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Building a Eurorack synthesiser for kids

I recently worked alongside Mylar Melodies showcasing and exhibiting modular synths (specifically Eurorack) to children (and some adults / parents) in the Science Tent at Deer Shed festival. Deer Shed is a family friendly festival with a large number of kids and parents and the Science Tent gives them a chance to come and try soldering, make slime, chemistry workshops, build raspberry pi units and come and make music and play on euro rack synthesisers or try out making music on a Ableton with guys from a local Ableton group.

For the event I tried to put together the best Eurorack synthesiser that I could that was a mean little groove box of beats, melodies, bass, FX and some more out there fun stuff. So here’s what I used, how I patched it and how it went.

Below you can see some images (click for full size) and my Modular Grid set up for the event as well as a patch set ups. Any questions let’s chat! Find me on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

More videos to come from the event, include my first modular live gig, that set up, the 16n controller I was using and more. 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: divkid, eurorack, eurorack for kids, modular, modular for kids, synth, synth for kids, synths for beginners

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. daniel duchamP says

    31st July 2018 at 1:33 pm

    hi ben!
    you’ll tell me that i’m boring…. but I notice that if you choose a picture, which opens in the same window, you can’t go back!
    and you get this: Oops! That page can’t be found.
    by the way I like your video on kids & controller in modular!
    good job!
    I’ve much to say about teaching / learning with kids or anyone else and modular synth because I was myself (adult) a beginner and in a way I’m still a beginner……
    if you want to go further with me on the subject….. tell me 😉 but not published!
    all the best
    daniel

    Reply
  2. Nathaniel Stottlemyer says

    1st August 2018 at 4:57 am

    This is outstanding! I recently introduced my music students to modular synthesis using VCV Rack. Here’s a playlist of sequences they created: https://m.soundcloud.com/npsmusic/sets/student-modular-synthesis-sequences-vcv-rack-v-032

    Reply
    • BenHex says

      2nd August 2018 at 11:01 am

      Great, thanks for sharing I’ll go check those out.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Modular Synthesizers For Kids – Synthtopia says:
    2nd August 2018 at 7:24 pm

    […] DivKidVideo‘s Ben Wilson shared this look at building a modular synthesizers for kids. […]

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It’s Monday and we’re back with another FEATUR It’s Monday and we’re back with another FEATURED SYSTEMS! This time we have a set up from @synthdadmusic who’s videos you may have seen featured some of these cases and set ups. 

There’s a whole host of gear from @joranalogue , @expertsleepers , @toppobrillo , @happynerding , @intellijel , @instruomodular , @nano.modules , @empress_effects , @endorphin.es , @mosaic1u , @polyeffects , @noiseeng , @xaocdevices , @makenoisemusic , @befacosynth ,@busycircuits , @klavis_modular , @feedbackmodules , @afterlateraudio , @doepfer_musikelektronik , @dnipro.modular , @jomoxberlin , @bastlinstruments , @makingsoundmachines , @mangudiaz , @frequencycentral , @ericasynths , @threetommodularsynthesizers , @robinv00 and more

FEATURED SYSTEMS is a DivKid community activity where we share and discuss a community members system for an entire week. There’s a dedicated channel in our Discord where we discuss gear choices, cases, module layouts, performance and record techniques, patch ideas, musical backgrounds and intentions and a whole host more. 

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Full demo video including this patch on my YouTube channel. 

Other modules in patch are from @happynerding @bastlinstruments @mordaxsystems @cosmotronic_spacesupplies @wintermodular @rocket_not 

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Recent fun with the new @vostok_instruments range Recent fun with the new @vostok_instruments range of modules. Sena’s triangle through trapezoid shaping making for some bass lines and melodies under audio rate modulation (like FM, but more stable and musical). 

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Here’s a new FEATURED SYSTEMS and it’s a pleas Here’s a new FEATURED SYSTEMS and it’s a pleasure to share the set up from @effiksmusic 

More pictures of the cases and wider room are shared in the DivKid Discord Community and that’s where a whole week of discussion takes place around each ‘featured system’. We talk about module choices, performance aspects, recording techniques, layout, case choices and experiences with a community wide focus in that channel of conversation. 

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For those that care to read my pain and you can settle into a little story time and what I’ve gone through the past few days and what’s actually change in travel rules in this post - https://bit.ly/DK-SB23 (link in bio)

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4 new modules, 1 new company and 1 new video with 4 new modules, 1 new company and 1 new video with lots of patches to rinse not just the new modules but also ones you already have! 

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Head to ASDB on Bandcamp (linked in THEIR bio) to see how all this comes together, it’s great! 

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FEATURED SYSTEMS isn’t just an Instagram post, it’s a week long activity over in the DivKid Discord community where we discuss the featured set up for a whole week. Talking about music backgrounds, module and gear choices, module layout, performance ideas, studio techniques, patch ideas and plenty more. 

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