Cardinal, the Rack!
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All "Core" modules from Rack have been replaced by Cardinal equivalents, simplified to better work for an audio plugin.
Publisher’s description
What is Cardinal?
Cardinal is an open-source audio editors & daw program for Windows from DISTRHO. It ranks 27th by popularity among audio editors & daw in this catalogue. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit and 32-bit as EXE (Inno Setup). Installation asks for administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 26.02, released on February 28, 2026. 8 versions are listed since October 25, 2023, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 3.4 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (DISTRHO/Cardinal) has 3,230 stars. Similar programs include Audacity, MuseScore and LMMS.
Project description on GitHub: “Virtual modular synthesizer plugin”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Cardinal is an open-source audio editors & daw tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Cardinal safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
16F21250FE656FC766F6C1DF79C45244BBDF55FFA90FF0C3C3ACE9AF70CF3E24· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 8 versions ›8 versions over 2 years · about 3.4 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26.02Latest | February 28, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 26.01 | January 31, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 25.06 | June 22, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 24.12 | December 15, 2024 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 24.09 | September 24, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 24.05 | May 25, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 24.04 | April 11, 2024 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 23.10 | October 25, 2023 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id DISTRHO.Cardinal -eCardinal-win64-26.02-installer.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask cardinalInformation
- Publisher
- DISTRHO
- Category
- Audio editors & DAW
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/DISTRHO/Cardinal
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Version
- 26.02
- Released
- February 28, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- October 25, 2023
- Versions listed
- 8
- Updates / year
- 3.4
- GitHub stars
- 3,230
- GitHub forks
- 212
- Website
- cardinal.kx.studio
- winget ID
- DISTRHO.Cardinal
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Cardinal
See all ›-
Open source2.8M ↓ -
MuseScore4.7.6.261022093Create, play back and print beautiful sheet music with free and easy to use music notation software MuseScore.Open source507.8K ↓ -
LMMS1.2.2LMMS is a free cross-platform alternative to commercial programs like FL Studio®, which allow you to produce music with your computer.Open source21.4K ↓ -
Open source2K ↓ -
REAPER7.83REAPER is a digital audio production application, offering full multitrack audio and MIDI recording, processing, editing, mixing and mastering toolset.Proprietary132.5K ↓ -
Proprietary12.9K ↓ -
Open source1K ↓ -
Open source595 ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Cardinal free?
Yes. Cardinal is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 licence.
Is Cardinal safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Cardinal with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Cardinal be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Cardinal run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Cardinal?
The versions page lists all 8 versions with links to their official installer files, back to October 25, 2023.
What are alternatives to Cardinal?
Audacity, MuseScore, LMMS, Bespoke Synth and REAPER. The alternatives page compares them.
