You just asked "Would you use the full MPE aftertouch of a keyboard like this?" in your video. I'm currently working on a "Totally Amateur Expressive E Osmose Review" video, and I'm going to answer that question, aimed @ you, because you asked. :D
I've got a Polybrute 12 coming in a few weeks and have owned a Polybrute 6 since June 2021. PB is the best synth I've ever had by a longshot, but it does take some to really grasp how powerful and versatile it is. Once you figure it out all the tricks up its sleeve, it just makes other poly synth seem kind of ordinary in comparison. The Muse looks intriguing, but the PB is a unicorn. It gets better and better over time, and I'm always finding new sounds in it and new things I can do with it.
So why doesn’t it sound killer like the Muse? Is there a way to make it sound like the Muse? If so, please tell this gentleman because the Arturia sounds lame in comparison to the Muse.
@@xprophet9 Because it’s sort of a custom synth. Takes on the identity of the owner, instead of the identity of the synth maker. The init patch is vanilla, but the Polybrute is an analog synth inspired by west coast synthesis, meaning that the approach is as much additive as it is subtractive. I would like the Muse for a couple weeks and then get bored with it, which is what has happened with all the Moog synths I’ve had. Same goes for all the other brands. You’re stuck in the box they give you. Most people like that. I don’t.
@@geephlips Thank you! Now I’ve got to get one. I’m a terrible keyboard player but I love the synthesizers. I’m a guitarist who dreamed of being Keith or Rick😎
I feel like im the only one who prefers the PB12. It has so many features, PA, MPE, mod matrix. Maybe the muse sounds a little better raw but its so limited compared to PB
I would get the PB12 over the Muse everyday. Full key aftertouch is a genuine innovation in expressive keys playing, which is quite a thing given how mature and saturated the market is.
@@lesynthlofi uhh decades i think you are on the wrong video for that? Polybrute was released in 2021 and this is the newest version just released so not sure what you are talking about
I like it more because I’m an expressive artist. 😊😄 I can get most of my Moog needs met with a MiniMoog like I always wanted anyway! 😄❤️❤️❤️🎵 Unmatched Sound Engine on that old thing! 😆😆😆😆❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🎹🎹🎹🎹
You know how happy I am to see you so heavily involved with hardware, Sanjay? Music hardware is my LOVE, and your channel, and your attitude are fantastic compliments to such an awesome area of music production. Look at ALL THOSE SYNTHS BEHIND YOU!!!! :D
I recently got an Expressive E Osmose, with what I'd say is also full-range aftertouch. It's amazing how wonderful it feels to be able to express not just the notes or the velocity, but also the depth and intensity of each note. SO fulfilling.
“Moog is cheaper” never thought we would ever hear this phrase! 😂 I’m in for cheap! ❤ (when I traded in Polybrute 6 (to get Model D) it was real cheap)
If the Polybrute 12 had 4 voices less - no MPE keyboard - less modulation it would be a lot cheaper. The Muse seems more comparable in terms of features to the original 6 voice Polybrute (but way more expensive). Arturia is still way better value.
Remember that scene in Friends where Ross is espousing the merits of Julie but when asked what the problem is he says "she's not Rachel..." I would say "it's not a Moog" about the Polybrute. That being said, the Polybrute is for me the better overall synth, with a great sense of fun in general and a more modern approach. But it's not a Moog....
@@joecantdance494 Totally mate! We need “Joey’s special” - double …. triple pizza! 😂 can’t wait to get Muse to my Subsequent 37CV and Model D buddies. I had PB6, cool, just not Moog. I have a confession to make, I’m a Moogaholic ❤
Haha. A lot of people are going to want to see this. There has been so much chatter around the interwebs the last few days. Good job 👍🏿😅 I already have the PB12 and don't plan on getting anymore flagship synths for a while but will be watching 😊
@@SanjayC Polybrute12 is great! I have the Osmose too so the full touch keybed is just my thing. The Muse looks great too and that sound has me building my own patches on PB12. I think Arturia likes the polite French approach to sound so need to add metalizer, sub, FM, unison, chorus, filter drive, detune and some other sprinkles to get some of that beef out of the PB12 but it can be done. Either way, I need to hit the Hanon and Bach etudes now. No more excuses! 🤘🏿
@@fleetadmiralsidiqi1941I found that Disto 50% helps to give the VCOs more character. The Moog sounds more aggressive and raw from the start which is ideal for subtractive synthesis, IMO. If all else fails, put PB12 in Layer Stereo mode and add some analog accuracy.😀 But on the other hand, 12 voices of Moog would be too overwhelming. There are hundreds of patches where a clean Polybrute poly sound is more desirable. And also the mod matrix plus all the other options on any parameter makes it an allrounder.
@@DasHemdchen yeah man thanks for the tips. Haven't played with analog accuracy yet but saw it in the menu. This is definitely one of those times where "learn what you already have better first" is appropriate. From a gear angle and a musicianship angle. Whether I have Muse or PB12, if I don't practice, I'm still going to be trash at keyboards 😅
I played them both side by side and honestly I prefer the Polybrute 12. It was delivering a much fuller and beefier sound. It’s really all about how you program it. I think it’s more versatile because it can sound Moog-like, vintage, future and tones you had no idea it could produce.
The Brute12 is not only on my must have list.. but will be in my dining room in less than a month... I MUST have it (as my very first synth as well.. )
Thanks for the video! I’m at the point of purchasing one of these and couldn’t decide. Yesterday I went to play them both at Perfect Circuit and I can say first that you tube videos help but NOTHING like hearing it for yourself in headphones. Within a few minutes on both synths I knew I was buying the Muse. They both were great and of course more features on the PB12, but it came down to the sound. And nothing sounds like a Moog. Like another comment above - the PB12 was awesome but I felt like sometimes it was close to something I could get from a software synth. The Muse had so much warmth and soul even just playing the raw oscillators without anything added. Ok that’s my 2 cents!
As far as features go, the Polybrute is obviously the king. But the Moog sounds very Moog-ish and still does a lot of modern stuff. So because the Muse is kind of the best of old & new, it would be my choice between the two if I could only have one.
I own a Moog Matriarch, a Super Gemini, and I just got the PB 12. At first, I didn’t get that ‘wow’ effect, but the deeper I dive into this synth, the crazier it gets. This synth doesn’t grab your attention right away-it takes time to master-but in the end, it sounds like a beast. And no, it does not sound like a VST. I’ve owned many analog synths, and of course, I use VSTs, but the PB sounds warm and full. It’s just different from the Muse. Even though the Moog sound has more harmonics at first, you can do some really crazy stuff with the Arturia. They’re just different tools with different timbres.
Thanks a lot for the comparison! I have a Polybrute 6 and a Super 6 which I both adore, but I've been looking at a rawer/fatter sounding poly as well. But for some reason most fatter sounding polys I've had a look at didn't seem to have very many modulation options. The Muse really seems to hit the spot for me; raw fat tones with creamy dual filters and tons of modulation options. And that diffusion delay seems to be the icing on the cake as well.
Totally depends on your needs. Polybrute is more expressive and does expansive very well. Muse is more raw and beefy and has very advanced arp and seq features. They would actually complement each other very well (if you can afford and have space for both), but ultimately its not about which is BEST but rather which fills teh gaps in a set yup any one person may have. PERSOANLKY I have a Prophet 6, OB6, 3rd Wave, Iridium keys, Osmose (and a Peak and Virus for live use only) - so sonically and expressively I have MOST of poly brutes capabilities available already on either another synth or two (if UII use Osmose ir Iridium to control another). HOWEVER I dont have a Moog style sound or filter - so fo rME, Muse is the best fit. Someone else will end up with a different POV. heck even if this was your FIRST synith - it would depend what music style yo wanted to play as to which was better...
Kudos to both for outstanding instruments & comprehensive review! No poly AT or MPE support for the Muse is a disappointment. The Muse sounds especially glorious & I hope Moog considers a Poly AT Keybed option for the Muse-- like UDO offers for the Super 6. Speaking of UDO, I wonder how the Super Gemini stacks up against these babies. Probably VERY good ;)
Man it's just that huge moog sound that always gets me, there's just something about I truly love and find very inspiring. Don't get me wrong the arturia is absolutely phenomenal, but that moog sound is just very satisfying!
Wow, the raw oscillators of the Muse completely blow the Polybrute out of the water. There are plenty amazing sounds to be had from both, but hearing them so directly back to back was a bit shocking, I didn't realize it would be such a drastic tonal difference!
At 8:53 when he starts to demo the Polybrute, he actually had stereo delay and reverb on the Polybrute turned on. But on the Moog the sound was demoed dry. This made the comparison rather useless! Obviously with reverb and stereo delay turned on the sound appears 'bigger'.
@@MacXpert74I have no clue how I didn’t catch that, thanks for replying to me, it’s so obvious on second listen. I guess I was really just focusing on the “raw” sound without realizing there was such a “tail” and wash over everything! Have you seen any other demos A/Bing them without this issue?
PB oscillators are the weakest on any flagship synth, they need fx to make them sound good, then you get all this mushed sound due to being drenched in reverb. I was able to get a PB really cheap bnib and turned it down, because no amount of other features will make it sound better.
Another throughly informative review, thanks for all the work you put into these videos! Seems like the Polybrute 12 is now $1k more than the Moog. I tried both and the Muse is more my cup of tea. Both are very powerful, but I just prefer the look, feel and sound of the Muse.
I just got an Osmose this month. Isn't it absolutely amazing!? I have had a desktop Hydrasynth for a long time, but don't find myself using it as much as I feel I should. :P
@@CaidicusProductions I'm having a consert in a medival church in two weeks, playing meditative electronic music. My main instrument will be the Hydrasynth on witch I have created some cinematic soundscapes and using the polyphonic AT. Later in october I'll do a performance together with a swedish Haiku-poet. Then I'll use only the Osmose.
@@per-axelstenstrom1886 That sounds extremely interesting, I'm glad you're putting your synths to such good use! I believe the Hydrasynth also has MPE capabilities, now. Have you tried controlling it with the Osmose? That would be neat.
All I want are the polyphonic and mpe features of the arturia on an 88 key midi contoller with lots of knobs and faders. Diva and pigments are waiting!
Very decent comparison presentation. I wouldn't mind both. Arturia and moog seem to be moving leagues ahead in all they now offer. I am a keen fan of both and wouldn't mind a job at either Grenoble or Ashville. The keybed of Arturia wins it for me as I like to play ambient sweeping soundscapes now phenomenally more expressive with the upgraded keybed of Polybrute 12. Thank you - I am now a subscriber.
I would definitely go with the Muse. Both are great synths, but the Moog has that sound, along with the good ol knobby twisty, we all love. Thanks for the comparison!
I think they both sound great. The Muse’s VCO definitely have that lovely Moog roundness The Polybrute’s VCO’s sound great too and may prove quite versatile, but it’s that MPE keyboard that’s a game changer imho. Both are brilliant, powerful, highend analog synths. Picking one would likely require a coin toss! We are truly in the Golden age of synthesis.
Really different synths there. The poly aftertouch is initially interesting/appealing but it can get away from you pretty quickly with sudden vibratos, and volume increases in practice. Just listen to many of the demos on You Tube of the Osmose Expressive MPE controller to hear what I mean. It's encouraging that Moog has released an 8 voice poly competitively priced. Another good comparison would be the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave and the Muse.
The advent of patch memory slots, in the early 80s, which came on the early digital synthesizers, changed the evolution of polysynths forever. The first polysynths cost twice my annual salary and more. This is an enthusiasts market now. The brand for moog, the sound design possibilities of the Arturia. Neither represents a practical tool for me, neither displaces a device or function in my set up, neither strikes me as being useful live, it's pure GAS and I'm getting over that. The Moog is al retro nostalgia, the Arturia is all ergonomics but at least looks as though it was designed recently. With a powerful laptop and a midi controller, most musicians will have what they need, the computer won the battle for the DAW decades ago and has no competition from onboard arps and sequencers here. Thanks for taking this on. If I were a collector, I would buy them both. My studio can give me everything I can get here and a robust sample player can take that on the road. So it's just boys and their toys. Incidentally, this video is totally ruined by random, irrelevant ads, every couple of minutes.
The comparison I was the most keen on! Thanks Sanjay, Big shout-out for this video from the Himalayas of India! Edit: IMO, These 2 will serve completely different sonic purpose: Arturia PB12 would be a no brainer for more modern and lush expressive pads, soundscapes, keys and ambient sounds and even a lot of classic sounds; I wonder how does it compare in the low end, the grit and gnarly sounds to the Moog though! At $500 more it does seem to offer more features including the full AT, comprehensive matrix, morhphee, software integration, ribbon and so many effects, however, it would be really sad if the OSC are the same that we find on the 'Brute Series' synths by Arturia - those are not premium flagship synth Oscillators! Muse on the other hand has this vintage classic poly synth sound, and surely has more gritty and character in the low end as well. However for some reason I find the Mono Synths from Moog more impressive and often wonder if the "Moog Sound" is really the thing you need in a Poly Synth. Also not sure how 'Modern' this can sound? The sound design capability of Muse seems limited when compared to PB12, but the OSC & Filter does sound premium! I think in terms of the raw classic poly synth sound OB-6 over Muse any day & PB6 is still a great deal for $1000 less when compared to PB12 ;)
Great video! From your comparison, I can't help but love the Moog more. As people are saying, it just sounds better at the raw, oscillator level. To me that's where the decision hinges.
Its all really personaly choice; like innovative synths, synths with features that are unique/new, maybe out of this world, and the Arturia PB12 blows the Moog Muse out of the water in terms of offerings (voices, keybed, mod matrix, fx, etc). Many claim the Moog has the better sound, which I'm sure is true. The PB12 however does not sound bad, they are both superb high end synths. I have a PB 6 and its the most beautiful sounding synth in my arsenal. The end user/customer/listener, will honestly not care if you have a PB12 or MM. How you use either of them, and how creative you are, it doesnt matter how it sounds. The MM has a more classic tendency, while the PB12 has a more futuristic approach, but can still pull classic tricks. Its really up to you.
@@xprophet9that might of come out the wrong way; what I meant is, you make the best of it. Either synth does not sound bad. It is How you work with it and what you want to do with it.
Both are very cool synths. On the Arturia Polybrute I like the options for realtime control and having 12 voices is nice. Although at the same time I'm not sure how much I would use poly aftertouch. I find that the option to modulate the sound is something I use for lead synth sounds much more than chords. As such using the regular modulation wheel and channel aftertouch are fine and no poly aftertouch is needed. I think the use cases where I want to have poly aftertouch is quite limited. In terms of the sounds coming out of the MUSE and Polybrute, I have to give it to the MUSE. It sounds powerful and smooth and does both classic analog and more modern timbres very well. The Polybrute doesn't sound bad to me, but doesn't do classic analog sounds as good as the MUSE does, I think. It's a more modern sounding analog. But I'm a big fan of 80s stuff, so I like the classic sounds! I would go for the MUSE!
I want to love the polybrute 12, but the sound just isn't quite there. Hard to justify getting it just because it has neat features. The muse sounds great on the other hand, even though it's more limited. Sound comes first to me.
I think these are two different tools. One is super versatile, and the other has a distinct sound that at some point in your life, you'll want to have.
@@SanjayC yeeeessss prophet 5 !!! The pb12 is fun w/ the mpe. But I have ROLI Seaboard controller more MPE . So the muse hm I enjoy this confrontation!😅
@@Justin-ox8nv I was wrong in my criticism of the 12. My friend just got his and it sounds amazing! It roars. I’ve never had a synth that can do the things this Arturia can and the ribbon controller is fantastic. I recommend getting the 12 AND The Muse😎
I agree, Justin - if I were doing space-sci-fi sounds, weird sound design or (as I discovered today) organ sounds/was starting a Doors cover band, lol, I would think of the PolyBrute … but otherwise, it has a lot of plinky, fizzy, thin & metallic sounds that I’m not into. Muse CAN sound bad, too … but I’ve already heard more sounds from the Muse that I prefer, personally … But it’s all subjective …
nice video! I've got a polybrute 6 and even if I'd love the 12 voices it's too expensive an upgrade for a keybed I wouldn't really use... and I'm considering the muse... so guess I'm getting the muse to use with the polybrute 6 eventually! I feel like some people in the comments really underestimate how bassy and gritty the polybrute can sound. For sure it doesn't need an end of chain lowcut filter, but especially with the recentish saturation options it can really deliver.
The Polybrute 12 feels more mature then the Moog. I also like its layout better. Both have there strengths, I just think the Polybrute 12 looks and feels more fun and mature.
While I’m going to get a muse, I do think that the Arturia is great. Maximising warmth/fullness isn’t always great. I find my Waldorf quantum really useful as sits in a mix much better than my fuller sounding synths (especially my vintage prophet). It’s a shame that the muse doesn’t have poly at and 12 voices, but if it did… I wouldn’t be able to afford it!
Great. Now you’ve got me wanting to own both…😅 The Moog for that Moog vibe and sound and the Arturia for its frankly amazing feature set and expressiveness.
The Brute is a game changer instrument by incorporating all those expressive controls, not to mention the mod matrix, hence the premium is fully justified. Sound-wise though, the Muse has the upper hand by sounding fatter and more classic analogue. Though decision.
Nice demo. I have a question, does Muse have any flaw that makes it impossible to tune it? in the 10th minute and later it is tragically out of tune. Is this a manufacturing defect? answer honestly please
My Muse is on order (just had to unload a couple of 'impulse buys.') The Polybrute is neat, especially the graphical matrix and poly aftertouch + morphée stuff, but I already have the ultimate MPE keyboard (Osmose) and, to me, the Moog is just unbeatable for its absolute THICC-ness and vibe. Plus, the layout is instantly familiar and old-school, so not much of a learning curve (my first synth was the UNPROGRAMMABLE Korg MonoPoly, hell of a thing to learn on!) For those worried about the Muse swallowing a mix, I mean... anything used wrong can do that, and it does have that handy highpass knob on the far right to tame the beef in the low end. Also, I already have my Prophet Rev2 for 'subtler' tonality, although it can get pretty huge too. I think having the Dave Smith + the Bob Moog 'flavors' on hand, you can do absolutely anything. Really excited to dig into the generative seq/arp stuff on the Muse!
I bought the Hydrasynth when it was first released, and I love it and play it regularly still. Poly aftertouch is a MUST HAVE for any keyboard I'm interested in at this point. The Iridium keyboard is at the top of my "wish list", and the Polybrute 12 is a close second. I'm also interested in Behringer's take, and wouldn't mind having the UB-XA as well...
Mind you, it's hard to judge a synthesizer's sonic quality by viewing videos on a computer. I have owned the PolyBrute 12 since September. I bought it for its expressive keyboard. Recording with the Expressive E Osmose taught me how expressive controls make a difference and the reviews on my latest album confirm that notion. I was never interested in the original PolyBrute. I haven't played the Muse yet, so it wouldn't be fair to pick a favourite. Many PolyBrute presets sound harsh but the instrument can sound creamy and round, like, for example, a Polymoog or ARP/Solina String-Ensemble (left behind Sanjay). It just takes some programming of your own sounds, the thing synthesizers are made for. There is even a patch generator to get you started. The Muse wins in terms of user interface, frequency modulation - even better than the Moog One, which I have owned since March 2020 - balanced outputs and a third, versatile oscillator. .
I could tell that you like the Polybrute 12 better. They both sound cool. I do like the styling of the Moog Muse more and actually like that its less feature laden. I'd probably go for the Moog.
I want both. PB is a sound designer heaven, Muse more a player's synth to me. If I can get either at a good price, I would jump at it, but as a player I prefer the Moog sound, it is rounder and fuller to my ear although the PB has the ladder filter, the oscillators don't match the Muse to me. I find the PB sound closer to OB or Prophet, the Curtis chip was always a bit fuzzy and buzzy to me and the PB starts there but a good programmer can smooth the sound through the filters and mod matrix. But for simplicity, the Moog gets me there faster. I love the PB advanced AT, which Muse lacks. I think I could get something totally unique from the PB with a little work. The effects might send me to the PB, but Muse has that Moog rich full sound. Hard call who gets my 3K.??
Thank you for this video. Even though they are different technologies I would love to see a side by side with the Groove Synthesis 3rd wave too. There are also two other two very interesting synths in the price range - the UDO Super 8 and the Trigon 6(this one has Moog inspired filters).
I see many commenters that use adjectives to describe the PB12 like mature, more fun, mature,etc… Thats all fine and to each his own. As for me, sound is KING. While both of these masterpieces are great, there’s a thickness to the Muse that edges out the PB12. GREAT comparison video! You’ll help many to make an informed decision on what to buy!!
good overview. I know you are trying to offer an unbiased overview and you do a good job here. But what is your biased preference here? I picked up the muse and it sonically has filled a hole in my setup. I have a 3rd wave, iridium, Take 5 and Pro 3 so the muse sounds unlike anything I else. I'll entertain to the PB 12, maybe next year if I can find a place to put it. It's huge.
This is definitely the comparison people are going to want to see. Very interesting. As a traditional keyboard/performance tool I think the Moog edges it. Punchier sound, and a build quality for the road. The Arturia is probably a better tool for the studio, and if you already have a Moog, a more versatile instrument.
I wish the Muse had a polyAT keybed, and a second filter that was more like a 12 dB SVF than just a HP filter option. I wish the PolyBrute was available in a more traditional dark/noir color.
The Moog Muse all day. It is not even close or a hard decision because of the sound, although the PB does have some nice features but the sounds were a bit shril to my ears while Moog was much warmer.
Muse has a nicer raw sound. Really gorgeous. PB12 has the expressiveness though, more voices, and more effects. Polybrute might have a greater range of sounds, but the Muse just sounds rich and dreamy.
@@SanjayC That physical layout for the Polybrute’s mod matrix is awesome, and it has a huge matrix. I would love to try it. But I also want to try the Muse. From the demos I’ve heard it sounds tremendous. Really amazing. I already have a Matriarch, so it would be a tough decision.
Arturia PB12 seems to offer more, the keyboard with polyphonic Aftertouch, more effects, the matrix... But Moog Muse has sounds, filters and character that are from another world. I am also very concerned about the build quality of Arturia: I have owned Minibrute and Drumbrute for 6 years (as well as a Minimoog Voyager) and on both all the potentiometers have become sticky (while the Voyager is as good as new).
The old curse of the sticky knobs! Arturia have moved totally beyond that situation and build quality in general is great on my 3 year old PB6, which feels as new as the day I got it and no sticky.
@@discombob93 Well, I hope they stay that way for at least another 3 years and beyond. Anyway, build quality aside (even if the PB looks more toy-like than the Moog) I personally think I'll get tired of the polyphonic Aftertouch soon (I like it a bit, but too much...) while I think I'll never get tired of the Moog sound paste.
@@icasraf Oh, PB can definitely get Moogy... lots of gainstaging and saturation options available for that, but I have just the opposite concern of the Moog only ever sounding like a Moog. If you are looking less for a chameleon that takes time to setup and change all those options and more for "it says Moog on it, so that's the sound I'm about to hear when I press a key" and can afford to own other flavors too like Oberheim and Sequential, I can totally understand that workflow concern. Probably going to save some time when you're trying to be productive, but I've learned the PB6 long enough now that I'm pretty fast with it.
That’s in your head. The brute series are incredibly warm and fat. If you want them to be. They can just do modern and breathy too. I don’t mean this disrespectfully. It comes from personal experience. I have six Moog’s, a Polybrute, Super 6 and others. The Arturia synths are incredible.
IMO, those comparisons don't do justice to any of both end. The PolyBrute is designed to be a modern synth for modern and versatile productions, it has that MPE aftertouch allowing for more complex and elaborated patches, it has 4 more voices to help with that. The Muse is somehow simpler, doesn't have that complex AT, could make good use of it, sure. But then there's how it sounds...and sorry, but a simple one to one oscillator comparison doesn't cut it...everyone who's worked with analog synth in musical production knows that combining those things together just gives you unexpected results. Moog Muse is simpler but still makes its way in your creation, blending in with whatever else you add, as any Moog would do for that regards. PolyBrute doesn't do that and quickly feels bland and dull in a real (i.e. non solo) context, the added value of the MPE stuff and the added voices and stuff you get makes up for it. But bottom line, these are two different synths, for two different usages. And it's not a bad thing! You want the analog vibes and the chills of combining analog goodness and stuff in a full analog or creative signal path, go for the Muse ; you want the versatility of a "ready to go" production synth that would get you out of most of your production needs, go for the PolyBrute. Quality-wise they're both quite decent, wait a couple more years and they'll just come out of the same factory anyway 😄
For a while. The polysynth world has had a conundrum. You choose either great raw tone with not much modulation depth: Prophet 5, Prophet 6, OB6, Or you choose a less good core tone, with lots of modulation: Prophet Rev2, Prophet 12, Polybrute Moog Muse is like a sweet spot to me, better core tone, with still a decent amount of modulation options. The CV ins, also mean you could add more LFOs, if you wanted to “get nuts”.
0:04 nightcrawler by travis scott , Sanjay sir really a great fan of your reviews recently watched your black friday and cyber monday video , I am actually quite confused whether go with Arturia keylab mk3 61 or s series 61 mk3 , actually I need pads on it too , because I had 2000 mpcxl vst now I want to use it too but as go for feature and control s series is better than arturia one but arturia one is quite Fl compatible and has lot of faders and knobs where as s series don't have it and they don't even have drumpads on it also, arturia removed 4 pads from bottom row on new version and even some buttons , what would be better ?
That poly brute 12 just give you more when you spend that much money on a hardware synth . Think you should get all the bells & whistles feature's your paying for.. you can just do much musically sonic with it.. if i had to get one my choice would be the polybrute even tho moog is the older more known brand. boy sanjay the number's are growing i remember you hittin 5k.. keep up the great work ..
All I want are the polyphonic and mpe features of the arturia on an 88 key midi contoller with lots of knobs and faders. Diva and pigments are waiting!
I'm finding it hard which to love more out of the Moog or Polybrute. The Polybrute just has so many amazing features, but every time i listen the playthoughs of presets etc. the Moog just sounds better. How true really is that though? Can you get a lot of similar sounds in both? I suppose it's like you say, that Moog just has a certain sound that is hard to replicate. I'm just trying to work out if i have a bias from always hearing people talk about how warm the Moog is, or if it's just true?
I recently put the Korg Multi/Poly on my wishlist. I did it for the 60 voices. I replaced the ASM Hydrastnth on the list even though I like the Hydrasynth for it's poly aftertouch. But in the end, having more voices is more useful since the purpose is for playing chords. I'll still use the Pro 3 I already have for bass and lead.
Just brut-al on the wallet for people. Having both is almost impossible to deny. PolyBrute is just absolutely stunning in person, even sound-wise once you learn how to move beyond the strange presets and decent onboard effects which can really smear the sound if you aren't very judicious with them. If you can only get one of them though, be warned that with the gain-staging, dual-filter mix and matrix options to manipulate the envelopes, PolyBrute is the ultimate chameleon... I simply cannot get bored of it even after 3 years of owning the 6.
These are both amazing sounding synths, but maybe I'm the rare kind of person who just prefers cheap analog synths tnat do a few particular things well. With my most expensive synth being a DeepMind 12 I expected to feel a huge sense of lack listening to these things, but honestly, in a mix, I don't hear too much I couldn't program a suitable replacement for. Not identical by any means but it would work. Now if i was an amazing keyboard player soloing on these guys, I'd be very happy to have either and could get more out, particularly with that after-touch and controls. But im not JMJ or Vangelis
Excellent. Thanks for doing this. They both win in their own ways. The polybrute matrix is wonderful and the FX are better (imo). I also like having 2 different filters. What’s the built quality like on the Muse? The Muse oscillators are more immediate
That Moog sound is hard to argue with, but the Polybrute still sounds excellent and the Fulltouch is amazing. Honestly, I’d rather get a Matriarch for that huge Moog sound.
I don’t know what everybody is on about with the Moog sounding “better.” They both sound awesome. The main difference I hear is that the Polybrute has a broader tonal palette. The Polybrute can sound exactly like the Muse in a blind test. This has been proven by other channels. And TBH Arturia doesn’t do so well at presets. Their presets are more focused on showcasing what is possible rather than what sounds good. I’d have both if I had the budget and space.
Moog will have a software editor for the Muse. Their editors for their other synths (I have a Subsequent 37 and a Subsequent 25) are awesome, and basically just like this Arturia one. Plus they have very easy patch librarian features.
Do you have info suggesting Moog will support the Muse with a software editor? I have the Subsequent 37 and absolutely love the editor, incredibly powerful for production, and those of us lacking the ability to play musical ideas. From what I could find in old articles it looked like the editor for the original Sub37 was released 1-2 years after the syth's initial release. I'm pretty set on getting the Muse either way, but confirmation of an editor would have pushed me to already have a Muse last month.
Here is my conclusion and keep in mind that I actually love moogs. While there is nothing wrong with the moog muse I cannot say other than the Polybrute is way more logic in the interface and less confusing. And for some reason I think the polybrute do a good job if you want to have a synth thats fits very good in a music production if you want to go a bit more modern also. On the other hand it seems like the moog muse sounds a bit different also than traditional moog sounds. I love them booth and wish to have oportunity to test them.
❓Which one is your favorite ❓
Moog Muse geni.us/mjo2ML
Arturia Polybrute 12 geni.us/XExgE
It says this video was posted an hour ago, but this comment was posted 8 hours ago.
RUclips baffles me sometimes... :D
You just asked "Would you use the full MPE aftertouch of a keyboard like this?" in your video.
I'm currently working on a "Totally Amateur Expressive E Osmose Review" video, and I'm going to answer that question, aimed @ you, because you asked. :D
@@CaidicusProductions Ooh I can't wait to see the video!
@@CaidicusProductions He uploaded the video, made the pinned comment with his little affiliate links, then published the video some hours later.
Which one is my favorite? The answer is: Yes!
I've got a Polybrute 12 coming in a few weeks and have owned a Polybrute 6 since June 2021. PB is the best synth I've ever had by a longshot, but it does take some to really grasp how powerful and versatile it is. Once you figure it out all the tricks up its sleeve, it just makes other poly synth seem kind of ordinary in comparison. The Muse looks intriguing, but the PB is a unicorn. It gets better and better over time, and I'm always finding new sounds in it and new things I can do with it.
So why doesn’t it sound killer like the Muse? Is there a way to make it sound like the Muse? If so, please tell this gentleman because the Arturia sounds lame in comparison to the Muse.
@@xprophet9 Because it’s sort of a custom synth. Takes on the identity of the owner, instead of the identity of the synth maker. The init patch is vanilla, but the Polybrute is an analog synth inspired by west coast synthesis, meaning that the approach is as much additive as it is subtractive.
I would like the Muse for a couple weeks and then get bored with it, which is what has happened with all the Moog synths I’ve had. Same goes for all the other brands. You’re stuck in the box they give you. Most people like that. I don’t.
did you get it on sale for $1699?
@@geephlips Thank you! Now I’ve got to get one. I’m a terrible keyboard player but I love the synthesizers. I’m a guitarist who dreamed of being Keith or Rick😎
I feel like im the only one who prefers the PB12. It has so many features, PA, MPE, mod matrix. Maybe the muse sounds a little better raw but its so limited compared to PB
I would get the PB12 over the Muse everyday. Full key aftertouch is a genuine innovation in expressive keys playing, which is quite a thing given how mature and saturated the market is.
This has been an ongoing discussion for decades!: warmer and simpler vs colder complex.
@@sedumjp completely agree with you brotha
@@lesynthlofi uhh decades i think you are on the wrong video for that? Polybrute was released in 2021 and this is the newest version just released so not sure what you are talking about
I like it more because I’m an expressive artist. 😊😄 I can get most of my Moog needs met with a MiniMoog like I always wanted anyway! 😄❤️❤️❤️🎵 Unmatched Sound Engine on that old thing! 😆😆😆😆❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🎹🎹🎹🎹
You know how happy I am to see you so heavily involved with hardware, Sanjay? Music hardware is my LOVE, and your channel, and your attitude are fantastic compliments to such an awesome area of music production.
Look at ALL THOSE SYNTHS BEHIND YOU!!!! :D
I recently got an Expressive E Osmose, with what I'd say is also full-range aftertouch. It's amazing how wonderful it feels to be able to express not just the notes or the velocity, but also the depth and intensity of each note. SO fulfilling.
Hi Caid! I really appreciate that. So happy you like the new content!
Awesome that you got the Osmose! I love that thing!
The moment you started playing the Moog.. you hear why it’s synonymous with warmth and feel.
Brother...........your comparison was bang on , great detail; as an owner of the Polybrute its always amazing to see something new to learn ,
“Moog is cheaper” never thought we would ever hear this phrase! 😂 I’m in for cheap! ❤
(when I traded in Polybrute 6 (to get Model D) it was real cheap)
Yeah, that's probably the last time I'll utter those words.
lol … everything is relative 😏 …
If the Polybrute 12 had 4 voices less - no MPE keyboard - less modulation it would be a lot cheaper. The Muse seems more comparable in terms of features to the original 6 voice Polybrute (but way more expensive). Arturia is still way better value.
Remember that scene in Friends where Ross is espousing the merits of Julie but when asked what the problem is he says "she's not Rachel..."
I would say "it's not a Moog" about the Polybrute.
That being said, the Polybrute is for me the better overall synth, with a great sense of fun in general and a more modern approach.
But it's not a Moog....
@@joecantdance494 Totally mate! We need “Joey’s special” - double …. triple pizza! 😂 can’t wait to get Muse to my Subsequent 37CV and Model D buddies. I had PB6, cool, just not Moog. I have a confession to make, I’m a Moogaholic ❤
Haha. A lot of people are going to want to see this. There has been so much chatter around the interwebs the last few days. Good job 👍🏿😅 I already have the PB12 and don't plan on getting anymore flagship synths for a while but will be watching 😊
Hey, thanks so much for coming by to watch. How are you liking/loving your PB12?
@@SanjayC Polybrute12 is great! I have the Osmose too so the full touch keybed is just my thing. The Muse looks great too and that sound has me building my own patches on PB12. I think Arturia likes the polite French approach to sound so need to add metalizer, sub, FM, unison, chorus, filter drive, detune and some other sprinkles to get some of that beef out of the PB12 but it can be done. Either way, I need to hit the Hanon and Bach etudes now. No more excuses! 🤘🏿
@@fleetadmiralsidiqi1941I found that Disto 50% helps to give the VCOs more character. The Moog sounds more aggressive and raw from the start which is ideal for subtractive synthesis, IMO. If all else fails, put PB12 in Layer Stereo mode and add some analog accuracy.😀
But on the other hand, 12 voices of Moog would be too overwhelming. There are hundreds of patches where a clean Polybrute poly sound is more desirable. And also the mod matrix plus all the other options on any parameter makes it an allrounder.
@@DasHemdchen yeah man thanks for the tips. Haven't played with analog accuracy yet but saw it in the menu. This is definitely one of those times where "learn what you already have better first" is appropriate. From a gear angle and a musicianship angle. Whether I have Muse or PB12, if I don't practice, I'm still going to be trash at keyboards 😅
I played them both side by side and honestly I prefer the Polybrute 12. It was delivering a much fuller and beefier sound. It’s really all about how you program it. I think it’s more versatile because it can sound Moog-like, vintage, future and tones you had no idea it could produce.
Sanjay C., you did it again! You’ve given us another awesome video, just what we needed, and a superb comparison of both synths. I want both!
Glad you liked it
Probably paid by BOTH companies
So good content but probably filtered
The Brute12 is not only on my must have list.. but will be in my dining room in less than a month... I MUST have it (as my very first synth as well.. )
Thanks for the video! I’m at the point of purchasing one of these and couldn’t decide. Yesterday I went to play them both at Perfect Circuit and I can say first that you tube videos help but NOTHING like hearing it for yourself in headphones. Within a few minutes on both synths I knew I was buying the Muse. They both were great and of course more features on the PB12, but it came down to the sound. And nothing sounds like a Moog. Like another comment above - the PB12 was awesome but I felt like sometimes it was close to something I could get from a software synth. The Muse had so much warmth and soul even just playing the raw oscillators without anything added. Ok that’s my 2 cents!
As far as features go, the Polybrute is obviously the king. But the Moog sounds very Moog-ish and still does a lot of modern stuff. So because the Muse is kind of the best of old & new, it would be my choice between the two if I could only have one.
I own a Moog Matriarch, a Super Gemini, and I just got the PB 12. At first, I didn’t get that ‘wow’ effect, but the deeper I dive into this synth, the crazier it gets. This synth doesn’t grab your attention right away-it takes time to master-but in the end, it sounds like a beast. And no, it does not sound like a VST. I’ve owned many analog synths, and of course, I use VSTs, but the PB sounds warm and full. It’s just different from the Muse. Even though the Moog sound has more harmonics at first, you can do some really crazy stuff with the Arturia. They’re just different tools with different timbres.
Thanks a lot for the comparison! I have a Polybrute 6 and a Super 6 which I both adore, but I've been looking at a rawer/fatter sounding poly as well. But for some reason most fatter sounding polys I've had a look at didn't seem to have very many modulation options. The Muse really seems to hit the spot for me; raw fat tones with creamy dual filters and tons of modulation options. And that diffusion delay seems to be the icing on the cake as well.
Thanks for putting in the time to make these videos so all the poly synth nerds can move on to the next thing. 😎
I was waiting for this showdown.🎉
You are super talented Sanjay. You are coming up with some very cool presents and sounds. I don't have the patience.. LOL!!
I appreciate that! :-)
Great video my friend! Looks like I love both..
Hey its the Polybrute expert! Hi Jef! Thank you!
Totally depends on your needs. Polybrute is more expressive and does expansive very well. Muse is more raw and beefy and has very advanced arp and seq features. They would actually complement each other very well (if you can afford and have space for both), but ultimately its not about which is BEST but rather which fills teh gaps in a set yup any one person may have. PERSOANLKY I have a Prophet 6, OB6, 3rd Wave, Iridium keys, Osmose (and a Peak and Virus for live use only) - so sonically and expressively I have MOST of poly brutes capabilities available already on either another synth or two (if UII use Osmose ir Iridium to control another). HOWEVER I dont have a Moog style sound or filter - so fo rME, Muse is the best fit. Someone else will end up with a different POV. heck even if this was your FIRST synith - it would depend what music style yo wanted to play as to which was better...
Great breakdown Sanjay. Enjoyed every second.
Clicked on like and subscribed right away. You have an impressive speaking voice. Excellent content!
Dear God!!! What a great review. I bought the Moog Muse today… but they both sound great!
Thank you 🙏🏼
Kudos to both for outstanding instruments & comprehensive review! No poly AT or MPE support for the Muse is a disappointment. The Muse sounds especially glorious & I hope Moog considers a Poly AT Keybed option for the Muse-- like UDO offers for the Super 6. Speaking of UDO, I wonder how the Super Gemini stacks up against these babies. Probably VERY good ;)
That would be a fun comparison
Agree a great comparison
Very cool video. Do you overdub your speaking afterward? Or is it just compressed? It's rather wild sounding!
Man it's just that huge moog sound that always gets me, there's just something about I truly love and find very inspiring. Don't get me wrong the arturia is absolutely phenomenal, but that moog sound is just very satisfying!
Wow, the raw oscillators of the Muse completely blow the Polybrute out of the water. There are plenty amazing sounds to be had from both, but hearing them so directly back to back was a bit shocking, I didn't realize it would be such a drastic tonal difference!
I love the moog oscilators and the polybrute keyboard. Both is the only answer
At 8:53 when he starts to demo the Polybrute, he actually had stereo delay and reverb on the Polybrute turned on. But on the Moog the sound was demoed dry. This made the comparison rather useless! Obviously with reverb and stereo delay turned on the sound appears 'bigger'.
@@MacXpert74I have no clue how I didn’t catch that, thanks for replying to me, it’s so obvious on second listen. I guess I was really just focusing on the “raw” sound without realizing there was such a “tail” and wash over everything!
Have you seen any other demos A/Bing them without this issue?
@@usinganear No this is the first direct comparison I've seen between the two.
PB oscillators are the weakest on any flagship synth, they need fx to make them sound good, then you get all this mushed sound due to being drenched in reverb.
I was able to get a PB really cheap bnib and turned it down, because no amount of other features will make it sound better.
Another throughly informative review, thanks for all the work you put into these videos! Seems like the Polybrute 12 is now $1k more than the Moog. I tried both and the Muse is more my cup of tea. Both are very powerful, but I just prefer the look, feel and sound of the Muse.
I'll probably get the Arturia, I love polyphonic AT, have an Osmose and a Hydrasynth Deluxe.
I just got an Osmose this month. Isn't it absolutely amazing!? I have had a desktop Hydrasynth for a long time, but don't find myself using it as much as I feel I should. :P
@@CaidicusProductions I'm having a consert in a medival church in two weeks, playing meditative electronic music. My main instrument will be the Hydrasynth on witch I have created some cinematic soundscapes and using the polyphonic AT. Later in october I'll do a performance together with a swedish Haiku-poet. Then I'll use only the Osmose.
@@per-axelstenstrom1886 That Osmose cost a pretty penny for sure too I bet!!! Good luck with the performances. Sounds like good times for sure! 🔥👊🧡👍🔥
@@per-axelstenstrom1886 That sounds extremely interesting, I'm glad you're putting your synths to such good use! I believe the Hydrasynth also has MPE capabilities, now. Have you tried controlling it with the Osmose? That would be neat.
All I want are the polyphonic and mpe features of the arturia on an 88 key midi contoller with lots of knobs and faders. Diva and pigments are waiting!
Very decent comparison presentation. I wouldn't mind both. Arturia and moog seem to be moving leagues ahead in all they now offer. I am a keen fan of both and wouldn't mind a job at either Grenoble or Ashville. The keybed of Arturia wins it for me as I like to play ambient sweeping soundscapes now phenomenally more expressive with the upgraded keybed of Polybrute 12. Thank you - I am now a subscriber.
Thanks for the sub. Wow...a job at Grenoble or Asheville...that sounds so cool.
I have held onto my Ensoniq TS10 for Polyafter touch. Only handy for certain sounds. I have had owned the muse for 3 weeks,Its a keeper.
I would definitely go with the Muse. Both are great synths, but the Moog has that sound, along with the good ol knobby twisty, we all love. Thanks for the comparison!
Anytime!
PolyBrute is great but it's not Mooooog, the sound that it makes, so gorgeous. Moog all day. Also, Poly looks like a VST, not sure I like it.
I think they both sound great. The Muse’s VCO definitely have that lovely Moog roundness The Polybrute’s VCO’s sound great too and may prove quite versatile, but it’s that MPE keyboard that’s a game changer imho. Both are brilliant, powerful, highend analog synths. Picking one would likely require a coin toss! We are truly in the Golden age of synthesis.
Really different synths there. The poly aftertouch is initially interesting/appealing but it can get away from you pretty quickly with sudden vibratos, and volume increases in practice. Just listen to many of the demos on You Tube of the Osmose Expressive MPE controller to hear what I mean. It's encouraging that Moog has released an 8 voice poly competitively priced. Another good comparison would be the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave and the Muse.
The advent of patch memory slots, in the early 80s, which came on the early digital synthesizers, changed the evolution of polysynths forever. The first polysynths cost twice my annual salary and more. This is an enthusiasts market now. The brand for moog, the sound design possibilities of the Arturia. Neither represents a practical tool for me, neither displaces a device or function in my set up, neither strikes me as being useful live, it's pure GAS and I'm getting over that. The Moog is al retro nostalgia, the Arturia is all ergonomics but at least looks as though it was designed recently. With a powerful laptop and a midi controller, most musicians will have what they need, the computer won the battle for the DAW decades ago and has no competition from onboard arps and sequencers here.
Thanks for taking this on. If I were a collector, I would buy them both. My studio can give me everything I can get here and a robust sample player can take that on the road. So it's just boys and their toys.
Incidentally, this video is totally ruined by random, irrelevant ads, every couple of minutes.
The comparison I was the most keen on! Thanks Sanjay, Big shout-out for this video from the Himalayas of India!
Edit: IMO, These 2 will serve completely different sonic purpose:
Arturia PB12 would be a no brainer for more modern and lush expressive pads, soundscapes, keys and ambient sounds and even a lot of classic sounds; I wonder how does it compare in the low end, the grit and gnarly sounds to the Moog though! At $500 more it does seem to offer more features including the full AT, comprehensive matrix, morhphee, software integration, ribbon and so many effects, however, it would be really sad if the OSC are the same that we find on the 'Brute Series' synths by Arturia - those are not premium flagship synth Oscillators!
Muse on the other hand has this vintage classic poly synth sound, and surely has more gritty and character in the low end as well. However for some reason I find the Mono Synths from Moog more impressive and often wonder if the "Moog Sound" is really the thing you need in a Poly Synth. Also not sure how 'Modern' this can sound? The sound design capability of Muse seems limited when compared to PB12, but the OSC & Filter does sound premium!
I think in terms of the raw classic poly synth sound OB-6 over Muse any day & PB6 is still a great deal for $1000 less when compared to PB12 ;)
Great video! From your comparison, I can't help but love the Moog more. As people are saying, it just sounds better at the raw, oscillator level. To me that's where the decision hinges.
Its all really personaly choice; like innovative synths, synths with features that are unique/new, maybe out of this world, and the Arturia PB12 blows the Moog Muse out of the water in terms of offerings (voices, keybed, mod matrix, fx, etc). Many claim the Moog has the better sound, which I'm sure is true. The PB12 however does not sound bad, they are both superb high end synths. I have a PB 6 and its the most beautiful sounding synth in my arsenal. The end user/customer/listener, will honestly not care if you have a PB12 or MM. How you use either of them, and how creative you are, it doesnt matter how it sounds. The MM has a more classic tendency, while the PB12 has a more futuristic approach, but can still pull classic tricks. Its really up to you.
I agree..it will come down to how you use it in your music.
“It doesn’t matter how it sounds”? WTF?! I take it you have some type of buyer’s remorse?
@@xprophet9that might of come out the wrong way; what I meant is, you make the best of it. Either synth does not sound bad. It is How you work with it and what you want to do with it.
Sound always matter.
Would you say the PB is a enough compared to the PB12 (apart from voices and keyboard)?
Definitely watched this video a few times. I'd be to have either one. Would love to check out the Moog though.
Thanx for the video !! I personally prefer the MoArturioga , but it s only my opinion .
The Muse all day- that’s what I’m getting
Both are very cool synths. On the Arturia Polybrute I like the options for realtime control and having 12 voices is nice. Although at the same time I'm not sure how much I would use poly aftertouch. I find that the option to modulate the sound is something I use for lead synth sounds much more than chords. As such using the regular modulation wheel and channel aftertouch are fine and no poly aftertouch is needed. I think the use cases where I want to have poly aftertouch is quite limited. In terms of the sounds coming out of the MUSE and Polybrute, I have to give it to the MUSE. It sounds powerful and smooth and does both classic analog and more modern timbres very well. The Polybrute doesn't sound bad to me, but doesn't do classic analog sounds as good as the MUSE does, I think. It's a more modern sounding analog. But I'm a big fan of 80s stuff, so I like the classic sounds! I would go for the MUSE!
I want to love the polybrute 12, but the sound just isn't quite there. Hard to justify getting it just because it has neat features. The muse sounds great on the other hand, even though it's more limited. Sound comes first to me.
I think these are two different tools. One is super versatile, and the other has a distinct sound that at some point in your life, you'll want to have.
@@SanjayC yeeeessss prophet 5 !!! The pb12 is fun w/ the mpe. But I have ROLI Seaboard controller more MPE . So the muse hm I enjoy this confrontation!😅
I concur
@@Justin-ox8nv I was wrong in my criticism of the 12. My friend just got his and it sounds amazing! It roars. I’ve never had a synth that can do the things this Arturia can and the ribbon controller is fantastic. I recommend getting the 12 AND The Muse😎
I agree, Justin - if I were doing space-sci-fi sounds, weird sound design or (as I discovered today) organ sounds/was starting a Doors cover band, lol, I would think of the PolyBrute … but otherwise, it has a lot of plinky, fizzy, thin & metallic sounds that I’m not into. Muse CAN sound bad, too … but I’ve already heard more sounds from the Muse that I prefer, personally … But it’s all subjective …
I'd personally go with whatever one is lighter for my house, but the extra polyphony is really a must for me.
nice video! I've got a polybrute 6 and even if I'd love the 12 voices it's too expensive an upgrade for a keybed I wouldn't really use... and I'm considering the muse... so guess I'm getting the muse to use with the polybrute 6 eventually!
I feel like some people in the comments really underestimate how bassy and gritty the polybrute can sound. For sure it doesn't need an end of chain lowcut filter, but especially with the recentish saturation options it can really deliver.
The Polybrute 12 feels more mature then the Moog. I also like its layout better. Both have there strengths, I just think the Polybrute 12 looks and feels more fun and mature.
And let me also add that the visual feedback of the matrix is by favorite.
The Moog seems warmer and fuller sounding than the Arturia, which is more appealing than all the poly aftertouch features imo.
Thanks for sharing!
While I’m going to get a muse, I do think that the Arturia is great. Maximising warmth/fullness isn’t always great. I find my Waldorf quantum really useful as sits in a mix much better than my fuller sounding synths (especially my vintage prophet).
It’s a shame that the muse doesn’t have poly at and 12 voices, but if it did… I wouldn’t be able to afford it!
Exactly, I'm leaning towards the moog
The Moog ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I am leaning Moog.... but I expected the Brute to sound even more brutish.... it does in fact sound not bad at all
Great. Now you’ve got me wanting to own both…😅 The Moog for that Moog vibe and sound and the Arturia for its frankly amazing feature set and expressiveness.
Yeah, I know what you mean. That's why I made this video - they are so different and both flagships released the same year!
The Brute is a game changer instrument by incorporating all those expressive controls, not to mention the mod matrix, hence the premium is fully justified. Sound-wise though, the Muse has the upper hand by sounding fatter and more classic analogue. Though decision.
Excellent video - content and presentation - but what the heck does MPE stand for?
Nice demo. I have a question, does Muse have any flaw that makes it impossible to tune it? in the 10th minute and later it is tragically out of tune. Is this a manufacturing defect? answer honestly please
Quote the showdown! Great video as usual! ❤
My Muse is on order (just had to unload a couple of 'impulse buys.') The Polybrute is neat, especially the graphical matrix and poly aftertouch + morphée stuff, but I already have the ultimate MPE keyboard (Osmose) and, to me, the Moog is just unbeatable for its absolute THICC-ness and vibe. Plus, the layout is instantly familiar and old-school, so not much of a learning curve (my first synth was the UNPROGRAMMABLE Korg MonoPoly, hell of a thing to learn on!) For those worried about the Muse swallowing a mix, I mean... anything used wrong can do that, and it does have that handy highpass knob on the far right to tame the beef in the low end. Also, I already have my Prophet Rev2 for 'subtler' tonality, although it can get pretty huge too. I think having the Dave Smith + the Bob Moog 'flavors' on hand, you can do absolutely anything. Really excited to dig into the generative seq/arp stuff on the Muse!
Oh man they are both incredible, but Arturia hasmthe edge
Another vote for Arturia! Thanks for the super thanks, Acee!
I bought the Hydrasynth when it was first released, and I love it and play it regularly still. Poly aftertouch is a MUST HAVE for any keyboard I'm interested in at this point. The Iridium keyboard is at the top of my "wish list", and the Polybrute 12 is a close second. I'm also interested in Behringer's take, and wouldn't mind having the UB-XA as well...
Yours is the first sensible comment out of a thousand reply’s I’ve read. So many more options available these days.
Mind you, it's hard to judge a synthesizer's sonic quality by viewing videos on a computer. I have owned the PolyBrute 12 since September. I bought it for its expressive keyboard. Recording with the Expressive E Osmose taught me how expressive controls make a difference and the reviews on my latest album confirm that notion. I was never interested in the original PolyBrute. I haven't played the Muse yet, so it wouldn't be fair to pick a favourite. Many PolyBrute presets sound harsh but the instrument can sound creamy and round, like, for example, a Polymoog or ARP/Solina String-Ensemble (left behind Sanjay). It just takes some programming of your own sounds, the thing synthesizers are made for. There is even a patch generator to get you started. The Muse wins in terms of user interface, frequency modulation - even better than the Moog One, which I have owned since March 2020 - balanced outputs and a third, versatile oscillator. .
Exactly what we all been waiting for cheers brother!!!!
And you still will buy neither.
Fantastic review Sanjay , thank you very much
My pleasure
I'll eventually get both 😈🤣🤣
There's no better solution.
Yes, I think they're different enough to warrant owning both for those that can spare the dough. Congrats to Moog for their new flagship polysynth.
I could tell that you like the Polybrute 12 better. They both sound cool. I do like the styling of the Moog Muse more and actually like that its less feature laden. I'd probably go for the Moog.
I'll take the Moog thank you very much ;)
I want both. PB is a sound designer heaven, Muse more a player's synth to me. If I can get either at a good price, I would jump at it, but as a player I prefer the Moog sound, it is rounder and fuller to my ear although the PB has the ladder filter, the oscillators don't match the Muse to me. I find the PB sound closer to OB or Prophet, the Curtis chip was always a bit fuzzy and buzzy to me and the PB starts there but a good programmer can smooth the sound through the filters and mod matrix. But for simplicity, the Moog gets me there faster. I love the PB advanced AT, which Muse lacks. I think I could get something totally unique from the PB with a little work. The effects might send me to the PB, but Muse has that Moog rich full sound. Hard call who gets my 3K.??
Two completely different beasts for me, which complement each other.
Exactly
Thank you for this video. Even though they are different technologies I would love to see a side by side with the Groove Synthesis 3rd wave too. There are also two other two very interesting synths in the price range - the UDO Super 8 and the Trigon 6(this one has Moog inspired filters).
I see many commenters that use adjectives to describe the PB12 like mature, more fun, mature,etc… Thats all fine and to each his own. As for me, sound is KING. While both of these masterpieces are great, there’s a thickness to the Muse that edges out the PB12. GREAT comparison video! You’ll help many to make an informed decision on what to buy!!
Depends on how you program it. Playing them side by side the Polybrute for sure sounds more massive than the Muse
good overview. I know you are trying to offer an unbiased overview and you do a good job here. But what is your biased preference here? I picked up the muse and it sonically has filled a hole in my setup. I have a 3rd wave, iridium, Take 5 and Pro 3 so the muse sounds unlike anything I else. I'll entertain to the PB 12, maybe next year if I can find a place to put it. It's huge.
Love them both. It's like financing a classic car though. Have you tried the MOTOR SYNTH yet?
MUSE all day long 🔥🔥 come on sweet water with the re stock
This is definitely the comparison people are going to want to see. Very interesting.
As a traditional keyboard/performance tool I think the Moog edges it. Punchier sound, and a build quality for the road. The Arturia is probably a better tool for the studio, and if you already have a Moog, a more versatile instrument.
I wish the Muse had a polyAT keybed, and a second filter that was more like a 12 dB SVF than just a HP filter option. I wish the PolyBrute was available in a more traditional dark/noir color.
Moog.
Your channel is fabulous!
The Moog Muse all day. It is not even close or a hard decision because of the sound, although the PB does have some nice features but the sounds were a bit shril to my ears while Moog was much warmer.
Muse has a nicer raw sound. Really gorgeous. PB12 has the expressiveness though, more voices, and more effects. Polybrute might have a greater range of sounds, but the Muse just sounds rich and dreamy.
What do you think of the mod matrix on the Polybrute?
@@SanjayC That physical layout for the Polybrute’s mod matrix is awesome, and it has a huge matrix. I would love to try it. But I also want to try the Muse. From the demos I’ve heard it sounds tremendous. Really amazing. I already have a Matriarch, so it would be a tough decision.
Arturia PB12 seems to offer more, the keyboard with polyphonic Aftertouch, more effects, the matrix... But Moog Muse has sounds, filters and character that are from another world. I am also very concerned about the build quality of Arturia: I have owned Minibrute and Drumbrute for 6 years (as well as a Minimoog Voyager) and on both all the potentiometers have become sticky (while the Voyager is as good as new).
Thanks for sharing your experience with them!
PB 6 and 12 do not use those pots. Had a 6 for three years. Build quality is great.
The old curse of the sticky knobs! Arturia have moved totally beyond that situation and build quality in general is great on my 3 year old PB6, which feels as new as the day I got it and no sticky.
@@discombob93 Well, I hope they stay that way for at least another 3 years and beyond. Anyway, build quality aside (even if the PB looks more toy-like than the Moog) I personally think I'll get tired of the polyphonic Aftertouch soon (I like it a bit, but too much...) while I think I'll never get tired of the Moog sound paste.
@@icasraf Oh, PB can definitely get Moogy... lots of gainstaging and saturation options available for that, but I have just the opposite concern of the Moog only ever sounding like a Moog. If you are looking less for a chameleon that takes time to setup and change all those options and more for "it says Moog on it, so that's the sound I'm about to hear when I press a key" and can afford to own other flavors too like Oberheim and Sequential, I can totally understand that workflow concern. Probably going to save some time when you're trying to be productive, but I've learned the PB6 long enough now that I'm pretty fast with it.
Polybrute sometimes sounds like free vst synth.
That’s in your head. The brute series are incredibly warm and fat. If you want them to be. They can just do modern and breathy too. I don’t mean this disrespectfully. It comes from personal experience. I have six Moog’s, a Polybrute, Super 6 and others. The Arturia synths are incredible.
IMO, those comparisons don't do justice to any of both end. The PolyBrute is designed to be a modern synth for modern and versatile productions, it has that MPE aftertouch allowing for more complex and elaborated patches, it has 4 more voices to help with that. The Muse is somehow simpler, doesn't have that complex AT, could make good use of it, sure. But then there's how it sounds...and sorry, but a simple one to one oscillator comparison doesn't cut it...everyone who's worked with analog synth in musical production knows that combining those things together just gives you unexpected results. Moog Muse is simpler but still makes its way in your creation, blending in with whatever else you add, as any Moog would do for that regards. PolyBrute doesn't do that and quickly feels bland and dull in a real (i.e. non solo) context, the added value of the MPE stuff and the added voices and stuff you get makes up for it. But bottom line, these are two different synths, for two different usages. And it's not a bad thing! You want the analog vibes and the chills of combining analog goodness and stuff in a full analog or creative signal path, go for the Muse ; you want the versatility of a "ready to go" production synth that would get you out of most of your production needs, go for the PolyBrute. Quality-wise they're both quite decent, wait a couple more years and they'll just come out of the same factory anyway 😄
I am waiting for the Polybrute V in a future V-Collection ^^
Buy the Arturia because it's amazing. Buy the Moog because it's a Moog. No wrong choice here.
I'm back watching this again. All you've done is made me ask the question... Why not both? :P
Hi Sanjay ! My question for you : which synth has the best bass/sub bass according to you ? As always, thanks for your review !
For a while. The polysynth world has had a conundrum.
You choose either great raw tone with not much modulation depth: Prophet 5, Prophet 6, OB6,
Or you choose a less good core tone, with lots of modulation:
Prophet Rev2, Prophet 12, Polybrute
Moog Muse is like a sweet spot to me, better core tone, with still a decent amount of modulation options.
The CV ins, also mean you could add more LFOs, if you wanted to “get nuts”.
What's your fav synth in your collection?
@@SanjayCcurrently: Voyager XL. I don’t own a Polysynth at the moment.
tyvm 4 matching the vox and the synth vol. g job. no vol ping pong required!
I appreciate you noticing that. The little things really make a better video and I take the time to do so.
0:04 nightcrawler by travis scott , Sanjay sir really a great fan of your reviews recently watched your black friday and cyber monday video ,
I am actually quite confused whether go with Arturia keylab mk3 61 or s series 61 mk3 , actually I need pads on it too , because I had 2000 mpcxl vst now I want to use it too but as go for feature and control s series is better than arturia one but arturia one is quite Fl compatible and has lot of faders and knobs where as s series don't have it and they don't even have drumpads on it
also, arturia removed 4 pads from bottom row on new version and even some buttons , what would be better ?
amazing video Sanjay, how is Dharti now???
Thanks, Vatsali. Dharti is doing better...still recovering. Thanks for asking!
@@SanjayC don't worry She will get 100 percent fine!
I like the way the Muse looks better so i got that one 😏 haven’t played it yet but it looks awesome in my studio 😈😈
That poly brute 12 just give you more when you spend that much money on a hardware synth . Think you should get all the bells & whistles feature's your paying for.. you can just do much musically sonic with it.. if i had to get one my choice would be the polybrute even tho moog is the older more known brand. boy sanjay the number's are growing i remember you hittin 5k.. keep up the great work ..
All I want are the polyphonic and mpe features of the arturia on an 88 key midi contoller with lots of knobs and faders. Diva and pigments are waiting!
I'm finding it hard which to love more out of the Moog or Polybrute. The Polybrute just has so many amazing features, but every time i listen the playthoughs of presets etc. the Moog just sounds better. How true really is that though? Can you get a lot of similar sounds in both? I suppose it's like you say, that Moog just has a certain sound that is hard to replicate. I'm just trying to work out if i have a bias from always hearing people talk about how warm the Moog is, or if it's just true?
I recently put the Korg Multi/Poly on my wishlist. I did it for the 60 voices. I replaced the ASM Hydrastnth on the list even though I like the Hydrasynth for it's poly aftertouch. But in the end, having more voices is more useful since the purpose is for playing chords. I'll still use the Pro 3 I already have for bass and lead.
Just brut-al on the wallet for people. Having both is almost impossible to deny. PolyBrute is just absolutely stunning in person, even sound-wise once you learn how to move beyond the strange presets and decent onboard effects which can really smear the sound if you aren't very judicious with them. If you can only get one of them though, be warned that with the gain-staging, dual-filter mix and matrix options to manipulate the envelopes, PolyBrute is the ultimate chameleon... I simply cannot get bored of it even after 3 years of owning the 6.
These are both amazing sounding synths, but maybe I'm the rare kind of person who just prefers cheap analog synths tnat do a few particular things well. With my most expensive synth being a DeepMind 12 I expected to feel a huge sense of lack listening to these things, but honestly, in a mix, I don't hear too much I couldn't program a suitable replacement for. Not identical by any means but it would work.
Now if i was an amazing keyboard player soloing on these guys, I'd be very happy to have either and could get more out, particularly with that after-touch and controls. But im not JMJ or Vangelis
Great video! What about the UDO Super 6 as an option? =)
Excellent. Thanks for doing this. They both win in their own ways. The polybrute matrix is wonderful and the FX are better (imo). I also like having 2 different filters. What’s the built quality like on the Muse? The Muse oscillators are more immediate
That Moog sound is hard to argue with, but the Polybrute still sounds excellent and the Fulltouch is amazing. Honestly, I’d rather get a Matriarch for that huge Moog sound.
Why is it that the "simpler" more stripped down Moogs always sound huge?
@@SanjayC
Moog MUSE for me !
I don’t know what everybody is on about with the Moog sounding “better.” They both sound awesome. The main difference I hear is that the Polybrute has a broader tonal palette. The Polybrute can sound exactly like the Muse in a blind test. This has been proven by other channels.
And TBH Arturia doesn’t do so well at presets. Their presets are more focused on showcasing what is possible rather than what sounds good.
I’d have both if I had the budget and space.
Moog will have a software editor for the Muse. Their editors for their other synths (I have a Subsequent 37 and a Subsequent 25) are awesome, and basically just like this Arturia one. Plus they have very easy patch librarian features.
Do you have info suggesting Moog will support the Muse with a software editor? I have the Subsequent 37 and absolutely love the editor, incredibly powerful for production, and those of us lacking the ability to play musical ideas. From what I could find in old articles it looked like the editor for the original Sub37 was released 1-2 years after the syth's initial release. I'm pretty set on getting the Muse either way, but confirmation of an editor would have pushed me to already have a Muse last month.
Polybrute all the way, sounds like 70s yet modern while Moog sound like every Moog synth lol
Here is my conclusion and keep in mind that I actually love moogs. While there is nothing wrong with the moog muse I cannot say other than the Polybrute is way more logic in the interface and less confusing. And for some reason I think the polybrute do a good job if you want to have a synth thats fits very good in a music production if you want to go a bit more modern also. On the other hand it seems like the moog muse sounds a bit different also than traditional moog sounds. I love them booth and wish to have oportunity to test them.
To my ears, I prefer the sounds of the Muse.