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COBALT8 Firmware v2.0 Now Available

With the new Firmware V2, COBALT8 is set to unleash even more creativity for musicians, producers and sound designers indulging in classic and contemporary synth sounds in their creative process.

COBALT8 Firmware v2.0 Available Now

COBALT8 delivers a complete electronic music instrument that shifts the boundaries for traditional sound synthesis. With the new Firmware V2, COBALT8 is set to unleash even more creativity for musicians, producers and sound designers indulging in classic and contemporary synth sounds in their creative process. Various new forward-thinking features and enhancements boost COBALT8’s sound capabilities even further Beyond Analogue.

Classic Synth Behaviour

The brand-new Vintage parameter allows you to alter the organic fabric of COBALT8’s extended virtual-analogue algorithms by emulating the behaviour of vintage synths’ technical imperfections, whereas certain tuning and other variations were introduced into the sound generation. Oscillator Free Run is another new feature known from traditional analogue synthesisers and adds to the sonic flexibility of COBALT8. All sounds benefit immediately from Oscillator Freerun. ‘Classic’ Synth sounds are so much more alive with the vintage and free run parameters ensuring every key press is slightly different than the one before.

Filters Extraordinaire

A whopping 27 new filter types increase the already impressive arsenal for creative sound design with COBALT8 Firmware v2. The list includes 2-Pole State Variable Filters, various Lowpass, Bandpass and Highpass Ladder Filters with drive, combinations of traditional filter types with Notch characteristics, and much more. The new filters unlock even more classic synth tones and expand COBALT8’s experimental capabilities with the more complex filter outputs to create sounds that no one could imagine before. For all new filter types featuring Drive, the Morph control allows for dialling in the right filter drive amount to taste.

The new Cutoff Scaling patch parameter unlocks improved filter cutoff behaviour with three distinctive modes to increase creative performance and sound design options. Note-to-Cutoff Scaling can now track with full accuracy in one of two new modes; Relative, and Bipolar. These modes can be tailored to match your preferences on a per-patch basis. The original note-to-cutoff characteristics remain available in Legacy mode.

Effects en masse

Harnessing our flexible processing distribution system, some of the new additions occupy the power of two effects slots for more sonic power and depth. The V2 Reverb is great for adding a little bit of space to a sound, huge near-infinite reverbs and everything in-between. Creative sound gourmets will also enjoy the new Phaser v2, Compressor, Three-Band EQ, Unisoniser, Utility and additional Drive effects, giving enough options to give your custom patch creations a final, production-ready touch.

And more…

With the new firmware, the programmable Arpeggiator receives new Arp Directions to inspire musicians and producers. Firmware v2 also improves the capabilities of the OLED display, the Audio In quality, the gain staging of the audio output and much more.

Use MODALapp to update your COBALT8

With the latest MODALapp version (2.8.5 or newer required), updating your MODAL synthesiser is easy as 1-2-3. Open the application on your computer or mobile device and it will guide you automatically through the update process.

For further information please read our article in our Support Database.

FACTORY Sound Pack

COBALT8 Factory Vol. 2

Firmware V2 for the COBALT8 series is a milestone update for our acclaimed series of extended virtual-analogue synths. The new Factory Patches V2 take full advantage of the newly introduced Vintage, and Oscillator Free Run parameters, the new filters, the new effects and include classic analogue polysynth sounds as well as contemporary synth textures for every music genre.

sound demo

COBALT8

8 voice 37-key
extended virtual-analogue synthesiser

COBALT8X

8 voice 61-key
extended virtual-analogue synthesiser

COBALT8M

8 voice
extended virtual-analogue module/rack

COBALT8 v2.0 - Release Notes

Features:

  • Added 14 new FX including a new reverb algorithm:
    1. Reverb V2
    2. Phaser V2
    3. Unisoniser
    4. Compressor
    5. Three Band EQ
    6. Mono Drive (Hard Clip)
    7. Mono Drive (Soft Clip)
    8. Mono Drive (Rectify)
    9. Mono Drive (Fold)
    10. Stereo Drive (Hard Clip)
    11. Stereo Drive (Soft Clip)
    12. Stereo Drive (Rectify)
    13. Stereo Drive (Fold)
    14. Utility
  • 27 New Filter Types: 2 morphable, 25 non-morphable where the ‘Morph’ parameter instead becomes ‘Drive’.
    1. State Variable Filter with BP
    2. State Variable Filter with Notch
    3. 4 pole Lowpass Ladder (with drive)
    4. 3 pole Lowpass Ladder (with drive)
    5. 2 pole Lowpass Ladder (with drive)
    6. 1 pole Lowpass Ladder (with drive)
    7. 4 pole Highpass Ladder (with drive)
    8. 3 pole Highpass Ladder (with drive)
    9. 2 pole Highpass Ladder (with drive)
    10. 1 pole Highpass Ladder (with drive)
    11. 4 pole bandpass Ladder (12dB Lp /12dB Hp) (with drive)
    12. 2 pole Bandpass Ladder (6dB Lp / 6dB Hp) (with drive)
    13. 3 pole Bandpass Ladder (6dB Lp / 12dB Hp) (with drive)
    14. 3 pole Bandpass Ladder (12dB Lp / 6dB Hp) (with drive)
    15. 4 pole Bandpass Ladder (6dB Lp / 18dB Hp) (with drive)
    16. 4 pole Bandpass Ladder (18dB Lp / 6dB Hp) (with drive)
    17. Notch Ladder (with drive)
    18. Notch Ladder Alt (with drive)
    19. Lowpass Ladder with Notch (with drive)
    20. Lowpass Ladder with Notch Alt (with drive) – notch closes with resonance
    21. Lowpass Ladder with Notch and Resonance (with drive)
    22. Bandpass Ladder with Notch (with drive) – notch closes with resonance
    23. Bandpass Ladder with Notch and Resonance (with drive)
    24. Phaser Ladder (with drive)
    25. Highpass Ladder with Notch (with drive) – notch closes with resonance
    26. Highpass Ladder with Notch and Resonance (with drive)
    27. Peaking Filter (with drive)
  • Vintage Parameter – Emulating the behaviour of vintage synths by introducing variation between the voices
  • Osc Free Run – Emulating the behaviour of analogue oscillators by allowing them to run freely
  • 7 new arpeggiator directions:
    1. Chord
    2. Pendulum 2 – Repeats the last note when reversing direction
    3. N-Pendulum 2 – Pendulum 2 in note number order
    4. Reverse Pendulum – A reverse version of Pendulum
    5. N-Reverse Pendulum – A reverse version of N-Pendulum
    6. Reverse Pendulum 2 – A reverse version of Pendulum 2
    7. N-Reverse Pendulum 2 – A reverse version of N-Pendulum 2
  • Added a “Cutoff Scaling” patch parameter for improved filter cutoff behaviour with the following modes:
    1. Legacy – The existing cutoff control scaling curve and note-to-cutoff tracking behaviour
    2. Relative – A new cutoff control scaling curve that is more balanced and changes the note-to-cutoff tracking to behave more closely to analogue synths. In this mode note-to-cutoff tracks best when the cutoff control is at 0.
    3. Bipolar – The same cutoff control scaling curve as the ‘Relative’ mode, except in this mode note-to-cutoff tracks best when the cutoff control is at 64.

Improvements:

  • Improved internal gain staging for increased output volume in most cases
  • Improved the screen’s filter graph / parameter pages in the following ways:
    • Improved the graph to be a more accurate representation of the filter
    • The Type parameter page now displays both the graph and text value
  • Improved Audio In sound quality

Fixes:

  • Fixed issue with the tempo-synced delay times
  • Fixed a potential arpeggiator note ordering issue when playing arps with an arp octave value of 2 or more
  • Fixed a potential arpeggiator note ordering issue when playing arp patterns using a pendulum direction mode
  • Fixed issue where the first loop of the arpeggiator sequence may not contain all pressed notes when using the ‘backwards’ direction mode