It looks like this:
And it sounds like this:
What is modal synthesis?
Modal synthesis is a type of physical modelling that uses bandpass filters to replicate real-world resonances.
A modal synth is broken up into two primary parts: the exciter and the resonator.
The exciter is the driving energy behind the sound. In the real world, something like a drum stick or a guitar pick would be considered exciters. In the case of this synth, there are two exciter sources: A noise generator, and a sampler.
The resonator is what transforms the exciter into a tone. It is what "decays" after the inital applied energy, and is responsible for the tonal content of a sound in a modal synthesizer.
What does modal synthesis actually do?
A lot of things. From my experience, my modal synth is especially amazing at "bell-like" sounds because of the natural sounding decay. In my opinion, this specific device is best for things like bells, pads, and other very tonal sounds. Although, that doesn't mean it's bad for other things. Especially when the sampler is in use, it has a very wide sonic range. I've had a lot of success when importing foley recordings and melodic samples into the sampler myself, but of course the possibilities are effectively endless.
How much does it cost?
20 USD. If you can't afford this, contact me and we can chat :)
System requirements
Only works in Ableton Live Suite (or with max crossgrade). Has been tested (and works) in versions 11 and 12. It might work in 10 as long as you've updated the bundled version of max, which probably won't be the case if you're using a pirated copy.
Because this is a max for live device, it's less stable than I'd like. Unfortunately this is a bit of a given when it comes to sufficiently complex devices. It also has a non-trivial CPU load, so you should first load it into an empty project to make sure it works. If you buy the device and it doesn't work on your system, let me know and I'll give you a full refund.