Oscillator Sink’s Sonic Toolkit: Semi-Modulars Go Full Rave Bunker

Semi-modular synths hit that sweet spot between plug-and-play fun and the sprawling chaos of full modular. Oscillator Sink admits—even with a fat Eurorack setup lurking in the studio, he keeps coming back to these self-contained beasts. Why? Because they offer the joy of patching without the existential dread of endless module choices.

You get the hands-on immediacy of a groovebox with just enough flexibility to keep things spicy. Sure, full modular gives you infinite expandability, but sometimes you just want to make music instead of building a spaceship. For those who want to dodge option paralysis but still crave some patchable action, semi-modulars are the rave bunker’s secret weapon.

First up: Tiptop Audio’s stack cables. If you’re still asking what these are, you’ve clearly missed a few parties. They let you split signals passively—no menu-diving, no fuss. Plug one in, stack another on top, and suddenly your LFO is controlling two cutoffs at once. It’s ergonomic, it’s readable, and it’s cheap. Just don’t try to mix signals with them unless you fancy a synth barbecue.

Then there’s the world of zero HP (0HP) utilities—tiny, unpowered gadgets that add superpowers to your patch cables. Attenuators, switches, low pass gates, you name it. Brands like Pusherman and Feed Me Synthesis make these little wonders, and they’re perfect for fine-tuning modulation, quick performance tweaks, or even faking extra voices. They’re portable, cost-effective, and dangerously addictive. But let’s be real: the true magic is in how these passive bits can transform your workflow—something you’ll only really get when you see them in action.

Now for something with a bit more bite—the DF Audio Nano-U. Unlike the passive crowd, this one needs power, but what you get in return is a serious upgrade for integrating line-level gear into your modular world. It’s compact, unassuming, but packs a punch where it counts.

The Nano-U handles attenuation, mixing, splitting, and crucially, boosting those weak line-level signals up to modular strength. No more drowning your drum machine in oscillator noise. It even throws in an envelope follower for good measure, letting you extract CV from audio dynamics. This is the kind of box that solves problems you didn’t know you had, and does it without taking up half your rack. If you’re running hybrid setups or want to get creative with external gear, this thing is a streetwise utility knife.

Last but not least, the Slewp and Slide from Feed Me Synthesis—a device that takes envelope shaping and pushes it into uncharted territory. Oscillator Sink saw this at Machina Pistonica and was instantly hooked by its dual-envelope design and sheer creative potential. On one side, you get a basic decay envelope; on the other, a fully-featured looping envelope with rise/fall, shape, and speed controls.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Slewp and Slide can act as an LFO, process audio, generate overtones, and even fake a low pass gate. You can patch feedback, sequence envelope stages, and generally make your synth do things it was never meant to do. The possibilities are wild—and honestly, trying to explain every trick in text would be like describing a warehouse rave to your nan. You’ll want to watch the video for the full chaos.