KVR Audio

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:12 pm

Just stick with Reaktor. IMO, it has a really nice complement of great factory Blocks from NI, and many great ones that are free in the factory library. If those don’t do it for you, you can always expand your collection by buying 3rd party Blocks. I find the sound to be easily as good as Softube Modular, but more flexible in that you can run it at different sample rates. This is good when you’re experimenting with stuff that doesn’t used audio rate modulation. You can save CPU cycles by running at at your system sample rate, but if you are using audio rate modulation, you can double it and get a better sound quality. I personally like the legacy way of editing sets of Blocks, but there is now a “patch cable” style as well, if you prefer that. There are also a lot of great tutorials up on Youtube to help you get started. Dig in.

AcrossTheSky · Post by **AcrossTheSky** » Mon Dec 30, 2019 10:15 pm

zerocrossing wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 9:12 pm Just stick with Reaktor. IMO, it has a really nice complement of great factory Blocks from NI, and many great ones that are free in the factory library. If those don’t do it for you, you can always expand your collection by buying 3rd party Blocks. I find the sound to be easily as good as Softube Modular, but more flexible in that you can run it at different sample rates. This is good when you’re experimenting with stuff that doesn’t used audio rate modulation. You can save CPU cycles by running at at your system sample rate, but if you are using audio rate modulation, you can double it and get a better sound quality. I personally like the legacy way of editing sets of Blocks, but there is now a “patch cable” style as well, if you prefer that. There are also a lot of great tutorials up on Youtube to help you get started. Dig in.

couldn't agree more ---Reaktor !!
...the more there is --- the more interference there is ! dont blow yr self up..

WasteLand · Post by **WasteLand** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:54 am

for reaktor, free, although a donation is nice; a buchla ensemble, an older ensemble, made new, the modules are now .ins, instruments, you can work with your own set of modules and it has front-patching.

a great ensemble, and now very usuable. there will be new modules, great modules. buchla based. not a rack, blocks, but works almost as nice. only saving as a rack isn't possible, and not many patch colors..

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/r ... how/11077/

euroreakt, one other very known ensemble, is now for blocks available, a free, small pack and a pack that contains, together with the free pack, all modules. you can create racks with it.

https://www.unfilteredaudio.com/collections/reaktor

or toybox blocks packs:

https://www.toyboxaudio.com/

voltage modular i have too, is great, but sounds more synth like, but is a great playground. with buying modules it ends up not that cheap, but with great modules.

softube modular, i also have, not many modules available, but with these "limited" modules you can create already so many different patches, and the sound.... not cheap, all the modules...

the cheapest way is now reaktor, toybox and euroreakt are on sale. and great modules, a playground that is extensive. with the blocks from reaktor full, you can do anything, almost...

EDIT: the sound of reaktor is on par with softube modular, and you can set the sound quality. a cpu hog, as softube modular, when big patches, or modules that are "heavy", or complex patches.

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 7:34 am

As the op asked on what to focus what he has already, I try to answer out of my personal experience.
Reaktor for sure is the deepest, but also in terms of learning curve.
VCV is the most inspiring, but overwhelming with those 1000+ choices of modules. It is way easier to grab especially if you want to do polyphonic patches, also easier to do MPE.
I would dive into Reaktor, but still play around with VCV for inspiration. (For that there is no need to wait for the VST version even...)
I also picked the Voltage modular, but as I use Bitwig and have the Grid, there is no point to dive into that.
In terms of inspiration and quick results nothing beats the Grid.
In terms of mindset of a hardware modular nothing beats VCV.
In terms of depth and universal DSP choices in a VST nothing beats Reaktor.
But standalone Max/MSP is even deeper (and more consistant) than Reaktor. Can’t judge the Max/MSP learning curve anymore, I am using it since version 2.0, its my native language...

Dillinger · Post by **Dillinger** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 7:42 am

Audulus will tweak your melon, done dirt cheap.

ztrauq · Post by **ztrauq** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 8:12 am

Thanks for all the great advice! I think I've decided to stick with Reaktor for my primary modular learning and exploration, and check out some of the third-party modules (thanks WasteLand for the links). Just installed the Toybox free pack, and realized I had downloaded the Euro Reakt set a while back (albeit the non-front-panel-patching previous version that was on the user library). Actually, I think I may start out on ModulAir due to its simpler environment to get a better understanding of modular, then move to Reaktor Blocks for a larger assortment of modules.

I'll still keep the other two around, I'm sure (Voltage Modular does allow "importing" external VSTs into its rack, and I think I've got plenty of modules in it already to play around with modulating said VSTs). I tried VCV again and right now it's just overwhelming for me, but it might be in the mix to get for my tablet/phone (via miRack) for playing around with on the go (although now that I've started looking into it mobile modular looks like a whole other discussion, with miRack vs Audulus vs the upcoming Drambo...)

(also, for reference, I'm probably looking to modular for more of the weird/experimental stuff, to see what new and interesting stuff I can come up with...)

Heh, as I'm writing this I realize that I completely forgot to put Fathom into the mix (I guess because for some reason I was only thinking about what I had that looked kinda like Eurorack, and also because it absolutely melts my computer). Even so, I do think Reaktor will be my main focus for now - it can certainly do it all, and while I've mostly used it with prefab ensembles, it's the system I've been working with for by far the longest, and I'm hoping some of that familiarity may help at least a little to get into this new aspect of it.

Dillinger · Post by **Dillinger** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 10:11 am

Cytomic?

Cinebient · Post by **Cinebient** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 11:23 am

Depending on your os and workflow....but in general i also would stick with Reaktor then. The Toy Box packs are looking really good.
(...but if you also are also using iOS...wait a month for a new approach....if not just forget about it).

stimresp · Post by **stimresp** » Tue Dec 31, 2019 12:10 pm

VCVrack kicks serious ass.

antic604 · Post by **antic604** » Wed Jan 08, 2020 11:04 pm

To make the choice even harder, I just found this

http://www.solostuff.net/solorack/

ztrauq · Post by **ztrauq** » Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:37 am

antic604 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 08, 2020 11:04 pm To make the choice even harder, I just found this

http://www.solostuff.net/solorack/

Heh, now that's on my "to look at" list too

That being said, I already bought into the Toybox Audio packs, so I think I'll stick with modular in Reaktor for now. Starting to get the basics (can assemble a simple if functional synth now), now to learn more about CV/clock signals and get to some fun experiments...

Shabdahbriah · Post by **Shabdahbriah** » Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:12 am

thecontrolcentre wrote: ↑Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:13 pm I'll just leave this here

https://youtu.be/frT4TwSHm1k

Definitely near the top of my shortlist.

With regard to the OPs quest, and staying with Reaktor:

these: http://www.everythingturns.com/ET-V2/bl ... mbles.html

Distorted Horizon · Post by **Distorted Horizon** » Mon Jan 13, 2020 10:34 am

Stick with Reaktor and wait for Behringer to release their affordable hardware modular bits

antic604 · Post by **antic604** » Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:33 pm

VCV Rack v2 is supposed to be released late Jan / early Feb with VST version to follow soon after, so I'd wait for that.

JerGoertz · Post by **JerGoertz** » Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:48 pm

I like the sound of Cherry Audio; never got the praise for Softube Modular.

Which software modular to buy into?