Super 6 £2,200
Those who experienced the modular mayhem of 2019’s Superbooth in Berlin will remember the strong sense that there was something new, something exciting emerging. Among the plethora of well-crafted Eurorack designs, there were a number of thrilling polysynths on display, including one from newly minted Bristol company UDO: the Super 6. The prototype presentation whet appetites for what was to come. Even the fact that the machine was merely a silent case at the time did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of onlookers. A year later, in the cold, harsh light of 2020 – a year whose Superbooth had to happen virtually due to a viral pandemic – we can confirm that the buzz about UDO’s stand was entirely justified. The Super 6 is here. Can it save us?
SUPER SYNTH
The Super 6 is an elegant and reassuringly heavy 12-note polyphonic synth. Its all-metal chassis and 49 keys feel robust and comforting, and its bevelled corners remind us of the Arp Odyssey. UDO clearly hasn’t skimped on the quality of the pots and faders, all of which offer a dampened feel with each nudge and turn. That is, aside from the single infinite-rotation pot to the left of the patch-recall buttons.
As a performance synth, the Super 6 feels like it was made for keyboard players and synthesists. It has a four-octave keyboard courtesy of Italian company Fatar, which feels responsive and durable in the way that all good synth keyboards do. It’s always nice to have a fifth octave but we don’t miss it
