SUPERBOOTH 2026: We knew that Modal Electronics, the maker of the extraordinary Argon and Cobalt workstations, had something new for us… and today, launching simultaneously with the first day of Berlin’s Superbooth 2026 show comes the Element One, a diminutive 37-key synth designed for musicians who, in Modal’s words, ‘want to play with sound’ albeit without requiring any deep technical knowledge.
Developed in collaboration with the world-renowned Axel Hartmann Design team, the 4.5kg minimalist steel and polycarbonate-enclosed Element One’s ultra-reactive USP is spotlighted by expressive aftertouch and a versatile 4-axis joystick.
Then, there’s 17 direct-access control knobs for instantaneous sound shaping. It looks like the perfect antidote to tedious menu-scrolling…
The Element One is being posited as more of a responsive instrument, then - an instrument that attendees of this year’s Superbooth can test out with their own hands over at Modal’s booth (H101).
"Element One is for musicians and producers who want more sound and more expression without turning into full-time programmers," says the Modal team. "It doesn’t ask you to learn the rules; it dares you to play."
But that simplicity belies the fact that, under the hood, the Element One sports some impressive specs: 64 high-resolution oscillators (up to 8 per voice) can provide textured warmth right through to more modern-leaning sounds. Then there’s 30 resonant filter types including morphable and static options.
Then, there’s what Modal describes as ‘studio-grade FX’ - consisting of three independent stereo engines which can conjure reverb, delay, chorus and much more - arrangeable in any order you see fit.
But, if you’d rather leave all the exploring and just dive straight into some staple sonics, Modal has kindly provided 300 factory presets (categorised by character) will undoubtedly serve you right. There’s also the option to import thousands of additional patches for the company’s Cobalt8 synth.
Modal states that the Element One has been designed to fit into any musical ecosystem, spanning a guitarist’s pedalboard to a DJ’s live rig, or the standard DAW-based producer’s home setup.
In terms of ins and outs, the Element One sports USB-C MIDI, MIDI In/Out, Sync I/O, and a stereo audio input that allows external sources to be processed through its internal FX engines. For deeper editing, Modal provide a free app - aka, the ‘MODALapp’ which provides a visual interface (available for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android).
Element One is available through authorised retailers for MSRP 649 €/ or MAP $599 . For more information, visit the MODAL Electronics website. We'll hopefully be getting hands-on with the Element One at the show - so watch this space!
