Softube Modular

[elxsound]

No. I presonnaly think EMS had 50 years advance on everything else with their PIN Matrixes.

I like it, too, but I don't see how it can be applicable to modulars.

Agreed

I don't believe its an issue of preferring cables, but simply what works best for a modular system.

I have yet to see a better approach.

[whyterabbyt]

No. I presonnaly think EMS had 50 years advance on everything else with their PIN Matrixes.

You can 'see/decypher' your patch in a glance. No obstrusive cables everywhere. And you can still connect everything with everything

Well, you can see the connections. Not so convinced that you can fully decipher a patch on a system you're not familiar with as they dont show signal flow at all, hence the fact they mainly only turn up on fixed-architecture systems. Picking apart something with eg multiple attenuated modulators doesnt sound easier than following cables, for example. Also they dont scale well in an open ended system, which is what we're basically talking about here, and they get less 'easy' with scale.
In fact your example shows they dont necessarily scale well full stop; not when you need multiple matrices.

[murnau]

Mention Kilohearts' Multipass in a breath with Softubes Modular is like comparing Amy Shumer with Alessandra Ambrósio.

[kenobi77]

My first thought was "doesn't a software modular defeat somewhat the purpose of having a modular in the first place", but after watching the video from musikmesse I feel a lot more positive towards it.

I wouldn't be surprised if Softube worked through a lot of methods and interactions for the "cabling" workflow. I've demoed Heartbeat, and intend to buy it still, and found it a very quick and practical for mousing around with.

The performance controls are a cool feature, and if these can easily map to hardware controllers (NI, push ..etc...) it will be a lot of fun.

...all from my perspective of course ....

[Lotuzia]

No. I presonnaly think EMS had 50 years advance on everything else with their PIN Matrixes.

You can 'see/decypher' your patch in a glance. No obstrusive cables everywhere. And you can still connect everything with everything.

Besides that, full modular implies beeing able to connect modules from different manufacturers . Now one might prefer cables. And i have no worries when I have to deal with some. But 'the best' ... only translates here, as most often, in 'my opinion'.

IMO matrix is a great idea until you get things that has unlimited amount of modules like this or Reason. I don't like cable but matrix isn't a good solution if it starts to get too big. The display of the cabling can be better though imo.

Ultimately hardware metaphor isn't all that good on a screen I guess

Well, it could be : Add a module, and simply add a column and a row . A PIN is a connexion. Xils pushed the EMS concept a bit further when emulating them because pins are orientable (intensity) and the matrix is zoomable. It's a lot of visual feedback in a very tiny space (compared to other semi modulars using cables). Besides that EMS systems were open, they have inputs etc. So you can add transcient modules, pitch detection, EV followers, well, all you want as internal modules. But they are semi modular, it's true. To me full modular is mainly 2 things : free number of modules (because unlimited is a bit useless, so I prefer 'free' ) and modules from different manufacturers with a standard to connect them, so open of the outside world. True semi modular systems are very powerfull.( true is if you can connect any output of a module to the input of another one, and not, like I sometimes read, switch a component for another one of the same 'type' ( Even better if it's whatever the number of connexions already established, like in the EMS systems, so you dont fall short of inputs, or outputs, or have to use 'multiple' modules, wich are the limitations one usually have to deal with hw modulars)

[mrj1nx]

The pricepoint for the starter pack feels very reasonable but without polyphony i wouldnt want it, also i think the moneymaking scheme is a little too obvious, 30-50 usd per unit feels way to much, around 10 would be more reasonable imo.

[Numanoid]

The pricepoint for the starter pack feels very reasonable but without polyphony i wouldnt want it, also i think the moneymaking scheme is a little too obvious, 30-50 usd per unit feels way to much, around 10 would be more reasonable imo.

But perhaps users can make their own modules and share, like in Reaktor?

[Uncle E]

Does it not have polyphony? I thought he presenter mentioned it in the BPB video.

Price-wise, isn't Reaktor a lot more expensive to begin with, at least when purchased alone?

Remember, too, that Softube has really great sales. For example, some of their most popular plugins are 50% off right now and dealers (like us) give extra discounts on top.

[zerocrossing]

Softube Modular is available from May 11 for $99

Additional modules from Doepfer and Intellijel will be available as add-ons at launch (such as LPG, uFold II, Korgasmatron, Rubicon).

So, pretty cheap for a modular plugin, but with plugins (for the plugin) at extra cost. Kinda makes sense; gives it that authentic Pokemonesque ('gotta get them all') modular attraction.

Yeah, I kind of don't like that. I worked on a Pokémon Online game and I've had it with that attack on my wallet. I stopped buying Amplitube stuff soon after they went to the ala carte thing. It's not for me. Not when I have Reaktor 6 and Scope/Flexor Modular.

[whyterabbyt]

Well, it could be : Add a module, and simply add a column and a row )

Which gets unwieldy very quickly. I'd say its notable that the XILS4 didnt do that, it has two 23x23 (or whatever) matrices and a couple of smaller ones, not a large 60x60 matrix.

[foosnark]

One of the great things about Eurorack is that there are a ton of modules following the same standards that all interoperate in a big open system. I want to do that in software. This is, like Reaktor, kind of a start at that but still a somewhat closed, self-contained system. (Bazille is even more closed, in that it's probably never going to get any more modules or allow additional instances of the modules it already has.)

I want Reaktor and Bazille and Softube and other VSTs and my host all interoperating.

[zerocrossing]

So this is like a native Scope Modular, nice!

There are like a kajillion Scope modules that come free with Scope 5.1... more if you consider Flexor, which is on it's own 250 modules! ...and those leave your CPU cool as a cucumber and run at zero latency. They will run you an extra 129 euro though, just for the expansion. Scope is not for the broke, that's for sure.

This is more like Reaktor Blocks by another company. Very cool though, to see this market opening up. I think between R6 and Scope, I'm set.

[zerocrossing]

dragging virtual cables is frankly a daft approach on a computer screen unless the simulation is more important than ergonomics

Onscreen cables ergonomically are still the best visual representation of signal flow you'll find. Anything else is the daft approach, when the synth is fully modular.

I find the whole cable thing gets unusable after a certain level of complexity. I like how Reaktor 6 gives you two views, but it could do connection lables when in the main view, kind of like how VAZ modular does it.

[zerocrossing]

dragging virtual cables is frankly a daft approach on a computer screen unless the simulation is more important than ergonomics

Onscreen cables ergonomically are still the best visual representation of signal flow you'll find. Anything else is the daft approach, when the synth is fully modular.

No. I presonnaly think EMS had 50 years advance on everything else with their PIN Matrixes.

You can 'see/decypher' your patch in a glance. No obstrusive cables everywhere. And you can still connect everything with everything.



Besides that, full modular implies beeing able to connect modules from different manufacturers . Now one might prefer cables. And i have no worries when I have to deal with some. But 'the best' ... only translates here, as most often, in 'my opinion'.

I've got it up in the marketplace if anyone's interested! (not because it doesn't rock, but because I've moved to Scope as a platform for modular stuff)

[zerocrossing]

Mention Kilohearts' Multipass in a breath with Softubes Modular is like comparing Amy Shumer with Alessandra Ambrósio.

I'd take Amy over Alessandra any day of the week. I kind of like talking and jokes during my refractory period.