COBALT 8 voice Extended VA User Guide
- June 7, 2024
- worCOBALT
Table of Contents
QUICK START
GUIDE
Modal COBALT8 is an 8 voice polyphonic extended virtual-analog synthesizer.
It features 2 independent oscillator groups, each containing 34 different
algorithms.
Beyond the oscillators, there is a 4-pole morphable ladder filter with
switchable configurations, 3 envelope generators, 3 LFOs, 3 powerful
independent and user-configurable stereo FX engines, a real-time sequencer, a
programmable arpeggiator, and an extensive modulation matrix. Shift functions
– parameters in light blue can be accessed by entering ‘Shift’ mode using the
button to the right of the screen with a light blue ring. The shift can be
momentary by holding the button and changing a parameter or latched by
pressing the shift button. Alt functions – parameters in light grey can be
accessed by holding the button with the light grey ring in the same section
(Velo or Arp). ‘Alt’ mode is always momentary and you will exit ‘Alt’ mode on
the release of the button.
Screen Navigation
The two switched-encoders either side of the screen are used for screen
navigation and control: Page/Param – When this encoder is in ‘Page’ mode it
cycles through the parameter pages (e.g. Osc1, Osc2, Filter); when it’s in
‘Param’ mode it cycles through the parameters on that page. Use the switch to
toggle between the two modes, the mode is displayed on the screen with a line
at top for ‘Page’ mode and at the bottom for ‘Param’ mode.
Preset/Edit/Bank – This encoder/switch is used to adjust the value or
‘trigger’ the currently displayed parameter. When on the ‘Load Patch’
parameter when the panel is in ‘Shift’ mode this the encoder is used to select
the patch bank number.
Presets
Patch/Seq – this button is primarily used to switch the screen to either the
‘Load Patch’ or ‘Load Seq’ param for loading patches or sequences, however,
this button also puts the panel into either ‘Patch’ mode or ‘Seq’ mode. This
changes the ‘Save’ and ‘Init’ buttons to either affect Patch preset management
in ‘Patch’ mode or Sequencer preset management in ‘Seq’ mode. ‘Init / Rand’ –
this button/function only responds on a button hold.
COBALT8 can have a large dynamic range so there is a Patch Gain control that
can be used to equalize patch volumes. Hold the ‘Patch’ button and turn the
‘Volume’ encoder to control the ‘Patch Gain’ parameter.
Connections
Headphones – 1/4” stereo jack socket
Right – Audio Out for the right stereo channel. 1/4” unbalanced TS jack socket
Left/Mono – Audio Out for the left stereo channel. If there is no cable
plugged into the Right socket then sum to Mono. 1/4” unbalanced TS jack socket
Expression – user-configurable pedal input, 1/4” TRS jack socket
Sustain – works with any standard, open momentary footswitch, 1/4” TS jack
socket
Audio In – stereo audio input, to process your audio source with COBALT8’s FX
engines, 3.5mm TRS jack socket
Sync In – analogue clock in. 3.3v, rising edge, 1 pulse per 16th note signal,
3.5mm TS jack socket
Sync Out – analogue clock out, the same configuration as the clock in, 3.5mm
TS jack socket
MIDI Out – used to control other MIDI hardware, 5-pin DIN MIDI socket
MIDI In – used to be controlled from other MIDI hardware, 5-pin DIN MIDI
socket
USB MIDI – MIDI in/out to a USB MIDI host, connect COBALT8 to a
laptop/tablet/mobile device for the optional software editor, MODALapp, full-
size USB-B socket
Power – 9.0V, 1.5A, centre-positive barrel power supply
Preset Saving
Press the ’Save’ button to enter the ‘full’ save procedure or hold the ‘Save’
button to perform a ‘quick save (saving preset into the current slot with
current name).
Once you are in the ‘full’ save procedure, presets are saved in the following
way:
Slot selection – Use the ‘Edit’ encoder to select the preset bank/number to
save into, and press the ‘Edit’ switch to select it
Naming – Use the ‘Page/Param’ encoder to select the character position and use
the ‘Edit’ encoder to select the character. Press the ‘Edit’ switch to finish
editing the name.
There are a number of panel shortcuts here:
Press ‘Oct-‘ to jump to lowercase characters
Press ‘Oct+’ to jump to uppercase characters
Press ‘Transpose’ to jump to numbers
Press ‘Chord’ to jump to symbols
Press the ‘Page/Param’ switch to add a space (increment all above characters)
Press ‘Init’ to delete the current character (decrement all above characters)
Hold ‘Init’ to delete the entire name
Press the ‘Edit’ switch to confirm the settings and save the preset.
At any point during the procedure hold the ‘Page/Param’ switch to move back a
step.
To exit/quit the procedure without saving the preset, press the ‘Patch/Seq’
button.
Quick Recalls
COBALT8 has 8 Quick Recall slots for quickly loading patches. Quick Recalls
are controlled using the following button combos:
Hold ‘Patch’ + hold one of the eight buttons on bottom left of the panel to
assign the currently loaded patch to a QR slot
Hold ‘Patch’ + press one of the eight buttons on bottom left of the panel to
load the patch in the QR slot
Filter
Hold the ‘Patch’ button and turn the ‘Cutoff’ encoder to control the Filter
Type parameter
Envelopes
Hold any of the EG buttons for one second and then turn the ADSR encoders to
adjust all envelopes simultaneously
Press the MEG button when MEG is already selected to latch MEG assign
Sequencer
Hold the ‘Mute’ button to clear the sequencer notes Hold the Anim1 / Anim2 /
Anim3 / Anim4 buttons to clear an animation lane
When the screen is displaying the ‘Linked Sequence’ parameter, hold the ‘Edit’
switch to set the value to be the currently loaded sequence.
Arp
Hold the ‘Arp’ button and press keys on the internal or an external keyboard
to add pattern notes or press the ‘Rest’ button to add a rest to the pattern
Hold the ‘Patch’ button and turn the ‘Division’ encoder to control Arp Gate
LFO
Turn the ‘Rate’ encoders into the negative range to access synced rates
To access LFO3 parameters enter ‘Shift’ mode and press the LFO2/LFO3 button
Keyboard/Voice
Press ‘Unison’ repeatedly to cycle through the different unison modes; press
‘Stack’ repeatedly to cycle through the different stack modes
Press ‘Chord’ whilst holding a chord on the internal or an external keyboard
to set the chord mode chord.
Hold ‘Transpose’ and press a key on the internal keyboard to transpose all
notes, where the central C key is the root note. Press ’Transpose’ with no
keyboard interaction to reset the transpose value back to 0.
Modulation
To assign a Mod Slot either hold (momentary) or latch the desired Mod source
button – then set a depth by turning desired modulation destination parameter
When latched in a Mod Source assign mode pressing the flashing Mod Source
button again will exit assign mode
Mod source button + ‘Depth’ encoder – set global depth for that mod source
Press ModSlot repeatedly to cycle through and view all mod slot settings on
the screen
When the screen is displaying a mod slot ‘Depth’ parameter (most easily
accessed via assigning modulation using the panel or via the ModSlot button),
hold the ‘Edit’ switch to clear the mod slot assignment.
To assign a mod source to the global frequency destination, use either of the
fine-tune controls. ‘Tune1’ will assign to the Osc1 tune, ‘Tune2’ will assign
to the Osc2 tune.
FX
Press FX1 / FX2 / FX3 button repeatedly to change the FX type of the slot
Hold FX1 / FX2 / FX3 button to reset the FX type of the slot to ‘None’
Turn the ‘B’ encoder into the negative range for the slot with a Delay FX
assigned to access synced delay times
Press FX1 + FX2 + FX3 to jump to the ‘FX Preset Load’ parameter