Moog Muse

[LoboLives]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wJVaU6A2CEs&pp=ygUJbW9vZyBtdXNl

[LoboLives]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tmYrB4Cg4Sw&list=PLqR0NmnJJ9f9-DyFVRghCRQcVUJiNB-_l&index=1&pp=iAQB

[LPF83]

Maybe it's a good time for my typical initial knee-jerk reaction that I reserve the right to change later .  In these synth release threads, I like reading my pontifications later down the road in the product's lifecycle when much more is known... I take as much (or even more) pleasure in reviewing how wrong I was about something than how right I was.  So without further adieu....First impressions:

1) The UI (panel sliders and knobs) looks inviting and fun to play -- I really like what I see there.

2) The sound seems good from the video and the overall tone seems to appeal to me more than early videos of the Moog One ever did, but I don't hear anything remarkable or must-have there that isn't covered elsewhere in my current hardware collection.  In fact it sounds a bit modern, been there done that compared to vintage Moogs.  However I'm very aware of the pitfalls of judging a synth by factory presets, so I'm staying open minded there.

3) Because of #2 a price point of $4,300 USD, if that is in fact the planned MSRP, would be a non-starter for me because it feels like about $1,300 of that is paying solely for the Moog brand name, and to be honest the modern Moog brand, to me personally is worth about 1/10th of what the brand is worth on a vintage unit.  Just like I'm not paying 5k for a reissued Model D, I won't be paying 4.3k for this.

4) For some synths, my first thought leans towards studio space, and a thought of "if only there were a desktop".  I'm not getting that vibe from this synth because the control surface is the part of it that appeals most to me.

[Manbird]

Maybe it's a good time for my typical initial knee-jerk reaction that I reserve the right to change later .  In these synth release threads, I like reading my pontifications later down the road in the product's lifecycle when much more is known... I take as much (or even more) pleasure in reviewing how wrong I was about something than how right I was.  So without further adieu....First impressions:

1) The UI (panel sliders and knobs) looks inviting and fun to play -- I really like what I see there.

2) The sound seems good from the video and the overall tone seems to appeal to me more than early videos of the Moog One ever did, but I don't hear anything remarkable or must-have there that isn't covered elsewhere in my current hardware collection.  In fact it sounds a bit modern, been there done that compared to vintage Moogs.  However I'm very aware of the pitfalls of judging a synth by factory presets, so I'm staying open minded there.

3) Because of #2 a price point of $4,300 USD, if that is in fact the planned MSRP, would be a non-starter for me because it feels like about $1,300 of that is paying solely for the Moog brand name, and to be honest the modern Moog brand, to me personally is worth about 1/10th of what the brand is worth on a vintage unit.  Just like I'm not paying 5k for a reissued Model D, I won't be paying 4.3k for this.

4) For some synths, my first thought leans towards studio space, and a thought of "if only there were a desktop".  I'm not getting that vibe from this synth because the control surface is the part of it that appeals most to me.

I quite liked the sounds in this demo - and I rarely find such appealing. It's doing "basic/classic poly" in a way my ears appreciate. Also, delay as the only FX wins my heart. As a Grandmother devotee, I'm always open to new Moog offerings. I'm sure a Labyrinth will someday land in my studio.

I'm still staring at the hole in my wallet that the Trigon created, and ain't looking for another poly synth anyway (yes, there's definitely such a thing as too many synths!), so I'm happy to simply be happy about the Muse, with no urgency to wish to want one. The price tag is heavy/hefty. I'm still in the first flush with my Trigon and loving its three-osc vibe. I might wish for an HP filter on it once in a while, just cos the sound is kinda ALWAYS so epic, but isn't that part of the point?

I dig the sound and look of the Muse, and am glad to see classic-style gear being conjured by so many of our fav classic companies, even as these companies change shape and size.

[Soundquest]

Looks nicely laid out.  I bet its a good seller for them.  Perhaps a good fit for people who always wanted an Moog, but for it to be a poly offering.  I never spent that much on one instrument though. 

[LoboLives]

It looks and sounds nice but then lack of onboard effects bothers me. I almost always use internal effects as they are part of the sound of a patch. I understand I’m in the minority but I just don’t want to fiddle with outboard effects and patch bays every time I want to use a patch. For a synth this pricey, especially one that isn’t trying to be a vintage reissue but a brand new product...eh...I’d rather get a Korg Prologue, Prophet REV 2 or for this amount of money...PolyBrute 12.

[Quatschmacher]

It looks and sounds nice but then lack of onboard effects bothers me. I almost always use internal effects as they are part of the sound of a patch. I understand I’m in the minority but I just don’t want to fiddle with outboard effects and patch bays every time I want to use a patch. For a synth this pricey, especially one that isn’t trying to be a vintage reissue but a brand new product...eh...I’d rather get a Korg Prologue, Prophet REV 2 or for this amount of money...PolyBrute 12.

I’m with you there - I’m a fan of onboard effects as the less faffing I have to do with external bits of gear, the more actual music I write.

[Quatschmacher]

https://youtu.be/TYFQ0VVpqFM?si=bANwmXq1fHk3irZW

https://youtu.be/gcvqUOypTuk?si=tsO51ThxOVdsY5j6

Could someone please tell me how embedding works on this forum

[Elric]

https://youtu.be/TYFQ0VVpqFM?si=bANwmXq1fHk3irZW

https://youtu.be/gcvqUOypTuk?si=tsO51ThxOVdsY5j6

Could someone please tell me how embedding works on this forum

Wow!  That sounds great!

I think if you used the direct Youtube links instead of the shortcut version it would embed?  [edit: Yea, that worked. I used https:// www.youtube.com / watch?v=2ngvCt-x-dY ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ngvCt-x-dY

[LPF83]

At $3,500, it's substantially cheaper than I was expecting.  Wonder if they will keep the ask at $5k for a Model D?

[blewis]

The Sequential 6 series certainly appears dated and overpriced today.

This is basically what I’d want a Poly Pro-3 to be. Just having the mod OSC be the wave table and having the filter topology of the Pro-2.

But there’s no headroom for Sequential to make that Poly Pro-3 wedged in between the 6 series and flagship prices. Additionally wedging in between the Sequential, Oberheim, and Novation brands.

Dang. Tough spot.

[LoboLives]

The Sequential 6 series certainly appears dated and overpriced today.

This is basically what I’d want a Poly Pro-3 to be. Just having the mod OSC be the wave table and having the filter topology of the Pro-2.

But there’s no headroom for Sequential to make that Poly Pro-3 wedged in between the 6 series and flagship prices. Additionally wedging in between the Sequential, Oberheim, and Novation brands.

Dang. Tough spot.

Perfect time to do a drum machine/sequencer.

[Elric]

The Sequential 6 series certainly appears dated and overpriced today.

This is basically what I’d want a Poly Pro-3 to be. Just having the mod OSC be the wave table and having the filter topology of the Pro-2.

But there’s no headroom for Sequential to make that Poly Pro-3 wedged in between the 6 series and flagship prices. Additionally wedging in between the Sequential, Oberheim, and Novation brands.

Dang. Tough spot.

Yea.
I'm selling my Pro3 to get a Moog Muse.
So Badass!

[Quatschmacher]

The Sequential 6 series certainly appears dated and overpriced today.

This is basically what I’d want a Poly Pro-3 to be. Just having the mod OSC be the wave table and having the filter topology of the Pro-2.

But there’s no headroom for Sequential to make that Poly Pro-3 wedged in between the 6 series and flagship prices. Additionally wedging in between the Sequential, Oberheim, and Novation brands.

Dang. Tough spot.

Yea.
I'm selling my Pro3 to get a Moog Muse.
So Badass!

I might be in the same boat.

[LPF83]

Odd as it may seem, I'd actually be more excited over a proper re-issue of the Multimoog or maybe TheSource.

The Muse seems like a nice sounding poly with a great layout, but there are a lot of options in this category nowdays.  To my ear, Prophets and Obies usually sound better....it could just be that I've never considered myself a ladder filter guy.

I think what's gotten my attention most about this synth are some of the comments from folks like Matt Johnson who really seem to dig it... Matt is awesome and does a brand of funk that I like to listen to, but isn't what I'm into creating...I'm not really a follower of influencers when it comes to synths, I trust my ears above all, and it's about listening in the context of what I want to create, not what sounds good that others do that I listen for.

I don't want to sound like a Sequential/Oberheim fanboy... there are a number of their synths where the sound just never grabbed me.  The Pro3 didn't (oddly enough the Pro2 did and its why I still own one), the Take 5 didn't, the TEO 5 doesn't (yet).

But you know, sometimes all it takes is something like a firmware update or a YT video showcasing a certain type of sound to make me decide I need to add a certain synth to the arsenal.  So to be sure, I won't say never.

I do also wonder how many synth heads just wanted a modern Moog to sound good, and are lusting after the brand name -- it's been a while since Moog really pleased the masses in the sound department, and this synth seems like it might be that.  A nice sounding poly from a company who was never known for legendary monos but not great sounding polys.

I got "bucket list nostalgia must buy" vibes from the Prophet 10 and OB-X8.  Something close to that even with the Prophet 6 and OB-6, and never a regret with either.  3rd Wave is a powerhouse PPG Wave and Jupiter 8/Juno in a box with 24 voices that I can subdivide.  But when I want a Moog sound I've got a SlimPhatty, a Minitaur...  the Muse sounds good but doesn't have a pedigree aligning to its sound so it's hard to place exactly into a slot on an "I need this" list for me.

[jg666]

I'm thinking similar to LPF83 about the Muse. It sounds very decent and has a ton of modulation capabilities so should provide many hours of fun but I'm not lusting after it yet. I can create a lot of the sounds the Muse does with my other synths and whilst I know my Montage is not analogue and my Pro2 isn't fully analogue, I don't really care about analogue vs digital

The one thing I think the Muse might be slightly let down by is the total of 256 presets. According to videos I've seen, the majority of the factory presets are very good and they take up a big percentage of the total 256 slots available so you will be into swapping stuff around with software very quickly in my opinion.

If money and space were no concern, I would probably buy the Muse though because it seems like it will produce some hours of entertainment messing with it, but sadly I'll never be in that position 

[Manbird]

Have to say, this discussion reminds of that dangerous day when both the Trigon AND the latest Minimoog reissue were announced. The Muse has a strong "must sell gear and buy this new thing I've not yet even seen for real!" vibe! It looks good, and YT tells me it sounds good. But... I'm still paying for the Trigon, which I bought with the plan to sell off other synths. Those synths remain unsold. This is the synth-fiend's eternal curse, no?

[LPF83]

Have to say, this discussion reminds of that dangerous day when both the Trigon AND the latest Minimoog reissue were announced. The Muse has a strong "must sell gear and buy this new thing I've not yet even seen for real!" vibe! It looks good, and YT tells me it sounds good. But... I'm still paying for the Trigon, which I bought with the plan to sell off other synths. Those synths remain unsold. This is the synth-fiend's eternal curse, no?

G.A.S. is real.  I've reached a point where limited physical space is part of what makes me scrutinize every purchase.  Then some days I find myself pondering buying a bigger place to remove those limits.... then I remind myself of the value of limits, and force myself to reel those thoughts right back in.

[Rudy Nicoletti]

While it seems to sound really good and certainly has a lot of fun modulation capabilities, its patches don't really impress me that much for the kind of music I make, so price aside, I'm still feeling a little uncertain about it. Moog's hype is definitely pretty strong, but I don't want to get caught up in that usual GAS effect...

[Soundquest]

It's a nice package, but I don't really need it in terms of expanding sonic arsenal.  I got my Moog fix not long ago when picked up a Matriarch.  It's the only Moog I've ever owed, and I'm quite happy with it.   It was useful to my set up in filling a particular classic sonic vacancy.

LPF83 mentioned the Pro 2 which you don't really hear much about anymore, but that instrument truly has a unique character and imo, wonderful sound.  If I don't write down what instruments I use on a particular recording, a few years go by, and I'm not really sure what instrument I had used.  But Pro2 transcends that and just jumps out it seems.     

I've learned before, never say never when  it comes to buying synths.  I've stated on this forum before that I didn't need to buy a particular synth, then a year passed and I found myself buying it .   I suppose many of us here would be buying the Muse if cash flow was unexpectedly good, and simply just to add a fine instrument.  But already having several polys, its not  jumping out at me-as for example, the 3rd Wave, which costed me a pretty penny, but I felt added so much of that classic ppg sound, and super digital sound I was desiring to add to the palate.