cardinal ☆

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Description:
Virtual modular synthesiser plugin

Type: Cask | Latest Version: 26.01@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Multimedia

Tags: audio synthesizer vst modular music-production

Install: brew install --cask cardinal

About:
Cardinal is a virtual modular synthesizer plugin that functions as a standalone host and plugin for various formats including VST3, LV2, and CLAP. It provides a complete environment for running complex patches created in the Rack platform without the overhead of the original software. The tool offers a robust solution for integrating modular synthesis into existing digital audio workflows.

Key Features:

Cross-platform support (Linux, macOS, Windows)
Plugin formats: VST3, LV2, CLAP, AU
Complete Rack v2 environment compatibility
Low-latency audio processing
Built-in patch storage and management

Use Cases:

Integrating modular synthesis into a DAW as a standard plugin
Running existing VCV Rack patches without a commercial license
Live performance and studio music production

Alternatives:

VCV Rack – VCV Rack is the official platform but requires a commercial license for use in DAWs, whereas Cardinal is free and open-source.
Bitwig Studio – Bitwig has a built-in modular environment (The Grid) but is a full DAW, not a dedicated modular host plugin.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Jan 31, 2026 3:43pm	26.01	0	VERSION_BUMP	463bd39e
Aug 24, 2025 8:43pm	25.06	0	VERSION_BUMP	9eb69d48