ALM Busy Circuits

Like many of our other favorite Eurorack companies, ALM / Busy Circuits have cultivated a distinct identity in sound, workflow, and aesthetic. Besides the charming mismatch of title fonts across the range of ALM modules, their panel layouts are minimal yet incredibly inviting to play. And after recently celebrating their tenth anniversary, ALM is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Time to Work It Out

If you've ever heard modular folks raving about "Pam" and wondered who the heck they're talking about, they're actually referring to ALM's multi-purpose clocking and modulation source—and the latest version, Pamela's Pro Workout, is the best iteration yet. Compact and configurable, various versions of Pam's Workout have been a cornerstone of many Eurorack modular systems for over ten years, covering everything from clock division, tempo-synced LFOs, Euclidean rhythms, and so much more. It has more than earned its status as one of the most famous Eurorack modules ever made.

Pam's also ties into another key point of ALM's designs: even though they're producers of some of the finest modules around, they recognize that sometimes you want play other equipment alongside your modular synthesizer. That's why in addition to being a rock solid clock for your Eurorack system, Pam's is expandable with additional outputs for MIDI clocking and even DIN sync for the analog drum machine heads out there. Or use mmMIDI to go the other direction: grab MIDI from your DAW or groovebox and sync up your modular rig (via Pam's, of course) to your beats.

Modern Takes on Retro Sounds + Workflows

Unlike other makers of Eurorack modules that produce new takes on classic sounds derived from the world of modular synthesis, ALM often draws influences from early digital synthesizers and samplers. Take, for example, Akemie's Castle, an FM oscillator that actually uses vintage Yamaha chips as the basis of its sound generation—think DX100 or TX81z. Or for that matter, check out the Commodore 64-inspired SID GUTS Deluxe. By adapting these sounds and placing them into the real-time environment of modular patching, it's easily possible to stumble into new sonic spaces that the original hardware would never have dreamed of existing in.

But it's not just ALM's oscillators and sound generators that have retro flair to them. MUM M8 is a filter expanding on the design found in AKAI's S950 sampler, and PE-1 is a TASCAM Portastudio-style EQ for your modular rig. Even CV generators and sequencers, too—Quaid Megaslope is described as "a multistage 'CZ' or 'Juno' style complex envelope," while the ASQ-1 offers SH-101-flavored sequencing with clicky-clacky mechanical keys just like your parents' first computer.

With modular synthesizers, there are no rules—but there are plenty of motivations for chasing certain sounds, musical stylings, and workflows. If you're someone who chooses to use Eurorack for its unique experimental and musical opportunities, but values keeping your patches fairly reined into the members of your studio collection or live rig, then ALM likely has plenty of options in your wheelhouse.