Modal Electronics invites you to ‘go beyond the limits of analogue’ with its new Cobalt8 synth

If you think that virtual analogue synths are the poor relations of ‘real’ analogue machines, Modal Electronics is suggesting that you might like to think again. It’s just announced the Cobalt8, a VA instrument that it says goes “far beyond the limits of its analogue forefathers”.

Cobalt8 promises to unlock “the full creative potential of analogue waveforms,” presenting you with an 8-voice polysynth that boasts an innovative oscillator engine, a morphable 4-pole ladder filter, a multitude of modulation options, a real-time step sequencer and an arpeggiator. It has a 37-note Fatar keyboard, MPE support, effects and MODALapp integration.

There are actually 64 independent oscillators and you can use up to eight per voice. Divided into two groups, the oscillators can call on not only virtual analogue waveforms but also 34 complex algorithms such as sync, ring modulation, waveform morphing and more. To keep things simple, each of these algorithms has just two specially-selected controls.

Despite its promise to be an ‘extended’ VA synth, Cobalt8 is priced at just $750/£580/€650, which could make it an interesting player in the mid-range market. Check out the specs below and find out more on the Modal Electronics website.