Modular Synthesis Resource Guide

The Modular Synthesis Resource Guide (MSRG) was borne out of frustration of something that is all too common with niche hobbies; link bitrot leading to lost knowledge.

As a community grows, and as the Internet changes shape every decade, web forums split or shut down. Subreddits get closed down due to mod drama. Youtube channels disappear. Books go out of print. Module makers close up shop. Manuals become harder to find. Drivers and firmware disappear from filesharing.

I am very new to the modular synth hobby; i discovered it by accident while browsing Twitch channels. I have no formal music training. I’m an (accidental) engineer by trade. I have firsthand knowledge that the first steps into the Eurorack space are… daunting. Where’s the books? What’s a good website? Are there forums? Who knows stuff? Who can help me when my bleeps won’t bloop?

And even if you do find a promising thread of information, many times, the links have rotted away, leaving you with an incomplete picture, at best, of the answer to your question. Maybe someone on Reddit answers your question by pointing to a long Modwiggler thread, and buried on page 15 there’s a link that goes to a website that was last online in 2017. What then?

It would be great to have an impartial list of direct resources that people can peruse when they’re looking for information, at any skill level, and have them be reasonably sure the links are going to take them to their answers. Hence, this guide.

This document cannot ever be all-inclusive, but it’s hoped that by sharing it on Github, it can be kept updated, forked with new opinions, and shared widely through any channel necessary. It aims to be (mostly) impartial, as comprehensive as possible, and up to date.

Everyone learns differently and at different speeds. It is hoped that by presentnig a multitude of resources of various types, it will be easier for you to start your modular journey.

Modular synthesis is an extremely rewarding, if somewhat esoteric, hobby, and I get overly excited sharing it with anyone within earshot. My hope is this document can help you experience the same excitement.

-Eik

(Imagined) Frequently Asked Questions

Why not a Wiki?

Wikis are amazing resources, but over time they tend to also become battlegrounds between people with differing opinions - one needs only to see the various articles about moderator problems at Wikipedia itself. I don’t think the modular community needs a document dripping with personal pathos.

Also, given that this project is rather small to start, i should be able to handle any/all proposed changes and act as a final arbiter of submission quality. While yes, this means that this document will always have a tinge of my opinions, I will do my best to be impartial in regards to subjective calls. This is hosted on my GitHub repo, so I am Benevolent Dictator by default; if a resource happens to be hosted next to less-than-stellar content (political extremism, hate speech, porn, etc) I am more than willing to keep that resource from getting additional exposure. If you don’t like that, please feel free to fork this document and maintain it yourself.

I am a musician/content creator/reviewer/artist/synthmaker that works extensively with modular synthesizers. Can I add my projects to this page?

As long as your content is focused primarily on modular synthesis in some form, we would love link to your work!

i want to add content but am not sure where to add it. Can I make a new section?

Yes, with the caveat that your Benevolent Dictator might adjust your link categorization to better fit within the document. The important thing is your content has the correct URL; correct categorization is secondary and mostly my problem. Please, add your content!

Hey, Resource XYZ isn’t listed! What gives?

Please add it with a pull request! This document is hosted in a public Github Repo and is meant to be collaborated and iterated on. Likewise, if you find a typo, dead link, or other formatting issues, please, fix and commit!

If you are unfamiliar with GitHub, it is a site used by many, many, many projects, to host source code and documentation. It allows for relatively easy documentation collaboration.

Learning how Git and Github work is beyond the scope of this document, but plenty of resources are available online.

This github nonsense is confusing and enraging. Can’t i just email you some links I’d like added?

Sure. Github isn’t the most user friendly interface. Feel free to get in touch at josheikenberry (AT) gmail (DOT) com and I’ll add the links for you.

Modular Synthesis Resource Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction

(Imagined) Frequently Asked Questions

Why not a Wiki?

I am a musician/content creator/reviewer/artist/synthmaker that works extensively with modular synthesizers. Can I add my projects to this page?

i want to add content but am not sure where to add it. Can I make a new section?

Hey, Resource XYZ isn’t listed! What gives?

This github nonsense is confusing and enraging. Can’t i just email you some links I’d like added?

YouTube Channels

Discord Communities

Forums and Subreddits

Books

Interviews

Documentaries

Podcasts

Module Manuals/Schematics/DIY/Firmware

Equipment Manufacturers

Philosophy/Writings/Opinions

Websites About Modular Synthesis

Vendors/Retail

Software

Miscellaneous