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Modal Electronics announces the Cobalt5S, a portable virtual analogue synth. The compact 37-note keyboard can be used “wherever and whenever inspiration strikes”

Modal Electronics is flexing its virtual analogue muscles again with the launch of the Cobalt5S, a “go-anywhere” synth that’s designed with portability in mind.

Powered over USB (so you can use a power bank if you wish), the Cobalt5S has a 37-note mini keyboard with aftertouch and offers five voices, two independent algorithm groups and up to eight oscillators per voice. In addition, there are 40 algorithms including sync, ring modulation and waveform morphing.

The self-oscillating 4-pole morphable ladder filter is the same as the one featured in the Cobalt8, while three envelopes can be used on the filter, amp or modulation destinations. There is one polyphonic LFO and one global LFO, along with an 8-slot modulation matrix.

Other features – On the performance front, you have a 512-note realtime/step sequencer with four animation lanes, along with a programmable 32-step arpeggiator. There is MPE controller support, as well, while onboard control options include 16 rotary encoders and an X/Y/Z touchpad.

If you want to edit in software, you can do so via the MODALapp, which runs on PC, Mac, iOS and Android.

The Cobalt5S is available now, priced at $489/£379/€449. Find out more on the Modal Electronics website.

Modal Electronics has released a new sound library for their Cobalt line of synthesizers, AlgoRhythms.

The patch collection builds on the recent v1.1 COBALT Series firmware update, with rhythmic patch and polyrhythmic patches.

Here’s what Modal Electronics said about it:

“Modal Electronics set their sound design team a challenge. Arm the Modal Community with a preset pack brimming with pulsating textures, reactive to the subtle inflection of a truly expressive performance and mapped for tactile control to switch their sound up on the fly.

The result: AlgoRhythms. A collection of 30 unique sounds, 20 sequences, 25 rhythmic sounds and 5 uber-expressive performance centric patches, that showcase the sheer power the firmware v1.1 update provides.

From pulsating beds, to edgy leads and driving basses, everything the forward thinking creative is included to pepper their production with the power of polyrhythms.”

The AlgoRhythm is  available now as a free download.

Modal Electronics has announced the availability of v2.4 firmware for their Argon Series synthesizers, along with a new volume of factory presets.

New in Firmware Version 2.4:

• Added more LFO synced divisions
• Added Extended Oscillator Drift to upper range of Drift control.
• Added ‘Master’ Clock Source mode that always sends out MIDI clock
• Improved MIDI reliability on macOS Big Sur
• Improved arpeggiator sync when working with external sequencers
• Improved expression pedal behaviour
• Improved LFO1 sync when clocked from external MIDI

Volume 2 of the Factory Preset library for the ARGON8, ARGON8M and ARGON8X features 300 new presets, plus 100 MPE-ready patches currently available in the existing Volume 1 library.

See the Modal Electronics website for details.