It’s not just Eurorack. It’s UkRack – the all-Ukrainian module. And while today marks three years of full-scale Russian invasion of their country, it’s a chance to mark the power of Ukrainian resistance in sound. We join our friends at MachineRoom in Kyiv.
Before getting into the modules and makers in there, Vlad Suppish has posted an absolute banger of a track. Every sound you hear is wired through Ukrainian modules:
Practically as I hit publish, I saw this next jam from the amazing Kaximia, who’s also doing a series on modular (she has a poem in the text on Instagram, in Ukrainian only – but here’s your chance, if you’re learning Ukrainian in addition to learning modular):
Despite the full-scale invasion, MachineRoom has continued to offer regular workshops and live jams, plus, of course, continuing to develop their own modules and stock and ship a wonderfully curated line of hardware. That’s important, as I’ve heard from many people who turn to electronic sound as therapy and a source of strength.
Here’s a good detailed image of the system in its recent state – high-resolution image so you can click and zoom in:
I’ve chatted a bit with Vadim Griboedov at MachineRoom who’s working on this project. More modules are inbound, including the new, upcoming Dnipro Radiant (created in collaboration with Ukrainian DSP dev Sinevibes) and Happy Nerding Juke. They’re also gradually handing the system to local producers, so we’ll be hearing more.
In the system so far:
Happy Nerding
Sitka Instruments
Crazy Chicken
Blukač Instruments
Dnipro Modular
Endorphin.es
MachineRoom
Want even more makers? From Oleksiy/Sitka, there’s also:
Sylph https://sylphmodular.top/
Aircraft Design https://aircraftdesigns.info/
(And let us know if we’re missing anyone!)
The majority of these makers continue to operate from inside Ukraine. For instance, there’s Happy Nerding Juke – and let’s give you an early leak of what it can do, as I’m excited about this one.
It’s a packed polyphonic MIDI player plus stereo WAV player plus clock divider and quad LFOs. I’ve been reading through the docs in Ukrainian, and it’s beautiful all that’s in there. (c’mon, “клок дивайдер” and “лфо” I can do without Google Translate!) Check also the handy pitch and gate jacks and those cute operation buttons at top.
I was comparing things like the alternate firmwares for Mutable Instruments Yarns and even that couldn’t manage polyphonic MIDI playback – let alone put this much at your fingertips.
For the video, Vlad posts the module list and patch notes:
Drone – MachineRoom Trilobite with MachineRoom Filth
Effects for drone – @happynerding4369 FX Aid
Clock – Ableton, synced via MIDI with @SitkaInstruments Gravity
It’s a multitrack recording, hence all must be synced perfectly)Kick drum – @crazychickenmod Avocado Toast
Envelopes – @endorphines Airstreamer
Hats – noise from Trilobite processed thru Filth + FX send thru knob.farm Ferry @Vaxoid
Endorphines Ghost as return FXRhythm sequencer – Crazy Chicken Matrix with Sitka Gravity
Atmosperic voices – my voice, captured and repitched with @blukac-instruments Endless Processor + Ex
CV modulation (controlled random) – Crazy Chicken Dance LFO + @dnipromodular1184 Krait
No conventional sequencers were used this time)
Mastering – Endorphines Golden Master
Track named after a short story with a same name by H.P. Lovecraft
Check MachineRoom’s own Trilobite:
Here’s a nice look at Endless Processor, too:
