Modal Electronics have announced a “massive” update to their CRAFTsynth monophonic synthesizer kit’s firmware and to their CraftApp CRAFT Software Editor and Controller.
Here’s what’s new to the app:
- Multi-platform: Now available on Mac OS, iOS, Windows and Android, including Smart Phones!
- MIDI play-through: Just connect a MIDI keyboard to the device running the app, and play Craft Synth directly.
- ‘Live’ page: Use the on-screen MIDI controller to play the craft expressively without a MIDI controller.
- ‘Settings’ page: Assign Craft Synth to a MIDI channel, and update your Craft Synth to the latest firmware version.
- Patch naming: You can now rename your presets on your Craft Synth.
Here’s what’s new to the synth (Requires a firmware update using the app):
- Pitch bend: Craft Synth now responds to pitch bend MIDI messages.
- Mod Wheel: Choose what parameter a controller mod wheel will affect.
- Sustain: Craft Synth now responds to sustain MIDI messages, meaning you can use your sustain pedal, or enable sustain to the app to use ‘drone mode’.
- MIDI channel: Assign your Craft Synth a MIDI channel.
- MIDI sync options: Individually set LFO and Delay MIDI syncing.
Availabililty info. The CraftApp update is live now on MacOS, Windows, Android Tablet and Android Phone. The iOS update (iPhone and iPad) is also available now. Platform-specific links are available at the Modal Electronics website. Additional information, and a brief demo video, are on the Modal Electronics Facebook page.
These are a lot of fun, without the app they would be a bit of a pain to use but with the app there pretty pleasurable to mess about with.
I was very disappointed when I got my CRAFTsynth to learn that it does not play via MIDI without a Mac App. I don’t use soft synths and I don’t have any ios gear. I thought I could hook it up to my sequencer and play it but nope, it doesn’t work like that. It’s essentially a DSP plug-in chip glued to a blue PCB with a few knobs. I’m sure it’s great for iPad junkies but as a hardware synth guy it’s a big let down.
Incorrect. You just need a DIN to USB converter and a powered USB hub. I’m sequencing the Craft Rhythm with a Squarp Pyramid midi sequencer – no computer or IOS device involved.
My disappontment using this with hardware was that Modal APP reserves all MIDI, while using it in combination with other MIDI software is impossible. I Use MIDI LAB to control my hardware and midi routing and message filters, but Modal APP freezes when i try to use Craft Synth over MIDI Lab while the APP is in use.
Modal APP as a VST3 version would be advanced engineering but as a standalone device with or without the APP is super clunky.
So basically I wanted to control it with external sequencer but no. Is possible, but only without the APP or without any other software and Modal APP instead.