IK Multimedia UNO

FM VERDICT
8.8
Despite some manufacturing
compromises, UNO is a
great-sounding source of
analogue basses and leads
at a bargain price
HARDWARE There’s no getting away
from the fact that UNO’s hardware
feels very lightweight and ‘plastic’
MATRIX Sound edits are made via the
button/rotary matrix, although some
features can only be accessed via MIDI
SEQUENCER The sequencer is only
16-step, but it’s easy to program and
makes a good tool for sketching ideas
DELAY Control for delay is limited,
and the feedback is fi xed, but it adds
a nice layer of polish
are both four-stage, but only two of
these can be controlled from the
front panel – attack and decay in the
case of the fi lter, attack and release
for the VCA. Full control of all
envelope stages and extra LFO
routing options are accessible via CC
or the software editor.
UNO also features an analogue
delay. This is controlled using a pair
of multi-function arrow buttons to
set mix level and delay time. These
controls are fairly slow to make
parameter changes, although you
can ‘jump’ through values by holding
down either button. The delay has a
fi xed feedback amount too, locked in
at a relatively restrained level. As a
result, the effect as a whole is more
of a ‘set and leave’ tool, good for
adding extra space and interest to
your patches, but not that handy for
on-the-fl y tweaking. Also note that
UNO’s output is summed to mono,
so don’t expect any extra width from
turning up the delay level.
The lower part of the push button
interface is taken up by a 27-note
‘keyboard’ for live playing, or to input
notes for the onboard sequencer or
arpeggiator. Despite its rather basic
look and feel, it isn’t too bad to play.
There’s not a lot in the way of tactile
feedback, but the ‘keys’ never feel
cramped. The row of quick
performance effects that sit above
the keyboard are a nice touch too.
These let the user add pitch dives
and swoops, or vibrato, wah and
tremolo, by holding down the
corresponding button.
While UNO might look and feel
rather ‘budget’, its sound is anything
but. Although the synth engine is
straightforward, there’s an impressive
amount of fl exibility and the
resulting tone is characterful with
plenty of analogue weight. The fi lter
is a highlight – pleasantly raspy with
the resonance cranked, but warm
and smooth reined in. Paired with a
square or saw wave, the result takes
UNO into convincing 303 or SEM
territory. While neither fi lter drive or
delay are the most wide-ranging,
both do add polish and character.
The fl exibility of UNO is shown
off well by the 100 presets. These
are arranged in banks of 10,
covering classic bass and lead
sounds, arp-friendly plucks, drones
and sound effects. Of these slots,
the later 80 can be over-written.
As a package, UNO is impressive,
with a few caveats. Even compared
to other affordable instruments, UNO
feels like a budget synth in hardware
terms. Its control interface isn’t ideal
either – the matrix layout is a neat
way to organise the synth engine,
and the keyboard and performance
effects make UNO surprisingly nice
to play, but the lack of dedicated
rotaries, faders or switches makes it
feel a bit awkward. Quite a few
parameters are inaccessible without
an external MIDI input too.
On the sonic front, the place the
UNO does show its budget roots – at
least for our review unit – is the
presence of an audible calibration
noise, which leaks into the output
whenever the synth engine is
inactive. IK are aware of this issue
with some production units, and
have already tamed it substantially
with a fi rmware update. We hope
they can reduce it more in future,
but the noise is low enough to mask.
Despite all of this, UNO is an
excellent-sounding, versatile
analogue monosynth, and you do get
a lot for your money. The presets
offer a ton of highly usable sounds,
and I could certainly see this
becoming a go-to instrument for
classic basses and leads. The arp
and sequencer are great for inspiring
ideas too. At the time of writing the
software editor is still forthcoming,
but it promises to expand the
capabilities signifi cantly, with plugin
functionality for full parameter recall
within a DAW, alongside a
standalone iOS version. Essentially,
if you can cope with a few
compromises, UNO is a great source
of classic, punchy analogue sounds
at a bargain price.
HARDWARE
There’s no getting away
MATRIX
Sound edits are made via the
MATRIX Sound edits are made via the MATRIX
SEQUENCER
The sequencer is only
DELAY
Control for delay is limited,
DELAY Control for delay is limited, DELAY
IK Multimedia UNO | Reviews
79
FMU335.rev_IK.indd 79 08/08/2018 15:10