NAMM 2024 - Modal - Carbon 8 

Yes loved their Argon and Cobalt.

Agreed. Thanks for the update Nick, the synth community, exhales a deep breath. Modal products are very well done. The App is great. I love the tiny Cobalt 5S - it pairs so well with the Synthstrom Deluge.

Modal delivers the worst feel in terms of potentiometers and actually nothing new with the carbon if you look close at their instruments

@@novalogue show me your data

I own a Cobalt 8X and can see his point. The encoders have almost no drag when you turn them. They also are made of thin metal and mostly hollow. If you're used to better encoders, they do feel cheap. I'm not complaining about the sound quality or the chassis, those are perfectly fine. The Fatar action is a matter of personal preference. I usually like keyboard actions with some springy weight. I still think that good keyboard actions in the late 90s (Korg M1 / Tx, Technics KN series, Roland XP series, Ensoniq ASR etc.) were better than most actions today. But that Fatar action is a different beast. The only real downside of the Cobalt are those encoders. I don't enjoy using them.

they're built very solidly. only issues (and they are slight) are light feeling encoders and stiff aftertouch (channel not poly) Full size fatar keys play beautifull however, the most quality keys I own

Bit Rob papen synth inspired sounding

The receiver essentially owns them - they're in administration. Someone might step up to buy them, or they could possibly make it out of this whole. I hope they do. Unfortunately, from what I have heard, the support is not great. They've lost most of their employees, and people who are contacting them wanting parts or warranty work are being told that they have no parts and can't offer repair, because they're "in bankruptcy."

@@ScottsSynthStuff Such a shame ... I had no idea they were struggling, let alone in administration ... maybe a larger fish will buy them.

Totally unclear how/why they're launching a new product given the reported state of the business. Hoping for a windfall to save them?

​@@ericpeters0nThis product was in development for a while.

​@@ScottsSynthStuffBehringer entered the chat

The existing two synths have desktop module versions.

@@Dudderlyful true but it seems like the price of the keyboard form factor is holding back their success. I think if they did module only for a while they could recover easier

I can't speak for wavetable, but as for VA I have put it up against several real analog synths and it's always been a really close match. If you are heavy into modulation, I would say get a waldorf, as the modal has only 8 mod slots. However, it already has pre-assigned routing like aftertouch to cutoff, or velocity to filter/amp, so you don't have to waste slots on that. The modals do have 3 LFOs tho, and 3 different envelopes for amp filter and modulation. it forces you to use a less is more approach to patch creation, but the sound it produces is less cold and harsh than the character of say, an iridium. The filter used to be not as great, but they added a couple different new modes (and kept the legacy mode available) and about 27 new filter types, and the character of the synth went from "i may almost return this" to "oh my god this is heaven in my ears" overnight after the 2.0 update. (This is for the cobalt8x, but the filters are making their way to all of the synths of the same form factor) I bought a cobalt8x during a time when the filter 'sucked'. Aka was less pleasing, and turning up resonance took out a lot of the volume of the patch. About two days later, the 2.0 patch was released. It basically became a whole new synth. Can't say enough good things about the base sounds. The added FX from 2.0 are also a deciding factor. It was as big as a Microfreak update would be, lots of new features in one big rush. I will say that the wavetable synthesis I experienced with the craftsynth2.0 was fantastic. The oscillator section was an abyss of exploration, always something new to try with the many many algorithms and wavetable/position combinations possible. That was just a tiny little portable synth, too. The UI for the app was very great and fast/easy to program, and I use it for my cobalt8x (VA) I have my minifreak for when I want to go nuts with modulation. I have my cobalt8x when I want to get intentional and take a 'less is more' approach with modulation, but make a lot of minute adjustments to dial in a really nice dynamic sound. The minifreak is the hyper punk rocker going nuts and the cobalt is the smooth jazz musician in the corner with a cigar. Not doing too much, but looking damn fine doing it.

There’s actually quite a sonic difference between both company’s products to my ear

Or Nick needs to be a bit less impatient and let the non-native English speaker find the correct phrase

@@synthnseq It's not that, there was zero detail given. What parameters exists that don't exist on the argon? are they a different set of wave tables? All these things are completely unanswered I know nothing about this synth. Zero specifics involved with any of the videos I've seen not just sonic state

@@Cheeses_K_Riced I already consider argon8 to be both VA and wavetable and FM, but that helps a bit thanks

Exactly what i was thinking. Compare this presentation to what George Hearn is doing on UDO Audio. George Hearn losing himself everytime he plays his own instrument. That's what makes me interrested. The passion. This guy is just standing there with his hands in his pockets while his company is on life-support. Like you said, 3rd video. Still don't know what the hell this synth is. Algorithmic / wavetable synth ... sure i guess? It can play drum sequence.. ehh okay.... Not a single comment here on how it sounds, while this is THE moment to show what you've got. But no passion whatsoever. I'm shitting on them becouse i don't want them to dissapear. i do like their synths

m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XAFAB8tZUKk.html&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sequencer.de%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY&feature=emb_logo

Agree with that... Build quality is superior to most other things.

Yeah but honestly modal synths blow them both away. I own a hydrasynth explorer, and the only reason I keep it is the battery power. The sounds you get out of it just don't compare

I hear you on that. I was close to pulling the trigger on the Colbalt 8. The editor is to die for and yes, the programming sonic capabilities are formidable. But the way I buy hardware is to hold for quite a while so the finances of the company unfortunately made me gun-shy. @@vforvillain77

If I had the money I would buy it just to support them....but ah, the joys of not having money.....😭

I think you are paying partially for the build quality, which is excellent.

@@vforvillain77 i own a minifreak and a cobat8x and the cobalt8x doesn't blow the minifreak away. it keeps up very handily with it, but the minifreak is a better tool for sound design FX and modulation. But I didn't get the cobalt8x for modulation, I got it because it has a very nice faithful VA sound. It exists for a different reason than the minifreak. A different tool for a different job. In my eyes, the minifreak wins that battle, but thats because 8 slots is just not enough modulation for me.

I just don't get why being digital synths they have to be so much more limited than what was available 20+ years ago. Keybed = you can justify it saying that nowadays these things are more portable and flexible. Ok... Multitimbrality: well, it's not a so common thing anymore (adds a lot of work to the production I suppose). Ok... But 8 voices? I don't think you can really justify that one man.

You mean like the Korg Wavestate, and those other two versions?

@@DaraM73 Yeah, the Wavestate and Modstate are the same to me. The FM one is easy to differentiate.

😂

I mean, the products are good. I have the cobalt8x and it's high quality and sounds fantastic. I think the issue is overreach. They thought they could develop 3 synths at once. They should have just stuck to designing one synth REALLY well, and then make a module of it.

@@zoned7609 And i see no point for the cobalt8x. What is it? It's a VA with eight voices, and you need an iPad for full sound design access? Why not just get a good controller keyboard for an ipad instead, and you have money to spare for a Behringer Pro 800. See what i mean?