Modal Electronics Argon8X Synthesizer

General

The Modal Electronics Argon8X is an old-school synth sculptor that bristles with controls. In essence, the guts of this synthesizer operate in pretty much the same way as that of the Argon8 but comes supported by an expanded keyboard and a little control panel space where a tablet or other hunk of gear can comfortably rest. While it's not the only synthesizer with an 8-part polyphony, it's definitely one that can be used to compose expressive chord progressions and melodies and with a small army of buttons and knobs, every sound you shape is potentially unique.

The Many Features of the Modal Electronics Argon8X

The 8-bit polyphony is more than enough for pads and the like while four wavetable-oscillators are provided per voice to conjure fat synth lines. In terms of sound, the Argon8X is ever flexible and is based on 120 wavetables that include both classic and less standard waveforms; an equally extensive filter capable of flowing smoothly from LP to BP to HP; two audio-rate LFOs for more extreme results, and an an amp, mod and filter envelope, all of which are supported by a fitted joystick to steer the sound through a library-sized list of parameters. A comprehensive matrix can be used to couple modulators and parameters while a mouth-watering effects section expands the versatility of this synth even further.

Sequencer and Arpeggiator

Other welcome additions to the ARGON8X include the built-in sequencer and arpeggiator. The immense 512 step real-time sequencer can spit impressive rhythmic soundscapes in little time and the programmable 32 step arpeggiator can generate up to 2048 steps before a repeat even occurs. With 300 factory presets, even the less experienced synthesizer aficionado can get to grips with this sonic machine immediately, and your unique creations can be saved to one of 200 user slots. Another pretty nice bonus is the ability to easily download new patches using the free MODALapp for Mac, PC, iOS and Android.

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• Please note: The tablet seen in the images serves illustrative purposes only and is not included.