ALM MCO MkII is a new 6HP multi-engine digital oscillator /voice module for Eurorack inspired by 90s/00s digital synths.
In recent years, processors have become increasingly powerful and accessible. This performance boost has also been seen in the Synthesizer market, especially in eurorack. Digital modules sound much better and are getting deeper engines.
ALM shows an excellent example of this performance boost. With the MCO MkII, they unveiled the successor to its wavetable oscillator. It transformed into a powerful multi-engine module.
ALM MCO MkII
The MCO MkII is a new 6HP multi-engine digital oscillator (VCO) and voice module for Eurorack inspired by digital synths from the 1990s and 2000s. It’s the successor of the original MCO module and takes the concept many steps further.
This starts with the design. It now hosts a narrow color OLED display in the middle, giving you a full visual representation of the parameters and engines.
Yes, unlike the original MCO, ALM has squeezed multiple vintage-inspired digital engines into the new MCO MkII oscillator. It includes a multi-dimensional wavetable oscillator with custom wavetable support based on the original module.
Then, you get a complex additive oscillator, a multi-mode “JP” type digi mode with super saws and more, a fully featured vocoder, and a lush virtual analog oscillator. That’s not all. It also offers a bass synth for both kicks and sub-sonic tones and a comeback of the discontinued SID GUIs chip voice.
Powerful: it not only delivers a single mono voice, but all synthesis modes support up to four voice chords and come with dual outputs, giving you different flavors.
Every digital engine has various hands-on parameters that can be manually controlled or modulated through assignable internal and external sources. Some engines also support audio-rate modulation, including FM, hard sync, and DSP.
Synth Voice & VCV Rack
Another major difference from the MkI is that the new ALM MCO MkII is also a full synth voice because it has built-in externally triggered envelopes and multiple LFOs. Further, you can save your favorite settings in recallable user presets or use one of the factory presets. All states are preserved across power cycles.
On the connection side, MCO MkII offers a dual output, a V/oct input, an external input for audio rate modulation and processing, a trigger input, and three assignable CV inputs. If that’s not enough, you can also attach the Axon expanders and give the module up to eight assignable CV inputs.
Alongside the analog connections, it also includes a USB-C port for quick and easy ‘drag and drop’ firmware updates, custom wavetable upload, and device backup/restore.
If you prefer the computer world, you can also get a virtual version of the new ALM MCO MkII for VCV Rack with the same features.
First Impression
At first glance, it is a very exciting digital oscillator. The size is perfect: it doesn’t take up much space and offers a lot on the synthesis side.
The display and operating concept were taken from Pamela’s PRO Workout and are convincing—so much so that I even bought the latest version of it, even though I am not a fan of menu diving in Eurorack.
ALM MCO MkII will soon be available for $289, and the VCV Rack version is available now for $20.
More information here: ALM
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