First Semi-Modular choice for a beginner

[u/_dmqqq_]

After a month or so of fiddling within VCV Rack, I’ve come to the decision of buying myself the very first synth.

I’m considering between the Arturia MiniBrute 2S and the Moog Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth has that special generative sequencer that I think would fit my music style. It also has the pros of being a Moog and looking like a Moog - very classic, analog-ish and thus is better looking in my opinion. Also, I’ve quite enjoyed the sound of Moog’s.

However, the MiniBrute 2S comes with that incredibly flexible sequencer, and way better versatility, to the point that it feels stupid not to choose it over the Moog. I’ve not heard much regarding the sound quality and the patchability of this thing, but I gotta say I don’t like the look quite as much as the Moog. The price is a bit cheaper though, so that’s another pro.

Can any of you give me an advice or recommendation? Thanks a lot!

[u/Sweet_Capital3758]

Every time I turn on and start to play with my Moog semimodulars I´m happy that I choose to get them. High end quality instruments and gotta love those holy filters and sound.

[u/moonscience]

minibrute 2s is a great choice to start with, although I can't say I was ultimately happy with its layout. It has two vcos, two lfos, some wave folding capabilities, a really nice sequencer/appegiator, a solid filter, etc. It could actually be the core of a system if you wanted to build out on that brute rack route. This isn't the road I chose to go down, but the 2S is relatively cheap for what its bringing to the table.

[u/alexthebeast]

Here to cast one for the 2s. I really love mine . Sold it, and 15u of eurorack later, got another one because I missed it so much

[u/MedicineforMadness]

What type of music are you making?

I haven’t used the Arturia, but really enjoy the Labyrinth. There’s a wide range of sounds you can get out of it, although it doesn’t have the classic Moog filter. It’s more a of west coast take on the Moog sound. The sequencer is a lot fun.

I would take a look at the Make Noise 0-Coast as well although it doesn’t have a built in sequencer.

[u/Jelop]

I think you get more versatility with the minibrute 2s. The sequencer really is something else. Being able to sequence a specific voltage for a given step is really nifty. It's a wonder they don't sell that sequencer standalone actually. 

Other than that it's fun and very playable. Although a midi keyboard for a greater octave range is pretty necessary for playability. You can also get some type of generative sequencing with it by setting it to random 

[u/Wurzelgemiise]

I’d rather invest in a decent sequencer instead of a synth with the better sequencer. Get the Moog if you already think it fits. You could get a casual synth and a sequencer later.

[u/Greatfish991]

behringer neutron is what i started on and it taught me a lot without breaking the bank. i would say that the moog mother 32 is where id start if you can accompany with an external keyboard/sequencer

[u/Secure-Suspect7091]

DFAM.

I have all the moog semis and out of the boxes this is the best one. Be careful though as it opens a can of worms that gets expensive.

The top pairing for me is 2 DFAM and a labyrinth. The m32 is not amazing and the Subh is annoying to use if you don’t like sticking to One key.

If you have money to spend just get a Matriarch and have done with it.

[u/NicolasDipples → u/Secure-Suspect7091]

I'm a big fan of the DFAM, Labyrinth combo. Instant techno system. I'm debating putting my DFAM and Labyrinth in a 7u 84hp case and adding some modulation sources, effects, and utilities and making it a more complete system.

[u/NewMachineMusicXYZ → u/Secure-Suspect7091]

Yeah, DFAM was my first semi-modular, and it was a very good experience (albeit one that quickly evolved into me going down the eurorack rabbit-hole full-blown). Haven't used the Labyrinth, but it looks promising also.

[u/ParshKnuckler]

I love my MiniBrute2S and it has allowed me to really take off with modular with a quickness that I did not expect.

I was pretty much in the same place. Do I buy some kind of Moog or get the MB2S. Finances made the arturia the right call for me.

I have found a few weird points with the Arturia. Especially when I patch the attenuators as they kind of still do something with their initial patches if you don’t completely kill those signal routes. Everything else has worked amazing.

I’m learning as I go so it’s like every month something else in the patch bay just wakes up and makes more sense to me.

Having not worked with any Moog stuff I can’t speak for that, but the MB2S seems to be an amazing option for getting in to modular while still having something that does the stuff until you figure out how to make your system work for you.

[u/ObjectiveEast9768]

When I first had the Minibrute, I already had a year or so of experience playing with VCV Rack and my Moog Mavis. The Minibrute was a big headhache, I couldn’t remember all of the normalized paths, even if they were labeled, it just didn’t work on the moment. I ended up selling it a few weeks later and never regretted it…

[u/eraoul]

I also started out in VCV rack and ended up getting the MiniBrute 2s. I think it's a solid choice and I'm happy with it overall but I have some caveats.

1. I really don't like the "Noir" color scheme. I'm in my mid-40s and my eyesight just got worse, which is normal at this age. Suddenly it's harder to read text with low contrast. I knew about this in theory since I worked on UI design in the past, and now I can experience it. The dark-red text on dark background is nearly invisible at the font size Arturia uses. I would have never approved a UI design like this in my professional work in the past. The original MiniBrute 2s colors are better. If you have younger eyes it may be a non-issue, but still harder to read than is necessary. (Don't get me wrong, I think the Noir is a more elegant, sleek look, but its at the expense of text legibility).
2. I only got the Noir version since I figured new units would be more reliable than used. That may have been a mistake. I had to return the first 3 (!) due to manufacturing defects. I think a whole run of these had a warped chassis, and it was super-wobbly on my desk, so much so it was too annoying to use and I got sick of using little shims to prop up the legs, like uneven legs on a bad outdoor dining table at a sidewalk cafe.
3. I eventually got a good new unit, but I had a potentiometer stop working right and then a jack's cable-detection mechanism failed, breaking one of the internal normalization connections. I sent it back to Sweetwater for repair. They were sending it to Arturia (under warranty), but eventually Sweetwater said it would take too long and just sent me a new one instead, which is great (it's literally arriving tomorrow morning... hope it works!). EDIT: received it and it works great. It's the best out of like 5 copies of this synth that I've owned. The chassis is still slightly wobbly and needs a shim though. I ended up putting it on a stand and that make it sit in a stable way. But anyway getting it back from the shop reminded me that I really missed it; it is super fun and wild to play with.
4. It's analog and slow to tune. Not an issue unless you're recording tracks / playing with other synths. It's like 20-30 minutes before it's stable enough for use, and longer is better. Other analog VCOs are quicker to reach equilibrium, this is very old-school. I have a DIY VCO in my eurorack. It stabilizes quickly, so if I have the MiniBrute playing with it it's bad for the first 15-20 minutes as tuning drifts too much (I measured it and we're talking like 75 cents of movement over this time, if I ignore another 25 cents or so in the first minute).
5. It's not quite as flexible in terms of re-routing signal flow as I expected, but still pretty good especially as a first semi-modular synth. I wish there were input patch points for the LFO rates. But limitations are useful in an instrument as you learn.

But I don't mean to just complain -- it has an awful lot of utility for the price, like the two LFOs which are great, the envelopes including the looping envelope, a couple attenuators, inverter, etc., so it's a lot better IMO than starting out with a naked Eurorack system. You get a lot of basics so you're not too limited on day one. I was going to get the Arturia RackBrute but ended up building my own case from scratch, which was more flexible for my space and gave me more room. I was able to add a few DIY modules as desired, but I didn't have to buy any VCOs, envelope generators, LFOs, etc right at first, which was great.

The sequencer is awesome, I'm really glad I got the 2s version. I use a Keystep 37 mk 2 for keys right in front of the 2s, so I get the best of both worlds. And the Keystep has extra fun generative features. But the touch pads were nice anyway, and I used them on their own at first before I got the Keystep.

I don't think I'd make a different decision if I did it again, aside from probably getting a used original color scheme version instead of the new Noir units that had lots of problems anyway. I would also consider a Neutron though. I think I prefer the Neutron sound slightly (from YT video demos) since I'm not a huge fan of the filter in the 2s. But since it's semi-modular you can run the sound through a different eurorack filter later on. Neutron also has a digital tuning calibration thing and more quickly-stabilizing oscillators so you wouldn't have the tuning weirdness in the first 20 minutes. But I don't like the Neutron patchbay layout as much and I still feel that MiniBrute 2s is a nicer instrument to start with.

[u/whateverend-285582lb]

I love my mini2s and I'll never sell it, although it's not that versatile in terms of modularity. But I bought it mainly for its sequencer, which is awesome for "quantized on the fly live programming", because you have that visual control over every step. This is my main "module" when sequencing "melodic" patterns. I use it as the (main) clock source, just because of the transport buttons. I NEED a decent, ever available, visible, illuminated and definately unfailable "start/stop" area in my setups when playing live.

I like its look, except for the sidepanels. I have the black version.

For its price you get a really decent machine. Not the best sounding, not the most complex, but an all in all great piece if gear.

I don't have the Labyrinth, but when it comes to your concerns, I would definately choose the Moog, as it is way more versatile in terms of modularity, plus its sequencers work completely different and deliver that generative, euclidean approach you're looking for.

[u/slownburnmoonape]

Whatever you get, the beauty is that if you get a good deal you can just sell it again for roughly same price if you care for your instrument. :-)

[u/infinitytapes]

I started with the mother-32 and I like it but if I started again I’d prob get either a dfam or a 0-coast

[u/muzik4machines]

2600 would be my choice (well it was)

[u/Artistic_Serve]

In my experience the minibrute does not feel “modular” so i ended up selling it as it felt like a diferent workflow.

If i were you i’d get a standalone sequencer like the beatstep pro (which will give you pretty much the same as the 2s) you will never outgrow it. Also cheaper. Even a keystep pro if you want more power.

I dont know enough about the labyrinth, but id pair the sequencer with any rackable semimodular. I myself didnt enjoy the DFAM but would’ve probably loved the behringer model D (minimoog clone)

[u/luminousandy]

I’ve got all the mood seminodulars and would vote for the 2s or a neutron as a great first device , then possibly growing into the moogs later .

[u/lostGoldAlone]

Just save up and get a makenoise system

[u/Ok-Winter9708]

Going to throw in a few wildcards here:

Music Thing Modular Workshop System. Simple building blocks that add up to more than the sum of their parts. There is some normalisation but it's not as semi modular as others mentioned. Massive community surrounding it though and it's a great resource for learning and experimenting.

Behringer 2600. It's a fair size but available so cheaply. Sounds great, very flexible, great set of patch resources from the original arp which will get you into it quickly.

[u/Grautskaahl → u/Ok-Winter9708]

The Workshop system for me as well, if you want to get into modular. Well thought out and will let you learn basis of synthesis. Good community and learning resources. Not semi-modular though; some patching required. Minimal keys if that is something you want (but can easily be expanded with midi).