Modal Electronics launched the Skulpt in 2018 as the start of a new synth family, building on the architecture of their Craft Synth but with significantly expanded sonic capabilities and a focus on portability without sacrificing depth.
The Skulpt is a four-voice virtual analog synthesizer powered entirely by DSP, featuring eight oscillators per voice that can be spread across all 32 oscillators in monophonic mode for an impressively dense sound. Each oscillator pair offers two continuously morphable waveforms—Wave 1 transitions smoothly from sine through triangle, sawtooth, square, and PWM, while Wave 2 adds noise and can morph down to a low-pass filter at negative infinity. The heart of the sound engine is a state-variable filter that morphs seamlessly from low-pass through band-pass to high-pass, paired with three full ADSR envelope generators and two audio-rate LFOs for serious modulation depth. An eight-slot modulation matrix with eight sources and 37 destinations gives you velocity, aftertouch, and CC control over nearly every parameter, while the mixer stage includes FM, PWM, tuning, and ring modulation options. Built-in delay and distortion effects round out the sound-shaping toolkit.
The interface balances immediacy with depth through a 16-key touch-sensitive keyboard, 14 endless encoders, and 13 buttons arranged logically across the compact 255 x 135 x 68mm chassis. A real-time sequencer records up to 256 notes with four-parameter automation, and the arpeggiator offers forward, backward, pendulum, and as-played modes with adjustable division and up to four octaves of range. The Skulpt runs on six AA batteries for up to 12 hours of portable operation, or USB power, with full MIDI I/O via both DIN and USB, plus sync in and out for clock synchronization.
The Skulpt earned solid community appreciation for delivering surprising sonic heft and modulation flexibility at its price point, though some purists noted that its DSP-based approach trades analog warmth for digital precision and stability. The compact form factor and battery power made it genuinely portable, while the touchstrip keyboard and included software editor for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android added practical workflow options that many appreciated.
