Modal Electronics

The brand was established in 2013, with Bristol quickly becoming their main base of operations. They were founded with this mission statement: to create a suite of synths that delivered cutting-edge updates to classic concepts and sounds, while retaining the innovation and style of contemporary/vintage synthesizers of yesteryear. 

First came the Modal 002 - a truly significant moment in the history of the instrument. It became the very first poly digital/analogue hybrid synthesizer to feature a transistor ladder filter, an ethernet connection (for seamless access to a web server for parameter tweaks), and 10,000 patch memories. That wasn't all though. It was also the first non-workstation synth to incorporate a full-colour display, plus support for high-resolution 192kHz/24-bit digital audio output via USB. 

They've continued to break new ground ever since. You just have to take a look at the three groups that make up their current-day product line-up to see that. The Creator Series (powerful and portable), the COBALT family (characterised by a virtual analogue architecture), and the ARGON (wavetable synths) all offer a distinct workflow and sound that's a joy to behold.