If the name Tobinski isn’t familiar to you, the name Dannysound might be — founded by one Danny Tobert, the company have gone from strength to strength since their comparatively humble beginnings as a personal passion project. They now boast a gorgeous folio of modules, from Buchla‑inspired wavefolders to Eurorack‑mountable VU meters and most recently the excellent — and unabashedly named — Tobinski Sequencer.
On his entry into modular
I’m a guitarist, really, and I spent a long time trying to understand how to get the sound I wanted! I used to tinker with effects and things to try and improve my performance or produce interesting new effects, and this became more of an obsession after I got interested in electronic music. Then I decided to go back into education and get a degree in electronics, so I could really understand how to design my own products and how I could tailor the sound to something that I wanted. This in turn led to the first amps and effects I made, and eventually into synths. Then I got hooked on synth design and spent about 10 years making standalone synths, until someone suggested I do Eurorack kits with Thonk. That was a great way to get into the modular market and it’s the thing that has helped build my company.
On his go‑to modules
The main modules I use are the Mordax DATA and Joranalogue Test 3, because I’m always testing stuff these days rather than making music! However, if I need to create a quick patch then I have an all‑Tobinski voice I almost always use, because it just has a really pleasing acoustic timbre if it’s set right and it’s quick and easy to set up. It’s a Cali [oscillator] sine wave into a Timbre [wavefolder], with an EN129 [oscillator] patched to the Cali’s FM input, and a Dual LPG/VCA set to LPG Combo Mode and controlled with an envelope from the Looping VC‑ADSR. I really like the sound of linear FM using sine or triangle waves with the Timbre wavefolder and LPG as it has a lot of room for acoustic tones.
On the journey from Dannysound to Tobinski
The name change was a practical decision. ‘Dannysound’ was fine when it was just me and a bunch of DIY kits, but as I moved into making fully assembled modules, it started to feel a bit too much like just my personal project. I wanted a name that felt more like a proper brand. ‘Tobinski’ is a family name, so it still has a personal connection but it gives the modules their own identity. It was just the right time for a fresh start.
On the Tobinski Sequencer
The sequencer was designed as I wanted something fun, quick and easy to use when testing modules, but I also wanted something flexible enough to make complex, evolving patterns. As the design progressed, I realised there were more and more options that could be incorporated; so the challenge became how to make everything available while trying to maintain a clean and simple panel layout.
I’m really happy with how it turned out. My preference is for more experimental melodies and rhythms and it’s easy to explore these territories, especially when it’s linked to the [Tobinski] Harmonic Timing Generator for clocking each of the sequencers at different rates. It can get a little confusing the more patched it gets as following things like the timing and the switching can become fairly impossible... but that’s also the fun of it — it produces some completely unexpected results!
On the culture of modular
What I love about modular culture is the creativity and sound that various users achieve. There are some really interesting approaches, especially when it comes to self‑generating patches and feedback patching techniques. I also really like the fact that the whole scene seems very inclusive and welcoming, and I hope that it continues to expand and be embraced by more cultures; since the musical content that the machines are programmed to play is very inspirational in terms of timbre, rhythm and melody. I really love it when people can create so much variation out of just a few modules, and that’s inspiring for others to realise that perhaps a new way to patch their own gear can lead to a whole different way of using those same modules.