Knobcon 2023: 4MS Meta Module puts virtual Eurorack into hardware modular
4,7 / 5,0 | 
With Meta Module, 4MS appears to be running VCV Rack or some other Eurorack emulation within a hardware Eurorack module. Here’s what we know along with a new update of useful information.
Meta Module
A couple of photos posted by Befaco are all we have to go on. At the Knobcon show 4MS appear to have a very interesting new module. The digital format is not unusual, with a comparatively large colour display surrounded by hardware knobs, controls and a decent amount of patch points. We’ve similarly shaped things from 1010music, Mordax, Percussa and so on. What’s remarkable about the Meta Module is what we can see on the screen.
My initial thought on seeing it is that it’s running the awesome VCV Rack Eurorack simulation software. The Meta Module could be a VST Hosting platform running the VST plugin version. The fact that there are 4MS and Befaco modules on the display would further back this up. However, on closer inspection, the software doesn’t actually reflect the VCV Rack UI. The patch cables are not right, don’t have the right ends and the curves are broken. There are no screws holding the virtual modules in place and no rack in which they sit. The Pony VCO appears to be selected, but that is not how selected modules look in VCV Rack.
4MS Meta Module · Source: 4MS
It may, of course, be a simpler version. Maybe it’s running on a Raspberry Pi, or it’s something specially created for the Meta Module. It’s definitely intriguing.
What I can assume from the photos and the name of the module is that 4MS are running emulated modular patches on a hardware module that you can then integrate into your modular and process and modulate like it was hardware. I imagine you can build a patch on the computer and then port it across to the module.
Why would they do this? Well, it means you could run massive patches within a small hardware rack. It may be more interesting than taking a laptop running VCV Rack to a gig. It could also be a brilliant way of filling in the holes in your modular or experimenting with new modules before you purchase them. In any case, this is a very interesting module that 4MS are not saying anything about at the moment. As soon as we have more information, we’ll add it to this post.
Update 13th Sept:
Peter Kirn of CDM was able to grab hold of Dan Green from 4MS to get a bit more information, which I’ll summarise here. It’s not a VST Host or running regular VCV Rack, but it is running 4MS and Befaco modules from VCV Rack with more modules to come. You can port patches across from your computer, but they have to be running a specific subset of modules.
Meta is essentially a hardware player and macro controller for custom VCV Rack patches. It can manage presets and run a shed load of utilities. It’s also a DSP development platform and so, presumably, it will be able to run other things. There are 12 knobs, 8 audio or CV outputs, 1 USB MIDI jack, 6 audio/CV inputs, and 2 gate inputs, all of which can be mapped to any of the virtual knobs and jacks within the patch.
4MS hadn’t intended to show it to anyone, it just sort of viralled itself out of Knobcon and so is far from ready. I’m looking forward to seeing it in action.
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