Cardinal is a free and open-source virtual modular synthesizer plugin, available in AudioUnit/CLAP/LV2/VST2/VST3 plugin formats and as a standalone app for FreeBSD, Linux, macOS, Windows and the Web. It is based on the popular VCV Rack but with a focus on being a fully self-contained plugin version.
More specifically, this is a DPF-based plugin wrapper around VCV Rack, using its code directly instead of forking the project, with the target of having a self-contained, fully free and open-source plugin version of Rack. See the why section below for the reasons Cardinal exists, also for frequently asked questions check this FAQ document.
Cardinal contains Rack, some 3rd-party modules and a few internal utilities all in a single binary. All "Core" modules from Rack have been replaced by Cardinal equivalents, simplified to better work for an audio plugin.
Cardinal does not load external modules and does not connect to the official Rack library/store. All VCV branding has been removed (to the best of our knowledge) in order to avoid any trademark issues.
What's new in 26.02
Bugfixes: - Fix fully black UI in some AU hosts - Fix load previous state/patches in some systems - Fix wrong colors in a few modules Module updates: - Update Autinn - Update ZZC
Yes. Cardinal is free and open-source software released under the GPL-3.0 license.
What is the latest version of Cardinal?
The latest version is 26.02, released on Feb 28, 2026.
Is it safe to download Cardinal?
The download button links to the official installer published on github.com, the same file Windows Package Manager installs. You can verify the downloaded file by comparing its SHA-256 checksum with 16f21250fe656fc766f6c1df79c45244bbdf55ffa90ff0c3c3ace9af70cf3e24.
Which Windows versions does Cardinal support?
Cardinal runs on Windows and is available for 32-bit (x86), 64-bit (x64) systems.
How do I install Cardinal silently?
Run the offline installer with "Cardinal-win64-26.02-installer.exe" /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-, or install it with Windows Package Manager: winget install --id=DISTRHO.Cardinal -e --silent.
How do I uninstall Cardinal?
Open Settings › Apps › Installed apps, find Cardinal and select Uninstall. From the command line, run winget uninstall --id=DISTRHO.Cardinal -e.
