At Knobcon 2015, we got a sneak preview of the new Moog Mother 32 from Moog Product Development Specialist Steve Dunnington.
Dunnington gave us a detailed overview of the new Mother 32, including details on the new synthesizer’s architecture, physical and electrical compatibility with Eurorack gear and their rack-mounting system.
Moog wasn’t allowing anyone to record audio demos of the Mother 32 at Knobcon, because the units that they had at the show were prototypes – so we’ve embedded official audio demos below:
The Mother 32 is a Eurorack synth module that is a basic all-in-one synth voice. It comes in its own case, but can also be mounted in a Eurorack system. Moog also is offering rack units so you can stack multiple Mother 32 synths, as shown below.
Architecturally, it is a single-VCO Moog synth voice – but with 32 audio and control voltage patch points and a built-in sequencer.
Features:
- Semi-Modular design means that patching is optional
- Voltage Controlled 32 Step Sequencer with 64 Sequence Locations
- Low Pass & High Pass Moog Ladder Filter (20Hz–20kHz) with voltage controlled resonance
- External audio input for processing outside sound sources
- Oscillator with Pulse and Sawtooth wave outputs
- 5-pin MIDI input and MIDI to CV converter
- 32 Modular Patch Points (Includes 5 patch cables)
- 2 Voltage-controlled mixers
- Can be easily transferred into a Eurorack skiff or case
- Mount 2 or 3 units vertically with optional 2 and 3 Tier kits
- A complete starter Eurorack system
The Mother 32 has a street price of about US $599. For details on the Mother 32, see the Moog site.
This looks better than I imagined. It looks pretty killer as a basic synth module, adds deep modularity and Euro compatibility. The step sequencer is icing on the cake, and looks like it will be as flexible as the one on the Sub 37.
tldr version: Shut up and take my money!
XmasDreamz are made of this.
is there a word after mother?
No. You’re thinking of the term used for the operator of the Mother.
Maybe this is the start of a Weyland computer to control your studio, and kill you with an Android.
Yes, “Fooger.”
Fooger.
1 oscillator? From whence comes the phatness?
Phatness probably comes from the FM and pulse width modulation. Makes up a lot for a missing 2nd osc. PW is on the Werkstatt, but not on the Minitaur.
It’s modular with cv and an audio input!!! Just add another cv controllable occilator or synth and you have detuned fatness. Obviously
The phatness comes when you feel compelled to buy three of these and the optional three tier case to house them.
cool! Now wait and see how “inexpensive” is.
$599 apparently
curious if they will offer a caseless option, i am sure that many whom would be curious are already covered as far as a eurorack case and power supply go
I sold all 3 of my Moog’s at the beginning of this year, excluding my Slim Phatty (despise the name). Purchased the Modal (formerly Modulus) 001 and the 002. I have never looked back. They are sonically and musically light years ahead of what Moog has been doing.
And aesthetically and the build quality is far superior to Moog.
Just curious, why did you keep the Phatty?
R M A: Rather candidly, I have the ‘white’ edition and I am embarrassed to say it simply looks great in my studio. And it is a rather simple synth with a unique character. I have it in a rack running through a PCM 92. As I have delved deeper into the Modal, the argument for keeping the SP is diminishing, however the form factor is also appealing. I am not certain if you have seen the 002R (rack) from Modal, yet it lacks the knobs and editing immediacy of the keyboard version. I am looking forward and hoping that Modal will release a full rack version with all the tactility of their keyboards.
Just watching the video as Steve explained the functionality of the Mother 32, I kept thinking a small hi res OLED would have made this synth far easier to operate. It seems to me by in large one would be working in the blind to figure “where you are” within all the plausible parameters.
Blasphemer!!!!
for $599 there is a lot to be had here. this is a steal.
Sweeeet
Makes you realize that some Euro modules may be a bit over priced if you can get all this for $599.
Amen!
Well, this Mother-32 is not that cheap also. Look for example at the Atlantis module by Intellijel: http://intellijel.com/eurorack-modules/atlantis/
Atlantis doesn’t have sequencer which is the most interesting selling point of this moog thingie…
atlantis is a totally different animal
Most euro modules are produced by very little companies for a niche market.
How many of these will Moog sell ?
Apples and oranges, really…
That mother has balls
How does this compare to ms-20 variants?
And I thought I was done buying gear. This thing is too lovely too ignore.
Finally a true synth coming up in 2015!!
And not just demo tracks on Soundcloud: demo tracks made by f**king Haxan Cloak.
Moog will undoubtedly have a hudge hit with this. It will benefit Moog and the eurorack format.
It looks amazing- 3 together is a 3 osc Moog modular for 1500usd – Moog now have the format and the cases and can easily start to add other modules, LFOs, effects envelopes, but what realy interests me (and the reason I love modular) is combing this with some mutable instruments stuff and some make noise madness….
I would love to see others follow this lead – eurorack ms20 for 400 bucks next please!
Three of them would be $1800 (and add another $80 if you want the triple case), but that’s still a great price for the amount of power you get.
Nice, but how does one unit sound ? Because i cannot afford 3 mothers in order to sound that fat…
Well, it can do everything the Werkstatt can do, plus much, much more, and sequenced. So check out some Werkstatt videos. The Werkstatt is plenty fat.
So is Moog going to make a “Father 32” module, or are males going to be left out again?
Named after the Nostromo Ship Computer from the 1st ‘Alien’ Movie…’Mother’?
or the other Mother F*?
Does anyone know whether this will work with the Arturia Microbrute? I read that the MB has issues working properly with some other Moog gear.
now if you only could use one as a programmer for the other 2 ( you want to add to play chords…)
Is it just me, or is this a stupid name for a synth.
I don’t know. I kinda like it. Of course, it’s easy to like any name compared to “Phatty”.
It’s probably just you
Anyone notice in Mother32 manual it says “Each function has been designed as a module” so I guess it means they will be available as individual modules in the future. Now imagine this mother with 3-4 additional Moog oscillators and couple of extra LFO:s….