Softube Modular

[matteoluigiodaro]

Okay so I have uninstalled Modular even though I bought it a few months ago. The navigation sucks, too slow, CPU crazy, sound far from hardware. It's been fun though, at least I could try and I'm buying some proper gear oh well, to each their own.

Will try Heartbeat though, Black Friday you think? xD

[Ploki]

i like heartbeat.

What about sound on modular bugs you? I find it pretty good sounding.
CPU doesn't bother me.
Navigation is unintuitive yes.

what kills it for me is load time. 40s on my system. i just can't, until they fix that i'm not really using it.

[WasteLand]

i like heartbeat.

What about sound on modular bugs you? I find it pretty good sounding.
CPU doesn't bother me.
Navigation is unintuitive yes.

what kills it for me is load time. 40s on my system. i just can't, until they fix that i'm not really using it.

yes the loading is a turn off, but it seems better now. fast enough, to work with.
the sound i "adore", cpu yes, but my system can handle it. the patches i make.

workflow can be better, but it does not stop me, from making patches, that i only can achieve in softube modular. perhaps i know it so well.. or it is softube modular, no it is me! simply really like, but of course, in every case; personal. it works for the music i make, and the sound! the sound!

(and have reaktor, VM and VCV rack, reaktor i use a lot, VM almost every day, different approaches.)

[Ploki]

Yeah they're putting band-aids over it, but on Mac it's still beyond usable (load times)

[WasteLand]

Yeah they're putting band-aids over it, but on Mac it's still beyond usable (load times)

i agree that they must dig deeper in modular to make it better, i had a long conversation, the last months with someone of support. i mentioned a lot of things, i hope they will be picked up.
(like openGL, it eats my GPU, a gtx 1060 6gb, but of course it doesn't go into turbo.., so that is great, also cubase eats GPU... but the CPU load goes also up... that is, if my research is solid, a result of not pinging the system, i call it that way, i only see developers talking about it, i don't have problems with it, even in projects that fully tax my system, because which DAW, causes to have load above 50% per core (that doesn't mean, not strange, that a great single core performance is still needed. i notice the difference between 4.0 GHz and 4.4 Ghz, it is only 10%, but it makes a real difference, cpu load does not say anything about performance, only about load. i don't talk about buffer readings, in a DAW, but real cpu load.
but i think it is only 2 o3 lines of code, to get cpu load down with openGL, but still my cpu can handle it, one core softube modular uses for it's audio process, it is about 20/30%, with openGL on.
still; even with a higher cpu load, it performs better with openGL, strangely..

openGL is sometimes a mystery, also for developers...)

but i think, because the conversation was long, reported some bugs, are reproduced.
about openGL, i open a new ticket. you see it also with other plugins. it can be windows, but my guess, openGL isn't DSP, openGL, if you make plugins in JUCE, it is implemented in JUCE, so quite easy, but still proper coding is necessary. JUCE is still C++, so talent and knowledge is still very important. i don't know if softube uses JUCE by the way.

band-aids indeed. but softube has great programmers, perhaps managers are the problem (as with native instruments...).

[VariKusBrainZ]

Anyone else have problems with Softube Central on Windows?
Had to uninstall it as it couldnt connect to my account and rendered all my Modular installations as demos.
Worked a few months ago.

[WasteLand]

Anyone else have problems with Softube Central on Windows?
Had to uninstall it as it couldnt connect to my account and rendered all my Modular installations as demos.
Worked a few months ago.

strange behavior, the licenses are on your iLok. i have by the way a dongle, hardware (expensive, too expensive, but...).

softube central only checks with your iLok account (strangely not the soft- or hardware iLok..)

what helps in my case, logging in into your account on the softube site. or refresh the connection with within your account (again website) to synchronize with iLok.

if you have a software iLok, check if your licenses are visible, with a dongle also... if iLok works, softube central isn't necessary.

the softube central acts up sometimes, is still a problem. there will be a fix. but they must fix more.

[VariKusBrainZ]

Hey, thanks for taking the time!

F@ck knows, shit happens I guess.

At least Modular and its modules are working after I ditched Softube Central and reinstalled all the modular stuff.

All the standalone VSTs worked fine, even though they too showed as unauthorised

I take back my previous negs about the development of Modular, since theyre releasing modules from their newer VST synths (at no extra cost, take note Cherry Audio) its gotten sexy again!

Anyone else have problems with Softube Central on Windows?
Had to uninstall it as it couldnt connect to my account and rendered all my Modular installations as demos.
Worked a few months ago.

strange behavior, the licenses are on your iLok. i have by the way a dongle, hardware (expensive, too expensive, but...).

softube central only checks with your iLok account (strangely not the soft- or hardware iLok..)

what helps in my case, logging in into your account on the softube site. or refresh the connection with within your account (again website) to synchronize with iLok.

if you have a software iLok, check if your licenses are visible, with a dongle also... if iLok works, softube central isn't necessary.

the softube central acts up sometimes, is still a problem. there will be a fix. but they must fix more.

[vertibration]

After spending a lot of time last night with softube modular. My take on it is this

Positive:
Doepfer, Mutable Braids, and Intellijel oscillators sound amazing. Everything just sounds identical to hardware. I had a Make Noise STO in my system, and the Doepfer Osc reminds me of it a little, and I swear, the Doepfer Osc just sounds killer. I dont know how softube does it, but they have identical emulations with these modules. Also, the Doepfer VCF is an amazing filter. Its way better than any filter i ever heard in vst form.

Negative:
Not enough modules. They need to start making some deals with other companies. They released modules for their most recent original synths, for free if you own those synths, and I think that is very good. However.....A lot of companies out there, its best to get as many as you can before VCV rack does. I hear VCV has Malekko Heavy Industry on standby, Im sure when they release Rack for DAW, and they have the majority of the mutable modules, they will start to really bring more companies on board. I think if anyone can convince Make Noise to take the software plunge outside of sound hack (Tony said he will only work with sound hack), it could be Softube if the deal benefits them enough, and maybe if softube brings Tom Erbe on board to work with them on something.

Aside from all that, I think right now, softube modular is a smart purchase. Yea the UI could be a little easier to use, It can drain CPU if you have a lot going on, but if you just want something that sounds identical to the hardware, this is definitely it.

[WasteLand]

After spending a lot of time last night with softube modular. My take on it is this

Positive:
Doepfer, Mutable Braids, and Intellijel oscillators sound amazing. Everything just sounds identical to hardware. I had a Make Noise STO in my system, and the Doepfer Osc reminds me of it a little, and I swear, the Doepfer Osc just sounds killer. I dont know how softube does it, but they have identical emulations with these modules. Also, the Doepfer VCF is an amazing filter. Its way better than any filter i ever heard in vst form.

Negative:
Not enough modules. They need to start making some deals with other companies. They released modules for their most recent original synths, for free if you own those synths, and I think that is very good. However.....A lot of companies out there, its best to get as many as you can before VCV rack does. I hear VCV has Malekko Heavy Industry on standby, Im sure when they release Rack for DAW, and they have the majority of the mutable modules, they will start to really bring more companies on board. I think if anyone can convince Make Noise to take the software plunge outside of sound hack (Tony said he will only work with sound hack), it could be Softube if the deal benefits them enough, and maybe if softube brings Tom Erbe on board to work with them on something.

Aside from all that, I think right now, softube modular is a smart purchase. Yea the UI could be a little easier to use, It can drain CPU if you have a lot going on, but if you just want something that sounds identical to the hardware, this is definitely it.

not to disagree, but for me the negative is not that negative; the modules softube has, i have not all modules (no statement, monoment or spring reverb, so quite a lot still), it still enough for making years of patches. and yes the sound, softube (perhaps reaktor can reach it, it certainly can), but the sound, yes.. that is why i don't miss modules.

also owning reaktor (with a lot of third party packs/blocks) and voltage modular (with over 400 modules). VCV rack, and me, it is great system, sounds great, and i have bought some bundles, some.. but never really did it for me.. i can't say why... so nothing against VCV, on the contrary, it is great, but why doesn't it work for me.

but the workflow could be much better in softube modular, but the sound, the sound i get of making lovely strange patches, with 10 modules, or less. or 15.. not that much i use, and still... or strange patches, rich sounding scapes/drones, with a dynamic, in sound, and richness i repeat and repeat, that i only can accomplish in softube modular and sometimes or sometimes in reaktor.

voltage modular i use a lot, is also great, and also great sounds, it has a totally different character.

but the sound! of softube modular! the sound! if i listen to old patches or new, or all, that i made, and i make variants, just patching, without adding modules, or sometime one module, a complete other richness evolves.
of course i still make patches from scratch.. maybe, it was my first soft modular. and yes, the sound! the sound!

[vertibration]

So Voltage Modular for me doesnt do it because if I spend money on a module, I want an emulation, thats just me. I like that I can use emulations of hardware, and softube does that. Voltage Modular is cool, but I do like Softube better. VCV rack right now in its current state is stand alone, what I am talking about, is when VCV comes out with a VST. Then things get interesting.

For now, I coudnt be happier with softube. Intellijel, 4MS, Mutable Instruments, and Doepfer. They all sound great. I guess you are right, I mean, you dont really need a million modules. You really dont.

[WasteLand]

So Voltage Modular for me doesnt do it because if I spend money on a module, I want an emulation, thats just me. I like that I can use emulations of hardware, and softube does that. Voltage Modular is cool, but I do like Softube better. VCV rack right now in its current state is stand alone, what I am talking about, is when VCV comes out with a VST. Then things get interesting.

For now, I coudnt be happier with softube. Intellijel, 4MS, Mutable Instruments, and Doepfer. They all sound great. I guess you are right, I mean, you dont really need a million modules. You really dont.

ok, i get that. VM hasn't that much emulations, but it has the zeroscillator... (by the same developer...). VCV when it comes as a vst plugin, i will problably fall for it, but not for $100...
VM and i, i don't why again it, works..

but softube delivers emulations and quality. vm has a different quality, that i can use.
i see people, in the real world (hardware, bad yoke..), with a lot of modules and some use only a small rack, and get things out of it, that others can't approach with 100 hardware modules.
(and of course there are people that get out of 100 modules great sounds... it's, i am, not dogmatic, i hope, and i if am, i will be corrected by my friends...)

i have a lot of modules for VM, yes, but not all, and it is always such a pleasure to work with.

softube modular stays on top, for real modular sounds, although VM with some modules...
softube modular has an internal sampling rate (or oversampling, it isn't mentioned anywhere, reaktor can do 2 things, internal sampling rate fixed, or "oversampling", based on the host settings, you can hear it, but i don't need 96Khz in reaktor for what i do), that is much higher than VM, i think, but also softube has developers.

but still VM, also the cherry audio stuff, or the vult stuff in VM (that sounds the same in VCV rack..), it still is a big playground. i use them for different stuff.

and i feel, although softube has added their own instruments, i bought model 72 and parallels for it, monoment and statement don't get me, that i can still do so much in softube modular. ow i am repeating. the buchla stuff. the 4MS stuff. and yes the doepfer stuff, that is also pretty great.
so, i don't feel limitations within softube modular. the korgasmatron, the rubycon, 4MS peg and 4MS resonator. those four only... and then with all the other modules...

o well.

glad you like it. enjoy!

EDIT: and yes braids, but rings and clouds; yes the tb 303 of the modular world for ambient, but using with a lot of modulation (mainly feeding eachother, with some other modules), endless..
so i aren't a lot, but a buchle 259e + 296e + braids + rings + clouds + 4MS peg + 4MS resonator + rubycon (TZFM, you can hear it!) + korgasmatron + uFold + doepfer BBD + all doepfer modules you get + utilities (althoug i miss some utilities... but workarounds, and simply thinking clearly achieves a lot..) it still an arsenal of modules. o yes the vactrol LPG. it covers a lot of ground, and it aren't the least modules... so you get... it ain't cheap, o well the sales... i can go on and on..
i stop, let's play with modular!

[VariKusBrainZ]

Best of both worlds, load Modular in Voltage

[WasteLand]

Best of both worlds, load Modular in Voltage

haha, yes. didn't try it, yet. only the reason rack.. the plugin host of voltage modular gives a lot of possibilities. using oscilators from other synths, for instance, or use filter plugins..

[deastman]

Best of both worlds, load Modular in Voltage

haha, yes. didn't try it, yet. only the reason rack.. the plugin host of voltage modular gives a lot of possibilities. using oscilators from other synths, for instance, or use filter plugins..

I never thought of that! I'm going to try loading Softube Modular and Reason Rack in Voltage Modular and use them all together. I wonder if my CPU will survive the experience?

I bought Softube Modular when it was first released... how many years ago was that? They still have an embarrassingly small assortment of modules available. What is there sounds fantastic, but I have at least ten times the selection available to me in physical eurorack modules.

Eventually I jumped ship over to Voltage Modular, which, like VCV Rack, has a robust third party ecosystem. I find the UI much easier to work with than Softube, and it sounds pretty good... not Softube level, but good enough for most purposes.