This pair of videos, via MusicStoreTV, take a look at the Modulus Music Modulus 002 synthesizer.
The Modulus 002 is an analog/digital hybrid uber-synth that offers twelve discrete voices of polyphony, with full multi-timbrality, if desired.
The video above takes a look at the features and capabilities of the Modulus 002. The second video, below, explores the sounds of the Modulus 002:
Details on the Modulus 002 are available at the Modulus Music site.
Nice, but too expensive for mere mortals.
This is my dream synth. What theyve done with the oscillators is genius. They use a variable sample rate so there is no inharmonic aliasing and each oscliator is its own discrete chip so they phase differently for a lusher sound. I just wish the cost wasnt so prohibitive or I would purchase one.
Its not genius at all, variable sample rate oscillators is the oldest principle of
all and certainly have its share of drawbacks besides Modulus is not 100% variable
sample rate it’s a hybrid NCO.Basically a Monowave x 12 just ask Paul.
All time discrete systems alises so even variable sample rate but there
all aliases is harmonics.
But all this is so unimportant it can be because its the “”end result” that counts!
Wish it was more affordable as well….but this is an impressive synth with lots of functionality and capability….for now I’ll stay modular….
Modular is just as expensive as this $5200 synth…. Modular is like throwing cash into a Black Hole 🙂
Modular is like paying a house on credit (although you dont know how the house will look like at the end). This synth is like paying for your house cash & upfront. Unless they do credit ! 🙂
It’s also have confidence in the future of a company for the possible repairing of custom digital hardware and software
IF i put 50 ordinal people ( you could call them “fans” or the “general public” if you like), in a room, blindfolded….and had them listen to several patches from this $5200 Modulus and several patches from lets say any high quality VI like perhaps $200 Diva or similar…. Not One of them would be able to tell the difference between which was the $5200 synth and which was the VI. // You can buy an awful lot of other great musical kit for $5200. Just saying…
Don’t forget the hi-spec computer to run Diva at it’s max capability and a high quality midi keyboard that has velocity sensitive keys with aftertouch and you’ll not be that far away from the cost of this synth.
Sounds good to me, I’d much rather have a loaded 27 inch retina iMac and a copy of Diva than that synth. Or even a mid range rMBP and a Virus TI. But this thing is clearly aimed at the trust-fund synthpop rocker type which Brooklyn (and probably London) is full of, so they might sell a few.
Diva? Compared to this? Good one, man!
I agree most couldn’t tell the difference between this and Diva on a few patches, but we can say that about comparing almost every piece of hardware to software. But having said that I think I could tell the difference between this and Diva, only because I used Diva for some time before that Diva dirt got too frustrating – the clue would be the that the clear modern bright sound isn’t the Diva. But isn’t the Modulus market a professional wanting a hardware box with 12 voices that has 12 independent outputs with per knob functions, and having a bright modern sound about it – which is a million miles from Diva – even if you could do that in Diva the processing of 12 high quality sounds across 12 channels would likely bring the whole set to a standstill which is exactly what a professional live performer doesn’t want to be contenting with. I also don’t think the price is too high for a professional, forget the innards for a second, it would cost around $2500 to buy a quality keybed, hardware sequencer, custom midi knobs and 12 sound outputs.
Also, don’t forget the control surface. Building a nice dedicated controller for a softsynth could easily run you into the $1000s. The guy over at Synth Projects says he spent 1370 euro to build his Diva controller. If something like that were actually available to purchase it would likely be $2000. That puts a synth like the Modulus into perspective pretty quickly i think.
Yeah, people listening also don’t know if I have been practicing or not. But I do. So do the other folks on the bandstand.
If only they would have taken full advantage of the nature of their oscillators and implemented just a little bit of memory for user waves.
I am not me
Perhaps many couldn’t tell this difference between this and Diva, but I certainly know which instrument I would prefer to play, and it’s not the one with a mouse, that’s for sure.
Stunning – this is what we should be seeing more of, synths that actually have a unique and different sound to them.
As for the cost… £3.5K for 12 voices and not just standard voices either seems perfectly rational and reasonable to me. Elektron Analog keys is £1.2K.
If I was actually a keyboard player, I’d love one of these too, but like others can think of a lot of things I’d rather spend that kind of cash on. MakeNoise Modular and a Linnstrument for starters…. oops – that’s all the cash gone already 😀
If they keep expanding the feature set through regular software updates I could see this being worth it. Really the next nearest hardware competitor is the John Bowen Solaris, and there hasn’t been much expansion of its base feature set since release.
to be fair. The you could say that the Solaris has had many updates. Just not while it’s been running inside that enclosure (it’s been on the scope platform for years).
I had the opportunity recently to test out the Modulus alongside an Oberheim OB-Xa, Moog Voyager, and Alesis Andromeda and was surprised to discover that the Modulus more than held its own. The overall vibe of the Modulus is more Oberheim than Moog, but its timbral range goes far beyond both. Among the collection of stellar synths that shared the stage in this test, the Modulus was the one I kept returning to. The Modulus has an incredibly appealing, organic liveness to it that is miles ahead of even the best soft synth (and I count myself an avid Diva user). The Solaris seems to be the closest contemporary comparator, but the Solaris still sounds too digital to my ears and I’m put off by the serious midi sync problems that continue to plague the Solaris. Assuming that the Modulus creators continue to flesh out its capabilities (at this time, it is still lacking multitimbral mode, quick patch recall, and joystick modulation assign), the Modulus is a legend in the making.
go redskins!
While I applaud Paul Maddox going forward with this design, I miss access to his old DIY articles, all of which are gone to make way for Modulus sales. It is a very powerful bit of kit, but at that price tag, I’ll have to be content with watching demo videos.
interesting, and I can totally see other synths in the future using this technology, or later versions by this company be made, but I think it’s too expensive now.
I’m gonna order one real soon! 🙂