Modulus releases modulus.002 — Hardware Analogue/Digital Hybrid Polysynth

British electronic musical instruments manufacturer Modulus has announced availability of modulus.002 — the first analogue/digital hybrid polysynth to have been designed, developed, and manufactured in the UK for four decades.

As an analogue/digital hybrid keyboard synthesiser (using an aftertouch-enabled premium Fatar semi-weighted, five-octave key mechanism), modulus.002 provides 12 discrete voices of polyphony with full multitimbrality if so desired.

It features:

• Two NCOs (Numerically-Controlled Oscillators) per voice for exceedingly high resolution and stability with wide-reaching waveform selections, together with two sub-oscillators, individually (and uniquely) switchable from a traditional square wave to having the same waveform as the main NCO to effectively produce four oscillators per voice;
• A Modulus-designed 24dB/octave four-pole transistor ladder filter featuring some very unusual morphing or 'polesweeping' effects, enabling ear-opening transitions from 24dB/octave four-pole to 6dB/ octave one-pole filtering and anywhere in between;
• One LFO per voice as well as a global LFO;
• Wide-ranging modulation options, all accessible directly via the front panel — no navigating convoluted and confusing menus;
• A pure analogue signal path from the oscillators right the way through to the combined XLR/TRS balanced/unbalanced outputs (with all 12 voices individually available for external processing via a dedicated D-Sub connector);
• Two audio inputs enabling internal audio processing from the VCF onwards;
• and more...

While all voice control parameters are accessible via a well-thought-through front panel, modulus.002 has a user interface based around a high-quality 4.3-inch screen with wide viewing angle. It is context sensitive, whereby the control parameter of any control knob touched by the user is immediately displayed on-screen.

modulus.002 represents a unique approach to synthesiser design, taking traditional analogue circuitry combined with modern, reliable digital developments and marrying it all to a completely new control platform. The Ethernet port means modulus.002 can be connected to a network to enable updates via the Internet and access to the modulus.cloud means user profile settings, sound patches, sequences, and other content can be easily replicated to a cloud-based server platform to enable rapid resynchronisation to another modulus.002, regardless of whether it is owned by the same user or a collaborator at a remote location.

An inbuilt MIDI-sync-able 16-track, 12-row, 32-step sequencer with 16 front panel-positioned step-time editing controls can give any hardware rivals already out there a serious run for their money. For sequences can not only be transposed dynamically while running but sophisticated so-called 'mini arpeggiator sequences' created using the arpeggiator's Hold mode can be speedily saved as sequences for latter recall and editing using the sequencer.

modulus.002's Animator allows any control to be sequenced, enabling complex filter transitions, waveform changes, and modulation matrix changes to be sequenced. 12 'quick recall banks' are accessible directly from dedicated front panel buttons.

Company co-founder and principal designer Paul Maddox says: "This came about because I've had a long-held dream to build a polysynth since I was knee high. I've nearly got there several times, but it was a golden opportunity in July last year when my business partner, Philip Taysom, and myself sat together and said, 'Now is a good time to do it.' Both Philip and myself are passionate about synthesisers, and we feel that the synthesiser market has been neglected for a long time in terms of high-end, pro — in quality and feel — instruments. I quite often equate this to a PRS guitar. There is nowhere in the synthesiser industry that I'm aware of where you can go and buy the equivalent of a PRS. That's what we're aiming at — top quality, top to bottom."

Pricing & Availability

modulus.002 is available to purchase for £2,995.00 GBP (plus VAT). EU and US pricing — correct at time of writing — is €3,795.00 EUR (plus VAT) / $5,200.00 USD (plus local sales tax).

Visit www.modulus.me for more detailed information.