Where is Softube Modular heading.

[zerocrossing]

Perhaps the can’t afford the licensing fees.

It’s probably more a matter of Softube’s terms being unfavorable for developers. Meaning, when they sell a module on their site they’re taking too big a cut or something like that.

Perhaps, it’s just a niche market and nobody is going to invest in it anymore ?

I don't think anyone makes any music products because they think it's a great way to strike it rich. Most VCV modules are free, put up by people who have an idea they want to use and then generously share it with the world. There are some commercial ones, but you don't really need to buy them to get a lot out of it. I think if Softube opened their API up to the world and let anyone author modules for Modular, it would give it a whole new life. They would benefit from more people buying licenses for it, and probably also picking up some of their paid modules as well.

But it seems like they're not really interested in it. I sent a request for a CV controllable mixer, something that's as common as dirt in the hardware modular world, and the support person acted as if this was some new thing I'd thought of. Sadly, I think they just don't care to be a big player in software modular. Sad, really, as their sound quality is pretty much the best.

[Glyn Darby]

Hi all,
I put in a request ages ago for them to sell all the hardware synth emulations modules separately as I have umpteen emulations from other manufacturers and they said it was something they we’re looking into, surprise surprise no sign yet! They could easily do a ‘package’ of them all, charge a reasonable amount for it and I would buy it. They said in the original blurb for Modular there would be frequent releases of new modules, that has not been the case, I think the last actual single module was Vermont I think. Definitely over promised I think which really is a shame as it really does sound gorgeous. Cheers Glyn.

[Smurphd]

Based were they have been going so far, I think they're heading somewhere between nowhere and retirement. It's just way too clunky, too limited, too boring and too expensive, imo.

[masterhiggins]

The other factor (that I’ve heard) is that VCV tends to play favorites with devs and outright refuse to assist some with porting their stuff over to their system. I’ve actually asked a couple (which I won’t name) who’ve had negative experiences dealing with them and that is why they chose to port them to VM instead.

[agharta]

Straight to the digital bin.
Been demoing some modular this week and Softube is the first plugin to ever crash Ableton 11.

[untilde]

After the release of VCV 2 and official VST support... Softube Modular feels like a downgrade in every single aspect.
It feels clunky, outdated. They seriously need a revamp.

[Ah_Dziz]

I'll sell my license. Then ST modular can be headed right to your computer. It's been mostly a bummer for myself.

[elxsound]

I've had Modular for a long while but hadn't been using it until I started messing around with it over the past couple of days.

It sounds really good.

It is too bad they couldn't find a way to expand their number of modules from third-party vendors, as this does sound good.

I also fired up VCV, but didn't think the workflow was an improvement over Modular.

Mirack works the easiest for me. I like it best on the computer over the iPad. The only thing I like better about VCV (besides the catalog) is the hover-over info on each parameter.

[agharta]

Straight to the digital bin.
Been demoing some modular this week and Softube is the first plugin to ever crash Ableton 11.

Just before the end of the demo period they put out an update and it stopped crashing.
Someone suggested to turn off the GPU acceleration, but I couldn't even open it in the Ableton or another host to do that as it crashed immediately.

[Sound_Bear]

Cherry Audio Voltage Modular does polyphony easily and it sounds good enough for a modular system (read: an instrument that will mostly get used for the experimental or super-complex patches a fixed architecture synth can't do). Keep in mind that Softube didn't even get the really good VCOs from Doepfer and Buchla (CEM3340 based A-111 High-end VCO, 261e, 208...).

Softube Modular has been practically abandonware for years. They just gloss it over with the half-hearted fixed-architecture additions. And I'm with everyone who called the interface clunky. It was never nearly as natural to program as VAZ, Reaktor or any other software-only modular, not to mention Buchla hardware with its coded cables.

I'm actually trying to sell mine, but this needed to be said.

I respect Softube for keeping some very old products technically up to date and supported, but in this case, it never was a healthy product to begin with.

[aMUSEd]

I respect Softube for keeping some very old products technically up to date and supported

tbh I don't even think they are doing that, none of their VST3 versions migrate over from older VST2 based projects and the NKS presets that came with VST2s still do not work with the VST3 versions

[Sound_Bear]

I respect Softube for keeping some very old products technically up to date and supported

tbh I don't even think they are doing that, none of their VST3 versions migrate over from older VST2 based projects and the NKS presets that came with VST2s still do not work with the VST3 versions

Thanks for your input - can you please elaborate the migration part for someone who has been OOTL for a decade until recently? I bought several Softube products in the last months, ranging from _relatively_ recent ones (in Softube terms) to very old ones, and all are available as VST and as VST3 to me; do you mean they skipped VST2, and what would that mean in practise?

[aMUSEd]

Migration means projects that included the VST2 version will open identically with the VST3 version in the absence of the VST2, it's part of the VST spec to ensure a smooth transition between VST2 and VST3 plugins.

[zerocrossing]

IMO, the best way to use Softube Modular is by pretending its presets are plugins of fixed architecture synths, and then making presets that are descendants of the original by tweaking the parameters. The only exception is that I’ll sometimes add some modulation or change out one filter or oscillator for another… add some effects, etc. It’s too tedious to patch from scratch.

[mickeyl]

Still, a complete overhaul of the app would be a relief. Soundwise they're top of the league, but the UX is hurting.