The Mask1 from Kodamo is a very unique-sounding keyboard synthesizer with a unique bitmask synthesis. The 61-key Fatar keyboard is lightly weighted and also equipped with monophonic aftertouch. The synthesizer is 4-part multitimbral playable. The 12 voices should be sufficient for most Chords and pad sounds. Since mono and Legato modes are also available, an arrangement with four sounds in Multimode is no problem for the Mask1.
Sound generation & effects
The digital sound generation consists primarily of two bitmask oscillators, a tunable noise generator and a 12 dB Multimode filter with lowpass, bandpass, Highpass and notch characteristics. The oscillators draw on a pool of 256 bitmasks and can each be assigned their own bitmask. To modulate these four sound-shaping elements, there are four loopable ADSR envelopes and three delta decay envelopes. Further modulation sources are velocity, modulation wheel, aftertouch and the two LFOs; each of which can be addressed to 6 or 16 destinations respectively. The signal path is completed by two serially linked effect blocks that offer a choice of chorus, phaser, distortion, bitcrusher, tremolo, ring modulation, delay, comb filter and Reverb.
What is bitmask synthesis?
Bitmask synthesis has, strictly speaking, only sine waves as its basic waveform. Different tones are generated by applying a so-called bitmask, a technique borrowed from computer science that modifies a number by masking some of its digits. Kodamo has adapted this technique to generate sounds. Bit masking creates complex waveforms full of harmonics that give Mask1 its tonal character. You can also think of it like a "wild" pattern in tailoring that you put on top of the waveform.
A workhorse for stage and studio
The Mask1 synthesizer cuts an excellent figure as a performance synthesizer in a live context. The well-equipped arpeggiator offers 26 patterns with additional, fixed chord mixes. The arpeggiator can also output notes via MIDI and USB, making this synth an excellent master keyboard at the same time. There is no sequencer in the classic sense. Instead, a single-track MIDI looper is implemented, which has a capacity of approx. 10,000 notes and records not only notes but also pitch bend, modulation wheel, Aftertouch and inputs from the sustain pedal. Especially in an ambient environment and for artistic expression, the Looper is the better option in the case of the Mask1. The white Kodamo comes with 120 Factory sounds from the factory and has a further 400 memory locations for User sounds.
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