Moog now offers a single package of their tri-colored Neopolitan, their Cornetto trilogy of analog synthesis, in a three-tiered stack. It’s Moog Sound Studio, now in 60HP stacked form. And it sure looks pretty playing the part.
Moog Sound Studio came out back in March – a more innocent time, when the USA imagined it would be running maskless through throngs of people in the “post-virus” summer of love. Uh… well, okay, that didn’t exactly happen, winter is returning to the northern hemisphere, and if you weren’t thinking about synths in March, you might well be thinking about them now. (Even a lot of the southern hemisphere I think is now in various forms of lockdown.)
Good news, then. Moog this evening Berlin time are both ribbon-cutting a new synth center for Germany (more on that separately), and going three-layer with an expanded Sound Studio option.
So since March, you’ve been able to choose a two-layer combo of Mother-32 and DFAM, or Subharmonicon and DFAM. That comes with a bunch of learning / educational materials and cables and accessories (like a place to put the cables):
https://www.moogmusic.com/news/moog-music-introduces-complete-synthesizer-studio-experience
Or as of now, you can go all three with the Mother, the DFAM, and the Subharmonicon. That’s a nice combo, in that you get a full range of voices and tons of options for layering and patching rhythms and timbres, especially with the wildness of the Subharmonicon in the mix.
Quick review:
- Mother-32 is a classic Moog voice with step sequencer.
- DFAM is a drum voice (or really you can think of it as a percussive synth voice, not just a drum synth) with its own rhythm programming unboard.
- Subharmonicon is a six-tone tool for dividing the voice tone and rhythms in unique ways.
- The package includes a dedicated audio mixer.
- An overflow of accessories: full rack kit, power distribution hub, patch cables (and baggie), audio cables, cable organizer, a card game for exploring patching, a bunch of patch sheets and documentation and learning tools, even a custom Moog screwdriver, stickers and artwork (seriously), in one ultra-cute package.
Mother-32 and DFAM are probably the easiest two to understand, so let me highlight in particular the Subharmonicon. I reviewed the Subharmonicon already and went in deep with its designer – it’s the most unique of these, and worth a look even if only from a sound design / theory / history standpoint (like it might well inspired some other patches):
And I also got carried away and made a little experimental album with the thing (and nothing else – no triple stack for me)!
https://peterkirn.bandcamp.com/album/splintered-cycles
But fun as that was, putting the trio together makes loads of sense. And as usual, their documentation, package design, and extras is a model for the rest of us.
Product page live now; shipping starts this month from Moog’s North Carolina factory:
https://www.moogmusic.com/products/moog-sound-studio-mother-32-dfam-subharmonicon
It’s really astonishing to see the level of detail they’ve gone to with their design, packaging, and accessories. It’s also great to see someone put attention to detail there without copying Apple in their attempts to do so.
