Modal Electronics Argon8 8-Voice Polyphonic Wavetable Synthesizer

UK synth trailblazers Modal Electronics seem to make waves with every release. Introducing the Argon8, an 8-voice wavetable synthesizer that’s a close relative of their flagship 002 model. Mind-bending functionality and near-infinite tonal possibilities meets an attractive price tag; Modal have once again raised the bar in the desktop synth category.

Key features

• Road ready Steel and Aluminium chassis
• 120 carefully-crafted morphable wavetables with 28 static wavetable processors for further tweaking
• True 8-voice polyphony with 32 wavetable oscillators; 4 per voice, with 8 types of oscillator modifiers
• Fatar TP9/S Full size 37 key keybed with velocity and aftertouch
• 1.54” OLED display for real-time visual accompaniment
• An assignable 4-axis joystick for ultimate hands-on modulation
• Three dedicated envelope generators for Amp, Mod and Filter, plus 2- pole morphing resonant filter
• Three powerful independent/user-configurable stereo FX engines with delays, lush Reverbs and heaps of modulation
• Glide/portamento with both legato and staccato modes
• Hugely powerful “Mod Matrix” with eight assignable slots with four additional fixed routes, 11 mod sources and 52 destinations
• 500 patch memories, all fully editable and ships with 300 factory programs and 200 user patch spaces. Patch upload and download through the free MODALapp
• 512-step sequencer with input quantise

New in Firmware v2.6

Firmware v2.6 adds 12 new Wavetable Banks containing 60 all-new Waveforms. Now, producers, performers and sound designers can experience immediate access to two independent wave-groups each containing 180 carefully crafted wavetables split into 36 banks of 5 morphable waveform sets; there’s even an additional PWM bank and 3 noise/modulation banks accessible on wave-group 2. In addition, users can now effortlessly link OSC2 tuning to be linked to OSC1 frequency via a handy OSC2 Tune Mode control. Fuse all of this with 32 static wavetable modifiers including, de-rez, wave folders, waveshapers, phase shapers and rectify, all of which can be applied to the 180 wavetables - not to mention 8 types of oscillator modifier - and the sonic possibilities are virtually limitless. 

In tandem with the release of the ARGON-Series’ v2.6 firmware, MODALapp has also been updated to v2.7.6, catering for the 60 new waveforms and OSC2 Tune Mode control the new firmware update provides.

Unlocking Wavetable Potential

Modal Electronics know a thing or two about wavetable synthesis. By taking the wavetable concept a step further, they’ve unlocked a broader tonal palette than ever before.

Many people associate digital synths with sterile, artificial sound; Modal’s approach with the Argon8 ensures that it has more sound on offer, and a warmer, more organic response than previously possible. Combine wavetables with extensive processors, stereo effects, 3 x envelope generators and a 2-pole morphing resonant filter, and a digital synthesizer becomes a sound designer’s dream.

Bigger Than It Looks

You’d be forgiven for looking at the feature list and imagining a behemoth of a keyboard that hogs your entire workspace. Not the Argon8; this desktop-sized unit will easily fit in amongst your existing setup, and is borderline-portable.

Not only that, but it comes with all the connectivity you’ll ever need. Pedal inputs, audio input, sync in/out, MIDI in/out, USB connectivity – this is a fully-fledged workstation that’s not much bigger than your computer screen.

ModalApp Editor

As if the mind-boggling built-in functionality of the Argon8 wasn’t enough, it’s also compatible with Modal’s free ModalApp editor. This allows you to tap even further into the real-time tweaking of your synth, including manipulating filters, wavetables, effects and much more.

Specifications

• Polyphony: 8-voice
• Wavetables: 120 (split into 24 banks of 5 morphable waveform sets)
• Additional PWM bank and 4 noise/modulation banks accessible on Oscillator 2
• Wavetable processors: 28 static (including de-rez, wave folders, wave shapers, phase shapers and rectify)
• Oscillators: 32, 4 per voice, with 8 types of oscillator modifier including: Phase Mod (FM), Ring Mod, Amp Mod, Hard Sync and Windowed Sync
• Fatar TP9/S Full size 37 key keybed with both velocity and aftertouch
• 1.54 inch large OLED display
• Bourns continuous rotary encoders throughout as standard
• A 4-axis joystick that can be assigned to a huge range of modulation destinations and virtually ‘locked’ when desired
• Three dedicated envelope generators for AMP, MOD and FILTER that can be accessed independently or all three simultaneously including negative (reverse) versions.
• Two pole morphing resonant filter
• Waveshaping distortion
• Effects: 3 user-configurable stereo FX engines that can create sophisticated Delays, lush Reverbs, Flanging, Phasing, and Rich Choruses
• Glide/Portamento with both legato and staccato modes
• Hugely powerful “Mod Matrix” with eight assignable slots with four additional fixed routes, 11 mod sources and 52 destinations
• 500 patch memories, all fully editable and ships with 300 factory programs and 200 user patch spaces. Patch upload and download through the free MODALapp
• Two Audio rate LFO’s with tempo sync (one poly, one global). Polyphonic LFO can sync to frequency divisions
• Inbuilt sophisticated programmable arpeggiator of 32 steps with rest capability with up to 2048 steps before repeating
• Real time sequencer with number 512 steps with input quantise and four recordable /editable animations
• Multiple keyboard modes, Mono, Poly, Unison 2, unison 4, unison 8, Stack 2 and Stack 4
• All time-based FX, LFO’s and sequencer arpeggio can be either clocked internally or externally
• Sync in/out
• Full size MIDI five pin din sockets
• Full size quarter inch jacks for both audio and external control such as sustain and expression.
• 5 mm stereo input with ability to route incoming audio through the FX
• Free dedicated app that works on Mac, PC, iOS, Android and works under VST3 and AU.