I spend vastly more time using VM standalone than any other piece of musical software (including my main DAW - Reason 12).
I've used the Nord Modular G1 system for recording and playing live since 2001. I still own two Nord Micro Modulars and they have been my workhorses since that time. When I made the transition from "hardware synths recorded in a DAW" to working "completely In-The-Box" (2020), I was desperate to find a software replacement for the Nord Mod. VCV Rack couldn't be used as a plug-in (at the time I was looking), so the only real option was Voltage Modular. Nucleus showed me that it definitely had a great sound and the CA Store showed that there was a thriving third-party ecosystem for boosting your rack in whichever direction appealed to you. Once I bought VM Core + Electro Drums, I already had a system which allowed me to recreate all my old Nord patches, and do a LOT more to boot.
Downsides:
1. It's addictive, and can become an expensive habit (although nowhere near as ruinous as Eurorack hardware!).
2. It
can be a bit of a CPU hog, although this has become much less of an issue since I upgraded my music PC from Core i3 to one with an i7 processor.
3. It's difficult to tell when you're getting close to maxing-out your processor. One of the huge advantages of the Nord Modular was that even if a patch used 99.9% DSP load, you were
guaranteed that it would never exceed that - very reassuring for live use. Hopefully, CA can sort out some kind of CPU monitor in the future, although a general-purpose PC running a general-purpose operating system will
never be immune from transient, unpredictable high-load conditions.
Advantages (Too numerous to mention, but here goes):
1. If you have a need for a specific module, there is almost certainly something already available in the store which will fulfil you requirements completely or get you very close. If the module doesn't already exist, there is the option to interact directly with the developer community and describe what you want.
2. Top-notch developers like Mark Barton (MRB), Andrew Macaulay, PSP and Vult have modules in the store.
3. Other third-party developers have come up with fantastic modules which range from solid, general purpose utilities right through to the quirkiest of single-use oddities! And, for the most part, they are happy to engage in dialogues with you regarding bugs and suggestions.
4. VM900! It's been a lifelong dream to work with a real Moog Modular, but I realised a long time ago that I'd never be able to own the genuine hardware. The Arturia Modular V sounded pretty good, but I felt its limitations as a 'proper' modular fairly early on. However, what was
completely unforgiveable was the way they implemented the '960 Sequencer'. VM900 not only gets the 960 correct, but it remains very authentic to the workflow of the vintage hardware. This gives you an insight into what the pioneers of electronic music had to overcome.
5. VM2500! Since seeing Close Encounters of the Third Kind when I was 10 years old, the ARP 2500 has been my #1 dream to own. Again, by being authentic to the hardware implementation (minus the switching patch busses), I got an insight into the 'old ways' of making electronic music. I had been following the development of
G2500 for a few years, but with all due respect to the developer, it always seemed very 'clunky' and wasn't offered as a plug-in. So, once VM2500 came on the scene, I was
forced to download Voltage Modular, and the rest is history - down the rabbit-hole!
It's a good time to be alive!
