Want to buy Argon8 or the new Cobalt8? (affiliate links) Cobalt8 US: imp.i114863.net/eDP4X EU: thmn.to/thoprod/506277?offid=1&affid=623 Argon8 US: imp.i114863.net/0bKWL EU: thmn.to/thoprod/473936?offid=1&affid=623 Argon8 module: US: imp.i114863.net/DE9vG EU: thmn.to/thoprod/483322?offid=1&affid=623 CraftSynth 2 EU: www.thomann.de/gb/modal_craftsynth_v2.0.htm?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/me4gy Other good options: Korg Minilogue XD EU: thmn.to/thoprod/465932?offid=1&affid=623 US: imp.i114863.net/Rxg72 Korg Wavestate US: imp.i114863.net/6a3mE EU: www.thomann.de/se/korg_wavestate.htm?offid=1&affid=623 Novation Peak US imp.i114863.net/zQZYx EU: thmn.to/thoprod/412523?offid=1&affid=623 Affiliate links means that I get a small commission if you buy something using them, at no cost to you)
Volca is the future. Not using it is like the US not really adopting the metric system. I wanna see it used on every manual in the technical specifications section ;) And not just for synths. - Excuse me, how far is the station from here? - Oh well, it must be about 2,000 volcas, no more than that.
Losing access to knobs / one knob per function, would normally put me off buying a module, but your excellent explanation has put my mind at ease on this issue. I liked the way you used other synths to reference the diminutive size of this module Bo, nice touch. As space is at a premium in my studio I think you've synthfluenced my choice again. Not got any spare room for a keyboard at present (the Behringer MonoPoly being an exception).Tack Bo.
Wavestate is a complex menu diving synth. You have to get used to it and know it by heart ( i own one 😁). Argon8 is ready to go out of the box! Wavestate needs an editor that can tweak the synth. Argon8 Module is very nice, is at a great price point.
Hi and Thank you for the rundown on the module version 👌🏽 Personally, when I am getting my various EG’s to combine just the right relation to each other depending on the kind of patch (esp w FM or any additive-like synthesis but also subtractive type patches) it’s helpful to move as fast as possible b/tvthe envelopes. The push-button access is a shorter distance, however when i think about how i may go with designing on the Argon8 kb edition, it seems to me extremely fast to flip back and forth b/t env views by having my right hand on the switches and the left hand quickly fine tuning the stages. So yes, the push button access is shorter to reach a certain EG’s controls but the kb version TO ME is much more workflow efficient for the purpose of design :) Just thought I would add that (from a designer’s perspective). Anyway, ty for the review 🙏🏽🎼🎹
to comment on the argon8 vs wavestate: I don't see them as competition. the wavestate is like a super-sequencer and has the korg feel (I have an x-50 and a kromeEX korg workstations so i'm more familiar with the korg ways). I absolutely wanted the wavestate for my massive ambient ambitions to get more layers working. Regarding sound modules, at the price point, the argon8 is hard to beat. I already have sound modules for base patches, so new synths for me will have new sound design ideas. FWIW, I really want a matriarch. Speaking of moog, In the other subharmonicon vid, I commented how it was a bit redundant with the wavestate by focusing on the sequencing stuff. the argon8 is more for sound flows vs sequences IMO, so I definitely have a place for it.
also a relevant take on it. totally agree. in my original argon 8 video i talked about how argon 8 and wavestate are not really similar. but it also needs to be adressed as people still compare them... because they came out around the same time and are digital... even if wavestate isn’t really the same kind of wavetable synth.
Thank you so very much for the in-depth look at the desktop. I didn't get a good sense of how small it actually is from other videos, thanx! I bet playing it with a Launchpad pro would be nice to try out... I wonder if the Coolercaps knobs would make a difference, I wish they made a huge knob for a filter. Hardware waveshaping is really taking off in amazing directions, -it's truly blessed that they are all capable of having their own distinct personalities. When Korg makes a module for the Wavestation I will be all over it, and hope to get an 8m as well. I got impatient waiting for the Argon desktop version and got a MinilogueXD module. :P
I really like this synth already! As you point out people have different tastes/preferences when it comes to Tonal aspects and as much as I’m really impressed by KORG’s ModWave, I would rather stick with Modal Electronics when it comes to Workflow anyway because I have their COBALT 5 model. I do wish there was a ‘Z’ Parameter with the Argon & Cobalt 8, but its perhaps difficult implementing that into a Joystick controller (not all that important anyway)! I do like how Small it is and think it would fit into my particular small setup nicely! Great review as always!!
Heya Bo. I`ll start off with saying that I`ve had hair longer than yours was since the mid 80`s so I`m not biased against it and ................. I think that your new haircut looks better, aye
Great review as usual. I own a skulpt and it isn’t much fun to program and I don’t need portability. The skulpt sounds fantastic though. Does the Argon have a similar organic sound? I especially use keys and pads patches and I feel like the skulpt excels at that. Is this synth geared towards those sounds as well?
Here are some presets -Good as it is, ARGON8 is far more sophisticated than the SKULPT ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VZvZqDPCT8c.html
@@BoBeats I know you may not have much time, but your opinion is mostly sound based (quality) ? features based (number of voices, multi-timbral...) ? user interface based ? Would you mind to give a bit more details for the choice ? Thanks a lot, and again, thanks a lot for your awesome reviews :).
@@theforgotten435 - the Blofeld is a vastly underrated synth, easily holds its own after all these years. If you’ve not got much hardware the Blofeld being multitimbral is a real bonus. Big lush pad sounds and analog emulation, check out Don Solaris’ sound set on RU-vid. I’ve not got an Argon8 but do have a Skulpt, it sounds fantastic and I’m a big fan of that also. The spread and digital distortion are amazingly useful. Fortunately there’re lots of RU-vid videos on both to help you decide 😀
As with all the previous wave stations, of which I still own a ws1 , the sound is very full and complex and hard to get to sit in a track , infact it is almost a complete track on it's own!
Anyone know if I can use a Pedal for the aftertouch funktion? I'm thinking of getting cobalt 8 m and using my E Piano as an controller. But I dont want to miss the aftertouch. Thanks.
IF this synth had encoder LED markers, I would consider it, without them, no. Sound designers need to be able to sit back listen and look at all the control positions to know where to go next.
Hmmm. Potentially but if you want something more all around there are better options. Or you could get an analog synth if you want something to compliment your software rig. The argon can do the sounds you describe, but its not super broad. Its very digital in its sound.
BoBeats I bought one and I'm waiting on it. I have tons of analog gear. I'm just now getting into synthesis (I'm a guitar player and recording/mix engineer by trade and day job) what would you recommend. I've got about $800 to spend on a second synth specifically for bass/sub duty
I’d definitely look at a Moog! Check out Grandmother. Just because you cant go wrong with a moog ;-) Another good option is Minilogue XD. Easy to understand and sounds great
@@BoBeats Gotcha, thanks for replying! Ever get bothered by not knowing a parameter's current value before turning the knob? :) Maybe it's not a big deal in practice. Probably better than pots showing wrong values i suppose 😆
Bo: I want a synth that I can lay down a drum track, a bass line, chords and a track for melody to create an entire song (not a loop). And I do not want to get a degree in sound engineering to use it. What do I want?
My Arturia keystep key broke, after so little use as to be really quite new, but out of warranty, so modules have this plus or minus value to consider as well as the key presses and workflow compared to a full instrument
before they shrink it, I wish korg would do a software update that let us import our own samples. I want long atmospheric sequences with drips and rain and other atmospherics mixed with the sound, and birds etc. the possibilities are endless
Damn, I honestly sold mine bc the envelopes bothered me so much, ahah. Seriously, this was needed, any wavetable synth that is purely digital, should have an envelope slow enough to do some ambient pads imho. But the additional envelopes as well as the motion sequencing is what convinced me to pick up the module (and this vid)
@@jonfromtheuk467 yes, a couple days ago. its much better now. since updating the OS, ive gone thru all my saved patches and updated the envelopes to finally get things sounding the way i want them to sound. im very happy now. 😎🎹🎶
I was going to get the keyboard version, but honestly I'm drowning in keyboards and am running out of space. I then watched this and liked your take on the "right decisions" made by Modal when designing this module. It is very small which is a plus to me. The Argon is not purely intuitive to me yet, but I am loving the sound of this synth! Thanks for the excellent review.
Thanks for the honest review. I've used my Seaboard on it for a few days and amazing sounds come out it thanks to it's MPE update. Just as a tip for intuitive instrument playing you should check out the combination of that gear.
Hydrasynth build quality is a reference. Still wavestate whilst plasticky seems fine for studio use. I don’t understand comparisons to wavestate though - it’s a completely different beast.
FYI the ARGON8 is about double the weight of wavestate mainly because it has the Fatar keybed with aftertouch and the chassis is made of steel/aluminium.
@@5meohd standard Bourns Encoders should be fine. Farnell, Digikey etc. Just get the indented ones. If you want non indebted you just take the encoder apart and take the indent ring out.
Waldorf upgraded the pots on all post 2017 blofelds. No issues anymore. The first two numbers on the serial indicate the year 18 19 20, etc. And be sure to have the 1.25 firmware
@@vforvillain77 The serial number on mine indicates it was made in 2018, and it shipped with the latest firmware. The knobs still have all the issues I've seen reported on older models. It's a bit tedious even when it's working though, since most editing happens with just three knobs and a very long series of menus. These days, instead of a Blofeld, I've been using plugins on an Akai Force. Similar range of sounds, but much more convenient and easier to use. Or, for more complex sounds, I use a Pro 3. Awesome sounds basically just fall out of that thing with hardly any effort at all.
@@ToyKeeperhmm.. is that number on the smaller sticker on the back or the larger sticker. Do you have 1.25 installed? Are all 4 main knobs having problems or just 1 of the 4. I've owned about four 2018+ models and they were all perfect, as long as I had 1.25 installed
I've been waiting for delivery of my Wavestate since January while looking enviously at the Argon 8/8M being in relatively plentiful supply recently. I may be jumping ship any minute now...
just remember that they are quite different. so don’t expect the argon to be a bread and butter synth with nice pianos and strings. instead you get a very hands on and synth-y synth :D
BoBeats Could you give a couple examples of good current “bread and butter synths with nice pianos and strings” - would Wavestate, Hydrasynth fall in that bucket?
@@bdtiger91 hi, i'm jumping in here because i'm more of a piano+strings ROMpler guy. . I recommend piano samples for a piano sound. IMO, the most rompler bang for the buck is a Yamaha MX49 for $500. I bet you can find one used for $350. it also has like1k drumkits and 4 tweak knobs and 1k motif sounds in it, sequencer, arpeggiator, effects etc etc and it can do 16 parts..crazy shit for so cheap, and no I don't have a 49, I needed 88keys like a real piano. The roland JD-xi/xa series has both digital and analog elements for a hybrid setup. people that have those swear by them. Regarding the wavestate and hydrasynth: these are both made for CREATING new sounds like a proper "synthesizer" and their pianos are "meh". they have piano sounds, but meh (I have a wavestate, and korg, Yamaha and roland rompler pianos. I would be a retard to try playing piano on the wavestate vs dedicated piano setups.) personally I like Yamaha+roland pianos, but that is just preference.
don't jump ship. the wavestate is a 4 layer super-sequencer. nothing else out there can assemble those complex sequences, let alone 4 channels of that insanity. that is the wavestate's specialty. you can see other companies are starting to develop tricky sequencers like the subharmonicon or some of those modular sequencer units. PLUS when you get going with the joystick and mod wheels, the performance aspect is really cool. This thing is a fvcking beast for creating long flowing soundscapes and "film score in a box" stuff. I'll be running mine a lot using a foot-pedal keyboard. it is typical korg so you can control all 4 layers like 4 separate keyboards internal or external...
@@bdtiger91 Kingkorg, FA-06, Krome EX, MODX6, Nord keyboards, the list is quite long no, not Hydrasynth, not even close, it is specialized in synth sounds just like the Argon8
Never understood why someone need something computer already do well if not better. I mean wavetable synthesiser. I can understand Peak. It has lots of controls and analog filter and so on. This have non of this and sound like average vst. Why would someone spend cash on it I dunno. I’m not hating, I have tried it, just don’t understand why?
excellent video Bo, i've just got the 8x, played on it for about an hr in total then watching your vid, totally agree with you on the sound front, has some lovely nuances! apart from slightly wobbly knobs (like you say, being very nit picky) i think this is a great synth very easy to build sounds on. its a good straight synth, v pleased with it so far :)
Glad to hear it Connor! And happy to see someone who gets it. Some people just love to trash synths like this for not being analog, I think there’s a lot to like here about the sound
I’m a ‘die hard’ Korg fan and owner of the original wavestation. I just got a Hydrasynth - it’s a solid and intuitive synth. I cancelled my wavestate order because for me personally I would not have the time/patience to program it currently - even though it’s a powerful machine. As I get older time goes by more quickly and making music is my priority rather than scrolling around in menus.
I had to make the same decision and also had the Behringer Deepmind 12 in consideration. Was looking for a hardware synth for mostly pad stuff. I ordered the Argon8 and it will hopefully arrive today. Minilogue xD sounds a little bit to hard in the mir frequency range, something that bothers me with almost all Korg synths. The Deepmind sounds very nice when you use the FX but has a lot of menue diving going on, which I don' t like.
IMO, I prefer realtime sequencing over step, and the A8 unit is small & rackmountable. My XD is irritatingly slightly too large to rackmount, so very cruel. The XD has plenty of really great FM patches/FX /user oscillators you can buy that are fat and warm. Making that code user-contributable was a genius move, & makes it a must have imo. I wish it had the larger filter knob, and program changing is a little cumbersome rotating and rotating ...imo. The A8 has a very distinct warm punchy musical sound, those oscillators are inspiring & I think that even it's stock patches could fit into a mix nicely. Still might be having some software/firmware uhm, issues for some time though, methinx....new model syndrome... -but the Korg has trouble syncing up with my PC atm. The A8's and the XD's A/D converters don't seem to have the aliasing that most digital/hybrid synths have, but my yamaha ns-10 monitors are very unforgiving imo. I got the XD for now because of availability issues and impatience, (and this guy's videos) -& am so glad I did. It's stock patches fit in the spot where i normally use a 12 string perfectly. I suspect I will like the workflow & the sequencer on the Argon slightly better, maybe. -and if it is the same joystick as what they have on their high-end synths then that's a plus in my book as well.
@@MakingMadBeats Yes the Deepmind is a capable synth. For some reason it doesn't appeal to me so much. Not saying it's bad but the XD and Argon are more up my street. Yes if the XD is anything like my Monologue it has a harder tone. Hmm!
@@Soundsauca My Argon8 arrived today. Lovely! Really fun to use and program. Updating to Firmware 2.0 over the Modal App on my Android smartphone was very easy, too. I can definetely recommend this synth so far ❤️
@@MrBothandNether Interesting info. Whilst the Argon & XD are entirely different synths I think the price point puts them in the same arena. I really thought the sounds in this video were good, with a full frequency range sound. At the moment I'm leaning towards the A8 as the XD has a few limitations (adsr/lfos) despite the digital engine. Thanks
AAAh. Had a desktop on pre-order for ages, and it got pushed back and back - I gave up and picked up a used Virus Ti2 instead. 6 weeks from then and Im loving the Virus... and am now thinking of flipping my Peak (I have a Fantom 7 coming this week so will have an analogue filter there should I really need one). Replacing it with....initial thoughts a Hydrasynth desktop but Im tempted back to the Argon again..... Im quite old school though so maybe neither are for me. Id need it to cover 70s/80s/90s sounds that Fantom 7 (covers Profit, Jupiter, Juno, D50 sounds) and Virus (does a decent Poly 6 and OB8 sound) cant. Thinking in terms of CS80, Moog, Arp, then DX7 and of course PPG Wave sounds - also if it can do Moog/Prefet/OB sounds as well all the more choice. Maybe Hydra does this best? Maybe I should stick with Peak - or jump to the Argon. Sooooooo hard to choose.
Hi Bo - Great video/review - been watching for a while now and (not a criticism at all) just wondering why you never review any DSI/Sequential gear..?? Pro 3 out now...
@@BoBeats Oh sorry, my bad - didn't realise you had to buy stuff - thought it was like eg. SonicLab where they get gear on loan to review. I'll sign up to Patreon now to help out.
Wow a review where the reviewer displays technical proficiency beyond dinking with the cutoff knob. Bravo! How about doing a cooking show called BobEats too? ;)
yeah so it is quite important and argon will provide you more flexibility in terms of modulations and envelopes. If you like what you are hearing in my video, go for it! or if you think minilogue xd sounds better i’d go for it
There are some really really nice sets of downloadable patches and digital oscillators for the Minilogue XD, it makes it really more powerful than a lot of other synths, Imo. -and this cool dude has listed some FX you can get for it as well: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LwQ-EDYmwxo.html however I still want the real-time sequencing on the Argon someday because my keyboarding skills are cringeworthy at times.
I decided to go with Argon 8 M a couple of weeks ago and I like it. It lacks a bit on the low end side (compared to thr Minilogue XD, the Deepmind 12 D and even the Audiothingies MicroMonsta). The output is also quite low compared to other synths. But overall, it is very good sounding synth, and with the app, it is very easy to use.
@@BoBeats I actually received the Argon8M the very day the update was published and installed it immediately. The patch gain mode is good, but it sometimes overdrives the patch which I don't always like, so I used it sparingly, rather reducing the volume of the other players in the setup.
BoBeats Here is one the first recordings with the Argon8M. Used for the pad in the background, with the Minilogue XD as lead. Low end pad from the MicroMonsta. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ogTvj4G8y_Q.html
@@ubeeh well there are three modes for the overall gain, if its on "saturate" the highest , and then you push the individual patch gain up sure you will put it into overdrive.
I think its a synth that havent got enough attention. Been out for a long while but so little about it on the net. Should also say that i own one and absolutely love it. Its weird and an absolut joy to program. I think u would be pleasantly surprised if u tried one out 😉
$649 USD, digital, no keyboard--why buy this? I'm sorry, I'm new to synthesizers, but I don't see the point in buying something like this. Yes, it's polyphonic, but so is the less expensive analog Korg Minilogue that comes with a keyboard. The Korg Volaca Keys is only $149 USD (though it and its keyboard are very small admittedly). For that matter, if digital doesn't bother you, I'm sure there are a gazillion polyphonic software synths out there that cost a small fraction of what the Argon8 does.
You say you are new to synthesisers yet are waxing lyrical about have bad it is several times . Are you a competitor? from Korg? LOL. Minilogue for a start has half the polyphony !, then half the LFO's , doesnt have an app that works under all formats including VST3 and AU , one less envelope generator and they dont reverse, doesnt support MPE, 16 step versus 64 , doesnt have morphing resonant filters, has just has a delay for FX, as opposed to 3 independent whole FX engines Chorus, Phaser, Flanger (Pos), Flanger (Neg), Tremolo, LoFi, Rotary, Stereo Delay, Ping-Pong Delay, X-Over Delay and Reverb that can be arranged in any order, 200 less presets, and no X/Y joystick and made of aluminium and metal.
Thank you for this detailed but very easy to follow video! I want another voice for my setup and I think I will finally pull the trigger on the Argon 8. Despite not having some of the controls that the keyboard version has, the module still looks intuitively laid out. I’m kind of a stickler for things like that. It has to be idiotproof for me since, well…. Thank you again!
Do you know of any hardware wavetable synth that has Serum-like capabilities in how LFOs can be shaped and applied to modulation destinations? I am talking about control over the LFO shape. Thanks.
Thanks for the awesome video! I was really thinking of buying the Argon8 key version but now I almost did a 180 and thinking of getting the Argon8m because of the portability. So you were pretty clear on what should be the main selling points of these 2 versions. What do you think about the price difference between these 2 versions? Which one do you think has the better bang for the buck? I honestly thought that the desktop version would be more significantly cheaper. The regular version is 618 EUR now and the M version is 555 EUR. So there is a very small difference in price. Should we consider that the keyboard of the device is so cheap to make or that putting this synthesizer in such a small package warrants such a price (Argon8m)? Hope that was clear :D
IMHO the Korg WS, Hydra and A8 all have an achillies heal, in that they are let down by their filters. Personally I'd rather have a beautiful sound than a million modulation options. I love the peak for it's wave tables and analog filters, Moog sirin for it's purity, etc. Bo, I'd like to see a review of the Super 6, which from what I can tell from youtube reviews sounds/performs so nice. Maybe if I sell one of the kids I can stretch to one...
Good point. Many of the analog synths shine because of their filters. And I agree: the mentioned synths filters are kinda dull in comparison to say my Matriarch. Super 6 might happen but dont hold your breath. It will be difficult for me to get my hands on one
Hey Bo! is this module synth too much different from a Minilogue XD module? they cover same aspects? also, I'm about to buy a Pulse 2 module, how they compare each other? thanks!
Thank you so much for your thorough review! I’m curious: did you test the app (either on computer or iPad) and do you prefer using that for patch sculpting & editing? I imagine that could make a massive difference in productivity while creating.
I have tested the app. Its good. Functional. But I really dislike apps and rarely test synths with them in mind as I think the instrument should stand on its own two legs.
argon8 and Deepmind, Hydrasynth is seemingly as good but seems to have an inherent "rough" and vintage quality to its sound, but otherwise fine for trance pads, not sure about plucks and basses as I don't have one nor has anyone posted a video demonstrating good edm and techno sounds made with the Hydrasynth still, these aren't beating Native Instruments synths, U-HE stuff, and Dune3 for trance, but for live PC-less performance, they should be fine
BO, I know youv'e covered this before but what is the point/fun/attraction of tinkering with analogue/digital synths ?. I love the songwriting process and choose specific sounds without spending hours playing with them because in my head, I'm trying to achieve a finished idea in the minimum.
well, I think you answered it yourself... It is first and foremost: fun. To most its a hobby, to a bunch its about making music to release, to an even smaller crowd its about making it as an artist. So synths in themselves provide fun. But they also provide artistic outlet: even if you belong to the broad group of hobbyists, sound design is a form of creative expression. I think the comparison would be to painting. Lots of people paint and draw for no other reason than it being a creative and artistic expression. No goals. No career. No money. It can also feel less intimidating than having the pressure to create a finished song and put it out there. Its also meaningful. Its a culture, its a movement of sorts (thinking of the hardware jamming scene for example, just look at Jamuary for example). So there's many reasons. And for the smaller group that value making music above all: there's plenty of pro and hobby producers who value having original sounds. Which in my experience is slightly more difficult to come by if you choose presets. I am not talking about -making it- commercially. You can make viable commercial tracks with just about anything. I am talking about people looking for perfection in whatever they want to achieve. Looking for that perfect representation of what they have in their minds. I heard a Swe pro producer talk about how he looked for the perfect white noise to put behind a snare in a song. Spent hours on it. And he's super productive and talented. So there's that too. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk
Aside from what Bo so aptly pointed out, (because it really really is a lot of fun) - i also find it extremely useful as a writer to have an instrument _play itself_ while I toy with the arrangement, etc. I find being able to expressively adjust it on the fly within a mix also quite useful. The blend of playing and listening allows me to do other things while I play a sequence, -and that in turn helps me get into a state of listening where I can come up with other elements of the song that might have otherwise escaped into the ether. :P
If you know what sounds you want to use in your compositions, there's little point in getting deep into sound design. If I were composing in a "traditional" way, I'd probably wind up using guitars, pianos, etc., and any synth sounds used would be bread and butter sounds, or sounds emulating acoustic instruments. However, sound design on its own, not done in service of a composition, can be very rewarding, and sometimes inspire compositions too. This is especially true for modular synths, if you have modules that are conducive to happy accidents.
