Having something pretty won’t necessarily make you make better music. But from the carved face on a viola da gamba to the shine of brass on a trumpet, musicians have long imbued the objects that make music with visual features reflecting the unseen beauty of the sounds they emit.
And this suitcase for sound, the work of Swedish design Frédéric Sebton, is beautiful both aesthetically and in its practicality.
This one-off creation houses the “Verbos Composition Suitcase” – a very practical and reasonably affordable starter kit of Verbos modules, the title a cheeky reference to the (unrelated) VCS modular. Inside are the modules made by Mark Verbos, himself a creator with an impeccable sense of taste. I admire Mark, because his modules aren’t just fetish objects: Mark is an oustanding musician, and a terrific engineer, someone whose dedication can inspire people whether their craft is in circuits or not.
Apart from looking good, the VCS configuration eschews a show-off, how-many-toys-can-I-collect modular that might never get out of your living room, in factor of a design you might actually carry to a gig. And that means if you happen to get to your gig on, say, swift and environmentally-friendly Swedish public transit rather than in a truck.
And… oh, jeez. I really should apologize at this point. I’m not trying to separate you from your money, least of all to try to make you all go out and get modulars. But … well, please, let’s see more designs like this.
While it’s just a one-off, Sebton will soon offer custom cases. There’s a waiting list you can get on – yes, that includes you, Trent Reznor and Björk and Herbie Hancock, you lucky superstars, you.
As Martin Wheeler notes in comments, Mark’s modules are affordable – especially if you confine yourself to a reasonable suitcase like this. A couple grand will easily get you started, which is less than the price of a lot of standalone hardware synths and workstations. So, I jest. However… I also know sometimes celebrities do get on those waiting lists.
On the Sebton site (and Frédéric’s Instagram feed) you can discover other beautiful things. Thanks, Frédéric! We can keep stereotyping Scandinavia as a wonderland of aesthetic treasures so long as you … uh, keep making them.
Bonus objects:
And if your wallet is screaming at me right now, don’t forget that great Scandinavian and Japanese design starts at far less (Teenage Engineering, KORG):
Good lord just give me one of everything, please…
Good lord just give me one of everything, please…
Good lord just give me one of everything, please…
I gotta say, that custom suitcase _is_ pretty friggin’ sexy.
I gotta say, that custom suitcase _is_ pretty friggin’ sexy.
I gotta say, that custom suitcase _is_ pretty friggin’ sexy.
OK, but this is basically just the Verbos Composition System http://www.analoguehaven.com/verboselectronics/compositionsystem/
and a few cheapish utility modules in a pretty case. ( Plus the Verbos touchplate keyboard) Sure it does look very pretty, but the ‘Swedish design’ is basically just replacing Mark’s perfectly fine case with the ‘sexy’ briefcase ! As for the price, once again lets not get too carried away there either … Verbos modules are certainly at the high end of Eurorack price-wise ( and the brand new Sputnik modules would seem to provide comparable Buchla derived functionality to some, but not all, of these modules, at a significantly lower price point – though of course there is nothing from Sputnik to compare to the awe-inspiringly fantastic Verbos Harmonic Oscillator ! ) but, even at these top dollar eurorack prices, the whole Verbos Composition System in a custom case with power installed, patch leads and a t-shirt ( ! ) is $2,600. Not exactly chump change, but its the price of _one_ Buchla module, or say a serious keyboard workstation, a mid-to-high end audio interface or a low end professional saxophone. So unless the Swedish designer is taking the piss with the price of his briefcase, this is hardly reserved for the Bjorks and Trent Reznors of this world. I really don’t understand why modular synthesis is so often portrayed as some rich man’s plaything. OK, it’s not as cheap as cracked software, but it’s also no more expensive than most professional instruments and studio gear. Unless you get addicted that is 😉
Heh, don’t take my snark too seriously —
You’re absolutely correct. This is simply a nicely-configured, nicely-photographed set of modules in a suitcase.
And while I don’t know what the custom builds will cost, the components here aren’t enormously expensive. If you confine yourself in modular to a suitcase rig, and you’re choosy with modules, you can keep a modular system affordable. (To look at it the other way, you could also go over the top with a computer, over-specing a Mac Pro and display, or spending too much on used synth keyboards.)
And, actually, at around US$2500 you’re in roughly the same range as a lot of standalone polysynths and workstations.
So that’s why I (more seriously here) contrast this with sprawling systems – I think a more suitcase-scaled rig is the way to go for most people. It keeps the cost down, it means you can move, and with the right modules, you’re more likely to feel creatively empowered by one. Nothing against people who can afford bigger rigs, but they’re definitely not for everyone — least of all if live performance is a consideration.
I think you do want to be careful of whether a desktop equivalent of the same instrument is a better buy, but that’s a different matter.
Anyway, I’m just poking a bit of fun, as I do at everything. Obviously, as I say in the story, this is a beautiful and eminently practical object and a nice embodiment of what a creative modular rig could be.
I would agree with most everything you write there Peter, but I really do think that it is unfortunate that most every post concerning modulars ( and not just on here ) insists on pointing to the supposedly exorbitant cost and/or the geek/nerd/collector/obsessive element. There are plenty of guitars that cost as much as a small eurorack system. Some people may have one of them, or two, or a room full. Some of those people ( both those with one guitar, and those with a roomfull ) may or may not be “pro musicians” or composers or hobbyists or ubergeeks or collectors, or all of the above. Same thing with modulars. Sure you hang out on muffwigglers and you will come across some pretty obsessive individuals discussing the arcane details of some pretty expensive modules, but try hanging out on guitar forums, or gearslutz for that matter … same thing, and sometimes more so.
But we don’t see every post that mentions a guitar or a compressor going on about “sorry to hurt your wallet” or riffing on ubergeeks or whatever. But modulars ? Seems like most every time.
I already had a prolonged go at you on a similar tip over on the Modulars-at-Namm thread, so I’ll leave it at that here !
Btw, nice to see your write up of Erica synths, Girts is a very smart and cool guy.
ps the one thing that I would take issue with in your reply is the bit about ‘desktop alternatives’ …
There simply is no ‘desktop alternative’ to that system. There is certainly no desktop alternative to the Harmonic Oscillator or the Voltage Multistage and off-hand I can’t think of any oscillator in a desktop system that is really comparable to the Complex Oscillator either. Wheras you certainly could use a modular to do similar things to a hardwired desktop synth, that is just one of a myriad of possible uses. Most of the functionality of a modular simply _cannot_ be replicated with a hardwired desktop anything. That is a very big distiction, and I think it is important to make it.
Ha, come on, Martin…
Desktop formats: no, that’s not what I said, not remotely. I wrote an enormous article where I differentiated modules that I thought were uniquely fitted to modules. I’m absolutely biased toward modules that focus on being modular, rather than reissuing already-available desktop instruments as modules. And I think it’s worth considering any time you buy modular whether you’re getting more value, or less value, versus a desktop factor. (So, the reverse would now also be true.) Once you make that evaluation, then even some modular reissues of desktops might well make sense. Certainly, as my hours spent pouring through press releases might suggest, there are some things that simply aren’t available in another format.
As for comments about the cost of modular … seriously, do you think the modular market can’t take a little friendly ribbing? I brought it up because people have been cheerily joking with me that these posts are making them want things they can’t afford.
The whole point of this article was to put up some sexy photos of gear. I think I’d be missing something if I didn’t make fun of myself a little for that. And most of the coverage elsewhere I’ve seen is unironic on this point, so … yes, the world can use a bit of extra snark.
OK. Fair enough, I completely misunderstood you then. I took your “desktop equivalents” comment in the context of _this_ post, not in reference to the other “Namm Avalanche” discussion. So you were avtually talking about comparing the modular versions of existing desktop instruments then ? ( as in the Jomox, Boomstar and some day apparently Oberheim stuff) OK then, I hear you. ( but this is a very recent development as, with the recent explosion in eurorack, companies try to jump on the bandwagon – and remember that, for the moment, such things probably represent less than 1% of modules out there )
OK, but this is basically just the Verbos Composition System http://www.analoguehaven.com/verboselectronics/compositionsystem/
and a few cheapish utility modules in a pretty case. ( Plus the Verbos touchplate keyboard) Sure it does look very pretty, but the ‘Swedish design’ is basically just replacing Mark’s perfectly fine case with the ‘sexy’ briefcase ! As for the price, once again lets not get too carried away there either … Verbos modules are certainly at the high end of Eurorack price-wise ( and the brand new Sputnik modules would seem to provide comparable Buchla derived functionality to some, but not all, of these modules, at a significantly lower price point – though of course there is nothing from Sputnik to compare to the awe-inspiringly fantastic Verbos Harmonic Oscillator ! ) but, even at these top dollar eurorack prices, the whole Verbos Composition System in a custom case with power installed, patch leads and a t-shirt ( ! ) is $2,600. Not exactly chump change, but its the price of _one_ Buchla module, or say a serious keyboard workstation, a mid-to-high end audio interface or a low end professional saxophone. So unless the Swedish designer is taking the piss with the price of his briefcase, this is hardly reserved for the Bjorks and Trent Reznors of this world. I really don’t understand why modular synthesis is so often portrayed as some rich man’s plaything. OK, it’s not as cheap as cracked software, but it’s also no more expensive than most professional instruments and studio gear. Unless you get addicted that is 😉
Heh, don’t take my snark too seriously —
You’re absolutely correct. This is simply a nicely-configured, nicely-photographed set of modules in a suitcase.
And while I don’t know what the custom builds will cost, the components here aren’t enormously expensive. If you confine yourself in modular to a suitcase rig, and you’re choosy with modules, you can keep a modular system affordable. (To look at it the other way, you could also go over the top with a computer, over-specing a Mac Pro and display, or spending too much on used synth keyboards.)
And, actually, at around US$2500 you’re in roughly the same range as a lot of standalone polysynths and workstations.
So that’s why I (more seriously here) contrast this with sprawling systems – I think a more suitcase-scaled rig is the way to go for most people. It keeps the cost down, it means you can move, and with the right modules, you’re more likely to feel creatively empowered by one. Nothing against people who can afford bigger rigs, but they’re definitely not for everyone — least of all if live performance is a consideration.
I think you do want to be careful of whether a desktop equivalent of the same instrument is a better buy, but that’s a different matter.
Anyway, I’m just poking a bit of fun, as I do at everything. Obviously, as I say in the story, this is a beautiful and eminently practical object and a nice embodiment of what a creative modular rig could be.
I would agree with most everything you write there Peter, but I really do think that it is unfortunate that most every post concerning modulars ( and not just on here ) insists on pointing to the supposedly exorbitant cost and/or the geek/nerd/collector/obsessive element. There are plenty of guitars that cost as much as a small eurorack system. Some people may have one of them, or two, or a room full. Some of those people ( both those with one guitar, and those with a roomfull ) may or may not be “pro musicians” or composers or hobbyists or ubergeeks or collectors, or all of the above. Same thing with modulars. Sure you hang out on muffwigglers and you will come across some pretty obsessive individuals discussing the arcane details of some pretty expensive modules, but try hanging out on guitar forums, or gearslutz for that matter … same thing, and sometimes more so.
But we don’t see every post that mentions a guitar or a compressor going on about “sorry to hurt your wallet” or riffing on ubergeeks or whatever. But modulars ? Seems like most every time.
I already had a prolonged go at you on a similar tip over on the Modulars-at-Namm thread, so I’ll leave it at that here !
Btw, nice to see your write up of Erica synths, Girts is a very smart and cool guy.
ps the one thing that I would take issue with in your reply is the bit about ‘desktop alternatives’ …
There simply is no ‘desktop alternative’ to that system. There is certainly no desktop alternative to the Harmonic Oscillator or the Voltage Multistage and off-hand I can’t think of any oscillator in a desktop system that is really comparable to the Complex Oscillator either. Wheras you certainly could use a modular to do similar things to a hardwired desktop synth, that is just one of a myriad of possible uses. Most of the functionality of a modular simply _cannot_ be replicated with a hardwired desktop anything. That is a very big distiction, and I think it is important to make it.
Ha, come on, Martin…
Desktop formats: no, that’s not what I said, not remotely. I wrote an enormous article where I differentiated modules that I thought were uniquely fitted to modules. I’m absolutely biased toward modules that focus on being modular, rather than reissuing already-available desktop instruments as modules. And I think it’s worth considering any time you buy modular whether you’re getting more value, or less value, versus a desktop factor. (So, the reverse would now also be true.) Once you make that evaluation, then even some modular reissues of desktops might well make sense. Certainly, as my hours spent pouring through press releases might suggest, there are some things that simply aren’t available in another format.
As for comments about the cost of modular … seriously, do you think the modular market can’t take a little friendly ribbing? I brought it up because people have been cheerily joking with me that these posts are making them want things they can’t afford.
The whole point of this article was to put up some sexy photos of gear. I think I’d be missing something if I didn’t make fun of myself a little for that. And most of the coverage elsewhere I’ve seen is unironic on this point, so … yes, the world can use a bit of extra snark.
OK. Fair enough, I completely misunderstood you then. I took your “desktop equivalents” comment in the context of _this_ post, not in reference to the other “Namm Avalanche” discussion. So you were avtually talking about comparing the modular versions of existing desktop instruments then ? ( as in the Jomox, Boomstar and some day apparently Oberheim stuff) OK then, I hear you. ( but this is a very recent development as, with the recent explosion in eurorack, companies try to jump on the bandwagon – and remember that, for the moment, such things probably represent less than 1% of modules out there )
OK, but this is basically just the Verbos Composition System http://www.analoguehaven.com/verboselectronics/compositionsystem/
and a few cheapish utility modules in a pretty case. ( Plus the Verbos touchplate keyboard) Sure it does look very pretty, but the ‘Swedish design’ is basically just replacing Mark’s perfectly fine case with the ‘sexy’ briefcase ! As for the price, once again lets not get too carried away there either … Verbos modules are certainly at the high end of Eurorack price-wise ( and the brand new Sputnik modules would seem to provide comparable Buchla derived functionality to some, but not all, of these modules, at a significantly lower price point – though of course there is nothing from Sputnik to compare to the awe-inspiringly fantastic Verbos Harmonic Oscillator ! ) but, even at these top dollar eurorack prices, the whole Verbos Composition System in a custom case with power installed, patch leads and a t-shirt ( ! ) is $2,600. Not exactly chump change, but its the price of _one_ Buchla module, or say a serious keyboard workstation, a mid-to-high end audio interface or a low end professional saxophone. So unless the Swedish designer is taking the piss with the price of his briefcase, this is hardly reserved for the Bjorks and Trent Reznors of this world. I really don’t understand why modular synthesis is so often portrayed as some rich man’s plaything. OK, it’s not as cheap as cracked software, but it’s also no more expensive than most professional instruments and studio gear. Unless you get addicted that is 😉
Heh, don’t take my snark too seriously —
You’re absolutely correct. This is simply a nicely-configured, nicely-photographed set of modules in a suitcase.
And while I don’t know what the custom builds will cost, the components here aren’t enormously expensive. If you confine yourself in modular to a suitcase rig, and you’re choosy with modules, you can keep a modular system affordable. (To look at it the other way, you could also go over the top with a computer, over-specing a Mac Pro and display, or spending too much on used synth keyboards.)
And, actually, at around US$2500 you’re in roughly the same range as a lot of standalone polysynths and workstations.
So that’s why I (more seriously here) contrast this with sprawling systems – I think a more suitcase-scaled rig is the way to go for most people. It keeps the cost down, it means you can move, and with the right modules, you’re more likely to feel creatively empowered by one. Nothing against people who can afford bigger rigs, but they’re definitely not for everyone — least of all if live performance is a consideration.
I think you do want to be careful of whether a desktop equivalent of the same instrument is a better buy, but that’s a different matter.
Anyway, I’m just poking a bit of fun, as I do at everything. Obviously, as I say in the story, this is a beautiful and eminently practical object and a nice embodiment of what a creative modular rig could be.
I would agree with most everything you write there Peter, but I really do think that it is unfortunate that most every post concerning modulars ( and not just on here ) insists on pointing to the supposedly exorbitant cost and/or the geek/nerd/collector/obsessive element. There are plenty of guitars that cost as much as a small eurorack system. Some people may have one of them, or two, or a room full. Some of those people ( both those with one guitar, and those with a roomfull ) may or may not be “pro musicians” or composers or hobbyists or ubergeeks or collectors, or all of the above. Same thing with modulars. Sure you hang out on muffwigglers and you will come across some pretty obsessive individuals discussing the arcane details of some pretty expensive modules, but try hanging out on guitar forums, or gearslutz for that matter … same thing, and sometimes more so.
But we don’t see every post that mentions a guitar or a compressor going on about “sorry to hurt your wallet” or riffing on ubergeeks or whatever. But modulars ? Seems like most every time.
I already had a prolonged go at you on a similar tip over on the Modulars-at-Namm thread, so I’ll leave it at that here !
Btw, nice to see your write up of Erica synths, Girts is a very smart and cool guy.
ps the one thing that I would take issue with in your reply is the bit about ‘desktop alternatives’ …
There simply is no ‘desktop alternative’ to that system. There is certainly no desktop alternative to the Harmonic Oscillator or the Voltage Multistage and off-hand I can’t think of any oscillator in a desktop system that is really comparable to the Complex Oscillator either. Wheras you certainly could use a modular to do similar things to a hardwired desktop synth, that is just one of a myriad of possible uses. Most of the functionality of a modular simply _cannot_ be replicated with a hardwired desktop anything. That is a very big distiction, and I think it is important to make it.
Ha, come on, Martin…
Desktop formats: no, that’s not what I said, not remotely. I wrote an enormous article where I differentiated modules that I thought were uniquely fitted to modules. I’m absolutely biased toward modules that focus on being modular, rather than reissuing already-available desktop instruments as modules. And I think it’s worth considering any time you buy modular whether you’re getting more value, or less value, versus a desktop factor. (So, the reverse would now also be true.) Once you make that evaluation, then even some modular reissues of desktops might well make sense. Certainly, as my hours spent pouring through press releases might suggest, there are some things that simply aren’t available in another format.
As for comments about the cost of modular … seriously, do you think the modular market can’t take a little friendly ribbing? I brought it up because people have been cheerily joking with me that these posts are making them want things they can’t afford.
The whole point of this article was to put up some sexy photos of gear. I think I’d be missing something if I didn’t make fun of myself a little for that. And most of the coverage elsewhere I’ve seen is unironic on this point, so … yes, the world can use a bit of extra snark.
OK. Fair enough, I completely misunderstood you then. I took your “desktop equivalents” comment in the context of _this_ post, not in reference to the other “Namm Avalanche” discussion. So you were avtually talking about comparing the modular versions of existing desktop instruments then ? ( as in the Jomox, Boomstar and some day apparently Oberheim stuff) OK then, I hear you. ( but this is a very recent development as, with the recent explosion in eurorack, companies try to jump on the bandwagon – and remember that, for the moment, such things probably represent less than 1% of modules out there )
Yeah, there’s a grand old tradition by now of turning cool retro attaché cases into skiff friendly eurorack cases. Fred’s deserve the lust they’re receiving mainly due to his excellent photographic skills. Here’s my effort… http://www.ununseptiumwarehouse.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/telstar-attache-synth.html
Yeah, there’s a grand old tradition by now of turning cool retro attaché cases into skiff friendly eurorack cases. Fred’s deserve the lust they’re receiving mainly due to his excellent photographic skills. Here’s my effort… http://www.ununseptiumwarehouse.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/telstar-attache-synth.html
Yeah, there’s a grand old tradition by now of turning cool retro attaché cases into skiff friendly eurorack cases. Fred’s deserve the lust they’re receiving mainly due to his excellent photographic skills. Here’s my effort… http://www.ununseptiumwarehouse.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/telstar-attache-synth.html