However, special mention must go to the additional modules that are available at extra cost. Helpfully, cable colours alter with each one patched, so it’s easy to trace the route of any cable.Īnd so the fun can begin, as it is even possible to build step sequencers into the frame as well, which will then, in turn, clock to your DAW, via the helpful DAW Sync module.

However, just like a modular, it is still possible to make CV connections that might not illicit a response at first, so unlike many soft synths, if you’re creating a patch from scratch, you will need to engage the grey matter to ensure that connections make sense. Patching together is a cinch, thanks to the elegant design of the interface.Īs you select an output, all the available inputs for connection glow green, as does the cable you are connecting. Once selected, the module appears in the modular case, and is ready for use, which essentially means patching it in – it’s a modular synth, remember – so rather than waste time, in goes a filter, VCA and envelope. The Doepfer A-110 VCO is one of the first modules on view, so this was my starting point. This synth will not make a sound unless you look after the basics you’ll need a MIDI-to-CV module to be in place if you want to trigger a sound from your keyboard, so having attended to this, I moved to an oscillator. Creating a sound, I had to take off my ‘DAW-based soft synth’ hat, and very firmly put on my ‘Eurorack boffin cloak’. So now was the time to break open a pack of virtual patch cables and build up a timbre.Īt this point, I discovered any illusions I may have had that this wasn’t a traditional modular were about to come into sharp focus. It could be argued what I was hearing in the presets is akin to what I refer to as the ‘Bose effect’ – where the frequency palette is coloured by an overarching top and bottom end, that feels pleasing to the ear in its initial form. The bottom end is thunderous, with wonderful warmth in the lower mids, while the top end offers a wispy quality. The ethos of Modular is to offer the user modules from the real world, and while there’s a large collection of generic utility modules, many of which offer the sort of functionality expected in a Eurorack, there’s also a helpful smattering of modules from existing companies, most notably at this stage Doepfer and Intellijel, with the latter requiring an additional small purchase.ĭiving straight in with some of the presets purely to get a taste of what is on offer, I was immediately hit by the depth of the sonic palette.

Softube vst review