u-he view on vcv

[VariKusBrainZ]

VCVRack maybe free but I still went and bought Voltage Modular.

I can download cracked U-he software but I still pay for it.

Linux is the ultimate free OS but I still use Windows.

Go figure......

[Taika-Kim]

So, issue condensed: from the musician's point of view, VCV has cut air from DSP software prices. If somebody made a free filter that sounds (to her) as good as something somebody spent 10 years perfecting... Well, you can't not but respect that opinion. So maybe the collective effort puts some specialists from their job, but that's developement. Guilds used to closely guard their secrets of manufacturing things like steel wire, and they made a fair fortune out of that. But only when the secrets came out, were they not only democratized but also the next phase of innovation based on their tech could happen.

You just got to evolve, invent new products, etc.

Hey, I have practically stopped buying VSTs because already the Bitwig environment allows to quickly do things that I needed separate plugins for previously, and with a superior workflow, like computer music 2.0 or whatever, and the upcoming Grid will only take the situation further.

Of course it's sad if a company and it's products become obsolete, but that's progress too, it only means that either better things are available, or people are happier with worse but cheaper things.

People have money, and they like to buy. That's not going anywhere. Already I guess most of the plugin sales are comfort and indentity spending that's not connected to an actual need.

It is of course frustrating when superior technologies fall for worse ones. Gravis Ultrasound was a superb product, but Creative totally obliterated it with marketing and brute strength.

As a busy musician I have to say, that there is a lot of value in curation. One reason I haven't yet looked really into VCV (or Reaktor for that matter, that I bought for CV integration until BW did that too better) is that not all of the free creations are of that high quality. When somebody has carefully tested and balanced a product, it will be a better choice IMO to a sea of products that might not perform and interact in the optimal way always.

[chk071]

So, issue condensed: from the musician's point of view, VCV has cut air from DSP software prices.

Not really... software modulars are a niche market. VCV is a even more niche market.

[Taika-Kim]

That's true too, there is already too many software modulars already considering the market. I believe in a few years we will see what products prevail.

[Urs]

As a busy musician I have to say, that there is a lot of value in curation. One reason I haven't yet looked really into VCV (or Reaktor for that matter, that I bought for CV integration until BW did that too better) is that not all of the free creations are of that high quality. When somebody has carefully tested and balanced a product, it will be a better choice IMO to a sea of products that might not perform and interact in the optimal way always.

Amen to that. At the time this thread started (as outrage porn no less, from a thread I locked due to derailment), I checked out VCV and found the sheer amount of offerings quite convoluted.

That said, my opinion - which led to the derailment in the first place - has nothing to do with u-he. If VCV had the potential to destroy our business, Reaktor would have done so a decade ago.

[chk071]

That said, my opinion - which led to the derailment in the first place - has nothing to do with u-he. If VCV had the potential to destroy our business, Reaktor would have done so a decade ago.

Exactly. Thus i didn't quite get your defensiveness regarding VCV. IMO, VCV doesn't harm Reaktor either, because it's just a different thing, and, i have no doubt that the quality for the most part isn't on Reaktor's level as well.

[Urs]

That said, my opinion - which led to the derailment in the first place - has nothing to do with u-he. If VCV had the potential to destroy our business, Reaktor would have done so a decade ago.

Exactly. Thus i didn't quite get your defensiveness regarding VCV. IMO, VCV doesn't harm Reaktor either, because it's just a different thing, and, i have no doubt that the quality for the most part isn't on Reaktor's level as well.

It is not free of impact. Being "somewhat free" and becoming the de facto leading platform for modular synthesis on desktop computers leaves little room for commercial endeavours. Nothing can compete. They even break the unique selling point of Softube Modular, which is branded emulations of actual Eurorack modules.

Myself, I see my motivation to continue development of new modular synth plug-ins go below zero. No interest in getting harassed by the choir of "how can you expect money for this when VCV is free?"

[chk071]

Fair enough. I just wonder if VCV is really the de facto standard. I'm not too familiar with synths/environments like that, i only own Reaktor, but, i don't see loads of developers developing for VCV.

[Urs]

Fair enough. I just wonder if VCV is really the de facto standard. I'm not too familiar with synths/environments like that, i only own Reaktor, but, i don't see loads of developers developing for VCV.

The Befaco stuff was downloaded nearly 70.000 times, according to the VCV shop. Even if every VCV user has downloaded it, this is an absolutely extraordinary number.

It's what happens when expensive-stuff-everybody-wants becomes available cheap.

[SLiC]

I think all the Mutable Instruments stuff including the new stuff indicates effective support for VCV (by releasing in that format following the 'open source' ethos) and makes most people who know MI in the eurorack world take notice, dare I say MI are the U-HE of the eurorack world (pretty much universally loved and respected!)

[Urs]

Yep. There's no download figures for those, but it's obvious - pretty much every VCV user has them installed.

After Befaco, there's the Synthtech E-Series Cloud Generator with 64000+ downloads.

Crazy stuff, crazy numbers.

[SLiC]

I have most of the MI stuff as hardware (a full case) and the Cloud Generator....having them as software 'as well' makes me like them even more (and support MI even more)

[SeePlusPlus]

[pekbro]

Even if the software modulars can top my hardware modular in functionality, I still have no interest
in them whatsoever. For some reason, to me they would have just been a "letdown" even before I
bought into Eurorack.

Which I find odd, as I've previously always wanted a DSI profit. Yet when I actually ponied up the
coin, I passed on the DSI stuff in favor of eurorack modular, precisely because my satisfaction
with the Uhe softsynths, made the DSI far less attractive.

[Digivolt]

It's what happens when expensive-stuff-everybody-wants becomes available cheap.

Surely it's what happens when open source hardware gets made into software ?

I like and buy your products but really I don't see how you can complain about hardware that was openly available for any body to make for free (not including parts costs) with some electronics knowledge becoming free in software form

To commercialise it in software form goes against the very ethos of open source