Softube Modular

[D-Fusion]

Has anyone been able to use the demo in Ableton Live 9.6 (64 bit on Win10 64 bit)?

Live wont even open!

I can't even download the demo. :/

Anyone want to zip up the installer for Windows 64 demo and put it up on a share site for me? My ISP is blocking the download and Softube seems to have their customer service busy dealing with other bugs.

Zero, I'll see if I can upload it to my dropbox account.

** EDIT ** It's 738 meg. I don't think a free drop box account will let me upload a file that big and my own hosting has a 500 meg upload limit. And zipped it's still 738 meg.

I'm on it.

As for my audio issues, my system isn't up to spec, apparently.

What kind of AMD do you have?

[kiezum]

And like a really bad crack addict, I can't wait for additional modules to come out. That's where all my money is going...down the rabbit hole with me.

I've been playing with the utility modules (like divider and logic). Great stuff. But yeah, I'm already very interested in new modules (I was afraid for this).

[johnrule]

I already have Reaktor, Arturia Moog Modular, and U-He Bazille. Why would I need this?

I really wish it wasn't iLok btw. That adds another $40 to the price for me. I've got three elicensers though

[thetechnobear]

I already have Reaktor, Arturia Moog Modular, and U-He Bazille. Why would I need this?

I really wish it wasn't iLok btw. That adds another $40 to the price for me. I've got three elicensers though

you dont need an iLok usb stick, it can use software iLok.
(ok, if you end up with a lot of investment, it might be later worth a stick)

as for why you need it.. try it, perhaps you dont
its quite different from Reaktor Blocks and U-he Bazille, in sound and use.
(Ive not got Moog modular, so can't tell, but the modules aren't moog, so the sound is going to be different)

[wagtunes]

I already have Reaktor, Arturia Moog Modular, and U-He Bazille. Why would I need this?

I really wish it wasn't iLok btw. That adds another $40 to the price for me. I've got three elicensers though

As an owner of just about every soft modular synth out there (Reaktor, Arturia, U-he, MUX, KarmaFX, etc.) I'll tell you why you "need" it.

It goes deeper than all but Reaktor. But Reaktor for building synths, for me, is a royal PITA. Softube is close to its complexity yet easier to navigate and assemble. You still have to know your stuff, but Softube makes it easier to get to where you want to go.

Also, sound wise, and again this is just my opinion, it blows Reaktor away. I had Reaktor 6 on my to-buy list (I own 5) but have taken it off. I don't need it.

On the downside, every module you want to get in the future you will have to pay for. So this can get very pricey.

Ultimately, nobody really needs anything. But if you want a really versatile modular synth that you don't need an engineering degree to put together, Softube will get you where you want to go.

My 2 cents for whatever they're worth.

[johnrule]

it blows Reaktor away. I had Reaktor 6 on my to-buy list (I own 5) but have taken it off. I don't need it.

I'm still at Reaktor 5, so I may as well put that upgrade money towards this then.

I didn't know about the iLok software auth. I have it installed, so I'll take another look, and then fire up the demo.

Thanks!

[Vintage73]

I'm on it.

As for my audio issues, my system isn't up to spec, apparently.

What kind of AMD do you have?

FX-6100. It's pretty old by today's standards.

[rod_zero]

To me Softube Modular has the edge over Reaktor 6 Blocks just because of the UI.

If reaktor blocks had the patching points in the modules, instead of a separate view, it would way easier to use. As it stands Softube's has better workflow.

Reaktor Blocks has the advantage of being totally open to development and is going to be cheaper in the long run.

[chilly7]

Anybody knows how to MIDI map with it in Studio One?
I cannot find any button for this.

[zerocrossing]

Thanks to Blue Phase Music (nice name!) I got it up and running.

I have to say that I do not hear or see what all the hub-bub is all about. I did my quick stress test (one osc modulating the filter cutoff an octave down from the main osc) and it sounds good, but the idea that this is some major step forward from Reaktor 6 is hyperbole, IMO. I think the stock Minimoog filter in Reaktor 6 blows away the A-108 emulation, but maybe I'd like actual Moog ladder filter (got a clone on my ATC-X) more than I'd like the A-108. When you crank up the filter gain I hear aliasing as compared to running a similar patch in Reaktor at 96 khz. Maybe that's just a lot more distortion? Sounds aliasy to me. The deopfer oscs sound a bit stiff and modern. I'd love a drift control. Overall, I'd say it sounds... fine.

CPU wise, it's greedy, as expected, and I found that when I made anything really cool I would max out my 2.5 ghz i7. The cool thing about Reaktor is that when doing audio rate mod stuff I can run it at 96 khz, but if that's not important I can back it off to 48 khz and mostly not notice a sound difference and still get my patch to be playable. I couldn't get a bunch of the presets to really play and I bet I could get them to play and sound good using Reatkor at 48 khz, so some quality modes might have helped out here. So, the thing is that the type of patches I was able to get going that ran OK were things that I could do in various other plug ins with nice mod matrixes. For instance, building a 2 osc, 2 LFO, 2 EG, etc kind of affair in Softube Modular is a waste of CPU cycles. Roland's System 100 plug in sounds much better and is a bit easier on the CPU. For me the point where Softube Modular becomes interesting is the point where I can't run it.

It's missing a lot too. Little things like portamento. Yeah, I know, use the Slew Limiter module, but having things like that built into the CV module go a long way toward basic usability. Why don't all the performance modules have CV in? That would be super great for performance orientated stuff for people who use alternative MIDI interfaces like a Hot Hand. The stock modules are just... boring. Where's the wavetable/FM/additive/sampleplayer oscs? I get that those might come later but at a price. Again, Reaktor 6 already has nice examples of all of the above.

Speaking of usability, I hate the way you add modules. First off, I don't need to see a picture of the module I want, especially on the deopfer modules which all look so similar anyway that it just makes for a large window. Imagine what might happen when/if more modules are developed. You're painted into a corner. I couldn't even figure out how to move a module. That should be so obvious but I could only delete them. I know, RTFM, but on something as simple as that, it's a UX fail. I see why people like it at first, the UI looks good and things are easy enough to connect, but cables graphics often block things. It's one of those things where they went all the way over to the intuitive end of the spectrum (the other end being learnable) but at the expense of usability and clarity. I much prefer R6's Blocks and how they work.

Oh look. I made a bunch of random changes to a preset and... it's saved? Uh... no. reinstantiate the plug in and it's back. Fail. Forget all that, just put in a modern patch browser like pretty much most of the better commercial plug ins offer. Might be nice if modules could have their own presets as well, but that's not too big a deal.

So, overall I came into this pretty skeptical. The idea of continuously paying for new modules as they come out because the stock modules are just basic is a mistake, IMO. I thought that it might just sound so kick-ass that I couldn't resist. I can resist.

[JerGoertz]

I have to say that I do not hear or see what all the hub-bub is all about.

You and me both, brother. I was decidedly underwhelmed by the sound quality of the included patches when held up to something like Diva or Monark. Some of 'em sounded decent, but many seemed sterile and lacking that analog warmth.

I do like the concept, however.

[blutronic]

I really get all that you guys are saying but I gotta say, I just layered the following stock modular patches on top of each other "BassSynth Classic M Mon" and "Bass Dubstep Follow Mono" and then ran the stack through the effects version of modular using the "Chorus Dense" patch and played while turning the cutoff knob on the control panel of the "Bass Synth Classic M mono patch" patch, also turned up the frequency knob on the right hand A-108 VCF8 on the Dubstep patch and I am just so giddy and blown away. Absolute Monster sound. This is the best $65 I have spent in a while ($75 - 15% at JRRshop) I love Diva, Monark, Reaktor 6 blocks etc and Modular stands up proudly next to them all. All these synths have there place but Softube Modular is a very very welcome and unique addition to the collection. If I don't ever get another add on for modular I will still be happy... My subs are blowing my hair back with all the wind this setup is making (literally). I have a core i7 3Ghz but nothing really special here. My rig is coming up 6 years old now. Yup, 75% CPU utilization but so worth it.. whoooohoo. Just stacked DIVA with the "HS House Dust" stock patch on top of the whole mess and bless my poor little CPU, it handled it and I created a wind storm coming out of the subs of my monitors. I would be interested in opinions if anybody else is willing to try this and comment....

[johnrule]

I really get all that you guys are saying but I gotta say, I just layered the following stock modular patches on top of each other "BassSynth Classic M Mon" and "Bass Dubstep Follow Mono" and then ran the stack through the effects version of modular using the "Chorus Dense" patch and played while turning the cutoff knob on the control panel of the "Bass Synth Classic M mono patch" patch, also turned up the frequency knob on the right hand A-108 VCF8 on the Dubstep patch and I am just so giddy and blown away.

And you can't accomplish this with what you have?

My subs are blowing my hair back with all the wind this setup is making (literally).

And you can't accomplish this with what you have?

[wagtunes]

I really get all that you guys are saying but I gotta say, I just layered the following stock modular patches on top of each other "BassSynth Classic M Mon" and "Bass Dubstep Follow Mono" and then ran the stack through the effects version of modular using the "Chorus Dense" patch and played while turning the cutoff knob on the control panel of the "Bass Synth Classic M mono patch" patch, also turned up the frequency knob on the right hand A-108 VCF8 on the Dubstep patch and I am just so giddy and blown away.

And you can't accomplish this with what you have?

My subs are blowing my hair back with all the wind this setup is making (literally).

And you can't accomplish this with what you have?

You get it through JRR shop. I think it's good until the middle of July. Not sure about the end date.

[rod_zero]

The sound isn't special, at least to me. Specially compared to Diva, Monark and the moog filter blocks.

But in blocks I hate having to look down for the connections.

Modular still has a lot to prove too, need more modules and more developers on board.