

Test: Mos-Lab, 8A - Keys - AMAZONA.de

[The Hamburglar]

Originally Posted by bloodsample

In the same case? Is it a dotcom case?

Yeah in my dotcom portable 22 case. It required drilling a few extra holes to fit the Modcan and one of the oakley modules, but everything works great. I'm probably going to build my own 30u case soon enough as I have basically filled up the portable case already...

[Reptil]

even 5u is addictive hahaha
mos-lab demo sounds big, yeah

[JSt0rm]

What I like about living in the modcan b world is the selection of modules is excellent, the build quality is beyond and the feature set of most modules is very advanced. Yes you will wait 6 months for your order to be done.

[bloodsample]

Originally Posted by living sounds

A lot more demos here (you might have to sign up to listen):

Test: Mos-Lab, 8A - Keys - AMAZONA.de

Originally Posted by Reptil

mos-lab demo sounds big, yeah

No kidding, this thing needs to go on a diet badly. Those "Bass-Sequenz" and "Hochfrequente Sequenz" demos gave me an eargasm. Even the little blips are fat. So milky warm, like it was dipped in a tub of boiling gravy.

Originally Posted by JSt0rm

What I like about living in the modcan b world is the selection of modules is excellent, the build quality is beyond and the feature set of most modules is very advanced. Yes you will wait 6 months for your order to be done.

I'm leaning more and more towards modcan b as well. I don't mind waiting, I will most likely need that 6 months to save up lol. The good thing about modcan I just found out is that they're in Toronto (neighbour city) so no customs! That pearly white color looks delicious as well.

Anyways I'm in no hurry to build a full system, I have a handful of synths to keep me busy. Too bad that modcan analog sequencer is like 1800$ I was hoping to start with a sequencer as it's one of the few modules I can start using right away on its own. The Q960 looks pretty good in the dotcom too..

So much choice, so little time/money

[pdx]

Originally Posted by bloodsample

Another issue I've run into is the 15 vs 12 volt PSUs. IIRC dotcom, motm and others use a new 15v system whereas MOS-LAB uses the old moog 12v.

All but two MOTM modules use 12v. The 650 and 730 need 15v (which you get from a separate triple PSU, or some sort of adapter).

Originally Posted by bloodsample

I'm still not 100% sure I want to go modular

Make sure you have several thousands of dollars saved up if you want to build anything that's decent. Otherwise it will be a letdown. Euro is obviously the cheaper entry point (unless you buy Macbeth's X-Series) but 5U modules often have more functionality due to the larger size.

Originally Posted by bloodsample

1) Have any of you done this kind of research before, what can you suggest/recommend/warn me about?

Just the money, mostly. <deleted by moderator>

Originally Posted by bloodsample

Ive heard MOTM for example has perpendicular PCB whereas dotcom has parallel PCB (less room in the back). Has this been an issue for anyone?

This is because Dotcom modules are built by robots (SMT) while almost all MOTM modules are built by hand. This will change in the coming months/years if MOTM is ever able to transition to SMT (which will hopefully alleviate the long lead times for modules, though Bridechamber.com now builds all MOTM modules and should theoretically be able to get stuff out the door faster).

Originally Posted by bloodsample

If you spent some time building a 5U system did you ever regret not going Eurorack? Do you find this format has some crucial modules missing? I know you can combine the two worlds but I would like to avoid this if I can.

5U is definitely a smaller world but that can be a good thing. You shouldn't hesitate to get, for example, a row of MOTM and a row of Euro in an 8U rack. 1/4" to 1/8" cables are easy to find and other than that there is no real problem with compatibility, though you obviously CANNOT power your Euro from a MOTM supply or vice versa. One caveat to that: the Euro modules from Synthesis Technology (the company/guy who makes MOTM) can actually run off of a standard MOTM 12V power supply and have built-in connectors for doing so. Most all other Euro modules will need a Doepfer-style connector (which can be plugged in upside down, be careful or you'll fry your shiny new modules).

Originally Posted by bloodsample

I'm ashamed to admit I didn't know macbeth did 5U... in my defence I only heard about him fairly recently because of his eurorack + older M5N stuff + micromac.

Macbeth's MK1 system seems to ride the line between actual product and R&D project. He built it for himself, sold some to Hans Zimmer and a few other lucky individuals. It's not generally available, he's very busy with the Micromac project, he apparently dropped the idea of a 5U "Vortex" module in favor of the Micromac, and he's really bad at returning emails. I would not consider him a legitimate player in the MU/5U niche.

[bloodsample]

Thanks pdx, some good info there.

[BTByrd]

I've got a mix of Modcan B, MOTM, and Oakley. They're all top-knotch modules, on a par with - or better than - the very best from other formats (though my experience is really limited to Euro). I can't recommend Modcan enough; MOTM is great as well, but as mentioned it can take a really long time to get stuff built. Bruce from Modcan always has a waitlist, but it's more or less "accurate" - you won't be waiting 6 months longer than you anticipated. With Paul @ Synthtech, you'll get your module but it might be over a year after you order it. though he never takes your money up front. He's in the process of outsourcing his 5U production work though, so that may be changing soon. As Paul will be the first to tell you, he's "slow but he does good work." Quite true. I've got a couple of Oakley modules built by Krisp1, and their build quality and sound is awesome. Everything I've seen/heard/used from these 3 manufacturers is top shelf goodness. I haven't used any 5U stuff in dotcom (or comparable) size, and don't feel the need to. Between Modcan, Oakley, and MOTM I've got everything I could ever want in a large format modular.

[JSt0rm]

I agree. Bruce is VERY professional and communicative. He gets its.

[7 Hz]

Originally Posted by pdx

Macbeth's MK1 system seems to ride the line between actual product and R&D project. He built it for himself, sold some to Hans Zimmer and a few other lucky individuals. It's not generally available, he's very busy with the Micromac project, he apparently dropped the idea of a 5U "Vortex" module in favor of the Micromac, and he's really bad at returning emails. I would not consider him a legitimate player in the MU/5U niche.

Not my experience at all. I asked him about a Mk1 system a couple of months ago, and got a full and detailed quote and back the next day. Availability was A-Ok.

[xclark]

Originally Posted by bloodsample

2) Is it possible to buy one case+PSU and fit all the other manufacturers in it? Ive heard MOTM for example has perpendicular PCB whereas dotcom has parallel PCB (less room in the back). Has this been an issue for anyone?

I've put Dotcom, Modcan and STG in one cabinet. for the questions about mixing formats, do check this page on MuffWiggler's.

[bloodsample]

Originally Posted by xclark

I've put Dotcom, Modcan and STG in one cabinet. for the questions about mixing formats, do check this page on MuffWiggler's.

Thanks, that link was helpful.

I didn't know you had to drill your own holes to install modules.

[Gringo Starr]

I ordered my Modcan B system in February. Still haven't gotten it. However I should have it in the next few weeks. I went Modcan B after a ridiculous amount of research. It sounds great and to me just fit in with what I wanted out of a modular system. I've also acquired some Moon sequencing gear to go with the Modcans... when they get here. And COTK and Hordijk are definitely on my list as well. Someday I might go eurorack for all the weird and cool things that 5U doesn't have but for now the Modcan system will be more than enough.

And let's face it... 5U is just so much more beautiful to look at!

[Gringo Starr]

Originally Posted by bloodsample

Thanks, that link was helpful.

I didn't know you had to drill your own holes to install modules.

You don't. Unless you buy a dotcom case for example and want to fit Motm in it as well. Otherwise cases come with the proper holes to fit the format. When I first started researching modulars This was very intimidating to me because i just couldn't make sense of all the shit you have to figure out before you even play them.

[xclark]

Originally Posted by Gringo Starr

When I first started researching modulars This was very intimidating to me because i just couldn't make sense of all the shit you have to figure out before you even play them.

Right, me too. But then you start to figure stuff out and make some supercool sounds!