We had a chat with Barry from Modal who presented the Element One at Superbooth 2026 a fresh addition aimed toward musicians less familiar with sound design. This synthesizer draws from the Cobalt engine, tailored with a simplified user interface crafted by Mr. Hartman. It focuses on essential controls like LFOs, oscillators, filters, and envelopes, putting them at the musician's fingertips. Though designed for guitarists and pianists, it retains comprehensive sound design capabilities via its application.
Key features include the eight-voice polyphony and a robust effects engine from its predecessor. It introduces four assignable encoders for custom control without overwhelming front panel complexity. Navigation is enhanced with bank management and category browsing. While the synth offers three factory presets, additional patches are available.
With a suggested price of €599, the Element One is currently in production. It features a three-octave keyboard supporting velocity and channel aftertouch, complemented by an arpeggiator with a simple sequencer.
More Info:
Visit Modal's official website https://www.modalelectronics.com for more information on Element One.