Modal Electronics SKULPTsynth SE 4-Voice Virtual Analogue Synthesizer

General

Despite being so small you'd almost think it's way too compact to be able to do what it says it's capable of, the Modal Electronics SKULPTsynth SE is a fully-grown, highly-potent portable synthesizer that can run on batteries or be fed power via USB. This virtual analogue synth features a considerable number of controls, including a shift-button that basically doubles the options that the fitted keys give you. Compared to its predecessor, the SKULPTsynth SE is built into a slightly heavier, more impact-resistant housing, and while the new diagonal lay-out will take a bit of time getting used to, this bite-size synth is actually brilliantly intuitive to work with and puts fresh presets at your disposal.

The Modal Electronics SKULPTsynth SE: A Fat Little Monster

The number of oscillators loaded into this synth is 32 while the maximum polyphony is 4. Those who haven't skipped their maths classes will know that comes down to eight oscillators per voice, which is more than enough to whip up fat and fully-layered sounds. All 32 oscillators are divided depended on the number of voices you want to use, meaning that in monophonic mode, you've got all 32 oscillators working their magic. For more complex algorithms, there's a comprehensive modulation matrix where an LFO can be linked up to the frequency of an oscillator and, again, looking at its size, it's hard to imagine Modal Electronics have also managed to fit an arpeggiator and a sequencer inside the SKULPTsynth SE. Finally, with the specially-developed, free downloadable MODALapp software for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, you're offered yet another greatly intuitive way to control and set-up the synth.