I love the simple layout from left to right, it reminds me of the uncomplicated SH-101 (MOD > VCO > SOURCE > VCF > VCA > EG) in a Casiotone / Reface sized body. I'm guessing it would be super quick to get a decent sound or three judging from your excellent review Nick, ideal for when you want to get an idea down before it's gone.
Love that proper analog scope with the Outer Limits appeal. I really thought that advancements had made display technology much more affordable but I keep seeing smaller and smaller screens. I guess whippersnappers have the market share. Great review Nick.
There is nothing wrong with your telecommunications device. Nick controls the horizontal. Nick controls the vertical. He can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and let Nick control all that you see and hear . . . :o) Proper green virtual analog scope to go with proper virtual analog synthesis.
Maybe I was wrong about the oscilloscope; maybe it's really analogue. The original Outer Limits was and is great programming, especially that hypnotic opening sequence with the control voice. It speaks to the mass psychology of television.
@@anonymoushuman8344 Nick would have to verify but I could tell from the glare that it had curved glass so I think it was a CRT. I'd bet real money - at least a shilling - that it was 100% analog.
Nick Batt is my favorite synth reviewer. I have spent hundreds of hours watching and re-watching his reviews. I am fairly new to synthesizers and he has taught me alot just by watching these. With that being said, another great review of an interesting synth. I probably won't purchase it because I have alot of what I want covered, but this is a really nice little synth!
@@Elazarko I'd probably say yes, the only thing I would say is that it would be nice to have just one more set of octave keys, and also some more basic piano +Reverb sounds, as it has a lot of very warm and electric tones.
Thank you very much. I appreciate you. Guys. Of course there's nothing wrong with the Microkorg. But I definitely prefer this one. Once you figure out the workflow it's brilliant. And I love sound on sounds review. Saying it's brilliant, and actually competition to the more expensive Modal. This is how you made a serious VA. End of course unless they're tiny. I don't understand the people, who say they don't like Mini keys. You can reach, and do things you can't, do on a full-size board. I absolutely love how much sustained it has. When you use a pedal. This is what the MiniNova wants to be, when it grows up (for anyone who didn't know. It was partially designed in New Zealand). Lol. Wet sponge of a keyboard. Thank you Nick🙏💜🐈♐🌠
I love my Cobalt8x, but I really don't understand the design decisions on this - cutting the voices, effects and not making it battery operated. I think they might be pricing themselves out of market on this - too close to the desktop/37-voice and not vastly cheaper than Hydrasynth Explorer, which is a masterpiece of portable synthesizers. I was cautiously interested in the Cobalt 5s as a portable companion to my 8x, but I was hoping for it to be 30% cheaper...
This new Cobalt almost seems like Modal's version of a Microkorg. It'd be nice for someone who likes the Cobalt engine but wanted it in mini-key format (like, I prefer mini keys when possible), but otherwise it seems like it'll have a rough time in the current market. Then again, it's hard for _anything_ digital to compete against the Hydrasynth.
@@ToyKeeper Argon8 is Hydrasynth's competitor, _relatively_ Cobalt8 is not meant to be, and it is best used in conjunction with a Hydrasynth rather than one trying to replace the other.
I agree. It might be to capitalize on Sequential's recent return to the 5 voices of the Prophet. Modal is betting that 5 is a good number for marketing reasons now. Maybe they plan to release an upgrade in the near future for more voices. It seems to me they should, if only by letting you reallocate the oscillators that are already there.
Such a nice little synth, it reminds me of my Cobalt 8. The only thing that I don't get is why a keyboard this size wouldn't have AA battery compartment?? Small instruments like these are fun to carry anywhere, having mini keys and a little less processing power should be a fair trade for portability, but having to carry an additional usb battery pack aside just to provide some power is a little dissapointing, It could have been like the boutique series of small synths that all run on batteries.🎹💻☕
That's why I love my microKORG XL+. I've even taken it camping with a little bluetooth speaker via the auxiliary socket. It certainly gained some interest from people passing by.
Lots of little versions of bigger synths are coming out these days Hydrasynth explorer, Cobalt 5s and now apparently Behringer prophet VS spirit or whatever it's called. I do get that form factor and portability is a concern for a lot of people but I hope companies continue to produce desktop modules over these. I already have a great controller, really don't see the desire to have another small synth with a small keybed
I will not perform on minikeys, but I want them for the sound design process. Yes, we can MIDI in from another keyboard, but when you have a hardware studio full of gear, playing a keyboard 3 feet away while sound designing is not possible. If all you are designing is bleeps for a sequencer then yes, don't need the keys.
Korg said that desktop modules don't sell so well, hence they don't want to do any more. Modal, Roland, Novation, Sequential, and Behringer are churning them out anyway. 🤣
@@Elazarko Cobalt8x (61 keys) or Cobalt8 regular (37 keys), alternatively, Argon8x or Argon8 regular Consider the Juno-DS, it is not a bad choice either, it has good acoustic sounds, including piano, and it is an otherwise very, very capable synthesizer. Better reverb and greater variety of insert effects, plus a vocoder. It uses sampled waveforms for its oscillators instead of algorithms like the Modal gear, but has a tremendous diversity, including single-cycle waveforms that analogue and virtual analogue synths rely on. You can make hybrid sounds on it too, mixing acoustic with electronic. The Argon8 and Cobalt8 each have a sound of their own, though, not quite like everything else out there, and the hands-on controls are much more convenient over the Juno's menu-diving.
at just under 400 sterling- this sounds quite nice even for a digital thing reasonabily well priced. kinda looks like a mininova but without the vocoder.
Different beasts. The big differentiator is quality of sound. All subjective of course . Put em side by side and play some presets and jam with em. Different experiences. Major differences in characteristics and behavior.
Now i will wait for Arturia to introduce a Keystep 37 with a built in synth engine, because, synth aside, this thing can also compete with the Keystep 37 as a MIDI controller, with its aftertouch, XYZ pad and knobs ...
I loved the Cobalt 8 when I had it for a test, and this smaller version would find a place in my heart, if only had more effects built in, or at least the opportunity to swap the two for others via the Modal app. Chorus out, reverb in, deal!
EMU, Roland, and others used to release modules in the '90s with 128 voices, 16 part multitimbral abilities and they sounded awesome.. and now in 22 with all the advances in tech ? we get 5 voices , 8 voices mon- timbral synths ? what a joke, no really its a pity... the industry used to be about investing in music (sadly many went belly up but thier legacy lives on), but now manufacturers are all about cash what will be their legacy ? PS i had the argon, its a nice synth, but for the space it took and no multitimbrality i realized i like VST more
Awesome-sounding 128 voice, 16-part multi-timbral ROMplers _never ever_ went out of style, buddy, and that's not about to change anytime soon. VAs with more limited polyphony and little to no multi-timbrality like these Modal synths? Nothing new, we've had those since the '90s. None of those ROMplers will give you basses and leads with the quality and bite of an Ultranova or Cobalt8. Or Massive X, but VSTs are a whole other can of worms. Argon8 isn't all that great. You don't sound like you ever "got with the times", not today or in the past.
@@Jason75913 "None of those ROMplers will give you basses and leads with the quality and bite of an Ultranova or Cobalt8. Or Massive X, but VSTs are a whole other can of worms" ok maybe they could sound huge but its about the "mix" in the end where it really counts!! And i get along with many synths, old and new..i wont boast on what ive done or my credits in the industry, i not only get with the times, ive musically influenced more then you think :) My point was , if smaller companies dont have the budget maybe they should work together with others to provide a bit more then now..Roland recently put out a boutique JP8x with dual abilities, thats a good start ;) hope it continues....
Only on a digital controlled analog synth is this possible and the only advantage is more precision per turn because you can turn 'further' than a traditional say 270 degree pot. Pots with fixed turn radius make more sense typically. Plus the cost factor.
Also, and this is probably the primary reason: with endless encoder your can't tell what value you are set at without looking at the tiny screen. This will make your values jump from a setting. Instead of being set at and going from there. Kind of diminishing the precision it offers.
I´m really interested to know how the Keybed compares to Arturia KeyStep models (that I have and like). I loved to have a small Synth and a MIDI controller on the same package. But Keybed is very important to me (the feeling, travel, implementation.
Check out the Hydrasynth explorer. 1cm longer keys in the Keybed than keystep and a much higher quality feel/response. On top of that they offer poly aftertouch. I immediately sold my keystep after getting the explorer.
Sounds great but mini keys are a negative. Cobalt 8 is £100 more in some shops. I’d get the ‘8’ but it’s going to appeal to some so fair play Modal. Usual great review from Mr Batt.
Hi. Late to the party. About the tiny display, I am pretty sure it was planned to be as large as to fill the inside of the bezel (inside of outer edge), but prob component shortage made them put in a smaller one. Just my guess...
I can’t believe this is all the developers at modal could come up with. Where are the eurorack modules you teased years ago what about a reissue of the 001 or an affordable 002?
Shame they got rid of the audio mixer input that’s on the bigger machines. Nice for a super-minimalist setup to plug a small drum machine in, and dispense with any need for an external mixer.
I have both (desktop cobalt/og minilogue) and I'd say they sound pretty different. The korg is kind of cold and crispy for an analog, but does strings, leads, vintage sounds very well. It seriously lacks bass though. Cobalt does pads, bass, ambient stuff very well, but can sound very digital. I would save more and get the full 8 voices if you get one. It's worth it. This seems more for live gigs, band sessions, etc...
Not for me at all, but fair enough maybe it's someone's dream form factor. Would really like to see Modal bring out something new for old school 19" rack with their fully featured iPad / remote control UI.
The sound quality is up there, but not many features beyond its waveform oscilation build. So it does sound better than a Microkorg but its Not a Mkorg with all the bells and whistles. If it was $300 New I'd buy one to blend with other keyboards.
Hmmm so I’d have to assume the Cobalt was more popular than the Argon 8 was , weird seamed to be the other way around ? I’ll wait for the Cobalt 5m (the synth strip )lol .I was literally thinking they could do a Cobalt 5sX and make it a keytar before you said they could add pegs 🤣 .
It's price is much the same as you can pickup a used Cobalt 8. Can't say I can see the appeal myself but perhaps the form factor may be preferable for some.
@@ChrisP3000x given that's its a brand new device its not going to available on the used market. So if you had 450 to spend right now it could get you one of these or a used Cobalt8. I know which I'd prefer anyway.
@@annother3350 Audio rate modulation stuff is pure DSP. There's a reason why the sound quality on Cobalts are so high. There's alot going on under the hood.
It looks like the same intelligent marketing decision as the HydraSynth Explorer....iF....we can polychain voices with other Cobalts? For those of us scared to invest too much in a new synth these are great prices for us to get in and explore. For me I want to get deep into every synth I own, and this takes time, more time than return policies allow. I need a year to work with a synth to decide if I can use it both for sound quality/deep sound design...AND....interface, is it fast to sound design without frustration. The greatest sounding synth in the world is worthless to me if I am in pain and frustration during the sound design process. Most the time we can achieve the same depth of sound by layer two or more synths of different or the same manufacturer. Most the time when watching these synth reviews, I am thinking of how to get the same sound from layering the synths I already own.
@@Jason75913 I wanted an UtraNova years ago, it has a great user interface and sonic possibilities, the Mini menu design is not good. The only reason I didn't buy one is because Novation would not add stereo panning of each oscillators in an update.
Hi! You mentioned that 'those patches were not compatible across' by which I assumed you meant that you couldn't load cobalt 8 patches into the 5. Did you also mean that cobalt 5 patches could not be loaded into the 8? Cos those factory presets on the 5 sound much better than the factory ones on the 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would have jumped on board with Model when they introduced the Argon and Cobalt with full sized keys....but.....I thought it was missing a 10 segment LED around all the encoders. Does anyone know how much cost these LED indicators would add to a synth like the Cobalt8?
I don’t know the wholesale prices but a good Encoder will cost you 1-2 € for a single piece. It’s not easy to buy these led ring encodes but what one can buy is between 10 and 20€. On top of that comes substantial power needs and with the number of encodes this really adds up.
Could have used this as a controller to replace my Keystep and had a nice synth too, but price is just too steep for me. I'll go for a MicroMonsta 2 instead.
@@fortheloveofnoise Thanks so much. Your response is helpful. I still haven’t sold the CS. I use it as a controller sometimes for iPad synths. And sometimes I just use its own engine. Cobalt 5s has been on sale (not now). But I have a Hydrasynth Explorer and there might be overlap with the sound. So, not sure what I’ll do. Thanks again though.
This is a cute little synth, but I have yet to discover how to record a sequence. The Manual is USELESS. The sequence of button pushes, turns etc is incomprehensible. I've had a lot of regrets with this synth. Unfortunately I needed a small carryable synth with good sounds and a sequencer...there wasn't much choice. But does it really have a usable sequencer?
Seems overpriced. About the same price as the OG Minilogue, but it's all digital and only has one more voice. Seems like the whole point of going digital would be to crush analogs in the voice department, since you don't need a whole analog circuit board per voice. Just use a decent CPU and a digital synth could have more voices than you have fingers to play them.
2 Different Synthesizers, digital wave morphing synthesizer Hydrasynth and Extended VA with Cobalt 5 S... You have a choice of which synthesis you want so to compare the two isn't as easy as saying one only cost X amount more than the other. Personally Ive had Hydrasynth and much prefer the sound of Cobalt and Argon... Also lets not forgot Modal has it's great App which helps greatly with editing presets this feature I missed when I had Hydrasynth. End of the day they are BOTH great synthesizers and you have a choice of either regardless of cost and if portablity is important then it's worth noting the Cobalt 5 S it built for this purpose, Size weight and options with USB power blocks etc etc..
@@cockur yeah, but then you'd say "surely 7 wouldn't break the bank" I think they wanted a gateway drug. 5 voices and cheap means you can try it out without much regret
@@quatrecheeze Six voices is a standard number of voices used in poly synths. Five is not unheard of but not common. Six is also barely enough for comfortable two handed playing. Six would have put it on a more even playing field with other poly synths on the market
@@cockur indeed. And digital is much easier to scale up. However 5 is probably there to encourage you to get the 8. Personally on a digital poly I would go for 12 or 16 if I could for layering, or just until you use up the CPU. My Kronos manages a hundred or so sometimes
I'm unable to figure out how to get any sound at all to play from my Cobalt5S. Does anyone know if there's a certain setting that might be causing this? I've tried a lot of troubleshooting and nothing is working yet
Seems unlikely have you tried both line out and headphones? If neither work then you probably need to take it back. Or if you have something sending a low midi volume message plugged in? That's all I can think of
@@sonicstateThank you so much for helping the dork. I really appreciate your time composing your message and thinking about it, considering you have thousands of followers. Thanks for helping the dork. (◔‿◔)
I feel the same way. As much as I respect Modal as a company, and want them to do well, I just can't get into their 'sound', something about it is not for me.
Yep bought a jx08 over the cobalt 8 ( was that a good decision?) - something about the sound of the modal - too 'nice' - anyway not 'edgy' enough for my tastes
Really don't get releasing a virtual analog in 2022. There are an absolute ton of real analogs out there. And they dont have to be expensive. As far as virtual analog, anybody can grab a Blofeld new or used around this price. (a bit more for one with a keyboard) I guess Modal thinks there is market though.
The Cobalt 8m is the most disappointing cheaply built, underpowered hardware synth I've ever owned. To see it dumbed down even more, is proof that returning it was the right choice. This synth is just plain bad compared to others in its price range.
@@rg484 it's cheaply built. It's underpowered. The software is poorly designed. The filters are incredibly inaccurate. The filter doesn't self resonate. The midi port isn't powered. The only part that emulates analog behavior is oscillator drift, which can be done with an LFO routed to pitch on any synth. I could go on and on about how bad of a synth it is for the price. Do yourself a favor and get the Hydrasynth instead.
Nick is always testing stuff on its lowest frequency not at the highest where aliasing shows its ugly face, as if hes doing deliberately so he can say everything sounds nice to please his sponsors. Wokeism has taking over everything, Klaus Schwabifying everything, do as we say or else mentality! I demand Nick to say about synths , this and such and such sound shit dont buy it! lol
Noted, I guess I just gravitate towards lower frequency sounds, but I will try and remember to put the higher end stuff in there, although by the time its been put through RUclips compression, not sure it would be a fair representation
Love the analog oscilloscope! It's lovely.
I love the simple layout from left to right, it reminds me of the uncomplicated SH-101 (MOD > VCO > SOURCE > VCF > VCA > EG) in a Casiotone / Reface sized body. I'm guessing it would be super quick to get a decent sound or three judging from your excellent review Nick, ideal for when you want to get an idea down before it's gone.
Love that proper analog scope with the Outer Limits appeal. I really thought that advancements had made display technology much more affordable but I keep seeing smaller and smaller screens. I guess whippersnappers have the market share. Great review Nick.
There is nothing wrong with your telecommunications device. Nick controls the horizontal. Nick controls the vertical. He can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and let Nick control all that you see and hear . . . :o)
Proper green virtual analog scope to go with proper virtual analog synthesis.
@@anonymoushuman8344 I couldn't have said it better... particularly since everything IS out of my control.
Maybe I was wrong about the oscilloscope; maybe it's really analogue.
The original Outer Limits was and is great programming, especially that hypnotic opening sequence with the control voice. It speaks to the mass psychology of television.
@@anonymoushuman8344 Nick would have to verify but I could tell from the glare that it had curved glass so I think it was a CRT. I'd bet real money - at least a shilling - that it was 100% analog.
I think you're probably right. Maybe he will tell us what model is.
Nick Batt is my favorite synth reviewer. I have spent hundreds of hours watching and re-watching his reviews. I am fairly new to synthesizers and he has taught me alot just by watching these.
With that being said, another great review of an interesting synth. I probably won't purchase it because I have alot of what I want covered, but this is a really nice little synth!
Looks like a really good first synth
I've just ordered one and don't know how to play keys (I'm a guitar player/musician)
@@RealRogGuitar It's ok, I have like 4 synths and I can't play keys either haha
@@vertigev what synths do youm have?
Do you think the Cobalt 5s would be the a good choice for a first synth as a piano player that knows very little about sound design?
@@Elazarko I'd probably say yes, the only thing I would say is that it would be nice to have just one more set of octave keys, and also some more basic piano +Reverb sounds, as it has a lot of very warm and electric tones.
Cool! I like it. I'm a fan of cheaper, smaller synths that do a ton of amazing things.
Nice little beast, but I’m hoping they’ll put the new chorus in the Cobalt 8- surely they could?
Have to buy a magnifying lens to go over that screen, like back in the day of the original Gameboy.
Thank you very much. I appreciate you.
Guys. Of course there's nothing wrong with the Microkorg. But I definitely prefer this one. Once you figure out the workflow it's brilliant. And I love sound on sounds review. Saying it's brilliant, and actually competition to the more expensive Modal. This is how you made a serious VA. End of course unless they're tiny. I don't understand the people, who say they don't like Mini keys. You can reach, and do things you can't, do on a full-size board. I absolutely love how much sustained it has. When you use a pedal. This is what the MiniNova wants to be, when it grows up (for anyone who didn't know. It was partially designed in New Zealand). Lol. Wet sponge of a keyboard. Thank you Nick🙏💜🐈♐🌠
I love my Cobalt8x, but I really don't understand the design decisions on this - cutting the voices, effects and not making it battery operated. I think they might be pricing themselves out of market on this - too close to the desktop/37-voice and not vastly cheaper than Hydrasynth Explorer, which is a masterpiece of portable synthesizers. I was cautiously interested in the Cobalt 5s as a portable companion to my 8x, but I was hoping for it to be 30% cheaper...
This new Cobalt almost seems like Modal's version of a Microkorg. It'd be nice for someone who likes the Cobalt engine but wanted it in mini-key format (like, I prefer mini keys when possible), but otherwise it seems like it'll have a rough time in the current market. Then again, it's hard for _anything_ digital to compete against the Hydrasynth.
@@ToyKeeper Argon8 is Hydrasynth's competitor, _relatively_
Cobalt8 is not meant to be, and it is best used in conjunction with a Hydrasynth rather than one trying to replace the other.
Lovely!
Really curious about the lower polyphony on this vs the regular Cobalt range. It's VA FFS. The chip cost can't be that prohibitive.
Yeh it must be a design choice ?
@Devon Detroit If I were a cynic I would say it is only to keep it from competing with the regular Cobalt line 🤔
I agree. It might be to capitalize on Sequential's recent return to the 5 voices of the Prophet. Modal is betting that 5 is a good number for marketing reasons now. Maybe they plan to release an upgrade in the near future for more voices. It seems to me they should, if only by letting you reallocate the oscillators that are already there.
remember good analog modeling requires power as it gets more detailed
@@rumm2602 Except the Cobalt 8 is doing more and yet has more voices.
Modal Electronics + Sonic State =
Such a nice little synth, it reminds me of my Cobalt 8.
The only thing that I don't get is why a keyboard this size wouldn't have AA battery compartment??
Small instruments like these are fun to carry anywhere, having mini keys and a little less processing power should be a fair trade for portability, but having to carry an additional usb battery pack aside just to provide some power is a little dissapointing, It could have been like the boutique series of small synths that all run on batteries.🎹💻☕
That's why I love my microKORG XL+. I've even taken it camping with a little bluetooth speaker via the auxiliary socket. It certainly gained some interest from people passing by.
4:31 this sounds really easy on the ear. Big like
Lots of little versions of bigger synths are coming out these days Hydrasynth explorer, Cobalt 5s and now apparently Behringer prophet VS spirit or whatever it's called. I do get that form factor and portability is a concern for a lot of people but I hope companies continue to produce desktop modules over these. I already have a great controller, really don't see the desire to have another small synth with a small keybed
I will not perform on minikeys, but I want them for the sound design process. Yes, we can MIDI in from another keyboard, but when you have a hardware studio full of gear, playing a keyboard 3 feet away while sound designing is not possible. If all you are designing is bleeps for a sequencer then yes, don't need the keys.
Korg said that desktop modules don't sell so well, hence they don't want to do any more. Modal, Roland, Novation, Sequential, and Behringer are churning them out anyway. 🤣
Which would you recommend for a piano player that doesn't know much about sound design looking to buy his first synth?
@@Elazarko Cobalt8x (61 keys) or Cobalt8 regular (37 keys), alternatively, Argon8x or Argon8 regular
Consider the Juno-DS, it is not a bad choice either, it has good acoustic sounds, including piano, and it is an otherwise very, very capable synthesizer. Better reverb and greater variety of insert effects, plus a vocoder. It uses sampled waveforms for its oscillators instead of algorithms like the Modal gear, but has a tremendous diversity, including single-cycle waveforms that analogue and virtual analogue synths rely on. You can make hybrid sounds on it too, mixing acoustic with electronic. The Argon8 and Cobalt8 each have a sound of their own, though, not quite like everything else out there, and the hands-on controls are much more convenient over the Juno's menu-diving.
at just under 400 sterling- this sounds quite nice even for a digital thing reasonabily well priced. kinda looks like a mininova but without the vocoder.
Good price for that much sound goodness. I'm getting myself one.
did we just get the best travel synth ever
I think it should rather have been priced 350€ (instead of 450€). especially in comprising to the fully featured hydra synth explorer.
Different beasts. The big differentiator is quality of sound. All subjective of course . Put em side by side and play some presets and jam with em. Different experiences. Major differences in characteristics and behavior.
Agreed, the Hydra sounds better to me as well and is much more powerful. It also has a ton of effects (but no seq)
I think 350 would conflict with the 220 for the 4 voice Skupt.
Agreed
@@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene Skulpt SE is £167 new. Got mine for £100 secondhand.
It looks awesome it sounds great but that screen is too small and it should have came in under $400
loving the arrrgghh sound when you have to pick up the ARGON8 showing its made of metal and not, cough, ...... plastic
Now i will wait for Arturia to introduce a Keystep 37 with a built in synth engine, because, synth aside, this thing can also compete with the Keystep 37 as a MIDI controller, with its aftertouch, XYZ pad and knobs ...
Just duct tape a Skulpt on one 😆
@@eddievanheinous666 the reason for a tiny cobalt is the engine is the same is high resolution osc's as their 5k dollar units unlike skulpt and craft
I loved the Cobalt 8 when I had it for a test, and this smaller version would find a place in my heart, if only had more effects built in, or at least the opportunity to swap the two for others via the Modal app. Chorus out, reverb in, deal!
and for a bit more money than a new Cobalt5, a used Cobalt8m is a much better deal
I felt it when Nick removed the screen protector
EMU, Roland, and others used to release modules in the '90s with 128 voices, 16 part multitimbral abilities and they sounded awesome.. and now in 22 with all the advances in tech ? we get 5 voices , 8 voices mon- timbral synths ? what a joke, no really its a pity... the industry used to be about investing in music (sadly many went belly up but thier legacy lives on), but now manufacturers are all about cash what will be their legacy ? PS i had the argon, its a nice synth, but for the space it took and no multitimbrality i realized i like VST more
Awesome-sounding 128 voice, 16-part multi-timbral ROMplers _never ever_ went out of style, buddy, and that's not about to change anytime soon.
VAs with more limited polyphony and little to no multi-timbrality like these Modal synths? Nothing new, we've had those since the '90s. None of those ROMplers will give you basses and leads with the quality and bite of an Ultranova or Cobalt8. Or Massive X, but VSTs are a whole other can of worms.
Argon8 isn't all that great.
You don't sound like you ever "got with the times", not today or in the past.
@@Jason75913 "None of those ROMplers will give you basses and leads with the quality and bite of an Ultranova or Cobalt8. Or Massive X, but VSTs are a whole other can of worms" ok maybe they could sound huge but its about the "mix" in the end where it really counts!! And i get along with many synths, old and new..i wont boast on what ive done or my credits in the industry, i not only get with the times, ive musically influenced more then you think :) My point was , if smaller companies dont have the budget maybe they should work together with others to provide a bit more then now..Roland recently put out a boutique JP8x with dual abilities, thats a good start ;) hope it continues....
or a Nord Lead with individual outs or even a Blofeld.. I don't get it either.
I love the endless encoders on the modal synths. Does anyone know of an analogue polysynth that uses these?
Only on a digital controlled analog synth is this possible and the only advantage is more precision per turn because you can turn 'further' than a traditional say 270 degree pot. Pots with fixed turn radius make more sense typically. Plus the cost factor.
Also, and this is probably the primary reason: with endless encoder your can't tell what value you are set at without looking at the tiny screen. This will make your values jump from a setting. Instead of being set at and going from there. Kind of diminishing the precision it offers.
I´m really interested to know how the Keybed compares to Arturia KeyStep models (that I have and like). I loved to have a small Synth and a MIDI controller on the same package. But Keybed is very important to me (the feeling, travel, implementation.
Check out the Hydrasynth explorer. 1cm longer keys in the Keybed than keystep and a much higher quality feel/response. On top of that they offer poly aftertouch. I immediately sold my keystep after getting the explorer.
@@dawidsidor8887 Lol. I changed completely my idea. Bought one Hydrosynth Deluxe. Much bigger. It´s a Tank. Incredible. Great product.
Sounds great but mini keys are a negative. Cobalt 8 is £100 more in some shops. I’d get the ‘8’ but it’s going to appeal to some so fair play Modal. Usual great review from Mr Batt.
Hi. Late to the party. About the tiny display, I am pretty sure it was planned to be as large as to fill the inside of the bezel (inside of outer edge), but prob component shortage made them put in a smaller one.
Just my guess...
I can’t believe this is all the developers at modal could come up with. Where are the eurorack modules you teased years ago what about a reissue of the 001 or an affordable 002?
Thanks' Nick.
Shame they got rid of the audio mixer input that’s on the bigger machines. Nice for a super-minimalist setup to plug a small drum machine in, and dispense with any need for an external mixer.
Cool 😎
Thanks for the review. I know they’re different, but would you recommend this synth or the Minilogue as a first synth? Thank you so much!
I have both (desktop cobalt/og minilogue) and I'd say they sound pretty different. The korg is kind of cold and crispy for an analog, but does strings, leads, vintage sounds very well. It seriously lacks bass though. Cobalt does pads, bass, ambient stuff very well, but can sound very digital. I would save more and get the full 8 voices if you get one. It's worth it. This seems more for live gigs, band sessions, etc...
@@AQ-sy9nu Thank you so much for your input! So appreciated!
Not for me at all, but fair enough maybe it's someone's dream form factor. Would really like to see Modal bring out something new for old school 19" rack with their fully featured iPad / remote control UI.
The sound quality is up there, but not many features beyond its waveform oscilation build.
So it does sound better than a Microkorg but its Not a Mkorg with all the bells and whistles. If it was $300 New I'd buy one to blend with other keyboards.
wow man what's a tone 😉😝✨
Hmmm so I’d have to assume the Cobalt was more popular than the Argon 8 was , weird seamed to be the other way around ?
I’ll wait for the Cobalt 5m (the synth strip )lol .I was literally thinking they could do a Cobalt 5sX and make it a keytar before you said they could add pegs 🤣 .
A 5m would be nice, prefer an Argon 5m than Cobalt. And it would need two USB, one for power and one for controller.
hi, I can't return in the bank/preset window, I have to turn off/ turn on to have the preset menu, can U help please ,
It's price is much the same as you can pickup a used Cobalt 8. Can't say I can see the appeal myself but perhaps the form factor may be preferable for some.
Im probably going to grab one used as a microkorg alternative
The chorus is native to 5s. Vast improvement IMHO.
apples to apples. used to used.
@@ChrisP3000x given that's its a brand new device its not going to available on the used market. So if you had 450 to spend right now it could get you one of these or a used Cobalt8. I know which I'd prefer anyway.
@@BecomingProductions availability doesn't refute apples to apples.
Nick - On the Modal Skulpt LFO 2 goes into audio rates -- are you sure its not the same here?
No audio rate lfos. Refer to argon series for that.
@@MajorOSC That's a shame. I mean, i'm no expert but surely it's just a few lines of code?!
@@annother3350 Audio rate modulation stuff is pure DSP. There's a reason why the sound quality on Cobalts are so high. There's alot going on under the hood.
It looks like the same intelligent marketing decision as the HydraSynth Explorer....iF....we can polychain voices with other Cobalts? For those of us scared to invest too much in a new synth these are great prices for us to get in and explore. For me I want to get deep into every synth I own, and this takes time, more time than return policies allow. I need a year to work with a synth to decide if I can use it both for sound quality/deep sound design...AND....interface, is it fast to sound design without frustration. The greatest sounding synth in the world is worthless to me if I am in pain and frustration during the sound design process. Most the time we can achieve the same depth of sound by layer two or more synths of different or the same manufacturer. Most the time when watching these synth reviews, I am thinking of how to get the same sound from layering the synths I already own.
Mininova is a better buy. Ultranova if you can find one.
@@Jason75913 I wanted an UtraNova years ago, it has a great user interface and sonic possibilities, the Mini menu design is not good. The only reason I didn't buy one is because Novation would not add stereo panning of each oscillators in an update.
Has anyone seen how to change midi channels? Been thinking bout upgrading my controller synth.
did he test after touch...
Hi! You mentioned that 'those patches were not compatible across' by which I assumed you meant that you couldn't load cobalt 8 patches into the 5. Did you also mean that cobalt 5 patches could not be loaded into the 8? Cos those factory presets on the 5 sound much better than the factory ones on the 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AS far as we know patches are not cross compatible either way
@@sonicstate Thankyou!
if the XY pad has a 3rd dimension of pressure, doesn't that make it an XYZ pad? 🤔
How many versions of the same synth do we need?
Agreed, maybe they'll make a 0 voice happy meal size that you can attach to your backpack like a Keychain
I would have jumped on board with Model when they introduced the Argon and Cobalt with full sized keys....but.....I thought it was missing a 10 segment LED around all the encoders. Does anyone know how much cost these LED indicators would add to a synth like the Cobalt8?
I don’t know the wholesale prices but a good Encoder will cost you 1-2 € for a single piece.
It’s not easy to buy these led ring encodes but what one can buy is between 10 and 20€.
On top of that comes substantial power needs and with the number of encodes this really adds up.
Anothe DS:P
Reckon I will stick with my Reface CS...
I would love for Yamaha to come out with an AN1X sized version of the reface CS, and of course patch memory
This is more powerful and sounds better
Modal, Korg, Elektron, I don’t care who. Someone make this man a keytar in 2023 and let him wail
Could have used this as a controller to replace my Keystep and had a nice synth too, but price is just too steep for me. I'll go for a MicroMonsta 2 instead.
Uh,.. sirs. I'm supposed to be going to sleep,.. not watching a review about another synth 🥺
$450.00 at Sweetwater, I didn't hear a price, did I miss it Nick?
$449 and £379
Bewildering. Good review though!
Sounds like nord keybords from 97
High praise!
Might sell my Reface CS to get a Cobalt 5s.
Good move?
1 year late but yes
@@fortheloveofnoise Thanks so much. Your response is helpful. I still haven’t sold the CS. I use it as a controller sometimes for iPad synths. And sometimes I just use its own engine. Cobalt 5s has been on sale (not now). But I have a Hydrasynth Explorer and there might be overlap with the sound. So, not sure what I’ll do. Thanks again though.
Did I hear Nick correctly as in he want's a Strap On!! 😂
That's a USB-B connector mate.
5 voices?! It's digital, must be crippled intentionally.
5-voice? Interested to hear why they didn’t just give us 6 voices.
I would expect they used a smaller DSP than the 8 to make it more affordable. And 6 voices would exceed the limits of the DSP.
Odd numbers are all the rage! #ModalElectronics #Sequential
@@AppAxis Prime numbers are cool?
@@thewistfulsnail It seems so. LOL
The processing of virtual analog synth voices can't be that CPU intensive. My 70€ axoloti core can do up to 12 depending on the patch.
cs01 meets xiosynth
theres a load of messin around and shift....pardon? lol
Damn, this would have been excellent with batteries :-/
It can be powered by USB....
@@sonicstate Yeah battery pack is sort of ok. I guess it just needs too much juice to (sensibly) run on regular batteries.
This is a cute little synth, but I have yet to discover how to record a sequence. The Manual is USELESS. The sequence of button pushes, turns etc is incomprehensible. I've had a lot of regrets with this synth. Unfortunately I needed a small carryable synth with good sounds and a sequencer...there wasn't much choice. But does it really have a usable sequencer?
Look at all that digital noise. Must be the usb connection?
-90 dB? Analog VCA's are WAY louder than that.
Seems overpriced. About the same price as the OG Minilogue, but it's all digital and only has one more voice. Seems like the whole point of going digital would be to crush analogs in the voice department, since you don't need a whole analog circuit board per voice. Just use a decent CPU and a digital synth could have more voices than you have fingers to play them.
this, pretty much.
$150 more for a Hydrasynth Explorer which destroys this.
Or you get a reface Cs with 8 voice polyphony at 372€
2 Different Synthesizers, digital wave morphing synthesizer Hydrasynth and Extended VA with Cobalt 5 S... You have a choice of which synthesis you want so to compare the two isn't as easy as saying one only cost X amount more than the other. Personally Ive had Hydrasynth and much prefer the sound of Cobalt and Argon... Also lets not forgot Modal has it's great App which helps greatly with editing presets this feature I missed when I had Hydrasynth. End of the day they are BOTH great synthesizers and you have a choice of either regardless of cost and if portablity is important then it's worth noting the Cobalt 5 S it built for this purpose, Size weight and options with USB power blocks etc etc..
@@JDSoundsets "isn't as easy"......Actually it was VERY easy. The Hydrasynth is 1000x better in every possible way for $150 more.
Why only the 5 voices?
To make it cheaper, otherwise you'd get the 8
@@quatrecheeze 6 would hardly have broken the bank
@@cockur yeah, but then you'd say "surely 7 wouldn't break the bank"
I think they wanted a gateway drug. 5 voices and cheap means you can try it out without much regret
@@quatrecheeze Six voices is a standard number of voices used in poly synths. Five is not unheard of but not common. Six is also barely enough for comfortable two handed playing. Six would have put it on a more even playing field with other poly synths on the market
@@cockur indeed. And digital is much easier to scale up. However 5 is probably there to encourage you to get the 8.
Personally on a digital poly I would go for 12 or 16 if I could for layering, or just until you use up the CPU. My Kronos manages a hundred or so sometimes
I'm unable to figure out how to get any sound at all to play from my Cobalt5S. Does anyone know if there's a certain setting that might be causing this? I've tried a lot of troubleshooting and nothing is working yet
Seems unlikely have you tried both line out and headphones? If neither work then you probably need to take it back. Or if you have something sending a low midi volume message plugged in? That's all I can think of
@@sonicstateThank you so much for helping the dork. I really appreciate your time composing your message and thinking about it, considering you have thousands of followers. Thanks for helping the dork. (◔‿◔)
Unpopular opinion: doesn't sound as good as JX-08. Reminds me of Novation VA stuff. Do like the form factor though
I feel the same way. As much as I respect Modal as a company, and want them to do well, I just can't get into their 'sound', something about it is not for me.
@@martin_the_artist_ absolutely, I always get disappointed because I really want to like their synths but just don't
Sounds like the mininova doesent it
Yep bought a jx08 over the cobalt 8 ( was that a good decision?) - something about the sound of the modal - too 'nice' - anyway not 'edgy' enough for my tastes
Really don't get releasing a virtual analog in 2022.
There are an absolute ton of real analogs out there. And they dont have to be expensive.
As far as virtual analog, anybody can grab a Blofeld new or used around this price.
(a bit more for one with a keyboard)
I guess Modal thinks there is market though.
Neh, just get a Mininova, cheaper, more voices, more fx, more of everything...
Except knobs.
@@6581punk agree, but the matrix system in the Mininova is not that hard to master and for the price difference it's reasonable.
@@IntiAlonso I'm a fan of the Mininova, but it's a lot deeper than this looks.. for those without much desk space. Also no aftertouch on the keybed
No app + horrible UI workflow, 20 year old dsp tech. 20 year old presets. No. Mininova isn't even in the same league.
sound quality is much higher on this, and far more powerful
1:00
Please workout a bit more, Nick.
They lost me at 5 voices, this is inexcusable for a digital synth in 2021 - crippled or massively underpowered CPU. Your phone is way more powerful.
Get a Mininova? More versatile and with much more polyphony.
how old?@@Jason75913
The Cobalt 8m is the most disappointing cheaply built, underpowered hardware synth I've ever owned. To see it dumbed down even more, is proof that returning it was the right choice. This synth is just plain bad compared to others in its price range.
I was considering the Cobalt 8m, what didn't you like about it and what would you say is better in that price range? Thanks
@@rg484 it's cheaply built. It's underpowered. The software is poorly designed. The filters are incredibly inaccurate. The filter doesn't self resonate. The midi port isn't powered. The only part that emulates analog behavior is oscillator drift, which can be done with an LFO routed to pitch on any synth. I could go on and on about how bad of a synth it is for the price. Do yourself a favor and get the Hydrasynth instead.
Nick is always testing stuff on its lowest frequency not at the highest where aliasing shows its ugly face, as if hes doing deliberately so he can say everything sounds nice to please his sponsors. Wokeism has taking over everything, Klaus Schwabifying everything, do as we say or else mentality! I demand Nick to say about synths , this and such and such sound shit dont buy it! lol
Noted, I guess I just gravitate towards lower frequency sounds, but I will try and remember to put the higher end stuff in there, although by the time its been put through RUclips compression, not sure it would be a fair representation
Woke? SMH
Wtf does woke have to do with this? Concerned about social justice and critical race theory = not playing high frequency sounds?
Woke? Lol, you're insane.