Cardinal vs RAPID
Cardinal
cardinal.kx.studioRAPID
parawave-audio.comSide by side
| Figure | Cardinal | RAPID |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Software Synthesizers | 9.0 (#2) | 8.0 (#12) |
| License | The Cardinal project is licensed under GPLv3 or later. | The FAQ says customers may install and activate the product on all their personally owned devices. |
| Product | Cardinal is a free, open-source virtual modular synthesizer based on VCV Rack and packaged as a self-contained plugin and standalone app. | RAPID is a modern polyphonic hybrid synthesizer with a layer engine for shaping sounds. |
| Support | The maker asks users to report bugs on GitHub and lists the #cardinal IRC room on Libera.Chat for community discussion. | The maker accepts support enquiries about accounts, orders, products, bugs, and feature suggestions through its contact page. |
Plans
In their own words
Cardinal
Cardinal is a free, open-source modular synthesizer based on VCV Rack, available as a standalone app and as a plugin. It bundles 1,382 modules from 84 authors or brands, but does not load external modules or connect to the official Rack library or store; modules cannot be added to an existing build. Cardinal runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web. Its plugin formats are AudioUnit, CLAP, LV2, VST2, and VST3, with Main, Synth, and FX variants that all support MIDI input and output. Main provides eight audio inputs and outputs and ten CV inputs and outputs, but is unavailable in AU and VST2 and is not yet available in CLAP. Mini has a smaller hand-picked module selection, two audio ports, and five CV ports, and is available only as LV2 or standalone. OSC remote control works in standalone use, not in the plugin. The project describes Cardinal as stable, while noting CLAP support is still in progress and VST3 hosting inside Carla or Ildaeil is experimental. It is licensed under GPLv3+.