MODAL ELECTRONICS Cobalt8 FROM £500

When Modal Electronics first burst onto the synth scene back in 2015, it made quite the impression. The mesmerising 002 and 008 drew high praise, despite their lofty price points. Having set a high bar, Modal has more recently turned its attention to a series of modestly priced synths that don’t compromise on creativity. Now, a new sibling has entered that line-up – and all eyes are on its virtual-analogue potential.

HEAVY WEIGHT

The Cobalt units are exceptionally robust, housed in heavy-duty plastic casing with an inviting metal front panel. Bedecked in cobalt blue and black, they’re uniformly heavy, which might be a surprise to some given their virtual-analogue architecture. The pots feel sturdy and well proportioned, with audio output via a pair of 1/4-inch jack sockets, alongside a headphone output. There’s also an audio input, with Sync I/O coming via dedicated