Pluto is a dwarfish modular synth that’s inspired by ‘80s Casio keyboards

Already starring the likes of the Korg Volca Modular and Teenage Engineering’s PO Modular 400 and 170, the portable patchable synth market is soon set to get another entry in the dainty form of Modern Sounds’ Pluto.

This is a 2-voice, 2-sequencer mini modular digital synthesizer that will enable you to create complex, randomised sequences wherever you happen to be. This is thanks to its built-in 2500mAh battery, which can be charged over USB.

Design inspiration comes from the likes of the Buchla Music Easel and Casio’s ‘80s synthesizers - the interface promises to be approachable and to invite exploration.

The video above gives you a pretty good overview of Pluto’s sonic shtick, but we can also tell you that there are low-aliasing digital oscillators, wavetable oscillators and a mini touch keyboard. The name Pluto comes from the fact that there are five channels of modulation - Pluto has five moons.

A built-in delay with looping and glitch modes adds another intriguing element into the mix, while connectivity includes audio I/O, sync I/O, MIDI I/O and CV out.

A price and release date are still to be confirmed, but you can keep up to speed with development on the Modern Sounds website.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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