Imagine a synthesizer that squeezes the powerhouse engine of a studio beast into a featherlight portable frame, weighing just 2.4kg and slipping easily into a backpack for gigs or late-night jams.
At its core lies Modal's extended virtual-analogue synthesis with 40 high-resolution oscillators across two independent groups—up to eight per voice—delivering everything from classic waveforms like sine, triangle, saw, and pulse to wild algorithms featuring sync, ring mod, fractals, bit-crushing, and filtered noise, all with smooth morphing and extended drift for organic warmth. A morphable 4-pole ladder filter anchors the sound with resonance, overdrive, and four switchable slopes, shaped by three dedicated envelopes (amp, mod, filter—with reversible mod and filter options) and dual tempo-sync LFOs (one poly, one global) offering seven shapes at audio rates. Hands-on control shines through 16 switched endless encoders, a premium 37-key FATAR keyboard with velocity and channel aftertouch, and a 5-axis X/Y/Z pressure-sensitive touchpad assignable to pitch, mod, or any destination (with lock function), plus an 8-slot mod matrix with 11 sources and 41 destinations. Sequencing flows with a 512-note polyphonic realtime sequencer (four parameter animations), 64-step poly step sequencer (five notes per step, parameter locks), and 32-step arpeggiator expandable to 2048 steps; dual stereo FX engines handle chorus, delay, plus reverb, phaser, and flanger; MPE support adds expressive depth, with 500 presets, OLED display, stereo outs, headphones, MIDI/USB/sync I/O, and sustain pedal input—all bus-powered via USB or 9V DC in a rugged polycarbonate shell measuring 56.5 x 16.2 x 5.7cm.
Players love its punchy, versatile tones that rival bigger siblings like the Cobalt8 at a fraction of the size, praising the intuitive panel for quick sound design and the sturdy keybed that feels premium on the road, though some note the compact layout rewards spending time with the free MODALapp for deeper edits.
