#1

VCVRack is a free-ish* virtual modular synthesizer. With v.50 now live at vcvrack.com, and dozens of modules already available, the still fairly new software has got quite an audience, and quite a healthy developer community. Since there isn’t a lot of evident consolidated conversation going on about VCV online, beyond a couple Facebook groups, maybe we can chat about it here.

Perhaps for starters, how are people finding VCV Rack to work for them? I’ve got it running on a late-2013 MacBook Air.

*The qualification is people can charge for their modules. VCV’s own developer, Andrew Belt, recently posted some matrix mixers you can buy to help support the development.

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On the high cost of modular
VCVRack: development
WW+MP+ES in VCVRack
#2

It doesn’t run on my 2013-ish MBP. Or rather, it runs but the right-clicking through which you’re meant to access everything doesn’t produce any menus.

#3

VCVRack is open source, right?

I tried it on my Windows 10 laptop and it works fine.

#4

I’ve ported 19 of my Euro Reakt modules over to VCV already. They are free and open-source.:

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#5

Those are so great. Thanks so much for contributing them, and for all your Blocks work.

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#6

Wow, that’s awesome. The patch notes/suggestions are great as well. Thank you.

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#7

I wonder what’s up. CTRL-click works for me on my 2013 MBAir. Andrew Belt is pretty responsive via the Facebook group, and he has also replied via the main contact@vcvrack.com email address, if you want to check in with him.

My sole issue is that I have audio problems, with clicking and static when I do things like pull up a browser window. That’s almost certainly my old, beleaguered laptop, and not VCV, because I also have audio out issues.

#8

I have this vague memory that an older version (0.3.0?) had the option of displaying CPU meters on every module. It seemed useful, I wonder why it went away. Or am I making this memory up?

#9

It was there, but apparently inaccurate. Also, a lot of people were using them to complain about optimization. Andrew has mentioned that optimization won’t happen until closer to the stable release. I imagine that they might be added back in around then.

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#10

mod update: clarified the thread title to pull in people who don’t know what vcvrack is

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#11

Oh, yes, this makes sense. Thanks!

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#12

Checked this out and it was pretty fun, but ran into some glitching/breakup with the audio.

Also couldn’t figure out if you can access the secondary modes in Rings (long presses on the top buttons). Anybody know?

#13

i tried it out also, no problems. was only using the basic modules.

a quick google didn’t answer, so: is there a way to map a midi CC to a knob in the interface? the midi-cc modules i understand, but it seems not everything will be accessible that way?

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#14

Right-click on the panel for a menu.

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#15

Thanks! I was right-clicking on the button.

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#16

that is not possible, yet

#17

I don’t think that is functional yet, but I’d be excited to be wrong. I’ve only tried with a Launch Control, and nothing came of it.

#18

Yeah midi mapping isn’t a feature at the moment. You have to use the midi modules and wire them up. If somebody made a knob that isn’t paired with a jack, you’re out of luck.

My hope is that since VCV removes various physical constraints, that folks will learn to be generous with making every control CV-enabled, over time. But midi mapping of knobs would be cool too.

I really like the way Jeremy Wentworth’s FullScope module pushes beyond the limits of skeumorphism, by the way. A resizable module!

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#19

I have had this issue as well and they way I found to solve it was to click normally but with two fingers, it responds to this at least on my machine

#20

Oh, that’s cool. Two-finger clicking pulls up the menu for me. Thanks.