Modal Electronics is Now in Administration for Insolvency

20 Sep, 2023  No Comment

Modal Electronics, UK synth company, is in administration for insolvency, according to UK government records.

The company was incorporated in 2013, and in the last decade has released a wide range of synths, including high-end keyboards like the Modal 002, Eurorack modules, the budget CRAFTsynth line, the portable SKULPT synthesizer, and the Argon8 and Cobalt8 keyboards.

In March of 2023, the UK Companies House – the organization that registers company information and makes it available to the public – gave first notice of plans to strike Modal Electronics off their register. This action was suspended, though, in April.

Today, though, Companies House gave notice that Modal will be struck off the register and dissolved after 2 months, unless cause is shown to the contrary. Unaudited financial statements published earlier this year show liabilities exceeding assets.

Modal is now in administration, which means that it’s now controlled by an insolvency practitioner, who will be responsible for trying to resolve the company’s situation or liquidating it.

via YakumoFuji

Modal Electronics COBALT8 Firmware v2 released, adds ‘Vintage’ Option, 27 Filter Types, 14 New Effects and more

3 Oct, 2022  No Comment

 

Modal Electronics has released a free firmware update for their COBALT8 line of synthesizers, extending the synth’s engine with a new ‘Vintage’ parameter and Oscillator Free Run, 27 new filter types, 14 effects and more.

 

New in COBALT8 Firmware v2:

The update adds the new Vintage parameter and Oscillator Free Run, to more accurately emulate classic analog synths’ sound. The Vintage setting models the behavior of vintage synths’ technical imperfections, where certain tuning and other variations were introduced into the sound generation. Oscillator Free Run more accurately models traditional analog oscillators. Modal says that classic synth sounds are more alive with the addition of these parameters, so that every key press is slightly different than the one before.

27 new filter types increase the COBALT8’s already impressive arsenal for creative sound design. The list includes 2-Pole State Variable Filters, various Lowpass, Bandpass and Highpass Ladder Filters with drive, combinations of traditional filter types with Notch characteristics, and more. For all new filter types featuring Drive, the Morph control allows for dialing in the right filter drive amount to taste.

A new Cutoff Scaling patch parameter unlocks improved filter cutoff behavior with three distinctive modes to expand your sound design options. Note-to-Cutoff Scaling can now track with full accuracy in one of two new modes; Relative, and Bipolar. These modes can be tailored to match your preferences on a per-patch basis. The original note-to-cutoff characteristics remain available in Legacy mode.

Additionally, COBALT8 Firmware v2 includes 14 powerful new effects. The V2 Reverb is great for adding a little bit of space to a sound, huge near-infinite reverbs, and everything in-between. Other effects options include Phaser v2, Compressor, Three-Band EQ, Unisoniser, Utility and additional Drive effects.

With the new firmware, the programmable Arpeggiator receives new Arp Directions. The update also improves the capabilities of the OLED display, the Audio In quality, the gain staging of the audio output and more.

COBALT8 Firmware v2 is available now as a free update, via Modal’s MODALapp software.

Modal ARGON8 Gets Huge Free Update – What’s New

13 Sep, 2022  No Comment


Modal Electronics has released ARGON8 Firmware v3, a free firmware update that they call “the most comprehensive release for our acclaimed wavetable synthesizer since its release 3 years ago”.

New in ARGON8 Firmware v3:

The new Vintage parameter allows you to alter the organic fabric of the wavetable textures by emulating the behavior of vintage synths’ technical imperfections, introducing certain variations to tuning and other parameters. Oscillator Free Run is another feature known from analog synthesizers, and adds to the sonic flexibility of ARGON8. Modal Electronics says that ‘classic’ synth sounds are much more alive with the vintage, and free run parameters, ensuring that every key press results in sound that’s slightly different than the one before.

Firmware v3 also adds four new filter types, incl. 4-Pole Ladder Filter, a 1-Pole Ladder Hybrid, a resonant Phaser Ladder Filter and a new 2-Pole Sallen-Key Filter. All new filters come with Pre-Filter drive, and the integrated pole sweeping allows seamless morphing through the audio spectrum. The Ladder filter unlocks even more classic synth tones as well as expands ARGONs experimental capabilities with the more complex filter outputs, and the Sallen-Key filter brings a whole new level and character to gnarly, driven sounds, especially when paired with the Drive FX.

More Effects

The V2 Reverb is great for adding a little bit of space to a sound, huge near-infinite reverbs and everything in-between. The new Chorus v2 was brought over from Modal’s COBALT5S and COBALT8 synths and offers vintage Chorus tones. Other new effects include the new Phaser v2, Compressor, Three-Band EQ, Unisoniser, Utility and additional Drive effects.

More Presets

Firmware v3 features a dedicated new bank of 100 new factory presets to showcase Firmware v3 in action.

Other New Features

With the new firmware, the programmable Arpeggiator gets new options for direction. Firmware v3 also improves the capabilities of the OLED display, the Audio In quality, the gain staging of the audio output and much more.

The Argon8 update is available now as a free download.

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