Live data from Hacker News

Cardinal – Virtual modular synthesizer plugin

cardinal.kx.studio

1–10 of 48 posts

Re: Cardinal – Virtual modular synthesizer plugin

#2
Programs like this and VCV Rack are great ways to get started on the road to building your own modular synthesizer [1]. Many of the modules in the program are based on real hardware, and while the hardware versions of these modules can cost hundreds of dollars, the software versions are using the exact same firmware. Whether you stay virtual or go out and build the hardware equivalent of your rack, it's a great way to experiment and learn the basics at a lower cost than in the past.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modular_synthesizer

Re: Cardinal – Virtual modular synthesizer plugin

#8
post #6

This only includes a small subset of the VCV Library, some of the best modules aren't included in this and pretty cool. There's also some incredible paid modules in the library worth checking out.

There are also a few collections that are available only in Cardinal, and not VCV

Re: Cardinal – Virtual modular synthesizer plugin

#9
I'm a little torn on how I feel towards the Cardinal project. It claims not to be a fork on a technicality. It brings some improvements certainly and VCV dev has felt stagnant the last couple years, but it's also a little uncomfortably (to me) ideologically trying to GPL VCV. At least they are transparent about it. I like their community presence. I wonder if most users of Cardinal are aware how much of what they appreciate is the work upstream. A lot of value is lost to not have access to all of VCV's free-but-not-GPL modules, but the gap is shrinking.
Post reply on HN