Softube Modular

[neverbefore]

I just wish they updated the workflow. It's extremely poorly done. Like they weren't even trying to cater to people who actually want to create complex presets and setups.

No wonder it got neglected as I can very well imagine a lot of people demoing this product and never purchasing it.

Just the basics of scrolling around the modular area and the module browser is so poorly done that it just boggles the mind. Softube is a very weird company in that way. They make some awesome sounding products but quite often their usability or forced limitations are just bizarre.

So yeah, I'm purchasing this with the attitude that this is it.. they'll never update it again. I'm willing to live with the horrible usability simply due to the sheer audio quality and uniqueness of the sound. I'll never patch up anything super complex as it would be extremely frustrating. I'll probably buy VCV2 for those purposes at some point, maybe even this november if it goes on sale.

Hold up homie, DM me if you wanna pay less with me as im selling my modular plus expansions

not as cheap as me I bet

[Rastkovic]

Yeah, lack of oscillators… what do you think of those synthesis technology oscillators?

I like the E340 and also bought the Synthesis bundle, but I think they are not comparable to the analog modelled oscillators in SM. What's also interesting about SM is in my opinion, that each module "group" (Doepfer, M72, M80, M82, M84) has its own, distinctive sound.

[vertibration]

For the record I’ve had STmod since day one. I still think the workflow sucks.

me too

[vertibration]

TBH, not gunna lie, STM is superior with sound. No question. However, VCV is really, really close too....so it wins out on workflow

[martinjuenke]

VCV has triggered far more content on Youtube and Patchstorage.
Well, that means something...

[zvenx]

It also does not require ilok and you know how some folks feel about ilok.
rsp

[bmanic]

The workflow seems to be a complete pain in the ass though. Anybody know how to scroll the various screens quicker than with a mouse scroll wheel? It's suuuuper slow and takes like 10 full rotations of my scroll wheel to get to the bottom of the module select list.

I use an Apple Magic Mouse, no hassles here.

That mouse is an absolute abomination. Should have been banned by the geneva convention. I wouldn't use that piece of garbage even if somebody paid me hourly to use it.

I just wish they updated the workflow. It's extremely poorly done. Like they weren't even trying to cater to people who actually want to create complex presets and setups.

Seriously, what's wrong with workflow? It is a question of organising in my opinion. I put the oscillators, VCAs, filters, envelopes and LFOs in the first row, and CV, mixer and note input modules in the second row. When I create a more complex patch, I put some modules from the first into the third row. Works really great, I can't complain.

The workflow is so absolutely horrible. Period.

Lets have a look, eh?

• No zoom function. You are stuck with a single size view of everything
• Not working well with a normal good mouse.. no advanced ways of navigating the space
• No way of actually organizing the modules in the module browser in categories etc.. which is not really that big of an issue yet as there are so few modules
• Ridiculously convoluted way of moving and deleting modules. You can't freely drag modules around and have other modules snap into intelligent positions. You need to literally drag everything one by one around as you'd have to do in the hardware domain. This is so stupid that it hurts the brain.
• No way of saving macro presets, meaning a bunch of modules together to form common functions. This would be super convenient and a perfect time saver for complex setups.
• Can't detach/remove cables at both ends. Again, another ridiculously stupid design flaw. Why on earth would you need to always go to the end of a module to detach a cable instead of doing it at the source?
• No way to quickly mute cables for quick A/B testing of a link. Especially annoying if you have a cable go through multiple rows in a large patch.
• No way to quickly copy/paste a bunch of modules. Need 10 VCA's? You need to go 10 times into the browser and insert one individually.
• Weird sizes for the various modules. There's no emulation of the HP standard so you can't easily calculate the amount of modules you can fit in a row. It feels rather random and arbitrary. Combine this with the rather tiny amount of horizontal space you have available and you quickly end up with a vertical monster patch that requires a lot of scrolling.. now combine that with horrible scrolling in general and it's usability jank turned up to 11.

.. look, there are tons of more things I can write here. The fact is that no matter how you look at it, Softube Modular is by far the worst in terms of workflow of all the current and popular modular emulation systems out there. Period.


But like I said, the sound quality is good enough to justify it's existence. It will probably be relegated to a simplistic modular thing, doing a few specific tasks and be a "simple synth" for tonal exploration. It's just way too frustrating to make anything bigger in it. So it is what it is.. and for the current sales price it's a no-brainer even with all it's flaws.

[chk071]

Holy shmoly, somebody is really frustrated.

You know, Modular surely has its flaws, but, I think you're exaggerating a bit, and probably rather don't want to cope with any shortcomings. You know, I get that, I have that with some things as well, but, I don't think Modular is half as bad as you make it.

I agree on your point about moving and deleting modules though. That's really something which could be way better.

[bmanic]

Holy shmoly, somebody is really frustrated.

You know, Modular surely has its flaws, but, I think you're exaggerating a bit, and probably rather don't want to cope with any shortcomings. You know, I get that, I have that with some things as well, but, I don't think Modular is half as bad as you make it.

I agree on your point about moving and deleting modules though. That's really something which could be way better.

I'm super frustrated yes. It's so damn good sounding that it's infuriating when I'd really like to explore everything it can do but have to literally waste hours just fiddling with the damn mouse. So yeah, frustrated.

I'll delegate it to a different role for now. Just exploring it's tonal variations in simplistic patches. It's a master of that. Just using it as another mono- or paraphonic synth.

[bmanic]

VCV has triggered far more content on Youtube and Patchstorage.
Well, that means something...

In this case it 100% is due to the bad workflow in ST Modular. Why on earth would any youtuber who creates complex monsters in a modular environment ever want to use ST Modular? There is literally no reason when VCV does everything so much better, except the sound.. and 99% of the people listening to these creations don't care.. also who gives a f**k about sound quality when you are creating a bunch of random blips and blops with the 100th krell variation.

It also does not require ilok and you know how some folks feel about ilok.
rsp

.. also probably this. Though there are tons of videos on other software that have iLok protection, so possibly not a reason enough.

[perpetual3]

Holy shmoly, somebody is really frustrated.

You know, Modular surely has its flaws, but, I think you're exaggerating a bit, and probably rather don't want to cope with any shortcomings. You know, I get that, I have that with some things as well, but, I don't think Modular is half as bad as you make it.

I agree on your point about moving and deleting modules though. That's really something which could be way better.

I'm super frustrated yes. It's so damn good sounding that it's infuriating when I'd really like to explore everything it can do but have to literally waste hours just fiddling with the damn mouse. So yeah, frustrated.

I'll delegate it to a different role for now. Just exploring it's tonal variations in simplistic patches. It's a master of that. Just using it as another mono- or paraphonic synth.

Same here - I use STMOD for monophonic expressions.

[Synthient Sound]

Same opinion for me as bmanic. Frustrating when it does sound so good but requires so much fiddly clicking without out any of the conveniences of working in a digital environment-like VCV Rack makes use of.

Softube makes some of the greatest sounding plugins-both effects and instruments. But they hobble them with awkward workflow and missing features. Their synths are phenomenal sounding...better than Roland Cloud when it comes to their Roland emus. They miss the common sense additions though.

I do try to make the best of it and when I feel like I've got time I make Softube Modular presets for mainly monosynth type stuff. Mixing Moog, Sequential, and Roland parts into stereo super monosynths can really sound amazing. I do wish they'd consider updating the poor work flow though. They'd do well to consider some of VCV's faster work flow and to consider better options for their full synth like an option second envelope generator for their Roland synths (Model 82, 84).

[SLiC]

Do Softube ever do big V2 updates (I haven’t had their stuff that long)

[tq]

Yes, they did a V2 for their compressors, and there has been a big update to their Tubetech stuff. Amp room has been updated, console as well. Modular would definitely need a usability update, though!

[electro]

How do you scroll Modular to see the full screen?