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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.

Modal Electronics has just released Firmware Update v1.1 for their COBALT8 line; – COBALT8, COBALT8M and COBALT8X, a free update that adds six new algorithms and user-requested workflow enhancements.

With COBALT8 Firmware v1.1, users have access to six new unique algorithms, focused on FM and AM oscillation models, complete with dual controls for precise sound sculpting capability.

These new algorithms include:

• FM Saw:Square: Frequency Modulation using a Sawtooth as the carrier and a Square as the modulator with full control over FM Depth (A) and Modulator Frequency Ratio (B)
• FM Square:Square: Frequency Modulation using a Square as both the carrier and modulator with full control over FM Depth (A) and Modulator Frequency Ratio (B)
• FM Tri:Square: Frequency Modulation using a Triangle as the carrier and a Square as the modulator with full control over FM Depth (A) and Modulator Frequency Ratio (B)
• Noise AM Saw: Sawtooth Wave amplitude modulated by a filtered noise source with full control over AM Depth (A) and Noise filter cutoff (B)
• Noise AM Square: Square Wave amplitude modulated by a filtered noise source with full control over AM Depth (A) and Noise filter cutoff (B)
• Noise AM Tri: Triangle Wave amplitude modulated by a filtered noise source with full control over AM Depth (A) and Noise filter cutoff (B)

Additionally, Firmware v1.1 also adds a variety of new feature updates and workflow enhancements, including a Master Clock Mode to continually send MIDI clock information to compatible studio peripherals.

Details are available at the Modal Electronics site.

A revised version of Skulpt is coming.

Modal Electronics today introduced Skulpt SE Portable Synthesizer. Modal Electronics says that Skulpt SE is the most affordable MPE hardware synth available today.

Modal Electronics has taken the original Skulpt portable synth back to the drawing board and returned with the Skulpt SE, offering the same compact form factor as its predecessor, this replaces the grey and black touch keypads with more traditional black and white ones. The front panel descriptors have been made more legible, and the build quality has been improved.

User gets 127 brand-new patches and MPE support – something that was added to the original Skulpt via a firmware update. The sound architecture consists of two Wave groups per voice, each with four oscillators. This enables user to smoothly sweep between waveforms, and there is additional oscillator modulation, as well. There are also state-variable 2-pole filters – these can morph from low-pass through to bandpass and high-pass – and three envelopes. The two LFOs – one global and one polyphonic, can be synced to internal or external tempo, and there are integrated delay and distortion effects.

Additionally, the Skulpt SE also comes with an integrated sequencer and arpeggiator, and you can polychain up to four of the devices or the original Skulpt, to create a 16-voice virtual analogue sound engine. In-depth sound and editing and management can be done using the Modal Electronics app, which runs on all major computer and mobile platforms and is VST/AU compatible. The presets from the original Skulpt can be accessed from the Modal Electronics website.

Find out more on the Modal Electronics website.

The Skulpt SE Synthesizer  now available.