€995
“Yes, it’s digital and we’re proud of it!” Modor Music make their intentions clear from the start. The NF-1 is fundamentally an eight-voice virtual analogue synth, but the rule book has been torn up and there are innovative new ideas applied in countless areas. The oscillators offer all the usual wave shapes, plus unique options like a ‘wind’ setting for wind instruments and ‘arc’ for arcade game sounds. There’s a conventional 12dB/oct resonant multi-mode filter, but there’s also a unique formant filter (the first of its kind in a hardware synth). The attention to detail is impressive.
What’s even more important from the perspective of making all these options accessible is the fact that the NF-1’s attractively designed front panel offers access to all of these parameters with minimal menu diving. As a result, it’s an inspiring, intuitive instrument that encourages experimentation, allowing you to explore the range of its sonic capabilities.
04.01 PM
Wow, 2 oscillators, 4 waveforms, filter, lfo to modulate it. It’s no wonder electronic music hasn’t really advanced in the last decade as people are still getting boners for things we’ve all seen/heard before. New synths are just tools for muso-posers to show off with, posh handbags for guys/gals who don’t leave their bedrooms. All you really need if you want hardware to make music is a £100, 20 year old Roland W-30 and a good idea.
This ain’t a dig at Attack.
09.29 AM
wow, the original really is a lot better sounding. Much richer and thicker sounding. The update is somehow ‘skimmed’.
08.43 PM
@Duncan
Ridiculous isn’t it. I went into a music shop the other day and all the guitars still only had six strings! Retrograde madness
07.22 PM
@Nathan
Not a fair comparison at all. Synths are based on technology that is constantly changing. And due to Moore’s Law, the technology is constantly getting cheaper. These two things dictate that synths should be evolving a lot more than they seem to be. What is new and unique here?
05.16 PM
@ Duncan
Plenty of unique synth design out there. That’s mostly what the eurorack format is about. Also, what would you consider “unique”? 99.999999% of soft synths are based on hardware. The only truly novel synthesis in software comes from stuff like MAX/MSP, PD, Kyma, etc.. Do you think the Roland W-30 was some sort of revolutionary design at the time? I’m old enough to remember and it wasn’t. I say the more synths the merrier.