Thanks to the meteoric and enduring rise of Doepfer’s Eurorack system, the evocative, characterful textures of modular synthesis have become ubiquitous in contemporary electronic music; and for those working in the box, there’s a software modular to suit every producer, no matter what their tastes or budget. Here are six of the best software modular synths.
Reaktor Blocks
Native Instruments’ no-limits instrument and effects construction platform could be considered a deep-diving modular system in its own right, but the addition of Blocks in version 6 of Reaktor (2015) marked a canny move into the virtual Eurorack space, capitalising on the modular zeitgeist of the day. Blocks simply comprise a set of Reaktor Instruments that are combined into Ensembles in the Structure view like any others, but, crucially, connected using audio rather than control signals, adhering to a unified Eurorack-style interface, and designed specifically to work with each other. You get all manner of lunchbox-format oscillators, filters, modulators, sequencers, clock dividers, effects, function generators, etc, and all of them sound incredible. The only downer is that Blocks are monophonic, but there are workarounds to be found online for building polyphonic instruments, so that needn’t be a show-stopper.
Cherry Audio Voltage Modular 2
The launch of Voltage Modular in 2018 immediately put US-based developers Cherry Audio on the music technology map, with its appealing combination of intuitive patching, stellar sound and a rapidly expanding library of first and third party modules available via IAP, the latter including numerous outstanding contributions by DSP veterans PSP Audioware. Version 2 (a free update) built enthusiastically on that early success with the introduction of internal busses, any number of variations per patch for real-time switching via triggering and CV, the removal of the six-jack limit per socket, integrated audio recording, parameter randomisation, and a wealth of new polyphonic modules.
With its empowering interface, nifty workflow and a truly massive range of free and paid-for modules in the integrated Store (not to mention the generous selection that comes with the basic Core Bundle), Voltage Modular is an ambitious and hugely rewarding instrument for the adventurous synthesist.
Arturia Modular V3
While the other five entrants in our list take Eurorack as their clear inspiration, Arturia’s old-school offering is an authentic emulation of the legendary synth that got the ball rolling: the Moog Modular. Originally a development collaboration with Bob Moog himself, Modular V3 puts you in command of a well-stocked and freely patchable rack of modules in a vertically scrolling rack, including up to nine oscillators and a noise generator, three main filters and a 14-band resonant filterbank, six envelopes, four envelope followers, two LFOs, a Bode frequency shifter, a sample-and-hold module, a step sequencer, and delay, chorus and phaser effects. Patching is done by dragging virtual cables between patch points, as usual, and while this is unarguably the least ‘spectacular’ of the bunch, being reliant on such a comparatively small library of modules does focus the creative process and yield a consistent character that vintage fetishists will appreciate. And being an Arturia production, top notch sound is a given, with Modular V3 ably delivering the rich, warm tones and complex modulations of the real thing.
Softube Modular
Maxing out the Eurorack authenticity, Softube’s modular synth was developed in partnership with Doepfer themselves, so the seven component-modelled A-100 module recreations (A-110 VCO, A-108 VCF, A-140 ADSR, A-147 VCLFO, A-118 Noise/Random, A-132-3 Dual VCA, and A-114 Ring Modulator) at its heart can be considered definitive. Those are accompanied by 50 ‘stock’ modules, providing sequencing, mixing, effects, clock dividers and much more; and if you have certain other Softube plugins installed (Monoment Bass, Heartbeat, Statement Lead et al), they’ll show up for patching in the rack as well.
Like Voltage Modular, Softube Modular is expandable beyond the core package, although the shop page is nowhere near as busy as Cherry Audio’s bustling storefront. Highlights include the Doepfer A-188-1 BBD bucket-brigade delay, Mutable Instruments Clouds granular oscillator and Buchla 259e Spectral Processor filterbank.
Softube Modular’s official credentials and convincingly analogue sound make it a compelling option for Eurorack users looking to directly mirror the essence of their hardware experience in software – and anyone else after a powerful virtual modular at a great price.
Applied Acoustics Systems Multiphonics CV-1
The latest contender to step into the modular arena comes from Canadian development house AAS, who actually have previous form here in the long-obsolete and essentially modular Tassman physical modelling synth. Taking a less complicated approach than that of its almost Reaktor-esque predecessor, though, Multiphonics CV-1 is another Eurorack-inspired setup that incorporates 35 modules (oscillators, filters, amps, mixers, sequencers, signal processors, etc) with no possibility at the time of writing to increase that number, although we’d imagine add-on packs will follow. The straightforward, frill-free GUI makes patching quick and fun, and the persistent reverb and delay send effects are handy, even if they do look very lonely in their comically oversized control panel.
Sonically, CV-1 is a triumph of analogue emulation, and with a preset library produced by a who’s who of sound design, including Adam Pietruszko, Venus Theory, Niall McCallum and Richard Veenstra, you’ve got a ton of fabulous sounds to get you started, too.
VCV Rack
Open source and free, Andrew Belt’s extraordinary ”Eurorack simulator“ draws on a library of over 2500 community-created modules, making it by far the most diverse modular system ever conceived. You’ll find everything from oscillators and samplers of all kinds to wildly imaginative sequencers and signal processors in the tagged and searchable catalogue; and while the quality, naturally, varies wildly, there are plenty of eminently usable gadgets to be discovered, many of them cloning revered real-world modules.
You’re wondering what the catch is, right? Well, while the other five instruments here all work as plugins (and, with the exception of Softube’s, standalone), VCV Rack is standalone only, so you can’t run it in your DAW (although you can host plugins within it). Don’t let that put you off downloading this incredible freebie, though, particularly if you’re new to the modular game and want to find out what all the fuss is about before committing any cash.
Did your favourite software modular make the cut? Tell us about it in the comments.