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the cheap plastic jack

Which one?

more is more better

That's why I'm not sure that you really want synched LFOs, even if LFOs in quadrature can produce great effects.
For a start, I'd go for two CE2s in series (Purple Rain?), modulate the modulated signal again.
Or make one a Small Clone, individually switchable, plus an order switch.
You could go wild with different stereo options. Probably not for bass, though?
Serial/parallel-switch.

Getting it aligned is not the only problem.
The legs of many sockets may be too short for double whoppers.
Also some caps come with very short legs.

What? No DIY tuner?

I'm still looking for a way to use such little modules not only for breadboarding but also for actual builds. Just can't find the right geometry and mechanics for this.

If they are small enough, then I arrange them like a DIP module and then use these,
http://www.taydaelectronics.com/connectors-sockets/pin-headers/40-pin-2-54-mm-single-row-pin-header-strip.html.

If they are too big for that, then I just put some of these http://www.taydaelectronics.com/connectors-sockets/pin-headers/40-pin-2-54-mm-single-row-female-pin-header.html on and use jumper leads between the breadboard and the module.

Yeah, that would be possibilities. But I'd like to avoid sandwiches as height usually is an issue.

I'm still looking for a way to use such little modules not only for breadboarding but also for actual builds. Just can't find the right geometry and mechanics for this.

Throw in an envelope detector...

Yes, I think so. I wrote this AU http://musicunfolding.com/ottovibe.html a while ago and it's one of my favorite effects to use with guitar on the computer. I think I'd like to figure out how to do this using the StageFright as the modulation target now. It should be reasonably easy to do too. This CV port is going to be very slick, I think.

Cool, looking forward to hear a sound demo!

• Battery powered with Li-Po batteries and onboard 9V recharging input

Hm, what about phantom power (over midi cable)?

That's a great idea. Do you know relative numbers of how many MIDI devices source power? For my use, it's pretty much a perfect idea since I'm going to use it for a device I design on the other end too. I'm just wondering for a more general setting.

It could be done with using USB power too if the receiver side is a USB host for the USB over MIDI path.

You could always put a little box at the other end, that provides "midi through" and adds DC to one side.

Throw in an envelope detector...

• Battery powered with Li-Po batteries and onboard 9V recharging input

Hm, what about phantom power (over midi cable)?

[...]
Like buffers, boosters, generic transistor stages, muff stages, whole overdrive/distortion sections, variable low pass filters, mid cut/boosts, tone stacks, phaser stages, LFOs, charge pumps, right? What else?

Pretty much, yes to buffers, boosts, tone stacks, phaser stages, charge pumps (and other power supply). I haven't done any work on anything distortion/overdrive/fuzz related since I started this idea. So, none of those modules. The others are various modulation targets, tremolos, etc. The main thing I've been working on is CV control, so modulation targets are the natural thing.

I see. Just a few more: mixers/panners/balancers, envelope detectors (for noise gates, compressors, auto filters/wahs, envelope phasers, detune delays...)

I'd say, start with an Arduino Nano (around €8 from Hongkong) to get a quick start on this.

Direct MIDI out (5-pin DIN) is almost trivial. For easy MIDI over USB follow http://shiftmore.blogspot.de/2010/01/quick-and-dirty-arduino-midi-over-usb.html (add €4.50 for the interface).

If you need more i/o ports, look into multiplexing with CD4051s.

For coding you don't really need a MIDI library. Just open the serial port and write bytes there.

Later you can always switch to other microcontrollers.

The only thing I didn't like was when he was talking about throwing stuff away.....

Does he throw every wire he used away after he's done with a project?

Isn't that exactly the kind of advice this world needs?

My biggest change in how I breadboard things now is that I've taken to etching boards for common modules that I find myself using repeatedly.

Like buffers, boosters, generic transistor stages, muff stages, whole overdrive/distortion sections, variable low pass filters, mid cut/boosts, tone stacks, phaser stages, LFOs, charge pumps, right? What else?

I'd say yes. Just run a wire

• from the left side of D2 in the lower left corner of the fuzz
• to the -9V pad of the Rangemaster.