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MOD Devices – creators of an open hardware effects platform – has announced that it is currently insolvent and is planning a ‘reboot’.

They list losses of more than €1M from founders, another €1M from Investors, €287k from the Seedmatch crowd, and €177k from backers.

They attribute their problems to a combination of the global supply chain issues that have been affecting many manufacturers and a failed crowdsourcing campaign:

“Dear MOD community members

I am sad to announce that MOD Devices GmbH has reached the end of its line.

This is the result of a two-year crisis that started with the COVID impacts on our supply chain in Q2/2020, and the snowball effect of the cash flow disruption triggered by the failure of the Crowdcube campaign in Q4/2020.

During these last 24 months, the founders and shareholders have bridged the finances multiple times in failed attempts to get back on track. But the private cash from shareholders only is not sufficient and, with the worsening of the general economy and growing fear from financial institutions and investors, the remaining financing options have all retreated, forcing me to file the company for insolvency.

It is not the end of MOD though. Not yet.

Part of the founders, team and shareholders believe very much in the project and a reboot is being put in place, with the fundraising for a fresh company.”

Details on their financial issues, reboot plans and how this effects supporters that have not received their units are available at their forum.

There might be some people who just can’t let go of the past and despite all the advancement in musical arranging and sequencing – just look at the complexity and power of the modern DAW – they perhaps hanker for a little old-school flavour…

ALM Busy Circuits ASQ-1 delivers old-school Roland SH-101-style sequencing.

Roland SH-101, the much loved monosynth for that era– in slab grey, or rare and valuable blue and red flavours – packed its own 100 note sequencer on board, allowing owners without other hardware to program up a bassline or lead riff and let the machine take the strain.

But, the results were always simple but never nothing less than arresting.

So, for those blinded by the possibilities of the modern DAW who want to bring a little SH-101-style simplicity to their Eurorack kit, ALM Busy Circuits have just the machine for you.

The ASQ-1 was unveiled at Superbooth, and we are delighted to see it finally being released. This diminutive box, while copying the ease-of-use step-time sequencing of the SH-101, aces it in one major respect. The ASQ-1 is capable of running two note sequences simultaneously – potentially driving two separate synths, a lead and a bass, say – and FOUR trigger sequences – ideal for providing percussion and drums.

Depending on your minimalist leanings therefore, this one box may be all you need to drive your whole track.

All the programming happens via the chunky computer keyboard-style buttons which also feature LEDs to show step lengths and pattern and note positions. Plus, during playback, all-important track mutes can be performed with button combinations. Neat.

The ALM Busy Circuits ASQ-1 is available now for $365/€368. Find out more info on the ALM Busy Circuits website.

iceGear Instruments has introduced Nambu, a new 6-operator FM soft synthesizer that’s not designed to mimic the FM synths of 40 years ago.

Nambu is a semi-modular FM synthesizer that they say “incorporates modern ideas, not designed to recreate the sound and workflow of a vintage FM synthesizer.”

It is not compatible with vintage FM synthesizers and you can’t import old DX7 patches. It doesn’t even come with a lot of patches – the synth is designed for people who want to do new things with FM.

Features:

• 6 Operator Types
  • FM Operator
  • Noise Operator + AM
  • Oscillator Operator (Analog synthesizer style oscillator) + AM
  • Texture Operator + AM
  • Filter Operator
  • Resonator Operator
• Operator Matrix Mixer
  • The Matrix mixer creates an operator network that is not limited to traditional “Algorithm” methods.
• Modulation sources
  • 4x LFOs
  • 4x Envelopes
  • 2x Step sequencer
  • 2x Keyboard scaling
  • 2x Velocities
  • 2x Macros
• Effects
  • Chorus
  • Delay
  • Reverb
• Program Arpeggiator
  • You can easily create your own pattern.
• Universal App
  • It is compatible with iPad and iPhone.
• Audio Unit Extensions (AUv3)
  • You can use this AUv3 Plug-In in a host application that supports Audio Unit Extensions (AUv3).
• Audiobus
  • You can stream live audio directly to an Audiobus compatible application. See https://audiob.us for more information.
• Ableton Link
  • Link is a technology that keeps devices in time over a local network. See https://www.ableton.com/link/ for more information.
• MIDI input
  • Core MIDI, Virtual MIDI, Inter-App Audio MIDI Input
  • MIDI clock synchronization
  • MIDI controller mapping
• Preset sharing
  • You can share your presets with other users. You can add presets created by other users to your preset library using the iOS Share Extension feature.

Nambu is available now for $14.99