Before I bought my first synthesizer hardware in 2022, I had downloaded VCV Rack Free and casually experimented with it. The modular-synth simulation platform didn't check an important box at that time – finding a creative outlet away from the computer. There are also things I could have done to optimize the performance of the 2017 iMac I was using, but its limitations caused VCV Rack to glitch somewhat frequently. Even on an M3 Mac with 36GB RAM, VCV Rack will occasionally glitch.
Last year, I started to wonder about Mutable Instruments modules and what "Rings into Clouds" was really about. Since the modules in question are digital, experimenting with them in VCV Rack (or its controversial iOS fork MI Rack) seemed like a cost-effective approach. I'd be missing out on physical knobs, of course, but using MI Rack also provided a way to wiggle while a physical patch is in progress.
Using MI Rack, I got some early satisfaction using the Topograph clone of the Grids module to trigger Rings – it sounded like mellow Krautrock in a way that appeals to me. I spent some time futzing around trying to output a video on the iPad, and eventually gave up.
Last week, I quickly threw together the patch in the video above as a way to mask background sounds while working. It's not quite generative, but it changes enough that I can leave it running for hours and not get sick of it.
Outputting video from VCV Rack was also kind of a pain. It took several tries changing bitrate and compression parameters in the Recorder module before the output was at the correct speed. I then cropped and downsampled the video in Adobe Premiere Pro.
I can see VCV Rack being useful for learning the basic concepts of modular synthesis among casual beginners. However, I think that I needed the experience of CV patching with real hardware before I was able to do something I found interesting with VCV Rack. Using physical cables and knobs makes it so much more immediate. But now that I have a little over a year of experience with modular, it's an enticing way to try out expensive digital models or perhaps very complex patches with a profusion of modulators and utilities.