# What programs on Patchbox OS are softsynths? **URL:** \ **Category:** Patchbox OS\ **Created:** [March 10, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512 "2020-03-10T23:42:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/user_avatar/community.blokas.io/elijahlynn/32/554_2.png) [@ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/u/ElijahLynn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/1 "2020-03-10T23:42:22Z")
I have owned a PiSound for a while now and have it configured with MODEP for real time effects processing on guitar and vocals. Recently I have configured my Akai Mini Play to be able to control some knobs on the pedals in MODEP. I recently hooked my Akai Mini Play up to my Arch linux box and installed Bitwig Studio demo for Linux which allows for some nice soft synths controlled from my Akai Mini keyboard. And it got me remembering I can probably use the PiSound directly for this and load up some presets with “The Button”. As I would rather hook up a PiSound for a live gig than have to breakout a laptop. I am not seeing a solid overview of how to use it as a soft synth though. Can anyone share with me if they use the Patchbox OS as a soft synth and which programs I should look at using to accomplish this? I _think_ Orca 2.0 can accomplish this but not sure why it isn’t included in Patchbox OS. Any videos or docs you can point me to are great too. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/user_avatar/community.blokas.io/elijahlynn/32/554_2.png) [@ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/u/ElijahLynn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/2 "2020-03-11T00:19:06Z")
I saw some reference to “Virtual Instruments” on Mod Duo’s site. Got me thinking maybe MODEP already has some of this I can use so I came upon the “generator” section here [https://blokas.io/modep/](https://blokas.io/modep/) and will try those out soon. 🤞 As it would be really nice to be able to still keep MODEP active while I use virtual instruments and not have to switch out SD cards/OSes. ---
**Author:** ![Giedrius](https://community.blokas.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Giedrius](https://community.blokas.io/u/Giedrius)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 10:56am UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/3 "2020-03-17T10:56:23Z")
Hey, yeah, MODEP has some LV2 synthesizer plugins available. Pure Data should have some synth patches available too, there’s got to be much more software available to do the business too. 🙂 If you find some good software you’d like to use, let us know, we’ll help you make it start automatically on system boot. ---
**Author:** ![ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/user_avatar/community.blokas.io/elijahlynn/32/554_2.png) [@ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/u/ElijahLynn)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/4 "2020-03-17T19:43:54Z")
Thanks, I’ll try out some LV2 Synthesizer plugins for now. Would really like to stay inside one environment if possible, but sounds like maybe I should just get another SD card with Patchbox OS up and running. ---
**Author:** ![Giedrius](https://community.blokas.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Giedrius](https://community.blokas.io/u/Giedrius)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/5 "2020-03-17T20:15:16Z")
Using the `patchbox` config utility you’ll be able to switch between modules, the last one activated will start automatically on reboot, so hopefully in the end you’ll be able to have a single SD card for multiple purposes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/user_avatar/community.blokas.io/elijahlynn/32/554_2.png) [@ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/u/ElijahLynn)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/6 "2020-03-17T20:16:25Z")
Thanks, are you suggesting to install Patchbox inside MODEP and use `patchbox` config utility to switch? ---
**Author:** ![Giedrius](https://community.blokas.io/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Giedrius](https://community.blokas.io/u/Giedrius)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/7 "2020-03-17T20:22:27Z")
It’s the other way around - MODEP inside the new Patchbox OS image 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/user_avatar/community.blokas.io/elijahlynn/32/554_2.png) [@ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/u/ElijahLynn)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/8 "2020-03-17T20:26:59Z")
Thanks! So Patchbox OS is coming with Modep now, or I just launch `patchbox` and it gives me ability to install MODEP, or I still install MODEP manually inside Patchbox? ---
**Author:** ![ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/user_avatar/community.blokas.io/elijahlynn/32/554_2.png) [@ElijahLynn](https://community.blokas.io/u/ElijahLynn)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://community.blokas.io/t/what-programs-on-patchbox-os-are-softsynths/1512/9 "2020-03-17T20:28:49Z")
Ahh, I see it all now here in this new Patchbox OS image thread here \> [Test with newly installed MODEP](https://community.blokas.io/t/test-with-newly-installed-modep/1472/16) \> [https://community.blokas.io/t/beta-patchbox-os-image-2020-03-14-and-modep](https://community.blokas.io/t/beta-patchbox-os-image-2020-03-14-and-modep)