Hire me Modal! Available for consulting work…
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or a hacksaw. get both of em in there, then put a fancy 
holder on the side w/ duct tape. 
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Hawk is that the ModalM8-TRx or a peak at the Inception Mode, from a future firmware update?! 
Love these demos.
So on the Argon the individual oscillators can be panned? So does that mean the filter for each voice is stereo?
Thanks HMB for doing the math and the graphic! That fits in my book!
There’s got to be at least half a dozen ways to gin this up. Velcro is the first thing that comes to my mind, as long as you don’t mind using stick’em to attach the Velcro. Magnets except that part of the case is aluminum – right??
Plenty of room in the vertical, you just need to slide it over a little to the right. Could you replace one of the “BAMBOO” end cheeks with a piece that extends a little further to the right.
Also the M is kind of angled up, so you need to consider that somehow.
Modal already builds in the polychaining – and the M is made to sell as a potential add on to the keyboard version anyways. It’s got to go someplace, so why not there, in the wasteland?
We need some better pictures – Hey @Modal don’t miss out on this double sale! Show us a picture.
Look out – Jackson is the guy that fifteen minutes after Nick Batt says they need a longer keybed version – POOF we have it. Shall we announce it now, rub the lamp and see what happens:
Announcing the Argon16XM !
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Lots of good ideas here. I like the idea of an extended end cheek. I think that is something that Modal, or a 3rd party with a 3D printer, or wood working skills could easily pull off.
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If it’s empty below the plate, they could have had mounting screws to support a vesa mount.
If you could add this, it could work pretty cool for a DT 
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Thanks! Glad you found them helpful.
I’m pretty sure the filter is mono.
I took a detailed look at voice panning a few weeks ago and here is what I found.
There is a Width parameter from 0-127 that sets how far left or right a voice can be.
When in Poly mode, each press of a key alternates where the voice is. The default is 20, so it’s intentionally slightly off center. At first I thought this was random, but it’s not and actually alternates. For example at the maximum width of 127 you can hear that pressing the same key will alternate between left and right channels.
When you use Stack 2, then 2 voices are played per key press and it will fill the stereo field (one voice far left, and one voice far right with a width setting of 127 ). Lower settings get more center channel.
There is no Pan setting for the wave oscillators, nor for the voices overall. Only Width.
There is a Rotary effect that can be used to get slow panning effects, and it works well but you lose about 30% volume (which I find strange).
Hope this helps,
Gino
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OK - I’m going to pose these questions because I think it could be an interesting discussion.
Is the Argon8 sound generation just a VST in a box?
IMO it really is, and digital synths can be categorized in this, albeit crude, way. The sound generation is basically the same as a VST, but it’s running on bespoke hardware with the goal of attaining pristine sound (no audio drop outs, or artifacts).
Does the Argon8 sound better than a VST?
To me, it can, and that’s the interesting and contrary observation. I run my DAW at 48Khz, and therefore my VSTs run at that rate. On comparable synth sounds, Omnisphere is the same quality as the Argon8 (both are VERY high quality to my ears). But there are definitely times when the Argon8 goes to a new level, and it’s very satisfying when it does. It really justifies the purchase of dedicated hardware (and I’m enjoying the extra CPU it free’s up). Sure I love the keybed, and the physicality of the Argon8, but the sound quality is the thing that’s keeping me using it. It’s not all patches, and sounds; like any synth the Argon8 can also sound weak, cheesy, and thin. But when you hit a sweet spot, I genuinely find myself hearing things I’ve not heard before, or things I’ve heard before at a level of quality I’ve not heard before. Anyone else having that experience with this synth?
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Since I just put in my pre-order for my 8X, I guess I’m back in the game!
To your question, I think this is what makes it hard for me to explain what I like so much about the Argon’s sound; it leads me to contradictions “smoothly abrasive,” “full airiness,” etc… There is not a particularly robust method of translating sound into language, and occasions like those the Argon induces make comparisons difficult to summon. “What if a Juno was digital and also didn’t sound particularly digital or analog but had that same sort of presence without sounding much like a Juno at all?” Not helpful, or even particularly intelligible.
So, I know what you mean. I think. Unless language and its limits has failed us again.
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I personally think the question is moot, if not irrelevant.
Either you want or need the tactility of hardware or you don’t.
Cheers!
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So what if I want to find the Modal Argon8 sounds in a plugin. Where can you find that exact sound? What plugin yields the exact same sounds as the Argon8 m? Better yet, where is the pizza? That seems like the most important thing here.
I have one of these for situations like this, works perfectly.
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For me it’s down to wanting a tactile, bespoke surface, portability, lack of need for a computer, and the inherent ‘limitations’. I often get overwhelmed with plugins, as there’s too many options, and clicking around with a mouse or touchpad just kills the immediacy and immersion for me. Touch screens get part of the way there, but they still don’t beat having a tactile surface.
As for sound, aside from the programing of the oscillators and filters, I think a big part of it is down to the quality of the DAC chips used, and the programing and DSP used on the outputs.
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Are there any functions that can only be accessed via the software?
I believe everything is accessible via the hardware as well. Nic from Sonic State mentions one in his review, can’t remember which, but the one he mentions is actually available via holding down the patch button and using another button.
That said, there is quite a bit of Shift or Patch button combos to access things on a second layer for knobs and switches, and a few things on pages (like arp settings) so there are times that it’s quicker/easier to change things via software.
Once you get the hang of the shift or patch button functions (usually written underneath the button or knob in a different color) it’s quite intuitive, and I’ve never felt frustrated, unlike some synths that require a lot of menu digging to program even basic changes.
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I’m not sure if/why this reply was directed at me. Regardless, as I see it, this is equally a moot point. I mean, if you are acquiring or collecting hardware synths just because one has, say, a wavetable that another does not, etc… Ya, I really don’t get that; especially in this day and age. As I already stated, the argument for or against hardware, in my opinion, is one of tactility or necessity. Either you need it or you don’t, either you prefer it or you don’t.
Personally, you wouldn’t catch me touring with plugins, a computer, and a bunch of flimsy peripherals onstage, so hardware it is. To that end, I also prefer a physical, tactile interface. But I’m under no illusions that I couldn’t otherwise achieve the same sounds, or near enough, with a comprehensive plugin.
Cheers!
I actually prefer hardware as well. I was just playing devil’s advocate, but I think I misconstrued things, so apologies there. But I noticed you glossed over the part about pizza. That’s troubling.
Ha! Actually, the pizza part was so compelling that I up and ordered one a moment ago. I just couldn’t find the right literary device to further tie that in. I mean, when something has already been done so well…
Cheers!
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Now we’re talking!
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